Next!
Removed and weighed the engine before starting disassembly.
People keep asking me what powerplant I've decided to run with the almost limitless amount of powerplants that fit between the wide frame rails. Well! I have chose to keep the FA20. Originally I wanted to do a 2JZ to keep it in the toyota family and benefit from the 2JZ's ridiculously strong engine. However after weighing the FA20 and comparing it to the 2JZ and even LS series engines I couldn't do it. The amount of weight added in front of the CoG (in most cases hanging past the axle-line). If the car was too stay under 2,500lbs and have the desired corner weights the lightweight, low hanging FA20 was really the perfect engine.
(weight without headers, alternator, fluids, & AC compressor)
I've worked the Subaru motors for years, Subaru's keep shops in business with how many engine issues they have in performance cars. Anybody who's owned or knows somebody who's owned a WRX or STI is all too familliar with this. That being said I've built EJ's right and they really can be robust engines. A closed deck EJ25 with pin'd mains & large headstuds is a great engine. Currently running one @550whp without a drysump on another time attack car and 0 issues.
The FA is built much stronger than the EJ motors and the engines technology blows any 2JZ or LS series engine through the roof. Direct Injection matched with port injection, variable timing on all four overhead cams. However aftermarket support is still to this day limited. In regards to what's out there on other performance engines.
The two big decisions that we were in store for was a dry-sump system and a transmission strong enough to support the engines horsepower & torque outputs reliably.
As of now we've pieces together most of what will be needed for a dry-sump & have narrowed the transmission down to a few options.
As for the engine, it sucked up too much water, broke one rod and bent another pretty good!
