Anyone ever get a motor from . . .

[hiropro42]

. . . enigniesus.com? Reliability? Rip-off?

 

They're offering a used JDM EJ25 DOHC with a 6-month/unlimited mileage warranty for $975, plus shipping, no core charge. Nice price and all, but what really caught my eye was the rebuilt EJ25 DOHC for $1595, plus shipping. Comes with a 2 year warranty when used as stock replacement, and also a $400 core charge.

 

I'm looking for something for the long haul for my '99 OBW. Car's in great shape, even after 225,000 miles, but the timing belts' tensioner pulley decided to take a break on the highway Thursday morning, and after inspection, the motor's pretty well gone anyway.

 

So, I'm desperate, to a degree, but are these prices too good to be true? Quotes I've gotten from mechanics start around $2,000 for a used motor and go up, steeply, especially when rebuilds enter the picture.

[idosubaru]

if you blew a timing belt those are easily fixable. yours is an interference motor but your mechanic might not know that you'll only have bent valves and no damage to the block. bent valves is just a basic head gasket job. you're much better off with a known good motor than an unknown. if it's never been overheated and well maintained i'd send the heads to a machine shop and just do a proper headgasket and timing belt job on the motor you got.

 

there's no reason to toss a perfectly good engine block, we can help with specifics on the best way to proceed.

 

suppliers for used motors are everywhere with two sources, JDM and USDM, no need to compare those. you're getting an old head gasket issue and other issues prone motor, i'd avoid those unless it's really cheap. for $975 i'll send you a better EJ25.

 

no comment on the rebuilds, only option i'd consider for such a costly solution is CCR.

 

another option is a used EJ22 completely resealed, that will surely last the life of the vehicle. they're much cheaper and more reliable, you loose a few horsepower but have far less worries about reliability.

[GeneralDisorder]

Too bad you arent closer - I can easily swap in a used 2.2 with waranty (6 month, 6k miles) for about $1000 with all new belts/tensioners, water pump, hoses, etc. Just did one for a board member for $970 out the door. Ask for help in the wanted section - might be theres a member in your area that does this kind of work.

 

In any case look for a 95 to 98 2.2 from an automatic with EGR. Any of those will bolt right in either directly (95's) or by swapping the front exhaust section (96+). They are also a lot cheaper - abouta third to half the price of the 2.5's.

 

GD

[davebugs]

Too bad you arent closer - I can easily swap in a used 2.2 with waranty (6 month, 6k miles) for about $1000 with all new belts/tensioners, water pump, hoses, etc. Just did one for a board member for $970 out the door. Ask for help in the wanted section - might be theres a member in your area that does this kind of work.

 

In any case look for a 95 to 98 2.2 from an automatic with EGR. Any of those will bolt right in either directly (95's) or by swapping the front exhaust section (96+). They are also a lot cheaper - abouta third to half the price of the 2.5's.

 

GD

 

And way more reliable when you're done. NO HG or bearing issues - atleast they are very rare on 2.2's.

[hiropro42]

there's no reason to toss a perfectly good engine block, we can help with specifics on the best way to proceed.

 

My only issue is that I don't know how to tell if there is or isn't damage to the block without having it torn apart, and since it was towed straight to the garage, they'd probably end up wanting a couple hundred in labor just to get that far. If it turns out that the block is fine, and with a little bit of TLC, the current motor could be fine with $1,000-$1,500 worth of parts and work, that would be great. But I can't really afford to have a garage do that work only to find out I'm back where I started. A month ago, it would have been a different story, but I kind of splurged on Christmas for my kids, so...

 

suppliers for used motors are everywhere with two sources, JDM and USDM, no need to compare those. you're getting an old head gasket issue and other issues prone motor, i'd avoid those unless it's really cheap. for $975 i'll send you a better EJ25.

 

At 30,000 to 40,000, I was sort of looking at it as a fairly fresh motor for $975, but then I've never had to price this stuff before.

 

no comment on the rebuilds, only option i'd consider for such a costly solution is CCR.

 

CCR?

 

another option is a used EJ22 completely resealed, that will surely last the life of the vehicle. they're much cheaper and more reliable, you loose a few horsepower but have far less worries about reliability.

 

Thought about that, and it's a possibility, especially if there's any kind of a price difference. Not thrilled about the possibility of a power loss, but I'd put up with it if the discount were big enough.

[hiropro42]

Too bad you arent closer - I can easily swap in a used 2.2 with waranty (6 month, 6k miles) for about $1000 with all new belts/tensioners, water pump, hoses, etc. Just did one for a board member for $970 out the door. Ask for help in the wanted section - might be theres a member in your area that does this kind of work.

 

In any case look for a 95 to 98 2.2 from an automatic with EGR. Any of those will bolt right in either directly (95's) or by swapping the front exhaust section (96+). They are also a lot cheaper - abouta third to half the price of the 2.5's.

 

GD

 

Which Portland? This car actually lived on High St. in Portland, ME for about 3 years.

 

In terms of swapping for a 2.2, what are the drawbacks, if any, besides the reduction in power?

[davebugs]

A little power.

 

A little messing with some vacuum and EGR lines.

 

No bracket for the PS lines.

 

That's it!!!

 

Much more reliable engine.

 

Reseal it, idlers, WP, timing belt, spark plugs, etc while it's out.

[johnceggleston]

you can look at link below for used ej22, not a lot to choose from in your area but the prices are about half of the jdm and the miles are higher. but it is worth a look and a phone call.

 

remember, you need an engine from an auto trans car 95 - 98.

 

www.car-part.com

Edited December 26, 2010 by johnceggleston

[GeneralDisorder]

The power difference isn't that great - especially coming from a worn out 2.5 to a good condition 2.2. Remember the 96 outback 5 speeds were factory 2.2 cars.

 

I'm in Portland Oregon unfortunately - wish you were closer.

 

The power steering bracket issue is easily solved with some 2.2 lines - simple to install with the engine. When I do this swap it looks 100% stock. No one has complained about the power difference - a good running 2.2 is still pretty peppy.

 

GD

[The Dude]

My comments do NOT apply to any particular company. In my view, here's the big drawback to JDM motors and rebuilts. If everything goes well, congratulations, you're golden. But if things don't go well, they can go down hill very fast. Usually, you're financially responsible for de-installing the bad engine. You're usually also on the hook for the freight to send the bad engine to the supplier. Oh yeah, you're also probably going to have to pay the freight for the replacement engine to be shipped to you and the re-install. Even then, it's not a sure thing that the replacment engine is any good either.

 

My point is that JDM engines and rebuilts usually are only good options if you get a good engine the FIRST time. If that doesn't happen, you can spend yourself into a deep hole pretty quick.

[Suba9792]

If your worried about the power loss do the EJ22 swap and get some torque cams.

[idosubaru]

My only issue is that I don't know how to tell if there is or isn't damage to the block without having it torn apart,

i already answered that question:

 

yours is an interference motor but your mechanic might not know that you'll only have bent valves and no damage to the block.

 

these engines do not cause cylinder/piston damage. if you're mechanic doesn't know that then they don't know these engines. which is fine, but no reason to scrap a good motor. those of us on here have fixed a ton of these. rely on us for Subaru specific information and let him know how you'd like to proceed mechanically.

 

it just needs valves, no reason to scrap a block.

 

*** also due to the fact that the engine is fine it still has value, i would pay a couple hundred for it (because it's easily fixable and useable or saleable for $1,000). so if you trash the motor, sell it on here or craigslist, someone will buy it.

 

At 30,000 to 40,000, I was sort of looking at it as a fairly fresh motor for $975

i already answered that too.

 

you're getting an old head gasket issue and other issues prone motor, i'd avoid those unless it's really cheap. for $975 i'll send you a better EJ25.

 

take home to remember: mileage is meaningless on this motor.

 

look up EJ25 headgaskets, bearing, and piston slap issues on google, or here, or craigslists (they're not hard to find). mileage is meaningless when it comes to the weaknesses of the EJ25's. normally that's a solid approach - but not for this motor. More issues = higher demand = higher prices. EJ22's are dirt cheap because they're reliable and lower demand....although they're in higher demand for EJ25 swaps which drives prices up in the past few years. don't let mileage fool you, there's no mileage at which EJ25's start having issues - it was totally random when they are new and now they're 15 years old, not a good gamble.

[hiropro42]

i already answered that question:

 

 

 

these engines do not cause cylinder/piston damage. if you're mechanic doesn't know that then they don't know these engines. which is fine, but no reason to scrap a good motor. those of us on here have fixed a ton of these. rely on us for Subaru specific information and let him know how you'd like to proceed mechanically.

 

it just needs valves, no reason to scrap a block.

 

*** also due to the fact that the engine is fine it still has value, i would pay a couple hundred for it (because it's easily fixable and useable or saleable for $1,000). so if you trash the motor, sell it on here or craigslist, someone will buy it.

 

i already answered that too.

 

 

 

take home to remember: mileage is meaningless on this motor.

 

look up EJ25 headgaskets, bearing, and piston slap issues on google, or here, or craigslists (they're not hard to find). mileage is meaningless when it comes to the weaknesses of the EJ25's. normally that's a solid approach - but not for this motor. More issues = higher demand = higher prices. EJ22's are dirt cheap because they're reliable and lower demand....although they're in higher demand for EJ25 swaps which drives prices up in the past few years. don't let mileage fool you, there's no mileage at which EJ25's start having issues - it was totally random when they are new and now they're 15 years old, not a good gamble.

 

Ok, so what I'm taking away from all this is that you're fairly certain that, as a result of the timing belt issue, there's nothing wrong with my current motor other than bent valves. Granting that, and that I had a preexisting headgasket issue, what should this reasonably cost me, aside from labor? Or rather, what all is involved?

 

I have to be pretty careful with what I do here, since this is my daily driver, and needs to be a.) back on the road ASAP and b.) reliable once it's there.

[hiropro42]

My comments do NOT apply to any particular company. In my view, here's the big drawback to JDM motors and rebuilts. If everything goes well, congratulations, you're golden. But if things don't go well, they can go down hill very fast. Usually, you're financially responsible for de-installing the bad engine. You're usually also on the hook for the freight to send the bad engine to the supplier. Oh yeah, you're also probably going to have to pay the freight for the replacement engine to be shipped to you and the re-install. Even then, it's not a sure thing that the replacment engine is any good either.

 

My point is that JDM engines and rebuilts usually are only good options if you get a good engine the FIRST time. If that doesn't happen, you can spend yourself into a deep hole pretty quick.

 

Thanks for the input. That's pretty much how I was looking at it, but a combination of factors pushed me in the JDM import direction at first, not the least of which is a very good friend who's a pretty competent mechanic, but who hasn't really spent much time under the hood of anything from Soobie as of yet.

[North to Alaska]

CCR engines.

I bought a EJ-25D from CCR.

I asked Emily two (2) questions

1. Will this motor start knocking at 30K miles ?

Emily told me " our motors DON't have that piston knock problem.

35K miles and their motor sounded like a diesel on startup. BS lie # 1

2. Will this motor have head gasket problems ?

Emily told me that their engines DON'T have head gasket problem. BS lie #2

118K blew head gasket. Tried to call Emily but she wouldn't talk to me.

 

These people will say anything to sell one of their motors.

Thanks Emily. you sold me a JUNK motor.

DON'T buy from CCR. They lied to me.

Emily, the pen is mighter then the sword.

Edited March 13, 2011 by North to Alaska

[subynut]

I've bought 4 engines from CCR. I've only had one problem that was CCR's fault. The EJ25D we put on my parents 97 outback had a cam seize about 500 miles after installation. I sent it back, they fixed it, and sent it back to me - no cost to me. We're coming up on 40K, and it's still going strong. The other two were the owner's fault, not CCR's.

[The Dude]

I've bought 4 engines from CCR. I've only had one problem that was CCR's fault. The EJ25D we put on my parents 97 outback had a cam seize about 500 miles after installation. I sent it back, they fixed it, and sent it back to me - no cost to me. We're coming up on 40K, and it's still going strong. The other two were the owner's fault, not CCR's.

 

 

Well, one of four isn't all that great, in my view. Especially if the customer is on the hook for the de-installation of the bad engine and the installation of the replacement. First you pay a lot of money for a rebuilt engine, and then maybe you're out around an additional $1,000 for the warranty replacement. Plus your car is down for a second time. BTW, what happened to the other two engines?

[subsince77]

CCR engines.

I bought a EJ-25D from CCR.

I asked Emily two (2) questions

1. Will this motor start knocking at 30K miles ?

Emily told me " our motors DON't have that piston knock problem.

35K miles and their motor sounded like a diesel on startup. BS lie # 1

2. Will this motor have head gasket problems ?

Emily told me that their engines DON'T have head gasket problem. BS lie #2

118K blew head gasket. Tried to call Emily but she wouldn't talk to me.

 

These people will say anything to sell one of their motors.

Thanks Emily. you sold me a JUNK motor.

DON'T buy from CCR. They lied to me.

Emily, the pen is mighter then the sword.

 

Really sorry you had a problem, but many here, including myself have had great service from CCR. I have 44,000 on one of their EJ25's and it runs like a champ so far. I expect it to last a long time. They have always been there to answer my questions and went out of their way to make sure everything, even some things that had nothing to do with their engine, were right on my car. So not everyone has had a bad experience with them.

[subynut]

230+ degrees for hundreds of miles on an EA82 was the first, I didn't know 230 was too hot and managed to blow both head gaskets, crack both heads, and calapse the skirts on three of the 4 pistons. I can't say that was CCR's fault, ya know? Turned out, the radiator was about 1/3 blocked from my previous mudding antics before we left for WCSS. I didn't catch it, and by the time we got to the Arizona desert floor, the temp was already at 220 running a max of 65MPH. I got cocky by the time we got to Nevada, and was rolling along in 115+ deg heat at 75MPH with the temp needle hanging out betwen 225-235. Yet, it never boiled over. The car was acting really strange at the show, and it just could not handle the return trip and gave up the ghost in Beatty, Nevada. Would not run and milkshake for oil.

The seccond was a slow heater core leak on my sister's EA82 - but she never checks fluid levels, let alone the dashboard - so, no coolant = cracked head. By the time I finally got her to check the levels, the damage was already done.

Both EA82s were solid and powerfull and had they not overheated, they'd still be running today. That's why I say 1 out of 4 instead of 3 out of 4.

 

Well, one of four isn't all that great, in my view. Especially if the customer is on the hook for the de-installation of the bad engine and the installation of the replacement. First you pay a lot of money for a rebuilt engine, and then maybe you're out around an additional $1,000 for the warranty replacement. Plus your car is down for a second time. BTW, what happened to the other two engines?