natebiehl Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Hi there, We have a 98 OBS that we had a mechanic put an EJ22 in after our EJ25 went belly up. We are now having some issues with it. There are a million threads about the problem we're having. I've read them. We've also had the car to a few mechanics. They've all told us different things. The only thing I've learned from all this is that I don't have enough information to know who to trust. My question is this: Is there a way to use the VIN on my OBS to find out EXACTLY which engine it came with? Can anyone help me determine EXACTLY which engine I have in my OBS now? I've heard so many guesses from so many people. I love this car. I need to narrow down what I have so I can tell them the proper information so we can fix the problem. Thanks for the help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivans imports Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 what model is kinda erelavent its ether 2.2 or 2.5 the only thing that whould matter is if it had egr on it or not the rest is same i put a 92 legacy 2.2 in 98 outback other day and other than egr worked fine had to use the outback wire haness on legacy engine and tb and idle motor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebugs Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Welcome to the USMB. I can't help you with chasing down vin# info. But I, as several folks here, have done several of these swaps. What engine do you think was installed? Single or dual port exhaust ports (could you use your old Y pipe or did you need a new one)? Does new engine have EGR? Is your EVAP/Charcoal canister up front on the pass side by the radiator? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natebiehl Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 How many cams does an EJ25 have? Are all 2.5L engines the same? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 I didn't think the 98 OBS came with a 2.5? should be a 2.2 in there, unless it's 2.5rs???? For that year, if it did come with a 2.5, it would be a dual cam (4 total) engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Hi there, My question is this: Is there a way to use the VIN on my OBS to find out EXACTLY which engine it came with? Can anyone help me determine EXACTLY which engine I have in my OBS now? The under hood vin plate should have an engine code like EJ22E or EJ25D If you take a picture for us, we can I.D. it by sight.....moslty. single vs. dual port exhaust will tell something too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 the id plate under the hood, on the driver side strut tower. it will tell you what engine came in the car. not necessarily what engine you had removed, it could have already been changed. another question i have is this: is it an impreza OBS, OutBack Sport, or is it an outback sedan, SUS, sport utility sedan.??? the sus came with a 2.5L engine. if you are calling it one thing when it is really another we can 't help. but regardless of which car , which engine, what is wrong ? how is it running? what are the symptoms? there aren't many running issues that are engine specific. head gaskets maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natebiehl Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 I think I used the wrong acronym. It is an Outback wagon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 ok, 98 OBW w/ ej22 swap. this car came with a ej25 w/ DOHC, known for head gasket issues. how does it run? what is it doing wrong? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natebiehl Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Thanks for the help. We are having issues with bucking/bogging down at low rpm. Getting misfire codes on all cylinders. Car feels great on the highway. Gets great highway mileage. Around town it feels lousy, stutters, bucks, rough idle, rough acceleration. Like I said before, I've read the threads. I know that these symptoms can point to a dozen different problems. I know that this problem is more than likely not engine specific. A mechanic told me yesterday that the gear that turns the cam shaft is likely a few teeth off from what the ECU thinks it is, and that's causing timing issues in a closed loop. I wanted to call BS because I thought the guy who swapped my engine swapped the ECU as well, but I realized I don't know. That's when I decided I probably needed to find out more about exactly what I have before I could solve the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natebiehl Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 The only thing I know about the EJ22 is it's OBDII. So that means it's 96 or later, correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natebiehl Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 Oh, it DOES have an EGR. I cleaned it with carb and choke cleaner. Did not solve the problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted June 5, 2012 Share Posted June 5, 2012 Ej 22 was started in late 89 for 90 production year Legacy, but with the right sensors and wire harness any 90 - 98 ej22 can be used. Year of the engine is not too important though. ECU for a 2.5 will run a 2.2 just fine and doesn't need to be changed, there is hardly any difference between the two. Cel on for multiple misfires and poor running can be any number of things. Timing is one that plenty of people get wrong, and it's relatively easy to check. Three 10mm bolts hold each cover on over the cam sprockets, remove the covers and you can line up the timing marks to see if the cams are out of sync. You can check crank timing at TDC if you can find the notch on the pulley, but it's often very difficult to locate. You'll likely have to remove the crankshaft pulley and remove the center cover to check if the cams are timed properly with the crankshaft. Also be sure to check for any vacuum leaks. There are lots of hoses associated with the EGR that can harden and break, and there are a few that to to the passenger strut tower. Also check the PCV hoses from the block to the intake on the passenger side of the throttle body, and breather hoses from each of the valve covers to the air box on the intake. Check for loose clamps on intake tube at the throttle body and air box as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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