Have motor need info

[dieselboy]

Ok im new to this forum. Im sure there are a thousand threads already on this but i cant find one specific to this. I have a barley broken in 1995 subaru legacy LS with 240K on it. Needs Headgaskets and well she may burn a little oil. not sure how much more shes got in her. I have a 1998 subaru outback (legacy Wagon?) thats got a wrecked front end but a good 2.5 motor. Can I put that motor in my 1995? The 95 is automatic and the 98 is a standard. Any Help would be great Thanks!

[dieselboy]

Also whats the EJ EA stuff all about? and why does everyone want to put a 2.2 into a 2.5 chassis? is the 2.5 a bad motor?

[idosubaru]

good job doing some research. you have a few options.

 

EA series is older generation (mostly 80's) subaru's, so doesn't apply to yours.

 

the EJ25 has a propensity to blow headgaskets and block bearings. the EJ22 is swapped in place for a few reasons, it's an easy swap (plug and play), does not have headgasket and bearing issues, and cheap. due to the EJ25 issues the demand is high and therefore the engines are expensive.

 

are you sure your EJ22 has blown headgaskets, they don't really blow headgaskets unless they've been overheated or abused? do you know the history - has it ever been overheated (or - when was it overheated?).

 

the EJ25 will drop right in. it'll bolt up and plug right in, very easy swap. the only thing that you'll need an EJ25 flexplate since yours is from an automatic and the EJ22 flexplate won't work. bolt an EJ25 flexplate onto your EJ25 and it'll drop in and plug right up.

 

the 95 auto will have EGR, so make sure your 98 has EGR. MOST due, but not 100%.

 

keep in mind the 98 is an interference engine but the 95 is not. if the timing belt, or tensioner, or any of the timing pulleys, breaks on the 98 you'll bend some valves in the heads. best to get an ebay kit and replace all the pulleys and belt.

 

you could install the EJ22 heads onto the EJ25 block - you'd get a high compression power boost and new head gaskets. i'd rather have new headgaskets before installing that motor anyway - it's really hard to install the headgaskets in the car so yo'ud probably be yanking it later if it looses the headgaskets.

 

resealing the EJ22 is a great option, i'd be surprised if it's not good for another 100,000 miles easily. you can do the headgaskets without pulling the motor, a bonus in my book.

Edited December 21, 2010 by grossgary

[Numbchux]

Yea, I wouldn't put the 2.5 in there unless the 2.2 was completely junk. As I wouldn't put the 2.5 into anything without a complete reseal (head gaskets, and all gaskets needed for that project, heads rebuilt and checked for warping, timing set, etc.).

 

 

the DOHC EJ25 is not a bad motor, in the grand scheme of things. But it is one of the weakest that subaru has ever made (Some out argue that it is the worst, but I think the EA82t is still one step down). Put about $600 worth of parts into it, and it's a great motor. But, you could put that same money into the 2.2, and have an indestructible motor.

 

The high-compression 2.5 hybrid motor seems to be the latest fad here on the USMB. I am not a fan. It's been around, and been common for many years in the community, and IMO isn't worth it. I'll slap a turbo kit on a stock 2.2 every day of the week over the hybrid motor.

 

 

 

this flex-plate issue is one I had not heard of. Gary, what's up with that? how could they possibly be different.....if you're talking about using the 2.2 flexplate with a 2.5 tq converter, the only thing that could be different is the crank bolt pattern, which I know is the same. What am I missing here?

[GeneralDisorder]

There's about a 1" diameter difference between 2.2 and 2.5 flex plates. You can just use the 2.2 flexplate on the 2.5 engine.

 

Personally I would do the 2.5 w/2.2 heads. No turbo mess (some of us prefer the simpler NA). Lots of power and the same premium fuel requirement as the turbos. Quite a bit cheaper than turbo kit as well.

 

That's just my preference.

 

GD

Edited December 22, 2010 by GeneralDisorder

[Numbchux]

There's about a 1" diameter difference between 2.2 and 2.5 flex plates. You can just use the 2.2 flexplate on the 2.5 engine.

 

Yea, the flex plate has to match the transmission....

 

I'm not understanding this:

"the EJ22 flexplate won't work."

[GeneralDisorder]

Yea, the flex plate has to match the transmission....

 

Couldn't you just use the matching torque converter if you had to? Don't the TC's slide into the tranny in the same way? You just have to use a matched set. TC/flex plate - both must come from the same engine size.

 

I'm not understanding this:

"the EJ22 flexplate won't work."

 

Probably a typo or misunderstanding - the EJ22 flexplate will work if you use the EJ22 TC as well. Or the EJ25 flexplate will work if you use the EJ25 TC..... you just can't mix them. They bolt up to the engine and go into the tranny in the same way(s).

 

GD

[Numbchux]

Yep. Sounds like what I was thinking. Seems like he could just use his existing TC and flexplate (from the 2.2) on the 2.5, and be golden. But I'm no expert, I rarely re-install ATs .