Just got my rebuilt motor 1996 2.2L!

[JPX]

Thanks to fellow forum members' advice, I decided that pulling heads with engine still in the car was not the way to go.

So I just got my rebuilt 2.2L engine delivered today. Sorry to disappoint those that think I ought to cram a 2.5L turbo in there, but I like to keep stuff like this stock. Check out how complete this setup is!


More posts to follow as the replacement progresses......

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[fibuz]

Lookin good!

[jalterio]

how mant miles did you have on your 96? was a rebuild expensive?

[subysouth]

Where'd you get the rebuild and what was the cost if I might ask?

ss

[Wiscon_Mark]

tell us how smooth a nice EJ22E feels when brand new

How much to rebuild?

[JPX]

$2000 including gasket set and delivery charge. Supplier is http://www.ccrengines.com/.
Just rearranged the garage today to get this project underway.

Current motor is 138K - blown headgasket and a dead waterpump.

[Plays_With_toys]

$2000 eh? They're local. No delivery charge for me!

Let us know how easy it is to install and how it feels. I imagine there's a break in period?

[JPX]

Slow progress, but progress nonetheless. Just need to undo the trans/engine bolts, driveplate nuts and the mounts.


Here is the gasket kit the engine came with.


My wife got me this coverall and patch for Christmas. I swear it makes me work better!

[iamrazor]

did they do a core charge? they rebuild your own motor? turnaround time?

[JPX]

No core charge (unless you don't send the engine back). They sent out a rebuilt motor with a 3yr warranty - it is not a rebuild of my original motor.

Not a lot got done today since I was on duty with the kids. Only achievement was removing the crank pulley. Pretty sad - one bolt a day is not that good of a pace. Oh and I found out my radiator didn't pass pressure test at the shop, so I need a new one to the tune of $140. Bleah.

Basic plan is to have the motor taken out the car this weekend. Might consider sticking the rebuilt motor in the car and then bolting all the intake parts on later. I would rather swap everything on top with the motors out of the car. But I really need to get that engine lift back to the neighbor.

[JPX]

Wow what a pain that lower driver's engine-transaxle nut was!


Took the intake manifold off after setting the motor on the ground. Now begins the dreary task of cleaning stuff and getting it ready to move to the new block.

[JPX]

Having 2 kids around really slows down this stage of the process. I cleaned the intake manifold with 2 cans of carb cleaner. Here is a before picture - you Seafoamer guys will appreciate this shot.


A comparison of the old motor's plastic plate and the new one's aluminum plate. Interesting that the old motor's rear seal has held up quite well - especially considering I went through 2 front crank seals.


I started moving little things like the crank and cam position sensors and the breather tube over. Lots of grit stuck to the pickups. I'm hoping to assemble the manifold to the new motor this weekend and get the block back into the engine bay - good weather forecast will help!

In the meantime, it has been great fun driving the Cabriolet to work!

[iamrazor]

having 2 lil ones, I can relate... good work, keep us posted.
Explain the seafoam pic. was it used / not used? I've heard good things about it and am considering adding some prior to next oil change.

[subysouth]

Originally Posted by iamrazor

Explain the seafoam pic. was it used / not used? I've heard good things about it and am considering adding some prior to next oil change.

Second.

Was the after pic posted?

ss

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by iamrazor

having 2 lil ones, I can relate... good work, keep us posted.

I have a 10 yr old and an 8 yr old. I try to find things for them to do.
The wife is happy, and the kids are happy.

I work slower though.

Hopefully my heads arrive Monday and the STi SB later in the week.

Then assemble and swap. Sigh. Hope the weather holds out since I am working in the driveway.

Oh, and traveling alot. I am in South Dakota right now, home late in the week.

[JPX]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with rugrats to chase around while working on these projects!

This morning was supposed to be a big day - now it is just fiddling around day. In my haste, I had not noticed that the new motor's rear main seal was not already installed.


Unfortunately I did not make it to the parts store in time and now EVERYTHING has to wait until Monday at the earliest.

[JPX]

So I got the rear main seal and installed it tonight. It was a hassle getting in - most oil seals are small enough to use a socket or something. This 4" or so thing kept getting ****-eyed. But I was able to set it in at the same depth the old seal was at. Basically it is flush with the block surface but just a little bit below about halfway down the chamfer.


Now I can proceed with getting the driveplate back on and putting the project back on track. I picked up new radiator hoses and the little $16 hose that runs off the bypass on water pump.

[JPX]

Actually got an hour in the garage. Intake manifold went on today. Who knows, maybe the engine will go in the car this weekend.


subysouth, the picture posted is before cleaning up the intake manifold. After cleaning it is , well.....clean. The buildup wasn't that tough to dissolve off. I was expecting something more caked on after 135,000 miles.

[Wiscon_Mark]

cool, I'd like to hear how one of these feels, brand new, since I wasn't driving when the EJ22 was still an option.

[JPX]

Well, I finally got around to remounting the engine back into the car. I thought I was going to have an easy time with this since I checked the dowel pins and put antiseize compound on them and the threaded areas.


But I found mysef fighting the transmission along with a floor jack to weasel things together. Had to beat up the engine mounts below while cramming the 2 studs into the transmission.


But then it magically found a happy place and settled into the bay very nicely....2 hours later.


Since the car has an automatic transmission, there are 4 bolts that connect the driveplate to the torque converter. This was the combination of extensions and swivels I used UNDER the intake manifold to tighten them through the top of the bell housing. BUY SWIVELS - YOU WILL NEED THEM.

[JPX]

New Modine radiator and cleaned up the coolant overflow tank - it was pretty oily and grubby following the head gasket failure on the old motor.


Here is what a fresh valve train looks like through the oil filler hole! Very exciting stuff.


The motor fully assembled (minus belt covers).


It fired up after a bit of persuasion from the fuel pump. Burping the cooling system is a royal pain - air EVERYWHERE. This thread-> on flushing coolant was quite helpful.

But now I have a Check Engine Light (CEL) that I can't shake loose even after multiple ECU resets. Once I pull the CEL code, I'll have a better idea of what to do next. Here is the scanner I am going to pick up->INNOVIA 3100 OBD II Code reader.

[JPX]

Update: Check Engine Light is due to troublecode P0115 - Coolant Temp Circuit Malfunction. Will spend tonight messing around with the sensors under the intake manifold.

[JPX]

Finally nailed down that CEL P0115. And of course it was something stupid. I had missed connecting up the coolant temperature sensor under the intake manifold. Thanks to Legacy777 on this post->http://www.ultimatesubaru.net/forum/...ad.php?t=53620 for the excellent reference photo to guide my investigation.

In retrospect, I wouldn't have needed the OBD2 scanner if I had been more careful about that connector. I suppose the good news is that it was the only major error upon final assembly.

The ECU is still re-learning so it is improving response with each drive. New motor is a puller.....it really feels quite tight.

As a result of a smoother motor, I can feel the alternator bearing banging away. This is probably due to the messed up crank pulley I had asked about on this thread->http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=939345.

138,000 miles on the odometer.....and a new engine to take the car into it's second decade! Thanks for words of encouragement from fellow NASIOC!

[Perdue]

Glad to see you got your motor in. I'm thinking about swapping in a DOHC EJ25 and ECU, which is supposedly plug and play for our cars. I'm not sure of a price difference though. Enjoy your new motor.

[Jonathan]

Congratulations on such a nice & almost problem free swap.

I have 186K on my '96 2.2 and all is well.
Nice to know how cheap a good rebuild is.