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'98 OBW Need new engine.. Anyone used JDM?


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sure folks have bought them. i don't see EGR on that one. the only one i ever bought had blown headgaskets when i got it. their warranty was to send me two new headgaskets, i told them not to bother. LOL

 

price looks good though - that's about what you'd be paying locally anyway on a much higher mileage, dirtier engine! though locally probably comes with a more intact warranty. motors and trans i buy usually have a 3 or 6 month warranty from a yard. ebay vendors are likely difficult to work with in exchange, shipping, warranty situations.

 

you would install your intake manifold on that engine or your wiring harness on that intake manifold.

 

if you install your intake manifold then you'll have the EGR equipment in place - you'll just need to do one of three things:

 

1. drill and tap the head for the EGR pipe

2. install your drivers side head which is already set up with EGR

3. do a custom pipe job to the exhaust instead of the head

 

if you install your wiring on the JDM intake then you'll simply be rolling without EGR. you'll get a check engine light that is impossible to get rid of, if you're in a non-emissions state like me it won't matter. if you're in an emissions area then you can't do it. i even tried swapped wiring harness and computer from a non-EGR vehicle when i removed all my EGR stuff...and still get EGR codes, amazing! luckily it doesn't matter for me so i just ignore the light.

 

i would plan on installing new headgaskets even if buying a JDM engine. you might not know it but these things were blowing headgaskets at 30,000 miles when they were "new" as well. so a low mileage EJ25 is not much better in terms of reliability. it's hard to tell from those pictures whether the headgasket has already been replaced or not. i would prefer one that has never had them replaced so then it's almost certain to have never been overheated. then with the new 610 gaskets you're golden. the compression test is pointless on that motor, that's nice of them to do it, but it's next to meaningless on EJ25 headgaskets.

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sure folks have bought them. i don't see EGR on that one. the only one i ever bought had blown headgaskets when i got it. their warranty was to send me two new headgaskets, i told them not to bother. LOL

 

price looks good though - that's about what you'd be paying locally anyway on a much higher mileage, dirtier engine! though locally probably comes with a more intact warranty. motors and trans i buy usually have a 3 or 6 month warranty from a yard. ebay vendors are likely difficult to work with in exchange, shipping, warranty situations.

 

you would install your intake manifold on that engine or your wiring harness on that intake manifold.

 

if you install your intake manifold then you'll have the EGR equipment in place - you'll just need to do one of three things:

 

1. drill and tap the head for the EGR pipe

2. install your drivers side head which is already set up with EGR

3. do a custom pipe job to the exhaust instead of the head

 

if you install your wiring on the JDM intake then you'll simply be rolling without EGR. you'll get a check engine light that is impossible to get rid of, if you're in a non-emissions state like me it won't matter. if you're in an emissions area then you can't do it. i even tried swapped wiring harness and computer from a non-EGR vehicle when i removed all my EGR stuff...and still get EGR codes, amazing! luckily it doesn't matter for me so i just ignore the light.

 

i would plan on installing new headgaskets even if buying a JDM engine. you might not know it but these things were blowing headgaskets at 30,000 miles when they were "new" as well. so a low mileage EJ25 is not much better in terms of reliability. it's hard to tell from those pictures whether the headgasket has already been replaced or not. i would prefer one that has never had them replaced so then it's almost certain to have never been overheated. then with the new 610 gaskets you're golden. the compression test is pointless on that motor, that's nice of them to do it, but it's next to meaningless on EJ25 headgaskets.

 

OK cool - I have already spent $$$ on my current EJ25 so am a bit hessitant to shell out more but its only $220 or so for the re-seal kit so I'd go with that.

 

I just had my heads machined at a cost of $600 so might want to swap those and the intake onto the JDM. Then again - maybe they were'nt flat or the block wasn't flat because I was *meticulous* at cleaning the mating surfaces and following the assembly instructions. I would have to have the heads double-checked before using them again.

 

Argh - the agony.

 

Thanks for the advice/stories :)

 

Steve

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to keep the EJ25.... the JDM has fewer miles and hopefully zero heating cycles like yours since the headgaskets blew. i'd lean towards keeping the JDM heads.

 

i'd swap the drivers side head only if you're bent on keeping the EGR.

i'd keep the JDM passengers side head, just install a new headgasket.

i'd make sure all valve clearances are properly meausred and adjusted while it's out.

 

like John said, i'd do an EJ18 or EJ22 swap too. cheap, reliable, hard to beat.

here's one close to you for $450: 228-392-2288

if that's from an automatic it's a drop in and plug and play swap. cheap timing belt components, more reliable, and non interference. doesn't say how many miles though.

Edited by grossgary
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I just replaced the hgs on my existing EJ25 because they leaked - blew sounds so instantaneous - they had the issue with the material eroding away over time - took about 9 months before it got really bad.

 

It overheated a few times before I started the job - never into the red though. Plus who knows how many times it overheated by the previous owner.

 

I am making the assumption at this point that the block is warped. I had the heads machined/valves adjusted etc.

 

Steve

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i'm not a machining person but i think that's not the way to go for heads. probably shouldn't matter too much if you're careful and do a good job but who knows.

 

have you seen GD's thread on DIY head resurfacing, it's great. the overfall flatness of that process should be much better than more localized tool like that rotating disc.

 

what headgaskets did you use? Subaru? which Subaru headgasket?

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have been experimenting with sufrfacing a whole short block asembeled whould be neat trick it fitts in my surfacer and could be done without tearing down shortblock because my surfacer comes up from bottom whould not get materail in block and whould get a perfect surface for headgaskets to seal. Evry block half i have surfaced had at least 2+ thow warp worst on #4 @#2 i surface every one and new rod and mains if over 150000 kms on it [ or has ever got hot ]

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I just had my heads machined at a cost of $600 Argh - the agony.

 

Thanks for the advice/stories :)

 

Steve

 

OMG!! :eek:

 

That's highway robbery...literally.

 

(Edit: just looked at the original thread. To me, machining means surfacing, not rebuilding. Still, I believe it's a bit pricey.)

Edited by ccrinc
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OMG!! :eek:

 

That's highway robbery...literally.

 

(Edit: just looked at the original thread. To me, machining means surfacing, not rebuilding. Still, I believe it's a bit pricey.)

 

Yeah, I need to start saying "reconditioning" because machining is only part of the process they did.

 

Steve

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The term "JDM" means Japanese Domestic Motor, right?

This is merely a term for a whole slew of used motors coming from Japan,

not a particular brand name...

So there are a whole lot of these companies out there reselling

engines, probably a lot of bad ones, correct?

These would be different than Jasper motors though.

Samneric, here's a shop I found here in Houston,

may be less shipping for you, can't tell:

http://www.usedjapanmotors.com/

Dan

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The term "JDM" means Japanese Domestic Motor, right?

This is merely a term for a whole slew of used motors coming from Japan,

not a particular brand name...

So there are a whole lot of these companies out there reselling

engines, probably a lot of bad ones, correct?

These would be different than Jasper motors though.

Samneric, here's a shop I found here in Houston,

may be less shipping for you, can't tell:

http://www.usedjapanmotors.com/

Dan

 

Sure JDM is the generic for all these motors from Japan. They have some wierd law that makes it hard for them to afford to run them after 45,000 miles or something like that - I am no expert but kinda get the gyst.

 

Thanks for your link also - I can add it to my arsenal should I need it.

 

 

Kinda clutching at straws with my current EJ25D right now in a last-ditch attempt to see if I will work for me.

 

Steve

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I charge 75 bucks a head and 75 a block half while you watch to surface heads / blocks takes me about 25 min but if needs valve work cost lots because of time involved espataily the twin cams the valves take a long time to setup the pucks changing valve seals and valve grinding

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