6 replies to this topic

[mellow65]

So we all know a well taken care of ej22 will damn near last as long as you want to take care of it. But I have only owned the phase1 ej22 and never a phase2.

So are the phase2s as good as the phase1? I know somewhere in there they lost their non interferenceness. So timing belts are good to keep up on. They went from a duel port exhaust to a single port exhaust. Not sure why but oh well. And they gained a couple more HPs. I think 2.

So what do people think of them? Are they as good as the older ones? What other changes did they make to them?

The reason I ask is because I am going to go look at a 97 Impreza OBS with 101k miles on it. I know in the suby world that's just getting started.

If it was a phase1 I wouldn't think twice about buying it. I just don't know as much about the phase2 stuff.

[Manarius]

1996 - EJ22 gets solid lifters. Need adjusted every so often.
1997 - EJ22 goes to interference design.

Two things to consider in your purchase. The phase II EJ22 actually didn't come out until 1998 or 1999. These two changes are just ones made to the phase I EJ22.

[mellow65]

well then i guess i got both of those things. picked up the 97 impreza OBS

and how odd is that, i would think they would start with solid lifters then move to hydraulic ones, not the other way around.

oh well runs great, clean little car, just needs a good wax and clean. has new tires and the magic 101k miles. Just out of that break in period.

[avk]

By model year, the change to solid lifters occurred in 1997. 1995-96 had hydraulic lifters and rollers, while ealrier engines didn't have rollers.
But "Phase II" designation is usually reserved for the design that came out in 1999-2000 (depending on vehicle model), with speed-density air metering and other changes.

[mellow65]

ok but getting back to my original question, are they as bad rump roast as the older ones. or is there anything to look for.

[86BRATMAN]

are they as bad rump roast as the older ones.

YES... And they feel like they have a flatter torque curve as well, comparing my mom's 98 to the 95, 90, and 90 I've owned.

[mellow65]

good to know. I'm going to do the normal stuff, not to sure about what has been done to it. Planning on going on a long trip in a couple weeks and want to get things all up to par.

New timing belt
New water pump because I'm in there anyways.
new plugs and wires. (NGKs only)
new fluids, engine, tranny, rear diff

the normal stuff.

YES... And they feel like they have a flatter torque curve as well, comparing my mom's 98 to the 95, 90, and 90 I've owned.