Hi, I have an old forester turbo sitting in my garden, with a good engine! I've been told that the engine has several differences to the ej20 from the impreza of the same era, can anyone actually confirm what the differences might be?! Obviously if the differences aren't major, it'd be handy as a spare engine for my impreza when the engine on that inevitably goes bang...
thanks, happy new year!

 

2
@Don Clark
Don Clark , 18 July 2011 07:37 PM
Scooby Regular
Very basically the UK 2.0L Forester runs softer cams and a smaller tubo as standard. A JDM Forester has basically the same engine/tubo as a WRX.

Fitting a TD04 to a UK 2.0L Forester + remap can get it up to about 260BHP

Check out .............

http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f75/

 

As above.
The "SF" Turbo S Foresters (MY1998-2002) were all fitted with the EJ205 version engine also used in the very late (MY99 on) European Impreza GT versions. (but with softer cams and smaller turbo as mentioned)
You should check the VIN plates to determine whether or not the engines are similar types as the EJ20G was also used in the Imprezas

 

OK thanks, that's sort of what I'd previously heard, just not always easy to get facts straight when people are just giving their opinions.
At least that gives me a spare block

 

So if you use the engine and in basics it’s the same , then just get it re mapped , I don’t see the point of swapping the cams over , likely very little difference in performance, just swap the turbo over 👍

 

I'd probably want to do the head gaskets etc anyway, so I can put impreza heads on it at the same time then I can use the ecu straight away... especially as I live in France and getting things mapped isn't as simple as uk.. plus as far as I know, the classic ecu isn't directly mappable without a daughter board?

 

If you are doing hg , a good idea then yes may as well do the heads , cams and turbo , check injectors are the same , always worth getting a map check done any way , in case by changing things it’s not running the same , if it’s done more than 120 k miles worth doing the crank bearings , and yes not all classics can be mapped , some can be with a piggy back Ecu , some just swap out the Ecu but can be more ££