1998 Subaru Legacy Outback Limited Wagon the 2.5 has rod knock what other year engines will fit?
Asked by Bubba22349 Jan 26, 2016 at 05:49 PM about the 2000 Subaru Outback Limited Wagon
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
What other year engines can be swapped with the current 2.5 L DOHC
engine. Also how can you ID or decode what the year and size of a Subaru
engine is thats already be pulled out of a car?
9 Answers
You have an EJ25 series engine. These engines were in service on Outbacks from 1989 to 2012 and went through two phrases. I imagine that they would fit most years provided they had similar transmissions.
Bubba22349 answered 8 years ago
Thank you Mark W, the wagon has an Auto Trans. is there a way to ID these engines if you where looking at pulled engines? Is there certain years that are better then others to hunt for? I will be fixing this car up for my wife to drive. I am a retired mechanic and most of my experience has been with Fords and GM.
Yes, my car is a 2010 Subaru Outback 2.5 EJ series, phase 2, SOHC. That's important, they decided in 2013 to change the design to a DOHC, and in doing so changed the placement of some of the valves, and went from a timing belt to timing chain. That doesn't seem bad, except that they wound up with an oil burning problem on these cars. One piece of good news on the newer engines, they pretty much solved the head gaskets problem of years past. Starting with my 2010, they redesigned the head gaskets and used an open deck, the new head gaskets are a stainless steel multi layered gasket. So, the 2010, 2011 and 2012 are excellent. And, the 2.5 has plenty of pep for me. Yes, I think there's a correlating number for each engine. Call Subaru and they will tell you. I have the CVT transmission and the car runs great! Good luck. If this has been helpful, please mark one of my answers "best answer". Thank you. -----Mark
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 8 years ago
Again, Mark, your answer absolutely does NOT address the query! 1996-1999 (first-gen) 2.5i DOHC motors are inherently weak at the combustion chamber-to-coolant- port interface, blowing their headgaskets internally via a high pressure breach. They rarely "take" a successful rebuild for very long, unlike the simpler 2000- 2009 (2011 Imp) design. That said, there are too may items required to swap in a newer motor in these first-gen OBs. "Best Answer"? Please stop trumpeting, my friend....
Ernie, I'm sorry, but, the original poster asked about ALTERNATIVE engines and my answer specifically said to look at replacing it with a 2010, 2011 or 2012. I NEVER said anything about 1996 -1999 engines. I know you're a FAN of these cars for their so called "race or slalom" qualities, as if people really race Outbacks? I merely pointed out the EJ series engine ran from 1989 to 2012 in the Outback, which is a fact. Plenty stop distorting what I said.
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 8 years ago
What? The '10-12 motors will NOT fit, at least without huge transformation of the ECM, TCM, emissions, exhaust, engine mounts, etc., greatly exceeding the value of the car. PLEASE stop muddying the waters with useless info, huh? You're like the tourist guide who recites a travelogue when someone asks where the bathroom is....
Ernie, you know, they put Subaru engines inside VWs and retrofit them. Who's talking about resale value? Maybe I should have just told them to buy a brand new car? Anything is possible, just depends on what your objective is. And, let's say that you're right about costing more than the actual blue book value of the car, you think it would exceed the 5 years cost of depreciation on a new vehicle.? So, you're saying IT cannot be done?
As a point of information, http://bb.bbboy.net/vwengineconversions-viewthread? forum=3&thread=135 http://www.bowtie6.com/vw-beetle-subaru-swap/
TheSubaruGuruBoston answered 8 years ago
Well I guess there is the turducken. When I was a young engineer off on a medical convention I was "initiated" into a wild club in Cleveland where I could NO believe what the young woman on stage consumed....
