Engine Interchange info for 05 Leg i with 5 speed, need engi

[05 Lemon Legacy]

Needing interchange info for my 05 leg. i, all information I can find says the EJ253 in my car with the manual trans will only interchange with an 05 leg i with manual trans....WTF???

Anybody know what the deal is with this setup that makes it so different? I know my car doesn't have the VVT heads, but why does the transmission make a difference? Can you not just swap flex plates on an AT engine???

Why will another SOHC engine like from an Impreza or Saab not work? Will an 06 engine work if I swap my heads? Any piston clearance issues?

Any help, suggestions appreciated.


Thanks all.

[DarkPhoenix]

They should all work, it is just a matter of wiring if it is a different year. I can't see how a non turbo 2.5 from an Impreza/Saab/Forester/Legacy/Baja wouldn't work. The main thing I could see being a problem is if you were going from an auto to a manual in your Leggy and that would be due to the ECUs possibly being different. But being that you have a 5 speed already, that is a moot point.

[Reason]

If you just have an issue with the block you should be able to swap any EJ series block in there.