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I'm thinking of doing either an engine swap or rebuilding a ej22.

What I want to figure out is weither i could rebuild a ej22 with ej22t parts (makeing it a ej22t, since i can get a n/a cheaper), and what parts are different. then also will my ECU handle a turbo or do i need to piggyback.

or am i trying to hard to be cheap, and it would be easier to just rebuild a ej22t and swap it, then what mods do i need (ECU?....etc)

My thought is to find either a ej22 or ej22t and (slowly) rebuild it with performance parts while still driving on the stock ej22 in now. Now I'm assumeing that if i use performance enternals i'l need to piggback too?

I'm really new with subarus, worked mostly on (old) domestics before, so just tell me if i'm an idot...

or should i just sell a testical to science and buy a new STI

and P.S. I know this Q? has been asked proably a million times I just couldn't find one on here that really anwered my questions.

90-94 engines used the same crank and rods. Swap the NA pistons for turbo pistons. Find some used ej22t heads, or modify your stock heads. Then you are set for up to 250 whp.

any ecu issues?

do realize that while you can make the internals as strong as an EJ22T, the actual block is different, and much stronger.

for what it would take to turn an EJ22 into an EJ22T you're better off just buying a used EJ22T block.

the reason i dont think i can do that is SCCA rules say the engine has to be the orginal enigine so id ont know if that means THE orginal enigine or the just no bigger or smaller or what ever i need to figure that out

scuzzy its a good bit cheaper to retrofit an ej22e with turbo pistons than get a ej22t short block and whats more open deck isnt an issue until much higher power levels.

But if you turbo it, doesnt that put you in that class anyway?

oh yeah your right, never mind. now i just need to get enough hoursy power to compete against the other modified class guys

ok correct me if i'm wrong but my ej22e is DOHC and a EJ22T is sohc??

rfizzle wrote:ok correct me if i'm wrong but my ej22e is DOHC and a EJ22T is sohc??

Nope. EJ22E's are SOHC like their EJ22T brethren.

scuzzy wrote:do realize that while you can make the internals as strong as an EJ22T, the actual block is different, and much stronger.

for what it would take to turn an EJ22 into an EJ22T you're better off just buying a used EJ22T block.

I don't know for sure but I would think it would take a lot of boost and abuse to egg the cylinder walls. To make a difference between the closed block and open block. I've never heard of anyone warping them but then I tend to miss stuff.

rfizzle,
If you are serious about pursuing this, I would be happy to get involved in your project and help you reach your goals. (note location ) I love messed up projects like this. I even have a core Ej22E block that I would sell you super cheap to get you on your way.

Warren at the Engine Shop in Longmont can do the machine work it will need prior to rebuilding.

Then there are really two ways to go with this. You can use stock turbo Ej22T heads (I also have a set of those available) and turbo pistons OR, you can use stock Ej22E NA pistons and DOHC Ej25 heads. Those heads are easily converted to turbo use since they are based upon early WRX heads. The advantage of that approach is that they flow about 20% better than Ej22T heads.

Anyways, drop me a PM and we can chat. I've done a few projects like this with other locals, and they are always fun and educational...

which ej25 heads do you use?
these are off wikipedia:
EJ251
SOHC Usage:

* Impreza 00~02 (US)
* Impreza Outback 02 (US)
* Forester 00~02

EJ252
SOHC Usage:

* Legacy 00

EJ253
SOHC

* Legacy 01~02
* Forrester 99
* Baja 03~06

EJ25D
Usage

* Legacy 96~99
* Forester 98~99

EJ25E
SOHC 16 valve
Usage:

* Impreza 99~01
* Forester 99~00
* Legacy 00~01

any of those could be made to work but the EJ25D dohc heads are the best option

any have an idea how much some of those heads would go for at like a junk yard

Good old Wikipedia

EJ25D... used in Outbacks, Legacies, 98 Foresters, and 98 2.5RS's.

EJ251... as best I can tell, it was used from 99-04.

Apparently, there is an overlap between the EJ25D and the EJ251 in 99. I think only Outbacks used EJ25D's in 99.

EJ253... as best I can tell, it was used from 05-up.

I've never heard of an EJ252 or EJ25E.

Anyway, like Douglas alluded to, most Phase I (all the engines in our perspective) have the same bottom end. So you'd be changing the crank and rods for the exact same crank and rods. The pistons are different, dropping the compression. The open-vs-closed deck isn't that big of an issue.

There was overlap in '99 The outback, Legacy GT and Forester all got the DOHC engine in '99. While the 2.5RS got the first of the SOHC engines.

And there's really no functional difference between an Ej251 and Ej252. It's just a difference of which car they were in...