Swapping '90 EJ22 to '91 - '94 Legacy

[Legacy Konig]

Alright, I am in need of major advice.

To make a long story short, I smacked up my 1990 Legacy with the EJ22 into a phone pole the other day. Now here's the deal, this is not the original engine, it's new.

I want to swap my EJ22 into a '91 or a '92, '93, '94 Legacy.

I want to know the compatibilty of the first-gen Legacys.

Can I put my 1990 EJ22 into different Legacy, so long as it's a first gen? Will a '94's transmission fit my '90 engine.

If somebody, anybody could give me any advice...

It would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

[kimokalihi]

I'm pretty sure they're all interchangeable. I put a 94 4EAT tranny into my 90 wagon. Both were AWD and non turbo of course. Went it without a hitch.

[Legacy Konig]

Hmm... Thank you sir.

When you say the '94 fit to your '90... Did it bolt right up?

No modifications or extra time spent because of it?

[Aerotech]

Bolt patterns are the same from '90 right on up through 2007.

The only thing you need to think about is wiring, really... you'll have some issues putting a NA motor into a Turbo shell, due to differences in the ECU pinouts and extra sensors, but it can be done.
As long as you get a NA body, auto or stick, the motor will drop right in and run.

You don't say what trans your old car has...You can re-use your transmission, as well, just try to find a shell wired for what you have, as putting an auto trans into a 5MT shell is not a job for the faint of heart due to the computers required to run the auto... but a 5MT into an auto shell is fairly easy. Lots of Legacys lying around with blown 4EATs, you should be able to pick up one cheap. Cars with bad engines are a little harder to find.

[kimokalihi]

Hmm... Thank you sir.

When you say the '94 fit to your '90... Did it bolt right up?

No modifications or extra time spent because of it?

Yeah it bolted right up. I had the car only a few weeks before replacing the tranny that died right after I bought it. First legacy I owned too, first subaru at that! Junkyard told me it would fit so I took their word for it although they also told me that all 1st gen legacys have the same gear ratios so I wouldn't listen to those guys. I found out they were wrong after everything was installed and the 94 tranny was not the same ratio as the 90 rear diff. It made a nice grinding sound as I drove it down the street.

[Legacy Konig]

This is great information guys, I greatly thank you both.

So if I'm correct, any Legacy will suffice so long as it's a first-gen, under '94. The wiring might be a little tough, but that's no biggie.

I have a manual transmission, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

My car is smakced up right, but the engine is good, so here's my plan...

Preferablly, I'm looking for a '94 Legacy but truely any Legacy would suffice, '90-'94.

I want to buy one with a blown or just plain out of service engine, but with a good transmission (my transmission is pretty old, pretty grinding, bad synchros and whatnot.)

That is my best plan at this point, I'm trying to capitolize on the situation, come out ahead in that sense.

But I have another big question that I've been forgeting to ask...

Would it be possible to bolt an EJ22 engine to a transmission made for an EJ20?

What's the compatibilty as far as that's concerned?

Was the entire EJ series meant to be compatible with itself?

Even if displacement is different?

[Aerotech]

Yep, still the same pattern... but you're unlikely to run across one, unless it comes from Canada, USDM never got the 2.0 until the WRX came out in '02. Early Imprezas here had 1.8L w/ 2.2 as an upgrade, all Legacy had 2.2 either NA or Turbo. SVX had EJ33 6-cyl.

[kimokalihi]

Is it EG33 or EJ33? I thought it was EG33?

[asc_up]

It's EG33, but I believe it will still bolt up.