'11 EJ253 into '08 impreza 2.5i

[teebeekay]

I am trying to swap a 2011 EJ253 into a 2008 impreza 2.5i. Both engines have the cast intake manifold. I have completed the swap but have a no start issue. So far I have adjusted the timing and can confirm fuel and spark.

I also noticed that the ignition coil was not interchangeable. They both have different connectors on them.

Will this engine work in this car or are there differences that I have to account for? So far everything bolted up and the connectors fit perfect except for the ignition coil mentioned above.

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[hedron]

I'm hardly an expert, but are the computers identical?

It's the same generation, so theorhetically it should be no problem.

Also, a little more detail into what you mean by, "no start"? cha-cha-cha....click...click...click, but then you know that means dead battery...

[TurboRev]

That swap should work, but the ignition coil difference is a big deal and likely part of your no-start issue. Make sure the wiring and ECU match the 2008 specs, or swap the ignition system to match the older setup. Check all sensors and connectors to be sure everything aligns properly.

[teebeekay]

I was going to try to swap over the whole intake manifold and wire harness from the 08 engine.

In regards to the no start I'm starting to believe the replacement '11 engine might be junk. The crank is very easy to spin by hand and I can't feel any compression. When cranking everything spins but it does just that - it sounds like it freely spins. No farts, hiccups or chugs during starting. I'll check compression later.

When I inspected the timing with the crank at the TDC mark the passenger side was at 1:00 and the driver side was at 4:00. It has since been corrected but maybe all the valves are bent already.

[Elbert Bass]

Originally Posted by teebeekay

I was going to try to swap over the whole intake manifold and wire harness from the 08 engine.

In regards to the no start I'm starting to believe the replacement '11 engine might be junk. The crank is very easy to spin by hand and I can't feel any compression. When cranking everything spins but it does just that - it sounds like it freely spins. No farts, hiccups or chugs during starting. I'll check compression later.

When I inspected the timing with the crank at the TDC mark the passenger side was at 1:00 and the driver side was at 4:00. It has since been corrected but maybe all the valves are bent already.

When putting salvage engines in cars that is the best practice - swapping intake/exhaust/fuel/harness that is native to the car always got the job out of the shop quick and painless.

[teebeekay]

I ran a compression test today. Nothing but zeros across the board.

I'll start tearing apart the old engine and see if I can Frankenstein a workable engine out of the two. Side note the old engine may have just been low on coolant lol. It ran fine but would rattle when coming off the throttle and would overheat.

[Charlie-III]

Originally Posted by teebeekay

I ran a compression test today. Nothing but zeros across the board.

I'll start tearing apart the old engine and see if I can Frankenstein a workable engine out of the two. Side note the old engine may have just been low on coolant lol. It ran fine but would rattle when coming off the throttle and would overheat.

Sounds like bent valves. A leakdown test would confirm before teardown. If lucky, valves get replaced, heads and pistons are OK.
If that's the case, new bearings, seal kit, and valves, unless you want to swap parts around. If using your heads, check HG surface for straightness.

[teebeekay]

I disassembled the original engine yesterday. Unfortunately it definitely ate up a rod bearing on cylinder 1. The heads look reusable but they are very high mileage (285k).

I'll pull the new engine with assumed to be bad heads this week and see if I can salvage the short block. If so, the plan is to rebuild it with the old heads and a fel-pro HS 26415 gasket kit.

Should I also do rod bearings and rings if the new short block is still good? It's only got 98k on it.

[Elbert Bass]

Originally Posted by teebeekay

I disassembled the original engine yesterday. Unfortunately it definitely ate up a rod bearing on cylinder 1. The heads look reusable but they are very high mileage (285k).

I'll pull the new engine with assumed to be bad heads this week and see if I can salvage the short block. If so, the plan is to rebuild it with the old heads and a fel-pro HS 26415 gasket kit.

Should I also do rod bearings and rings if the new short block is still good? It's only got 98k on it.

That 285k engine is used up - I would not use those heads without MAJOR $$$ restoration.
You would be better off replacing valves in the 98k - if that is the issue. Having repaired hundreds of EJ engines odds are your rings are OK and you can check for rod bearing issues by turning the crank and feeling the pistions when you get heads off. If rings/pistons are toast (severe overhezt) that will be obvious looking at the piston tops and cylinder walls.

I can't tell you how many times I have replaced bent valves, lapped them into the old seats, buffed the sharp edges off any dents in the pistons and send 'em on 100k engines.

[teebeekay]

I pulled the new engine tonight and can confirm the valves are indeed bent. The valves on the intake side don't even contact the seats at all in any crank position when viewed from the inlet ports.

Stay tuned for new engine short block updates tommorow. Also I suspect the 285k original engine may have been rebuilt or replaced recently. It looks to be in very good shape for the chassis mileage.

[teebeekay]

I replaced the bent valves on the replacement engine with new ones. I installed it back onto the matching block and used the intake manifold from my 08 engine.

Everything is running fine at the moment aside from a shudder during reverse and during starting. I'm thinking maybe I broke a trans mount when fighting to realign everything.