99 EJ22 Piston Rings

Discussion in 'Modifications And Maintenance' started by mlgez, Nov 23, 2009.

  1. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    OK so after tearing down my '99 2.2L and finding the source of all my oil consumption (all 4 oil piston rings stuck) we were trying to put my engine back together when it was discovered that the oil rings would not fit the oil control ring groove. Even using just the central oil ring and not the outers it would not fit.

    Research w/machine shop and on the web this evening:
    The 2.2L usually has piston ring widths: compression 1.2mm and 1.5mm, oil 3.0mm.

    The machine shop measured my pistons (factory pistons) and found them to be 1.2mm 1.2mm and 2.5mm (later confirmed on the web for this year 2.2L). Bore and stroke are all the same but for some reason Subaru changed the rings on the '99 and '00 (maybe more?). This is important information for anyone rebuilding this year of 2.2L. These pistons also have eight valve reliefs on them so this might be another way to identify them.

    This seems to be the same thickness as the 2.5L but of course those will not fit as the bore is incorrect. I also see mention of the '99 being a phase 2 block but I do not believe that is a factor in all this.?.



    Anyone have any idea where to get piston rings? I will be talking to the dealer tomorrow but all the normal manufactures (Hastings and the like) do not seem to even know about this change/issue and do not make rings for these pistons (the machine shop called Hastings directly).

    I hope this info saves someone future trouble.
     
  2. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    Here are some images before clean up and after for reference.
     
  3. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    Also after running a Carfax type report I found out this car currently has almost 300,000 miles on it (I have been driving it for a year or two now).

    No wonder it was going through a quart every 1-2 fill ups. Check out these cylinder walls. Good as new, cross hatched and no lip at all.
     
  4. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    Did you try calling Morries MTKA?
     
  5. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    First thing tomorrow. I was at the machine shop for a while trying to sort this out and missed closing time at Morries today.
     
  6. readymix
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    readymix ...Lest ye be trod upon... Staff Member

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    I'm sure they can find you a set. Otherwise, there is that one place in the cities that Mike knows. They had some pretty obscure import engine parts. I got same day piston rings for a 1990 SR20det there.
     
  7. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    Yea that probably is where I was today. They did all the machine work so I got the rebuild parts from them too. Sure hope the dealer has these. Thing that has me a little worried is a place like Hastings Piston Rings having no idea about this change in size. They list them as the standard 2.2L size. We will see tomorrow.

    Now I know and hopefully other will BEFORE they buy the wrong parts. This engine would have been done this weekend if not for this.
     
  8. Chux
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    Chux Well-Known Member

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  9. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    Called the dealer and not a single dealer in the country has these rings.

    Subaru only has 12 sets in the country and Morries has ordered them for me. Sure hope this saves someone some headache someday. No aftermarket company seems to know about these rings.


    Very strange for an engine that went into '99-01 vehicles. That is a lot of vehicles and very few piston rings in the country.
     
  10. Bielke55
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    Bielke55 Well-Known Member

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    Subaru made lots of Reman'd Shortblocks in place of making pistons.
     
  11. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    I dont think subaru ever made a reman 2.2s brian. The 2.2 is bulletproof. (more or less)
     
  12. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    I would agree with bulletproof more or less statement. The odometer had been rolled back or replaced on the east coast on this car so now we know the car currently has 300,000 or more miles on the original engine/build. After this rebuild I hope to never tear into it and sell it in a few years and have it live on for a long time.
     
  13. Chux
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    Chux Well-Known Member

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    I can't wait to pull the heads off my '92 2.2. it's got 290k on it for sure, and the last 60k were in my wagon......

    I wish I'd done a compression test before I pulled it, though.
     
  14. AWDimprezaL
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    AWDimprezaL has more posts than you

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    My turbo'ed 2.2 still has 163-165 psi across the board. FTW!
     
  15. PhilSine
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    PhilSine Well-Known Member

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    My 98 OBS with 140k on the clock had 182-185 psi across all four.

    I'll do another comp test when I get it going again to see if the turbo harmed it at all.

    The engine didn't break, I retired the car and am now putting the engine in another.
     
  16. mlgez
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    mlgez Well-Known Member

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    Picked up the rings from the dealer and measured them just to be sure.


    If anyone else ever runs into needing the 1.2, 1.2, 2.5 rings the Subaru part number is 12033AA980 and they will have to be ordered... assuming Subaru continues to stock them. There are only 11 sets left in the country now ;)