YetiMan

so darrel and his brother darryl at cheapo inspecto will probably not catch this?

:-p well here's where we are: $1100 estimate to replace EJ25 head gaskets. Just bought the car with the HG issue and don't know if it's been fried. I can reasonably suspect that it has but we'll never really know for sure until we're $700 into it.. $1100 ($400 engine- 1995 EJ22 from Impreza automatic w/80K miles plus $700 labor) to swap...but the shop guys still tend to think that when I go to an inspection the swap will be either visually obvious or show up when they plug it into the tester and I'll be stuck unable to register the car in utah (where any engine swap other than direct replacement is "illegal" **sigh**). The car has just passed inspection and I'm getting plates that will go for a year...they can't take those back so even if it's not going to pass I've got a year to sell it to someone who doesn't live in a Nazi Inspection state. It would be extra helpful to hear some other opinions on whether or not an emissions inspections station is going to know there was an EJ25 to EJ22 swap...more good news on that would seal the deal. Some other options that have come up are: option C: park the car in the front yard and spend the $1100 on Crack and Heroin...and start taking the bus. option D: spend the $1100 on a flux capacitor and either go back in time to before I bought the POS or way way back in time and buy an EA81 off the showroom floor (and, you know...fill it up with $.80 gas ) Good afternoon and thank you for your support:brow:

well, I'm at my friend's shop now and their worry is that this swap will cause the obd2 computer to generate trouble codes that will keep this car from passing utah emissions. you guys that have done this, do you generate any codes.... these guys are thinking very strongly that this will be obvious to the inspectors and the car will then be impossible to register here. endless complexities.

I'm really trying to get some confidence going here... the last engine swap I did was in 1996... ...and it was an international Scout ...and that wasn't easy. :confused:I may be in over my head here. I wish I hadn't bought this 96 outback. I thought the 96's were all 2.2's at the time.... thanks for the support.

can you specify the starter bolt issue? I don't want to be pushy here and I can't thank you all enough for posting your wisdom, but I'm getting the idea that maybe you really talented guys spend a week working on these swaps and fabricating stuff to make it work and then post that it's no big deal and it's a direct swap. If you're downplaying the complexity of this job, now would be a good time to mention that. this really isn't recreational for me at all, so I'd really like to pin this down and know what I'm getting into before I have the hood off a car in the driveway and two engines sitting around. The adventure factor of blindly trying to force something to work really does not appeal to me. :-\

Please correct any errors stated below, as this is what I'm getting from the forum thusfar... all 1994 and earlier: will not work because they lack EGR ports. 1995 standard trans: will not work because they lack EGR ports 1995 automatic trans: must swap flywheel with EJ25, otherwise direct bolt in/plug in all 1996: must retain original EJ22 headers because headers do not match EJ25... must retain original EJ22 power steering pump and lines ?not sure if headers will then work with 1996 OBW EJ25 Y pipe? ?not sure if flywheel matches EJ25? ?not sure if EGR is OK on both standard and automatic models? 1997 and later: not considering because it's an interference engine per: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=52253

So I gather the only candidates for this swap (as a direct bolt-in/plug-in) are 1995 2.2 liters that came from an automatic car? Is that right? I'd need to buy one from a 1995 Impreza or Legacy automatic, make sure it came with the intake, and change flywheels to drop it into my 1996 OBW automatic? This is starting to seem doable. I would be stoked to see some photos of this procedure. If not maybe I can take some if/when I do mine.

just thought I'd mention in the context of gasket removal that a single edged razor blade can work very well if you're careful.