Numbchux

If you're ready to open the can of worms that is engine swaps. The sky is pretty much the limit. Almost any Subaru engine (as long as it's about the same vintage or newer) can be done relatively easily. There are dozens of turbo options (The WRX has been in production around the world for 25 years, STi for about 20, Legacies had twin turbo models in RHD cars etc. etc.), depending on the details. There are 6-cylinder options (I'm partial to a '01-'04 3.0 H6). NONE of these are cheap to swap or maintain. And that's just Subaru engines, with some creativity and knowledge (and frequently money) anything is possible. $10k is probably a good rule of thumb. I know of a couple guys who did it for less, but it took a HUGE amount of work researching what parts to use, and patience waiting for just the right deal on just the right part (one was a coworker when I worked at a Subaru dealership, you can bet the employee discount helped on that project even though it was based on a jdm engine). Then you have to think about the transmission. The 5-speeds are not exactly robust, and the STi 6-speed is expensive ($5k is probably a good rule of thumb on that). So if you're planning to make much more power and/or drive it really hard, you'll probably want to think about that.

Yea, you'll have to elaborate beyond "sup". More power? Basically no. It is possible to add boost, but this quickly falls under the category of "if you have to ask". It's in-depth, relatively high-risk to your engine, and certainly not cheap to do correctly. This is the classic example of the phrase, "Fast, Reliable, Cheap. Pick 2". You've got heaps of reliable and cheap in that 2.2. You can get some Fast, but it won't be cheap (to build or maintain).

Yea, winter traction is all about PSI between the tire and the ground. Reducing the tire's width, reduces the square inches of the contact patch, therefore increasing the PSI. You also want the tires to flex, so the more sidewall the better. The exact opposite of summer traction. If you were to spec a winter tire/wheel set (through Tire Rack or similar), they would recommend the smallest wheel that will fit over the brakes. So if you get enough snow to justify a winter setup, that's something to consider.

Also, EA81 wheels will not clear the brakes on EA82s (an '87 could be either). 5jx13 just means it's a 5" wide, 13" diameter wheel, which are the least important dimensions when it comes to fitment.

Absolutely, it makes complete sense. I'm still getting a free set of OE Tacoma front take-offs, so I'll probably try that, which is supposedly 595 lb. Although those shocks travel almost an inch less than the Subaru option. Rallitek actually lists the spring rate of their overload spring as 355 lb/in, specifically citing that they are 18-20% stiffer than stock, but softer than the rally-specific King springs (their words https://www.rallitek.com/blog/rallitek-vs-king/ ). But, with the extra travel, and much better damping of that Fox shock, the stiffer spring is probably less of an issue for you.

That's excellent. It didn't even occur to me to make an adapter like that for the top mount and just use conventional coilover shocks! I love it! What spring rate are those?

Give it a try, and use it as you'd like. It's just another gear. Clutch in to shift between it (can be done moving or otherwise). Just watch the tach, as the rpms will come much quicker than in hi-range. Although your valves will float before you can do any damage to an EA82 anyway....

Yea, pretty hard to get away from the head gasket issues. Good news is it's virtually always an oil leak, not a catastrophic failure like most cars with failed head gaskets. I let my '03 leak for nearly 50k miles before I finally fixed it. Just check the oil and fill it if it gets low. 2011-2012 Legacy and Outback 2.5s are the only ones with the old style engine that finally fixed the head gaskets. There are some components that are specific to those couple years, which makes a few parts hard to come by, but not too bad. Subaru made conventional autos, 4 and 5-speeds. But not paired to that version of the EJ25 engine. I looked for a 6-cylinder to avoid the head gasket issue. Those are much less likely to have head gasket problems, but it still happens, and when it does it's catastrophic and VERY labor intensive to repair (usually cheaper to replace the engine), so that's a bit of a gamble. That said, I would not avoid the new generation of engines. They started in 2011 in the Forester, 2012 in the Impreza, and 2013 in the Legacy/Outback. Some do have oil consumption issues (warranty was extended to 100k miles for that issue. So get one under that and you might get a free engine), but generally pretty reliable. I'm not sure what to think about the CVTs, there are plenty of them with lots of miles on them, and I was seeing used ones for pretty cheap. But, it's possible that warranty periods were skewing that. They started in 2010 in the Legacy/Outback 4-cyl, I think 2012 in the Impreza, 2014 in the Forester, and 2016 in the 6-cyl Legacy/Outback (I'm not completely certain on those years off the top of my head, but within a couple years). Check out Cars101.com for lots of information on model and trim options

Looks great! My summer-only cars have been off the road for almost a month, now. Saw the salt trucks out about 3 weeks ago up here in Duluth....Less than 5 months salt-free up here this year. I applied for Collector plates for my Celica when I started driving it last spring, and they didn't come until after the car was back under a cover

I was not able to find any aftermarket bushings that completely replace the old ones for that application. The only ones I could find were "void filler" bushings to stiffen up the factory ones, which I didn't think would be enough in my case as my old bushings were completely torn in half.

Yep, almost guarantee it's 12x1.25, but might be 10. Bushings look pretty nasty, I'd replace them....but it's not going to hurt anything if you don't, just get a clunk when changing directions occasionally. I replaced them on my '00 this spring. Drop the diff, the inner sleeve and most of the rubber came with it, I used a chisel to get the rest of the rubber out. Then I used a sawzall to cut through the outer sleeve to relieve some pressure, then an air hammer pushed it out quickly. Cleaned out the hole with a dremel and a flap wheel. Then a little creativity with a chunk of threaded rod and some scrap metal made a little press to get the new ones in. Smooth now. Kind of a shame since I'm going to be putting a rear subframe in this car....

Take a look in your area... When I was at the dealership, we bought several good used ones for around $500. We had several that had out-of-warranty torque converter failure, and it was cheaper to get a used trans than a new converter.

This is exactly what I was thinking. They stopped putting a conventional auto in the Outback almost 10 years ago. You're far more likely to have an oil consumption issue on the FB engine than a CVT failure. Both happen enough that they extended the warranty, but still a relatively low percentage.

This must be a regional thing. I've pulled several from the local junkyard for my own cars, and the rear joint in all of them were tight. One of my co-workers at Subaru ordered one from a junkyard, and it took at least 3 to find one that wasn't junk when it got there (the benefits of a professional relationship with a junkyard, only paid for the good one). And he ended up having it rebuilt about 6 months later anyway. And we had several cars at the dealership where the u-joint got so bad it wrecked other things, usually the pinion seal/bearing on the driveshaft, but one the output on the transmission....

Are the strut tops tied into the cage at all? I've seen some seriously abused rally shells, and never anything like that...

I generally don't agree with posting to criticize a sale price. I prefer to let the market bear what it will bear. But GD is right. I've owned 3 SVXs, 2 had great engines (other problems, admittedly, but excellent engine donors), for a grand total of $800. I probably wouldn't scrap it, but I wouldn't pay much more than scrap value. Nothing on craigslist near you now. But here's one relatively near me: https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/cto/d/92-subaru-svx/6721027602.html Still not a bargain, but what I found after about 5 minutes of searching. And you could still have it shipped across country, sell the lights, gauge cluster, wheels/tires and a few other things, and have an engine with known history, wiring, ecu and good head gaskets for less than $1100. But yea, good luck the with sale. Might have better luck in the "For Sale" section.

2-0430DL Duralast U-joint from Autozone. Greasable, Lifetime Warranty, like $20ea. You'll need a dremel and a press to get them apart, it's a finicky job, for sure, but not terribly hard. Just make sure to mark all the parts so they go back in the same orientation. I did both joints on our '04 Outback in August, and have put about 5k miles on it since then. I just did the rear in my '00 beater Outback (I had both joints, but my dremel quit, and I was running out of time so I only did the nasty one) a couple days ago and then put 500 miles on it. Or look for a driveline shop. We have 2 here in Duluth (not a huge market, so I assume there are places like that everywhere) that can do them. I know the one shop here sells the joints for like $35ea with a basic install (no balancing).

It happens. Yea, I was doing harnesses for awhile. Couple years where it seemed like my living room was always taken over by wiring harnesses. I don't miss that

Boy, if only there was a stickied thread with examples of this.... Ahem... https://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/107295-biggest-tires-with-no-lift/

Judging from the corrosion on everything, I'd say the only thing worth more than scrap is the intake manifold. Steel parts are probably rusty, rubber parts are probably dried and cracked, etc.

The drum is available from Subaru, but is probably prohibitively expensive to get that way. I know I've heard of people cleaning up grooves with a file with success. But if they're too bad, it probably makes more sense to get a used trans. But since the solenoid works, you've probably got a relatively simple repair. Gasket, fluid, clutch packs, some time with a file, and carry on.

Yes, your car definitely has transfer clutches, which are controlled by a solenoid, usually called the Duty C solenoid. Does the FWD fuse change the symptoms? As I recall, the drum that the clutch plates ride in can get grooved or rusty, which can physically prevent the clutches from releasing. Otherwise the solenoid can stick, and sometimes the gasket that seals the solenoid to the case can leak, so fluid pressure is not held to the clutches. Typically best to just get everything. The dealership I worked at stocked it all, gasket for the case, solenoid, and gaskets for the solenoid (there's a spacer under it, and 2 gaskets, you'll have to replace both). If they have it in stock, they'll probably accept returns if you don't end up using it (make sure to ask first). As I recall the techs always asked for a little fluid tube back there, too. But the one time I did the job I didn't replace it, and I'm not 100% sure why they did (maybe someone else here will know).

I want that trans skid!

The way he drives, more transmission cooling is definitely needed. You can over-cool the fluid, but if the extra cooler is plumbed in series before the radiator, the coolant will re-warm it to the ideal temperature. More transmission coolers is definitely better. I add coolers and usually gauges to most of my auto transmission cars. I think that's the exact same one that I used, in essentially the same place. I used the little zip-tie mounts through the condenser and mounted it behind the support, but whatever. It's really nice to be able to put my hand on that cooler when checking the oil on a trip to see how hot the transmission is running. 20160326_155341 by Numbchux, on Flickr

I've had all kinds of problems on vehicles with aftermarket remote start systems installed. Usually as a result of poor connections/installation than the system itself. If you can't use it anyway, I would throw that thing right in the dumpster before anything else. I'm almost completely positive that that car would have an immobilizer, which means that's another computer that can interrupt the starter signal. Most cheap remote start installs on immobilizer cars involve attaching a spare key inside the steering column trim near the ignition to fool the immobilizer. Is this a manual or automatic transmission car? Yea, pretty simple circuit, and it sounds like you have fairly predictable symptoms. Get a multi-meter and/or test light and a wiring diagram, and start isolating components of the circuits.