JT95

Yeah, I imagine a lot of us would be curious about picking up some hail damaged Subes... So, um, any '01 or earlier Impreza wagons in the mix???

Thanks for the helpful feedback! The 3rd photo, the plugin says DENSO--what will it control?

Making slow progress on my '00 EJ22 into a '99 EJ25 OB. Engine and trans are in. In the process of swapping over the wiring harness off the 2.5 onto the 2.2 engine. Some of the items are simple plug 'n' play, but, obviously, some things are not. I'm in the early "digging in" stages of the harness swap. My repair manual is pretty useless on helping me identify some of the stuff. (I know the major engine parts and accessories, but some of this little stuff I can't identify at glance.) So, here are a few photos with some questions. Any constructive feedback is appreciated. OK--this is off the '99 OB EJ25. Completely different from the EJ22 manifold here. What exactly does this control/monitor? And this is off the 00 EJ22--different from the EJ25. What exactly does this thing control/monitor? This is right below the part circled in the above photo on the 2.2--also different from the 2.5 And, here are the two intakes--EJ22 on top and EJ25 below. The major differences between the two are circled.

Thanks for the help, Emily. Normally, I wouldn't try something like this with two engine setups that are different, but I picked up the Legacy Outback pretty cheap and I already had the OBS engine/trans left over from a rebuild on another car. It's been a good learning experience so far. At first I thought I could just swap out the computer with its wiring harness, but when I dug into the dash I discovered that was not going to work without doing a total rewire of the car. If it were a car I loved and planned to keep, maybe, but this thing is just a learning project for me and I don't want to invest that much time and headache into a total rewire. Anyway, everyone needs to get their hands on at least one junker Subaru to tear apart and experiment with. I've learned a lot about my car and Subes in general by tearing a couple apart now. Of course, now I'll have a spare EJ25 sitting around. It was having head/cam problems when I bought the car, so I'm thinking of tearing the heads off and putting a pair of EJ22 heads w/ dual port exhaust. If not, I'm thinking of cleaning the block and making a nice glass top coffee table...

OK--thanks. That'll pose a few matchup problems, but nothing I can't work around. I'll post some pics in a separate thread later addressing those. The fuel injectors plug up differently between the two engines. Will just swapping the EJ25 injectors onto the EJ22 be the best route (I assume they fit) ? If not, I guess I'll splice 22 plugs onto the 25 injector wires off the harness...

OK--I posted a while back I was attempting to swap a 2.2 engine and trans from a 2000 OBS into a 1999 Legacy Outback with 2.5. Well, the swap is progressing. I now have the 2.2 engine and trans sitting inside the 99 Outback. Looks like the transmission wiring is not going to be a problem at all, but, of course, the plugs from the Outback's firewall (that go to the computer) do not match at all to the 2.2 engine's. I knew that ahead of time, but this is my summer challenge, so I wouldn't let that stop me. Anyway, after taking off the intake, I removed the engine wiring harness off the 2.5 and plan to swap it with the 2.2's. It won't be a total smooth swap, but I think I can do it. Here's my question: Can I use the intake manifold off the 2.5 and put it on the 2.2? I haven't taken the intake off the 2.2 yet, so I can't lay the 2.5's up there, but I figure some of you Sube gurus here could tell me ahead of time. Swapping the intakes would make my re-wiring life a lot easier. Thanks!

Well, the Outback Sport had a little more lift to it from the factory, right? Though not 2". Would struts from an OBS be an easy helper to get higher with no worry of fitting, or were those cars different only by having taller tires than other Imprezas? I'm new to the Impreza world and know very little about them.

To have it done "the right way" you'd want to take the door handles out of each door, sand them, prime them, and paint them. Personally, I'd go with a straight acrylic instead of base coat/clear coat two step, as I think the one step would be more durable for the kind of action door handles see. I'd stay away from spray can from Wally-World, and buy a little paint from an automotive paint store (same for primer too), and spray with an airbrush or a small touchup gun. There's some serious time involved in removing door handles and putting them back on imho, but maybe I'm just lazy. If you want to pay someone to do it, it should be fairly cheap if you do all the removal and prep, as the actual painting part of paint jobs isn't the headache. If you were planning on just painting them on the car, it won't look as good as what you have in a little time, and maybe right away when you consider you'll be spraying the black gasket that's between the handle and the door metal. So, do it right if you want it to look right. I painted my whole car this past year (white 95 LSi) and I was too stinkin lazy to take all the door handles off, so my black gaskets got shot white too. Overall, the paint job was good, but that's a detail I don't like but was not willing to avoid. I wished mine had not been painted from the factory, and then I could have masked around them and the gaskets... Personally, I like the black handles better. My newer Sube has the non-painted handles and I like it. I used some good plastic cleaner/treatment on them and spruced them up quite a bit. They show less wear and tear than painted handles, especially on the driver's door. But, if you wanna go painted, go for it. It looks sweet too, and there's that pride factor involved in personalizing your car.

OK--one more drive shaft question. This time the rear drive shaft. A lot of this is all new to me, so I appreciate your feedback and patience as I'm learning through this project. (Which is my main reason for buying a blown project car.) Anyway, I think I have everything either unhooked or removed to be ready to pull the engine/trans from this 99 Outback. Everything, that is, except the rear drive shaft. Never dropped a rear drive shaft on a Sube before, and the manual I have didn't offer jack in explaining how to do so. At the rear of the shaft, do I remove the four bolts (circled in green on the linked photo) and drop the shaft (after removing that shield right there at the rear) and then slide it from the rear of the trans? http://bp3.blogger.com/_aR5eeWt3n-Q/SFGhlR77rFI/AAAAAAAAAMI/wOxBVeuVIO0/s1600-h/shaft1.JPG Or, do I have to drop the exhaust shield and disconnect something else on the drive shaft? That shield separating the shaft from exhaust pipe is still on the car, but the exhaust itself has been dropped but not totally removed. I also think I screwed myself because I didn't put the car in neutral before unhooking the battery and the trans shift cable. So, I guess I gotta go back and hook that stuff back up in order to get the shaft to spin in order to remove bolts, huh? There's a couple of engine bay shots here if curious: http://miscjtfotos.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=2 Thanks for help again. Everyone needs to do an engine swap in his/her life...

If you're doing the same work to either engine, go with the 97. I'm fond of the 95 2.2, but it is getting in its grandaddy age at 235, when you consider you want some peace of mind for another driver.

OK--I got 'em. Thanks. This is an Ohio car and has been sitting for a almost a year, so some of the assembly bolts were pretty rust-welded on there...

Getting ready for the engine/trans pull. I'm at the point of sliding the front drive shafts off the splines on the trans. Is there any way possible to do this without having to take apart the hub assembly to allow more room for clearance? There's almost enough room to slide it right off the trans splines after tapping out the pin, but not quite enough. I'm being lazy, I guess, but I prefer not to take apart the hub assemblies if I don't have to...Any secrets?

Thanks for the feedback. Haven't decided for sure what I'm going to try yet, but either way it will be happening within the week. I might pull the engine from the car w/o the trans, but then drop the new engine/trans in together. I don't see any need of detaching and then reattaching the new engine/trans if it in't necessary, as that's just extra work. I'll keep you posted. This is my summer experiment. The wiring on these two engines isn't at all the same, but I'm hoping I have luck in just swapping out the computer/wiring harness too. I looked, and it seems pretty self contained from passenger floorboard to engine. We'll see. If it doesn't work, I'll be posting a 99 Outback minus drivetrain for sale.

Well, I've only been involved in a motor pull once, and that was in an old carburated chevy about 15 years ago. I always thought you pulled a m/t with the engine and an a/t setup separately. I was just going to detach the engine from the trans and my dad (I'm using his shop) said that he thinks we might be able to swing both unless people advise against it.

OK--I am getting ready to pull the engine and auto trans from a 99 Outback. (Doing a total drivetrain replacement.) Which is easier: pull the engine out by itself and then drop the tranny --OR-- pull the engine and trans together? And, I guess the reverse qpplication as well, as currently my replacement engine and trans are attached. Thanks.

Well, we'll see what happens. I'm driving up w/ a trailer to buy the car today. The guy only wants $600 for it. I figure the alloy wheels and good tires are worth $200. I've just got the 2.2 engine/trans sitting in a completely stripped car, so it might be a fun project with little cash risk involved. If it fails, I feel pretty sure I can get my $600 back by parting out the car if it comes to that or just selling it outright for $500. I need a summer project. I'll keep you posted...

When you guys say "final drive", you're referring to the gears in the rear diff, correct? Is it pretty straightforward to swap an Impreza rear diff into a Legacy?

NO, Ive got everything that goes with the 2000 2.2, from engine and transmission to rear diff. And, yes, the car is an Outback. The guy was in the middle of repairs and need some fast cash. I've got a good 2.2 engine and transmission looking for a home. My main concern was whether or not there would me any major issues with the wiring and onbard computer. Thanks for getting back with me.

I'm 6'3", 190lbs, and my Impreza fits me great. Honestly, I was hesitant to go to the Impreza because I thought that might be an issue, but not so. Now, I miss my leather seats that were in the Legacy, but the Impreza is a very good fit for me. Of course, I haven't actually tried sitting in the back seat yet...

Personally, I'd go with the WRX, but honestly, either car is a good choice. I've got an older Impreza wagon and two kids, and the three of us do just fine after downsizing from a Legacy wagon. Have you owned a Subaru before? They honestly will get you hooked once you start driving one...

Fast answer needed, as I'm about to lay down some cash. Looking at a 99 Legacy with a bad engine and some transmission problems. 2.5 litre engine. Auto trans. I have a good 2000 2.2 litre engine and trans out of a wrecked Impreza OBS. Will this 2000 2.2 engine/trans be a direct drop-in for the 99 Legacy or are there going to be major issues at play? THANKS!!!!!

Well, the nearest Subaru dealership is an hour away and AutoZone can't read a pre-1996 vehicle, so my check engine code shall remain a mystery for the moment. I'm guessing o2 sensor, but we'll see... This morning, the light was gone.

I didn't know that. I hadn't looked closely at the exhaust of the 99 that I just recently acquired until this weekend. On my 95, I knew it had two ports. If it only has one port coming off the head, then what's the point of headers??? Oh well, I'll find something else to spend my money on...

Well, yesterday the Check Engline light came on in my '95 LSi wagon. 229,000 miles and that's the first light. I think that's pretty impressive to go 13 years and that many miles w/o ever tripping the check engine light. I haven't taken it somewhere to have it plugged up yet...

I'm considering buying a pair of headers for my 99 OBS. I have the 2.2. I'm curious if there's a difference in fit for 02+ engines and the 99's 2.2? (I assume a 99-01 set for 2.5 would be the exact same as for the 2.2.) I see a lot offered for 02+ WRX cars, but would they fit my non-turbo 99? jegs.com has the Borla setup for a good price, but I see non-Borla ones elsewhere for less. Have any of you added headers to your Subes? Thoughts?