OBSERVATIONS

Reliability

It sure seems solid; the doubts (i.e. whenzitgonnablow?) are GONE. Lots of Legacy engines run 250,000 miles. I shouldn't really be so smug, cuz the '90 2.1L I removed was solid (140K) but I still had that nagging worry. Dick, on the other hand, had 30psi in one cylinder, but his 2.1L engine still ran GREAT (80-85 mph). Could've been a lifter that wouldn't pump at cranking speed (thus could draw no air). Etc etc etc, there's always etcetera with the wasserboxer.....but no worries now! At 10,000 miles (10/7/00) I have had no problems except for the exhaust cracking and that seems to be solved (fingers crossed). KEP now uses larger exhaust pipes for more strength.

Performance

A test hill where I used to go 25mph in 2nd I now go 48mph in third. In normal 1000-4000 rpm driving it feels about 10% more powerful than the 2.1L Wasserboxer. Rev it out and it's much more powerful. I now shift at 5000-5500 rpm, and even at 5500rpm the motor is much quieter and smoother than the WBX. It's not a hotrod by any means, but more like a normal vehicle.

A 1.9L wasserboxer is rated at 80 hp. The 2.1L was 95 hp. The 2.2L Legacy motor is rated at 137 hp (4400rpm). When doing a conversion, you want a fatter torque curve than the old, or you'll lose 'driveability'. The Legacy lump feels fatter throughout the entire rev range, starting from the very bottom. Below 1000rpm (near idle) the 2.2L definitely has more torque. It's the perfect motor for the vanagon, and it fits like it belongs! Kennedy's website lists specs and such.

I have LOCATED comparison torque curves, and the Legacy motor is 50% fatter everywhere. Just like it drives. I will try to get the link, or the images up soon. Email if you've waited too long.....

Mileage

Currently 18.5 to 19.5 mpg "with my foot in it".

Sound & soundness

Overall, it's quieter than the Wasserboxer, barely audible at idle. Intake noise is possibly more, possibly not. We bought the "quietest" intake from KEP's range. The Legacy engine has five mainbearings. It's a balanced engine; at 5500 rpm it's smoother than a Wasserboxer at 4,000 (or any WBX rpm for that matter). Kennedy's exhaust is top-quality, thick aluminized tubing and thick beefy flanges. Subaru's exhaust studs are 10mm fine thread. Even after 100,000 miles you can loosen them and spin off with your fingers. You won't miss your VW exhaust and its puny, rusted, broken studs.

Servicing

Inside the engine compartment, it's all Subaru. Aside from wiring problems, any Subaru specialist would know what to do instantly. Cut no corners on wiring reliability.

Other

OTHER
VERBOSITY
AND
some SAQs

Q: What to get at the wrecking yard?

Kennedy provides a good list but you won't need the square Subaru airbox, just the airflow meter and the accordioned air duct. Kennedy provides all the exhaust nuts, exhaust gaskets, adapter plate engine mounting bolts, nuts and studs. Keep about 12" of the Subaru powersteering return hose. If you want any Subaru engine or body emblems, be sure to mention it. I bought my Legacy motor from Aarons Auto Wrecking in Seattle, WA (206-243-4665). Aaron's is a "Subaru only" wrecking yard and they were very helpful and interested in my project. Owner is "Tom" and he's the guy who pulled my parts You can email him at aaron@aaronsauto.com.

Q: What to get at the hardware store?

The VW rear engine support is held on with four 8mm bolts/nuts. Kennedy's brace requires six, so you will need to buy two more similar sets. There's lots more that you'll need. Keep a running vehicle ready...... We'll try to add a list of all the hoseclamps, copper elbows etc and other doodads.

Q: What minor engine work did you do to the Subaru?

I changed the timing belt and crank oil seal. Make sure you have the thick (1/16") intake gaskets ('91 and later) , not the paper-thin metal intake gaskets.

You will need to 'set' the belt tensioner in a bench vise, as it is viscous-damped and retracts very slowly.

Seals on the coolant conduit from left to right (below the intake manifold) can be a problem. It's a good idea to change those o-rings before you go thru the tedious bleeding process. Removing the intake manifold is easy when the engine is out.

Q: Aside from the wiring harness, what was the worst job?

Trying to design the BEST placement for the H20 plumbing was our biggest crisis, the biggest time-burner in the whole project (repeat - "aside from the wiring..."). Hopefully this website and others will make that part quicker.

Q: Anything you'd do different than Hobert? One place where I think our great guru made a mistake. Put the engine in first, then put on the rear engine support, and vise-grip it on. Do what you need to do to make sure all is settled out where it wants to be. If necessary, cheat some clearance between the exhaust and the crossmember. Then drill your holes. We can't figure out why Hobert wants you to drill first. We had to abandon Hobert's predrilled holes and drill more elsewhere because our engine-support was touching the exhaust.

My exhaust is just 1/8 inch from the engine support. It buzzes sometimes. Go for more clearance, at least 3/16" or 1/4" You don't want yours any closer than this. Dicks has about 3/8 inch clearance. I think KEP has provided more clearance with recent exhaust.

Q: What about the splash guards?

You'll have to remove the engine support when fitting the splash guards. You have to modify them a bit (flatten to fit btween the brace and the body, leaving one splash guard bolt uninstalled and cut section out to clear the brace).

Q: What about the power steering.

You will need a reducer for the low-pressure return. The low pressure 'return hose' that Kennedy provides is 1/16" bigger than the VW side and 3/16" bigger than the Subaru side. It still works, (the wonders of worm-drive clamps) but it would be better to use a reducer in the middle and put a smaller hose onto the Subaru pump. For this reason it is a good idea to keep part of the Subaru return hose.

Q: Is there a weight difference?.

The 2.1L VW engine weighed 265 pounds, with rear engine support, clutch, exhaust (but no muffler) . The Legacy motor with no engine support, no clutch, no exhaust weighed 285 lb. So the Legacy motor probably adds 30 to 40 lbs to your bus.

There's more, of course, but who can think of it all?

Some unedited computercode stuff:

Normal state of the 2 plugs (green and black) are disconnected. To read the codes (easy way), turn the ignition off, connect the black connectors (called the "read memory" connectors), then turn the ignition on (do not start the car). The computer should flash the codes both on the green LED inside the computer and on the check-engine light. If there are no trouble codes registered, I believe the computer flashes the vehicle ID (steady flash of "1" in my case). This is the "Read Memory Mode" from the Subaru F.I. manual.

To erase the codes, connect both the green (test connector) and the black connectors, turn the ignition on and press the accelerator to the floor, then back off to half way for 2 seconds. Release the pedal and start the car. Rev the engine to 2000 RPM until you see the check engine light either displays new trouble codes or the vehicle ID. This is the "Clear Memory Mode" of the Subaru manual.

There's also a D-Check Mode which is I think what you were doing. It probably gives you a real time indication of what's wrong rather than what has been stored in memory.

Normal state is what they call "U-Check Mode", which is both connectors disconnected.