Rebuilding 1995 Impreza L with swapped EJ22

[pchafin]

Backstory: We purchased a 1995 Impreza L. It was originally equipped with an EJ18, but has an EJ22. It has run like crap the entire time and recently emptied the oil, due to a 0.45 cal hole in the oil pan. We have removed the engine and cracked the case for the rebuild. I found that the engine came from a 1995 Legacy Wagon 4EAT.

 

I have several issues that I want to address.

 

1. There are vacuum lines disconnected and plugged.

 

From experience, these are crucial to the computer deciding how the engine runs. I believe it has the original EJ22 intake manifold. I need help here. 

 

2. Since this engine was in an AT, the MT requires the Timing belt guide plate. Which part is appropriate for this. Note: the timing keeps slipping.

 

3. Since I am replacing the wear components in the engine, what are the original specs on the crank, rods and cylinders?

 

4. Is there a solitary kit or will I need to piece together a kit. I have found some kits, but they are missing components that I need or have components I don't need.

 

5. What would be the proper vacuum hose routing, given this configuration?

 

6. Any other information that you can think of...

 

Does anyone have information on these issues or know of a source where they have already been answered?

 

This engine is unusual, when compared to others. This is a daddy/daughter project.  I have concerns, because I am giving this car to my her and hope that it will carry her for the next 20 years.

 

Thanks,

Edited October 15, 2015 by pchafin

[Bushwick]

It'd probably be cheaper to just get another ej22 from a 95' Legacy or similar. Pull-A-Parts in Ohio sell complete 4 cyl engines for $150 roughly, and I think Georgia has similar yards. Given the engine in there now has a hole in the pan, and the actual engine's past is a complete unknown (it could be a 250k mile engine they mocked up just to sell the car), it might be a real mess in there.

 

 

As far as the vacuum routing goes, I'd try and find another 95' year or very similar Legacy and either take a ton of close-up pictures, or do a video and use that for reference. It'll be easier than trying to piece the info together from schematics which assume everything is already there. 

 

 

Other option would be to pick up a rough bodied 95' Legacy, etc. that runs and use that for a donor + vacuum routing. That way anything missing or altered on yours can be corrected rather easily as you'll have a reference for what's supposed to be there. If you could find one for $500-700, you can sell off your current engine plus whatever is left in the donor and probably come close to breaking even, to having a slight profit.

[matt167]

due to ecu differences, isn't the ej18 IM required? I know they bolt up the same but are different in electronics.

 

ditto finding another engine. There too cheap for good engines to mess with. $150 engines are available. $350 engines are common and you will double that with a rebuild on an unknown block. You could even go with a 96-98 ej22, if you get a single port y pipe

[pchafin]

I already have the block cracked open. There are very few signs of wear, all seem acceptable. I have already found engines within that price range; but, they may have questionable histories also.

 

My guess is that the original owner bolted in another engine, it didn't run as expected and sold it to someone else. While that person owned it, the timing went out. I have corrected the timing three times and finally realized that it needed the timing belt guide to keep it from jumping time.

 

I do not know what intake manifold it has. How can I identify this?

Edited October 15, 2015 by pchafin

[pchafin]

Comparing photos, I have the EJ18 IM. It's probably the original.

 

I researched the heads, Subaru carries the same part number for both vehicles. They are the dual exhaust port heads, phase I.

 

Theoretically, I should just be able to rebuild the block and put it back in the car. I will verify all of the vacuum hoses.

Edited October 15, 2015 by pchafin

[Fairtax4me]

The hydraulic tensioner is damaged and is why it keeps skipping time. The seals inside are damaged when people compress them too quickly.

 

New tensioner piston and it should be fine. The guide plate is unnecessary. None of my ej22s have ever had them, including my two current MT cars.

 

Connect the vacuum hoses the way they should be for the 18 engine. It should say how on the diagram on the bottom of the hood, if the hood is original.

[avk]

You need to consult the FSM for the original engine option re . the vacuum lines and engine wiring. In the US, 1995 was the first model year for OBDII, but only for 2.2 l engine and not for 1.8, hence big diffrence between the two.

Edited October 15, 2015 by avk

[ccrinc]

FWIW, the EJ22 was considered a "stock" power upgrade.  In other words, you can directly swap an EJ22 for an EJ18 and vice versa.  The only internal differences are the bore, stroke and the valves on the heads.

 

HOWEVER, the intake manifolds are not interchangeable.  You need an EJ18 manifold for the EJ18 engine, and the matching manifold for the EJ22.  All the electronics are identical.

 

Just make sure your exhaust ports and EGR match up.

 

Emily

[avk]

At least IAC and TPS are different between 1.8 and 2.2. The TPS might still fit on a 2.2 throttle body, or perhaps the throttle body can be swapped as a unit. The 1.8 l IAC does not look like it will fit on a 2.2 intake manifold, but maybe a 2.2 unit will plug into a 1.8 harness and will accept the input from the 1.8 ECU.

[johnceggleston]

grossgary has done this.

he put the intake off of an ej22 on to an ej18,

and then swapped it into an ej25 car.

it runs great ,

it is under powered,

and it has an EGR trouble code that will not go away.

 

if you can swap the ej18 that far,

it should be easy to swap an ej22 back.

 

there should be a vac hose diagram on the underside of the hood.

two things are important,

1/ the vac hoses reach the the right places that are NOT on the manifold,

charcoal canister and egr stuff.

how2 they get there is a little less important than that do get there.

 

2/ there are no open nipples on the intake manifold .

no vac leaks.

 

if the wiring harness on the intake / engine will plug into the harness in the car,

the engine will run.

 

the easy cheap solution is to buy a 95 ej22 w/ egr and swap it in.(EDIT ;CORRECTED)

i'm pretty sure all ej18 cars had EGR.

 

this is not rocket science,

this is more like lego land.

just snap it together.

Edited October 18, 2015 by johnceggleston

[Olnick]

Johnc--I think you meant to say:

 

"the easy cheap solution is to buy a 95 ej22 w/ egr and swap it in."

[pchafin]

FWIW, the EJ22 was considered a "stock" power upgrade. In other words, you can directly swap an EJ22 for an EJ18 and vice versa. The only internal differences are the bore, stroke and the valves on the heads.

 

HOWEVER, the intake manifolds are not interchangeable. You need an EJ18 manifold for the EJ18 engine, and the matching manifold for the EJ22. All the electronics are identical.

 

Just make sure your exhaust ports and EGR match up.

 

Emily

[pchafin]

Ok, here's where we are. I have an ej22 block and heads being run by a 95 obd1 in a 95 Impreza. To the best of my ability, it has the ej18 im.

 

With the im inverted this morning, I found a vacuum type sensor with no electrical plug. This sensor is on the right rear of the im, had two vacuum lines and has what appears to be an Allen key adjustment on top. I need to research this, because it wasn't connected electrically.

 

I found no obvious damage or anything suspicious inside the block. However, the engine is quite anemic, losing significant amounts of acceleration past 4000 - 5000< on the tach. This rpm limit does vary.

 

I believe my problem is logic-based, because the computer is not receiving complete information.

 

Timing also keeps slipping, every time I reset the timing belt.

[avk]

Shouldn't be really hard if the intake manifolds are indeed swappable.

[Olnick]

Just to clarify--where did your "EJ22 block and heads being run by a '95 OBD1" come from?  '95 EJ22s were OBD2 (in Legacys at least.) 

[avk]

In 1995, 2.2 l engine was available on Impreza with auto transmission only, which was the combination that received OBDII that year. A pre-OBDII 2.2 could still be found in a Legacy with manual transmission, like in previous years.

Edited October 16, 2015 by avk

[Olnick]

Not sure I follow what you're saying, avk.  I have a '95 Legacy L Wagon, manual trranny, and it's OBD2.

[avk]

Then it looks like my memory is rusty and 1995 was the year when all 2.2 engines were switched to OBDII.

Edited October 17, 2015 by avk

[lstevens76]

1995 was the crossover year.  I've seen Impreza's and Legacy's both OBD1 and OBD2.  I know where there is a '95 1.8L Impreza that is OBD2, but I've also seen one that is OBD1.  

 

1996 was the first year all Subaru's were OBD2.

 

Do you have the factory service manual?  

 

How much are you planning on spending?

 

Evergreen sells a full kit for this, but I would use Fel-Pro head gaskets not the Evergreen.

 

Subaru sells a full OEM gasket kit that Amazon has for $250, but you would still need rings, bearings, etc...

 

As for the part your trying to identify either find the FSM (search on here), subscribe to alldatadiy.com, or go purchase it.  If you can't find it in the FSM then post pictures for others to identify it.  A description isn't always the best option especially when we don't know where on the IM it's exactly located.

 

And I fully understand your reasoning, just wish others would.  A swap is all great when you know the history of an engine, but if you don't and you can rebuild it yourself your better off.

[Fairtax4me]

Ok, here's where we are. I have an ej22 block and heads being run by a 95 obd1 in a 95 Impreza. To the best of my ability, it has the ej18 im.

 

With the im inverted this morning, I found a vacuum type sensor with no electrical plug. This sensor is on the right rear of the im, had two vacuum lines and has what appears to be an Allen key adjustment on top. I need to research this, because it wasn't connected electrically.

 

I found no obvious damage or anything suspicious inside the block. However, the engine is quite anemic, losing significant amounts of acceleration past 4000 - 5000< on the tach. This rpm limit does vary.

 

I believe my problem is logic-based, because the computer is not receiving complete information.

 

Timing also keeps slipping, every time I reset the timing belt.

You need to replace the tensioner piston. It's damaged internally, and isn't holding pressure against the belt correctly.

 

Solenoid is the evap purge control solenoid. Should have been hooked up.

There shuld be a metal tube under the manifold that runs from just below the fuel lines and comes out under the manifold sticking out toward the right front corner of the engine bay. That's the evap line from the tank. Should have a line going from the tube to the round charcoal canister mounted on the frame rail. Then another line from the canister to the solenoid. Then a line from the solenoid to a nipple on the manifold either on the back of the number 3 runner, or to the top of the throttle body.

 

Power loss could be fuel pressure dropping off, clogged cat maybe, or could be because timing keeps skipping.

Edited October 17, 2015 by Fairtax4me

[johnceggleston]

 

Johnc--I think you meant to say:

 

"the easy cheap solution is to buy a 95 ej22 w/ egr and swap it in."

 

corrected,

thanks olnick.

 

if the car is obd2, an odb2 ej22 will plug and play.

EGR is preferred if you want  to avoid a trouble code.

 

if the car is odb1, then just use the harness (and/ or intake) from an ej18.

 

blocks with heads are all dumb until you get to 05/06 ? and variable valve timing.

you could use an ej25 block and heads if the ej18 intake would bolt on. but it won't.

 

the intakes for the ej22 and ej18 will swap.

i have done it.

the ej18 intake is taller,

the EGR pipe is longer,

but the ej18 intake will bolt on with no problem.

 

and since the car was already running with an ej22 engine,

even if it is not original,

just use that intake w/ harness on a new long block.

and drive on.

 

or

the discussion should be,

is the car obd1 or obd2?

Edited October 18, 2015 by johnceggleston

[pchafin]

corrected,

thanks olnick.

 

if the car is obd2, an odb2 ej22 will plug and play.

EGR is preferred if you want  to avoid a trouble code.

 

if the car is odb1, then just use the harness (and/ or intake) from an ej18.

 

blocks with heads are all dumb until you get to 05/06 ? and variable valve timing.

you could use an ej25 block and heads if the ej18 intake would bolt on. but it won't.

 

the intakes for the ej22 and ej18 will swap.

i have done it.

the ej18 intake is taller,

the EGR pipe is longer,

but the ej18 intake will bolt on with no problem.

 

and since the car was already running with an ej22 engine,

even if it is not original,

just use that intake w/ harness on a new long block.

and drive on.

 

or

the discussion should be,

is the car obd1 or obd2?

 

The car is a 1995 obdi.

 

It turns out that I'm dealing with a botched engine swap. My issues doesn't appear to be mechanical at all. The block is EJ22 and the intake is EJ18.

 

Upon further inspection, I found a device on the vehicle right, rear of the IM. It has two vacuum hoses, one to the IM in front of the throttle body and the other to the right head. It also has an electrical jack on it, although it was not connected to anything electrically. I'll call it the mystery vacuum device. Here are some photos. One of them I found on the web, while searching for cruise control info. The other two are in  the top corners of the photos. What is this device?

 

[johnceggleston]

simple solution,

swap in a 92 - 94 ej22 engine.

folow the vac hose diagram on the hood.

and live with the EGR trouble code.