elguajefranklin Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 I was hoping i could get some help with my car , i have been looking for a solid answer and i have been given a ton of different information some one told me to come to this site and some one would for sure be able to help me . I bought a 2005 subaru legacy gt turbo 5 speed auto about 4 months ago the engine in that care had 170k miles, the head gaskets went out on it so i ordered a an engine from a company online , the engine takes a month to arrive and once it arrives the mechanics at jdm import shop in california checked the engine and it turns out that engine is in very bad shape leaking oil and the head gaskets where going out .... , so i called the company that sold me the engine and will get a refund of my money. I let the owner know that i was desperate and needed to get my car running asap the used engine i boight took one month for me to get and i let the owner at the shop know i could not wait another month and be car less. he told me he had a 2.0L engine in his shop and that it would work in my 2005 subaru legacy . im pretty sure he told me " the 2.0L engine i have for you is non turbo but it should work with your car " i cant seem to find any information online i have been searching for the entire day today and i was told on a facebook group page im part of that " 85% of subaru engine are compatible with the 05 legacy gt car i have even the non turbo engine " im assuming if this is true then i will lose power due to the fact that i no longer have a turbo and honestly i dont care about that like i said i just need my car back . has any one done that before going from turbo to non turbo swap ? let alone a car that came with a 2.5L to a 2.0L swap ? wouldnt the ECU have issues when it detects a non turbo engine has been installed ? any help will be greatly appreciated . also this shop specializes in Japanese cars Specifically in Subarus so the 2.0L engine is for sure a subaru engine . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ttnio Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 welcome! honestly,take your refund and start again... car shopping is always fun, enjoy and good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relative4 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Unfortunately, you cannot make a non-turbo engine work in a turbo car without enormous effort and far more expense than the car is worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
moral hazard Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Wait so your head gaskets went out and you want to replace the whole engine ? What happened to the block and heads? Normally any good machine shop can get the heads smooth and flat. The block can also be decked. No reason why the head gaskets can't be changed with new studs for less then sourcing an engine. Unless you cracked a cylinder or there is a crack in one of the heads. I'd also be taking a refund and going elsewhere to get headgaskets changed . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lockmedic Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Literally any engine Subaru built since 1990 will bolt into your engine bay, even bolt up to the trans. That does not mean "it fits" anymore than a turd tossed into the air fits in an airplane hangar because "they both fly" Get your money back. Buy the right turd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relative4 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 Wait so your head gaskets went out and you want to replace the whole engine ? What happened to the block and heads? Normally any good machine shop can get the heads smooth and flat. The block can also be decked. No reason why the head gaskets can't be changed with new studs for less then sourcing an engine. Unless you cracked a cylinder or there is a crack in one of the heads. I'd also be taking a refund and going elsewhere to get headgaskets changed .This. Last night as I was going to sleep, I was like "Wait, what?" Bad head gaskets are NOT a reason to replace an engine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elguajefranklin Posted October 4, 2018 Author Share Posted October 4, 2018 (edited) What ended up happening was the Original engine that came with the 05 gt legacy went out it was leaking a ton of oil the head gaskets where done for and the car would just over heat, that engine was the original engine and it had well over 150k miles . i then bought the exact same engine from a 3rd party dealer but when the engine i purchased came in it was in very bad conditions so i have already started the process of returning it . the shop that is doing my engine swap has a ton of engines and the owner showed me a legacy engine he had how ever its a 2.0L instead of being a 2.5L . the owner told me not to worry because the 2.0 engine would fit into my legacy. the thing that got to me is where there any tubo legacy engines that where 2.0L ? maybe its a japanese engine or a euro engine but he told me not to worry about anything that hes done that swap a ton of times and the 2.0L will work the exact same way as my 2.5 he said this on an email i just received after asking him where the engine is coming from "The engine came off a Legacy from Japan it is a turbo. " i didint know they made 2.0L turbo engines for the legacy though lol maybe in japan i guess Edited October 4, 2018 by elguajefranklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dgoodhue Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 The 2L swaps aren't plug and play. I would not do it. Go to the dealer and buy a EJ257 short block or cut your losses or sell your car as roller needing work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relative4 Posted October 4, 2018 Share Posted October 4, 2018 (edited) A 2.0L JDM TURBO engine (EJ20X/EJ20Y), not a non-turbo engine, can be installed in a 2.5L turbo car. However, as dgoodhue said, it is a non-trivial job, particularly because of a different exhaust cam timing setup. There was also a USDM 2.0L turbo engine (EJ20G/EJ20K), but you don't see people swapping those in - probably because those engines are 20 years old. If the shop owner says "not to worry" about swapping in a 2.0L, he should be prepared to help you not worrying, by providing a detailed, written guarantee that he will do all of the conversion work for the pre-agreed price and the engine will work WELL. And that it will pass US emissions. Which it won't if he installs a JDM ECU. And of course you should require a written warranty as well. the 2.0L will work the exact same way as my 2.5 Absolutely. Not. True. Another note on the EJ20 - the days of getting good used JDM engines appear to be over. The blocks now being shipped over here are almost invariably garbage - hardly surprising, considering they're just as old as the blocks being replaced. Which takes us back to - why are you swapping engines? Why did this shop not recondition and deck your heads, replace your head gaskets, and let you move on with your life? Edited October 4, 2018 by relative4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now