2009 Outback XT EJ20X Swap

So the EJ255 issues finally caught up to me at ~165k miles, coolant in my oil AND signs of ringland failure. EJ20X seemed like the easiest route to get the car back on the road, this is my daily driver so I needed something quickly. The swap was very straight forward. Swap intake and exhaust manifolds and turbo and a few odds and ends(crossover tubes, knock sensor, I think thats it), that’s it.

 

My plan is to run with the OBXT VF46 turbo setup and USDM ECU until I have some more time. I did integrate the exhaust AVCS wiring, I pulled it from the JDM harness and installed it so I just need to run wires to the ECU and add a connector between the engine harness and ECU. EJ20X does not have ports for the secondary air system so this does not get transferred from the 255. I may install the pump for smog appearance purposes; I am not sure how closely they will inspect the car. My setup is now:

 

USDM Intake manifold, exhaust manifold, uppipe, VF46 turbo, downpipe, tmic, and ECU

 

The car has been running well on the USDM map, IAM of around 1 with several secondary air system trouble codes. I am not hitting target boost since I need more WGDC than the 2.5L did with the VF46. I do have what sounds and appears to be a vacuum leak so fuel trims are elevated in the low ranges but they are normal in the higher G range as observed in Learning View.

 

I will be changing the timing belt and water pump, who knows when they were last done on this japanese motor.

 

Here are some items that would have been good to know ahead of time.

- Wagons are awesome

- Try to get JDM top mount intercooler if you are planning to run the VF38 instead of the stock USDM turbo, the top mounts are different

- The USDM exhaust manifold heat shield will need to be relieved to clear the exhaust AVCS unit – be careful to allow clearance to socket and nut to fasten the flange to the head, I had to grind a relief after using a hammer

- Be careful with the nipple on the intake manifold behind the alternator, I broke it twice like an idiot when lifting the engine – I didn’t want to use the JDM manifold since there are some slight differences to my newer car

- You need a special tool to remove the fuel lines, but you can get around that with some creativity

- I opted to swap the crossover hard lines so I could use my hoses

- Replace water fitting with plug from USDM motor

- Replaced plugs with engine out, saved some hassle in the future

- Integrating exhaust AVCS wiring while the motor is out of the car seems like a much better option if you have the time

Edited March 24, 2017 by mtnbikeman123

I just flashed the car today with a modified map to mirror the 06-09 JDM calibrations. The intake AVCS, timing, and target boost have been updated in my USDM ecu to reflect the approximate JDM values, along with a couple other minor changes. The WGDC map will need to be tuned since the turbo needs more duty cycle to hit target boost. Tip-in enrichment may need to be modified but initially it looks okay according to logs. Secondary air system trouble codes were also deleted. I have what sounds like a vacuum leak so I will need to correct that before seriously tuning to hit target boost. My setup is now:

 

USDM Intake manifold, exhaust manifold, uppipe, VF46 turbo, downpipe, tmic, and ECU w/ JDM approximate map

 

My IAM also wont increase beyond 0.3, so I am getting knock from something, maybe the vacuum leak or the timing in the map wasn’t input correctly. Will need more time to look into this.

 

I plan to run the JDM ECU but this poses a problem for me with a 2009. The ECU pinout is NOT the same as the 05-06, so I cannot just plug in the 05-06 JDM ECU. I sourced a 08 JDM 2.0 LGT ECU from yahoo auctions Japan and I am trying to get a hold of a JDM wiring diagram for the 08-09 cars but I haven’t had much luck. Based on some information I found on published service manuals, I tend to think that the JDM ECUs maintain the same pinout through 08-09. I will likely build an adapter harness, which should be pretty easy when using an AEM extension harness and just repin based on the pinout diagram I made.

Edited March 23, 2017 by mtnbikeman123

The last step I may or may not complete would be to run the VF38 turbo. I care less about ultimate power and more about driveabliity, so the quick spooling nature of the twin scroll ball bearing VF38 appeals to me. To complete this, I would need:

 

USDM Intake manifold, JDM VF38 exhaust manifold, uppipe, turbo, and downpipe, JDM topmount

 

I sourced a JDM downpipe from a 2014 JDM STI on ebay but it ended up being the wrong flange, I should have researched a bit more. But I believe this will bolt up to my exhaust, I will just need to convert the VF37 flange to a VF38. You can purchase a VF38 flange from numerous sources so once I have some time to swap the turbo and mock-up the downpipe for welding, I should be good to go. The VF38 also uses a different compressor housing outlet so I will need to source a JDM top mount intercooler since my motor package did not include one.

 

I hope this information is helpful for some. Thanks to these threads for the help.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/ej20x-swapi-224284.html

Edited March 23, 2017 by mtnbikeman123

looks awesome! keep us posted!

If you get a Grimmspeed TMIC with the "STi style turbo hose" you won't need to change intake manifolds to run the VF38.

Exhaust AVCS will not work as single-AVCS ECUs do not have the drivers or outputs to run the solenoids. I have a customer with an '06 JDM Legacy (EJ20X). I'll ask him if he has the wiring diagram for you. It tuned out quite nicely and took quite a bit of boost considering the high compression ratio, goes well.

Oh, and as I know it a 5th gen intercooler will fit your motor if you have the short coupler that bolts to the turbo outlet.

Yes, I have a JDM ECU that I will be using when I make my harness adapter. I have the wiring diagrams for the 06 but not the 08/09, that is my only bit of hesitation, whether the 08 JDM ECU has the same pinout as the 06 considering that my 09 USDM does not have the same pinout as the 06 USDM.

 

I will take a look at the 5th gen intercoolers, based on some photos it does appear that it might work.

 

 

 

Exhaust AVCS will not work as single-AVCS ECUs do not have the drivers or outputs to run the solenoids. I have a customer with an '06 JDM Legacy (EJ20X). I'll ask him if he has the wiring diagram for you. It tuned out quite nicely and took quite a bit of boost considering the high compression ratio, goes well.

Edited March 24, 2017 by mtnbikeman123

Oh. You don't need the wiring diagram for this, you need a section from the diagnostics section in the FSM that lists the ECM I/O

Oh. You don't need the wiring diagram for this, you need a section from the diagnostics section in the FSM that lists the ECM I/O

 

That's definitely the easiest way to do it, but if you wanted to you could do it via the diagram route too. They should have the pin locations on the individual schematics.

 

When I did mine I sat down with the I/O pages as you suggest. If I were the OP I'd take the 2006 JDM I/O page and compare it to the 2009 US page. If it looks like stuff pretty much lines up I'd consider taking a risk and pinning the cam sensors and control circuits in the cavities that the 2006 diagram shows.

Exactly, and I have been unable to find this for the newer cars, so if anyone could it would be super helpful

Oh. You don't need the wiring diagram for this, you need a section from the diagnostics section in the FSM that lists the ECM I/O

This is the issue, the 06 JDM/US does not line up with the US 2009 at all, they are completely different pinouts, and I am unable to find the diagram or pinout for the newer 08 09 JDM cars.

 

That's definitely the easiest way to do it, but if you wanted to you could do it via the diagram route too. They should have the pin locations on the individual schematics.

 

When I did mine I sat down with the I/O pages as you suggest. If I were the OP I'd take the 2006 JDM I/O page and compare it to the 2009 US page. If it looks like stuff pretty much lines up I'd consider taking a risk and pinning the cam sensors and control circuits in the cavities that the 2006 diagram shows.

This is the issue, the 06 JDM/US does not line up with the US 2009 at all, they are completely different pinouts, and I am unable to find the diagram or pinout for the newer 08 09 JDM cars.

See if you can find the ADM FSM. ADM is the closest in spec to JDM and JDM models often don't have a FSM in English. Judging from the ROM IDs however it looks to me like the '08 JDM and USDM ECUs should be very similar. They're in the same series, which is not usually the case if the hardware architecture changed by much.

Edited March 25, 2017 by fahr_side

I did find the ADM manuals, although I believe in 07 the Legacy/Liberty switched to the EJ255, while the JDM retained the EJ20X. So unfortunately these manuals arent helpful. I have coworkers who can read Japanese, even with some friends in Japan, but they have been unable to find electronic downloads. I found a paper manual set for sale for $300, but that seems excessive...

 

See if you can find the ADM FSM. ADM is the closest in spec to JDM and JDM models often don't have a FSM in English. Judging from the ROM IDs however it looks to me like the '08 JDM and USDM ECUs should be very similar. They're in the same series, which is not usually the case if the hardware architecture changed by much.

See if you can find the ADM FSM. ADM is the closest in spec to JDM and JDM models often don't have a FSM in English. Judging from the ROM IDs however it looks to me like the '08 JDM and USDM ECUs should be very similar. They're in the same series, which is not usually the case if the hardware architecture changed by much.

 

The '06 style JDM and ADM ECUs are all in the same family and software can be swapped from one to another as you please. I'm actually running an ADM MT based ROM in a JDM AT ECU with no issues whatsoever.

 

The newer cars may be different though. Starting out with the US STI ECU (the one with dual avcs) and ROM might be the easiest, if the pinouts match.

The '06 style JDM and ADM ECUs are all in the same family and software can be swapped from one to another as you please.

Yes, correct. Not all the JDM ROMs have been defined so I have a few customers running ADM ROMs on JDM cars.

 

 

The newer cars may be different though. Starting out with the US STI ECU (the one with dual avcs) and ROM might be the easiest, if the pinouts match.

 

 

Sorry, not that simple. '08 STi is a CANbus car. Without the matching BIU, ABS, HVAC units, dash, Si-Drive switch etc. the ECU will show a CANbus error and only run the car in limp mode. Also, the JDM motors from this era usually have different and incompatible cam position sensors.

Edited March 26, 2017 by fahr_side

Sorry, not that simple. '08 STi is a CANbus car. Without the matching BIU, ABS, HVAC units, dash, Si-Drive switch etc. the ECU will show a CANbus error and only run the car in limp mode. Also, the JDM motors from this era usually have different and incompatible cam position sensors.

 

I thought the later Legacys were CANbus too, no?

I thought the later Legacys were CANbus too, no?

It doesn't work like that. Every device on the network has it's own unique address and they are not the same on different models, or spec levels or even years. Therefore you cannot hook an '08 STi ECU to an '08 LGT and have it just say, "Oh hello, you're an ABS computer aren't you, nice to meet you, let's work together". Instead they both go into a snit and refuse to talk to each other, with the CANbus controller screaming blue murder about this device or the other being missing and strange intruders being in the building.

I am quite literally in the middle of this same swap on my 05 LGT Sedan. I have a JDM ECU I'm hoping will plug up and run with the appropriate immobilizer programming. I stuck with the JDM intake manifold and connections because they all hooked up fine. But I am using the US VF40 turbo/intercooler/header/up and down pipes so that'll be less parts to buy.

 

I've got the new motor in the car, replaced the entire cooling system and hooked it up, mostly just waiting on fluid changes and lengthening the JDM harness to connect to the main plug on the opposite side of the car. Hopefully this weekend have a running car.

Be very careful to maintain shielding on the sensor wires you're extending. Problems with electrical noise are a bitch to diagnose.

Be very careful to maintain shielding on the sensor wires you're extending. Problems with electrical noise are a bitch to diagnose.

 

Good point, will do.

A quick update, I sourced a 2008 JDM ECU and I also sourced the JDM wiring diagrams for the 2007.04+ cars, part number G2440JJ-CD from Yahoo Auctions Japan through Aleado. I confirmed that the ECU pinout is identical between my 2009 USDM and the later 2007.04 JDM cars(aside from exhaust AVCS and push button start communication pins) and I even plugged it into my car and was able to communicate with the ECU. The car did not start due to the immobilizer.

 

I am currently trying to find a local dealer that will work with me on the immobilizer but haven't had much success yet.

 

I am also worried since the ECU came from a push button start car, I may have further trouble trying to have the dealer program it to work with my USDM car without push button start.

 

I did look through the wiring diagrams and it looks like converting to a push button start would be a gigantic pain, there are a few communication modules, relays, and wiring that would need to be added.

Edited May 15, 2017 by mtnbikeman123

Very interested to see where this thread is headed! I did a swap on my 2009 LGT back in Feb 17 and it's been running pretty good since. Some hesitation in the 4-5k range but it's getting me around. I have the stock EJ20X VF38 on it still, only swapped intake, IC and DP.

 

I'm curious to see the map your running on your ECU now after mirroring changes from the 04-06 JDM base map. Do you mind PMing me that map so I can compare to my stock in ROMRaider?

 

I've been monitoring boost and it doesn't seem it's boosting much more than 7-8psi.

 

I purchased an 04 JDM ECU and made the mistake of trying to plug it in before looking at pinouts as everyone, just about everywhere says... oh, just run the JDM ECU for dual AVCS... it's easy, just have to add wires. And you are very much correct, I sat down with the I/O tables from the engine diag section last night and ::FACEPALM:: -- Smoked JDM ECU and 1 ECU fuse... out $40, oh well.

Edited July 22, 2017 by Element-X

Granted it's not ideal per-se, but I'm running the stock USDM map, no exhaust avcs connected, and a VF40 on my EJ20X and it runs absolutely perfect! I only tuned out the DTC for TGVs and that was it. I don't know if I manually tuned it that it'd get any better.

 

I originally bought a JDM ECU also but no one in Orlando wanted to program the immobilizer so I just worked with what I had on the US one.

 

I haven't opened them up, but I bet you could flash the JDM map onto the US ECU. The pins are probably connected internally just not read for the exhaust AVCS. May be worth a shot?

I intended to update when I had working exhaust AVCS but I am too busy at work to complete the last couple steps. I originally bought an 08 plastic case ecu but it was from a push button start car and couldn't be programmed successfully. I then bought an 06 plastic case ecu from a key start car and I was able to successfully have that programmed to the car by a local locksmith. I then ran into two CELs, P0600 Serial Communication and P0365 for one of my exhaust sensors. The car ran in limp mode with p0600 but after I disabled the code, the car came out of limp mode. The traction control and abs lights do remain on so I assume there is some communication fault but I am not super worried about that.

 

The other code is for one of my exhaust cam sensors and I havent been able to trace the fault yet. It appears boost control and exhaust cam timing is being disabled while the error is present and my IAM is set at 0.5 so I really need to trace the fault in the sensors or wiring before I would expect exhaust AVCS to work.

 

********THIS IS IMPORTANT********

I will note that the plastic case ecus use a 3 pin exhaust cam sensor so I had to rewire my engine harness to use these. I bought units from an FRS on ebay and even though they arent the same part number as the JDM sensors, at least one of the sensors does appear to work with my ecu since I only get one exhaust cam sensor fault.

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I did try to flash the JDM program to the USDM ecu but ecuflash would not let the operation complete. I did compare the circuit boards and between my 09 OBXT and 08 JDM LGT, the boards are very similar but there are a few missing components on my USDM board. This isn't the most scientific way to compare the two ecus but I would bet that the missing components are the push button start and exhaust avcs stuff.

 

My car ran pretty well on the swap with the stock ECU with close to stock calibration but I had played with the calibration some before the swap. I did continue to see and hear some knock in the mid range under medium load with the US ecu, but with the windows closed I could ignore it. I dont remember which tables I changed to mimic the JDM ecu, I know I changed at least the intake AVCS and ignition timing, which I then modified to reduce knock. I would certainly check your WGDC if you arent hitting target boost.

 

What downpipe are you using with the twinscroll JDM turbo? I would like to swap my turbo to the twinscroll unit but I don't really want to use an aftermarket downpipe.

Edited April 23, 2018 by mtnbikeman123