[BC622B05STI]

I have finally got the engine that was sent to the U. S for development direct from STI's people. It was said to be from a 96 Impreza WRC car, it has hand ported cyl heads and a brand new set of extra heads also. It had obviously had a problem at some stage and looks like the crank took out the thrusts and touched the block. It now has new crank and rods but they are stock factory pieces, As we did not have all the early versions of the Impreza over here I was interested to know if anyone has a way to check these numbers and confirm what the engine was from.



The Engine decal # EJ20GDW1BE-6C 0001873 GF10
I want to be absolutely certain of year and model of the car
And hopefully if it was indeed an STI turbo Engine.
Thanks for your help. Any reference material would be greatly appreciated!

[BC622B05STI]

The engine is 4 cam with hydraulic lifters/rocker set up.

[Wiretap]

Your engine is not from an STi, but judging from the looks of it, was modified by STi.

An EJ20DW1BE is (as you described, having rockers) an early legacy engine from an RS or GT (Bx5x4/59P/Bx5x4/58E). Since yours has the ported/polished inlets, it is most probably from an RS-RA (check for gold rocker covers). It should have a closed deck block. Sadly there is no chance in it being from an Impreza, they are however a very nice engine when paired with a TD04L or TD05H.

[DCVR]

can u post some more pics of the whole engine?

[BC622B05STI]

I'll post some tomorrow. I see Now EJ20G is for legacy Engine 90 -93 with rockers. when looking at chassis code G was for impreza. As in the GC chassis (impreza coupe....Gf Impreza wagon ) I need to know as much as possible about engine before I decide what to do With it.

[Reuben]

No, EJ20G's were available In A LOT of subies. There's 3 defferent main kinds in fact.

First was for the Gen 1 Legacy. These were a mix of closed and open deck, I'm not entirely sure what determines if it was open, but I think all pre face lifts were closed deck, but after the face lift, auto's went open deck.

Second was for the V1 and 2 Impreza, I have no idea which of these are open deck, and which are closed. I suspect all STi's of being closed. There were a few changes, but I have no idea what they were, I don't know shit about these old girls.

Third was for the V3/4 Auto WRX sedan's, and ALL WRX wagons. (Manual Sedan WRX's got EJ20K's, and all STi's, regardless of chassis, got EJ20Ks). This 'late EJ20G' engine also came in the MY97 turbo fozzie.
The late 20G shares almost nothing in common with the first two 20G's, it's basically a 20K made shit, rather than a 20G made new... The third rev 20G's are almost indentical on the outside to 20K's, i.e. have the modern manifold, and smooth rocker covers, even solid lifters too (though shim over bucket, rather than shim under on the 20K) etc. They still have grey injectors and too, unlike the EJ20K's yellows.

Slightly OT, but while on V3/4's, Does anyone know if there are differences between the WRX and STi EJ20K? Like shim under v over, etc.

[BC622B05STI]

[boostin]

According to Google, it's stock RS BC5B Legacy, and not RS-R or RS-RA.

[Wiretap]

Yep, definitely a 1st-gen Legacy engine, the rocker covers say it all. The only reason I suspected it might have been an RS-R or RS-RA engine was the ported intake ports, but they could certainly have been done later. Interestingly, I note a lack of markings on the starter housing, meaning that is likely an OPEN deck block, which means that it probably isn't going to match the engine specified on the cambelt cover as all 1st gen JDM turbo legacys were closed-deck.

Note the ridges in the top right of this photo:


All closed deck blocks have them, opens do not. Yours does not appear to have them.

In other words, looks like you have a bit of a mongrel.

[DCVR]

it's an early RS, GT, or possibly early WRX engine........all the signs are there

1. rocker covers are a dead give away
2. the alloy oil filler neck
3 the unpainted alloy breather caps on the top of heads
4 the steel cam pullys
5 the lifter arms under the cam lobes

Don't be put off by the cross hatching not being in all the usual places.........that block I'm using for my rebuild didn't have cross hatching where u would expect to see it.........but it was still closed deck

The engine's unlikely an RA.....they had gold cam covers........ but then again urs has ported inlets which I believe the RA's had. You mentioned this engine was supposed to have come from a '96 WRC Imprezza?

[Reuben]

Wiretap, on 02 September 2011 - 7:48 AM, said:

Interestingly, I note a lack of markings on the starter housing, meaning that is likely an OPEN deck block, which means that it probably isn't going to match the engine specified on the cambelt cover as all 1st gen JDM turbo legacys were closed-deck.

Cam, the engine we pulled out of Leo was an open deck, I thing face lift gen 1 AUTO's are open. It was certainly not the first time i've heard of open deck gen 1 engines. Tis a hard one to confirm though, who knows what's been rebuilt and not...

At any rate, those heads, that block, and those rocker covers... with the info from the cambelt covers... it most certainly is a mongrel!!! Either been rebuilt at some time, or at least tickled...


I do know one thing about WRC engines... They used the old 20G manifold for a while after 96, i don't know when they stopped using them though. It's possible the manifold wasn't the only old school part they used... In other words, the WRC engines are mongrels

[boostin]

Reuben, on 02 September 2011 - 11:54 AM, said:

Wiretap, on 02 September 2011 - 7:48 AM, said:

Interestingly, I note a lack of markings on the starter housing, meaning that is likely an OPEN deck block, which means that it probably isn't going to match the engine specified on the cambelt cover as all 1st gen JDM turbo legacys were closed-deck.

Cam, the engine we pulled out of Leo was an open deck, I thing face lift gen 1 AUTO's are open. It was certainly not the first time i've heard of open deck gen 1 engines. Tis a hard one to confirm though, who knows what's been rebuilt and not...

At any rate, those heads, that block, and those rocker covers... with the info from the cambelt covers... it most certainly is a mongrel!!! Either been rebuilt at some time, or at least tickled...

But you have no idea if it was the original engine or not!

[BC622B05STI]

Ok guys here it is..... The rest of the photos so I will have to read through all the info now. I will have to decide if it is worth building a race type engine out of it. I am in a good situation as I am building racing engines for a living now anyway and can use our shop to do it. I will have to find what cranks rods pistons valves valve springs are available. It' a little different to the Coswoth and Ferrari F1 engines we build at the shop. I am interested in doing a big build if the engine is worthy. It will be going in the Legacy anyway

[Reuben]

boostin, on 02 September 2011 - 12:05 PM, said:

But you have no idea if it was the original engine or not!

Exactly, which is why i said tis hard to confirm. It's quite possible all anecdotal evidence supporting my claim have come from cheaply rebuild engines... I'm going to go look at some part numbers...

[BC622B05STI]

This engine came directly from sti as development engine without a doubt. Probably not wrc though. Obviously a mix of parts with factory ported heads

[boostin]

It's definitely early, and EJ20G. Those hex plugs in the bottom of the oil pump and especially the one on the block inside the sump are only found on Legacy EJ20G.

[Reuben]

Very interesting mongrel of an engine.

All I see that matters is a closed deck block, and ported heads, that alone is worthy of a good build then! Go for it!

[DCVR]

yeah early RS/GT pistons

just use the short block to build u up a monsta.........it came with a spare set of heads?.......what kind?

[BC622B05STI]

Wiretap, on 02 September 2011 - 7:48 AM, said:

Yep, definitely a 1st-gen Legacy engine, the rocker covers say it all. The only reason I suspected it might have been an RS-R or RS-RA engine was the ported intake ports, but they could certainly have been done later. Interestingly, I note a lack of markings on the starter housing, meaning that is likely an OPEN deck block, which means that it probably isn't going to match the engine specified on the
cambelt cover as all 1st gen JDM turbo legacys were closed-deck.


Note the ridges in the top right of this photo:


All closed deck blocks have them, opens do not. Yours does not appear to have them.

In other words, looks like you have a bit of a mongrel.

What is the engine pictured from? Looks close to the one I have. Are there any problems with this engine you know of? The pistons are dished in that block where mine have the pockets for the valves. Amazingly one piston was in back to front but did not tag the valves.

[BC622B05STI]

DCVR, on 02 September 2011 - 1:29 PM, said:

yeah early RS/GT pistons

just use the short block to build u up a monsta.........it came with a spare set of heads?.......what kind?

The spare heads were the same as the ones on the engine but not ported. Is the rocker setup same as rs ra heads