Hello all . I am trying to get my sisters 91 Legacy ( 2.2L auto FWD ) up and running again and need a bit of info ; A while back the water pump went bad while her son was driving it and it got HOT , both head gaskets are blown looking at the compression readings ( 25 , 5 , 40 , 0 ) but I fear the rings may have lost tension as well so I want to replace the engine . My question is this , What year(s) engine can I use ? I believe any first gen would be a direct replacement but can I use any other 2.2l from other models or years with a few changes ( e.g - intake/injection , sensors/coil ) ? I have been looking a bit for a engine or a parts car but would to know what all my options are . I am just learning the in's and out's of these cars and I apoligize if this is a overly asked or simple question . Thanks all .

Welcome to the USMB, TJVJR.  And greetings to beautiful East Tennessee!

 

I'm pretty sure any '90 through '94 EJ22 engine should be an easy plug-n-play bolt-in swap.  The EJ22 became OBD2 in '95 so wiring, electronics, etc. wouldn't work for you.  Hopefully others will chime in with more specifics.  You might try a search here on the board--or Google--or Youtube--there's lots of info on Subie engine swaps.

 

The great thing is you'll be working with the best, most durable engine Subaru ever built, non-interference and virtually bulletproof!  Good luck.

yup, 90 to 94 EJ22 are/should be direct swaps.

 

major wiring changes in MY 95 and up make anything newer a big pain to try to use. Theoretically, it could be done, but not without a lot of headaches

Thanks for the info . I found 97 outback legacy (whole running car , good engine, bad transmission ,rough body ) I was considering buying to use the engine in my sisters 91 then scrap the 97 to recoup some money.  I thought I might be able to use the 91 intake/injection but I guess some of the other sensors ( cam , crank ect. ) are differant and perhaps not swapable . I will continue my search sticking with 90 - 94 cars .

Years back, I had a 92 Leggie motor droppend into a 91 Legacy I owned. The shop said it was an easy drop in, with the exception that some of the electrical connectors were different on the 92, but the wiring was the same. Seems they said that some of the electrical connectors were changed to complete the swap.