Crash DND: Somebody Stop Him

Crash still Doesn't Know Diddly.

My beloved Subie wagon has been diagnosed with a leaking headgasket for the THIRD FREAKIN' TIME. The mechanic recommended that since this was a high-mileage engine (164K), that the engine be completely rebuilt, preferably from a remanufactured block. The guesstimate on this was just shy of $6K. To end up with the exact same engine that has killed off three sets of headgaskets. And not to mention is relatively anemic up here at 6,000 ft elevation.

I figure that I can buy a WRX at Copart, and get the engine, tranny, and all the fiddly bits, and install them into my wagon for under that $6K price.

But I'm lacking a few things. Most of them being time and skill. And space, and tools, and...

My local hot-rod Subie shop first told me it was about a $1500-2000 job, but later said they didn't want to do the job at all (what with plenty of work hot-rodding cars that already came with turbos). 

A Subie engine swap is said to be largely plug-and-play; the most difficult part being the ECU wiring. Realistically, is this something a guy that does his own oil and brake pads and suspension but took 11 hours to replace a steering rack because of two bolts should even consider?

Do you have room to work on it, money for the parts/tools you'll need, and another way to get to work in the meantime?  If yes on all counts, I don't see why you couldn't do it- everybody who has ever swapped an engine, at some point had never swapped an engine before and was thinking roughly what you're thinking.

First question is it your daily or not. If so how long can it be down. 

Swapping in a WRX or STI drive-train is not the end of the world in difficulty but its not 100% plug and play and the wiring is the most difficult part. 

Nope, this is above your skill level. It's a good idea overall, it's just that you doing the work is not a good idea

Call around to some other speed shops or independent mechanics and see if they're willing to take it on. You might want to consider having a mechanic do the physical engine swapping and then transporting the car to an auto electrician to get it running.

Edit: I think you could do it *eventually* but it sounds like there would be a steep learning curve and you'd have to purchase tools that people at your level of wrenching skill typically don't have, like an engine hoist for one thing. It wouldn't be quick or easy for you.

If you lack time, skill, tools and space you might be better off car shopping. Have the HG fixed and sell it. For $6k I imagine you could replace the whole car with one having less than 164k on it, no?

If the event that this doesn't work won't hurt you worse than you are capable of dealing with, I'd say go for it. But I know just enough to know that it will take longer and cost more than you think it will. Also know that trying to get rid of a stillborn project isn't easy and you will lose money on it. So make sure you're ready to commit before you take it apart. 

Source: I'm a dumb college kid with a stalled engine swap project sitting in his parent's front yard. 

$6k will buy you a WRX wagon around these parts:  

https://orlando.craigslist.org/cto/d/2004-subaru-wrx-wagon/6322530946.html

I'm sure there are more out there in that range. Heck, I didn't even bother checking Atlanta.

Yeah, I don't see the point in doing a swap.  Spend the money and just buy another complete, running car.

Thank you all. Even (especially?) for the pull-no-punches responses.

I know that this doesn't make sense. It is irrational. The fact is that I do love my Radio Flyer wagon, and have dreamed of various upgrades for most of the 20 years I've owned her. 

I am very much wanting to swap in turbo power (again, 6000' elevation saps a lot of power from an engine that makes less horsepowers and torques than the engine they put into a base model Impreza two years later (yeah, I'm still bitter)). Specifically, I would want to go with the 2.5l turbo engines from 2006+.  And I want a 2006 or 2007  WRX  as the donor specifically for the 4-pot brakes that came stock those two years.

It's a little hard to accept that no, I don't indeed have the necessary juju to do this swap (not just skill/knowledge but time, space, and tools) regardless of the "hey, if I can do it, anyone can do it" encouragements of some (name sounds like "dazmoose") on this board.

I'll venture forward with looking for a shop with the skills and willingness to do this.

I'll get to these engine swap dreams some day, and build my restomod BMW 2002 and my half homage to the Renault 5 Turbo and half thumbing my nose at the holier-than-thou crowd by sticking some fire-breathing (literally, I hope) engine in the back of a Prius (I'll name it the Pyrus).

You're looking at an engine hoist and hand tools. You can do it. Whether you should do it is really up to you. If you can afford (monetarily and mentally) to spend six months, more money than makes sense, and give up almost three parking spaces for that time, then give it a go. You have a broken car. Worst case scenario, you're out some money and you still have a broken car. 

If you're giving up on doing it yourself, then I will join the others who say to buy a different car- if you have a shop do it, you'll be $10k or more in the hole on a car that most likely isn't worth half of that, and will have learned nothing about the process, leaving you with a car that you can't sell and potentially can't maintain either since you weren't involved in the modifications.  If you want that particular car with that particular swap, then you should still do it yourself- and if you're not in a position to do that thanks to time, money, health, etc. then I completely understand- but if it's just because some strangers on the internet reinforced your idea that you aren't skilled enough, and none of those other things are the problem, in your position I'd be pretty tempted to try and prove them wrong.

It just seems so much easier to buy something already turbo'd whether that's a forester a legacy a wrx etc. You'd spend a lot of time and money to make a car that really you would be the only one that values

I'm going to lay out my "engine out" experience. 

1. Bought a G5 rally Omni as a shell, a short block and bins of parts. I assembled it using the manual. It ran and passed inspection. I drove it maybe 100 miles and then it sat because rallies are far away and expensive. The car was eventually scrapped. 

2. I took a K-car down to the shell and swapped a 2.5 Turbo I with a five speed in. This car also ran. I drove it about 1000 miles and two autocrosses. I took it apart for paint and never reassembled it. This car was also scrapped. 

3. I bought a Volvo 240 with a bad head gasket. It also had a bad bottom end. I started to mess with bearings. Decided it was a lost cause. This car was scrapped. 

4. The R63. Seems to be going ok. 

5. The cabover. High hopes, but as usual, a MUCH bigger project than anticipated. 

I didn't buy a hoist until the R63 and the cabover was the first engine I took out the top of anything. I'm still a fan of  building a cradle for the engine with wheels and dropping the motor out the bottom. 

Almost everyone I know has a failure or two somewhere in their background. They never expected them to be that way, but life happens. Take your expected parts cost and double it. Now take your expected time and triple it. Now accept that there is a possibility that it might not get done. Now do it anyway. 

I'd love to do one, on a project that I don't need running, that can take me 3 times as long as expected :P

Diy it but bring your budget way down first. Look at jdm auto engine suppliers too.

Once you do a power steering rack swap on some cars you automatically get unofficially certified for engine swaps (some power steering work actually calls for the engine to be removed  from the car) . Just read through what other guys documented.