carfreak85

NECRO-BUMP! I'd wager the SF Forester is the king of cheap off-road Subarus these days.

It depends on how the Duty-C solenoid is deployed. IIRC some years ground the circuit to engage AWD, other years apply voltage to engage AWD. Which failure mode you get may depend on how your AWD is implemented. My car doesn't have torque bind in tight corners, but the rear wheels seem to have a delayed engagement, almost a rubber band effect in snow. If I'm anticipating needing AWD I have learned to "pre-condition" the transmission to shake the clutch packs loose, but if you're simply driving along in the snow and decide to punch the throttle, it'll just spin the front tires until you release the accelerator, then AWD engages with a loud BANG!

Best to replace the clutch pack, and the drums as a set? Our '99 Forester has a slow-to-engage AWD, and while I'm not at all opposed to a wholesale R&R of the RWD transfer assembly, if you say it's a waste of money, I won't bother buying the clutch pack (if they're still available, that is...).

I'll try to summarize my thoughts to keep this succinct... As mentioned, this has been discussed and attempted for decades. Back in the early 2000s there was a crew of guys on this forum pushing the EA82T. At that time the turbo EJ was still pretty new to the U.S. and the cost of entry was too high for most of us cheapskates. Not many people had the gumption to invest in an unknown, undocumented EJ swap. People kept pouring time, money and ideas into the EA82T and since I was keen to replicate their success on my EA81T, I paid close attention. From memory, not one of those cars has survived today and is still running. Contrast that to the first few EJ-swapped EA82s and they're still out there. Hell, my RX-RA that @suberdave built back in ~2005 is still on the road with the same engine that was originally swapped into it 16 years and three owners ago. Try making 260 chp for 16 years on an EA82T... Hasn't been done yet, probably won't happen until somebody creates new, redesigned head castings. The bottom end should hold up to quite a bit of abuse, but the pistons and heads crack, HGs aren't up to the task and the stock ECU is closer to an Atari than smartphone. To do what you're describing and keep the engine reliable (we're taking cost of acquisition/hard parts/labor/machining/and ECU tuning labor) you're probably looking at a $10,000 investment. The custom parts will be more expensive because they'll all be one-off parts. You'll want to pay someone to tune it, since there are no base maps for this engine. Now, an EJ? If you've got the coin you can bolt in 300 chp, leave it stock and be able to enjoy it for the next 16 years vs. the next 16 days (until the EA82T blows up...).

This is specifically about EJ MAFs, but the same principles apply to any 'OEM vs. aftermarket' electronic component discussion.

Still available from the dealership.

Interested to see what you've got in the works...

A couple thoughts on this: Those "dead Subarus on I-70..." Are those newer, well-maintained vehicles, or are they older 90's models? I'd wager they "died" from having older radiators that crack the plastic end tanks or a failed thermostat when flogged in extreme conditions (steep grades, high loads, high ambient temps, A/C usage, etc.). Radiators are a wear item. My WRX's radiator popped at 120k miles and we JUST replaced a cracked radiator in my dad's STI at 75k miles. These cars are durability tested by Subaru during summer in Death Valley, so they SHOULD have no problem climbing Eisenhower Pass in summer with the A/C on. You need to inspect all these components to ensure they're working properly. A dirt-filled or gravel-pelted A/C condenser will restrict airflow to the radiator, so put eyeballs on that, as well as the radiator. Make sure BOTH radiator fans come on. Ensure your cooling system is properly burped (Front end off the ground as high as you can safely get it and while the engine is running, massaging the radiator hoses until the thermostat opens and no more bubbles are seen in the radiator top tank.) If you're dead set on upgrading the radiator for piece of mind, buy an aluminum "racing" radiator for an MT, and add an external, auxiliary transmission cooler. Easy-peasy done.

I'd say anywhere between $1,000 to $3,000, based on the couple sales of RXs I've seen in the last two years. The lack of originality will knock it down, depending on who is buying it.

Cute pup. Its head shape looks similar to our 50 lb lab/whippet mix.

That's an oxygen sensor, not a single EA-series engine was ever equipped with an EGT. In fact, I don't think a single USDM Subaru ever had an EGT until the 2002 WRX's EJ205.

If the vehicle wasn't offered from the factory with some sort of two-tone look, my personal opinion is to follow that template. If I were doing a BRAT, I'd be looking at the white/orange one SoA owns, and recreate that color scheme with my accent color of choice.

SOHC EJ253, 4EAT. On the third pair of HGs, but the last set is EJ257 MLS gaskets and the first HG repair that wasn't done at the dealership.

1999.

Just fixed our rattles. Parts still available, and cheap!