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Mailman’s 2000 RS Coupe: EJ257 / JDM EJ205 Hybrid Swapped

34K views 184 replies 32 participants last post by  bue car 
#1 · (Edited)


As of 12/18/2022: 190251 chassis miles
Swapped at 188706 miles
1545 miles on swap

This is my 2000 Impreza RS coupe which has been my daily driver since 2004. I bought it used from a gentleman in Dallas who had it set up for autocross. Faced with the prospect of buying a new car, I couldn’t find it in myself to part with it! Now after years of wear and tear I am committed to making this thing new again, and to eventually make it into the STI it always wanted to be :)

--- GOALS ---

Overall:

  • RSTI with daily driven power
  • OEM+ style build
  • "Luxury RS" finish
Short/mid-term Goals:
  • USDM EJ257 / JDM EJ205 Hybrid Swap (currently in post-swap tuning phase)
Long-term Goals:
  • Rear suspension refresh
  • 6-speed swap
  • V6 body trim
  • Upgrade stereo
  • Interior refresh

--- BUILD NOTES ---

Engine & Exhaust:

  • USDM EJ257 / JDM EJ205 Hybrid Built Motor
    • 2018 STI RA OEM Shortblock
    • JDM EJ205 Heads, Manifold, Headers
    • IHI VF48 "Hi Flow" Billet Turbocharger
    • 2021 STI Intercooler
    • Tomei Silcone Inlet
    • SPT 02-07 WRX Intake
    • Grimmspeed Lightweight Crank Pulley
    • STI "Dark Blue" 565cc Injectors
    • STI Group N Engine Mounts
    • 2011+ WRX/STI 100a Alternator
    • 07 STI Power Steering Pump
  • HKS Catless Up-pipe
  • Cobb Tuning Turbo-back Exhaust w/ GESI Hi-flow Cat
Transmission:
  • JDM 02 WRX 5-speed Transmission TY754VBBAA 4.444 FD
  • STI Group N 5-speed Transmission Mount
  • STI Group N Pitch Stop
  • XClutch Stage 1X 02-05 WRX Clutch
  • XClutch Chromoly Flywheel 13.42lbs
  • 02-05 Clutch Master Cylinder
  • Kartboy Transmission Crossmember Bushings
  • COBB Tuning Short Throw Shifter
  • Energy Suspension Shifter Bushings
Steering and Suspension:
  • 04 STI Power Steering Rack
  • KYB AGX Struts
  • King OE Height Springs
  • STI Group N Strut Mounts
  • JDM Aluminum Front Control Arms
  • STI Group N Front Control Arm Rear Bushings
  • Cusco Rear Sway Bar
  • SPT Front Strut Tower Brace
Wheels/Tires/Brakes:
  • 06-07 WRX 4/2 Piston Brakes
  • Powerstop Stainless Brake Lines
  • Sparco Assetto Gara Wheels, 17x7.5 Matte Graphite Silver
  • Bridgestone Potenza Tires, RE980AS 215/50R-17
Exterior:
  • Full Repaint
  • JDM Tail Lights
  • Depo Clear Corners and Side Markers
  • Painted Shark Fin Antenna
  • 06-07 STI Badging
  • Full LED Lighting
Interior:
  • 2006 STI Floor Mats
  • 02 WRX Pedal Covers
  • IAG Floor Mat Bracket
  • STI Duracon 5-speed Shift Knob
  • GC Navigation/Gauge Pod
  • Alpine CDE-SXM145BT Single DIN Receiver
  • Infinity Reference 6000cs 6.5" Component Door Speakers
  • Infinity Reference 6522IX 6.5" Coaxial Rear Speakers
  • Pioneer 12" Subwoofer in Custom Box
  • Noico 80mil Sound Deadener, ~120 sqft
  • Full LED Dash Lighting

--- TABLE OF CONTENTS ---

1. Original Photos
2. Head Gasket Repair
3. Shifter Linkage/Bushings, Transmission Mount, Interior Trim
4. Suspension, Wheels, and Tires
5. Repaint!
7. Shark Fin Antenna
8. Sound Deadening
9. STI V8 Steering Wheel
10. JDM EJ205 Powertrain Received!
11. 06/07 WRX 4/2 Piston Brakes
12. JDM 5-Speed Install
13. Engine Rebuild as EJ257 Hybrid!
14. 04 STI Steering Rack, JDM Control Arms, Crossmember
15. After a break... the swap resumes
16. First start up and break-in
 
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1
#56 ·
Update:

I finally got a beater. I put over 25k miles on the RS in the past year, and my front bumper paint took a beating from all the rocks and debris on these crappy roads. I bought a 2003 Outback for $1200 from a local guy. It needed/needs quite a bit of work, but I've got it to a semi passable state. Work performed on the Outback:

Resealed leaky engine including main seal, oil separator plate, crank access plugs, cam seals
New oil pan
Timing belt and components
Water Pump
Oil pump
Brake calipers, pads, and rotors
New AT transmission oil pan, internal oil filter, spin on oil filter, ATF flush
All the usual fluids
New engine ground wires. It still has some electrical issues I'm chasing down though.



Now that I've got a new daily, time to engage project car mode on the RS! I bought an engine crane and engine stand when working on the Outback. Methinks its time for an engine swap...
 
#58 ·
Haha yeah I don't post much...

I just bought this:


It looks like my stimulus check will be stimulating the Canadian economy. Time to clear out the garage!
 
#65 ·
The differential I received looked pretty rough, but seems mechanically sound. It was very rusty, was missing a bolt, and had a cracked differential cover. I opened it up and inspected it. I verified the tooth count to make sure it was indeed a 4.444 diff, inspected the bearings for play, and looked for any damaged or overly worn teeth. Everything looked good inside. I cleaned up all the rust and painted the housing black. I installed a new cover, oil seals, o-rings, breather cap, and all new bolts, plugs, and studs. Its looking pretty fresh.

 
#68 ·
I got the engine and transmission separated today. The flywheel and clutch look pretty rusty so I plan on replacing those. I cleaned up the transmission bell housing, and installed new output shaft and axle seals.



Any recommendations on pull-style clutches? I'm not really looking to exceed 300WHP any time soon, so I think a stage 1 organic would fit the bill nicely. This isn't going to be a race car (yet), so drivability is important. I'll be sticking with an OEM weight flywheel. I've been looking at the following:

Exedy Stage 1 Heavy Duty Organic - 319 wheel torque
ACT Heavy Duty Street - 430 crank torque
Xclutch Stage 1X Organic - 480 crank torque
 
#70 ·
While I'm waiting on my flywheel and slave cylinder to get here, I've been working on upgrading to the 06 WRX 4/2 pots. Instead of using the adapter brackets in the rear, I opted to replace the backing plates with the 06 WRX ones for a more OEM look. While I was down there I replaced the bearings, hubs, and parking brake shoes and components. For rotors I used Brembo 06 WRX OEM replacements.





 
#72 · (Edited)
I got the old 5 speed out. It had a lot of overspray on it from my paint job, the usual clutch dust, and the TOB was complete trash. It had about 158k miles on it. I originally bought it from enginesong on Nasioc back in 2015 to replace my original trans which froze up. I had the stealership replace it for me back then 🤮. I've had zero problems with it since.

I'll be starting install on the WRX transmission tomorrow. The plan is to swap in the transmission first with the existing RS engine and test it out for a while. That will keep the car driveable while I work on refreshing the EJ205.

 
#73 · (Edited)
I've got the transmission installed and everything buttoned up. I took it for a test drive and everything seems to be working fine, except shifting into 3rd and 5th can be a bit sticky at times. I'm hoping it will loosen up over time given the transmission has been sitting for who knows how long. I ended up purchasing an XClutch Stage 1 clutch and chromoly flywheel combo. XClutch is a fairly new brand in the US, but is very well regarded in Australia. I figured the community could use some more reviews on this brand so I took a chance. So far the clutch feels great with OE feel. It does grab close to the floor, but I did change out the entire clutch system and it could use some adjustment. Here's a list of parts used:

XClutch Stage 1X 02-05 WRX clutch.
XClutch chromoly flywheel 13.42lbs
02-05 WRX clutch master cylinder
02-05 WRX clutch hard line
Reused slave cylinder on WRX transmission
STI stainless clutch line
Reused Group-N trans mount
Group-N pitch stop
Starter from the WRX transmission
New shifter linkage
iWire NA to Turbo transmission adapter :)

Some pics:





 
#76 · (Edited)
I started on the engine refresh. First I upgraded the oil pan, baffle, and pickup to the 04+ STI version. Next I'll be doing the head gaskets and replacing every gasket and any rubber or plastic parts. I'll be leaving the short block intact since it has passed compression test.





I'm still having shifting issues with the WRX 5-speed. 3rd and 5th gears continue to be difficult to shift into. I've tried changing gear oil to Motul 300 with little effect on gear change smoothness. I have a new Cobb shifter on the way to rule that out as well. I don't suspect that will help much, since it shifted just fine on the old 5 speed. Here's a rundown of gear change difficulty:

Shift into 1st at stop: OK
1st -> 2nd: OK
2nd -> 3rd: Difficult
3rd -> 4th: OK
4th -> 5th: Difficult
Reverse: Normal

While stopped:
1st -> 3rd: OK
1st -> 5th: OK
3rd -> 5th: OK
5th -> 3rd: OK

If the new shifter doesn't fix anything I'll be pulling the transmission to check the shift lever, shift forks, and rails. I hope its not synchros... Any other ideas before I dive in?
 
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