I have a 99 Forester SOHC engine I would like to tear down and use the block to build a short block to put in a 98 Outback EJ25 DOHC. As I understand it,

I would have to use DOHC pistons, DOHC rods to make this work as close to

the original. Also since my 98 is a Phase 1 with 4 bellhousing holes and the 99 (phase 2) has more, I just have to use the 4 as were used in the 98 originally.

The reason I want to go this route is time and the fact I have a free 99 engine sitting here. I'd like to have the short block ready so I could swap my 98 heads and intake on to this motor and be done with it. Of course I'd have to get another set of DOHC rods to make this happen in a timely manner. My

question to all of you people in the know is, WILL this work? Thanks in advance for your replies.

if you're replacing pistons and rods, this is a huge job.

 

basically you want the 1999 engine in your car right? the easiest way to pull that off is to swap the intake manifold wiring harness from the DOHC onto the SOHC. i can't tell you what issues might arise, but the engines are very similar in many ways, although they changed physically some. maybe someone here knows.

 

the easier and cheapest option would be to sell the 1999 (maybe someone on here - market place forum?) and use the money to buy the Ej25 you need. fortunately you're in the opposite scenario of most people...the 99's are much harder to find. that makes them easier to sell. and the DOHC are easy to find.

 

i've never done it but i can't imagine you need to swap the pistons and rods. i would check into just bolting the DOHC heads to the SOHC block. i have no idea of the feasibility of that, but i would look into it.

I should probably state that I'm a 30+ year ASE master tech and the ultimate goal is to have a motor I can get 3-4 years out of. As far as any of the engine work, to quote a line in Schindlers list, "This will not be a problem"

Primarily looking for whether the blocks will interchange.

Yes, they'll interchange.

 

Emily

http://www.ccrengines.com