want a high compression hybrid/91 ls wagon

I purchased a 90 ls 5spd wagon a few months ago to use as a ongoing project/daily. I bought the car for $500 front an old man that said it overheated and blew the headgaskets, I'm pretty sure it did there is milk on the dipstick and oil cap..I am surprised about that because I personally know how tough the 22e is.

 

The wagon is in pretty good shape everything works including the factory sunroof and rear wiper. Between the mechanical and the bit of body work it needs I should have a good time this summer getting it on the road, hopefully by the end of summer.

 

I have a spare 2.2 that was on my 95 l has about 193k miles on it, the driver side head i believe is #1and #3? Needs sparkplug tubes. Other than that the motor ran good just tired and needs all new seals (which I have). So I was thinking about popping that motor in its place

 

...But I would also like to try a hybrid motor with ej18e heads and ej22e block and I/m, get a higher compression ratio and to whip that little wagon into a screamer, it handles and drives pretty good considering what has happened to it...

 

Want to know what anyone would think or tell me I'm idiotic, technical,mechanical, or previous experiences welcome bigtime.

I do plan to keep the original motor and split the case to rebuild, since I have never done a boxer motor before.

I have gathered a bit of info for this hypothetical build, ej18 heads and i/m are almost exactly the same as ej22 heads and i/m but with a more aggressive cam profile, the bore of the heads are about 6mm smaller than the 22e block (maybe more) and mathematically should put the compression ratio at about 10.1:1.(I know i will have to run 91octane). Fuji mls gaskets for the 22e, since the 22e pistons do not come out of the deck I could probably use Cometic ultra thins and retain hg reliability.

 

 

It seems theoretically it will work, but since it is an obd1 ecu I wonder if I will have fueling issues at low rpm. I'm no high performance engine builder, just want to do something different, and I would like to rev over 6500. I thought about a 2.2 stroked 2.4, but I may as well put a turbo kit or swap a 2.2t for the cost (if I could find one without a ton of miles). Don't know if what I want is possible or reliable so I'm asking for input on changeover parts and fueling tips on higher compression builds.

Hello;

I have no experience with hot rodding these engines. Thinking that a better cam profile and a good 3 angle valve job would go a long ways. Maybe a larger size injectors would help. How about a better flowing exhaust system. Just a few ideas, Steven.

Hello;

I have no experience with hot rodding these engines. Thinking that a better cam profile and a good 3 angle valve job would go a long ways. Maybe a larger size injectors would help. How about a better flowing exhaust system. Just a few ideas, Steven.

 

Hey steven, I havent done anything like this with them either, mostly making my dd reliable and more efficient (have gotten a little more grunt in the process:lol:.I just have gotten a project that I want to work on and try a few things, Inexperience will hold me back quite a bit.

 

Two of the mods you referred to specifically the fuel injectors and cams are part of what I don't know..I'm not sure which injectors I can use, I have some spares from an early 98 impreza obs. The cam profiling is for sure, I want to send some to delta (heard a lot of good things), I have heard the ej18e heads and cams are similar to the 22e but the cams are more aggressive to make up for displacement. This is what got me thinking that why not just hybrid the motor with ej18 heads and raise compression..

The spare 2.2 I have runs pretty good but was leaking all over (192k), I have all I need to get it going cam seals, water pump,timing belt and kit, etc. I am still holding on the vapor seal and rear main, according to the p.o of the wagon it had gotten a new clutch a couple months prior to blowing the hgs, so I'm hoping the mechanic that did it thought enough about that. I need luck for that but I'm optimistic.

 

If I don't go ahead with that hybrid, probably take the heads to machine shop for the tubes and call it a day...I have prepared for a hurried fix but want to try some stuff

Hello;

Excuse my ignorance but what is the deal with the sparkplug tubes? I recently did HGs on a 2.2 ej22e n/a engine. Number 3 cylinder was the offender having gone dead and spewing junk into the spark plug tube. Turned out that oil was leaking thru the spark plug ceramic into the tube. Heads were flat and was inspected for cracks. Turned out the block needed to be resurfaced, having a low spot around the cylinder wall. Was really suprised that there was no ridge on the walls and still had the original crosshatching. 140k miles on the block and the only other fault was a cam going flat. Steven.

Wow a bit more extreme, my sparkplugs in that head seized in them, one I got out and had to re-tap the hole and thread in an insert with blue threadlocker( 3 months after I bought it) . The other plug won't budge, I haven't put my breaker bar on it yet..but motor out and. 3/8 drive and 3"extension I can't get it to make a quarter turn. This vw mechanic friend I know tells me I should be able to get them fixed for good, I do not know the process or details about the machine work though.

Hello;

Never had much of a problem with spark plugs, but I use antiseize on anything that is heat related. Take a propane torch and heat the spark plug from the electrode side and spray with PB blaster. Do this as needed. Steven.

I have never had that problem either but, I gave it a shot of I.d red, and put the breaker on it this morning...they are out but it seams the plugs siezed in there enough to leave what looks like melted aluminum in the threads of the plug and the ground strap is toast..the electrode is still sharp, they are ngk iridiums. First time I used those plugs, and last after what I saw on them. It got superheated somehow or was a constant arc...

 

Now I may need heads, once source says I can repair the tubes with inserts, but I'm not interested in putting helicoils or steel grip inserts...so I'm looking for heads now...might pick up those 18e heads for $60 and try this build..I can get the 90 22e heads decked for $90, as far as I know right now my 95 22e heads are irreparable. I'm thinking about pulling the motor in the wagon next weekend to get the heads off and check for the run-off. A big hopeful that they don't need resurfacing...we will see.

How about the valve clearance? I had a buddy who tried swapping different heads on an ej22e and it didn't hit the valves until the motor was running. He said he couldn't tell by turning it over by hand, but he's not the greatest mechanic

That's a great question, I don't know the differences in valve train at all...I believe I just have to take them apart, measure and weigh everything on the 18e heads and 22e heads, compare and do the math....ugh, I read somewhere that the shims and buckets have to go in the same order they came out, I'm absolutely new at rebuilding motors, and even more with the boxer...most of what I'm doing will be a first and on the fly..

The old school method of putting a layer clay on the piston, then spray it with soapy water so the valve doesn't stick. Then torquing the heads on, timing belt, and turn the motor over and take it apart and see what your clearance is. Search youtube for an episode of "horsepower tv diy head rebuild" where they rebuild the heads and do some porting without taking it to a machine shop.

Thanks usliberty, I will check that out.

Talked to a guy yesterday on sl-i said his cousin did the 18/22 hybrid, he said its high compression but when I asked he said he thought it was 9:1....I thought 2.2 ran like a 9.5:1from 94 to 96then late 97 to late 98 they bumped the cr to 9.7:1 turning the motor into interference, unless I read wrong that. 9.0:1 sounds like the compression ratio of a 25d/22e hybrid.

The old school method of putting a layer clay on the piston, then spray it with soapy water so the valve doesn't stick. Then torquing the heads on, timing belt, and turn the motor over and take it apart and see what your clearance is. Search youtube for an episode of "horsepower tv diy head rebuild" where they rebuild the heads and do some porting without taking it to a machine shop.

 

 

I gave that a thought for a bit, bit I don't know if that will work because of thermal expansion...if the valves and pistons are cold it will miss, bit once everything warms up they will expand a little.

 

I do like the diy port and polish bit they had, I got my I/m gaskets to port match, soon ill have my hg's and ill do the heads the same way that way if I don't do the hybrid the 22e heads will flow a touch better.

I picked up the 18e heads today for $80, not too bad looking I guess..a little dirty and the valves have a little over 170k on the motor they came off, no apparent misfiring going on at least.

 

Ill be taking them apart in a week or so, planned on it this weekend but a friend of mine called me and told me his cell was flashing in his suzuki vitara, it ended up being the ground strap on one of his plugs broke off and was bouncing around in that cylinder. I might help him pull the head of and get a look.. :0