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In 2008 I converted my EA81T wagon to RWD. It already had the stronger EA82 5-speed transmission swapped in. I also have a clutch type rear LSD and 205/60/13 Yokohama A048 tires. I knew the risks going into the conversion and so I generally only did "RWD" activities in the wet/snow/dirt or other low traction situations. By babying the car I was able to get the RWD conversion to last about four years. But the whole point of the RWD conversion is to have fun, right? Burnouts, doughnuts, drifting, etc. The rear wheel drive system on these cars was only ever meant to hold 40 horsepower or so. Once you direct the engine's full torque to the rear, the RWD transfer gears become a weak link and will shear teeth like its going out of style. You'll end up stranded with a ruined transmission, a non-op Subaru, worn out rear wheel bearings (because they're the wrong style for sliding sideways) and an empty pocket. (But it is fun while it lasts!)

I disagree with this wholeheartedly. Dino oil is a thing of the past unless your engine is bleeding oil. While many modern synthetic oils are not going to play nice in an older engine, a properly formulated synthetic will run circles around any dino oil.

another vote for KYB. might want to possibly get the front tophats at least.. rears don't usually have many problems. fronts - the bearings tend to go.. if you have them on hand and need them, you only have to do the job once... if you don't need them, return them. they are not typically called "inserts" - just strut, and spring - the two together are an assembly.

Coat hanger with a hook bent on the end. Or pull the dash if you want to do it right. Lysol all that ductwork to kill the hantavirus. GD

Don’t worry about the extra gaskets, the EA82 is bound to leak after the first start up. Cheers Bennie

Stevo F, The subie piston slap issue occurs as you describe in these older engines. My 97 OBW LTD had the issue as well and I just lived with it. Years of forum posts and research shows, that while annoying, piston slap will not affect the engine's longevity in any way. My 97 had it, but not my 2002, my 2007, my 2012 or my present 2017. Some humourously suggest to just turn up the radio.

Correct the wire clamps only fit the OEM hoses due to their reduced wall thickness. Personally I like the OEM wire clamps. They have very even clamping force. We use the embossed worm clamps with rolled edges and a thinner band if the wire clamps are not reusable. We use exclusively OEM hoses or silicone hoses (bulk or fitted) for performance applications. For anything around 1.25" and smaller we use exclusively tongue and groove Oetiker clamps. GD

You're supposed to tell them - Old Gen in morse code or smoke signals, new Gen in binary and hex.

BoUnCe just for my reference

I finished installing the new tps yesterday. Everything fit and adjusted out perfectly. No more tps engine code and cars drives a lot better. I also confirmed everything is identical on this sensor besides the connector. This sensor can be had new for less than $200. Best way to handle the connector issue is to solder the wires and use shrink tubing. Wire colors are identical also.