Subaru Forester FB25 2.5 to FB20 2.0 Engine Swap Cheap Option To Fix Your Car Legacy Outback Impreza

[@timothyhaberern1938]

Thank you for the video. I did this with a 2011 forester fb25 today, the donor was a 2012 Impreza fb20 (600$)Don’t know who should be credited with this idea but your video got it to me. I thought the car was a lost cause before seeing this! Runs great. swapped injectors, Motor mounts, flex plate, and steering pump

[@volks-jager]

I came up with the idea based on how back the day when we used to do a similar thing an ej25 to ej22 swap.(the ej22s where cheapand didnt blow headgaskets). so when faced with a blown very expensive FB25 i tried using the cheap fb20 and it worked great, so i made the video to help others. is your car a manual or auto trans? what is you opinion on the power difference?

[@timothyhaberern1938]

It’s my girlfriends car so I can’t speak to the power difference. It did climb the hills fine on my test drive to the grocery store. The old engine went from burning a quart between changes to drinking itself dry all of a sudden. Both forester and donor Impreza were auto trans.

[@romariomiller6292]

Can the fb25 work in the impreza body

[@NavnitGujjar007]

​@@volks-jager hello I got cheated by a dealer he gave me a faulty car bad engine after buying I changed the oil and filter but after 2 miles it started having check engine light I thought it is stalling because I am not giving gas as it's manual transmission but I have the impreza engine so it will be really great if you explain a little bit so that I can make it work I'll be glad to receive any kind of help from you guys

[@dakotawright6978]

So I just completed this swap and with the help of this video and the other KZbin comments, i was able to complete this swap without any trouble as in zero check engine lights and zero plug connection issues. Car is a 13’ forester fb25 with 4eat. Donor engine came from ‘14 Impreza(fb20 w/cvt). Things I had to swap- intake manifold(including valves below the plastic manifold), flex plate, fuel injectors(the whole assembly), both coolant temp sensors( there is one on the top of the motor below the intake on passenger side and one on the front of the motor on the drivers side), engine wiring harness, took the rubber boots off the fb20 and swap them into the fb25 coil packs, I snapped the silver spacer out of the fb20 coil packs and used those as a spacer for all four coil packs to fill the gap that is created due to the difference in the valve covers( I had to grind the spacers down just a little bit, but worked out great), swapped motor mounts, the fb20 also had sensors on the bottom side front beneath the cams. The fb25 does not have these sensors but it does have the spot ready for them and fb25 uses a cover plate to fill this spot. So took the cover plates off the old engine and took out the sensors that aren’t needed and put in the cover plates instead to avoid confusion in the future. I didn’t do this but the same goes for the lower vvt exhaust came sensors/phasers. The fb25 uses a cover plate for this location which could possibly be swapped over to the fb20. The only other things is there is a sensor that I left in the has a small wire coming from behind the drivers side motor mount. The fb25 harness doesn’t have a connector for it and I don’t recall seeing a cover plate(but I may have just decided on keeping it in and never looked). Things to have ready prior to starting- the correct coolant, engine oil, intake manifold gaskets. Overall thoughts after first drive is it’s great around town, fine once it’s up to speed on the freeway but pretty slow going up any hills. It has to rev high to get it going. So I may try to pull the plugs and the vvti intake cams and see how much power I gain. My question to the poster, I know I’ll get a check engine light once I unplug those, I have other older Subarus that I have used a resister in the plug to fool the computer into thinking a sensor is plugged in when it wasn’t. Specifically an EGT sensor in the older 03 wrx. Is this something that could be done in the vvti plugs? Put a resistor in each plug the fool the computer into thinking it’s plugged in to avoid the check engine light and still get the power gains of it being unplugged?

[@volks-jager]

adding a resistor might stop the light from coming stright on, but the ECM will soon find that it cant advance or retard cam timing and throw a code. the best fix is a custom tune, but that cost money and is hard to find someone that can do it. best is to do like we do - once you pass state inpsection unplug the phasers and either put tape over light or ignore it. the power on hills is alot better with them unpluged. if you where a real glutton for punishment you could replace all the cams and phasers with FB25 ones and that would most likely solve the issue, but that is a miserable job as all the buckets would need to be reshimmed and the timing cover and cam caps resealed which are a mess of RTV from the factory (use ananeobic sealer on these instead if you decide to go that route)

[@jspriver]

I just did this swap. Thank you for the inspiration

[@Craigyoung27]

23,000 miles and a little over a year on this swap. Still running great!

[@Craigyoung27]

I finally finished this swap. Now have over 2,000 miles on it. No issues. I'm getting 29.5 mpg. Yes it doesn't have much power but it does the job. If needed I use sport mode and shift the gears when I need them. A couple things to note: I used a 13 impreza motor in my 13 Forester. I was getting codes for throttle position and coolant/oil temp. I changed the engine harness, intake, and throttle body to the original ones that came on the car. This made the connections for the coolant sensor, oil sensor, and ignition coils different. I used the sensors and coils from the old motor. I had to use the Impreza spark plug boots and a nut as a spacer between the coil and cylinder head. Doing all this fixed my codes. Thanks again for this great idea and for saving me thousands!

[@volks-jager]

if you unplug the cam phasers it will give the car a ton more power - this will kick on the check engine light, but what we did was just get car emission tested and then unplug them after and said screw the light or you can put a pice of black tape over it.

[@Craigyoung27]

@@volks-jager I will give this a try. Currently the engine harness didn't have the connectors for the bottom ones. Do you unplug the ones on the top as well?

[@ScarletCyanstars404]

@@Craigyoung27 yes unplug the top ones - the car will get a huge bump in power, but turn on check engine light. the 2.5 computer is retarding the 2.0 cams improperly. the ultimate fix is a custom tune so the computer times the cam right, but ive yet to find a tuner that wants to bother. they are too busy with jobs that would pay alot more like 86'ing the emissions from diesel trucks...

[@Albuermeduardo]

@@volks-jager would this have repercutions on fuel economy? I own a 2.0 NA Forester from factory ( I live outside the U.S.) and I´m looking for ways to improve horsepower and torque. Mine came with S/I drive and the TR580 CVT transmission. What options do I have?

[@astrobouncer487]

Can you show where those sensors are to unplug? I had my mechanic do this swap and everything is good except it's very underpowered. Also I know there's a couple sensors he had to leave unplugged as well.

[@007111]

I used a 13 Impreza 2.0 in my manual 2011 Forester. I’m so very impressed how the swap went ! A $700 engine and it works slick. THAKNK YOU!!! Note: I used my old wiring chassis. This made the coil plugs different . To fix this ,I used my coils and changed the boots on the donors. Now the coil bolts needed a spacer between the coil to the head cover. Then I used a 3” 3/8 extension inside of an old piece of hose from another Subaru (about 6” long) to plug the coolant ports. After all done ,I haven’t had another problem. I’ve run it for a thousand miles. Thanks again.

[@DispatchDMTilt]

we just did a similar swap, we used the valve covers from the 11 forester on the 13 Impreza engine to solve the coil length issue. Have you had any engine codes? we are having recurring codes now and are chasing the issue.

[@davidbailey2515]

You probably just saved me a ton of money. My 2011 forester fb25 just blew the right side head with 185k mile. Just picked up a $500, 61k mile fb20 from a running 2015 impreza that was totaled in the rear. Great stuff and thanks.

[@volks-jager]

if you read through the comments you will see a person tried a 15 engine and has issues (i bet the cam sensor trigger wheels are different). i have not tried to put a 14 or newer ej20 into a 11-13 forester. for an 11 forester a 12 or 13 impreza engine is good. see my main comment under the video. if you can return that 15 engine and get a 12-13 impreza engine.

[@neometalx9]

Does the car feel much slower with this swap?

[@volks-jager]

@@neometalx9 yes car will be slower - you are putting the smaller engine in it. the trade off is a huge savings in money. the power loss can be mitigated somewhat with a tune or leaving the VVT system disconnected

[@captainmanic1959]

This video decided for me that I will do the same thing with the 2013 that I have. I bought an fb20 from a 2012 Impreza for 1500 dollars…but before you say I got screwed, consider that my new engine has a total of 29,131 actual miles on it. I may have to replace my mounts, my new engine more likely than not was in front of an automatic and the manual transmission engine mounts are different. Otherwise Imprezas and Foresters use identical mounts.

[@dustinskilliter3628]

This video helped solve my P0171 code on a 2011 forester swapped from an FB25 to an FB20. Changed out the fuel injectors to be the dark green densos (fb25), and the code went away. Runs way better now! I might try disconnecting the cam phasors and see how it runs but obviously would have to live with the CEL if I did that

[@volks-jager]

there is a HUGE difference in power by unplugging the cam phazers

[@Mike_44]

What’s the power loss going from an FB25 to FB20? Very cool swap. Glad it’s similar to the EJ swaps! I wish someone would dare swap an Outback XT FB25F motor into a new Forester..

[@volks-jager]

if you leave the intake cam phasers disconnected there is very little power loss. if you plug them in there is a big power loss. for around town it is fine either way, but on the highway you notice it alot especially on hills if the phasers are connected. a custom tune would fix this, but in my area the are no tuners.

[@Mike_44]

@@volks-jager A very cheap fix to keep these cars on the road with a better motor. Great work!

[@stvnswld]

I have a vid posted of a legacy fb25 swap into a Forester. Not a direct drop in, but doable. Engines have been 4-700 bucks on eBay. Nice video !

[@volks-jager]

i have a couple of the newer engines one from an 18 and one from an 19 outback wrecks we got at copart that where not worth fixing. but a ton of stuff needs to be swapped over and i figured its better just to save them for a newer car they just drop into. most DIY'er probably dont want to get into under the timing cover - it is a cuckoo-clock design inexperienced people can really fuck stuff up and the whole mess is sealed with permatex and just asking for leaks. ive opened a few and resealed them with anerobic and it works good. the 2.0 swap is just alot easier for DIY'ers

[@Hellcat287287]

@@volks-jager 2011 Forester, would a FB20 from a 2013 Crosstrek work?

[@volks-jager]

@@Hellcat287287 yes

[@quattrotz9367]

@@volks-jager Nice work. Thanks for sharing and saving allot of money for allot of us subaru lovers. I have the 2012 forester fb25 garbage oil thirsty engine . Expensive too. My only concern is the power reduction is very different from the fb25 ? Thats my only concern. Thank you

[@volks-jager]

@@quattrotz9367 if your car in an automatic it will be slow with the 2.0, but for people with a blown 2.5 the 2.0 will at least get the car running without paying a fortune.

[@Fedzvidz]

Awesome video! I am trying to figure out what to do with my 2010 Forester XT. Head gasket leak and mechanic recommends I get a new engine (currently has 150,000 miles). I found an EJ255 for $4500 and an EJ205 for $2100. The 205 is compatible, would just lose a bit of power. Which would you choose? Thank you!!!

[@volks-jager]

i dont mess with turbo cars at all so im of limited help. but in your case with an EJ engine - if you have had the car awhile and took care of the engine i would just do the head gaskets. if the engine has been abused or neglected i would get a low mile JDM engine. and find a mechanic that just does subaurs or go to the dealer . dont let an all makes all models shop mess with your Subie - most of these type shops dont know Subarus and will do more damage than good - a jack of all trades is a master of none - whatever kind of car you drive, find a a specialist for that make.

[@Fedzvidz]

Got it, thank you! I found a guy who exclusively works on Japanese cars and he replaced the turbo for me. I’m the third owner and have had it for about 3 years - but he recommended I go for a new engine because damage may have already been done due to the head gasket leak.

[@willvangelderen8516]

I had a 2012 Impreza,.fb 20. Burned a qt of oil every 800 miles. Subaru fixed thr fb 2.0 for 13 with updated piston rings. For thr fb2.5 14 /15 had the updated rings

[@volks-jager]

ive yet to see a FB20 oil burner. but if it was only 1 year, that might explain. the 11 to 13 FB25s where awful. ive seen those burn a quart in 300 miles

[@Iamdinorar]

Hey brother thank you for sharing this video.where are you located

[@Tomwheat1289-uj8gc]

My situation is i already took the engine out 2 yrs ago almost.. it has 200k miles on it. I bought new gaskets, water pump and new valves. When i put it back together now i cant get any gap on the valves. Im thinkjng i have to lap the valves. This car has beeen goung nowhere. So i seen some local salvage yards w the imprezaas . The vin numer thing is what i am unsure of

[@volks-jager]

the valves lash on these is set by the buckets. if you changed valves or cams then you have to measure each valve and order new buckets from the dealer for any that are out of spec.

[@Tomwheat1289-uj8gc]

@@volks-jager i cant even get the gap tool to fit between no matter what bucket is in there. So i guess i have to take that head off again and use one of thse valve tools to gring it down.

[@JJ-kr1ie]

So I tried this fb20 swap for the first time after I have been using the legacy fb25s, and mine is a dog, like wont get out of it's own way, but if you unplug the front vvt solenoid it throws the light on but gains way more power. It's almost like with it plugged in its retarding the timing the more you open the throttle but unplugging it disables the vvt and drives like normal. Ever experience this?

[@JJ-kr1ie]

The intake, I left the 2.0 harness on it.

[@igorz104]

Hey brother any follow up on this? Did you leave the cam sensors unplugged to this day? Did you change the intake back to the 2.5 harness?

[@cuauhtemocchavez4160]

I have a 2011 Subaru Impreza, it has the 2.5 can. I use the 2012 Subaru Impreza 2.0

[@ronkowaleski8537]

So I got a good question for you. I'm not all that mechanically inclined. I've done all the work on my vehicles but never got into engine swapping. I paid a guy to work on my engine, he originally thought it was a bad lifter or rod bearing toward the engine apart and then disappeared. So everything under the hood is all disassembled him sitting in a box. So I have no idea what goes where. What bolt goes where.. You know of anybody that might be willing to take on this job. I can easily have the car sent to you along with the new engine to be put in. Really not in a hurry so if it takes you a week it takes you a week. It makes you a year. It makes you a year lol. I mean the vehicle is already been sitting for 4 years now. I just hate seeing it waste away

[@volks-jager]

what year and model is the car? and what is your location?

[@ronkowaleski8537]

​@@volks-jagersorry for the long delay..never got a notification that you responded.. it's the same care as in video.. same color too..2011 Subaru Forester

[@ronkowaleski8537]

@@volks-jager forgot..I'm in Niagara Falls, NY

[@volks-jager]

@@ronkowaleski8537 unfortunalty you are way too far away from me. look for a local guy that does just Subarus. there should be plenty of Subaru techs in New York.

[@ronkowaleski8537]

@@volks-jager distance isn't an issue for me. I told you I would get the vehicle and the engine to you without a problem where are you located

[@rockstar1011]

I just did this and after it ran great except the bottom end was gutless. I think i should have advanced the exhaust cams one tooth to have fixed that, but it is sold and they have no clue. Thanks for the video, those fb25 motors are junk!

[@volks-jager]

if you unplug the intake cam phasers the car will have way more power. the FB25 computer must be over-retarding the intake cams or something.

[@Craigyoung27]

13,000 miles on this swap since I finished this in August. Still running great! The only issue I have is the check engine light seems to trigger the traction control light and cruise control light(flashes) to come on. While I can live with the check engine light, it would be nice to use cruise control. Is there any way to get the cruise control to work while having a check engine light?

[@volks-jager]

nope,that is Subaru being an asshole and forcing you to fix the check engine light. the only thing you can do is find someone that can do a custom tune

[@NavnitGujjar007]

​@@volks-jagerwhenever I erase the codes until the codes come back in, we can use cruise control all you need is 25 bucks obd code reader well I don't know much about but that is working for me

[@Craigyoung27]

Thank you for the great info on this! It will save me $3,000! I am in the middle of this swap. I'm currently swapping the engine harnesses right now. I've noticed the electrical plug on the ignition coils are different. Can I use the ignition coils from the FB25 on the new motor?

[@volks-jager]

another person commented he used the FB25 coils , but needed to add a spacer on the bolts that led them to the valve cover

[@Craigyoung27]

@@volks-jager Have you run into this issue at all? Or has the ignition coils had the same connectors for you? Also, when you suggest swapping the intake, do you mean just the plastic part of the intake? or the entire intake section including the aluminum pieces?

[@volks-jager]

@@Craigyoung27 i have not, but there are small differences year to year. if the plastic part of intake is different you can swap it, but it might be the same. you might not even have to swap the harness. i did one and the only difference was the impreza harness didnt have the connector for the power steering pump, but that makes no difference if left unpluged it does not cause a check engine light or effect the way the car runs

[@atx-cvpi_99]

People are also swapping 1AR-FE Toyotas to 2AR-FE Toyota engines.

[@cheboludo90]

any updates?..still running with no problem?...do you think this Swap would work on 2013 outback?.....this idea is superb !!

[@volks-jager]

ive done a few swaps and they are still running fine. not sure i would do this on an Outback unless it is a manual trans. the automatic Foresters i did 2.0 swaps in are rather underpowered and an Outback is an even heavier car.

[@cheboludo90]

Hey…I just got a 2013 FB20 from a Crosstrek to drop on in on a 2012 forester.,did you swap the harness or you used the one that came on the FB20,and what about the water crossover pipe?..wondering if I would get code because of the EGR valve if I swap the crossover pipe…thanks so much for your help!!!

[@volks-jager]

@@cheboludo90 use the intake and harness from the old engine. you can just connect the 2 tranny cooler hoses together and leave the crossover

[@captainmanic1959]

I have a question here: which crankshaft sensor plate did you use, or were yours different? Subaru shows different parts for the manual transmission plates, so I anticipate using my existing sensor plate because I think that’s what my computer is going to be expecting to be there…any thoughts, anybody?

[@iantullyify]

I am swapping a 2011 Forester FB25 with a FB25 from a 2013 CVT Forester. The Swap went well, engine runs but get codes for both camshaft positions. Swapped sensors but no change. Checked the cam sensor discs, they are the same with three notches. I will pull the engine again swap intake manifold with wiring harness and change the sensor wheel behind flyfeel. fingers crossed.

[@bobbyjones6740]

How are things going w the swaps? I have a 2011 pzev that’s been a drag for the same reasons. Would like to chat w someone prior to doing a swap. Thanks.

[@volks-jager]

what would you like to know? for an 11 Forester get an engine from a 12 or 13 Impreza

[@dreamwavedave]

I wonder if I can put this in my SJ Forester.

[@JBB1636]

Can you insure this if you change it with different engine? How can you reflect this engine change on the VIN of the vehicle? Thanks

[@volks-jager]

why would the engine make a difference? insurance companies uses the vin on the dash/title. not the engine. there are lots of cars on the road that have had the engine changed

[@JBB1636]

@@volks-jager i asked this because if you register your vehicle, you need to put the VIN, and the VIN contains the information about the vehicle. When you verify this info using the VIN, it will show fb25, but you already changed it with fb20. If you changed the engine with same engine, it will not matter because they are both fb25.

[@volks-jager]

@@JBB1636 no one is going to know you changed it unless you tell them. insurance company is not going to care that you put in a smaller engine which makes the car slower and hence safer. hell people add turbos and superchargers to cars all the time which increases the power and dont tell thier insurance company.

[@abrahmgeissinger4714]

Any idea whether I could swap an FB20 into a 2014 Forester with the NA 2.5 and the 6 MT? Oil consumption's been super high recently but the car's clean so I'd like to keep it

[@volks-jager]

im sure it is possible, im just not sure sure year donor engine to get. all the foresters ive done are 11-13. im not sure what difference they are on 14. usally the 14-ups dont burn oil as bads

[@marktaylor1253]

I swapped an07 into an 09 Forester. Transmission and motor from the donor. Will I need to swap the fly wheel? The vehicle went into spaz mode. Bunch of lights went on and shook the vehicle. Swapped intake harness.

[@volks-jager]

this video is for the cars with a FB25 engine. your car has an EJ25. an 07 and 09 EJ are the same. the transmisson might not be. you need to check the interchange on the trans.

[@jacquesboucher3055]

Thanks for the great info. I am presently swapping a 2013 Forester FB25 engine to a 2015 FB20 Impreza engine. Swap is done but the engine dies after running approx 5 seconds. Any ideas would be appreciated. Cheers

[@volks-jager]

im not total sure but a 2015 may be the later style engine. for a 2013 forester i would have gotten a 2012 or 2013 Impreza engine. i made note of that in my description. are the cam and crank sensors all the same? if not you may have to swap all kind of stuff like the cam sprockets, sensors etc. if you do have the late style engine refer to Steven Oswalds video on what to swap kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4u8anVpqLGCZrc

[@jacquesboucher3055]

@@volks-jager Are there any diferences that you know of between the 2012/13 engines and the 2015 engines? Thanks in advance. Cheers

[@volks-jager]

​@@jacquesboucher3055 there might be. Subaru made changes to cam sensor triggers wheel and such but im not total sure what year it started, i know for sure by 18 they where very different. for a 13 forester i would get a 12 or 13 engine.

[@jacquesboucher3055]

@@volks-jager Thanks for your time, I ended up picking up a 2013 Impreza engine and as you said in your video, pretty much plug and play. It works with no check engine light. Cheers to you for making you video and helping ppl.

[@volks-jager]

@@jacquesboucher3055 glad to hear, is you car an manual or auto trans? how do you feel about the power?

[@igorz104]

Thank you for this video, we did it on my brothers 2011 Subaru forester, motor from a 2013 Impreza w/60k miles, works great, swapped the injectors and kept everything else the same since it was exactly the same, Intake, throttle body etc. Our only issue is that when you start the car, you need to hold the starter/crank longer then normal… I replaced the plugs and no check engine light, engine starts up just after like 3 seconds on starter crank… in your video the engine started right away after you turned the key, any ideas advice what this might be?

[@volks-jager]

drive the car awhile and see if check engine light come on. what plugs did you use? only use NGK or Denso plugs on a Subaru. if old engine was an oil burner you may have clogged cats or bad O2 sensors. was this car an automatic or manual? use must have had to swap flywheels if it was an auto.

[@igorz104]

@@volks-jager I did have a check engine light come on for P302 “misfire in cylinder 2” I changed the plugs to NGK OE ones, car ran a lot smoother after the plugs were changed… once the car starts it’s totally good, but still get the long cranks. Car is manual transmission, it had the same exact transmission attached to the 2.0 donor motor, straight swap

[@igorz104]

Shit the old engine was an oil burner… is there a way to check the clogged cats? I don’t have any check engine lights though for O2 sensors…

[@volks-jager]

@@igorz104 how is the car for power? especially up hills on the highway

[@igorz104]

@@volks-jager power up hill kinda sucks now that you mention it… I just figured it was a smaller engine and weaker. But not good uphill I feels like is slow on climbing RPMs,

[@Auldylachs]

Hi, I'm looking for some guidance on swapping a 2014 forester cvt engine into a 2014 forester MT, besides the transmission coolant lines (would need jumped/connected/plugged) are any other differences or things that will need done? plan to use MT flywheel and clutch kit. Thanks

[@joebuchowiecki860]

Have you thought about swapping the cams and cam carriers off the 2.5 onto the 2.0 to solve the cam phaser issue?

[@volks-jager]

that might work, but it is alot of labor and alot of things to be resealed with sealer and potential leaks, the whole timing cover and timing set would have to come off. the point of this swap is to be cheap and easy to the average joe.

[@joebuchowiecki860]

@@volks-jager I have no problem with getting into dealing with the timing cover/ chains etc. I'm wondering if it would make the power loss problem much less noticeable.

[@volks-jager]

@@joebuchowiecki860 also if swapping the cams will mean you have to re-shim all the valves which is a giant PITA and while it might help with power, you are taking many hours of labor, taking old used cams and timing chains from a bad engine plus buying new shim and tons o. stuff to reseal. the simpler/better solution is to leave the 2.0 stuff and get a custom tune on the ECM.

[@BobsWS61]

Looks intriguing. Two question, where did you buy the engine so cheap? I see them for $1k all over eBay. Are they really not oil burners? I sold my forester to a guy and 5 months later it blew a rod. Reading up on it it appears the EJ motors are crap too.

[@volks-jager]

we bought 2 of them from a local salvage yard (Fenix auto parts in Winchendon Massachusetts) for $300 each. price may depend on your location. i am in New England where Subarus are super common cars. i have yet to find an FB20 that burns absurd amounts of oil like the early FB25s did. the EJs are much better engines IMO, only thing that really fails on EJ are the headgaskets, but those are very easy to do.

[@BobsWS61]

@@volks-jager thanks

[@kingking-lt9qb]

do i need change ECU and program key to 1st start ? thx

[@tristanbonnington4822]

I just did this swap. 2016 fb20 into a 2011 forester. I’m getting codes for crankshaft and camshaft correlation. I swapped the fly but I kept the fb20 trigger wheel for the crank sensor on the motor when I dropped it in, was so supposed to swap that as well?

[@volks-jager]

a 2016 engine is not a good match for an 2011 forester. you should have used a 2012 or 2013 engine. you are going to need to pull it back out, and swap all the cam trigger wheels and sensors including the phasers under the timing cover.

[@buckeddy]

Good day sir. Enjoyed the vid… my son blew his 2007 forester 2.5 up. Can I use the same motor for 2007?? Any suggestions…. My part guy want 2,700 with a 30 day guarantee, 3300 with a six month crazy

[@volks-jager]

no, this video only applies to the FB25 engines. an 07 Forester will have an EJ25. $2700 for a used EJ25 is highway robbery. your best bet to get a cheap EJ25 is to buy an entire running car that was in an accident. check out insurance auctions like Copart or IAAI. also check your local Facebook Marketplace. i have bought many cars like this for under $1500 then you get all the extra parts, plus can sell the catalytic converters off it and get $300 - $500 back

[@buckeddy]

@@volks-jager thanks so much sir! Peace

[@buckeddy]

Would a 2.5 from a Outback work?

[@volks-jager]

@@buckeddy if the Outback is 2006 to 2009 yes it will work. fine. you will just need to swap a few parts from the old engine over - intake manifold and the small engine wiring harness on the intake, the aluminum water crossover tube sometime has a different angle so check an switch if needed ,motor mounts, and flywheel if trans is different than the one in the forester.

[@captainmanic1959]

With an EJ engine if your car is a manual transmission model then there are some pieces of sheet metal that go over the crankshaft and camshaft gears that you absolutely must change over to your new engine if it cam from a car with automatic transmission, otherwise if you stall out releasing the clutch pedal you may jump timing and you do not want to do that! If your setup goes the opposite way any you are replacing an engine from an automatic with one from a manual, you can leave those pieces in place and not worry about them.

[@Tomwheat1289-uj8gc]

I was looking at emgines for my 2013 outback. On the website its asking for the last digit of a vin. Does it matter

[@volks-jager]

VIN does not matter for a 2.0 swap. but keep in mind ive only ever done this swap to Foresters. Outbacks might have some differences and are also a bigger heavier car. the 2.0s are slow in Foresters and will be even more so in an Outback

[@denniscarbajal5920]

Hola bro, tengo un forester del 2011 con motor fb20 de 2 vvt pero ese motor no sirve. compre un motor fb20 con 4 vvt y este motor viene con transmisión tr580 y solo puse el motor al vehículo que tiene una transmisión 4eat. Pero el vehículo no da start algun consejo?

[@volks-jager]

what year did the 4 VVT engine come from? you cant go too far apart in years. for an 2011 Forester i would stay 2013 or older with the engine. as Subaru made changes to the cam/crank senors and trigger wheels on the later one. also this video really only applies to USDM. if you are in Europe or Asia things might be different on them i dont know for sure.

[@tylerfeher4749]

I’m having the same problem did you ever find a solution?

[@MichaelFrankie11]

I'm seeing 1700 bucks for the fb2.0's now. Wondering if demand has caught up?

[@volks-jager]

between the word getting out about this swap and rampant inflation the price has gone up, but they are still $500-$700 in my area.

[@MichaelFrankie11]

@@volks-jager Good to hear. Thank you

[@dakotawright6978]

I paid 1160 after tax for the engine last week out of a 14’ Impreza with 137k. Still cheaper than putting the same crappy fb25 motor back in it. Total cost of the swap for me was around 1250-1300 after fluids. I’ll have to add that I went and picked it up from the store. Shipping to my house would add another 200-300. I’m in the pnw if that helps with area. I got it from B & R auto wrecking which is 45min or so from me so it wasn’t a bad drive. Motor came from there California yard

[@MichaelFrankie11]

@@dakotawright6978 Thanks for the info.. Sooo, just went and test drove a 2014 Crosstek. Very nice neighborhood. Was their kids college car. 120k Miles. Great condition. Uneventful test drive other then coolant level low light. Did the headgasket coolant test. Positive for combustion gases. sigh. Thought id share

[@leviSyosef]

Im going to buy the forester 2.0 fb20 with 140k k''m tomorrow any thing i need to worry about ?

[@levis5230]

Is the fb20 in the 2012-2016 the same as the 2017 to present? Found a good deal

[@volks-jager]

no, it is not. what year is you car?

[@beckers1330]

Does the tune need a small fueling adjustment ?

[@DibakarBiswas-c4k]

Hey I’m trying to get this 2010 Subaru forester but the engine is done for good. The previous owner ran it out of oil and now it doesn’t start. Can I use the FB20 on it? I’m not a mechanic or really into cars but I could use some help.

[@volks-jager]

sorry this wont work for you. Foresters did not get the FB engine until 2011. your 2010 forester has an EJ25 engine.

[@Skipppyyyyy]

So I’m about to pull a motor on a 2010 forester. The new used motor the customer supplied sorta looks like yours is there going to be any issues with anything? I saw that the oil filter locations are different the current one in it has the oil filter around the exhaust manifold under the car and the new used one has it on the top of the motor.

[@volks-jager]

a 2010 Forester uses the older EJ25 engine which had filter on the bottom. this video only applies for 2011 and newer. the FB series engine has oil filter on the top and will not fit in a 2010 Forester - you customer got you the wrong engine. for a 2010 you need an engine from one of the following: 06-09 legacy/outback, 06-10 Forester or 06-11 Impreza

[@Skipppyyyyy]

Yeah I figured I just came on actually to type in that this is an ej and the other one is an fb25

[@BosAutoTowing]

Hello, we just finished up a 2011 Forester fb25 to fb20 swap and now we have a crank no start condition. The donor fb20 was supposed to be out of a 13 Impreza but they sent one from a 13 Crosstek...does that make a difference? I am not getting any codes just a poor crank signal. Also we noticed the error after the install.

[@volks-jager]

a crosstrek is just a listed Impreza, so that isnt the issue. double check all your connctors. did you swap the flywheel? the crank sensor and trigger wheel is behind it, make sure that didnt get damaged a few people in the comments using 13 engines had to mess with different coils. did you use the intake/harness/coild off the 13 or the 11

[@BosAutoTowing]

@@volks-jagerFirst thanks for the response. Yes, everything has been swapped from the 11 to the donor motor the 13 before installed in the car. We just found there is no power to the crank sensor, we are in the process of diagnosing that issue.

[@BosAutoTowing]

Update, we did what we could and could not figure it out so we hired a company to come and diagnose the issue. They are claiming that my swap is not possible and the timing has stretched on the fb20. "The Crosstek FB20 is not compatible with the Forrester FB25 due to ECM" they also stated that the "13 Crosstek ECM as far as engine timing goes is the same as the ECM timing for a 13 Impreza" ' We are pulling the fb20 and hoping to swap it for another.

[@volks-jager]

@@BosAutoTowing they dont know what they are talking about. the video shows it is possible and the numourous comments from people that have done it succesfully back it up. there may have been an issue with the engine you got perhap, or they gave you a 14 engine or something. a 12 or 13 impreza engine is almost a direct drop in.

[@BosAutoTowing]

Thanks for the response. I trust this. Trust me. We are in the process of swapping the fb20 for another. I will post what happens.

[@seanmaraugha8262]

Thank you for your video, my brother is currently doing this swap with me on my 2011 forester. We have the fb20 from a 2013 crosstrek. I watched this video a couple times, we’re worried about the trans and motor not matching up. Is there any concern for that? Reply when you get a chance, please and thank you. They both were automatic cars

[@volks-jager]

bolts right up - you will need to swap the flywheel from your old engine

[@seanmaraugha8262]

@@volks-jager thank you so much for your reply. I’ll be working on it today, just nervous and anxious about it is all!

[@seanmaraugha8262]

Hey we completed the swap but it’s not firing. Any suggestions ? It’s an fb20 from a 13 crosstrek. Only codes stored is a mass air flow code and an oil pressure code. Used harness from the fb20. Any input is greatly appreciated thank you so much. The ECU should be able to read the fb20 from the fb25 right?

[@seanmaraugha8262]

@volks-jager

[@volks-jager]

@@seanmaraugha8262 you have a wiring issue. either something is not connected or wires are damaged. you should not be getting either of those codes.

[@vaccineskillpeople3688]

I am looking at this. I have a fb25 with the exact issue w oil burn and head gasket. So mine is 2013. Would a fb20 2012 fit

[@volks-jager]

yes

[@BiGmAn86100]

I’m looking to do this swap here shortly but wasn’t sure if it matters what engine I would get for my car. I have a 2012 forester with fb25 and a manual transmission. Do I have to get a manual engine from an Impreza or does it not matter what the transmission type is from the donor?

[@volks-jager]

no transmission doesnt matter, but for a 12 Forester get an engine from a 12 or 13 Impreza -no later

[@tpennnewf]

I am trying to change my 2.5 turbo in a 2006 forester with a turbo 2.0L, is there anything beside changing intake, wiring harness and turbo from 2.5 to make this swap work?

[@volks-jager]

no idea - i dont mess with turbo Subarus

[@1slow370]

I just did this and a few notes. Probably should retard the exhaust cams by one tooth if leaving them disconnected. Also did an open source retune added fuel down low and up top by recalibrating the Maf scaling. Otherwise runs great. After tune it has about the same power as 2.5 before tune it was a dog down low.

[@volks-jager]

what did you use for a tune? our local tuner shop wanted nothing to do with it. (he thinks he is too good for a lowly job like this...) on one car we got around the low end doggedness by leaving all the phasers unplugged, this kicks on the check engine light , but gives car way more power. we just plug them back in for state inspection, and them unplug them after

[@1slow370]

@@volks-jager tactrix cable, rom raider, ecu flash, and I got the definitions from the romraider forum. The 09-13 manuals can all pretty much run same rom EP5G211A

[@MM-bv2qu]

Can you help me through this process i did fb25 to fb20.swap now getting code p0301 p0302 misfire code only when i floor it and its a dog

[@volks-jager]

@@MM-bv2qu unplug all the cam phasers and take it for a ride - this should greatly increase the power.

[@MM-bv2qu]

@@volks-jager helped but tripped a code for cam vvt Can the exhaust vvt be completely deleted

[@quintenstrand9530]

I have a 2010 outback with the 2.5 in it. Was thinking about putting a 2.0 in it. Is it possible?

[@volks-jager]

no. a 2010 outback has an EJ25 not and FB25

[@DispatchDMTilt]

We're working on a PZEV unit 2011. Hoping to be able to do this FB20 swap and have a line on a 2013 Impreza motor w/100K miles on it. Does anyone know if that PZEV stuff matters here. We intend on using all the intake and exhaust from the forester as well as the harness and other items listed thoughout this conversation. Anyone have any knowledge when it comes to PZEV?

[@volks-jager]

pzev does not matter at all. the PZEV is just ECU program and a better catayltic concverter

[@IanOechsle]

Hey all! two things before I put the new engine in (2013 impreza fb20 going in for my original 2011 forester fb25) -- I did notice the coil plugs are different when switching my old harness onto the new fb20 -- is it enough to just switch the coils from the old to the new? The lengths appear slightly different. Second, I am noticing a connector on the driver side front of the fb20, (it is white and appears to wrap around to the back under the engine) and is not present on the fb25. What do I need to do with this?

[@volks-jager]

look through the comments - someone had a simliar issue and they just made some spacers for the coils. if you cant do that then you could probbaly just use the FB20 harness and coils - ive done that and it worked. what does the wire attach on the FB20?

[@IanOechsle]

@@volks-jager so the issue is it looks like the connectors on the old harness are different from the new coil connectors, it also looks like there are slight differences in the ignition plug boot lengths between so I’m wondering in addition to the spacer if I need to switch those as well. The wire looks like it might be an oil sensor because it seems to terminate on the sump. Wondering if yours had this as well.

[@volks-jager]

@@IanOechsle the wire going to the sump is for a low oil level idiot light, the car you got ther engine from must have had one and your Forester does not. either swap the boots and make spacers or use the FB20 harness and coils

[@IanOechsle]

Got the engine swapped and running this week. Swapped injectors, harness, coils, intake, flywheel and it's running great. Definitely notice the acceleration lag on uphills with cam sensors plugged in but will try out and see how it does with them unplugged. Thanks again for posting this video -- you gave me the inspiration to do my first engine swap and I enjoyed it a ton. @@volks-jager

[@IanOechsle]

Update: coolant bubbling up in the radiator. I’m worried I might’ve gotten taken with an fb20 that had a blown head gasket. 😢

[@aigj15]

Did you change the timing cover on this swap?

[@volks-jager]

no

[@anthonyr5869]

The 2.0 also has burn oil issues infact Subaru put out a recall for this on the Impreza as well as the forester

[@volks-jager]

supposedly, but i deal with these cars all the time and have not seen one burn oil anywhere near as bad as the 2.5s. i have seen several of the 2.5s drink a quart of oil every 300 miles. also we are talking s $300 used engine vs a $2500+ used engine. if i bought a $300 engine that used a bit of oil i wouldnt overly care. if i bought a $2500+ engine that used oil i would be pretty pissed off.

[@anthonyr5869]

@@volks-jager I agree, one of my coworkers has a 2013 Impreza 2.0 that drinks about half a quart per week he’s changed the catalytic converter once and he’s at 210k miles when the oil light comes on he pours half a quart. Subaru should of been reprimanded by the government by the amount of these cars with oil burn issues

[@volks-jager]

@@anthonyr5869 how many miles does he go in a week? at 210k a little oil burning is too be expected. with the 2.5s ive seen massive oil burning every at lower miles. the good thing about the 2.0s is you can buy a low mile engine for dirt cheap and they are very easy engines to change.

[@josephenglish3009]

Will this work on my 2010 forester 5speed

[@volks-jager]

no, a 10 forester has the EJ series engine. they didnt start using the FB25 engine until 11

[@Michael-se8lp]

I bought an 13 Outback with the fb25 vin 6 "c" with the cvt transmission. I have No Idea where to start when it comes to finding a suitable alternative, but it sucks. worst year to own! if anybody has any info please let me know

[@volks-jager]

so you need an wantto do the 2.0 swap? if so get a 12 or 13 Impreza engine

[@yakgeorgia]

The same thing happened to me this week. I got a 2013 forester off copart for 3k with 122k miles that was labeled as a run and drive. I couldn’t go out there and see it as it was far away as well. Upon arrival I put a battery in it and it sounded like a complete weed wacker. What would you say engine and a shop install would run for this swap?

[@volks-jager]

Copart really sucks for buyers. you are better off with IAAI at least they post a video of the engine running in the auction. anything at Copart that doesnt list an Insurance company as the selling is buyer beware. lots of shitty dealers dump their junk at Copart. get a 12 or 13 Impreza 2.0 engine they are dirt cheap here - the yards sell them for $300. the car will be kinda doggy if it is an auto, but if it is a 5 speed it will be decent.

[@goldenretriever15]

Any issues with oil consumption on the FB20?

[@volks-jager]

i have yet to see a FB20 with oil consumption anywhere near as bad as the early Fb25s

[@johnvelez6345]

good video thank you

[@Scottie_B]

Found an fb20d auto trans, will this work in my 2013 forester?

[@volks-jager]

no

[@Scottie_B]

@ why is that?

[@volks-jager]

@@Scottie_B an FB20D is way too new for a 2013. you need and older FB20 for that swap.

[@Scottie_B]

@ Gotya thanks. What way am I looking for

[@volks-jager]

@@Scottie_B a fb20 out of a 2012 or 2013 Impreza

[@briandouglasbell]

Thank you

[@baiotelecom]

how did you get the passenger bolts out

[@volks-jager]

which bolts are you referring too?

[@AsylumYT]

I have a 12 forester, picked up a 12 impreza engine working through the swap this week. I noticed the forester engine has a power steering pump in the top left the the engine and the impreza just has a pulley there that connects to nothing i assume this will be a clear sign i need to swap over the engine harness as the impreza likely will not have power for the power steering pump. I was wondering tho what is the best idea for capping off the tranny cooler lines on the fb20? I just have the cut hoses hanging out do you know of any kits to delete these lines or do you just plug the hoses with a bolt and hose clamp them down? Im keeping the original AT from the forester.

[@volks-jager]

the impreza harness wont have the wire that hooks to the power steering pump. however omitting that does not cause a check engine light or any other issue. the 1st one of these i did i left the impreza harness so that wire wasnt there and it didnt cuase any problems. the easiest way to deal with the tranny cooler hoses it just remove the original hoses and get a new longer peice of 5/8 heater hose from auto parts store and connect the 2 nipples with it

[@AsylumYT]

@volksjager88 thanks did leaving the original harness effect the power steering in any way?

[@ScarletCyanstars404]

@@AsylumYT no, the steering was normal

[@AsylumYT]

I'm at the oart if swapping my fly wheel the one in the forester seems a bit worse for wear but the one on the impreza looks in great shape. Comparing the flex plates they look identical would there be any drastic variations or is it possible I can use the crank sensor plate and the flex plate. The impreza crank plate has holes slotted in it and the forester one is solid.

[@volks-jager]

​@@AsylumYT you will need to swap the flywheel on auto trans. the 12 Impreza has a TR580 CVT. the torque converter bolt pattern is different than the 4EAT in your Forester.

[@ianmsevilla]

I just did a ej20 swap from ej25. Used the fuel injectors from ej25. I now have P0171 lean code? Any idea if I should use the ej20 fuel injectors?

[@volks-jager]

it is worth a shot - what year is the car?

[@ianmsevilla]

@@volks-jager 2010 Forester XT.. i have cylinder 1, 3 and 4 misfire.. I’ll check PCV when I bring the car home. Left the gas cap open and forgot about it..I hope it’s a simple fix

[@ianmsevilla]

It’s all good now. I missed a vacuum line from the back of intake going to the intercooler diaphragm… i had to replace a motor on the TGV.. it gave me a P2008. Good thing that I have extra parts that came off the JDM engine.

[@beast4862]

My fb25 runs 5qts in 1.5 weeks

[@volks-jager]

yup, the early FB25s where notoroius for drinking oil. using that much is going to destroy your catalytic converters and O2 sensors

[@jaredcolombel]

Volksjager, I need some help. I paid a mechanic to do my swap and in the middle of it he had a full on mental health breakdown. After almost two months I got the car back and it has several codes, P2092- Camshaft Position Actuator control circuit low bank 2, P0304 Cylinder misfire on 1,2,3,4. Any thoughts on as to why?

[@volks-jager]

what year and model is your car? and what year engine did you buy?

[@jaredcolombel]

I have a 2011 forester and swapped an fb20 from a 2013 Impreza. I previously commented and you helped me select the engine.

[@volks-jager]

@@jaredcolombel check the connector on the cam phasers. they are fragile and break easy. he might have broken one installing it

[@jaredcolombel]

Ok I’ll check it

[@jaredcolombel]

Volksjager, it turns out the cam phaser sensor was disconnected. I got rid of that code and now it has a code for misfire on all cylinders. I think it has to do with the coil pack gaps. I believe a spacer on the coil pack nut is what helps this issue.

[@dylanwalters414]

@volksjager odd question but does pzev matter at all? Im looking to buy a 2012 Impreza fb20 for a 2012 Forester. I know the Forester isn't pzev equipped. Would this make a difference? Pzev ready fb20s seem to be much more inexpensive than non pzev. 800>370$. Just curious if this could cause any emission code issues etc. If anyone knows that would be very helpful.

[@volks-jager]

no it doesnt matter. i know the junkyard yard list them that way, but the engines are the same. pzev just have a better catalytic converter and possible different ecm program.

[@dylanwalters414]

@@volks-jager Exactly what I wanted to hear. Thanks much. Your doing a lot of people a huge service with sharing this.

[@volks-jager]

@@dylanwalters414 is you car an automatic or manual trans?

[@dylanwalters414]

@@volks-jager auto I was gonna go with an auto pzev to cut costs

[@dylanwalters414]

Im in mass and lkq is a candy store for these motors

[@mehoduzic4344]

I have a 2009 Forester with the EJ25 moro and MT so would that work in my car?

[@volks-jager]

no. this only apply to cars with the FB25 engine

[@mehoduzic4344]

Ok, thanks. Would a EJ20 then work hopefully? I really appreciate your response

[@volks-jager]

@@mehoduzic4344 nope - they never made an EJ20 with AVLS - you will need the same engine for that car

[@teddybear1370]

can i put this engine in outback 2011??

[@volks-jager]

no. a 2011 Outback has an EJ25. this only applies to cars with the FB25. Outback did not get the FB engine until 2013

[@vaccineskillpeople3688]

How do you get the "cradle off" the piece that goes under the front of the engine.

[@volks-jager]

what year and model are you working on?

[@vaccineskillpeople3688]

@@volks-jager 2013 outback fb25 . Cant get bottom bolt off

[@volks-jager]

@@vaccineskillpeople3688 you mean the front motor mount? just remove the cross bolt and then the bolts that hold it to the front of engine and wiggle it out. be advised the info in this video applies to Foresters. Outback and Legacy are a totally different chassis with very different engine mounts and so you may run into issues not explained in the video.

[@vaccineskillpeople3688]

@@volks-jager Its a outback. I removed the bolts. Took the mount off. But the part that is on the cover wont come off. I can feel a bolt underneath

[@volks-jager]

@@vaccineskillpeople3688 there should be 3 bolts holding the bracket to to the upper oil pan

[@Pontoondude]

What has to be done to the ecu?

[@volks-jager]

nothing. stock ecu run the fb20 fine with no check engine light

[@Pontoondude]

Weird

[@Pontoondude]

I am looking to possibly do the swap on a 14 legacy, Do you know if this swap is only do able on the impreza platform?

[@volks-jager]

@@Pontoondude should work the same

[@Acg3996]

Is there an appreciable difference in average fuel mileage between the FB25 and the FB20?

[@volks-jager]

not really

[@Acg3996]

@@volks-jager Thanks for the info!

[@wojciechzakrzewski3709]

for some it's a grocery getter, for others it's the dream car :)

[@volks-jager]

anyone whos dream car is a Subaru Forester needs some serious help (or some testosterone...)

[@52hydra]

Please buy mine

[@melvinkrespomello]

Quick question I have a slightly similar conversation . I want to swap My Fb16 to FA20 on my 2015 Levorg is It possible ? The 2.0L Levorg comes with an FA20 but the 1.6L Levorg comes with the Fb 16

[@volks-jager]

sorry i cant really help you . the FB16 isnt even available in the US so i have never seen one and have no idea what is different

[@jaredcolombel]

Does it matter if the donor engine is a PZEV? I’m getting a 2013 FB20 for a 2011 Forester to swap and it’s a non-PZEV.

[@volks-jager]

doesnt matter. you can even use a manual trans engine. just swap over what is different.

[@jaredcolombel]

Thank you! I order a 13’ FB20 with 31K for $950 yesterday and plan to have a mechanic do the swap but might do it myself if I get the time.