What EJ25 to buy?

[IndySubaruGuy]

Our 2003 Legacy L 2.5 EJ25 continues to have a knock/slap that seems to be getting worse. Really loud when cold but gets much quieter once fully warmed up but never really goes away entirely. Coming up on 130K on the car/engine. Recently had the head gaskets done, timing set was done at around 100K. Running Rotella T6.

 

Wanting to look for a compatible used EJ25. Don't want to mess with changing ECUs or sensors too much or at all. Wondering what years and what model Subaru's will have the same EJ25 as the one in our car? Depending on what I buy, I will bolt it in to keep our Legacy on the road and then I want to go through the original engine and repair/replace/machine as needed and then swap it back in.

 

Love the car, hate the knock!! Thanks!!

[Setnev]

What weight of T6 are you using?

 

You need a 2000-2005 EJ251/2/3 found in the Outback, Forester, Legacy, and Impreza 2.5i

 

If you want a reliable motor that will last a lifetime, look for a 1999-2001 EJ223 found in the Impreza and Legacy L.

 

Both motors are direct bolt on and require no modification of the ECU. However, the transmission does make a difference on which engine you need. If you have an automatic, the driver's side head and intake need to have EGR. If you have a manual, you can use an EGR equipped engine or non-EGR engine.

[IndySubaruGuy]

Thanks so much for your response Setnev!

 

I believe the T6 is 5w-40.

 

Our Legacy is an automatic, so will look for an engine with the EGR on the driver side.

 

Thanks again, this is exactly what I needed to know!!

[Setnev]

I too have some piston slap, but it usually only happens when it gets cold and at the end of my oil change interval. I switched to T6 and it seemed to help. I wish it was 10w-40, because I have a sticky lifter from the rebuild that rears its ugly head from time to time at temp.

[RumbleRumble]

If you like driving your car don't get a 2.2. If you just use it a daily commuter car and not really into the car get a 2.2.

 

Using a thicker oil doesn't always quite the engine down and most of the time makes it worse depending on your climate. 00-05 2.5's are always gonna need motor work no matter what. Head-gaskets will always leak eventually, they will get rod knock eventually, they will leak every kind of fluid.

 

When my legacy finally shits the bed, I'm getting another more reliable car. 00-04 are the worst years for legacy's. they look the best imo but are junk. They are 150,000 mile cars if you get lucky.

[couchpotato]

avoid the ej259 as its the california emissions model and has different exhaust setups as well as different manifold setups. not a direct swap..

 

it comes out of a 2004 35th anniversary edition legacy

[IndySubaruGuy]

Have a '01 (I think) Outback complete car with an EJ25 on the way, runs smooth and relatively quiet. Plan to pull engine, replace all gaskets (including HG) and drop her in, then go through my original engine and see what's making all the noise and fix it, then I'll have a spare. Excited to do some engine work, its been a while! Again, I appreciate everyone's responses!

[GunFunZS]

avoid the ej259 as its the california emissions model and has different exhaust setups as well as different manifold setups. not a direct swap..

 

it comes out of a 2004 35th anniversary edition legacy

 

Crap. That's what I have, and can't find any meaningful info about it. Is there a repository somewhere for info about what is different/ the same with EJ259 and other versions?

 

ps apologies for the threadjack. It seems more polite to keep relevant info in an old thread rather than scattered through redundant threads.

[RumbleRumble]

EJ259 heads are single port, it has 5 O2 sensors and three cats and the intake is setup different. Also you would need a different ecu. Yay for low emissions.

[eagleeye]

Crap. That's what I have, and can't find any meaningful info about it. Is there a repository somewhere for info about what is different/ the same with EJ259 and other versions?

 

ps apologies for the threadjack. It seems more polite to keep relevant info in an old thread rather than scattered through redundant threads.

 

Ej259: a wild mix of old and new thought with unique parts. (north american spec 2005 EJ253 is pretty weird too)

 

on the outback forum we have had some longer threads about the US spec 2004 Ej259 and what can be had in the similar (but different) US spec 2005 first year Ej253 engine.

 

but as Ej259 are a one year clean states only animal found in legacy and legacy outback. probably should have your own thread.

 

Clean air states = originally sold in Cal, OR, Washington, and PA, NY, and New England states.

 

I live in a clean air state that has that engine, and pretty easy to find a rust bucket 2004 that has a good runner in it ready for a quality head gasket job if it has not already had one.

 

here is a outback forum thread where I posted pics of the engines:

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/what-is-the-story-with-this-04-outback.347002/

 

and here is another short thread with a schematic of the exhaust, (symmetrical, with unique o2 sensor choices)

https://www.subaruoutback.org/threads/first-post-2004-outback-limited-project-on-the-cheap.329537/

 

more out there, but if searching please use google, as that forum is getting renovated and I don't know if the search functions are sorted out yet. (picked those 2 on a google image search)

Edited August 6, 2019 by eagleeye

[IndySubaruGuy]

Glad to see my post was woken up again! Since my original post I have learned so much about our beloved Subarus and am officially hooked!! Sold the '03 Legacy, now own two Forester XTs and two Forester N/A's (one is a flip) and now my son just purchased an'01 Legacy L wagon with only 88K on the odometer, so his '05 FXT will be going up for sale. He loves the wagon and wagons in general. With that, we will now be perusing the LegacyGT forums as we get re-aquanted with the Legacys. Glad to be back!!!