Why The Ej20 Made The Wrx A Legend, And Also A Bit Of A Headache

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For complete 3 decades, nan EJ20 was nan workhorse of Subaru, arsenic nan 2.0-liter level 4 boxer motor would powerfulness models passim nan brand's lineup. However, it's nan engine's generations of work nether nan hood of nan brand's World Rally eXperimental (WRX) models that gave it legendary status when it retired successful 2019. With years of proven occurrence successful nan World Rally Championship and an exhaust sound dissimilar immoderate other, nan motor became beloved by those successful nan tuning and rally crowd alike.

Today, nan EJ remains fondly successful nan memories of Subie fans and is still nan limb of prime for amateur rally drivers, aftermarket tuners, and motor swappers worldwide. But pinch complete 30 years of data, we've learned that it's acold from a cleanable powerfulness plant. Its creation has caused a plethora of problems, arsenic has a definite portion that's grown infamous among owners worldwide. Let's break it down.

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Introduced successful 1989, nan EJ family of motors replaced nan long-serving EA family of flat-fours Subaru had been utilizing since 1965. The motor layout has been a important portion of nan Subaru formula, and nan marque has elected to go the measurement of nan boxer for a multitude of reasons. 

The engine's moniker comes from its pistons' unique motion. Unlike a accepted V-format engine, each piston has its ain crankpin, meaning adjacent cylinders widen and retract astatine nan aforesaid time, a setup that, erstwhile viewed astatine afloat speed, looks for illustration a brace of boxers punching each other. This leads to a acold amended earthy equilibrium for nan engine, arsenic nan pistons' mirrored activity cancels retired reciprocating forces, resulting successful acold little vibration than nan EJ's inline-4 cousins.

Everyday commuters loved nan engine's debased vibration, but enthusiasts would find moreover much benefits to nan boxer. With its level layout, nan debased placement of nan boxer gives a little halfway of mass, and increases wide handling capabilities. This keeps boxer-equipped cars unchangeable and agile, and erstwhile paired pinch Subaru's all-wheel drive, transforms nan motor into a limb connected rally stages.

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The EJ would beryllium first utilized successful motorsport,s pinch Subaru entering nan World Rally Championship (WRC) pinch nan Legacy RS. While nan marque had been partially coming successful nan WRC since 1980s, occurrence was scarce, but pinch nan debut of nan Legacy successful nan 1990 season, nan tides began to turn. With an EJ20 nether nan hood, and pinch early fable Colin McCrae down nan wheel, nan Legacy would gain Subaru its first WRC triumph successful New Zealand successful 1993.

That group nan array for nan property of nan Impreza. Debuting successful nan 1993 Rally Finland, nan Impreza would switch nan larger Legacy, and move Subaru into a rallying dynamo. WRC icons for illustration McRae, Petter Solberg, and Richard Burns would thrust nan iconic bluish and golden colors to 46 wins, earning a trio of drivers' championships, arsenic good arsenic 3 consecutive constructors' titles from 1995 to 1997. Subaru would enactment successful nan crippled for years after, until nan financial situation of 2008 forced nan programme to adjacent astatine season's end.

Since then, Subaru continues to rally successful nan States, pinch a factory-funded squad competing successful nan American Rally Association. Outside of racing's apical echelon, nan EJ stays coming successful motorsport, powering Subies utilized by amateur rallyists worldwide. 

Before it rallied, the Impreza was introduced successful 1992. The mini family car replaced nan aging Leone, and came pinch nan EJ20 equipped arsenic standard. Subaru besides produced a capacity trim exclusive to nan Japanese market, inspired by nan Impreza competing successful nan WRC. Short for World Rally eXperimental, nan first procreation WRX was equipped pinch a turbocharged EJ20 sending 240 horsepower to each 4 wheels done a five-speed manual. 

The awesome power, mixed pinch Subaru's symmetrical all-wheel-drive, gave mundane drivers a sensation of what McRae and Solberg sewage to acquisition each weekend. Dressed up pinch monolithic fog lights and a hood scoop from nan factory, nan WRX had some nan shape and nan usability of a road-legal rally car. 

It wasn't until 2002 that nan WRX was disposable to Americans, starting pinch nan brand's second-generation "Bugeye" Impreza. The first car to bring rally practice and capacity to North America, nan WRX quickly recovered an American fanbase, turning into nan cleanable prime for year-round nosy successful nan snowy states. The WRX became a staple of nan enthusiast community, forming a cult pursuing that would past acold beyond nan brand's beingness successful nan WRC.

And nan EJ20 was a awesome cardinal to that success. Powering nan first car's 2 generations, it established nan WRX look for generations, and would beryllium nan motor that showed Subaru's rally-ready capacity to nan world.

Although nan EJ20's layout is what makes nan motor truthful iconic, it's besides nan root of its biggest setbacks. Let's get nan 2 astir infamous words retired of nan way: caput gaskets. Those successful nan car organization aliases astir Subarus person apt heard warfare stories of blown gaskets, but successful reality, astir of these seal issues travel from nan EJ's larger turbocharged flavor, nan EJ25, often seen successful nan STI. The EJ20 has amended cooling and thicker cylinder sleeves than its bigger brother, and arsenic a result, tends to person acold less problems. 

That surely doesn't mean nan EJ20 is bulletproof, however, arsenic each turbocharged variants of nan EJ family person issues to look retired for. Poor cooling for cylinder 4 tin lead to overheating, resulting successful rod knock. This is typically astir noticeable during acold starts earlier worsening complete time. Turbocharged EJ20s besides thin to spell done lipid quickly, and tin leak from gaskets of cylinder caput covers, arsenic good arsenic camshaft lipid seals. For nan much abused EJs, nan harm could beryllium arsenic terrible arsenic cracked pistons. 

Much of this would beryllium little of a headache if it weren't for really difficult attraction is. The cylinders' level layout intends that things tin get tight successful nan motor bay, making wrenching connected it some costly and challenging.