The Lacy Project

Lacy is my Legacy that i will have as a year by year project. I fixed quite a bit on her. My plans are to build her into a track car(moving to texas) and for her to be showroom clean. I am going all out on her. Any advice or input is appreciated. I plan to bore/sleeve and her still be a 2.2, but with titanium sleeves:D just to start...

 

More pictures in my album.

Fun fun lol. Everything on the front has to come off. It was fun though.

o lord please look in his thread, i beg of you. dont be that guy

I know everything im up against. Year by year. I understand what our cars are made for, and what they can do with a good balance of dedication and patience. I have read a LOT of your posts. I do not want to be that guy. I want to be THIS guy. Me, with my own hands and skills. Other than the bore/sleeve and dyno tuning, it will be done by me. It is a project that I am doing for fun and to learn further. I love my car and I love anything I can tear apart and redo. I understand how big of a beoch this project will be at certain points, but it will be worth the fun. Money isn't the issue. I want you all to know that this is a learning experience for my enjoyment. I have recently discovered I am a stubborn smartass lol. So any post by me that sounds smart, I apologize in advance. Thank you guys for posting.

good luck with your project!

Money isn't an issue? Then you are one of the only ones in the second gen forum that doesn't worry about that. I can't wait to see your titanium sleeves and I won't feel bad when your engine blows up, because hey, it's only money, lol.

if that is your goal, might I suggest you save yourself some money and start shopping for an EJ22 turbo block from a 1st gen turbo legacy? it is a closed deck and can handle as much power as you want. plus it is still 2.2 like you wanted. AFAIK nobody even MAKES Ti liners, and if they did they would be OUTRAGEOUSLY expensive and no stronger than steel. the only advantage is they would be about 45% lighter.

Wow, thank you for being kind and supportive for someone who JUST joined the forum. I know I said im open to advise and input, but damn. I was talking about money for the build, not to throw away. That's the main reason I joined this forum. To learn from other 2nd gen fanatics, not to be criticized. Please someone with atleast a heart insure me that not everyone on this forum is a jackass.

The problem is we get guys that come on here all the time saying how they are going to put a huge turbo on their engine and run 500lb of boost and make 5000HP. We know what the EJ engines are capable of, the issue is that your engine is an open deck design. even with sleeves unless you go with pinned liners or pay a chunk of money to a shop to do a closed deck conversion, you are going to be limited by your engines basic design. the other options are to go with one of the later turbo semi closed deck blocks or with the closed deck EJ22T block. both options are likely to be cheaper than trying to fix the flaws in your block.

xezus, I was just kidding around. Sorry if I came across as a jack ass.

 

When you mentioned money wasn't an issue. It just got me to wonder if you meant you had endless funds (which I don't have, lol) which let me to wonder why you would spend a lot on making your 2.2 a turbo. Lots of people have turboed their 2.2s though and there are plenty of threads on how to do so on other forums.

 

Tbirdman is right. If you want a lot of power go with a different engine than your 2.2. EJ22Ts are hard to find as they are rare. Doing a WRX or STi swap will give you a lot of options plenty of zip.

 

Before you throw in a bigger engine, or giant turbo, make sure your car can handle all of that power if you haven't already So start by upgrading your tires, wheels, suspension (struts, springs, sways, endlinks, etc.), and brakes.

 

Welcome to the forum.

Thank you for helping, tbirdman. This is why I am here. I know I can't make a 1500HP dragster. I wanta track car with the MOST, AND RELIABLE HP I can, with braces and cage etc... BUT, is the 1st gen ej22t an engine that cannot harm itself if the timing belt breaks, like mine? To where it just shuts off. I cant remember the word for it. Please educate.

the word you are looking for is non-interference, and yes, they are.

Thank you monkey. I am glad you were joking. I want to do this without f'ing up. I have wider wheels(235's) and camber bolts ATM on order. I know they are wide, but I plan to put a slight wide kit on it. I will get adjustable coilovers at some point. I want to get the body ready on my days off. Ready for the engine and drivetrain that will be rebuilt in my garage. I am doing it in stages. I know its not an overnight project. I have a quote. Do it big, or don't do it. I WILL go all the way with this project, regardless of how long it takes. I will post pics and links to vids throughout this experience for the enjoyment of my fellow 2nd gen lovers.

I will start my journey to find a 1st gen ej22t then

I like you xezus.

 

This project shall be interesting indeed.

Yes, the stock EJ22T is non interference. That is because of the heads, not the short block. If you are looking to get a lot of power out of an EJ22T then what a lot of people do is put DOHC heads on them, since they flow better than the stock SOHC heads. If you want to use the stock heads and keep it non interference, then you can port and polish them and regrind the cams, add a top mount intercooler and a TD04 turbo. If you want a lot more power out of the EJ22T you will have to get forged internals which can get very expensive.

 

EJ22Ts can be quite expensive, sometimes just the block halves can sell for $600, and a complete running EJ22T can go for $1500 or more. Remember, these prices are not set in stone, but can give you a rough idea of what you may need to spend. If you are lucky, you can find one for a lot less. I got one for free actually, my neighbor was scrapping a touring wagon. And then if you find one, you will have to figure out how to wire it and manage it if you don't have the ECU or wiring harness. I am figuring out what to do with my spare 22T at the moment. I may go with 205 heads, injectors, intake mani, and ecu, but I need to shop around and do a lot more research. The one in my SS is sure a lot of fun, and it is stock at the moment.

 

Another option is to buy a '90-94 SS or Touring wagon and pull the engine, but if the car is running it is kind of a shame to do so.

 

An EJ257 would be a really nice block. You could probably find an ecu and wiring harness pretty easily, and also be able to do open source tuning.

 

edit: If you really want a 22T, post a WTB ad on NASIOC or legacycentralbbs. They pop up from time to time on there.

Whatever it takes to build it right, will be done. I already planned on ported/polished heads and forged internals, so I am getting somewhere. I need to be on the straight path to succeed, and I hope you guys help me stay on that path and not wonder in the wrong direction. If I say I am going to get brand a, but brand b is better, you guys will help me right? Just knowing what needs to be done is the first step. Putting it together is the fun/next step lol. I appreciate you guys, and I thought I was the only person on earth that is obsessed with 2nd gen legacys, until I found this forum.

Lacy is my Legacy that i will have as a year by year project. I fixed quite a bit on her. My plans are to build her into a track car(moving to texas) and for her to be showroom clean. I am going all out on her. Any advice or input is appreciated. I plan to bore/sleeve and her still be a 2.2, but with titanium sleeves:D just to start...

 

More pictures in my album.

 

^^^where in Texas?

Ten miles from Dallas

Can't wait to get my car away from the north. I hate the cold, and the salt. Winter sucked. Having to powerwash Lacy's undercarriage after every drive. A lot of highways are ashed up here too.

You'll like Texas. It's very warm and doesn't promote rust on cars. We might get some snow this year..but that's always a fun thing.

I did have fun in the snow before all the plows ruined it. I got my leggy up the hill behind my house, and my brother in law tried everything with his jacked up ford he always brags about, and could not get it up the hill

Where can u get sleeves? Ive been looking for some for my ej25.

Only get your block sleeved by a very reputable machine shop who knows what they are doing with a Subaru block and don't expect to pay any less than $700-1000. Don't sleeve your 25. Get another block if that is the direction you want to go.