Cup O Noodles

Good, I'm glad he's probably not an idiot. He seems like he knows what he's talking about otherwise. Thanks for the info.

I talked to my local used Subaru dealer about constructing a Frankenmotor and he seemed pretty sure that 2.2 heads wouldn't fit on a 2.5 block. Of course, I've done a bit of research on this site so unless we have a bunch of story tellers here, I suspect they fit just fine. The reason he gave for not believing they were compatible was that the 2.5 was DOHC, some of them at least. I didn't want to argue with the guy because I really don't know crap but I really didn't think the cams would have anything to do with the head fitting to the crankcase. Am I right on this one? Is there any reason any of the 2.2 engines wouldn't be compatible with any of the 2.5 engines? In fact...is the difference between the 2.2 types outside the block? Ugh, it is, isn't it? It won't matter at all what 2.5 short block I get, they'll all be exactly the same. I think I just answered my own questions didn't I? -Thanks.

From what I've read the water choke is more accurate than the electric choke. I wouldn't mind having the electric but the water choke is only 10$ more.

I'm going to order a Weber with a manual choke from carbsunlimited.com. It's going in my '87 GL. How to you run the choke lever (or linkage, I don't know the proper term) through the firewall? I was also thinking about ordering the water choke instead. They aren't a big deal to hook up, are they? It seems like it would just be one in hose and one out hose. Thanks.

Thanks for all the awesome info. I read Numbchux's write up when I first decided I wanted to do the EJ swap and I'll read it again when I get ready to do the swap. This is actually something I don't have to save up for, isn't it? I can buy the parts as I find them. That's actually awesome because I've seen the engines I need on Craigslist for 100-250$. I'm going to stick a Weber in it for now and collect parts over time, hopefully not too much time, though. -Thanks

Frankenmotor -> '87GL There is a Subaru mechanic in Eugene who has a lot full of cars, not all Subarus, and a couple 15'X20' walls full of Subaru engines and engine parts. It's been difficult for me to get in touch with the guy lately so I don't have any good information about the engines except that they would probably need to be rebuilt. The owner of the shop seems like he's a pretty decent guy and I think he would probably help me find some good engine parts but I was wondering what I should look out for or keep in mind. Are there any styles of engines to stay away from? I've heard bad things about the EA82T, is there an EJ equivalent? Is there already an existing thread about doing an EJ swap without a donor car? -Thanks

I have not yet replaced the belts but now that you mention it, they may not be installed correctly anyway. Will there be visual or audial evidence one way or the other? Where is the ASV and with what should I plug it? Is an exhaust leak just an opening in the pipe or might it be the head gasket? I haven't looked at the plugs since installing them but they're only a month or so old. I have one lifter that keeps making noise and I keep changing the oil so it'll shut up for a couple weeks but the problem is still there. Would a weak valve spring/sticky valve cause the lifter to knock? In a week or so I'll order me some lifters and take care of those while I'm replacing the oil pump seals and timing belts. I don't know about the disty but I changed the cap and rotor recently. -Thanks for the info.

1987 GL. I know they aren't supposed to be fast cars but it takes longer than I'd like to get up to freeway speeds. I give it what I think is a moderate amount of throttle and I shift at 4k-4500 rpms but if I give it any more throttle or if I get the rpms any higher it backfires. Yesterday when I got on the freeway, just to see what would happen, I gave it full throttle (or close) and shifted around 4500 rpms and it got up to 65mph pretty quick but the backfire was really loud. Is backfiring bad for the engine? It seems like it would be. To combat the lack of speed I'm going to put a Weber in when I can afford it until I can afford an EJ swap. GD drove me around in a couple of his cars that have Webers in them and they have the acceleration I would like to have in my car. How much horsepower does a Weber add? -Thanks

Awesome. Thanks for the info.

So as far as leaving the belt covers off is concerned, lifting the car means off-road, right? Since I'm not doing any off-roading, I don't need to concern myself with the belt covers? I'm pretty sure that is exactly what you just said but I'd like to be certain. Are there any everyday conditions I might worry about, like driving through puddles or something, I do live in Oregon? Also, where are the 5 bolts I need to remove to take off the oil pump? Are they just on the other side of the outer middle belt cover? Oh, secondarily, my question about the oil pan: should I replace all the bolts? They seem pretty worn. How do I get to the ones on the other side of whatever is in the way? I don't know what it's called but it seems to be part of what ever is holding on to the half axles. -Thanks a lot.

I was wondering if I could just leave them off... My concern was the debris. It isn't lifted but what about it being lifted makes it more in danger of getting debris in there?

I was going to replace the gaskets on my oil pump ('87 GL) and one bolts on both the left and right belt cover on the bottom are stripped or something. At first I thought the hex was stripped but when I tried from underneath the engine I could see that the bolt was turning. I haven't tried pulling it out with pliers yet, is that a good idea? Also, one of the other bolts on the bottom is just holding a broken piece of the inner belt cover. A year or so ago I pulled everything off (of an '85 GL) that was required to change the head gaskets but I forget exactly how that went, though it seems like I'd have to pull the inner belt cover on both sides to get the cams off, is that right? If that's the case they should be easy to replace. So, the oil pump gaskets: where are the 5 bolts I'm supposed to remove to get the oil pump off? Can I get to them if I pull off the middle belt cover? Is there a gasket or sealant in between the oil pan and the crank case? I tried tightening its bolts but I felt like I was going to pop the bolt heads off if I tightened them any further so I stopped. I was wondering if they should be pretty snug or if there was a gasket that was that gave them a little 'squish'. -Thanks.

I found a leak. A worm gear clamp was loose. I think I'll take your suggestion GD and replace all the hoses. Also, I noticed a recess on the passenger side of the radiator right about in the middle. It looks like it should be plugged up but nothing was leaking out. I haven't looked at it with the engine running yet but I'll do that tomorrow unless I hear back that it's just a valve or something. Thanks.

Thanks for all the advice. The coolant tank was totally empty so I suspect there was very little in the radiator and that's probably why all the water boiled off, or almost did. I'm going to keep an eye out for a possible leak, though and will probably change the head gaskets anyway.

Thanks a lot. It's an '87 GL.

I've driven non-Subaru vehicles out of water before and they steam really bad and the engine shuts off. After it has cooled I would fill up the radiator and be off again. Obviously, the engine still worked but this was years ago and now I'm being way more careful with my cars and learning proper maintenance. I just drove from Eugene to Portland and back (200 miles) and everything seemed fine. I even made a stop 10 miles before getting home and nothing was wrong but when I parked in my driveway I heard the hsssss and saw some steam. I popped the hood and the everything on the passenger side was wet. A few days later I filled the radiator with a gallon of water and filled the coolant tank/reservoir. The engine runs fine (thanks GD for fixing the vacuum leak) but I was wondering if I might have damaged the engine? Also, I couldn't find any evidence of a leak in the radiator. Is running out of water as harmful to your engine as running it out of oil?

Oh hey! Is there anything I should look out for when buying these engines?

Oh! That's awesome, thanks. Thanks for the offer to walk me through the EJ swap, too. It will be very much appreciated when the time comes. The adapter plate needs to be 1/2" aluminum. Does it matter what grade? The EJ25 I found on Craigslist was 100$. Is that still a good deal if all I need is the short block? Or is that exactly what you were saying, GD? Also, I thought of something that might be a dumb idea. If I buy the 2.2 and the 2.5 engines and use the 2.5 short block for my EJ swap I'll have a 2.2 short block and the rest of the 2.5 engine left over. What if I put those together? Is that a workable combination? Thanks.

I have found an EJ22 motor for 150$ and an EJ25 motor for 100$ both on Craigslist. How do I tell if the 2.5 is a short block? And if it isn't, will putting it in a 2.2 be a waste of time? I've read all the threads I could find that were relevant to an EJ swap, mostly about the adapter plate, though. If I understand correctly the adapter plate will allow the EJ engine to, more or less, bolt right to the EA tranny but that instance was with a 2.2 block. Will the 2.5 block be any different?

Sorry, what's the paint for? I think you called it mechanic's paint, is it so you remember what is new or worked on or fixed or whatever?

Thanks both of you. I bothered to confirm that the engine is 1.8 via the vin number, assuming it's the original engine and I don't have any reason to believe it isn't. I'll get some pics tomorrow, or tonight if I get out there soon enough. So if I get an EJ engine do I need to worry about which one? I found an EJ25 on Craigslist for 100$ but it says it may have valve damage(?) on one of the cylinders. Also, you mentioned adapter plates, flywheel mods, and wiring. Are those exactly what I would ask for...can I get those at a pick-a-part? Can I use the same carb and intake manifold? A 2.5 block with 2.2 heads is that better than using 2.5 heads? Thanks a lot.

I might try to argue that a previous owner had switched engines but I looked for the EA82 stamp before I bought it. I appreciate the help a lot, but what do you think about rebuilding the engine just for the experience?

I've done two oil changes now and ran the car for a week for each. As soon as I started the car on the second oil change the noise from the lifter was gone. I'm pretty sure I've heard it come back since but only briefly and not very often. I called a place about getting some lifters ordered but he suggested that I replace the seal, gasket, and o-ring on the oil pump first. I'm going to do that but I'd like to replace the lifters anyway. Does it sound like a waste of time and money to replace lifters that are quiet now? I haven't run the car more than a few hundred miles but they were like that when I bought it, so who knows? Evidently, the engine is a 1.6. I always thought it was a 1.8 because the engine family is HRJ1.8blablabla. I figured it out when I replaced the cap and rotor. Also the 1 and 4 plug wires were switched, though I couldn't tell the difference. Maybe it's because it's a 1.6 and not a 1.8 but it seems like it's a really weak vehicle. It takes forever to get up to highway speeds and if I give it too much throttle it backfires. I bet I need to replace that lifter, it probably isn't doing its job. So, I've never taken apart an engine before. I replaced the head gaskets on an EA82 before but that's pretty easy. Putting all the hoses back where they go is a pain but it doesn't require a great deal of mechanical knowledge. I'd like to gain experience and have been fantasizing about rebuilding the engine but I'm afraid that reassembling everything inside the crank case might be beyond my ability. I have the Haynes manual, a socket set, and a torque wrench. I suspect that if I remove the heads (not that they weigh much) I can pull the motor from the bell housing without injuring myself. Am I going to be able to put this engine back together, though? -Thanks!

Thanks for the offer General, I'll probably take you up on it after a while but it isn't an immediate concern. I know the driver's side bucket leaks because part of the inside is rusted but it isn't bad enough to blow the bulb. Not yet, anyway.

Awesome, thanks.