pginter96

Hmm... Thats what I was worried about, all different drivetrain. What about just an engine swap?

Im getting an EJ22 long block (with any luck, if its not actually junk in person) on tuesday. Buying it with a few things in mind- 1) flip it 2) build it and flip it 3) swap it in my car if and when the head gaskets go (what Im hoping to do) 4) (most realistic) begin teardown and have it sit in my garage until Im through college Just toying with the trans swap idea for now. I was wondering what a 5 speed swap would need if I put the 22 in. What to take the trans from, wiring/modules, how to rig up clutch assembly, driveshaft/driveline... Id imagine someone here has done this before, what can you tell me about both an EJ25D to EJ22 swap, and the trans swap? What I know about the EJ22 -approximately 140k -OBDII -Long block w/ accessories (except alternator) -Phase I heads, single port. The person I am buying it from is someone I fairly trust (same guy that was offered me that interesting 95 LSi with WRX drivetrain and a JDM STi 5 speed if anyone was following that thread a few days ago, he decided not to sell) bought this in a package deal with a JDM STI 5 speed, used the trans and simply has no use for the engine. He was told it was running, just taken out of a vehicle that had been wrecked. I can always ask him for advice, hes had 4 EJ22 second gen Legacies. Just wondering if anyone else had any valuable input. Im looking at the engine on tuesday, what should I be looking for (besides the norms)? Hes asking $250, but Im thinking of seeing if he'll take $200 cash simply because none of us know if it runs. Worth mentioning: I will be starting college next month for a Chrysler training program, and I work in a Dodge dealer. I already have over $6000 worth of Snap-On tools, I just lack in time and experience. Especially experience. The only other engines Ive torn down was helping my buddy build a Dodge 360 small block, and a 4.0L jeep six in auto tech class for school. This is my first Subaru, and really my first in-depth experience with something that isnt Mopar related. Apart from that, I have absolutely no transmission experience. Automatics are still witchcraft to me, I just know the names of some parts. Ive never even seen the inside of a manual. So... A daily driver, two engines, (maybe) two transmissions, $6,000 worth of tools, and no experience. What could possibly go wrong... Keep in mind apart from loking at the engine on tuesday, this isnt exactly a pressing matter for me, I wouldnt be doing a swap until my EJ25D catastrauphically failed in some way, or until I have another car and can afford a project.

I suppose its also worth mentioning that Im going to school for a Chrysler training program and I am working at a Dodge dealership. Starting in Nov. Ill be a paid intern in the shop for two years (along with classroom time in the college) as part of the program, and will be hired as a tech when I graduate. So that means I just had to get over $6,000 worth of Snap-On tools for a basic automotive tool set. (I have a student discount so it was less than that, but still) So I have most of the tools, experience is my main problem. Being 17, I really only have experience with Chrysler small blocks and my Subaru.

Ive considered this. He will sell me the lower milage EJ22 engine seperate for $200. Im considering buying that and either building it or keeping it until head gasket failure, swapping the engines, building my EJ25D (or at least do gaskets and seals) while its out of the car, and swapping it back in once its all set.

Im just running into the issue of "sketchy low miles car that needs work" vs. "Modified high miles car that made it this far, so it should be ok, right?" I have no service history for my car. The 95 at least has some history and has been owned by someone who knows what theyre doing. Am I obsessing over head gaskets? Probably. Theres other issues too (lifter knock, exhaust, oil leak, timing belt, water pump, thermostat, axle shaft) but Im trying to decide what would be best for me. I still have to see this car real close in person, crawl underneath it and make sure its not hacked together to make some frankenstein car, but for now as far as my parents are concerned its some high milage piece of garbage that some guy hacked together in his garage on the weekends, and since it wasnt done by a Subaru dealer he had no idea what he was doing. Hes daily driven (to the church where hes a bishop and the shop where he works) that thing for over a year in its current state, carting his 5 children to and fro. Its probably not dangerous if he does that... Right? Am I ranting too much? This just tunred into some deep stuff... Haha Well I really cant say anymore until I take a look at it on friday....

I'm test driving the car on fraday, Ill update then. Im not too hesitant to walk away if im sketched out. Hes not in desperate need to sell, just wondering if I was in the market

NOTE: this is a pretty lengthy question. If you dont want to read the whole thing there is a simple question at the bottom of the post. Though I highly encourage you to read the whole thing. THE SETUP: I was recently offered a deal by someone I know. He has a 1995 Legacy LSi BK wagon with a stock EJ22. He did a WRX drivetrain swap and swapped in a 5 speed from a JDM STi. Then upgraded the suspension with Bilsteins shocks/struts. Then added WRX wheels and a WRX front brake conversion. Outback limited interior swap, too. Some radio upgrades to top it off as well. The engine is kept stock since he meant to do a WRX engine swap to make a nice sleeper. He offered to sell me the car since he found a jetta 5 speed TDI wagon hes been looking for. THE DEAL: for $3,000 I get the car, rust free, another EJ22 with 140k on it, two GT hoods, GT side skirts, and a GT spoiler. THE SCARY PART: said stock EJ22 has 234,000 miles. And I would have to sell my low-miles 97 EJ25D 4EAT OBW to pay for it. The guy who did all the work is the bishop at my girlfriends church, works in a shop, and has owned 4 second gen legacies. He has done countless rebilds and I trust his work, it is very professional and complete. I have no worries about the swap, or any of the drivetrain, as its complete and too over-built for the 2.2 to do any damage to. MY PROBLEM: My concerns are with the milage on the engine... He said he got the second engine in a package deal with the JDM transmission and was told it ran, but never actually saw it run. Its a complete long block with accessories. 140k apparently. He intended to build it up a little but never has time. MY BIG PROBLEM is that since im still a young'n and live with my parents, they freak out if i consider anything above 100k miles. They know nothing about cars. My 97 OBW has just ticked over to 80k. Im worried about head gasket failure, and i have a leak behind my timing belt cover so timing belt, re-seal, water pump, somewhat failing thermostat is around $800. A head gasket job is $2400. My car works ok for now but I cant shake the feeling that its either a ticking time bomb or that something expensive will happen. Im working two jobs and dont have the time to work on it myself. THE SIMPLE QUESTION: how reliable is a 234,000 mile EJ22? And how can I convince my parents that?

Well I have an appointment at the Subaru dealership (I work next to it and have employee pricing). Im just having them put on a new boot and pack it with grease. A new genuine axle shaft costs $360-something employee pricing not including labor. A boot is $10. They cant use napa or other generic parts because theyve have a lot of fitment issues with them. Shafts too short, etc. They cant do remans for this year because its so old. So Ill have a new boot put on. Im not getting enough noise to concern me so Im not worried about an axle shaft breaking. This car (at the very least, it pains me to say because I love it more than life itself) just has to get me through the next 2 years of college.

Well I already have two jobs (one of which is right next to a Subaru dealer) and have saved up a little. Ill probably have it replaced within a couple weeks (maybe have them find my exhaust leak too!). Im staying off the dirt roads for now. Its an inner boot thats torn, and I baby my car so Im not too worried. I do hate driving knowing somethings wrong so Ill have it done but for now Ill do the saran wrap redneck repair to keep dirt and stuff out of there. It is clicking on corners, but its been doing that since I bought the car last Nobember... Hmm...

Believe me, I have nothing against redneck fixes... Good to know. Thanks for the info. No clicking noises yet. *EDIT* Now that I think about it, that's probably what that noise is. It's been there for months though

While underneath my car trying to find and patch the exhaust leak for the umpteen-thousandth time, just by chance I looked up at the right time and I noticed my right front axle shaft boot was torn completely. There was a small amount of grease splattered around, but nothing major enough to have noticed from that. I have no idea how long it has been like this. How much of a possibility of damage is there if I kept driving? I have two jobs to go two, one 20 minutes away and one 30 minutes away (luckily one of them is right next to a Subaru dealership, I work in the shop at a Dodge dealer.) I can borrow my parents car for now but I'm wondering if it'll cause damage if I drive anywhere with it. Thanks guys

Hey everyone I've known about my oil leak for a while, I've had it since I bought the car last November. (Especially noticeable since it drips on my UEL headers) Just doing an oil change today and noticed something else though. There's a rubber gasket or seal between the block and timing belt cover that just plain doesn't fit. It's where the leak is coming from. The leak is almost directly below the crankshaft, so I'm wondering if it's a crank seal or one of the nearby idlers/tensioners. Question is- should this seal fit perfectly and could it be the cause of the leak? I've been known to jump to overly serious conclusions, such as a bad crank seal. I'm hoping it's a simple cheap fix... I just hit 80k so I'll either have a timing belt done or do it myself if I'm feeling ambitious soon.

I like the idea. Ive seen bull bar looking things on first gen Foresters, I think it was a factory/dealer option. Otherwise learn how to weld! Its a valuable skill to have. However as for a brush guard, being a unibody there really wouldnt be a good place to mount one, and might cause some serious damage underneath if there were a collision. Im unfamiliar with third gen Legacies, but if theyre anything like second gens even the lack of jacking points can be problematic. Ive seen a few on this forum and others who have used the crash bar mounts, removing the bumper and crash bar and fabricated some awesome looking brush guard bumper with a skid plate.

If youre feeling ambitious, I would try just cutting the flange off and using an adapter, clamps, and some of that exhaust putty stuff. It might remove some practicality for future cat replacement but it could seal. It might be tricky getting the adapter on the cat due to the way its shaped though. Just a seggestion. Due to the fact that my redneck repair on my midpipe-axleback connection is starting to fail again, I might try just that. Im going to try some exhaust putty first to see if that works, as pointed out before RTV silicone may not be the answer to everything after all

Haha oh yes I am... Driving to work today I got a very questioning look from a WR blue STi. I thought about doing a Limited interior, I have sources and I was at a junkyard yesterday and saw one or two. I'm slowly picking up the wood grain trim pieces but I personally prefer the cloth seats because they're cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter I've put a lot of RTV silicone on it but it didn't hold up to the pressure. Works everywhere else though

Thanks, after this its nice to hear a compliment lolWell thats what UEL stands for, Un-Equal Length. Thats how I got suckered into buying them. Theyre knock offs of knock offs (the only genuine UEL headers that fit my car are Borlas, over $350), so the welds are pretty poor quality. Ill touch those up once I learn to weld. Overall not bad though. Definately worth the time and money to turn heads in a slightly rusted 97 station wagon that hasnt been washed in 5 months! Heres the headers when I got them. I put heat wrap on them, but that only soaked up the oil leaking from the timing belt cover (probably a crank seal) so I took that off within a week.

I couldnt get the file compressed enough to upload it here, so heres a link to youtube. The only recording device I have is my phone, so it sounds a lot worse than it does in person.

Well I went to run some errands this morning and wondered why my car was so quite and sounded like garbage... Turns out that after adjusting my custom super high-dollar fully adjustable hanger, the redneck repair on the axleback-midpipe connection (surprisingly) failed. Looks like either the RTV silicone split or what's left of the gasket split again, so that video might be a few hours. Lol it's like a Rube Goldberg of fail under here... Believe it or not, this worked well. However there was a lot of stress put on it during fabrication to be less of an angle on the axleback for mounting the muffler.

Ive thought about doing that to mine. I have a second gen legacy so what ive heard might be different for a later model. Ive seen a website before, I think its called Gorilla Offroad or something like that, they might have had a 2" spacer. Sorry I cant be more helpful, that was a while ago. Look into Forester springs. Apparently those fit and give around 2-3" lift. Again dont quote me on that, just something for you to look into

Its hard to tell from the picture, but there are actually 2 clamps where you seggested already. I thought about installing a hanger in the front of the muffler but the clamps are freaking tight. I made sharpie marks at every connection and check for movement. One of my jobs is (on a good day) 30 minutes away (I live in the middle of nowhere) and after driving to and from there hasnt been any movement. When my two jobs give me a chace Ill improvise another hanger there. Still paranoid about it falling lol... EDIT- Heres a better pic of the connections Doesnt look as trashy as it could. I need to adjust my high dollar custom fully adjustable hanger so its not sagging as much And thanks to the UEL headers, it sounds like a real Subaru. I turned the head of a WRX driver (boy did he quickly look dissapointed), so I consider that a success! Lol

Magnaflow muffler and hardware- $200 Bathroom renovation equipment- $3 Booger welds- Favor Redneck ingenuity- Priceless So to answer my own question, NO, you cannot do your own aftermarket muffler without welding. At least on this car. And at least if you want it to stay on for more than a day. Oh well, at least this cant end worse than the last time that muffler was put on. Knock on wood... Haha

Yeah. Dug the muffler about 3 inches into the road. The tip hit the rear crash bar and lifted me right up. Surprisingly not damaged too bad. I had to use a screwdriver to get the road out of my muffler...

Thats exactly what happened. I cut as close to the muffler as my sawzall would let me.It wasnt funny when it happened, but now I cant help but laugh every time I see the giant divot in the road... Glad I didnt go for a cheap fart can, that would have crumpled like paper. The Magnaflow has a small dent in the tip, thats it. Left some dents and scrapes under my car, nothing serious. Glad I can reuse the muffler. Conversation piece haha

Well I tried the clamps. Got them as tight as I could. After driving around all day, it seemed to fare well. Sounded amazing. As I turned up the road I live on, I could tell it came disconnected and I was suddenly running straight pipes. (Luckily) As I turned into my driveway, the muffler fell off and pole vauled the a$$ end of my car clean off the ground. So... Its at my neighbors, waiting to be welded.