1979 Bay Westy to Subaru Engine Conversion Blog

shiningstar76 · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:07 pm Post subject:

Any updates? That EJ22 is a bad dude. Probably the route I'll go someday in my bus. Keeping my eyes peeled for one for my brat.
_________________
KK4NTP
96 Tacoma
86 4Runner
My bus caught on fire and is now on the other coast with someone who gave me money for it.

dlrecord · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:36 am Post subject:

Avocado-Tom,

I think the custom radiator was about $700 +/-. I had Wizard Cooling do the work and was very happy with the results; nice high, tight fit for maximum ground clearance (rear cross member was modified to allow in/out lines). Not the cheapest route or simplest from a replacement perspective, but worth it to me.

I used two Spal pusher fans controlled through a temp sensor, but if I did it again, I would take the extra time to wire the cooling system into the Subie wiring harness!
_________________
1978 VW Campmobile Deluxe, 091, 2.5L Subaru Swap
-----------------------------------------
Subaru 2.2L conversion project
http://1979vwconversion.blogspot.com/2010/09/start.html

avocado_tom · Posted: Sat Nov 10, 2012 6:42 pm Post subject:

How much did you pay for those custom rads, if you don't mind me asking?

And...looks GREAT!

markd89 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:11 am Post subject:

tristessa · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:39 am Post subject:

markd89 · Posted: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:34 am Post subject:

Thanks again for the write-up and blog.

I think there'll be more of us heading this route and it really helps to get others ideas. I'm, of course, doing a TDI but many of the issues are the same Smile

Mark

dlrecord · Posted: Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:56 pm Post subject:

Bump.

Lots of new pictures and updates in the Blog for anyone interested. I tried to take detailed pics of the radiator system and stainless pipes set up.

Plus some other projects I have been working on. Enjoy.
_________________
1978 VW Campmobile Deluxe, 091, 2.5L Subaru Swap
-----------------------------------------
Subaru 2.2L conversion project
http://1979vwconversion.blogspot.com/2010/09/start.html

webwalker · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 9:08 pm Post subject:

great! that clears that up.

I'm looking to replicate a build I saw documented in Texas that used a pair of Scirocco radiators. They're a little wider than normal with inlet/outlets on the same end. The EJ22 as used in the Forrester uses a rad core of 360 square inches. The Scirocco design I'm looking at would double that to almost 680. There are some fine folks down Oz way that are doing some amazing work, which is unfortunately inacessible to us, shipping being what it is. But the way they licked the intake problem was with the rad mounted on a piece of sheet steel (similar to your setup) but with louvers punched in the bottom. The whole 'steel box' keeps the rad safe from bad knocks, road debris, and inevitable pea gravel and at the same time the louvers act as tiny scoops to let the rad breathe. They've really worked it out to a science, and do full conversions of air coolers to EJ22/25 engines there.

The Texas bloke did a Quantum TDI conversion, which was a hell of a lot of fussy fabrication compared to the EJ engines, but he used the double Scirocco rads and after dealing with some air bleeding teething pains, now has a Bus that won't exceed 190F no matter how hot it gets in Texas. The Aussies have had the same opportunity to develop their conversion in an inhospitable environment and if Texas and the Aussie bush have got the cooling problems licked, I'm game.

Thanks so much. Look forward to seeing the pricing breakdown and especially what you did about the ECU wiring.

M
_________________
"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
1977 CE1 Transporter Deluxe, Subaru EJ22, Skills Cooling, Steedle HD 091 w/ GuardT .82 4th
Click to view image

dlrecord · Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 8:04 pm Post subject:

dlrecord · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:53 pm Post subject:

$200 for the rear hanger. I used a vanagon bar since it fits the Small car engine carrier. I tried to do the work myself and had neither the tools nor the ability to do it right, and since my family will be in the bus with me, it was worth it. I need to update the blog with new pics and update the parts list and cost.

I have some good shots of the bar and the fad work to mount it to the original framerail bolt holes used with the original hanger. Again very simple and clean. Made me smack my head and wonder why I never thought of it in all my musings.
_________________
1978 VW Campmobile Deluxe, 091, 2.5L Subaru Swap
-----------------------------------------
Subaru 2.2L conversion project
http://1979vwconversion.blogspot.com/2010/09/start.html

webwalker · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:47 pm Post subject:

webwalker · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:36 pm Post subject:

dlrecord · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:28 pm Post subject:

Webwalker, what year bus do you have? I did not need an upper trans adapter as Richard Jones site suggests. That may be year specific and mine is a 1979. I went with a Kennedy adaptor since I have an automatic and there are no bellhousing options for me. Personally, I don't think and adaptor is really as weak a link as to not consider it. You'd have to be putting some serious strain to cause issues.

I'll try to get some good shot of my radiator set up; I fretted over it for a long time and had all kinds of crazy ideas on how to mount it. The system Dan Coy built is shockingly simple and clean to boot.

Regarding coolant temps, I believe Subaru spec'd the Impreza at least to open the thermostat between 204 and 210 degrees (actually three phases based on speed and temp). I have an independent system with a thermo switch just after the coolant manifold output. It is set to turn at on at 210 but seems to be kicking them on closer to 205. I also set up a manual switch on the dash so I can turn the fans on manually if I choose to (was an option in the wiring kit).

I'll try to get pics up tonight.
_________________
1978 VW Campmobile Deluxe, 091, 2.5L Subaru Swap
-----------------------------------------
Subaru 2.2L conversion project
http://1979vwconversion.blogspot.com/2010/09/start.html

markd89 · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 1:15 pm Post subject:

Krautski · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:19 pm Post subject:

FYI the Type 4 moustache bar is dimensioned perfectly for mounting a VW inline 4 in there, all mine needed were some brackets to interface between engine block and existing bar.

Not knowing your plans that may or may not be of total uselessness to you.
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BUS FOR SALE

webwalker · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 12:14 pm Post subject:

Dan,

I remembered that the rails weren't a constant distance; RatCamper and I had that conversation a while ago. It is good to know that I didn't drop a bit and that there actually is a difference in volume.

I've been looking over options to perform similar kind of heart transplant to a Bay Deluxe, and the parts I keep getting hung up on are:

Mounting the radiator beneath so that I'm only running the fan when I'm in traffic. Highway coolant temp should clock in no higher than 200°F.

Kennedy Adaptor System, or Bell Housing solution? They cost about the same and the Bell Housing is much neater (But the KEP pushes the engine 15mm further to the rear, which is handy when your intake won't clear.)

The rear engine hanger. RJES says you need top (near the top of the bell housing) and bottom (at the rear of the engine, closer to the rear. I'd love to drag and drop something preformed into place, but the only place that sells a mounting kit is RJES, and they are inconveniently located in the UK. I'd prefer to avoid the cost of fab for this entirely.

Comments?
_________________
"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
1977 CE1 Transporter Deluxe, Subaru EJ22, Skills Cooling, Steedle HD 091 w/ GuardT .82 4th
Click to view image

dlrecord · Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 11:35 am Post subject:

Uh...I'll have to go back and double check my numbers. Perhaps it would have been better to say volume versus size? Let me pull up old notes and see if I can clarify.

I'd love to see my bus on a lift, too! crawling under the bus on my back is getting old. I'll try to get a good shot of the front of the radiator as mounted between the framerails as well as the rear between the framerials for you.

The rails do flare and dimensions aren't the same up front as the are in the rear.
_________________
1978 VW Campmobile Deluxe, 091, 2.5L Subaru Swap
-----------------------------------------
Subaru 2.2L conversion project
http://1979vwconversion.blogspot.com/2010/09/start.html

markd89 · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:25 pm Post subject:

The center frame rails are 26-29" apart. depending on where you measure. I'll leave the other questions to Dan...

webwalker · Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 6:59 pm Post subject:

Hey Dan,

I was looking at your blog pics on that massive radiator you had wizards do for you, and then I saw the size you claimed it to be: 17.5 x 28.1 x 1.25

cm? Inches? I'm assuming inches. You mention that it is twice the size of the original used in the Impreza. But all of the references I can find for an Impreza Rad are 27.1875" x 13.375" which is awful close to the size that Wizards built for you. Could you explain?

Also, what's the distance between the center frame rails?

I'd love to see a pic of your bus up on a lift! Smile

M
_________________
"Consistent maintenance with quality products is the cheapest warranty you'll ever need."
1977 CE1 Transporter Deluxe, Subaru EJ22, Skills Cooling, Steedle HD 091 w/ GuardT .82 4th
Click to view image

RatCamper · Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2011 1:29 pm Post subject:

Glad it's going well for you OP.

I'm in the middle of an argument on another forum about mine, well about legislation. The thing at the core of anything an Aussie wants to do more complicated than scratching their butt.
Assuming I'm right and don't need engineer certification my conversion would have come in around ...hm. I'll say below $1500 to be safe and avoid nickel and dime cost creep. If I need certification, to be honest I'm screwed. Nothing wrong with my work, but all the costs involved in taking it to an engineer just once would set me back at least $1200. Not the sort of $ I can extract from my rectum.

The SubaruGears bloke actually suggested I should put a subie transmission in my bay a couple of days ago Laughing

I'd love to and I learned that the early EA transmissions have the same basic guts as the later EJ transmissions just with a different bolt pattern. However my motor has neither. It has a replacement engine bellhousing (that bit behind the flywheel) with a VW pattern. No adapter needed Wink

Maybe in the future.

May I ask why you can't use a subie slushbox? Is it an interference issue with the beam?
_________________
Vehicle: 1975 Special order delivery walkthrough panel based pop-top camper (LCA / Sunliner). Motor: Nippon 1.8L Single port Wasserboxer, Transmission: 3 rib 002.


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