A customer came up to me with a '96 legacy outback that has a 2.2 and manual transmission. The engine knocks. The only engine I can find local for him is a 2.2 out of a '95 legacy L wagon that had an automatic trans. Everyone has told me that I cannot put the engine from the '95 automatic into the '96 manual. I've seen this engine and I cannot figure out just why I can't.

 

Any thoughts?

the 95 will bolt up and plug in just fine. few things to work around:

 

Use the 1996 intake manifold - just bolt it up to the 1995 engine.

 

#1 EGR. The 1995 Automatic will have EGR on it. In 1995 manual trans EJ22's did not have EGR, so there's a chance your 96 won't either.

 

But luckily you're in a win-win situation, good thing it's not the opposite way. If the 96 does have EGR - then you just install the 1995 engine as is.

 

And if the 1996 doesn't have EGR all you'll have to do is plug the EGR port on the 1995 engine before installing it - i've done that before it's very easy.

 

#2 Exhuast. The 1995 engine will be a dual port exhaust. Most (but not all) 1996 engines are single port exhaust. If yours is dual port exhaust, then do nothing, then engine installs directly. If your 1996 is a single port exhaust that's easy to fix anyway - just grab any single port EJ22 exhaust header and it'll bolt all in place. All of the Ej22 and EJ25 exhausts are identical and interchangeable - it's only the part at the engine that differs, either dual or single port exhaust.

 

so the only two "issues" are very minor and easy to get around.