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Phase II 2.2 Impreza (00-01) to Legacy (99) engine swap

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I did several searches for 99 engine swaps. Found a lot of confusion.

 

I have a 99 Legacy wagon, 5 speed with a phase II 2.2. I have owned two 99s. A wagon (current) and a 5 speed sedan (former daily driver) and contrary to some both have had the phase II.

 

My wagon is sucking oil and I mean SUCKING!! Like a court every 150 miles. Oddly, when I am going down the road there is no cloud of smoke behind me and I get 27-30 mpg. The second nail in the coffin on this engine is the rod knock right before a shift point.

 

Subaru in all of their genius used this engine on the 99 Legacy only. The 00-01 Impreza is supposed to have a phase II 2.2 also. Nevertheless, the Hollander exchange will not show these two engines as compatible.

 

What will the difference be between a phase II in an Impreza and a phase II in a Legacy? I don't think I can reuse my heads without rebuilding them because the valve seals must be SHOT! I just want to put new seals and gaskets on a donor engine, drop it in, connect it up and drive into the sunset. If it means a new Y pipe, I think I can do that or I don't mind reusing my old intake stuff from the Legacy engine if that is all it will take. But taking off heads and doing new head gaskets and all of that, I would be money ahead just buying a more expensive Legacy engine. Because of the low numbers of Impreza engines the cost isn't all that much different. Just proximity.

 

Any advice? Or any takers on a 99 Legacy wagon with a "slight" oil consumption problem?! :-)

 

Now I realize I am going to sound like a jerk so forgive me, but if you don't know there is no reason to respond. I got all of the "I think", "I heard", "it is supposed to" or "somebody told me" answers in the searches I did. If I want guesses I can go re-read the "2.2 engine swap" searches. Once again, sorry for being so abrupt but I just want to cut to the chase. Thanks.

  • Author

So the three monster connectors are going to hook up and the ECU will like things just dandy? Why the heck doesn't Hollander Exchange (the junkyard software) recognize it?

 

I know you can answer the first part but unless you are a programmer for the software company the second part may be a little harder. :-)

 

Funny thing, the car really runs well. You would think there would be a HUGE cloud behind me but no. It starts, idles, accelerates and no CEL. But even cheap Wal-Mart oil at $11 for five qts is getting expensive.

 

Thanks!

Heck they used to show 95-99 Legacy and Imprez'a as not interchangable.

 

My local JY's finally caught on when I'd call and ask for an Impreza Auto 2.2 first and if they didn't have any ask for a LEgacy. At the time the Impreza's they's charge 100 bucks less for!

losing that much oil i would bet on a cam seal, maybe the oil pump.

but the bottom of the engine should be very wet.

  • Author

but the bottom of the engine should be very wet.

dry as a bone

 

When I got the car it was soaked with oil and the bottom of the front engine cover was dripping with oil. So when the previous owner said it was taking oil I (and most anybody) would have thought it was leaking it. Well it was but it was also burning it. Hard to tell when the back of the car was spotted with oil. Still, there really isn't that much soot on the back of the car right now. Maybe it runs so well and accelerates so well because the power it is getting from an extra 1/4 cup of oil every revolution! :-)

 

Replaced the front main seal, front cam seals, water pump, idlers and timing belt. So it is sealed up tight!

 

Heck they used to show 95-99 Legacy and Imprez'a as not interchangable.

Well I can understand that. There are many things different from a 95 2.2 than a 99 2.2. The 95 has hydraulic lifters, non interference and is phase I. The 99 is a phase II, solid lifter and an interference engine. Then there are single port and EGR considerations.

Edited by Subarunation 713

Part of the problem is definition.

 

Most of us refer to the EJ22 up to 96 as phase I, which are non interference, and the 97-99 as the phase 2.

 

Subaru on the other hand does not have a phase# for the EJ up to 96.

They call phase I the 97-99 series and the phase II the '00-01.

 

O.

  • Author
Part of the problem is definition.

 

Most of us refer to the EJ22 up to 96 as phase I, which are non interference, and the 97-99 as the phase 2.

 

Subaru on the other hand does not have a phase# for the EJ up to 96.

They call phase I the 97-99 series and the phase II the '00-01.

 

O.

But if that were the case the phase I would be 97-98 and phase II 99-01. Every 99 Legacy I have seen with a 2.2 has been phase II which is easily defined by the spark plugs coming through the middle of the head.

 

But all of that is immaterial. I have a hard to find 2.2 phase II and I need to find another. If the 00-01 Impreza is the same engine, ecu and connectors then it broadens my search of potential donors.

But all of that is immaterial.
yep, agreed. engines change almost yearly. 99 EJ25's differ from 98's, 98's differ from 97, 97 from 96......EJ22's change in 95, then 96, then 97, then 98, then 99 as well!! "phase" does not mean "changes". and interchanges are more conservative than real world application.

 

I have a hard to find 2.2 phase II and I need to find another. If the 00-01 Impreza is the same engine, ecu and connectors then it broadens my search of potential donors.

 

i'll also clarify that i've never seen a Phase II EJ22 without EGR, but i can't say that's %100 the case. luckily - that's easy enough to ask and identify before purchase.

 

you can reuse your intake manifold - just bolt it to the top of the new engine.

  • Author
there is one for sale on the roanoke, va craigslist for ~$600, if you are interested.
Thanks for the heads up!

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