TheSamba.com :: View topic

Tue Jul 30, 2019 1:34 pm

Hi
How much does it cost for a rebuilt 2.2 Subaru motor to be installed by a mechanic...not do-it-yourself.
Yes I know that hourly prices vary but I'm trying to get a budgetary number.
Ideally, it would be nice to hear from people that actually did it as opposed to people who haven't. I've heard lots of different numbers from $7500 to $15,000.
I looked on this forum and couldn't find anything definitive.
Thanks guys!!!

Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:08 pm

Resources to look at would be RMW, NorthWesty and Small Car Performance. They all offer turnkey swaps if I remember correctly. Call each shop and ask what it would cost.

https://smallcar.com/conversions/vanagon-2.2-and-2.5l-conversions.html

https://www.vancafe.com/category-s/24.htm

http://north-westy.com/engine-conversions/

Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:16 pm

The range you are quoting is reasonable, because there several things you may or may not want:

A/C conversion?
Engine oil pan?
Stainless exhaust system?
Cruise control conversion?
Reroute oil dipstick?

Plus all of the "while you are there with the engine out" items. There is a basic conversion on up to completely rebuilt mechanicals.

Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:17 pm

this is old information but should help
https://www.vanagon.org/engine-conversion-comparison

Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:15 pm

My van came with a receipt from Mr. Mechanic in CO (I believe this shop is tied to RMW somehow) for $12.5K turn key conversion, including rebuilt EJ22, and Kennedy conversion kit. It has been a very clean and reliable conversion.

Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:17 pm

Just your dignity...[heh, I slay myself sometimes]

Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:21 pm

as if only :roll:
elitist troll
Zeitgeist 13 wrote: Just your dignity...[heh, I slay myself sometimes]

Tue Jul 30, 2019 5:59 pm

Love my 2.2 Sub and WILL NEVER GO BACK. The Japenese know how to build small engines, deal with it trolls. It drives just like it should have to begin with. I zoom up hills, relative to how I used to go up them.

I know my PO had spent to have a reman'ed long block put in to save guesses and issues later on and boy am I thankful for that! The conversion was done by a pro but don't have the costs, but was told it was over $10K... has AC, mod'ed oil pan and more.

Tue Jul 30, 2019 6:19 pm

I'm interested in doing this soon.

- RMW Conversion kit ~$3500 shipped (depends on what addons you want)
- Wiring Harness service (Jeff at Autoventures is around $600-800 I think
- Rebuilt/upgraded EJ25 - $3500.

I'm thinking about rebuilding an EJ25 myself - you know, so I can learn the engine and all

Tue Jul 30, 2019 10:59 pm

Engine specialists Metric Motors in Utah installed a 2003 2.5 Subie for about $12K a couple of years ago. With extras. Very happy with it. Worth a call.

Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:47 am

I'm enjoying the delicious irony of my being "elitist" for pointing out that spending $10k--$12.5k is silly money for a shitbox headgasket leaker that no right minded mechanic in Bumfuk Nowhere would want to service in your ancient VW; i.e. compounding peculiarities. You're welcome to the uncomfortable truths, but feel free to shit on my benevolent offering.

Wed Jul 31, 2019 2:32 am

Get out of my elitist troll cave, Casey....there’s not enough room for two with all these hoarded Subie engines in here

Wed Jul 31, 2019 5:41 am

I think you are confusing Subaru with the OEM german (under)engineering you so much love..

and FYI, re Subaru head gaskets, that's been largely fixed with the upgraded MLS gaskets. something VW never even considered or could even do with their lousy rubber valve cover gaskets they installed on the wrong side of the cylinder heads.
any shop worth $.10 puts in a freshened rebuilt subaru block & heads with a swap.. no one is (or should be anyways) paying $10k+ for a 200kmile clattered out subaru donor motor. that's the DIY crowd like myself who are our own traveling mechanics..
the reality is is you needed help in bumfuque, egypt Joe-Bob's garage wouldn't savor the sights of your mTDI swapped van either.
so stuff it with the diatribe.

my claim of elitist troll is because you reply with the same vehemence anytime there's mention of a non-german motor in a german car..

Zeitgeist 13 wrote: I'm enjoying the delicious irony of my being "elitist" for pointing out that spending $10k--$12.5k is silly money for a shitbox headgasket leaker that no right minded mechanic in Bumfuk Nowhere would want to service in your ancient VW; i.e. compounding peculiarities. You're welcome to the uncomfortable truths, but feel free to shit on my benevolent offering.

Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:10 am

Vanaru swap in Staunton Virginia - $13.5k
EJ2.5L w/ 32,511 mi (2011 Legacy)

This does not include:
AC $2k
SS coolant pipes $600
Trans - depends

This is my path forward in October.

Quick question for the group, I do not believe this vanaru installer does anything with the engine except clean it up (no rebuild, disassembly). I am pretty okay with this given the mileage, the only concern would be the seating of the rings (hopefully i am saying that right)? I have been reading that depending on the rings and if they became "stuck" the engine could be a oil burner. Anyone want to drop some knowledge on me?

-Dana

Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:11 am

Back to the OP's question...

We had Buslab install a fully rebuilt 1995 EJ22 along with a rebuilt manual transaxle about three years ago. First SMOG last year was at the Vallejo BAR referee, a tenth of the price of a regular SMOG station and now we have the coveted sticker that makes life easy for future SMOG tests.

Total cost was about $22k.

We're now in the process of final de-rusting and repainting the shell.

We'll probably be about $35k into this by the time we're done with everything mechanical re-furbished. This is way more than we could sell it for, but that's completely missing the point as now it'll keep going for another ten or twenty years. We regard ourselves as its temporary guardians.

Wed Jul 31, 2019 6:13 am

RMW did mine last year. I had a 2.5l, so not the 2.2. It cost about $17,000. I did not have the AC installed, though I may reconsider at some point. That would have added about $1,400 to the cost. The support after the sale has been excellent. It was expensive, but I did look at other options, including the 1.8T, a FAS 2.0 turbo, and the GoWesty motors. All were comparable in cost.

Wed Jul 31, 2019 7:18 am

dsdunbar wrote: Vanaru swap in Staunton Virginia - $13.5k
EJ2.5L w/ 32,511 mi (2011 Legacy)

This does not include:
AC $2k
SS coolant pipes $600
Trans - depends

This is my path forward in October.

Quick question for the group, I do not believe this vanaru installer does anything with the engine except clean it up (no rebuild, disassembly). I am pretty okay with this given the mileage, the only concern would be the seating of the rings (hopefully i am saying that right)? I have been reading that depending on the rings and if they became "stuck" the engine could be a oil burner. Anyone want to drop some knowledge on me?

-Dana

My 07 2.5 from a forester had 47k on it and i went with it. Within a year it was burning significant oil. I'd suggest at least a light hone and new 6 star head gaskets.

Wed Jul 31, 2019 7:39 am

We do them for $7k. No ac. No smog. We do them all day everyday.
Parts cost varies for a guy doing “one” all depends on where the motor comes from. I know my first swap cost a lot more than my last swap because of my parts hunting has improved. And knowing what works and doesn’t work.

Well worth whatever you pay!

Wed Jul 31, 2019 7:46 am

PDX Westy wrote: Quote: Resources to look at would be RMW, NorthWesty and Small Car Performance.
If you are near Seattle, I would strongly urge you to talk to Eion Monigold on Westlake Ave too. He did my subaru conversion for $14,000 total cost, and I have AC. When it was discovered that I had a coolant leak mid-way thru my drive from Seattle to Fort Lauderdale (the engine rebuilder Eion bought the engine from had pinched the head gasket) Eion himself paid $2,000 to have the van shipped back to his shop and he installed another rebuilt engine at no cost to me. He gives a 3 year complete warranty, and he's done probably more Subaru conversions than anyone around. He's a great mechanic and a truly nice guy too. Can't recommend him highly enough.

Wed Jul 31, 2019 12:30 pm

We've had about ten Westys and 15 old Subarus in the family over the years. So when I decided to convert, my excellent Subaru history made it easy to decide that route. Our first Legacy was my daughter's first car. As a poor ski bum family, we could afford that 1990 with 200K miles on it for $1000. I don't remember doing any significant repairs to it, and it was clocking 335K for a subsequent owner. The non-interference 2.2 with few HG issues does give some peace of mind.
We learned the hard way about Subie 2.5 head gasket issues from an unscrupulous seller. So, any future Outback purchases had to come with head gasket and timing belt replacement documentation. No problems since.
Metric Motors uses low mileage JDM engines and rebuilds them. As I remember, the approximate 2003 vintage was preferred for 2.5 SOHC and no drive by wire. We opted for stainless coolant pipes and header, and GW starter, and a scan gauge, which I love. Along with an oil pressure gauge there's enough data. It might be nice to port the trans and diff for temp gauges, a low priority project, but I do change those fluids often.
Metric used a combo of Kennedy, Small Car, and GW parts, along with a few small mods of their own.
This is just to share my experience, not to argue for or against virtues of other options, or endorse Metric Motors. They were close to home in SLC, or I might have considered RMW, at more expense. From responses here, there seem to be many high integrity conversion shops. It's important to discuss the details of an estimate, and "optional" items to make sure you end up satisfied.
I must say, that even though I never had a catastrophic incident with VW wasserboxers, I did spend a lot of time learning about "Vanagon syndrome" and other idiosyncrasies, which was "fun" while it lasted. I was always listening suspiciously for problems. I am confident enough with my Subie experience, that engine issues are the last thing on my mind.
Now I can just worry about Syncro driveline adventures...