Can I swap out an EJ25 for an EJ22 in a 97 OBW?

[subawhatsubawho]

I have my eye on a 97 OBW with a blown engine and I was curious what it would take to drop an EJ22 into it.

[gt2.5turbo]

um i dont think much... my dad has done this three times already

and he usually gets it swapped in a day so it cant be to hard

[subawhatsubawho]

Can I retain the EJ25's ECU? Is the exhaust the same? Sensors? Harness?

[555BCTurbo]

Pretty sure you would need to change the ECU. Different size motor and different types of cam angle sensors, or timing sprokets, iirc. The 2.2 is a SOHC motor, and the 2.5 is a DOHC motor, so there are going to be some differences in location of some sensors, wiring, etc.

Other than that, should be a bolt in operation.

[gt2.5turbo]

i thought that the obw had a SOHC...

[206er]

it depends on which phase motor it was. phase 1 is DOHC and phase 2 is SOHC. your 97 OBW will have DOHC as it is still phase 1. I'm also pretty interested in knowing the compatibility between ej25 SOHC heads and ej22e heads regarding wiring of the sensors.

[vrg3]

As far as I can see, you should be able to use all the EJ25 sensors and the EJ25 ECU. It won't run optimally but it should work fine.

The number of camshafts doesn't really have anything to do with sensors.

[Matt Monson]

Well,
My first question is what is wrong with the engine? On that car, it could be as simple as a blown headgasket, which will cost you less than $100 to fix.

Beyond that, if you put the 2.2l in you will need to either use an early 2.2l with dual port heads or buy a single port exhaust manifold to make it work.

Regardless, I personally think it is going backwards. The engine that is currently in there is far superior to any 2.2l variant...

[subawhatsubawho]

The timing belt let loose on the EJ25 and bent the valves.

I have (2) 90 EJ22's in my garage so that is not a problem. I'm want to swap the EJ22 in just to save money and have a good car.

Thanks for all your help guys. I really appreciate it. If anyone has any other comment then please let me know. Knowlwdge is power.

[Matt Monson]

To run a phase I Ej22 will be a bit of a challenge. YOu will need to use the Ej22 intake manifold. You will then want to move over the Ej25 wiring harness to the Ej22 manifold Not sure if the Ej25 harness will plug into the Ej22 IAC. I will look for you tonight on a spare manifiold that I have. You will use the Ej25 coil pack and ignition components. And I am still not convinced there won't be issues with the cam timing...

[subawhatsubawho]

I sold a DOHC EJ20 to a guy that stuck it in his legacy and he says it works great. Hopefully I will have the same results.

Thanks for looking at the manifold for me Matt. If you say do it....I'll do it.

[Matt Monson]

Here's a thought...If you are willing to spend $70 on headgaskets, build a Frankensubie... EJ22E heads and the EJ25 bottom end. That will bridge the gap between 140hp and 165hp and put you more like 155hp. And it will be fun to do...

BTW, Let me know if you want to sell those DOHC Ej25 heads. I would want them complete, with timing covers and gears...

[subawhatsubawho]

Dude...if I get the OBW you can have the heads. Just pay for the shipping.

I will let you know how it goes Within the next few days.

[Matt Monson]

Sounds like a deal. Let me know. My head guy wants some more heads to experiment with...