How close to the same are most engine mounts in most Subaru cars? If I started building my buggy with an older station wagon, say early-to-mid eighties, or even an old Brat drivetrain, and came across a WRX or something similar to run, how much difference is there in those mounts? What about trans mounts? What about differences between auto to stick?
  I have some leads that are really promising and would like to get started A.S.A.P.! My significant other says I'm being slightly obsessed about this and need to get something done! Thanks in advance for any info.

   Thanks Terry, I'll keep looking for more info. Any ideas where to look?

Does anyone have any pics of a mid mount suby motor/trans mounts?

Here's a couple of pics of how mine is mounted - engine anyway.

EJ20 turbo motor, using Small Car Vanagon mounts, just the side plates though.  They sell these separately from the whole mounting assy. for a little less.  Underside shot of the engine with mounts and Outfront "mid-engine" oil pan installed:



And another pic as mounted to the chassis.  The Small car mounts do a nice job of moving the mounting points to the front of the engine.  Here, a thick aluminum angle plate was bolted to them, providing a horizontal flat surface allowing some simple anti-vibe mounts to be installed.  This all bolts down through the chassis underneath.



I'm running a 914 trans, so can't help on the Suby trans mounting.  I also utilized the bell-housing VW mounts - giving 3 supporting points on my install, all with high durometer anti-vibration mounts.
Might give some ideas you can use?  You have to get pretty creative no matter what you do!

Jeff

Hey, Jeff. Thanks alot man! It's been a little tough getting info on this build I'm planning. I have never built with Subaru before so it means alot to see before hand.

Glad to be of whatever help I can Miles.  I don't necessarily know the "right" way, just A way.  I tend to do lots of research before pulling the trigger on a project - maybe one reason I've been working on this buggy for more than 5 years!  The Subaru is somewhat similar to the T4 engine with regards to exhaust plumbing and general layout, but with much bigger heads!  At least the DOHC versions are pretty big.  I actually made a somewhat scale cardboard version of a Suby block & heads to test fit it into my frame to see if it was even doable!  That was several years ago....  I do like using cardboard though - for all sorts of test fitting.  It's cheap!

Jeff

After reading your post, I see that you do not believe that the VW style flywheel area mount is not enough support. I agree but am still struggling with a design. Have you seen other designs?

Rocky Johnson
Seattle, WA.

I like the photos real well. Thank you for sharing them. You mention "small car vanagon side plates", it that your own design or from who? I'm now thinking os using the mounts you show the tying them together with the rear skid pan and supporting tubes. The typical VW flywheel support and the mount to the nose cone on the VW bus transmission will give me the comfort zone I've been looking for. Thank you again for sharing!

Rocky Johnson
Seattle, Wa.

Here they are Rocky:

http://www.smallcar.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=29789

Small Car (kind'of a strange name) specializes in Subaru-Vanagon conversions and parts.  Lots of good stuff in their catalog.

Jeff

Thank you Jeff for the info! I just reviewed their site, I found more information than I expected.
The decision to use the Subaru engine is looking better. Thx again...

Cool - glad to be of help.  Shoe-horning a Suby into what was once VW territory takes every resource you can come up with!  No real "plug and play" conversion kit to speak of.
I wasn't crazy about the way the engine is cantilevered at the original mounts (generally positioned between the large bolts holding the Small Car brackets on in the picture above), and the Subaru engine has no hard points to position mounts at the "pulley" end.  The Small Car brackets solve that problem.
They do, however, create limitations as to what kind of oil pan you can run.  No trick alloy pans, or kicked out on the sides, pretty much stuck to a standard shortened pan.

FWIW, in order to run the simple angle mounting plate at the ends of the brackets I had to build-in spacers between the Small car mounts and the angle - otherwise it would hit the thermostat housing.  Something to keep in mind.

Jeff

Well, its been a while since I've been in. I finally found a Suby engine and trans to start my woods buggy build. I don't know if the engine will run but the trans is a manual so I will at least have a pattern to go by. For fifty bucks and a couple hours taking it out, if it don't run so what. I'll get my money back in scrap when I'm done using it for mock-up!