AdventureSubaru

Yep. Fresh fluid is a good starting point. Check the levels too to know if it's been overfilled/low for a while. Do a search on here as it takes a bout 3 drain and fills with driving in between to get 90%+ fluid changed. Check the drain plug for metal shavings and inspect the color/sniff test the old fluid to get an idea if there's any issues. Fresh gear oil for the front diff is usually good too.

Hanna's Auto Works & Recycling USA-PA(Allentown) 610-437-9600 heck, here you go. This auto yard in Allentown has one off a 97 legacy 2.2 Automatic. Going rate for one is between $50 and $100. The more stuff attached to it the easier the swap but everything should swap over from the 2.5 manifold onto the 2.2 manifold.

Yup. EGR solution is found. It is the only way to get the EGR code to go away. You can use car-part.com to find a local used intake manifold or look up Harrys U pull it in Allentown or Quakertown for a chance to save some $$$ and pull it yourself. or anyone parting out a 95-98 impreza or legacy with a 2.2 and automatic transmission. A want ad in the classifieds here will probably turn one up too. I've messed around with these cars a lot so seeing as it's your first car, if you're not familiar with working on them, I can guide you through it. It will take an hour or two with basic tools on average. Sounds scarier than it is. I'm running a 96 2.2 in my 98 Legacy and can get you pics and step by step if need be.

And as for getting the monitors all up, you want 1/2 a tank of gas and put the cruise control on 55mph for several consecutive miles as flat as possible and a mix of hwy and city driving. Usually an hour of such a mix gets them all up and ready.

The ECUs would be the same. No problem there. Likely you're chasing two small issues. Is the current motor EGR equipped? Drivers side rear of the intake manifold, or post a pic of the motor and I can tell you. If not then you'll need to find a 2.2 EGR equipped manifold and install a work around hose to be rid of that code. Cylinder misfire can be simple as a spark plug or plug wire. How fresh are they?

I like where this is going. Did you do the head gaskets on the h6 yet or is that coming later?

Pretty easy to do over all. Pull the 2.5. Swap the 2.5 flexplate in place of the 2.2 flywheel. Install the 2.2. You'll either need to swap the 2.5 wiring, etc. over to the 2.2 intake manifold which should run fine but throw an EGR code. OR - the easier way would be to find an intake manifold from a 95-98 automatic 2.2 that is EGR equipped and bolt that to your 2.2 - there's an easy workaround to run a hose so there's no check engine light. Pick n pull is your friend. You can get the step by step remove and reinstall here. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/159902-1990-2004-ej18-ej22-ej25-diy-complete-engine-remove-and-reinstall-guide/

Yup. Just let them make good on the mistake. They came forward with it rather than try to cover it up or claim that the studs sheared or were rusted etc. On these cars it's very straightforward. Let them replace the 2 studs and keep on driving. Any decent shop can do it for an hour or so labor and $5-10 for the two studs.

Nothing yet. My wife and I are still driving california cars as our dailys. I haven't tinkered much lately since we wont be building our garage until spring and the driveway is mostly mud until we get some stone put in. I did snag a 2005 Outback with 264k and no forward gears for only 600 bones. I'll put a good used transmission in there and depending how it checks out I may lift it and safari it and replace my 98 legacy. Rust is there but not bad for an east coast car.

Pulled this up for a friend to reference and recalled another FYI Most or all EJ18 motors have a port by the exhaust to cap off. It's pretty simple. I just cut the end of the tube, welded the end closed and bolted it back on. Ran like a top!

Agreed on the wheel bearing.

Subarus use atf as power steering fluid so you'll have to check closely. Red tint will tell you for sure

Agreed with GD. The ej22 was only superior in the 95-99 years but even then the 2.5 wasn't terrible. The 99 and 2000 automatic transmissions did have a delayed forward engagement issue that can be staved off with trans x additive. They are all rather durable and long lasting if maintained and not thrashed. Automatics tend to outlive the 5 speeds.

1. Yes. If the outback is the dohc the 95 is a direct fit. 2. Yes. Phase 2. 3. Yes 99 to 02 outback and forester will have the same final drive ratio and be direct bolt in. Double check trans codes to be 100% certain.

The 90s dohcs were not great by subaru standards. The phase 2 sohc was much improved.

Mine is at 246k right now. Had a couple over 300. Wifes ej25 sohc went to 382k with us and as far as i know is still driving with the new owner. I know a couole of postal/delivery subarus have topped half a million.

Youll be fine with any of the stock offerings. Some in the lifted crowd will turn 27s off the ea81 with some noticeable power losses but still very mobile. 22.5 will be just fine.

Of course. I can get a parts legacy or impreza for a couple hundred and an adapter for 100. My average time for a complete remove and reinstall of an ej motor is about 5 to 6 hours. Keep in mind ive actually done motor swaps in these cars literally dozens of times. We're supposed to be impressed that you've "researched" this topic? Who do you think you're talking to? We're the ones who have done the motor swaps, experimented and learned the limits of these motors andbthe benefits of mods and swaps. I've owned a dozen ea series cars and easily two dozen ejs and done a variety of swaps for them, both newer and older. For you, someone who admittedly would have to pay someone else to do the work to your car because you cant do it yourself, to come here as a newbie and tell those of us with actual first hand knowledge we dont know what were talking about is a special brand of arrogance.

You're wasting our time now. As i said, this is not theory. These are documented and already done. I myself have done dozens of motor swaps on these cars and speak not from "research" but from first hand experience. Same goes for the other regulars on here. Stop preaching to us and learn from us or move on.

The EA81 is a fine motor. Most of us love it. However, it cannot be made into a powerhouse. Even the turbo variant was still very low power. EJ swaps ARE the economical and efficient upgrade. Most of us do our own work to these cars. Absolutely! I can install an EJ into an EA car for $500 in a weekend. I am not unusual among this crowd. If you buy your parts item by item off ebay maybe you'd be into the thousands. EA81 in a brat is a fine setup. Goes on practically forever with very low maintenance. But some folks want to turn 30 inch tires on them or go fast. Either one requires an EJ swap or some form of modification that will quickly destroy the EA81. Since you are coming from admittedly very little experience with these cars, I invite you to learn from the collective experience on here rather than tell us things that simply are not so. There's a big reason that all gurus say "EJ swap" when talking about power increases on the EA81. It's a cheap way to go from about 80hp to 120 for a couple hundred dollars. Of course you'll pay more if you're paying someone else to do it. If you can't wrench on it yourself, you probably shouldn't be looking at retrofitting motors from platform to platform. It's just a waste of $$$ at that point.

The EA81 and its limitations are well documented. We've done just about everything to them which is why any serious conversation about power upgrades means a motor swap. The EA81 is an extremely durable motor that is time tested but also makes very little power. Any cost/benefit analysis based on experience says that if you want more power and you wish to keep reliability, you are looking at a motor swap. NOS on an EA81 is silly. Possible, and probably fun, but silly. Experience from running these motors for 30+ years tells us it's not the best ideas. particularly for the EA81 platform as adding large scale power to the motor means big issues elsewhere. I think it was Allied Armament about 10 years ago put a turbo WRX motor into a lifted EA81 wagon. Sheared a few axles and I think they blew up the rear diff in the first 10 miles. Again, these aren't pet theories but the conventional wisdom of decades of use of the EA81 and dozens of EJ swaps (Which usually cost the couple hundred dollars of a parts car and a $100 adapter plate for real HP gains without sacrificing reliability.

Yes. The Scion FRS and Subaru BRZ are twins. History shows Subaru did most of the engineering but Toyota/scion took equal credit. Nifty cars. Sad they aren't AWD.

You can clear 33s with a strut bottom lift, but that wont be your biggest hurdle. The trans will have a very hard time on 33s and I'd expect some further diff failures. I would think you'd want to gear down somehow to go that big. guy in ohio makes a custom bellhousing to mate a W series toyota transmission to an EJ subaru motor. I may go that route in reverse to put a subaru power plant in my 4runner if the motor ever fails in it.

There's no beefing up the 5mt really. But they are easy to swap. To get to the actual HP you listed you'll be looking at full WRX STI swap and lots of time and $$$. Those things are high maintenance. As it sounds like you're still in the ballparking/planning stages, do a few searches on the EZ30 motor swap. It's mostly bolt in with a lot of wiring splicing but some of the guys on NASIOC and RS25 have done them and could give the necessary info. You can get the necessary parts for far less $$$ and come out with a beastly fast car and far more reliability than the turbo stuff. As they say, "there's no replacement for displacement." All this is assuming you're not afraid to rip things apart and troubleshoot the inevitable snags and such. If you're new to retrofitting and such the best thing to do would be to sell what you have and buy a WRX or similar. Don't know your level of expertise and we get everyone on here from the extremely knowledgeable to the kids who just got home from the movie theaters of the last Fast and Furious movie and changed their oil a few times. But the good news is there are a lot of swap options and a lot of info out there as you go.

"That dog wont hunt" At least not without fabbing some adapters for intake manifolds and the like. Some have managed to get them to run and drive but it was not designed for it. My advice is to start over with a phase 2 motor. The more common 1999-2004 EJ25 motor will bolt in just fine. You'll want the dual port y pipe from the 2.5 and may need to keep your original intake manifold. get something in there that this car was meant to run.