Finding a Subaru Engine to put into my VW Westy!

[@dprovini]

Great video, can't wait to see the install and best of luck. I installed a 99 EJ2.2 in my westy 4 trouble free years ago.

[@BluffCoast]

Thanks Dominic! Definitely more to come. Really hoping I’ll be able to say the same thing 4 years down the road!

[@productionbs5424]

This is so nice, I really enjoy the detail he shared. Thanks man!

[@BluffCoast]

Happy to help out - just trying to share some of the things I've learned along the way. Thanks for following along!

[@flossymissiles]

Can’t wait to see this thing all wrapped up 👍

[@BluffCoast]

Hey thanks for the love dude! Big Flossy Missiles fan 😎

[@loveliftadventure5864]

Awesome! Can't wait to see the install 🙂🤙

[@BluffCoast]

I'm excited to get to that step as well, it's been a long time coming haha. Thanks man!

[@loveliftadventure5864]

@@BluffCoast I'm sure! I'm super stoked for you guys!!

[@nikthompson2187]

Great vid, Hi from England

[@BluffCoast]

Thanks Nik! Thank you for following along!

[@Obzrve]

I’m looking too.

[@BluffCoast]

It’s a fun process! May be a bit harder in today’s market but definitely some good finds out there! Happy searching man

[@DanTheManIOM]

ha, similar story here, have an 03 forester with 125K, but leacks coolant and oil, not sure if it had a rod knock, what have you found out about rebuild ? New bearings ? rings ? Shop told heads are probably good as they are...

[@BluffCoast]

I will be uploading more details about it eventually, but I ended up getting this engine heads rebuilt and machined and will be using this engine for my swap. 185k, but ran great and hopefully will be strong with new head gaskets, valve job, and timing belt kit!

[@Fettuccine]

How did the install go man? Also any tips? Hoping to do an engine swap by the end of 2023. Saving some $$ as just the conversion kit itself cost a good dime!

[@BluffCoast]

Hey man! It went great. It was such a great learning experience and she runs like a champ! Definitely costs a pretty penny all in all, but if you’re looking for long term use and practicality for daily driving and long distance, it’s totally worthwhile.

[@peterislazy]

Hey Coast, I just obtained a 99 Legacy 2.5L donor car for my 1984 westy. Do you have a list of items I would need to pull off the donor car before I scrap the shell?

[@BluffCoast]

Hey there! You need full wire harness and ECU (under the foot plate of passenger seat). What you choose to keep from there is up to you!

[@felipezarate4032]

How do you spend for your swap including the donor car? Thank you

[@BluffCoast]

Hey Felipe! My donor car was $400. All in, I believe the swap was around $8,000 USD!

[@jovanramos4448]

Thanks! Just bought my westy a week ago! I got a 1981 Westfalia. I have a 2.5 Subaru engine ready to go, but I might sell my 81 westy and get something newer and put my engine in that ( newer Westfalia )What do you think?

[@BluffCoast]

That's so awesome Jovan, welcome to the Westy life! Overall swapping a Subaru into a newer Westfalia (1984-1991) would be a bit more simple since those years are already watercooled. It's definitely possible to swap into a 1981, but obviously you'll have to add a radiator and coolant lines to run front to back. This would require a bit more work and a bit of tweaking, but again... it can be done! If you're handy and have the time/money/motivation to do that, I'd say go ahead. But if you'd like to keep it a bit more "simple", doing a swap into a newer Vanagon would be ideal. Also - starting with a van that has a solid structure and is free from major rust is key. This will be worth it 10x down the road!

[@DanTheManIOM]

it's been done and it cools well enough with just the upper grill ! There is a Facebook group and someone just posted about subaru cooling in air cooled vanagon. If you air cooled is running, I would not touch it. Use it until you find a water cooled one.... Vanaru won't do the conversion on an aircooled. I thought the engine sits slightly different position ? IDK.

[@BluffCoast]

@@DanTheManIOM Correct, I’ve also heard that there is technically no need to cut the lower grill hole. It’d be a fun conversion!

[@ak47quistian79]

Is the engine you put in no turbo?

[@RadicalCreative]

Correct, no turbo. Just a normal 2.5L!

[@ak47quistian79]

@@RadicalCreative I'm in the process of getting a non turbo Ej25 is there anything that I should make sure that I take off of the donor car? Would you happen to have a list? I'm blind to this my first time doing something like this but I'm excited. I'm doing this to a 1975 bus

[@BluffCoast]

@@ak47quistian79 Awesome! I was the same way when starting, totally dove into it and learned along the way. It’s a challenge but a fun one! From the donor car you need to get : - Engine - Engine wiring - Bulkhead wiring harness (under the front dash) - ECU (under passenger side flooring) - Any other wiring from front seats forward (a lot of it isn’t needed, but safer to have it just in case)

[@forthleft]

Watch the Subaru clutch-plates. The inner can suddenly spin freely within the outer friction plate. The inner is a 'cush-drive' mechanism and is designed to reduce shock-loads btwn gearbox and engine. It's pressed together and mine let go. Subaru clutch kits are incredibly expensive. So, if I were you, I'd reinforce the pressed join with a 'scotch-key' method (google it). You don't want to be stranded.

[@BluffCoast]

Thanks for the tip Tim! I'll be using a conversion plate to mate my 2.5 to my VW transmission using a Sachs (VW) clutch, so I'm assuming this won't be an issue?

[@forthleft]

@@BluffCoast I hope so. I was very disappointed with Subaru when it happened to me. I tried to get out of it cheaply but it ended with me doing the job three times and it still ended up substandard. Hope I've saved you the grief. Does your new plate have a cush-drive?

[@nikthompson2187]

Is there a conversion plate ?

[@BluffCoast]

Yes, I will be using the Rocky Mountain Westy conversion kit to mate the Subaru engine to my VW transmission!

[@DanTheManIOM]

You have 3 options, RMW or KEP adapter, or small car bell housing, or SubaruGears. Todd in Australia sells a flipped ring gear that allows you to run the subie 5 speed. I'm running 3-3500 rpm in that 65-70 mph range, all due to the stock trans. Mine has 63K miles and being frugal, why replace it ? Tons of info on the web, at Kennedy and Small car Performance and vancafe, thesamba and the Facebook group.

[@BluffCoast]

@@DanTheManIOM I’m curious to see what my rpms and comfortable cruising speed will be with the stock 4spd. I’d be happy with 3000-3500rpm at 65-70!

[@DanTheManIOM]

@@BluffCoast subarugears website has a RPM calculator - you can go see before it's built, you know, SCIENCE ! Maybe it was 3200-3500 at 65 ? That was 6 months ago.

[@johnkempf1808]

Everybody wants subi swaps and the sale price for the van goes up accordingly. Yet these engines are 20 years old with almost 100k miles on them. Unless you rebuild the subi engine you are taking a crapshoot. It is worth it to go through all that trouble for a little more power?

[@BluffCoast]

For me, yes the increased power will be nice. But I was more so excited about the project as a whole and learning how to wrench on my van a bit more. I would have learned just as much by rebuilding my 2.1, but the Subaru seemed like a worthy investment and upgrade!

[@johnkempf1808]

@@BluffCoast I get where you are coming from. However, I hope you are planning on rebuilding the subi engine before you install it.

[@mogulermike959]

Liked, Commented, and Subfrickensibed

[@BluffCoast]

Heck yeah, sooo appreciated!! You're the man Michael!