ccrinc

You can increase EA81 HP by using 1600 (EA71) pistons and decking the head 30/1000ths. This will give approx. a 10-15hp increase. We've done it many times for aircraft, hovercraft and mudboats. No other mods necessary, although switching a Weber carb also (allegedly) will add power. Oh, and you can also do the SPFI intake as well. Not sure on the HP increase, but if you need to go from carb to fuel injected, this would do it.

What makes them different is: 1) They are mostly aluminum. Most engines over the years had a cast iron block with either aluminum or cast iron head(s). Since those two metals react to heat differently, retorquing was a common procedure. 2) Um, duh. They're horizontal.

The only heads that ever needed retorquing were the early EA series; After the advent of the EA82 engines, retorque is not necessary. Mazdas are a whole different engine. What works for them does not work for a Subaru.

There's no way in hell you're going to get an EJ18 anywhere close to the weight of an EA81. Hell, just the crank is twice the weight of the EA81! You're really looking at about a 100 lb. difference between them. That's a lot of weight for a difference of about 30hp. They may be similar in physical size and displacement, but the similarities end there. Either the location of the engine is going to have to change, or something else is in order to balance it out.

Wow. Here in Denver, you can barely pick up an early Legacy in bad shape for under $1000. Especially off Craigslist. A year ago, I could buy them for $300. I'm jealous.

+ 1. Also, remember that these engines are primarily aluminum. Every time they overheat, even briefly, additional warpage occurs loosening the head gaskets even more. Everything has to be right the first time, there is no cutting corners on a Subaru. Done right, they are amazingly reliable. Do or do not: there is no trying./Yoda

I'll check mine here in a few minutes and let you know!

Too bad you're not on the Big Island. I know a guy over there. Oh well...

You have it backwards: only automatics have flexplates: it's what the torque converter bolts up to. Manuals have a clutch pressure plate.

We are now a recommended seller on Angie's List! As you may know, a business can not pay to be on it: a customer MUST recommend you first. We feel very honored. Emily www.ccrengines.com

My money's on a broken/cracked flex plate. I don't have a sound, logical reason to back this up with, but it's my gut feeling, and I've learned to trust my gut feelings. One question: Does it do it while not in gear? Like in neutral?

Meh. You should see what would happen over on AWD Pirates forum. As one guy's sig says, "it's not a car forum, it's a grammar forum".

I'm not sure, but I do know that when we did the engine in my '02 LL Bean, we had to get the radiator from the dealer. They were the only place that had it. (Oh great...another SVX-type car!) Interesting note: I sold my SVX about 3 years ago to a guy in CO Springs. My grandson spotted it in Provo, UT last week. Identification positive due to the unusual pattern of spotting on the hood. Small world.)

Where DO you get your information? Initially, you have to fill it not running, but the only way you're going to get all the air bubbles out is to have it running, so the coolant can circulate and move those air pockets!

I disagree. Aftermarket PCVs are not as good as Subaru Genuine. This is one of those parts where you want to stick to Subaru parts. It's only about $10-12 from the dealer.

That's because there's air in the heater core instead of coolant. Reread his OP. Carefully. (Just imagine there's all the proper punctuation. ) Plus, whatever the crack is, it blew coolant all over the engine compartment.

Use the 11044AA642 turbo head gaskets.

I will defer to you on the OEM thermostats. But looking at the original post, the car had a close encounter with a deer: there is coolant all over the engine compartment on one side. Does this not tell you that there is very likely a crack in the radiator itself, or maybe a coolant hose? It's certainly worth checking out. It just annoys me that everyone always starts shouting "HEAD GASKET" without trying to find out WHY the damn thing started overheating.

Early EJ22 head gaskets don't just "blow" on their own. Engines don't just randomly overheat without reason. The reason is lack of properly circulating coolant, especially for an EJ22. Is it the original radiator? Very likely. Therefore, you have a 22 year old radiator which is well known to corrode from the inside out. Are your upper and lower radiator hoses the same temp? If not, you have a blocked radiator. It's true that you probably have to beat yourself up doing the head gaskets and water pump, etc. by now, but I still am quite certain you will end up having to replace the radiator as well. BTW, I am not trying to denigrate your financial status: believe me, I've been there more times than I care to. But it irks me that I hardly ever see anybody mention the radiator when it is the heart of the cooling system. Sometimes, ya gotta bite the bullet to keep your car dependable.

Radiator. Again I ask, why does nobody ever recommend changing the radiator? And, after overheating, ALWAYS change the thermostat (Subaru Genuine only, thank you). They never work correctly again once they've been overheated.

Reread GLoyale's post: if you don't know anything about it, you don't know enough to even start the swap. First, the WRX wiring loom is double redundant and feeds every sensor in the car, even ones like "hey, your tail light is out!" You have to cut out every wire except those that make the engine run. You have to swap your intake, exhaust, add a turbo and all the plumbing for that. If this part makes you even slightly confused, take the advice and put a 2.2 in it. Safe, cheaper, easier, more reliable. Emily

Any EZ30 is the same price. Although I DO give a USMB discount (you'll have to call me for that.) Remember, that includes all non-residential shipping and the installation gasket kit as well.

Hi Ed! Thanks for the kind words. I should add that, if anyone has any questions, don't hesitate to PM me or post here. I'll be happy to answer ASAP. Emily

What he said.

I used to post here all the time, but for no good reason stopped being an active participant. I was never here to "sell" something, just try to help out with advice when the opportunity arose. Well, now that there's a vendor's forum, and with the extremely active and growing membership who may not know us, let me re-introduce us! We have many current and past customers in the USMB community. We're located in the Denver area of Colorado, but we ship worldwide. Visit our website: everything you need to know is there, including prices. www.ccrengines.com Hope to talk to you soon! Emily