Psyko

I considered quitting my job and not coming home...

Seems I didn't just miss your birthday, but the hijinks as well... Happy birthday, Rob. Sorry I'm so late on this.

Darn, totaled another one.

Thanks.

I've been wanting to do EJ swaps into a couple of my Brats, so I was reading Numbchux's pdf on it. It's a great writeup, but I still would like to clarify some points in it regarding, you guessed it, using an EJ FWD 5 speed transmission. What I'm picking up from the writeup is: 1. EA81 axles can be used because the FWD tranny is also 23 spline. 2. I need the tranny mount from a manual XT6. 3. I'll need to shorten the shift linkage somewhere in there. Correct? Anything else I'm missing in there?

I'm going to agree with GD on this one. Keep the EGR. It's already fully connected already anyway. You don't have to do anything with it other than screw the pipe into the block since the vacs are there and I'm leaving the pipe I have on it, on it, when I send it back. The threads on your intake, for the pipe in question, were miserably cross threaded. Don and I had to fight to get that thing in there, and taking it off again would probably just be an uber pain for you.

Happy birthday John! Have a great one! Rack up as many as you can because you're going down in WCSS DM '08. :-p

I've got an "iPod ready" Alpine deck in my Legacy (the adapter cable was an extra $35). It's a really great solution, in my opinion. You can run your iPod cable to the glove box and keep Mr. Shiney N. Expensive out of sight. The iPod stays charged and you have full control through the deck.

I worked on getting a new bolt in there. It seems that each new thread I cut just strips out while working on the next one. I have to Helicoil the stupid thing.

Gotcha.

Obviously not. :-p

The hole is actually quite deep, but I don't think it's threaded all the way back. So, the bolt is having to cut some new grooves for itself. That's fine, except I don't know what it looks like in there now. I don't know how good of a grip it has on anything. Considering I never, ever, ever, want this bolt to come back out again (this pulley is a lifer), what would you say to putting some high-temp Loctite or JB Weld junk in there? I'd rather have to swap engines later then have this pulley pull out on my sister.

Do they take total votes into account?

Those are 5 good choices, if you ask me. I'd be more than secure with any one of them. 2, 3 and 4 all sound great, but 4 is my favorite. 116k hydro is a baby of an awesome engine and I think you'd have fun cleaning up and resealing it with John and Steve. Plus, if you waited until the bum that jacked your Weber returned it, Steve could help install and configure the Weber.

It might be a good idea to vote down the RX-7 too.

Can you clarify this a bit? Pully is the bottom smooth idler pulley. Not the "geared" one that bolts into the water pump.

Thanks. It's so easy to overthink things. The old PCV is so nasty you can't tells heads from tails on it. lol

Went with the 235k. There seems to be enough faith in it to put my mind at ease. Plus, I don't want to deal with getting exhaust made up for the '97 (nor do I want to pay for it). Also, this way I don't have to do any engine swapping. I'm almost done. Just need to figure out what goop you put on the PCV valve when installing and replace the valve cover gaskets. ...Oh and I think I stripped the threads on one of the timing belt pulleys. :-\ It was the last one I put it, and before I got it even close to as tight as any of the others, it got easy. Putting the other engine together wouldn't take me long since I've already done the seals, but I don't think I can find exhaust for it in time and swapping the engine would take the better part of a day (I only have a couple full days this weekend plus whatever time I can manage during the next couple of weeks days), so I think I've got to fix the stripped threads. What's your guys opinions on Helicoil use in such an important area and anything I should keep in mind?

I did mean cam seals, sorry. Mind jumped ahead to the front main while was still typing, evidently. The right side seal is in a removable aluminum holder, with o-ring I'm replacing, and the main is in the oil pump, so those I can get from behind. The left side has the o-ring on the back of the engine though (I'm replacing it), so that cam seal has to be pulled. Thanks for all the know how you guys.

My bad, didn't mean the valve adjustments would be easier with the front torn down than with it together. Just meant that it would be easier to do that, with the front torn apart, than it would be to do the compression tests, with the front torn apart. No harm done with the mixup. Another couple questions, that go down a different alley. What do you guys do to remove the crank seals and front main seal? How much goop do you use on the oil pump and then how tightly do you crank it down?

Thanks for the info Nathan. I certainly don't mind who gives it. Both tests seem to be simple, but my '97 engine is sitting on the tailgate of a Brat with the front stripped bare (no timing belt, pulleys, pumps...). Looks like I'll be putting it back together, with new parts, and hoping I don't have to strip it back down again after the tests. Now, if my understanding is correct, the leak down is the more useful one to run? I obviously don't have a gauge for either one. Valve adjustments sound a lot easier to do with the front torn down, but might as well wait until it's back together for that one as well. Just need exact specs and a feeler gauge now... No offense taken. I've done a number of engine and tranny swaps, with my dad, growing up. Never was able to get on the net and never heard about these tests until late last year though. I consider my dad the best resource I have for EA81 stuff, but they aren't something he'd heard of and done (self taught with random info gleaning), so not something I knew of. While they're common place in your world, they sound like a luxury in mine. And single income, not single mom, thank goodness. Brother-in-law is the single income. Thanks again.

I see your point. The big question here is whether I can trust the new belt, pulleys and tensioner more than the long block on a 235k EJ22. You'd put your trust in the block, which is the direction I leaned before posting. I don't know new gen well, so I wanted more opinions. Either way I go, it's a risk. The big question is what the bigger risk is, and I'll find out eventually because the other engine is going in my Brat. The Legacy may have 235k, but it still feels like it has 100k. Even the original auto tranny (which I'm replacing with the 140k that was mated to the '97 engine) is doing great. Sadly, it won't go forever, but for now it's doing well enough to be a free car for a young single income family with a 1 year old daughter that currently drive an SUV with gas mileage in the low teens.

Wow, glad to hear you did that well on this. Now I know where to aim with my "totaled" Brat. Just have to figure out how to use this as leverage because I doubt they'll want to give me even $1800.

Okay guys, thanks for the advice. Looks like I'll be going with the '97 with this, this and Subaru belt (I'm glad I did some more digging on eBay). Gary, I'd do compression and/or leak-down test(s), but I have no idea how and searching is only finding me threads with suggestions to do them. Also, I don't think I'd object to adjusting the valves, but I don't know what kind of adjustments you're talking about. Will I need to mess with springs? Reveeen, funny you mention that. I have absolutely terrible luck, lately. lol

I've got two engines, one is a '95 with 235k on it and the other is a '97 with 140k. The engine with 235k is currently in my Legacy and has never had troubles except for some slight oil burn it has recently developed. The one with 140k came from a Pull A Part, and appears to be taken care of. I'm trying to figure out which engine to put in my Legacy before sending it down to Texas with my sister. I'm in WA, so I don't want things to break on her down there where I can't work on it for free. Whichever engine I put back in will get new: Water pump Front main seal Valve cover gasket things Valve cover bolt gasket things Cam shaft seals Cam shaft o-rings (driver front and passenger rear of engine) Intake gaskets Thermostat Timing belt (150k mile one from Subaru) Timing belt tensioner (from here, any objections?) Timing belt pulleys (from RockAuto, any I should steer clear of?) And the used oil pump from 140k engine (recommended Subaru dealership guy said new wasn't necessary) I ask specifically about the timing belt stuff because if I go with the '97 I really don't want the engine going all out kaboom on her. So, would you guys go with the proven, non-interference, '95 with 235k or the unknown, interference, '97 with 140k?