MilesFox

I agree, this seems likely, with 5w30 given as the winter weight option. In regards to trends, the trend was moving form 10w30 to 5w30, and nowadays 5w20 is a common weight, with 0w30 replacing 5w30 where 30 wt is required (turbo) and 0w40 for heavier oil. What i am trying to determine is if 5w30 was historic, or only installed in late models for 'energy conserving' sake, Being at the oil shop, i try to move customers with subarus off 5w30 and into 10w30 at least for summer wt, or with soobs coming in a quart low or with more than 100,000 mi. Depending on what the customer would pay for, i should recommend 10w40 (semi syn) or 0w40 (full syn). It makes me withs we carried 5w40 delvac, but we only have 15w40. I suppose in general, 40 wt preferred, 30 wt for colder climate/winter.

No where does it list 20 wt oil except for late model FA engines for 2013 and later.

I took a look at your oil write up. Very comprehensive; you are very knowledgeable. And with Mobil, that is the brand we sell at my oil change shop, so i am very familiar with their nomenclature and marketing. I suppose i could try and look online about old subarus and their factory fill, but i would guess i would find USMB so here i am asking to begin with. I have read the NASIOC threads regarding mobil vs rotella and the use of 5w40 oils.

I understand viscosity index and oil weights (i work at an oil change shop). I have used 15w40 and 20w50 in ea82's. Currently, i am running Mobil high mileage 10w30 in the 96 Impreza (semi-syn, 5000 mi) and Mobil 1 high mileage 10w30 in my 86 3door (ej22 phase 2, full syn 10,000 mi) I am considering a 40 wt in the Impreza my next oil change, considering mobil1 0w40 full syn (as it will be winter with 0 degree weather. But all that aside, i am wondering what was the factory fill oil in ea81 and ea82's when new. I know for sure that late model phase 2 engines came with 5w30 'energy conserving' oil from the factory to meet fuel economy standards for USDM, although the 'not recommended' stipulations exist in the owners manual, and the tech manuals at work, as well as listings for 5w30, 10w30, 10w40,, 30, 40, 50, 15w40, 20w50 are options based on temperature ranges.s. Based on that, and in my personal and professional opinion, 5w30 is only appropriate for temperatures consistently below 32-61 degrees F. But for engines prior to 2000, 1995, before current economy standards, i am wondering what came in the box at the time of manufacture for EA engines. T^his would be before ISLAC GF 3 specs, and before API SJ, SI, SL specs. Current specs are ISLAC GF5 and API SN. Late model FA engines for 2013 and later call for 0w20 and 0w30 oil, as do most Toyota and Honda, and GM with 5w30 with 0w30 as winter option

With all the argument on the internet in general, about which oil is best for Subaru, Mobil Vs. Rotella, 5w30 vs 5w40, does anyone know what the EA81 and EA82 came with from the factory? Considering the oil spectrum is anywhere from 5w30 to 20w50 on the tech sheets, i am curious which weight came in the box, considering "5w30 is not recommended for sustained high speed operation".

Even new cars begin to show their rust within 5 years. This is why you can't have nice things.

Ultru Grey FTW. never use anything else, at least on everythign else beside the water pump. Grey is my preferred flabvor and has never failed me.

Do all the seals. Take the engine out and reseal the crank case breather baffle plate (oil separator) Do not service the rear main seal if it is not leaking profusely. A little bit of seepage is fine, More likely to fail if not serviced correctyly than to just let it be.

you had the water pump out. Fill block by upper hose. BE sure to burp the air pockets, this is critical if the cooling system was open. You may have to hodl a high idle and babysit the thermostat until it opens. Run the heat full hot. Do the burp procedure before troubleshooting.

You may have to do this periodically. The HG may be allowing combustion gas into the cooling system, pushing it out. Be sure to only fill the overflow to the mark near the bottom of the jug. If the fluid level rises, you have coolant pushing out. Sometimes combustion gasses can get past the gasket although the gasket is not failed. This is especially true with turbo engines. Just be adamant about checking the coolant and burping it off as necessary. Even my swapped 86 3door with an ej22 from an o1 impreza loses coolant somehow, although there is nothing wrong with it and 80,000 mi on the engine itself.

my 96 impreza is like this, probably almost 1/4 inch rotational play in the front axles. Sometimes you hear it cling when you put in gear. The PO had put the FWD fuse in thinking there is a problem, but the car drives just fine. However, there is a corner of the front diff dipstick worn away as if it were hitting against something.

Just a speculation, but if you have an ea82 engine in an ea81 car or against a 4spd 4wd and using a modified ea81 flywheel, the timing marks are some 30 degrees different. Good luck.

based on my experience, the most likely failures are tire, radiator hose, or timing belt. This is why you run open timing belts, so that if one fails, you can change it oer the side of the road. Watch the temp gauge like a hawk. That is the most important gauge in the dash,. Do not use 5w30 oil. Use at least a 10w30, or ever a 5w or 10w40 oil. Perhaps even 0w40 synthetic if the car does not consume oil. Expect it to though, check oil often a d add as necessary. The single most thing you can to to help with oil consumption is replace the PCV valve. Otherwise, Hit the road. Stop by Milwaukee Wisconsin if you need to make any repairs while over the road. Good luck thru Chicago.The Indiana toll road is death, don't break down in Goshen.

if you mean other gaskets, like intakes, i like the put the smooth side against the heads to allow for expansion

they can only go on one way. both left and right heads are cast the same, and head gaskets stamped the same. Just don't put the heads on the wrong side, because one side has the EGR port.

Use sytnhetic oil 0w20 or 0w30 and move to 0w40 once you rack up some miles.

You get parts fro spfi, carm, MPFI, MPFI spider (xt) and also grommets and o-rings if you split the block. Some of the other o-rings are for the distributor shaft, and the oil puckup tube, fuel injectors. Don't bother with some of the gaskets if it is something you didn't take off, say a throttle body or injector. Save them for when you ever do.

Lift-off oversteer. Learn it, Or forever understeer. Handling dynamic requires specific technique. Brake to sideways, gas to straight.

The prbelem was not the bolts to begin with. Suspect bent components

Problem is not re-using the head bolts. How dod you do the torque sequence? you didn't pop out any freeze plugs?

Ask Miles Fox

Original replaement parts may be all but unavailable. Otherwise there are for one side, but not the other. If you sour the earth, you may find a poll-off set or reondtioned set. You can retrofit non airbag struts just as easlily. Impreza parts are an option for the xt-6. Good luck

Yes, Yes, Yes. BUT: swap flywheel, modify holes in it, use ea82 bolts, reloate timing marks. Might be ab le to use 4spd clutch disc with ea82 flywheel and PP. MUST use 4spd's driveshaft. Prefer swap 4 spd's diff. 3.999 vs 3.90. MUST use ea82 trans mount, and hybrid a dual range lever. Moral of the story: Yes, a 4spd an work, but you will still need parts from a 5spd if converting from an automatic.

Pwerhaps you have spfi and mpfi parts mized up. the turbo cap and rotor are taller than spfi. The spfi should hae a round shaft on the dissty, and mpfi has a D shaft. same for cap and rotor. Round rotor fits on D shaft, but not the other way around. Maybe i have theis backwards which one is which, but there is a difference for sure, denso, hitachi. Good luck

PCV is located on the back of the intake manifld just to the left of the throttle/carb. 17mm tool will service it. The car is either sucking up oil thru the pcv, or if it is clogged, over pressurizing the crank forcing oil out. Inspect the hoses associated with it as ell for being sudged or clogged like coroded arteries. What weight of oil are you using? Best to use 10-30, 10w40, 15w40, or 20w40 or 20w50. avoid 5w30 unless sub freezing temps. 10w30 all around, heavier weights depending on mileage and consumption