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Jimbo's '00 OBS 2.5L(swap) 5MT STM

3K views 25 replies 9 participants last post by  gijimbo 
#1 · (Edited)
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Pictures of the engine swap:

Empty engine bay


The old EJ22


The re-manufactured EJ25


The old/new clutch flywheel comparison


The step by step installation of the flywheel and clutch onto the new engine




The crank and cam sprockets needed to be swapped



New engine ready to go in


Mating the engine to the transmission

 

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#2 · (Edited)
Just got my '00 OBS this summer with 128000 miles on it. It's now a two owner car and the previous (and original) owner is my father-in-law. After a thorough detail of the interior, the car is pretty much in mint condition other than a missing hub-cap. A "travel journal" was bought when it was new and it's entire millage and cost history (gas, oil, wipers, EVERYTHING) has been recorded. All I've done to it so far is give it that thorough detail and install my Alpine deck and sub in it.

I don't have any immediate performance plans for it but am definitely looking in that direction for the future (I graduate in Dec). Unfortunately I have absolutely no experience in that field so I'm gonna need lots of advice.
 
#4 ·
I believe we have the same 2.2l MAP motor.
Here is a link with another link to a few simple & cheap mods I did when my OBS was N/A that improved acceleration.

http://www.rs25.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86694

Handling can be improved with springs, struts, Swaybars & endlinks.

I had AGX struts / Eibach springs on my OBS that lowered it a bit & allowed me to dial in more neutral handling, but the best bang for the buck was the addition of a thicker rear sway-bar (mine 19mm RSB came from a '05 STi (I read it would not fit after I had it on my car - go figure...) & cost about $50).
WRX wagons have a RSB that is thicker than the 13mm rsb on your OBS right now & these can be found for about $50 complete.

The simplest upgrade for the braking system is the use of decent fluid (I use the Valvoline dot4 synthetic stuff) + good brake pads (I use hawks).
A cheap upgrade for the braking system was the use on Legacy 2-pot front calipers & rotors. I got a set of calipers & brackets from my local u-pull-it on the cheap, the system bolts in & will net you bigger rotors & better calipers that still fit under stock 15" rims.

This should be a OK start for you, on which you can build/improve.
 
#5 ·
Wow thanks for the quick reply and all the advice. I was thinking before I do anything to the car I should get a hub-cap though :loser:. I thought about rims but the current "college and married" budget really doesn't allow for that. I was hoping to maybe find a matching one on this site but haven't had a whole lot of time to browse.
 
#12 ·
Alright, I think I've decided that the first thing I'm going to do for this car is replace the clutch and maybe the flywheel. The original clutch is still on it and since I've had the car it has had a moderate slip (nothing huge, but kills immediate accel from a stop).

So I was wondering what some of you may suggest as far as what clutch to get, and if it would be smart to replace the flywheel as well, and if so, what flywheel to get.

Thanks in advance.
 
#17 ·
You know you can adjust the clutch engagement point some (cable-clutch) - just loosen the 10 or 12mm lockbolt & adjust the paly @ the t/o bearing fork - it takes about 2 minutes.
My '99 OBS's clutch was slipping a bit when I got it too, & when the clutch came off the mechanic said it was still good - so I learned about this a little late....

As for the hubcaps, I say loose or E'bay the 3 you have & buy a can of paint that matches the lower color of your OBS.
I did this on my winter rims (WRX rims & Legacy turbo rims) with rustoleum hammertone bronze & it matches the slate metallic lower color of my cars (I hve a '96 & '99 OBS) almost perfectly (newer cars have a slightly lighter color).
I think it looks pretty good & so do other folks as I've seen 2 OBSs with bronze painted steely's in my immediate area!

My summer rims are painted the correct Subaru Slate color using a basecoat clearcoat 2 stage paint, but the $5 for a can of rustoleum gets the job done nicely on the winter rims!
 
#13 ·
atleast resurface the flywheel.

but i hope you understand how to launch a subie, you cant just dump the clutch unless you have ALOT of HP, you need to slip it to get a propper fast launch.

get a Exedy clutch and light weight flywheel if you can.
 
#14 ·
Well for one, I can get the car moving from a stop in 4th gear. I may not have the perfect "subie launch" down, but I'm pretty sure it shouldn't have this much slip.
Also the car has 133k miles on it and is still running with the original clutch.

The clutch hasn't given me any problems with every-day-driving acceleration, so I still have time to shop around for a while for the right clutch. I just won't be able to do any.... serious launching until I get the clutch replaced.

I also might just go with an OEM Exedy clutch and have the stock flywheel resurfaced so I can put the difference towards other more effective upgrades. Or maybe I'll put it towards some rims.

However, if you do happen to have any tips on "How to get the 'perfect' subie launch", please do point me that way. ;)
 
#15 ·
well its going to be different with every car and depending on how the clutch is adjusted. i usually blip the throttle to get the revs up then get them up to about 2k and let the clutch out and when it starts to grab floor it and let the clutch out all the way. with my 2.2 i usually out launch most other subies ie. wrx/sti's.

now with my 2.5 in there ill have to relearn it since the torque delivery is different.
 
#19 · (Edited)
It's been a while since I've said anything. New job, new town, etc. It's really nice that our new town is close to a really big beach though. I got to take my car out for a drive over some small dunes. Here's a picture of some of the fun. (Compliments to my wife for the good shot)

Edit: Sorry there isn't any dune action in the pic, there weren't many pictures and this one was just priceless.

 
#20 · (Edited)
Reverse Lights

So I got a "fix-it" ticket the other day because my reverse lights were stuck on. I'm pretty sure it's not a short because I can turn all the other lights off but the reverse lights still stay on. I think it may be the "reverse lamp switch" connected to the transmission because sometimes I can get them to flutter a little bit when I shift back and fourth between reverse and neutral.

I pulled the bulbs as a temporary fix and pulled the switch but I'm not exactly sure how it's supposed to work. I tried continuity checking it with a multimeter but no mater how much I spin the little metal paddle I cant get any of the connections between the 3 pins to read anything. It looks like there may be some resistance between a couple of the pins but it does not change when I turn the paddle.

So I guess what I'm asking is, "Is this confirmation that it is my reverse lamp switch that's broken?" I'd like to know for sure before I buy a new one.

Thanks in advance.
 
#21 ·
Wow, it's been 3 years since I last posted anything!
Here's what's been done the last couple years:

  • New struts (MONROE)
  • New 17" wheels (pictures will be coming when I get a chance)
  • Stage 1 Exedy clutch
  • Sachs OEM flywheel
  • Re-man EJ25 engine
So I guess my car in now an OBS-RS25 hybrid... let's call it an OBRS25 lol.

Did the engine swap myself and I've got to say, it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be and the learning experience was priceless.
 
#26 ·
Thanks guys, I'll have to get those on order some day when I have time.

Sorry for the lack of pics. I'm a little embarrassed to post any because I have some pretty massive rust spots developing over the rear fenders. I was hoping to some day cut the panels out, weld new ones in and possibly even re-spray the entire car a classy shade of blue. All things I haven't done before. With 2 kids now, I'm not sure that's ever going to happen. Any tips on stopping the rust from spreading further? It's under the paint.
 
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