crockettbrat

hey all: Posted about this a few days ago while my six year old was driving me nuts and I left out much pertinent info, so here it goes again. 1998 impreza obs. Got the car with a dead engine from over heat. No trouble codes on the ecu or the trans before I did the engine replacement. I put an engine from a 1997 legacy into the car. The swap was straight forward. The engine had the same egr setup as the original. Plug and play. I did the timing belt, waterpump and replaced the radiator and thermostat also. The car runs great, but for some reason the very first shift each time I start the car is late, ie the engine revs up to almost 4k rpm before it shifts into second. After the first shift everything returns to normal and it shifts fine. The cel came on and gave the p0720 code which is the VSS2 circuit malfunction code. I've tried unplugging and replugging all the plugs by the transmission, cleared the code and it comes back. I'm wondering if anyone has the fsm and can tell me the test procedure for the VSS2. I'm happy to go buy a new one and slap it in there, but I suspect that something else is wrong. Any info appreciated and sorry for the lame attempt with the other post about this. I've got to learn to do one thing at a time. Daniel

Sorry for the lack of info. I replaced the engine because it was toast, with the same engine from another car. ej22 to ej22. I'm assuming one of the plugs just isn't connected properly, but want to test the vss2 also. Thanks. Daniel

Hey all: Ever since my engine swap my cel has been on. I finally bought a code reader and got this code for the vss2 circuit malfunction. I'm sure this has something to do with the engine swap as there was no transmission codes before the swap and since the cel came on the trans light does the 16 blinks at start up, and my very first shift each time I drive the car is late and a bit rough, then the trans seems totally normal. Any one have the FSM test for the VSS2? Thanks for any help. Daniel

Hey all: Thanks very much. Good info. Now time to play. Daniel:banana:

Hey all: I'm considering buying a pc based scan tool to play with. I really only need a code reader and probably could borrow that from a friend, but I'm wondering what you guys have used out there and like or dont like. Thanks, Daniel ps- I wish I had done obdII for my ej swap:)

Yes I did get the same egr configuration. The only difference was the number of hard lines under the intake manifold. I can see where the evap can will bolt in too. Thanks. If this doesn't solve the problem I will put the intake manifold from the dead engine on this one. I think I will take the car into the dealership and have them flush the transmission just because I have no idea when it was last done. Seems like the first shift when I start the car up is klunky and then they seem great after that. No torque bind or slipping that I can feel. That first gear is LOW! It feels like the car jumps when you hit the gas! This is my first automatic subaru.

Aha! Left rear light is full of water. Thanks very much for the tip. Also on the second voyage the check engine light came on. I think its the fact that my replacement motor came from a legacy with an evap canister in the engine compartment. It has two extra lines coming off the intake manifold that would hook up to the evap can. The obs has the evap can in the back by the tank. I just plugged these two lines and I should probably just hook up an evap can in the engine compartment since the smog guy will definately notice these lines anyway. The power steering seems the shudder when I'm at low rpm and turning. I will search on this, but it probably needs to be bled. When I swapped engines I didnt unhook the power steering, I just unbolted the pump and swung it out of the way which involved turning it upside down. Lastly the transmission did the 16 flashes on the dash thing, so I'll need to see whats up there too. All in all, I'm only in the car about $1300 so I'm feeling good about it. Thanks all for the help. Daniel

Hey all: I just took my wifes obs out for its maiden voyage with the new motor. Until today I had only let it run in the driveway, but went to DMV and got the stickers today so off we went. It runs great and is a fun little car. It seems to have a leak that lets in rain water in the spare tire well. Any info on where this leak might be coming from would be appreciated. Also this little car has what looks to be an aftermarket sun roof. The control panel for it has open close vent and asc. Three of these are obvious, but any idea what the asc button does? I pushed it and didn't notice anything happening. Any info appreciated. Thanks. Daniel

Hey Gary: When I pulled the harness for my ej swap it was fairly straight forward. I pulled the dash by chopping it out and then had to remove the heater and a/c stuff. Not sure if its the same for a 97, I pulled mine from a 93. Once the dash and heater/ac stuff was out it was easy. Good luck. Daniel

Alrighty then. I'll just call subaru na and give them the numbers and see what they say. It sounds nice by the way. Did the timing belt, pullies, water pump, and radiator. Fired right up and the engine sounds great, so I guess I did the timing belt correctly! And it drove nice, so I guess I got the torque converter seated properly too. The plastic intake tubing still has lots of nasty oil from the old burnt up engine so it smoked a little at first, but after I stopped it and cleaned all that it seems fine. Man the woman I bought this thing from really cooked the old engine! The plastic timing belt covers behind the cam pulleys are melted and all the plastic on the knock sensor melted off onto the engine block! Ouch! Anyway hopefully this new engine will pass smog, and then my wife can start driving a soob too. Thanks for all the help USMB folks! Daniel

Hey all: 1998 impreza obs. blown engine, got a 1997 engine to put in the car. I understand that around this time the engine went from non interference to interference. Any way to tell from looking at the engine? The original engine had the new style pully tensioner and the replacement 1997 engine has the old style tensioner. Any ideas? I was thinking of calling subaru NA and giving them the engine number to see if they could tell me, but thought I'd try here first. Thanks for any input. Daniel

Hey Norcal people: I'd love to meet up too! I'm in Crockett which is right by Vallejo! Just FYI I was at the Fairfield pnp today and there is a 84 (i think) hatch there with some stuff still left on it, and there was a puegeot 505 wagon with 15" 8spoke aluminum wheels. They are the ones with the big center cap. All four were on the car with lugs. I was gonna grab them to resell, but I've got too much on my plate right now. Somebody should grab them! Daniel

I used the stock ej airbox. I drilled a hole is the side of the fender wall for the mounting nub on the side of the box and chopped a little off the bottom edge of the box and lost the snorkel that lives in the ej fender. Here are some pics. Good luck on the swap! You're going to love it! Daniel maybe someday I'll learn how to resize pics. Sorry they're so big.

I did it this way because I didnt have a tool that could get in and undo the bolts on the flex plate. My box wrench wouldn't stay on the nut and the socket wrench wouldn't fit. I now have the intake moved out of the way and have learned my lesson for the future. Daniel

So when I pulled the engine the t/c came with it. On the tranny there are two splined shafts that go into the t/c, a small one that sticks out the most and a larger one that surrounds the smaller one. There was a tube with a spring clip on it that surrounded both of the splined shafts. I just removed this tube with the spring clip and attached it to the t/c. It had two little raised spots 180 degrees apart that fit perfectly into the notches at the end of the t/c and there even is a place for the spring clip to seat in the end of the t/c. After doing this the t/c seated easily in all three places and now matches what I've read here. Does it seem like I've described this as others have seen it? Never done an automatic before, so I would love some input. Hoping to not kill my (my wife's actually) tranny. Thanks. Daniel

Hey all: I've read the instructions for seating the torque converter and have been attempting to do it for about an hour now. I can get it to the first and second stops, but no luck on the final seating. I will just keep trying, but thought I'd ask those who've done it before if this is common. I'm very close on getting this thing running. Used engine with 80 something k miles, new timing belt, pullies, water pump, and thermostat. Getting the radiator checked out on monday and will replace if needed, but this dang torque converter is giving me a hard time. Any additional info appreciated. Thanks. Daniel oh yeah this is a 1998 impreza obs

Dont be afraid of the wiring for the ej swap! If I did it I'm sure you can too, and there is nothing like the feeling of your ej motor firing up for the first time! :banana: I'm thinking about finding a 90's loyale and doing another ej swap. There are so many clean ones in my neck of the woods, that I think I'm going to do it. First I've got to finish doing what grossgary suggested and get my wifes cheap broken impreza back on the road! Soon as I'm back home from visiting my brother for xmas the impreza will get fixed! Good luck on your project. Daniel

Take your electrical tester to the junk yard and pull a good one from another soob. I did this for my purge canister solenoid on my ej22. Someone beat me to the Fairfield pnp and pulled the solenoids off every single legacy in the yard. I couldn't believe it. I did find one in the next yard I went to, but bring your tester, because you want to know you're getting a good one. Daniel

It looks like thick el-wire. http://www.elbestbuy.com/?gclid=CISlsc6JyJcCFQJNagodYFOSTA Yes I go to burningman! Daniel

Great thread! Here's me and the kid! Daniel

Hey there: The rancho shocks that fit the ea81 with 4" of lift are the RS5241. I had to widen the slots on the upper mount because they were not quite big enough for the upper mounting bolts, but otherwise they were a perfect fit with my 4/3 lift. Daniel

Hey there: Thanks alot. That is her good side! There is a nice ding on the rear corner of the other side from some superfreak lady driving around on morphine:mad: Oh well at least her hit and run attempt failed and her insurance paid me handsomely. Sorry for all the landrover chat on the subie site! I do the opposite often on the landrover forums too(although I spend much more time here:)) Not to be picky at all, but just fyi the rig is a 1962 series 2a. I've got the full tropical safari top too, just haven't got it looking as good as the rest of the rig yet. Daniel

Thanks man! I love the old landie. I built that bumper and rock sliders too. Building stuff for your own rig is a blast. Daniel

I dont know.. Those tires are firestone destination at's and they rock in the snow and everywhere else I've taken them. i run them on my crusty old rangerover too and they have never failed me. I've got a friend with a ford ranger and he runs the bfg at's and he slips where the firestones stick. Anyway, I would probably chalk my wheels if I was to winch somebody out of a snow drift, or snug my bumper up against something solid and take my traction out of the situation. Not to say I wouldn't love having mud terrains on there, but I cant seem to wear these firestones out. 30k miles on the rover and they still look new. Anyway me winching a hummer with the brat is just a fun dream. That winch will probably be used to recover myself, and if nothing else I love the way it looks on the brat and generates lots of comments. Daniel

Not ea82, but simple to make. Needs a new blinker and a coat of paint. I'm still hoping to find a hummer stuck in a snow bank that I can winch out with the brat! "Sure I'll pull you out, you just have to take pics that I can post up on USMB!":grin: Daniel