95 Legacy Rookie Questions

[Winesalot]

I have a 95 legacy wagon that has a bum motor. I love the car but don't have much knowledge about these subarus. I would like to put another motor in it and keep it on the road. So.... What information do I need to gather so I can start the motor shopping. What years will swap into this car?

[johnegg]

there are lots of years that will work, depending on the particulars.

 

auto or manual trans?

EGR or not?

 

if you have EGR you will need EGR.

that is usually found on the auto trans cars, 95 plus.

if you don't have EGR you have many more options.

you can use a 90 - 95 long block and just swap on your intake manifold.

 

or if you want cheaper, use a 93 - 95 ej18 (1.8 liter),

and swap on your intake manifold.

 

you can also use 96 - 98 engines but you would need the matching exhaust mnifold.

the exhaust ports on the heads changed in 96.

 

and if you are really adventurous,

you could probably swap in an ej25, (2.5 liter).

but this will cost more and they have a tendency to blow head gaskets.

 

what trans,?

what budget?

are you doing it your self?

are you pay for labor?

 

check out www.car-part.com for an engine.

put in your zip and sort by distance to see what is close.

the software will only show you the same year you ask for.

but there are others that will work as i have mentioned.

 

.

[Winesalot]

Thanks for the reply and asking the follow up questions.

 

I don't know if I have an egr, how do I find out?

This is a 5 speed trans.

The budget is as little as possible but I'll pay up to 1/2 the vehicles value.

I'll change the motor myself.

I'm interested in reliability and an easy swap out so I think I'll skip the 2.5

I did read that in 95 they could be OBD1 or OBD2 and this one is OBD2

[johnegg]

ok, 95 lego 5 speed probably does not have EGR.

a picture of your engine would confirm, but that can wait.

 

with no egr, you can use the any ej22 engine 90 - 95, from a lego or impreza.

 

the 95 lego engine is a direct swap, nothing to change.

drop it in, bolt it up and plug it in.

(if you use an engine from an auto trans you need to swap in your fly wheel.)

some can do this in half a day.

i would plan on a weekend.

you do not want to get in a hurry and make a mistake.

 

but sine all ej22 90 -94 are the same block and heads as the 95, for manual trans cars,

you can also use one of them, from a lego or an impreza, 90 - 94.

but sine 90 - 94 are obd1, you will need to use the intake manifold from your old engine and install it on your new engine.

this is not hard, 8 bolts, several wire connectors, and 2 small coolant lines.

 

so you are looking for a good condition ej22 90 - 95, either lego or impreza, either trans.

 

a MUST DO before you install the engine is:

replace the leaking cover on the rear of the block, behind the fly wheel.

it cost about $35 from an online dealer (dealer only part?)

the original part id plastic, and they crack and leak.

the replacement part is metal.

with the fly hweel in place, it will look like the rear main is leaking,

but it is really the ''oil separator plate''.

 

a SHOULD do is to replace the timing belt parts before you install it.

parts for a complete job, belt, 3 idlers, water pump and oil seals, will cost around $150.

since the engine is non-interference, this is not required,

but a belt, idler, or water pump failure will leave you stranded,

and it is way easier working on the engine out of the car than it is in the car.

 

finally, regarding the cost of repair vs. the value of the car,

comparing the repair cost to the value of the car is wrong.

you should be comparing the repair to the cost of REPLACING the car,

since if you do not repair, you will have to replace.

and any used car you buy will require at least some amount of service or repair.

it is almost always cheaper to repair than it is to replace.

but you do want to consider, how reliable will the car be once repaired.

 

the subaru ej22 is a very reliable, durable and forgiving engine.

it will likely run much longer than you own the car if it never runs out of oil or coolant.

 

reminder, at www.car-part.com, you will need to search each year separately for each model.

i would look for one close to home, easy to pick up.

pulling one from a pick-n-pull could cost as little as $150.

buying one already pulled will run $300 - $500, maybe, depending on where you are.

 

good luck,

keep asking,

and let us know how you are doing.

[Winesalot]

-----Thanks you for your response-----

 

I am a commercial wine maker (thus the username ) and am heavily involved in a forum for home winemakers so I know what a burden rookies can be.

 

Here is a picture of my motor. Please let me know if this is an egr motor.

 

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z68/apexnow/Subyengine.jpg

 

As to your advice. I will not be attempting this in one session. It will probably be 2-3 hours for several weekends. No choice on this, I am a busy person.

 

I have had an oil leak that I thought was coming from the transmission that leaked onto the exhaust and smoke rose into the cabin when I came to a stop. Would this be the leaking rear cover you mentioned?

 

I will certainly do the timing belt and clutch while the engine is out. This is only logical.

 

I understand your comments on value. I was only referring to not being interested in putting a $2000 re-manufactured motor plus my time into a car I can buy all day long for the same $2000. My time is very valuable to me so that would be bad math. However, If I can come up with a good used motor for under $1000 and this will yield a long term reliable vehicle then count me in.

 

Again, thank you for taking the time to write such a detailed and lengthy response. I appreciate it.

[johnegg]

no EGR on your engine,

so info posted above is still good.

 

yes, the leak onto the exhaust is likely 99.99% the cover plate mentioned.

 

i understand completely about the ''several weekends'',

i think the first one i did took over a month.

i had never pulled an engine before.

 

compared to other cars, subarus are pretty easy, or so i have been told.

 

the clutch is a good idea,

i'm an auto drive so i don't often think about that.

 

dayco timing belt kits are available from rockauto.com or amazon? for a good price.

they do not have to be dealer.

but i would order the seals and the oil sepsrator plate from an online dealer like www.subarugenuineparts.com

shipping will add to the price, but it will still be ~20% less than local retail dealer.

 

other gaskets like, intake, exhaust, and valve cover, can be from a local or online parts store.

maybe the same one as the timing kit or the clutch.

watch out for the shipping.

 

where are you located?

winery website?

[Headtrauma89]

Good advice. Although the leak onto your exhaust is is a toss up. It all depends on what kind of fluid is leaking. If it smells of burning oil then yes, most likely the rear oil separator plate. But if it smells like burning gear lube (smells much worse) then it's your front input shaft seal in your trans...

 

The 5mt has a tendency to ruin the front input shaft seal when there is an absence of the pilot bearing. Sometimes people neglect to install or replace it during a clutch service. Other times it could grenade from damage, improper installation or age.

 

Unfortunately, this seal has to be replaced from inside the trans. I had to do it to mine when I first bought her.

[Winesalot]

Let's hope it's not the transmission seal.

 

 

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