Club 80-90 Forums

Well, I must have read several hundred and scanned several hundred more posts covering Subaru installations in the US, and don't think I've clocked an identifiable history of bottom-end problems with them...

Head-gaskets and overheating on one particular model (EJ25), occasionally low oil pressure, other niggles of course.

Maybe Mr Big is referring to turbo Subarus, when only a minute percentage of VW conversions have ever been turbo engines.
I certainly wouldn't have thought the EJ22 has a weak bottom end, nor the EJ25, which together makes up the large majority of conversions.

HarryMann wrote:Well, I must have read several hundred and scanned several hundred more posts covering Subaru installations in the US, and don't think I've clocked an identifiable history of bottom-end problems with them...

Head-gaskets and overheating on one particular model (EJ25), occasionally low oil pressure, other niggles of course.

Maybe Mr Big is referring to turbo Subarus, when only a minute percentage of VW conversions have ever been turbo engines.
I certainly wouldn't have thought the EJ22 has a weak bottom end, nor the EJ25, which make up the large majority of conversions.

The overheating/head gasket trouble seems to affect the entire range but this is not a huge issue. The bottom end letting go on the turbos is now getting them a really bad reputation, it does not help with the sort of people the cars attract who thrash them to death.

andysimpson wrote:The overheating/head gasket trouble seems to affect the entire range but this is not a huge issue. The bottom end letting go on the turbos is now getting them a really bad reputation, it does not help with the sort of people the cars attract who thrash them to death.

I now have a bizarre image of Subaru attemting to corner the saga market in a vain attempt to preserve their reputation for longevity.......

My understanding - as expressed in the Modified Engines Conversions forum topics - is that whilst most Subaru flat 4's are particularly sensitive to small air pockets in the cooling system, lodging in the cylinder heads and causing local overheating, and requiring careful and complete filling and bleeding - it is only the DOHC and early SOHC 2.5 engines that have had an acknowledged head gasket problem per se.

HarryMann wrote:My understanding - as expressed in the Modified Engines Conversions forum topics - is that whilst most Subaru flat 4's are particularly sensitive to small air pockets in the cooling system, lodging in the cylinder heads and causing local overheating, and requiring careful and complete filling and bleeding - it is only the DOHC and early SOHC 2.5 engines that have had an acknowledged head gasket problem per se.

I think its a case of one bad engine gets the rest a bad name, i have never seen a 2 litre N/A with a blown headgasket but the turbo ones go.

missusjen wrote:

andysimpson wrote:The overheating/head gasket trouble seems to affect the entire range but this is not a huge issue. The bottom end letting go on the turbos is now getting them a really bad reputation, it does not help with the sort of people the cars attract who thrash them to death.

I now have a bizarre image of Subaru attemting to corner the saga market in a vain attempt to preserve their reputation for longevity.......

The the chavs can wreck some other car makers reputation

andysimpson wrote:The the chavs can wreck some other car makers reputation

Scarily, as you wrote that, I'm listening to The The.....

They've wrecked plenty already.....it's just that your average chav can't afford an Impreza....

missusjen wrote:

andysimpson wrote:The the chavs can wreck some other car makers reputation

Scarily, as you wrote that, I'm listening to The The.....

They've wrecked plenty already.....it's just that your average chav can't afford an Impreza....

They can around here, they buy/steal either 3 series cu*t mobiles or imprezas

Heh. Chavsa are the reason I went for the 2.2 NA rather than the 2.0 Turbo. Nippers are so busy blowing up the Trubo motors that there's a strong demand for them.

Older Legacys on the other hand are big, fat old cars that farmers and the like buy and keep until they die. Most farmers don't thrash their cars (they're too tight).

I'll be giving my EJ hell now it's in - we'll soon see if it's a robust engine or not*.



*I was one of the key reasons for one of the big recalls on the new Mini

* well you kept breaking it!

Don't think any of the EJ22 series were rated at 140 BHP Thomas, even the late ones were quoted at 135 BHP? The early ones about 125~130.