86 Subaru XT (putting a turbo on it)

[Waterlogged]

I want to put a turbo on that little opposed 4 but not entirely sure what its going to take. (this will be a learning experience for me) I have some friends who are pretty good at this stuff and offered to help but I wanna know what I am getting myself into.

Another question is... Is it possible to put the XT 6's motor into the 86 XT and what kinda work is involved there?

Any and all comments/help welcome.

-Adam

[Calebz]

The easiest way is going to be to find a factory Turbo car and take the turbo motor , wiring harness and ECU from that..

Caleb
87 Turbowagon

[johnXT]

It is possible to put the XT-6 into the earlier model.
The main problem is the extension to the nose. A half cut from Japan solves all the problems.
Putting the Turbo 4 into the vehicle is easy but it requires that you also put in a turbo cross member and a turbo gear box and larger clutch.
The end result if you fit an intercooler and after market computer is a very hot little drive.
I have four of them but they have all had to be stripped back repaired from rust and have new roof skins to replace the sunroof . (They leak and rust)
I own the latest model V8 Ford Falcon. It is a heap of xxxx unsafe and nowhere near the fun.
John

[driven to thin air]

"Putting the Turbo 4 into the vehicle is easy but it requires that you also put in a turbo cross member and a turbo gear box and larger clutch.
The end result if you fit an intercooler and after market computer is a very hot little drive."

When you say 'cross member' do you mean the steel rod that connects the strut towers, or is it something down below that the engine sits on?

My non-aspirated 86 wagon has a 5 speed manual with a manual transfer case that goes from FRONT - 4N - ALL HIGH - ALL LOW. I love the manual transfer case; in fact that was the primary reason I got the car. I live at 7,000 feet and routinely drive over passes ranging from 9 to 11 thousand. Assuming I put in a feisty turbo engine, will my trany snap from the torque? If possible, I would like to keep the tranny and go with some kind of aftermarket clutch to handle the extra torque.

I would like to land a used WRX 2.0 engine and put a nice big intercooler where the spare tire now sits. Then, I will get a hood with scoops or customize my hood with scoops so that it feeds the intercooler.

"I have four of them but they have all had to be stripped back repaired from rust and have new roof skins to replace the sunroof . (They leak and rust)"

And, I was dissapointed that mine had no sunroof.

[Calebz]

Intercooler - check
hood scoop - check
WRX TD04 turbo - check
XT6 5 lug swap - check
adjustable coilovers - check
16 inch wheels - check

Putting the Turbo 4 into the vehicle is easy but it requires that you also put in a turbo cross member and a turbo gear box and larger clutch.

Crossmember, yes (unless you want to get creative with a grinder)
Transmission, no, the N/A trans will hold the extra 20-25 hp of the turbo motor just fine.
Clutch, No, the turbo clutch is the same size as all the N/A 4wd clutches - 8 7/8
Only the N/A 2wd cars use the 7 7/8 clutch

[driven to thin air]

Cool. It sounds like it is practically "bolt-in".

I heard some kind of rumor that goes like this: "Japenese put new engines in there cars after 40 to 50 thousand miles. There is some place along the docks in San Francisco where these perfectly good engines can be had for dirt cheap."

Assuming that to be urban legend BS, how much do salvage WRX motors go for?

I'm going to seek out the late 80's aluminum factory wheels that grace the car on the front of the Haynes Manual. I know they are probably only 14s or 15s. I want to stay with a relatively high profile for rocky road purposes.

[Calebz]

A wrx motor is nowhere near 'bolt in'

You either need an adapter fabbed to mate the trans and motor, or you will need the WRX transmission. Mine is not an EJ20G conversion. It is a turbo charged EA82 with some WRX parts used as upgrades.

As far as the 'urban legend' about he japanese motor pulls, there is some truth to that. The japanese do pull their motors after a certain amount of mileage... but hey aren't sitting on some dock waiting for you to come pick them up for pennies on the dollar.

Your best bet if you intend to use a WRX motor is to buy a complete front cut from a reputable dealer. This generally includes everything from the dash forward (possibly from he front seats forward.. depends on who cut it.), the transmission and rear end. This will give you everything you need to do the conversion.. Make sure you brush up on your wiring skills and have your welder handy

Wheels.. I don't recall exactly which wheels are on the cover of the 80s haynes manual.. I think they were the 'H' style alloys.. but rest assured that if they are USDM wheels there is a 99.999999% chance they are 13s

[driven to thin air]

As long as I don't have to cut and modify the frame of the car, then I would go for it (put in a late model WRX engine in my old 86). However I doubt it would be easy. If a transmission adaptor was the major hurtle, then I might consider it feasible. I am fairly handy with wiring. However, I see the instrument cluster-new motor interface as being impossible. Perhaps if I put the WRX cluster with its engine...

My original idea was to get the exhaust system from an 87 turbo and then do something custom. That's probably out of the question due to cost, etc.

I really wish I could just add a Roots type supercharger between the carburator and the intake. I would have to drive it with a chain on the front pully because there is no room for a wide belt. That would mean oiling the chain all the time, but it would be worth it.

If those aluminum wheels are 13's; all the better! Hopefully someone chucked a nice set in favor of low-profile aftermarket wheels. I want high-profile tires for the jagged rocky roads in New Mexico. They don't pinch-flat as easily.

Thaks for the Subaru experience. Most of my know-how is Porsche 928 related.