Mitchy Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 (edited) I wonder if you highly-informed chaps could enlighten me as to whether my Legacy’s motor has interference or not. I have been trawling past threads on the matter and it all seems a bit blurry between 95-96-97. I can be certain that the car was assembled in 1996 (or earlier) For documentation’s sake it is a 1997. Without needing (nor wanting) to open up the engine, can I tell from the exterior? Other than that I perhaps need to open the valve covers and see if it has hydraulic tappets or not... or I could ask the Subaru parts dept for the valve component drwgs. for my chassis maybe. Other points raised in my (US) haynes manual: Charcoal canister is of the earlier cylindrical type located by the ABS unit/PS pump, and it has not got the OBD II system, but perhaps these were US model-only changes... There are no id plates or stickers below doors etc, which I have seen mentioned in threads. Regarding the car; As far as Subaru Spain can tell me, it was ‘first shipped’ in August 1996 (Fuji Japanese manufacture). They cannot tell me the actual fabrication date. It was registered in Spain in 1997. The EJ22 is the 128cv NA SOHC. Car: BD7 Legacy sedan 4WD 5MT. Thanks for any pointers, I’d love to know more about this amazing car I got my hands on. Thanks! Mitchy Extract of Subaru Spain info: Edited July 1, 2019 by Mitchy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
heartless Posted July 1, 2019 Share Posted July 1, 2019 (edited) just an educated guess, but that car/engine (1997 model year), according to build date & model year, would be interference. 1995 model year is definitely non-interference. 1996 model year is supposed to be non-interference, but I do not have any personal experience with that year. I am sure others can verify. 1997 model year is interference from all info I have seen. generally speaking, a model year starts in the fall of the previous year - with some variation depending on manufacturer edit - just realized you are in Spain.. European markets are quite a bit different than the US market. Edited July 1, 2019 by heartless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted July 2, 2019 Share Posted July 2, 2019 (edited) 97+ engines are 100% interference. 96 and older are not. Easy way to tell is if it has hydraulic rockers it is non-interference. If it has solid rockers it is interference. EDM is going to be similar to JDM which means, if anything, that it's a 98 over here in the USDM so in all likelyhood it is interference and would bend intake valve if the belt breaks. GD Edited July 2, 2019 by GeneralDisorder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mitchy Posted July 2, 2019 Author Share Posted July 2, 2019 Well having taken your comments into account, I contacted my local Subaru dealer to see what the parts man says. According to the VIN it is not the hydraulic tappet engine, and therefore has interference, as you guys thought. Good to know, and as it happens, in just 60k miles I’ll have to get under the covers and check/adjust the tappets, and probably that will coincide with a belt and pulley change anyway! Thanks for your input. The apparently correct drawing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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