Up a Creek with a Mystery Motor - 1997 OBI

[Balewolf]

I'm snake bit. I wrote sometime back about my dead 1997 Outback Impreza. The timing belt left the building with Elvis and the valves got hammered. I went through a lengthy debate on whether a 97 2.2 was interference or free spinning. Let me assure you, it is an interference. I searched high and low for a 2.2 to replace it. There were very few in my price range that had less than a bazillion miles. Finally one turned up on Craig's List for $350. The mechanic was a very bright ASE cert. mechanic who was going to put it in her son's car.

 

The son bought a Bronco and the motor just sat. She decided to put it out for sale and when I contacted her she offered to put a new timing belt on it for $100 extra.

 

Two weeks into the install and I find out that it is an EJ18 and not the EJ22 I thought I was buying. I thought things were strange with incompatible exhaust and different emission features. Now that I have all the stuff fit in and working, the wiring harness connects are seemingly from different universes. I can't start the engine without it being hooked up. I thought I might hardwire around the connects, but the wire color coding shows no similarity whatsoever. I am beyond my ability level. My mechanic buddy is clueless and says that there is no way a 1.8 will ever work.

 

What am I missing here? The damned thing is installed. Is there no way to reconcile the harness wiring?

[idosubaru]

Easy! I've already done this, it's simple.

 

All you need to do is bolt the EJ22 intake manifold onto the EJ18, they are interchangeable. It's very easy, only a few bolts, connectors and hoses and the entire manifold comes off.....it will have all the wiring harness, connectors, fuel rail, etc connected to it.

 

You'll need new intake manifold gaskets, get them from Subaru.

 

The EJ18 won't have a knock sensor, no problem just remove it from the EJ22 and install it on the EJ18. When I've done it, the hole was already there!

 

The EJ18 will have dual port exhaust, that's the only hard part is finding one since yards typically won't sell them. But that's easily remedied as well. All you need is either an EJ25 1996+ or EJ18 exhaust manifold as they are identical and will bolt right up. The exhausts are the same so it bolts right in place and everything lines up the same, just the ports are different.

 

So yeah, good news - this is really easy!

[Balewolf]

GrossGary,

 

Thanks for getting back to me on this. I was afraid I had wasted a ton of money and time, but if what you say is true, things will turn out well. I will try this tomorrow and post my results.

 

Balewolf:)

Edited September 22, 2009 by Balewolf
I did not use the correct name

[Fairtax4me]

That is brilliant advice. I was picturing someone digging through wiring diagrams for hours trying to match up which wire goes where and then soldering and heat shrink wrapping a gajillion leads under the hood. It's laughable how simple you just made that.

Is there any power difference between the 1.8 and the 2.2?

[GeneralDisorder]

Is there any power difference between the 1.8 and the 2.2?

 

Unfortunately quite a bit. It wasn't so bad till they increased the power of the EJ22 in '96. The older dual-port EJ22's are 135 HP, while the EJ18 is 110 HP. The newer single port EJ22's are 147 HP though so he's going to lose 37 HP out of the deal - but hey there were plenty of EJ18 Imps made and they are great cars with a great engine. Not as much power, but better economy and still just fine for a plain old driver. Hell I'm still rocking a 74 HP EA81 with one low cylinder in my '83 hatch and I do just fine.

 

GD

Edited September 22, 2009 by GeneralDisorder

[mdjdc]

If you run into trouble on the exhaust, I have a dual port exhaust. Let me know if you need it.

[idosubaru]

My mechanic buddy is clueless and says that there is no way a 1.8 will ever work.

never say "never"!

 

yes the EJ18 is noticeably underpowered compared the EJ22. it's a far bigger difference than EJ22 to EJ25 for daily driving. much better if it's behind a manual trans.

 

if you keep it from overheating and running low on oil it'll run forever though, it'll outlast everything else on the car, so just romp it and put your foot into the pedal!

 

mine actually drives around town just fine (and it's behind an auto trans), the noticeably irritating part is going up steep mountain roads. sometimes I shift it by hand to put it in the gear i want.