putting a 3.3 in my SC

[9dreizig]

KCPAZ, great job,, fantastic workmanship,, maybe you should replace the coolent with beer , that should shut them up!! LOL

[kcpaz]

Originally posted by rs6er
Just wanted you to know that I don't have a V8 in my car.

sorry, I just re-read your post. I thought it was directed towards me.

I don't think flat6nut was trying to be a jerk. Just politely expressing his disapproval.

[rs6er]

I hope I haven't flamed the wrong person here. I have the utmost respect for KCPAZ, and I have no problem with people doing whatever to their cars, even if they are Porsches. My comment was directed to flatsixnut.

[futuresoptions]

Just reviewing your pics again, I can't tell from the pic too well,
but it seems that the intake is pretty close to the firewall. Are you gonna have to cut into the firewall in order to to put in an air cleaner.
Would be awesome if the intake itself could be rotated 180 degrees to where the air cleaner would be facing the rear of the car. Thanks for the
great post and don't worry about the engine not being a Porsche engine, I think that if there were two 911's left in the world one being a SB chevy powered and the other a flat six sub powered, Without a doubt the sub powered would get purchased by me. IMHO the front engine water cooled Pcars are perfect candidates for Chevy 5.7's and 4.3's, but that they do not belong in the rear of a 911. The engine you have chosen is probably as perfect of a replacement as could ever be expected and should probably become the norm. Lets see it's a flat six,
displacement and Hp about the same as stock. mounts the same basically as the original. Its a no brainer, good job once again.

[futuresoptions]

Alright you got me all excited now, if and when my 2.7 takes a dump, I have decided to do this conversion! keep us posted on this project, and let us know how you decide to run your coolant lines etc. Did you make your headers or are they aftermarket?

[onlycafe]

i am very anxious to see [and hear] how this shakes out. please continue to keep us posted on your progress.
best of luck with this project.

by the way, the sub6 has a heaping helping of porsche engineering, ok?

i used to have a '47 ford pick-up with a chevy 283 engine, and a "63 xk-e with a 289 ford. bastard cars need love too.

[kcpaz]

the engine has 2 throttle bodies (one assembly with two butterflies on a common shaft). The stock air intake duct work has what you could call a log style collector that makes a sharp 90 degree transition coming right out of the throttle bodies. Picture two 2.25in. tubes that run perpendicular into a 3in tube. It's a very short transition so no cutting of the firewall will be needed (remember I'm not going to make any permanent modifications to the chassis). The factory Subaru intake duct work is made from plastic and can be improved upon. I will probably make a completely custom cold-air intake out of either aluminum, or thin wall steel with a K&N filter. I was thinking of running the filter out through the hole where the oil tank used to be, with a shield to keep the road debris away from the filter. That would be a good way to seal off the oil tank hole also. I made the headers completely from scratch specifically for this engine into this chassis.

I'm definitely going to keep thread up to date now that the cats out of the bag so to speak. If I find there might be a demand for such a conversion kit, I will seriously consider going into production of of such a kit so that anyone can convert their car with simple hand tools in their garage.

[Wil Ferch]

I think the tolerance ( of sorts) you're seeing here is that the architecture is still flat-6 and more importantly...your WORKMANSHIP is stellar.

I think a good portion of the SBC conversion hatred is the poor workmanship and design/execution. When done well...it shows...in either case.

- Wil

[kcpaz]

those who are interested in how this engine might sound, here are a few links to give you an idea...

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/files/svx6595/4558.mpg

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2356527964445122475&q=SVX&total=171&start=10&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=6


Obviously the exhaust in my car will be significantly shorter than in an SVX, but you get the idea.

[TerryBPP]

What are you using for engine management? Seems like this would be the difficult part. Stock ecu wouldn't run the gauges. Motec or MegaSquirt?

[kcpaz]

I'm modifying a stock Subaru wiring harness and using the stock Subaru ECM. I just have to use VDO sending units in the engine and send the gauges to someone (probably North Hollywood) and have the oil temp converted to water temp. I want the numerical values anyway. I can even use the stock fuel level sending unit in my custom tank. I've already modified a wiring harness (MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH THERE) but it's not worth posting picures of that...it's not very exciting. If I decided to sell kits, I would either sell a modified Subaru kit, or go with a stand alone system (a little more money)

[TerryBPP]

Originally posted by kcpaz
I'm modifying a stock Subaru wiring harness and using the stock Subaru ECM. I just have to use VDO sending units in the engine and send the gauges to someone (probably North Hollywood) and have the oil temp converted to water temp. I want the numerical values anyway. I can even use the stock fuel level sending unit in my custom tank. I've already modified a wiring harness (MANY HOURS OF RESEARCH THERE) but it's not worth posting picures of that...it's not very exciting. If I decided to sell kits, I would either sell a modified Subaru kit, or go with a stand alone system (a little more money)

Just take notes and make a set of install directions. I would pay for that.

[kcpaz]

belive me, there will be many notes, and fixtures.

[JeffreyNMemphis]

Congratulations KC,

This month's Classic Motorsports issue mentioned a race coming up where the entrants are limited to $2,000.00 on the build of their race cars. Your reciepts will probably exceed that amount, but I can see how an eonomical solution like yours will go fast. Your pictures of the fabrication work look pretty cool.

Most of the bashing that goes on around here gets focused on poor quality or otherwise wacky modifications, or cars like the RARE 959 we saw on Ebay last week. We yank pretty hard on the Covins too (replica Porsches).

Can't wait to see your progress into a finished project. Hopefully you will post some video on youtube.com so we can see you lighting up the tires!

[JK-81SC]

Your work is outstanding. Most of the people on this forum are DIY'ers who are more impressed with clever fixes and saving some bucks.

You've made a great progress in getting an unused roller back on the road. Keep up the good work!

[quattrorunner]

I like it. Nice rescue. If you cut and welded in a way that would make it difficult to go back to air cooled, well, you didn't. Good job, cool car.

[ninelevenick]

I am very intrigued by your project, kcpaz! I think suby engine swaps are a viable alternative to the costly Porsche engine rebulilds or swaps. For a while now I have been contemplating how to attain more HP from my 3.0. There are not many options; a suby engine may be the answer. I can't wait to see more photos and perhaps a video!

[ADDvanced]

For the porsche purists: I don't get you guys. He's putting an old porsche back on the road, with MORE power, MORE torque, better mpg, and INCREDIBLY reliability. The SVX's engine is so overbuilt hitting 200k on them is a given, and 300+k without a rebuild is pretty normal. As for the 'sound' complaint... check this out, and tell me it doesn't sound like a porsche:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xeo6WoFEZmc

[kcpaz]

I don't think anyone is complaining. Actually it's just the opposite, the support is amazing. Before I was just toying with the idea of making kits to sell. Now, I'm thinking there might actually be a descent market.

As soon as there is video available of any kind, Pelican will be the first to see it.

Thanks again for the kind words guys. It means alot coming from this forum.

[ljowdy]

In 1996, a friend that owns a specialty shop in Santa Ana called me and asked if I wanted a Subaru engine for free. The intent was that I install it in my sandrail. I had a turbo VW engine in my car and thought over his proposition and agreed. During that time, Subaru had a R&D center in Garden Grove, CA and they gave a load of engines to my friend with the understanding that he give them away to off road enthusiasts as Subaru wanted to get into the off road market.

By the time we got done, the free engine cost me $3,000.00 but that included ported and polished heads, oversize valves, an intercooler, turbo, exhaust system, an engine management system, re-ground cams, a fuel pump, (4) 50 lb injectors, wiring harness etc etc etc. A Kennedy adapter plate, a new clutch and a lot of time fabricating engine mounts, radiator mounts and plumbing were also needed. Sand Sports Magazine was so taken back by anyone using anything other than a VW engine in a sandcar decided to do a 4 page feature spread on me installing this engine.

After I assembled the engine, we put it on a dyno and my 2.2 four cylinder engine produced 345 Hp at 6,200 RPM at the flywheel.
That was with only 10 lbs of boost. That engine was in 2 chassis and still worked perfectly 2 years ago when I swapped out the long block for a 2.5. When I took apart the old engine, it was still new on the inside and I had lots of trips to the sand dunes.
Absolutely fantastic engines

Interstingly enough, about 6 months after the magazine hit the streets, about a dozen Subaru shops opened making engines for dunebuggies.

Good luck with the conversion