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I have a 99 outback with a EJ22. From what I was told, the engine came from a 98 Impreza. The car is falling apart but the engine, with around 100,000, seems to be running quite well. A local shop will do a typical engine swap for $600. I would like to buy the nicest Outback I can find with a blown motor and have them put the 22 into it. What years am I limited to? Thanks

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Excellent! Thanks! Would it be difficult to put it in a newer model? I'm fine with either outbacks or foresters.

Excellent! Thanks! Would it be difficult to put it in a newer model? I'm fine with either outbacks or foresters.

Well it sort of depends. If you want to swap the entire wiring harness and ECU it might be easier (though you'd want to confirm how well it'll play with your transmission, i don't think that's an issue but i'm not positive and maybe auto/manual may differ).

 

If you mean plug and play - that sort of depends as well, It will bolt in and you can get it to run but it will have check engine light on and it won't idle well as the idle controller is completely different and not easy to work around. So as a plug and play option or plug and play with minor work arounds - it doesn't work. If you're in desparation or love a project to tinker with and don't mind some inconveniences it's not impossible to attempt that route. Living in an emissions requiring state would make it less appealing if the check engine stuff isn't easy to work around. i forget if that's emissions or idle control related or something else...

 

2000+ is considered Phase II regarding the ECU and wiring.

1998 and earlier is Phase I

1999 is a mixed bag, all foresters are Phase II, all 2.2 legacy's are Phase II, all legacy/outback EJ25's are Phase I.

 

That's why you see the funny splits for what you can swap it into. You can swap your 1998 (phase I) into a 99 EJ25 legacy/outback because they're Phase I in 1999, but you can't swap it into the same year (1999) Forester, or legacy 2.2's as they're Phase II in 1999.

Edited by idosubaru
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I'm going to look at the wagon on Saturday. The details so far are that it runs good but the manual transmission no longer goes into gear. It was sudden. It will go into each slot but no shifting takes places, just stays in neutral. Would this be the clutch? It has 218,000 miles and supposedly no rust. The seller is askimg $800. Was owned by a church to run kids around on the summers only. Timing belt supposedly changed at 200,000. It would cost me about $1000 to have the clutch done at a local shop or they would swap motors for $900 plus parts. Any thoughts?

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I'm going to look at the wagon on Saturday. The details so far are that it runs good but the manual transmission no longer goes into gear. It was sudden. It will go into each slot but no shifting takes places, just stays in neutral. Would this be the clutch? It has 218,000 miles and supposedly no rust. The seller is askimg $800. Was owned by a church to run kids around on the summers only. Timing belt supposedly changed at 200,000. It would cost me about $1000 to have the clutch done at a local shop or they would swap motors for $900 plus parts. Any thoughts?

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If I had a garage I might take it on. In my sandy driveway I am going to steer clear of any transmission work. Hope long to have a pole building up this fall. Do you think the car is worth $800? That is if it checks out being nearly rust free and well maintained. If I spend a grand on the clutch and other minor fixes I would be in for $1800 for a 95 with 218000miles. That seems high but if it really is rust free, that is a luxury here in Michigan. Plus I have a lower Mile engine ready to go when need be. Thoughts?

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If I had a garage I might take it on. In my sandy driveway I am going to steer clear of any transmission work. I Hope to have a pole building up this fall. Do you think the car is worth $800? That is if it checks out being nearly rust free and well maintained. If I spend a grand on the clutch and other minor fixes I would be in for $1800 for a 95 with 218000miles. That seems high but if it really is rust free, that is a luxury here in Michigan. Plus I have a lower Mile engine ready to go when need be. Thoughts?

Edited by davidschaffer
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Rust free is quite the luxury in the rust belt. Spent a few years in california and got spoiled by the rust free cars. 800 is not out of the question. I would gladly paya few hundred extra for a rust free over the rust buckets most of this generation have become.

 

usually though, it worth it to offer 500 and see what happens. Cash talks and if the car is sitting in need of repair, theres usually some motivation to part ways with it.

 

If you're up for some climbing and wiggling, you can change out the clutch from the top. It doesn't save a whole lot of time but lends itself to driveway work.I've done it a couple times this way for the same reason.

 

You pull the exhaust and drop the driveshaft and remove the roll pins from the CVs. Once the trans is separated you can slide it back and it drops to the backside of the front crossmember. You have to put some carpet sections/cardboard etc on top of your engine and lay on top of it and you have room enough to reach down between the engine and trans to swap out your clutch components.

 

it's usually recommended to swap the clutch fork clip and the throwout bearing pins but I have reused them. Also good to regrease the pivot point of the fork and the shaft for the throwout bearing.

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It depends what year 2.2 you have, you didn't tell us.

 

In a 1999 Impreza RS you can only install a 1999-2001 2.2.   if that's what you have then just bolt the EJ25 intake manifold onto the EJ22, it's the same bolt pattern. super easy. 

 

if you're using a 1998 or earlier 2.2 then that's not the case, this is not a desirable swap.  the intake manifold bolt patterns are significantly different and not interchangeable.  that's not the ideal swap and you'll be cobbling stuff to get it running and then it's not going to idle. 

 

to start - swap the 2.5 harness onto the 2.2 manifold so you can at least run it, then prop the idle open so it idles/runs somewhat because the idle control is a huge difference.  then trouble shoot other issues from there. 

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the car I purchased is a 1999 impreza with a blown 2,5 motor. the 2.2 engine is out of a 1995 legacy outback wagon. the 2.2 is already in the the impreza now all I have to do is put the intake on. I have read you must change the wiring harness from the 2.5 to the 2.2 is this true. the intakes are identical down to the egr components if so which coil pack do you use

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You'll have to use the 2.5 coil on that wiring I believe.

 

Again, this is not generally a compatable motor though. You can get it to run, but it wont run well. Takes some mad scientist stuff to get there.

 

I would advise finding a compatable motor 2000+2.5 or 99+ 2.2 and chalk it up to a learning experience rather than go down the rabbit hole of cobbling this motor into running under phase 2 stuff.

Edited by AdventureSubaru
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You will have to adapt the 2.5 Throttle body to the older 2.2 manifold.  Probably need a plate sandwiched between that blocks the 2.5 IAC opening.  The IAC will now be unused.  You will not have warm up idle control but after warmed up doesn't matter.

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