Numbchux

Punctuation is cool. I'd love to help, but I have no idea wtf you're asking.

What engine? That's a lot of money! Front LSDs are available from many companies, and typically run about $1k for a new one, plus install. Those transmissions find there way over here all the time, but they can be tricky to get your hands on as frequently people don't even know what they are, so the price can vary substantially. But it still puts you paying 1500-2k for the engine....so it better have a turbo on it. What do you plan to use the car for?

Your car doesn't have the programming for any sort of sport mode. So no, you can't add a button that will do anything.

I have all 3 generations of Subaru H6. I have several other Subarus (EA81, but nothing older), but I was focusing on the '6s for this discussion.

3rd and 4th gens use the same splines at the hub (I just put a 4th gen rear hub assembly in my 3rd gen), but they are different from every other Subaru. As such, there is no off-the-shelf option to put an r180 in a '00-'09 Outback. It's not a huge deal, and looks like it's going to work just fine for your use. But I'm just brainstorming for anyone in the future that might be thinking about this (as it's a really good idea), starting with like a '08+ Impreza hub assembly would probably give more options for axles. Very cool! Many years ago, ADAMNDJ started acquiring parts to try to graft Nissan truck front knuckles onto the trailing arms of his Brat, but I don't think it ever got finished.

Pretty cool. Would have been nice to use newer hub assemblies, as the '00-'09 Leg/OBK have a unique outer spline count, so you're sort of limited on axle options. I'd be nervous about getting it perfectly square, or is there enough flange contact to not have to worry about that too much?

Yep. Too bad they're all cores.... These ones work just fine, though 20180610_132310 by Numbchux, on Flickr I might have a problem. Thank Bob my wife doesn't mind.

Yes, EG33 has been done many times. And the process is almost the same as on 2nd gen Legacies and 1st gen Imprezas. Which has been done hundreds of times, easily. EG33 is very large. Radiator does have to be moved forward. I've seen the core support and latch chucked, and switch to hood pins. I've seen the radiator pushed in front of the latch (couple times with the stock SVX radiator, which sticks through the grill), or a shorter one down in the bumper like an Intercooler. EZ30 is only like 1.5" longer than an EJ, and will fit with the radiator in stock position with thin fans. I took these pictures last fall. EG33, first gen EZ30, second gen EZ30 (commonly referred to as an EZ30R, even though it's technically still an EZ30D). Obviously not super accurate comparison, but just look at the valve cover. And this EG33 has the timing cover smashed, so it looks smaller than it is. 20180816_201020 by Numbchux, on Flickr 20180816_201040 by Numbchux, on Flickr

1. I have LOVED my '00-'04 Outbacks, when the 2 that my wife and I are driving fail, I will replace them with others. I love the way the '05-'09 ones drive, but with Immobilizers, and CAN systems, they become more difficult for a DIYer to modify/maintain, so I'm hesitant to make that step at this point. 2. CVT, specifically? My mom has a 2012 Impreza with one, and I don't mind driving it, but I'd still prefer a manual. Automatic in general? Yes, when towing, rowing gears gets old, and on the rocks, unless you've got about a 250:1 crawl ratio, clutch pedal is a pain. I'll take an auto every day. But for a spirited drive on an open road, manual is the only way to go. 3. I'm not a one-brand person, either. But my preferences on vintages are about the same, Toyota and Honda started using Immobilizers much sooner than Subaru, for example.

Many times. I've never tried to disassemble the joint itself, but I've pulled the boot off, and flushed with quite a bit of parts cleaner. packed with fresh grease and a new boot, and driven. Most of my cars have suspension/knuckle/brake setups swapped around often, so I'm not sure how many miles, but several axles were used and reused on different cars, some of them lifted, and my only outer CV failures were clearly a result of excessive lift and offroad abuse.

Yea, the techs I worked with rarely even tried the math, but we stocked a pretty good selection so they could trial and error to their hearts content.

The thicknesses are shown as a comment in the OE catalog. Although it looks like comments aren't displayed on parts.subaru.com But: http://opposedforces.com/parts/legacy/en_b11/type_14/engine/valve_mechanism/ Now, as I recall, many of the part numbers aren't available anymore, and supersede to the size above or below, so watch that (might be worth paying markup to order at a local dealer to verify that and be able to return if they muck it up).

Depending on the source. Nokian is weird about working with distributors, so the price can vary wildly between one source to the next, so it's worth shopping around. The tire supplier we primarily used when I was at the Subaru dealership (US Auto Force) regularly had Hakkas as some of the cheapest snow tires available. The 215/65r16 R2s I bought on closeout last summer were like $70 ea.

Yep, call around to your local dealer and locksmiths. Cutting and programming costs vary greatly, as it's all labor and equipment overhead. The dealer I worked at charged $35 for programming. Yes, OE programming adds the keys' ID numbers into the computer. Any keys not present will no longer work (idea is that if you've had a key stolen, they can't steal the car with it). Also, FYI, if there are no working keys, the Body control unit, and sometimes the gauge cluster have to be sent into Subaru to be reset, I've seen this job cost >$1000. Make sure you always have a spare key! OE keys are expensive. But at the dealer, we would program aftermarket keys, probably about 60% of them would work, if you buy an aftermarket key through a locksmith, they'll probably guarantee that it works (whereas if you buy an aftermarket one on ebay, and take it to your dealer, there will likely be no refund). Also, when cutting them they were noticeably easier to cut (softer metal), which means they'll wear out faster. I think there are aftermarket keys that can be cloned, so it's actually the key that's programmed to the same ID as an existing key. This would almost certainly not be an option through the dealer. If you lock the car with the key in the door, it will not arm the security system, so it won't set it off if you unlock it that way. Also, there's a way to put it in "Valet Mode", which disables the security system entirely. I don't know the procedure, but it's in your owner's manual.

FYI, the WRG3s were asymmetrical, and the WRG3 SUVs (larger sizes) were directional. I assume the WRG4 is the same, although I haven't seen any yet (I no longer work where they're sold...).

+1

You don't want to run dedicated snow tires year round. The soft tread compound will not hold up in the warmer temperatures. There are a couple aggressive all-seasons, with the tread pattern more like a snow tire, and the rubber is a bit softer than the typical freeway touring all-season, but still stable enough to run in warmer temperatures. Nokian WRG (just released the WRG4), and the Toyo Celsius.

My thought, too. If the rings are compressed enough, it should slide right in. If you didn't check the ring gap, the rings are probably bottoming out before they'll fit in the bore. Otherwise your tool isn't adequate.

Yep, the automatics are FWD until they detect slip, and then the transfer clutches engage to send power to the rear. IMO it's a pretty sluggish system, the newer the car, the faster the TCU, and the faster the reaction, but even still they're not great. My XT6 is horrendous for that. If it's gotten worse, it's probably a sign of transfer clutch wear, and a diff lock switch will probably speed that wear.

I just put an intermittent switch in my '00 OBK, I should have done this first. Probably too lazy to pull it back out now For those wondering. My primary interest is for salty road spray. That salt cakes on, and you have to get it quite wet to get it off. If the wipers come on too quickly, the salt doesn't dissolve yet, and you end up using quite a bit more fluid than would otherwise be necessary. I'd also like to figure it out for the rear, as the wiper begins sweeping before the fluid can trickle down more than a few inches....

If you could elaborate on that, we might be able to help you diagnose what the issue is.

Yea, there are lots of write-ups. Usually referred to as a center diff lock mod, or something to that effect. Almost all the 4EATs are the same. There's one wire from the TCU to the Duty C solenoid, which either has to be severed, or supplied power, depending on the vintage (Yours is the older version, they switched in '02 or so, but I don't remember which is which off the top of my head). Pretty easy mod.

I think the biggest problem is the edge of the roof there is where all of the structure is. You'd have to build some serious structure into the "T", as well as reinforce the rockers (like you would on a convertible). Then you'd have to find some t-tops that were the right shape for the Subaru roof. You could leave the full frame, like the fun-tops on the brat. Sounds like a PITA, but I think you should do it

Absolutely a completely different animal. My point is just that anything is possible, and most of it's been done. Interestingly, looking at my buddies car, since the drive to the front axles isn't an issue, the engine can be mounted much further back and down than I would have thought. And the advantage of a pushrod engine is there isn't much weight up in the heads, and he's using an aluminum LS. I bet the weight distribution front to back is considerably better than with the Subaru engine, and only a little higher COG. Of course, it's not built to be a handling machine, it's mostly built to ruin tires....

Not even close. A very good friend of mine has a turbo 6.0l LS in his '98 Legacy, and in that project found probably a dozen well-documented examples (which means there's probably several times more of them done that aren't documented).