Team Illuminata EG33 engine swap

Team Illuminata · 11-26-2009, 01:26 PM

Well, I've finally bit the bullet and comitted to swapping a new engine into the Legacy rally wagon. I've been close before, thinking I needed more power only to be proved wrong by lending my car to a better driver who typically spanked the field with the current N/A powered car. This saved me a lot of money as driving schools are cheaper than engines but now the 2.5l lump is getting tired and blowing quite a bit of smoke out of the tail pipe and this lovely 3.3l H6 presented itself for a very reasonable price.

3.3 liter H6 with ~60K miles out of a 94 SVX OBD1.

Rear showing auto flywheel thingy

Right side with coils on plugs and stains

Twin throttle bodies, ECU, workshop manual

Some people might ask "why this instead of a WRX or newer H6?". Well, the car as always done well in naturally aspirated form due to it's nice flat torque curve and low end torque. I didn't want to give up on that, just wanted more of the same so NA seems the way to go. As for the newer generation of H6 Subaru engines they seem qute complicated to wire, have little after market support and are quite compromised in their designs so they could be squeezed into the same space as the 2.5 motor. The EG33 was designed for the SVX which was supossed to be Subaru's GT break out car and consequently the engine was somewhat over designed with some very advanced features, most of which are lost on me but it has coil on plug ignition and twin throttle bodies. Out of the box it produced something like 230hp and 229 torques and revs to around 7000 on the stock ECU. I've heard they are even safe to 9000 rpm with stand alone ECU! I'm going to leave it stock for now.

This particular engine came out of a crashed car and will need new timing belt covers on the driver's side and there is a small nick on the cam wheel. Normally that would proclude me from buying an engine but I know the guy whom I bought it from and he said it ran fine up untill he pulled it out of the wrecked car which drove by the way but wouldn't shift out of 1st.

Surprisingly (or perhaps not) this engine will bolt up directly to the stock transmission and engine mounts. The only issues will be placement of the radiator due to the extra legth and swapping in the EG33 engine harness. The fact that it will be OBD1 when I'm done will not be an issue in Michigan as we do not have emmissions checks here.

Immediate plans include cleaning up the outside of the engine and replacing some seals and gaskets before removing the 2.5 from the car. Then I'll swap some parts over like clutch, flywheel, underdrive pulley etc. meld in the EG33 harness and delete my ABS system from the car. Then we'll drop the new one in and figure out radiator placement and exhaust issues then fire it up. It would be nice to finish the car in time to take it up to Sno*Drift again but in reality it will probably take me a while longer than that.

Stay tuned.

Team Illuminata · 11-26-2009, 01:40 PM

Took delivery of the engine today and started cleaning it up and compling a parts list. Thanks to the guys at Auto Europe in Birmingham for hosting this swap and allowing use of their tools, facilities and expertise.

First I blew off all the loose debris with compressed air then sprayed the valve covers with engine degreaser.

Then I hosed it all off with a power washer.

Mouse nest

Need to fix this

Clean, kind of. It's a race car.

Right side clean

Here's a shot of the OE exhaust manifolds.

Next I'll buy some parts and start replacing seals and gaskets etc.

97ScoobyL · 11-26-2009, 01:54 PM

Wicked awesome, cant wait for this swap to unfold.

jakeachy · 11-26-2009, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Illuminata

Out of the box it produced something like 230hp and 229 torques and revs to around 7000 on the stock ECU. I've heard they are even safe to 9000 rpm with stand alone ECU! I'm going to leave it stock for now.

This particular engine came out of a crashed car and will need new timing belt covers on the driver's side and there is a small nick on the cam wheel. Normally that would proclude me from buying an engine but I know the guy whom I bought it from and he said it ran fine up untill he pulled it out of the wrecked car which drove by the way but wouldn't shift out of 1st.

IThen I'll swap some parts over like clutch, flywheel, underdrive pulley etc.

As a fellow EG33 swap owner, good luck!
however I can tell you that your drivers side head is likely junk, because any impact will crack the cam journal after the gear..
Also, they rev to about 6400 stock. I have a 7400rpm redline, but i would NOT take it past that without a balance. 9000rpms is beyond the oiling system's ability..
I would also urge you to NOT use anything but the stock crank pulley, as it is a crucial dampner for high rpm.
Good luck with your build and if you have any questions, let me know.

Team Illuminata · 11-26-2009, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeachy

As a fellow EG33 swap owner, good luck!
however I can tell you that your drivers side head is likely junk, because any impact will crack the cam journal after the gear..
Also, they rev to about 6400 stock. I have a 7400rpm redline, but i would NOT take it past that without a balance. 9000rpms is beyond the oiling system's ability..
I would also urge you to NOT use anything but the stock crank pulley, as it is a crucial dampner for high rpm.
Good luck with your build and if you have any questions, let me know.

Thanks Jakeachy. I'll be sure to check that out before preceeding.

jakeachy · 11-26-2009, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Illuminata

Thanks Jakeachy. I'll be sure to check that out before preceeding.

They are soo weak, that I broke one taking a cam out! I guess you could get away with it, but I wouldnt rev it high if you did.

Team Illuminata · 11-26-2009, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeachy

They are soo weak, that I broke one taking a cam out! I guess you could get away with it, but I wouldnt rev it high if you did.

How deep into the heads do I have to to check this? I will be taking off the valve covers and the camshaft wheel anyway.

409industries · 11-26-2009, 03:32 PM

What a great topic for the Legacy forum... I love the SVX idea Paul. Keep us posted on the progress, this is going to be awesome!

jakeachy · 11-26-2009, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Team Illuminata

How deep into the heads do I have to to check this? I will be taking off the valve covers and the camshaft wheel anyway.

you must remove the cams.

Team Illuminata · 11-26-2009, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jakeachy

you must remove the cams.

Mmmmmmm

fattie92 · 11-26-2009, 06:21 PM

Very cool Paul!

Ruh Roh 1 · 11-27-2009, 08:12 AM

This is awesome! I was just getting ready to take this project on in my Legacy. That is if I am able to meet up with jakeachy to pick up his EG33 that he has for sale.

noisycricket · 11-27-2009, 10:03 AM

Too cool, Paul!

I always thought that a six cylinder would be a better alternative to turbo four.

Team Illuminata · 11-27-2009, 04:08 PM

I started to strip down the engine today mostly with the goal of determining if there is any damage to the left side head as a consequence of the bump it received.

Left side valve cover off

Timing belt cover and PS pump off

Need to get the timing belt and left side cam pulley off next.

jakeachy where's the cam journal?

jakeachy · 11-27-2009, 04:48 PM

the journals are right infront of the big gear, where the front cam caps are. take the cams off slowly, pulling from the gear side. uneven load will crack the head.
DONT LET THOSE COILS DANGLE! You'll be replacing them at $95 each, ask me how I know.

11-26-2009, 01:26 PM	#1
Team Illuminata Authorized Vendor Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Birmingham, MI Thanks: 12 Thanked 11 Times in 10 Posts	Team Illuminata EG33 engine swap Well, I've finally bit the bullet and comitted to swapping a new engine into the Legacy rally wagon. I've been close before, thinking I needed more power only to be proved wrong by lending my car to a better driver who typically spanked the field with the current N/A powered car. This saved me a lot of money as driving schools are cheaper than engines but now the 2.5l lump is getting tired and blowing quite a bit of smoke out of the tail pipe and this lovely 3.3l H6 presented itself for a very reasonable price. 3.3 liter H6 with ~60K miles out of a 94 SVX OBD1. Rear showing auto flywheel thingy Right side with coils on plugs and stains Twin throttle bodies, ECU, workshop manual Some people might ask "why this instead of a WRX or newer H6?". Well, the car as always done well in naturally aspirated form due to it's nice flat torque curve and low end torque. I didn't want to give up on that, just wanted more of the same so NA seems the way to go. As for the newer generation of H6 Subaru engines they seem qute complicated to wire, have little after market support and are quite compromised in their designs so they could be squeezed into the same space as the 2.5 motor. The EG33 was designed for the SVX which was supossed to be Subaru's GT break out car and consequently the engine was somewhat over designed with some very advanced features, most of which are lost on me but it has coil on plug ignition and twin throttle bodies. Out of the box it produced something like 230hp and 229 torques and revs to around 7000 on the stock ECU. I've heard they are even safe to 9000 rpm with stand alone ECU! I'm going to leave it stock for now. This particular engine came out of a crashed car and will need new timing belt covers on the driver's side and there is a small nick on the cam wheel. Normally that would proclude me from buying an engine but I know the guy whom I bought it from and he said it ran fine up untill he pulled it out of the wrecked car which drove by the way but wouldn't shift out of 1st. Surprisingly (or perhaps not) this engine will bolt up directly to the stock transmission and engine mounts. The only issues will be placement of the radiator due to the extra legth and swapping in the EG33 engine harness. The fact that it will be OBD1 when I'm done will not be an issue in Michigan as we do not have emmissions checks here. Immediate plans include cleaning up the outside of the engine and replacing some seals and gaskets before removing the 2.5 from the car. Then I'll swap some parts over like clutch, flywheel, underdrive pulley etc. meld in the EG33 harness and delete my ABS system from the car. Then we'll drop the new one in and figure out radiator placement and exhaust issues then fire it up. It would be nice to finish the car in time to take it up to SnoDrift again but in reality it will probably take me a while longer than that. Stay tuned. __________________ Paul Eddleston* Paul@TeamIlluminata.com ____________________________ 248.207.0894 Last edited by Team Illuminata; 11-26-2009 at 01:48 PM.

11-26-2009, 01:40 PM	#2
Team Illuminata Authorized Vendor Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Birmingham, MI Thanks: 12 Thanked 11 Times in 10 Posts	Clean Up Took delivery of the engine today and started cleaning it up and compling a parts list. Thanks to the guys at Auto Europe in Birmingham for hosting this swap and allowing use of their tools, facilities and expertise. First I blew off all the loose debris with compressed air then sprayed the valve covers with engine degreaser. Then I hosed it all off with a power washer. Mouse nest Need to fix this Clean, kind of. It's a race car. Right side clean Here's a shot of the OE exhaust manifolds. Next I'll buy some parts and start replacing seals and gaskets etc. __________________ Paul Eddleston Paul@TeamIlluminata.com ____________________________ 248.207.0894

11-26-2009, 01:54 PM	#3
97ScoobyL Dirty Member STM 2000 2.5RS CP Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Trout Run, PA Thanks: 9 Thanked 25 Times in 24 Posts	Wicked awesome, cant wait for this swap to unfold. __________________ Richard ASE Certified PA Inspection and Emission licensed

11-26-2009, 03:32 PM	#8
409industries That DI Guy Car: Black 2001 2.5RS Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Don't call it the OC Thanks: 98 Thanked 415 Times in 248 Posts View Photos By: 409industries	What a great topic for the Legacy forum... I love the SVX idea Paul. Keep us posted on the progress, this is going to be awesome! __________________ \m/ Aaron America's / Discount Tire Company\|AMSOIL\|Rally Armor Mudflaps\|Soltek Light Systems\|Team Illuminata\|Team Dynamics Racing\|All Wheels Driven\|RalliTEK\|GrimmSpeed\|Braille Auto Development\|Jackson Rally\|Redline Rally\|Millennium Motorsports\|Team O'Neil Rally School\|Safe Drives

11-26-2009, 06:21 PM	#11
fattie92 Dirty Member Red 1991 SS Legacy Join Date: May 2007 Location: Wisconsin Thanks: 13 Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post	Very cool Paul! __________________ RYAN Dirt's for racing. Tarmac is just for getting there

11-27-2009, 08:12 AM	#12
Ruh Roh 1 Registered Member White 97 legacy Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: western ohio Thanks: 5 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts	This is awesome! I was just getting ready to take this project on in my Legacy. That is if I am able to meet up with jakeachy to pick up his EG33 that he has for sale.

11-27-2009, 10:03 AM	#13
noisycricket Dirty Member Giggle Factory Join Date: Sep 2007 Thanks: 1 Thanked 21 Times in 19 Posts	Too cool, Paul! I always thought that a six cylinder would be a better alternative to turbo four. __________________ Silence is golden, but duct tape is silver. http://www.youtube.com/izzmus "It is a form of wisdom to walk in the path of the wise who have come before, learning from what they got right... But to be remembered for wisdom, one must be willing to make the most spectacularly bad decisions, and learn honestly from them." - Llewellyn, Ozy and Millie 6/8/06

11-27-2009, 04:08 PM	#14
Team Illuminata Authorized Vendor Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Birmingham, MI Thanks: 12 Thanked 11 Times in 10 Posts	I started to strip down the engine today mostly with the goal of determining if there is any damage to the left side head as a consequence of the bump it received. Left side valve cover off Timing belt cover and PS pump off Need to get the timing belt and left side cam pulley off next. jakeachy where's the cam journal? __________________ Paul Eddleston Paul@TeamIlluminata.com ____________________________ 248.207.0894 Last edited by Team Illuminata; 11-28-2009 at 02:28 PM.

11-27-2009, 04:48 PM	#15
jakeachy Regular Contributer STM 00 RS coupe Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: West Wi Thanks: 6 Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts View Photos By: jakeachy	the journals are right infront of the big gear, where the front cam caps are. take the cams off slowly, pulling from the gear side. uneven load will crack the head. DONT LET THOSE COILS DANGLE! You'll be replacing them at $95 each, ask me how I know. __________________ Wi's first EG33 GC!