taking the plunge, converting to Subaru Power

[JeffRobenolt]

I aslo thought the harness wasn't to bad.

I was pretty paranoid when I went to start it the first time. I had two fire ex and a water hose and $0 deductible comp put on the van.

Turned the key and fired right up, cool.

YOU will love it.
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[edgood1]

[edgood1]

I sold the auto KEP kit and purchased the manual kit today from outfront motorsports along with the clutch kit. I actually saved money doing it this way, and I get the manual adapter with no notch.... so i can seal up the bellhousing/adapter plate/engine and not have to worry about water getting in there when crossing fjords


Other things I need to do during the conversion process:
Remove the fuel tank
Replace the tank sending unit (have a new one on hand)
Use Bed guard for the area above/around the gas tank.
Possibly replace the fuel tank straps but they may be savable.
Replace all the fuel and vent lines that I couldn't get at with the tank installed.
Replace rear axles, Rear wheel bearings, rear brakes and install new longer studs for new wheels (this might be a project for another day, brake parts I have on hand)

Things I need:
plastic subaru intake pipe, or make one.
New cross shaft (Small Car $110)
Outfront Adapter Kit ($500 on the way)
Clutch $200 (on the way)
Maybe new stainless coolant pipes ($350)
maybe new radiator ($150)
Radiator hoses ($50)
both Oxygen Sensors ($150)
Stainless steel Ring-a-ma-thing for syncro fuel sender..if i can find one ($80)

$1620 in parts not counting the wheel bearings and axles.


What I have amassed:
EJ22 engine
Wiring Harness done
Small Car mount for syncro (installed)
Small Car cooling line kit
reversed coolant manifold installed
Small Car Speed sensor
New coolant bottle (for kicks)
Small Car throttle cable kit.
Small Car shortened oil pan installed.
Small Car SS exhaust system, including muffler (very nice).
New timing belt and idlers installed.

Do you guys think I could pull off the swap over a 4 day weekend? I plan to take a few days off from work in the very near future to get this done.

I feel like I'm passing the point of no return to complete syncro obsession insantiy.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[JeffRobenolt]

It ain't a race! Take your time enjoy it and do it right.

You could possibly do it in four long days if you don't have to run or order parts.
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[Wildthings]

I had originally planned to work straight on my swap and do it in a few days, but Murphy was lurking in the shadows. It ended up taking me months as I kept running into kit pieces that were out of spec. The flywheel adapter had to go back for further machining and several other pieces were unusable in my estimation so I built many of my own pieces. The modified pan I was sold still had a pin hole leak show up months later after I thought I was all done.

In the long run my install came out very clean, much better I am sure than most do, but I would not set aside one single large block of time if I did another swap. I would just plan on it taking a few hours a week for week after week.

[edgood1]

i definitely won't rush it.

hell, my westy conversion was only supposed to be a winter project... and it turned into a full restoration.

I hope that doesn't happen here, i mean there's only so much more than can be done to the van

it takes as much time as it takes i guess. ... i'm gonna take some friday/monday off to start it and we'll see how far I get.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[ericos_bob]

I started out just doing a subi conversion and ended up installing front/rear difflocks,decoupler, solidshaft, porsche cvs, 2" lift springs, ome shocks, 30x9.5/15 tires. and replacing front ball joints bushes as well as cutting the roof off and installing a pop top, making a rear mounting spare wheel carrier and camper interior, bullbar, 6.17 r&p .Installed a 0.73 4th, 1.18 3rd and sand blasted and resparayed the entire underside of my syncro aswell as the inside before applying a top coat of por-15 both in and out. My subi conversion has been on the go for about 6 months. I could have driven it with the subi powered syncro months ago but didn't with all these side projects.

I hope you don't get as carried away as I have. Playing with syncro's is like playing with fire. Good luck with it and let us know how it goes.

[edgood1]

question for the masses.

How important is it to replace the clutch cross shaft? I've read that some people have trouble getting the lever off.

I'm ordering parts now and was considering adding it.

My syncro transmission has about 150,000 miles on it... I'm sure it will get rebuilt in the next couple of years. I was thinking I could just put it off until then.

thoughts?

I've taken the week of May 24th off to do the swap, or at least start on it. I have the long weekend right after that as well. I'll have a ton of questions leading up to and during that week.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[edgood1]

Starting to get some work done on the subaru swap:

Heres the outfront motorsports adapter kit installed. There were small metal shavings all over the flywheel, lots of cleaning. They were all up in the bolt holes and even on the bearing at the center of the flywheel

Question 1: Does the high pressure power steering hose supplied by small car replace this banjo fitting on the output of the pump?

heres the hose I have:

Question 2: I remember reading somewhere that this barb on the intake manifold should be used to hook up the brake booster. What is the hole to the lower right of it for? It doesn't look like it is used for anything and doesn't look like it feeds into the manifold vacuum.

Can I get any useful information from this code?

I was looking for a VIN but only found that.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[pinealservo]

The smallcar power steering hose does replace the banjo fitting on the power steering pump. I'd hold on to the Subaru power steering hoses, though. It seems to vary from install to install, but sometimes the power steering hoses for conversions cause the pump to be VERY loud, and hooking the original Subaru hose to the Vanagon lines via an adapter is a reliable way of getting it quiet again.

[edgood1]

dropped the waterboxer..what a slug.

i broke one of the nipples on the diff lock actuator

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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[edgood1]

The EJ22 is in. Still needs to be plumbed:

I spent more time cleaning and painting bedliner than engine work.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[joetiger]

Congratulations!

I like that intake elbow. Where is it from?
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Joe T.

'86 NAHT Vanagon GL Syncro/ supercharged ABA 2.0 "Pigpen"
'04 GTI 1.8T
'04 Golf R32

"get metaphysical with it. if it's simply a means to get to and from places, it will let you down. if it becomes your zen, it can't fail you." -dabaron

"Still, it's good to be afield."--VWagabond

Available Now! Vanagon to Louisiana--A Two-Lane Reckoning Through Past and Present

www.josephtrussell.com

[thummmper]

I just did this in january, and for all the trouble, I wished I had put in a 2.5 or larger . you have to rev the crap out of it to go, and I hate that. you are splitting the power to the front as well.
seems the wiring and cooling system took the most attention
when you finish this, you will be initiated. welcome to the reliable club.

[edgood1]

I would have preferred to go with the 2.5L too. I was looking 2.5 or 3.3L but the deal I got on this 14K mile EJ22 with all the conversion components was too good to pass up, and it came with another syncro, which is now running nicely.


My main motivations were less noise, reliability and mileage...the EJ22 fits the bill. I had no problems with the power output out of the waterboxer...anything more is a bonus.


The flex intake pipe was a generic one I had on another car. I think I got it at autozone, along with that 3" red coupler. Its designed to attach before the air filter to suck in air from a colder source. I'm not sure if I'm going to keep that on there yet. If I do I need to add a barb for the vent lines and air valve.... I may later use it to create a better snorkel system on the syncro.. we'll see.
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1987 Syncro Westfalia powered by Subaru
1963 Panel to Deluxe Bus project :::: (photo album)
'65 Westfalia

[joetiger]

[ALIKA T3]

Hi!!

there are some connections on the original intake pipe,how are you going to solve that with your flex pipe??

I'm doing the same conversion too,with a UN1 transmission.

Have fun!

Alika

[edgood1]

[thummmper]

godd work- youlle really like it, and it will still suprise you, just when you least expect it [good power]. starts every time, idles real pretty.

[ftp2leta]

In most condition the 2.2 is equal power wise to the 2.5, yep! And on top, the 2.2L is one of the best built engine OVERALL in the past 20 years.

I have raced (when stock) with a 2.2L weekender and he almost beat me.

Stop sign to stop sign.

It's on highway and very steep hill that you see A difference, but not that much.

that said, the 2.5L can be easily modified, way more easy than the 2.2L.

The 2.5L can be easily be pushed to 210hp without Turbo.

Ask me if I know

Ben
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Working with rust, grease, dirt and dust is a sad truth.
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