Phase 1 motor in phase 2 car?

[Suba_Steve]

So I picked up a 99 forester today for dirt cheap that has the ej251 with a huge hole in the block. I have a 95 2.2 left over from my swap and I was curious what it would take to get it to work with the phase 2 ecu in my forester? Im thinking swap the engine harness and sensors from my forester onto my 2.2. but that's just a theory. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[86bratman]

It won't idle for crap when cold, the iacv 's are not compatible. Everything else can be swapped over to work though.

Only known way around this currently is to use the heads from the 251 on the 22e shortblock, leaving low compression but completely runnable.

There may be other ways to go about making it work right, but I haven't read them.

[Suba_Steve]

Yeah the iac was my main concern I didn't know if there was a way to convert them over or not thanks for the input.

[Garrison]

You have a freebie 2.2 block? Can I be the first to say it?

..... *looks left* *looks right*


*whispers* booooooooooost it

[Suba_Steve]

You have a freebie 2.2 block? Can I be the first to say it?

..... *looks left* *looks right*


*whispers* booooooooooost it

haha I wish, I would if i wasn't building this car for my lil sis to go back and forth to college in.

[86bratman]

I'd still slap the 251 heads on the 22e, it'll serve it's purpose, just will be down on power.

[Suba_Steve]

I'd still slap the 251 heads on the 22e, it'll serve it's purpose, just will be down on power.
I have a 25d laying around with bad heads I can throw them on, was just looking for a quicker fix than a full head-gasket job lol.

[Wiscon_Mark]

The EJ251 is also MAP, not MAF. Not sure how well that will work, if at all.

Unless this was one of those weird hybrid SOHC with MAF cars.

[86bratman]

As long as all the electronics from the original motor are kept together it won't make a difference.

[Garrison]

The ecu has to match the heads, and the wiring is a lot easier if you use the heads already on the car. So... in short, you would be better suited to swap in the 2.2 block and do the headgasket - it's a one time job and you're done. Versus taking the thing down to the shell and swapping wiring + sensors.

[Suba_Steve]

Thanks for the input guys. Instead of trying to rig it up, Im just going to put the 251 heads on my 25d block so everything works as it was designed; and, I don't have to suffer the lack of efficiency of having a low compression motor.Ill have to use the dohc head gaskets or sti headsets as o posed to the thinner Ej251 gaskets correct? I think I read somewhere that the clearance on the phase one blocks were pretty tight with 251 heads and head gaskets.