Hi I got a 1.6 bugeye and I've heard you can put a 2.5i legacy in without much trouble is this true. What sort off work is envolved and would I be able to put the 2.5 turbo just as easy

Putting a turbo engine into a n/a car can be done but also remember that brakes would need doing as well. I think you would need the maching gearbox/diff/driveshafts as well. Prob not a very economical swap to be honest based on the current sale prices of scoobys.

Think he means the standard 2.5 N/A lump (note the 2.5 turbo unit, UK cars come with a n/a 2.5 engine not turbo and the other unit(s) are 2ltr turbo), but as you say David, you will need to replace a few items for it not to chew up bits like the gearbox.

Tony

But if I brought a legacy donor car would the engine drop straight in to the scoob, ie same engine mounts, loom and ancillarys, as well as the breaks and diffs

Id say you would be replacing quite a few items, it may fit ok but your loom wont be the same, brakes will probably be different, yours are single pot, you are looking at least 2 pot or 4 pot on the legacy, diffs will be different because the gearbox will be different, its just much cheaper selling your car and buying a 2ltr, the insurance will also hit you hard going from a 1.6 to a 2.5, then you have to deal with DVLA...

Tony

I've heard that a few people have done the engine swap in 1.6 with several different engines like the sti and legacy, but be nice to hear from one to see how they got on doin it a what sort of costs involved and time and what sort of work is involved, I no the classic is farely cheap to do as donar cars are dirt cheap but I've got a bugeye so ain't got a clue

I've done the conversion from a 2.0 litre sport to a 2.5 legacy engine, get engine from same year car, dropped right in, loom plugs the same, use legacy ecu, key, transponder and immobiliser, turn the key and yee ha!

How ever I did put a v6 type r box in, changed to hydraulic clutch, and lots more but the basic swap isnt hard! Make sure u get a ecu from a Manual legacy not auto

The 1.6 loom should be the same I'm assuming and dose the legacy gearbox fit, what sort of power gain did you get

U can run ur gearbox no need to run the legacy one, power wise went from about 120bhp up to 180/190 with mods

The 1.6 is around 80-90bhp, I "think" the gearbox is different to that of the 2ltr (ie weaker) so running it with a 2.5 isnt recommended, hence cheaper to buy a sport rather than swap to a 2.5 (and the increase in insurance costs etc for a modded car, especially an engine change).
Sports are dirt cheap now, so are turbo's, probably better going that way tbh.

Tony

Keep goin round in circles if insurance wasn't a problem, what's the cheapest and easiest engine swap you can do

There isnt one really, the 2ltr n/a wont put too much stress on what you already have, but alot of these cars have different clutches/gearboxes/brake setups which makes doing engine swaps pretty expensive as you can buy a better model for the money.