Subaru EJ vs FA Engine SMACKDOWN! Which one is better? 

I could listen to this man talk engines all day

Definitely want to see FA20 vs FA24

I wanna say that, for me, this is the perfect level of detail. Not way over my head, not too dumbed down. "Accessible", I think they call it. I have a FB and its *still* entertaining.

The BEST engine discussion I've seen. Not boring for one second, this presenter really knows his stuff and spoke so clearly with minimal "ums" or wasted words. Seriously, what a splendid use of my time. I learned so much in these 30 minutes, I wish every salesperson at Subaru would show this video to prospective buyers to show them how great the new BRZ/WRX engines are. I have an FA24 WRX and got protuned to 315 hp and it feels incredible. I, and my EJ WRX buddies, all agree the new engine just feels so good.

The FA20 is what should've been in the 2008 WRX

FA20 WRX owner and yes the wave of torque from 2k to 4,5k is massive. Don't have to ring them out to have fun. As street car and snow drfter having all this torque down low makes them super enjoyable

In any other conversation, this gentleman would sound like a surfer dude, but it’s awesome to listen to him talk about Subaru engines, where he appears to be a savant

As a FA20 owner my tuner was surprised how much power he got out of the car with minimal changes plus e60.

For reference: My FBO (intake, DP, 93 tune) 2014 EJ257 STI makes about identical power as my buddies 2018 FA20 WRX (Intake, DP, 93 Tune, FMIC) - Although I have him on the very top end - 125+mph ---These FA20's and FA24's are definitely on my list as my next daily!

Learned a lot about my engine today besides running it for ten years now :-D Thank you!

You guys made it! Thanks!

The wealth of knowledge you have and share is amazing. Thank you.

Great stuff man, good work!

Great video, wow so informative and great to hear your valuable analysis

Great info,soft spoken,love this guy.

This guy Mike is a trip! He’s always smiling while conversing, which makes me smile and is very knowledgeable!

I cannot get enough of your content. Thank you

Thanks for doing this video with such detail and sharing your knowledge!

Your wealth of knowledge is priceless, Mike. I absolutely love watching all your vids and especially the Subaru related ones.

I really enjoy watching these videos. This guy has such an effortless way of talking & sharing his knowledge, which is extensive. Good to watch no fuss, no clip bait,all style & no substance videos. 👍

Fabulous technical info backed with facts, experiences and delivered without hype! Thank you.

Appreciate the effort you guys put into these videos. Currently driving a '22 BRZ with the FA24, great little engine so far!

Great Video Mike!

Phenomenal video and presenter. Give us more of these!

Badass break down this will help the community out thank you sir

Wow. You are a wealth of knowledge, Sir. Thank you!

How alone I felt in 1998, with an '86 EJ-82 Turbo... bored and sleeved to 95mm making it a 2L from a 1.8L... even had the oil pump rotor sleeved so it wouldn't wear the block... JE pistons, crower cams... before Subaru's were cool I guess 😃

Great presentation! Explains things well. I'm partial to EJs (I own 2) and had an FB (not an FA but I've driven one of those). Great food for thought.

I loved my FA20, it was FBO E60 and lasted 3 years till I got rod knock. So your point about the bearings makes sense. I moved on to a built STi and I love this car way more. FA is still cool though.

This was superb! Thank you. Would love to see a comparison to the EZ30/36.

Love these videos!

Good Info. Thanks.

Great knowledge and enjoyable listen, learned lots about my FA20

Great Video, great content all around. When making these videos it’s hard to nail everything in one video but you pretty much got it all. Anything not mentions is just the peanut gallery picking the fly poop out of the pepper. In regard to the oil pump observation about the small diameter holes. The one you said you bore open to port match the head. Note: my fluid dynamics is self educated and Subaru STIS supplies no specific information about it other than oil pressure specs I theorize the diameter of the outlet is set to help build oil pressure during cold engine startup. **FA20 was designed to be a fast daily not a track car The instant high oil pressure would help lubricant components. Additionally the instant high pressure would allow the AVCS to perform instantly. I’ve learned that when questioning any manufacturer design, it’s import to ask “is this for engine longevity and/or emissions?” Upon cold start, A stock un modified WRX, needs to ready the CAT within a specific amount of time; or a code will set. This instant high oil pressure will allow the AVCS to retard the timing and heat the CAT faster. Also maybe the reduced bore was set to help with syphon oil from the sump. I am honestly curious about all of this and would love to see oil pressure specs of stock vs modified using a pressure transducer over engine warmup. Overall this is just me spit balling Keep up the good work

Great Vid!

Love to see how engineering improves over time. Great breakdown!

Thanks for the great video! I have two cars with EJs, myself. Both are white. I have a 2004 sti and a 2010 sti. The 2004 is my built one, the 2010 is my daily. The 2004 has had about 619 whp (used to be 602 whp before I got the killer b holy headers max and re-tuned) at 35 psi for about 25k kms now. I got the closed deck short block from IAG. The 2010 has a rebuilt motor with proper pistons and all the oiling safety mods. Only power mods are a 3" catted TBE and a tune. It's only at 263 whp at 17 psi. It could have made more, but I had no idea the 2010's ecu can hold whole multiple tunes before I bought it. My wife doesn't like the feeling of acceleration, so I asked my tuner to keep it as low as possible for my daily. Kind of the opposite most ask for. He assumed I knew about the multiple tune thing. I might get it tuned for 19-21 psi eventually, or whatever the oem turbo can do.

Love this content 💪🏼💯

Good information. A couple notes, though: while timing chains may be designed as lifetime fit, the history of modern cars necessitating massive timing chain system service after 100k miles or so due to component failure means that's not always the case. EJs do have a block oil vapor separator, at the back of the engine on the right side. They tend to leak and cause people to confuse leaky oil vapor separator covers for leaking rear main seals. SOHC phase II EJs (generally post-1997) also use roller rockers. I never cared for shim over/under bucket valves so the FA is a welcome improvement.

Part of it may be that fewer are tuned, but we see very few blown FA at my dealer. Mostly just rod knock on cars that are heavily tuned, or modified with no tune. Also carbon buildup, but thats rare on cars driven hard. No head gaskets, no oil burning. I just wish they came with unequal length headers for that classic sound.

Excellent presentation - no superfluous wordy crap and just the data and reasoning behind design differences. Old Navy nukes such as me appreciate this.

thanks for that,brilliant explanation

Wonderful video. Makes me feel great about my newly acquired 2021 WRX!

great info!

great video!

FA24 in my 2019 Ascent and 22 WRX have been rock solid so far. Neither burn a drop of oil; it’s refreshing.

Protect this man at all cost, truly a subaru guru! Im gett8ng a TR now

Good stuff 👏

Im a car dealer. Now in terms of real life ownership, I get way more issues with the FA. Most overheat, have bad rings etc The EJs still, still.... hold up better somehow.

OH automatic LIKE gonna love this!

Thank you for your information . Much respect 👍🇦🇺

Love the breakdown from professor Mike. Always appreciate the shared knowledge.

I test drove a WRX with the FA and in stock form with the VF52 turbo, it felt just as lively as my Forester XT with downpipe + tune (TD04 turbo).

Excited to see more fa20dit content! Would love to know more about making power! Im hyyyyype! Love my VA WRX! Hearing about how to helped the oiling issue was huge! Hopfully that help me not spin a baring!

Awesome video! Would love to hear more about the FA24Dit. These seem heavily de-tuned from the factory.

Wake up, samurai, new MotoIQ video dropped!

Been waiting on thhis one!

Former 400+hp fa20 owner, now in a 400+hp fa24. I much prefer the vb over the va wrx. I’m on different turbos for each so it’s not quite and apples to apples comparison (BL54x va vs g30-770 vb). But man. The VB is just so much fun to drive. Also, thanks for the vid comparison! One day I’ll pick up an EJ sti 😍

It is pretty cool to see how many of the issues that have come up over the last 20+ years with the ej series motors have been addressed with the FA. Definitely not perfect but they have definitely started taking steps in the right direction.

A mechanic with the knowledge of what hypo and hypereutectic steel performance differences are is a man worth listening to. Metallurgy is no joke.

I’m so happy when watching this guy.

MAN, If this guy was my dad i would have the wildest Subaru & K24 swap ek hatch builds you could imagine 😅

My experience is limited but my FA24DIT was silky smooth and never had a hiccup over 60k miles

I'm in the "small" camp of WRX owners who don't plan on making very much more than stock power ever. I bought mine new in '21 and won't be doing any tune-required power mods until after the powertrain warranty is gone, even then I'm looking for around 300 HP only. I just want a fun, reliable daily and that's it. I've improved the driving performance massively just through suspension, brakes and shifting mods. That said, a large factor in getting the WRX over the STi was the differences between the EJ and FA. Having dealt first hand with EJs and their weaknesses I knew I wanted the changes the FA brought.

Great Video! What exactly did you do to the GR Cup Engines when you said Service-Rebuild? Where these blown engines and if yes what were the failures?

I could listen to him talk all day

I've had my 86 at 400whp for roughly 35K KMs and haven't had any issues. Engine has never been opened so all internals are factory. Last time I had the car in for work i had a compression and leakdown test done, results were surprisingly good. I was not expecting this engine to last at all, but it has not skipped a beat. Trans oil did show some signs of wear when it was last replaced, but it feels exactly how it did when i drove it off the showroom floor. I never knew about the oiling issue on the mains. If i ever bend a rod and have to open the engine, ill be looking into the modifications you suggested to ease the restrictions at least. Thanks.

Ej253 here. 2008 Impreza Outback Sport. Had it rebuilt and runs great.

Please can you do more NA FA20 tips, builds, and info? Thank you!

Gotta get my cars built by you guys

Having gone from a 2020 WRX to a 2018 STI because it seemed like a natural progression, I have no issues or hesitation saying that I hands down prefer the FA from my previous WRX over the EJ in my STI. None. I put 36,000 miles on the WRX and have now put 17,000 on the STI since buying it. I am not joking when I say the first time I got the full taste of a proper launch in the STI, I was as hooked as those tires were. But that feeling is very out shined by the way the engine behaves the rest of the time, I am constantly on edge and babying it afraid it is going to disassemble itself. With every single revolution it feels like it wants to spread itself all over the highway, I signed up for AAA thirty years early because of it to be honest. The only disappointment I could possibly express about the WRX was the open diffs in the front and rear, I couldn't care less about that DCCD nonsense. I have no doubt that if the opportunity to pick up a < 2022 WRX Premium 6MT with the "Performance Package" presented itself I would be calling the seller right away. Then I'd be following that call up with a search for an STI transmission swap.

Man he knows his stuff.. can you do a review on the G16E-GTS on the Corolla GR.

Waitng for iag cast blocked someone spilled the beans.

Thank for the extremely informative information you've provided on the FA20 engine. Do you think a set of restrictors in the oilways that feed the heads would help to prioritize the oiling to the crankshaft and rod bearings ? Another thought is to make a spacer to lower the oil pan 25 mm, extend the pickup and provide oil control at the bottom for the oil pickup and what's you thoughts on this?

My 2018 FA20DIT wrx gets 36+mpg on the freeway. What other Subaru has ever done that?

Your videos are the greatest. There's nothing like learning from someone who truly knows what they're talking about. I'm running my fa24dit WRX at Stage 2 (Cobb package), ~300whp and ~340wtq feels fantastic. Motor is so smooth. The rods worry me at 340tq, but I think they're beefier than fa20dit's. So much smack talked on Subarus but 5 star safety rating, 4 adults fit inside, awd for MN winter, 6 speed manual, and ~400tq at crank for $32k new... come on.

Love the subaru content

Thanks for showing the various differences between the EJ and FA engines. I didn't know how many ways the bottom end was beefed up. I knew about the timing chain. That was the #1 reason I fell in love. I hate timing belts with a passion. I like the roller hydraulic followers. I like that you mentioned the crank overlap. When I saw Subaru cranks for the first time, I couldn't imagine how they would be durable because the counterweights were so thin. I was used to thinking about inline engines. I find it interesting that when the 4G63T was replaced by the 4B11T, Mitsubishi removed the hydraulic finger followers and used solid buckets. Whenever I read about people adjusting valves on Subarus, usually they just leave it until the heads have to be rebuilt. Goodson makes a tool that can shorten the foot of the lifter bucket. The reason some engines aren't priority main is because of hydraulic lash adjusters. In the old OHV engines with hydraulic flat lifters, that system was in use, otherwise the engine would make many annoying noises after startup. That oil galley enlargement thing made me think about the Buick big block. Many people found that the oil system isn't good enough when getting more power. The guys reshape the oil pump to block interface to maximize flow. It helps make the Buick last. That's not to say it is a perfect fix.

Didn't know the FA difference between SUB and TOY's DI only and dual injection, would definitely affect which one I'd buy. I think walnut blasting your engine every 50-80k is a bigger deal/hassle than an EJ timing belt every 100k/10yrs (I've done it twice on mine).

I have a 2017 86 with a FA 2.0L. I’m using 0w20 recommended viscosity oil made by Valvoline. Thinking of switching to signature series Amsoil instead. Do you think that is a good choice or should I just stay with valvoline gold 0w20?

Thank you min 21:00 on is what i came for! Is that all for oiling?

I cant speak on the FA timing chain, but replacing timing chains in necessary. Not as often as a belt by any means though. One example was my 2003 crv. When i held the chains next to each other the old one was an inch and a half longer, and i could fit a screw driver between it and the gear.

12:00 i spy a WPC treated piston source: i just got my WPC'd pistons in today 😍

Please do a 4G63 vs 4B11 comparison and maybe some differences with honda/k20 also!

Your only replacing chains if they are stretched, that only happens if your late on oil changes with time, well maintained chain driven engines can last a long time

Oh the toil of valve adjustments on an EJ. Those who know, know. Overall, I’m impressed with the improvements made on the FA!

I will also say the Subaru dealer process for carbon cleaning doesn't need the intake pulled, and even doing 2-3 rounds of it will still be cheaper than anything where you re/re the intake. We have good results with it, even when it's bad enough that the car is throwing a check engine light. That's more common on the softly driven Forester XT anyway. Most WRX guys give it an 'italian tuneup' and blow/burn the carbon out daily anyway.

He looks so happy all the time 😅 i like this video jaja

WOW MIKE! MIND BLOWN! You are a river of engine engineering knowledge! Pure genius! Thanks for another super bitchen video mang!

thank you made my day about buying my gr86. I wanna know what you think about supercharging one can it hold up stock at 270 to 300 hp?

Great call out with the oiling issues and potential fixes with the fa! Have you guys done any na fa20 performance builds?

FA has alot of improvements but it looks like there were some sacrifices made for daily use reliability. Thank you for the clear breakdown

Could you do a video on Subarus 6 cylinder engines the eg33 and the ez30/36

Few people have passed on this much detail so easily!

Would you say getting aftermarket pistons with lower placement of the first compression ring is the best reliability mod for the EJ at higher power?

Ive been waiting two years for this 😂

27:46 I wonder how effective the kit that Subaru sells is for removing the carbon. This kit is basically a cleaner that is put through the intake - I had planned on doing this treatment at 50,000 miles.

I'd be keen to see you talk about the GR Yaris/GR Corolla G16E-GTS 3cyl. Powertune Australia just made 750+hp at the hubs out of a stock bottom end which is pretty insane

Would be cool to do a same style video comparing the 4G63T vs the 4B11T

How’s that built 1GR going? Any dyno numbers?