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Which year engines can be directly swapped into 2005 legacys?


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I have an 05 2.5i non turbo stock legacy and want to possibly buy a salvage car and take the engine from it.

 

What engines will directly bolt into my car and match the computer and all the other components?

 

The heads are specific to 2005 is my understanding. Does that mean I can only use 2005 model year engines? What about from other models like the forester.

 

Sorry if this is already posted. I couldn't find it.

 

I read the engine swap sticky in the second gen post but can't find info on the fourth gen.

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So I don't know anything about engines and ECU's working together so I'm pretty unclear on what engines I can search from.

 

Wikipedia says all these cars have the E253 motor

 

 

Impreza 99, 05+

  • Legacy, Outback USA 05+
  • Legacy 03-06 (Europe)
  • Outback 03-09 (Europe)
  • Forester 99 (SF), 05+ (SG, SH)
  • Baja 05+
  • Saab 9-2x Linear 05, 06

Can I take a motor from say an 07 forester or a 06 impressa and just bolt it up into my 05 legacy?

 

I don't have to do any other modifications?

 

Or will only a 2005 legacy engine bolt right in and run correctly with my computure?

 

Sorry about the terrible spelling...

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Lunched TB and likely took out some valves.

 

I think I might have planted the seed in his head to buy a crashed parts car and drop in the engine. . . rather than rebuild what he's got.

 

I'm foggy but I'm thinking the EJ253 doesn't have AVCS but it does have some rudimentary variable valve lift, where it swaps cam lobes on the intake side or something to reduce valve lift on one of the two valves only to create "swirl". That's what makes the heads unique.

 

EDIT: yup. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/variable-valve-mechanical-electrical-30921.html http://drive2.subaru.com/Spring07_whatmakes.htm

 

So, if your engine has that, stick with ones that do esp. if yours are possibly borked. No idea on fitment of those. . . but wikipedia sounds right except for 99 Foresters having them. If they're out there, I've never seen one. My brother has a Saab 9-2x 2.5i, pretty sure it has it. They're rebadged Impreza wagons, 100% Subaru drivelines and 90% Subaru sheetmetal. Only made for 2 years and less than 15,000 of them so probably a lot easier to find a wrecked Forester or Leggy, but they're out there.

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yea like lockmedic said,

 

My timing belt snapped at about 65. Then on the side of the road I tried to start it a few times.

 

I assumed the valves contacted the pistons at some point but I have not leak down tested so I don't really know yet.

 

I have the timing belt off the car now and am trying to figure out if I want to just perform belt change (never done one yet) to see if the valves are damaged, but I don't want to perform that step if its like 99% chance the valves got damaged like everyone is saying.

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If you don't have nor want to buy a leakdown tester, throw a used TB on it and run a compression test, or heck, just try to start it and see how it idles. You don't have to reassemble the belt covers or accessories to do that, just throw the balancer on.

 

I'm guessing if you asked, somebody here probably has a used belt they'd give you for evaluation purposes.

 

I have gobs of -04 belts. . . they'd probably work but I'm not 100% sure. Or for that matter, if you're gonna buy a parts car, just go ahead and buy a new belt, test it on this engine, then move it to the parts car motor if you have to cross that bridge.

 

Nobody really knows if the valves are damaged or not. . .just the probability is high that they are. Worth doing either a compression or leakdown test to find out. . . leakdown being the better of the two as it'll let you isolate whether the intake or exhaust valves are bent, and you don't have to have a functional timing belt to do it.

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I have a belt from an '05 LGT if that would work. Although it looks to be in good shape, I don't know its history so I'll never use it. I only kept it for using it to take pulleys and stuff off since i've read some techniques that use old timing belts. Anyway, up for grabs if you want it OP.

"Bullet-proof" your OEM TMIC! <<Buy your kit here>>

 

Not currently in stock :(

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put the t-belt on and do a compression test. If it's good, spend the money on buying or renting a leakdown tester. If it's good, then you're done and no need to swap engines and heads and crap.

 

If you've got it apart where you can put a new t-belt on at least to spin the motor over enough to do a compression test, that is the easy thing to start with first. THe SOHC t-belt jobs are so freaking easy

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