anybody out there that has done a Subaru ej22 swap? I have a free doner legacy and im not sure if it is worth the time/money to do this swap. over all I want something I can autoX and street. is it enough power to have fun??-thanks

I don't know that the 22 is worth the effort. If it was the 25 that would be a different story.

The ej22 makes about the same power as a 1911 or 2056, and the 1911 or 2056 will cost less then the swap, even with the "free" engine.

Plus with the 22 you need to work in plumbing and everything else. Just don't know if its worth it for 130hp.

Zach

If you're looking for a normally aspirated 4 cylinder Subaru engine with some pep, go for a 2000 -2004ish EJ25. 165 HP with a nice power curve. Any EJ25 prior to that is the DOHC version that had head gasket issues. The EJ22 is not a high performance engine. The Vanagon guys love it though because it has very strong internals, is non interference, and has no head gasket issues. You could probably sell it on The Samba if you wanted.

I put an ej22 from a 97 Legacy in my car with a Kennedy adapter plate, used the stock tranny, made my own motor mount, used the subie radiator and found a Link ecu on Craigslist and have never looked back. I also have a rebuilt 2.0 car running with carbs and a Web cam that is much nicer but I never drive it. IMO there is no comparison to modern EFI. Power wise the Subie will smoke the 2.0 and gets 23 + mpg and has not been fine tuned. I'm pretty sure if I took it to Outfront Motorsports for an hour on there dyno I would get better mileage and performance. I use it as my daily driver. It always starts, runs like a sewing machine, warms up to the stat temp (195) and stays there, doesn't leak oil, and sounds really nice with a 2" Magnaflo. It might not be for everyone but I love the way my car runs.

If you do the EJ22 install right, you'll be all set if you want to upgrade to a 25 as a 'bolt in' upgrade.

What year 2.2? Hopefully a dual exhaust port unit.

They are pretty much bullet proof little engines.

As with all used suby engines,reseal it before you install it and you'll be good to go.

The 2.2 rev nicer than the 2.5's and are capable of 150hp with a little coaxing.

Well there is the fact that it's free . And it's the whole car so you know that it's not missing any pieces AND you get the wiring harness. Does it have a manual trans by chance? How many miles are on it?

Ha!

This is one of those cases where a free engine is like a free kitten.
Sure its cute and cuddly, but for something free the expenses add up quick.

I think subaru cars (and engines) are great. I've owned 5 of the things over the years, and will own more. I've often thought of putting one in my 914, and may still in the future.

But if you are going to do it, then do it. The 2.2 is a nice, dependable motor that will give you decent fuel economy and will outperform a stock 2.0 (either /4 or /6). But not by much. And it costs just as much to put in the 2.2 as it does to put in the 2.5, or the SVX 6 cylinder models; only slightly less then putting in any of the turbo Subaru plants.

The 2.5 engines are really common, and you will be able to buy one for only a few hundred, and will give you ~40 more HP and Tq then the 2.2 in stock format. An H6 out of an SVX is less common, but has more power and can be found just a cheap. And, unfortunately, kids wreck WRXs every day, and full turbo engines and transmissions are easy to find - and now you are talking 230 - 270 HP stock, depending on engine.

I'm all for a Subaru swap, but I think there are better engines for it then the 2.2.

Zach

1999 5 speed 135xxx