Re-Ring or Not? Subaru 2.5 swap

[vw4life]

Doing a 2.5 DOHC swap from a 97 Subaru into an 84 1.9 Westy. Car was purchased from copart as it hit a curb and mangled the front left suspension. Only 120k on vehicle and got it for $300!

Already have the RMW kit, sending harness to Jeff R. and initial plans were to do timing belt, water pump, seals and MLS head gaskets.

Do I plan on doing rings? Read a lot about these conversions sucking oil after the install. Some say to do rings, others to just run it and deal with some oil consumption.

I am having a VW Master Tech assist with the conversion (mainly as he has a lift at his house and I can't tie one up at my work for a few weeks). He is going to do a leak down and pull the valve cover to check the condition of the heads for regular oil changes (seems to be the best indicator of stuck oil rings). Something tells me that a car with only 120k that was totalled with full coverage likely had regular oil changes.

Any advise from other 2.5 swaps? Regrets? Can the rings be changed without splitting the block?

Thanks!
Jason

[vw4life]

[vw4life]

Been reading this thread. Seems like a no brainer to do the rings, deglaze and carry on.

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5...;start=140

[Sodo]

$300 for a 120k Westy is kind of an incredible find. You are lucky. And good luck on the front end repair. EJ25 has an appetite for oil, you should do whatever you can to make sure the rings are good. At the very least look at the rings that you have.
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'90 Westy EJ25, 2Peloquins, 3knobs, pressure-oiled GT mainshaft, filtered, cooled gearbox
'87 Tintop w 47k 53k, '12 SmallCar EJ25, cooled filtered gearbox
....KTMs, GasGas, SPOT mtb

[vw4life]

The Subaru was $300, Westy was a tad bit more!

The 1.9 has been pretty solid runner the last 2 years and never left us stranded, but I am at the point I am done throwing money at it. The mileage is unknown, it is a VW Canada rebuild and has a variety of minor oil leaks, Cylinder #3 is dropping compression and I want something to get me over the Appalachians more than 40 mph.

Once the head comes off, it will give me a better idea of what to do.

[syncrodoka]

You don't need to split the block to remove the pistons to replace the rings. There are plugs that are unbolted and you can drive out the wrist pin for the piston on the opposite side of the same bank with a 1/4" metal rod easily.

Link


I would probably rering a EJ25 prior to intalling it

[alaskadan]

I chanced it with an 07 2.5 with 47k on it . Oil burner. I just re re ringed it.

[vw4life]

Syncrodoka, I saw that video this afternoon as well, thanks! I am going to do the rings and get a build thread going.

The cost of cutting a small corner after going this far isn't worth it.

[vanonimous]

Always re-ring. I made a piston pin puller tool out of a long bolt tap, tap they come out easy. Spin the crank and pistons all pop out.
Rings always get caked in on these motors, they run tight tolerances.
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If happiness is being a mechanic, owning a Vanagon is nirvana.

Lighting upgrades: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=578291

[vw4life]

Thanks vanonimous! I will be replacing the rings after seeing how the case doesn't have to be split.

[dobryan]

x3 pn the rering. Mine was an oil burner and after reringing I do not even need to add any oil between changes. YMMV. 😀
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Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

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