1999 Subaru impreza SRX?

Question

i have a 99 subaru non turbo srx and want to turbo it instead of buying a wrx engine i want to turbo my standard engine what will i need in order to do this thanks...

Answer 1

Stock #: 9852

Type: Sedan

Ext Colour: Grey

Transmission: 5 Speed Manual

CC Rating: 2000

Odometer: 113,000

Comments: Petrol, REDUCED - REDUCED - WAS $10990 - NOW $7990.

2.0 - 5 speed - all wheel drive - mags - spoiler - R/CD stereo - skirts - remote lock - factory skirts - spots.

Answer 2

Let me preface by saying we don't have the SRX trim where I live, so the following response may not be 100% accurate. However, I know turbo motors and I know Imprezas, so I'm fairly certain I'm not far off.

In most cases, it's cheaper and easier to swap motors than to turbo your motor. For instance, I have what's called a 2.5RS in the States. It has an SOHC 2.5L boxer engine very similar in design to the EJ20 that's in your SRX, except it has an extra half liter. A complete kit to turbocharge the motor costs $3000-3500 and a lot of down time/money for labor and tuning. $2500 buys a used WRX front clip from Japan. That includes the motor, wiring, and ECU. And if you were fortunate enough to buy the exact same year, everything is perfectly plug and play. Nothing you couldn't finish in a day with a buddy or two. The swapped car makes more power and gets better fuel mileage than if I turbo'd the stock motor. Just keep that in mind.

When adding a turbo to a non-turbo car, first think you have to do is figure out the compression. If the compression is very high, let's say in the 12:1 range, you can pretty much scrap your plans. You'll either have to drive around on race gas or you'll have to turn the boost down to around 5-10 psi. Either way, you're not going to have much fun. Let's assume you have a medium compression ratio (11:1) for the sake of discussion.

From what I can tell, the SRX is simply a WRX without a turbo. Subaru is funny in that it's a pretty thrifty manufacturer. They do a lot of parts sharing across the board. Chances are if you can find a WRX of the same generation, or better yet same year, take all the plumbing and bits from the exhaust ports all the way to the exhaust, all the parts from the throttle body to the filter, and replace the corresponding parts on your SRX. And to finish, swap ECUs. One advantage is that you'll probably make more power than the WRX you took the parts from.

Again, just for the sake of discussion, let's say there's a problem. I'm almost certain that all those parts I mentioned will bolt up correctly because that's just how Subaru works. The problem generally occurs in the electronics. While the mechanical bits are all but universal, Subaru has a tendency to change the ECU, sensors, and wiring. Now you have to find and replace every sensor and wiring harness. There are a few sensors in common, but trust me, you're better off being safe than sorry. As long as you have a vehicle you're harvesting parts from, take all that you can. Finding and removing these pieces will take you the better part of a day. It'll take you the rest of the day to find and replace the corresponding parts on your SRX. All those sensors could have stayed put if you'd just swapped the entire drivetrain.

If I've lost you, I apologize, I've made a few assumptions along the way: you've worked on cars before, and you have a dead donor WRX. If you don't have a donor, you'll have to buy parts new, and that's going to be expensive. Buy the following aftermarket parts: turbo manifold, IHI turbocharger of your choice, down-pipe, intake, front-mount intercooler kit. I suggest the front mount because from what I can tell, the SRX doesn't have a scoop. You'll have to buy a piggy-back unit for fuel management. Or if you've got the money, go for a stand-alone unit. The mega-squirt is cheap and effective but requires a certain degree of knowledge to assemble and manipulate. Otherwise, you can buy a fully assemble and pre-programmed unit from Megasquirt, AEM, Hydra, Autronic, Motec, etc but those cost anywhere from $800 to $5000. Ballpark total for all this stuff, assuming you shopped around: $2600-3000

At this point, I hope you've realized the sensibility of simply swapping motor. The swap is easy. Do the following for both cars. Undo all bolts attached to the front drive axles and driveshaft. Undo the bolts that attach front subframe and transmission to the chassis. Undo the bolts that connect the catalytic-converter to the manifold. Disconnect the ECU and push the connector through the firewall. Connect the engine hoist to the nose of the car and lift slowly and only a little at a time. You will notice a few things like AC lines and power-steering lines that are still connected. Disconnect them. Ideally, you want to catch the AC refrigerant because it is toxic and most likely illegal to vent to the atmosphere (certainly is in the USA), but you're average wrench-monkey won't bother. Once you've freed the drivetrains from both cars, switch them, and reconnect everything in the reverse order. It takes 2 people and 1 day. I've done it with an SR20 and S13. 6 people would be perfect, 3 per car.

I've summarized pretty much every scenario but one: pay a professional. Figure $6000-8000 for parts and labor. Drop it off, pay, pick it up a week later.

Here are 2 links to help you on your way:

http://www.turbomagazine.com/features/03...

http://www.sport