To single or TT. Single conversion querying.

Because sourcing a second hand vf26 has become impossable and mine being unable to be rebuild (vf26 0002). I’m left with the option to shell out $1,500 for a new one, of bite the bullet and just go single turbo conversion. If I can convert to a single turbo for around the $2,000 price point with some wiggle room, I’d surely be silly not to go ahead with it. I’ve got the tools, a pretty good know how of Subaru engines, and plenty of experience rebuilding other engines (4s, 6s & rotarys, turbo & Supercharge)

To begin the planning I’m putting togeather a shopping list. Please tell me if I’ve missed anything or have got something wrong.

Car in question is my 1998 Subaru Legacy BH5 Rev-A. (Although a little confused as heads read LH B 003 & RH B 003 the same as Rev-B). The whole point is so I can confirm my shopping list is full and correct, so I may begin pricing it out.

Parts

A7 or A8 ECU from a WRX.

V5/6 Intake manifold, complete.

Turbo (I'm going to look at twin scroll).

Single turbo water & oil coolant supple and return lines.

Single turbo Oil return line (rubber pipe).

Single turbo Oil return line (Metal pipe in block).

Subaru single turbo exhaust manifold (possibly have one fabricated).

Up-pipe (possibly have it fabricated).

Downpipe (possibly have it fabricated).

Single turbo gear box cross member (required if not using OEM exhaust manifold).

Single turbo up-pipe bracket.

Turbo Inlet pipe.

Crank case breather line

2 meters of vac line.

Frost plug 15.5mm

Gaskets

Intake manifold

Throttle body

Exhaust manifold

Turbo/up-pipe

Turbo/downpipe

Optional

Single turbo solenoid bracket (only to replace the BBoD)

Pressure select solenoid (Such as one in the BBoD)

Split fuel rail mod (estimated cost, $150), recommended.

Right hand fuel rail - if want to do the split fuel rail.

2.5m of EFI (Electronic Fuel Injection) hose.

A few hose clamps (6 should do it, you can reuse the originals for the rest)

2 T sections

A second right hand fuel rail, with luck you picked one up with the intake manifold

Only relevant of using top mount interheater

Single turbo intercooler Y pipe. Anything from V3/4 and 5/6 will work

V3/4 intercooler bracket.

Turbo - Y pipe hose

Wait you have a Be/bh dontya?

change anything on that list that says v3/4 to v5/6 and you should be okay

And why not put a vf27 core into your 26?

yeah you need v5/6 for be/bh conversions.

Dont forget frost plugs for passenger side head. And good luck finding the wrx oil & water return lines haha. No one wants to seperate them from the heads

 94 Leone said:

And why not put a vf27 core into your 26?

By the sounds of it this wouldn't be a good motor to be leaning on in the first place, doesn't sound like it's had a pampered life

That said you can do the conversion for far less than $2k if you can DIY everything - a stock manifold setup and dirty old TD05/VF22 will net you a perfectly good strong setup for $f-all. The ECU side of it can come afterwards - you can con the TT ecu into running single easy enough

good old dirty td05.

Hell; I single converted a BH5 on the wages of a part time 16 year old.

I mean yeah the engine was subsequently killed a couple of times to then be replaced with a minter; but still. It's not like it's too expensive. providing the engine wasn't crap to begin with.

Although the vf26 is pulling, well O.K sort of, I'm losing a lot of oil. I were at the turbo shop today and they tell me they cannot rebuild that particular turbo. So even if I were to put my other vf27 core into the vf26, I'm still going to be leaking oil through its' seals? I thought about the vf32, but that doesn't sound very fun, or much of an upgrade at all, but would be the easiest option.

Have noted; v5/6, and Frostplug, I will fix list. What frost plugs are we talking about exactly, I see it must be 15.5mm.

As Marky said, the car must have had an abused life. Contemplating if a rebuild would be worth it. Lets be honest its not that involved or does it require many parts. What are we looking at, probably $400-500 in parts for a complete rebuild, excluding a timing belt kit(would inspect my current before replacing as it was recently been done before purchasing the vehicle apparently). I would be the best thing to open her up and put new internals in there. I've probably been playing ignorant to that fact.

Now I think about it I really should pull the engine and box, go ahead with a rebuild. Well at least I'm getting a game plan together. It was something I would have rather avoided, but I cant play ignorant forever about it's true condition as much as I want to.

Thanks for the confirmations, and I can begin sourcing parts.

So I'm most likely looking at a rebuld and conversion. Damn and right before xmas . I'm the Grinch this year boys.

Sti ecu on 8.5- c/r generally welcomes you to knockville.

 Try hard said:

Although the vf26 is pulling, well O.K sort of, I'm losing a lot of oil. I were at the turbo shop today and they tell me they cannot rebuild that particular turbo. So even if I were to put my other vf27 core into the vf26, I'm still going to be leaking oil through its' seals? I thought about the vf32, but that doesn't sound very fun, or much of an upgrade at all, but would be the easiest option.

Have noted; v5/6, and Frostplug, I will fix list. What frost plugs are we talking about exactly, I see it must be 15.5mm.

As Marky said, the car must have had an abused life. Contemplating if a rebuild would be worth it. Lets be honest its not that involved or does it require many parts. What are we looking at, probably $400-500 in parts for a complete rebuild, excluding a timing belt kit(would inspect my current before replacing as it was recently been done before purchasing the vehicle apparently). I would be the best thing to open her up and put new internals in there. I've probably been playing ignorant to that fact.

Now I think about it I really should pull the engine and box, go ahead with a rebuild. Well at least I'm getting a game plan together. It was something I would have rather avoided, but I cant play ignorant forever about it's true condition as much as I want to.

Thanks for the confirmations, and I can begin sourcing parts.

So I'm most likely looking at a rebuld and conversion. Damn and right before xmas . I'm the Grinch this year boys.

Nah you wont leak through seals as the whole core is a single unit.

So I should not be going the Version 5/6 STi ECU. What ECU should I be looking to pick up. Just a non STI v5/6?

Thanks for clearing that up clint. I was also under the impression that the STi counterpart had different c/r. I understand that yer a non STi v5/6 or stb forry ecu is what is required? Please please do a build thread with lots of photos so I can follow closely as I'm very keen to convert my BH down the track.

Nah rev A you want an A7 or A8 from a wrx. Foz ecu is ideal for a rev C conversion as 9.0:1 cr on those engines

Looks like you have already made your mind up to got to S/T which is probably the best idea. But just in case you want to stick with the TT i will have VF33 VF32 and any other related parts all in not bad nick that ill no longer be needing if you wanted to give that a go.

Also, pretty sure this should sort out the Oil/Water return lines for S/T.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/car-parts-accessories/performance/turbos/auction-819840968.htm

Nah. Its the bits in the head themselves that contact the up pipe it is the return into the head itself. Either mod it with a gas torch and braising wire. Or find the bits off a wrx head.

Ahh yes of course, sorry i was totally off track.

These guys here.. i'm also trying to hunt some down.

 A_J_T said:

Ahh yes of course, sorry i was totally off track.

These guys here.. i'm also trying to hunt some down.

Yeah. That's why a wrx engine swap is so much easier haha. I was running a modified TT one in mine until I put a v7 STi long block into my legacy. I still have the bits; because I still have the engine lol. But I need to tear down that engine and fix the threads in the block...

So no I won't sell the bits separately haha

How is an engine swap preferable to putting on an oil drain

maybe having to use a frost plug thats difficult? i dont know, ive always just done a wrx swap because its what i had to use

 Marky said:

How is an engine swap preferable to putting on an oil drain

Because reliability. And non-interfering compression ratios. And its easier to find a wrx engine than the oil bung; people would often find it easier to remove the engine to do it anyway; so there is that.

Also; not everyone has access to acetylene torches and braisery equipment to modify it to suit.

-no one wants to pull oil bung from head to sell it seperately.

Anyone had much experience with Pick-A-Part, I’ve never been there and not sure if this kind of thing is readily available to just walk up and rip one out?

 A_J_T said:

Anyone had much experience with Pick-A-Part, I’ve never been there and not sure if this kind of thing is readily available to just walk up and rip one out?

Ive been to pickapart (Christchurch)a few times. Are you talking about removing an engine?? I haven't done it but I have seen a few guys removing them, they have a engine hoist on site and it looks like you just wheel it to the gate and load onto your trailer, as for other parts you just go to town removing what ever you need to get access to what you want. If you just want the frost plug and can get it out then if its not on the price list they will work something out (at least that's my experience)

I'm thinking if I'm dropping a decent amount of $$$ into this car, why rebuild a piddely 2.0L ej20. Maybe I should just do a silly conversion, such as an RB25/30DET or 1JZ-GTE, although prob RB > 1JZ. I need to get dimensions for the engines and then measuring up dimensions of the engine bay, look at mount positioning, gearbox/drive-train matching. Currently just investigating and researching the workload required.

Notsureifserious. There is a colossal difference in dropping a sub donk and anything else.

That ej257 wouldve been an excellent donor but still need ecu and couple if other things.

lol yes serious, I'm driving a 330kw ATW Ford Falcon turbo while the Subaru is off the road atm, going back to the baby 2.0l AWD, laggy, torque-less, gutless legacy is going to be painful. Yes I've though about the ej257 or ej255, still an option, but I'm a bit of a torque whore and 6 cylinders generally provides enough. The 3.6l EZ36 is prob more of an option.