Hey guys. I'm elbows deep into my outback/forester swap. I'm wondering the following.

The sohc in the forester has an oil cooler which is fed off the water pump. That water pump is new.

 

The dohc in the outback doesn't have the oil cooler but I will be doing a timing belt on it soon.

 

Can I swap the cooler/pump from the forester into the outback? I don't have the cover off the outback but the pump base looks the same as every other Subaru. Any flow issues that anyone knows about?

Yes you can.

Once the oil filter is off unscrew the cooler attachment. (24mm IIRC).

You need to keep the metal line that connects the two( inspect well), the two hoses and the Tstat cover with the extra port.

Get a new O ring from the dealer and you'll be GTG.

 

O.

You can swap the oil cooler over. To do it you'll need a deep well 24mm socket, 14mm her socket, a new oil cooler o-ring from Subaru, and it would be a good idea to get new coolant hoses as well.

Extra port is on the pumps lower neck not the t stat cover. metal line isn't the greatest but that will get changed. As long as the pumps bolt up and move the same amount of coolant I'm golden.

The 03 forester is the donor car. 97 outback is the keeper. If anyone knows of anything else I can swap over while I have it, lmk! I'm for sure taking the nice aluminum front spacers. I'll take whatever else I find. But if anyone knows anything specific please feel free to tell me. I'm doing this all tonight and tomorrow. That's about the only time I have. Although anything not needing a lift will have a couple more days before the fozz goes to the wrecker.

I believe that swap is not plug and play,have you done this before?

Not swapping the motor or drivetrain. Suspension bits and cross members. Anything else that will fit. Like the oil cooler.

Extra port is on the pumps lower neck not the t stat cover......... /quote]

Incorrect. Look at your pump. All the EJ series pumps are the same. It's only the cover, which is AL not plastic that gives it the extra port.


O.

Edited February 19, 20179 yr by ocei77

Not all ej series water pumps are the same. The 90-05 na and turbo pumps (and a few random jdm na pumps) are different, turbo thermostat housing is on the front of the turbo and 06+ na pumps because the exhaust manifold would interfere with the housing if placed on the bottom. On the front facing thermo housing pumps there is an extra nipple for the oil cooler in the pump housing itself.

I don't know a whole lot about cars but I'm pretty sure the thermostat housing is plastic and the port is on the wp body. Because I'm staring at it. Although I know this engine was rebuilt at some point and Tb and wp were done so who knows if they swapped it out from the original design with whatever they had around.

Throw the oil cooler as far away from your car as strength will allow. They aren't useful. We don't even run them on the turbo's we build. If you run quality synthetic oil the temp will never be an issue. They can hold contamination from a previous engine so in NO CASE should an oil cooler ever be reused. Once they have been on a bad engine they must be discarded due to their permanently welded design.

 

GD

Edited February 19, 20179 yr by GeneralDisorder

Makes sense.

Worked out very well. Did a quick write up in the retrofitting section outlining what fits and what doesn't and why. Only got the front suspension done so far but rear is hopefully soon to follow.

Edited February 20, 20179 yr by GreaseMonkey03

Where I am, and to a degree Yonkers, the oil cooler is much more useful as a winter oil heater.