Got some questions for you regarding the EJ22. This summer ill be purchasing a new car due to the baby and having a coupe it’s proving to already be a huge PITA. I had the ideas of an Accord V6 or a WRX wagon but the more I think about it I’d rather not get into another car payment because well as many of you know having money in the bank is handy with a child lol.
So any way onto the questions. I’m looking into 95-01 impreza outback sports with the EJ22 because I’ve always had a soft spot for the styling of them. I used to have a 96 legacy and it was seemingly bulletproof lol. But as I do some research there are a few variations of the motor. With the impreza 95 and 96 are the non interference motor AKA the motor I had in my legacy. Then 97 and 98 were interference then in 99 and up they started the phase II EJ22 which is also interference. Im still not totally sure the difference between the phase one and phase II if someone can chime in.
So my question mainly is how reliable are the newer interference EJ22’s? Are they much if at all worse? Or is it a keep up on maintenance and do timing belt and water pump every 60k and it will run forever like the older ones? It’s naturally a lot easier to find the newer years but if I have to track down a 95-96 I will.
like you put in your OP the 2.2s are awesome just change the timing belt, water pump and keep oil in them the motor will probably outlast the car. (I’m actually a closet subaru lover)
The biggest difference is actually in the bellhousing, fewer bolts holding the engine and trans together on the Phase I. Doesn’t matter really though, one isnt really much better than the other. Just the obvious difference of the timing belt change being more important on the interference motors, they are both pretty good from my knowledge.
There are many variants ranging from '91 to '01 Phase one EJ22/22E is the 91-96 non interference motor with the twin exhaust port SOHC heads. Same core engine design used in the EG33. Motor has the best rod ratio of any subaru engine.
Ej22T motor would be the best of the 2.2 blocks you could get your hands on in the states. Closed deck turbo motor from the 91-94 legacy turbos. Pretty scarce these days.
If you can manage to find a 22G you have a gem(it’s a 22B engine). Oil squirters, stiffer webbing, list goes on. It was a detuned WRC engine that made it to the street.
Phase 2 EJ222 and 223 motors are the interference cores with changes to the heads(single port exhaust), different pistons, solid lifters, etc. Still excellent motors, just not as good as phase one.
ALL EJ22 open deck variants suffer from headgasket issues, this means everything except the 22T and 22G. If you buy a car with one with over 150K on the clock and no record of them being change I highly recommend you buy a set of OEM gaskets and either OEM bolts or some ARP hardware and change them out(new T-belt kit and thermo recommended at the same time while it’s out)
I have a 98 Legacy Outback but the original motor in it (the 2.5l) went boom, so it currently has a 2.2L (phase 1) motor in it and runs like a champ, about 130k on the motor.
find a southern car without rot, around or less than 150k, put HG’s and a tbelt kit in it, and it would last longenough to give to the lil one as a first car!
Wut, who ever said they were? All twin cam flat fours are. Phase one SOHC 1.8’s and 2.2 are not, phase 2’s are. The BOXERSIX(haha:lmao:ninja) 3.3L Eg33 is non interference, while the 3.0 EZ30 and 30R as well as the 3.6 tri-puke-a motors are…
hence why I always say the Eg33 was subarus best motor because it was the largest displacement core built off 2.2L phase 1 geometry and is noninterference. Plus it looks really good shoehorned into an STI engine bay…
And if you want to get technical I can start listing off the WRC and GPn variants as well as there super short run of an indy motor…:zip
I’m starting to look around and if I find the right car will be purchasing in the next month or two. Feel like PMing me an estimate for a HG, studs, timing belt, and thermostat job when you get the chance in case theres no record of it being done? Car will most likely be a 2000-2001 impreza/outback sport 2.2l
haha:lmao:ninja) 3.3L Eg33 is non interference, while the 3.0 EZ30 and 30R as well as the 3.6 tri-puke-a motors are…