What would you do?

[Tr00b]

Ok, ej22t block has 232k on it and was taken from a junkyard car with a bad trans. Guy says crosshatching is still visible. I assume that is good and perhaps the engine is rebuilt? I want to put that in so i can slowly build up to a turbo setup. Any input on that?

 

Should I take the car to the local Subaru pro and have them take a look at the noise?

[monkeyposeur]

Your compression will be a lot lower with the 22T lower end. You will have one slow car until you turbo it. Plus adding a turbo is going to be a lot of extra work. Wiring, exhaust, crossmember, etc. etc.

 

How much does he want for the block? I'd buy it and hold onto it anyway until you get ready to do a monster build, lol. What else would come with it? Heads, etc.?

 

The cross hatching doesn't mean the engine has been rebuilt. It just means the bores are still good and looks like it did from the factory. Chances are it hasn't since the 22Ts can run for a long time. Unless of course it blows a HG like mine days after I bought it.

[Tr00b]

500 bucks. Seems to be just the short block. Imo too much. What did you pay for yours?

 

How bad would the compression power loss be any idea?

[monkeyposeur]

One of my 22Ts is in my SS. The other one I pulled from a neighbors touring wagon. I asked if I could have it an they told me that the scrap man was on his way so I better hurry. I had it pulled in 20 or 30 minutes lol.

 

500 isn't too bad for the shortblock considering people sell the block halves for $700-800.

 

I'm not sure about the actual compression numbers. I read an engine build thread where Fuji K swapped in a 22T bottom end with no turbo and he said it was way slower than his n/a 22T. I've seen the compression numbers of a 22T before but I don't remember them exactly. I should know, lol.

 

edit: Compression on a stock 22T is 7.8:1. Not sure how that would change with your heads.

[Tr00b]

Thanks monkey... I think I'll pass on the turbo block. Thats alot of money to toss at something that could be a pile of poop and I could spend quite awhile without turbo parts...

 

Part of my house is collapsing from snow load damage and half of the house has to get demo'd to fix it. They start like the 1st of March demoing which includes the garage, so I have a limited time to make a decision because I lose my garage and all spare time for 4 months.

 

Spent a whole hour with the mechanics stethoscope hoping for some kind of diagnostic miracle... the rattling noise from the bottom end has not changed that much since I first tested it in December before I did the timing belt. As I mentioned earlier, some days its not that bad, others she's really rough.

 

I've decided... I'm taking the car to the local Subaru gurus to look at.

[Tr00b]

Edit, because I wrote the first one like crap.

 

I took my car to perhaps the only Subaru "authority" in the area. They have Subaru's and Subaru parts stacked everywhere, bought sold etc.

 

Essentially, they knew what the problem was. The rod bearings begin to spin on the rods, scarring and wearing away the rod surface and causing looseness and knock, depending on where the bearings decide to "sit down" if they decide to spin some. This will cause a strange, intermittent and temperature fluctuating knock that will get worse and worse as it degrades and the bearing surface on the rod wears away more and more.

 

The engine would need to be rebuilt. It could last a week or even years but will fail with much more certainty than an engine that isn't knocking. They had rods and bearings from an engine that had the same problem sitting on the bench.

 

Essentially, I am still having no luck finding a reasonably priced motor. If it doesn't have over 200,000 miles, its usually over 1000 bucks...

[DOHCEJ22E1]

Did you do the car-part.com search in areas close to you? I found a pretty pristine 95 EJ22 engine for $400. Had 100k on it & had to pick it up from a junkyard about 20mi away from me.

[Tr00b]

Yes, I have. As of tonight I got a hit on a 1999 Impreza engine 100mi away for $850 with 77,000. They say it runs very good (RVG). This is the most promising thing I've found yet.

 

Edit... I have phase 2, woudn't that 1995 not work?

[subikid90]

Yes, I have. As of tonight I got a hit on a 1999 Impreza engine 100mi away for $850 with 77,000. They say it runs very good (RVG). This is the most promising thing I've found yet.

 

Edit... I have phase 2, woudn't that 1995 not work?

 

The short block from any EJ22 will work and eliminate your lower end knocking problem you are experiencing. It would require you to do a headgasket job.

[johnegg]

The short block from any EJ22 will work and eliminate your lower end knocking problem you are experiencing. It would require you to do a headgasket job.

 

for that matter, any ej22 block, 90 - 00, will work if you swap on your heads and intake.

 

you could strip the engine down while in the car and build the short block on the floor. once the new engine is ready you can rent a lift and install it in an afternoon.

[twisty]

too bad youre not closer to az... you could have this!

 

http://phoenix.craigslist.org/cph/pts/3573115550.html

 

id love to get that and swap it into my wagon.

[Tr00b]

Johnegg, I have engine lift and engine stand. They are occupied by junk but can be freed up. I will start the older ej22 short block hunt I guess a complete phase 2 is pretty expensive. I didn't want to mess with a tear down I have had bad luck with that.

 

Honestly something that would grease my gizzard enough to willingly spend money fixing something I should have caught before I bought the car is if SOME sort of performance upgrade came from it.

 

Subikid, The short block swap seems like the way to go to keep it cheap. I wasn't trying to ask a dumb question I just had been only looking at complete phase 2 engines till now

 

I would go through some hoops for power. Twisty would love the h6.

[pleaidestar]

Look at lkq.com, they sell good used motors, I bought my ej22 back in November for $550 the motor came with mileage details...it came out of a 98 impreza ob and had 87k miles, with a return core of 100 bucks if I send my old motor, I kept mine to have a fresh backup.

 

You may have to pay shipping on it though. I was lucky to have an lkq yard in town though. But they might be your best bet as far as cost though.

[subikid90]

Check out pick n pull, there are two of them in Il that frequently have EJ22's in them. They only charge like $150 for a short block

[Tr00b]

I topped a half bottle of STP Engine Treatment up with 85w-90 gear oil and poured it in the crankcase, quieted it up alot. I don't know if that means anything but it helped.

 

Waiting for a few feelers on an engine to play out...

[Tr00b]

I thought I would update everyone on this. I am pretty sure its licked.

 

Problem 1 I did a compression test in November and didn't plug an injector in all the way.

 

Problem 2 spark plugs were by modern standards new but by the old standard for old garbage plugs ancient. Cheap steel electrode plugs with way too much gap as compared to the platinum plugs that replaced them.

 

Coil pack was questionable had irremovable tarnish on several terminals.

 

My car would stumble under load at as low as 1500 rpm. There was a serious ignition problem somewhere and a fuel delivery problem so combined I think they caused the knock. Running oil stabilizer and fixing those issues had completely eliminated the knock issues thus far.

 

Thank you everyone for your participation and help.

[Tr00b]

Haha. I was looking at rebuild cost information and came across this thread.

 

Car still runs. Car still burns oil. It got head gaskets this summer on the old block and still knocks and still burns oil. I still beat the ever living hell out of it every day pretty much. Shooting for 300k on the orig short block. Heading to 265k in the next few weeks.