Numbchux

I got a SOHC EJ20 a couple years ago for an '01 Forester. The donor engine was much newer than that. SOP is to swap the intake manifold, and all wiring/sensors/injectors/throttle body/coil/etc from your old engine. Oil pan will likely be different, leaving more room for the larger cat, swap it for more capacity, or don't. Good idea to do plugs, valve cover gaskets, oil separator and timing while it's out. It will almost certainly have a 7mm oil pump, so I would swap to a 9 or 10. BUT, read the fine print from the seller, as removal of anything sometimes can void the warranty. I bought through eBay, as that would have some standardized way to look at seller history and feedback. And as a result, there is some incentive for them to make things right if things went sideways. I also paid with a credit card through paypal, so I would have 2 ways to dispute the charge. I've heard so many horror stories over the years about importers that send out junk, leave customers out to dry, and then change their name after a couple years and some bad publicity.

That's how you know there's oil in them, right?

Yea, level switch on Imprezas and Leg/OBKs was just for a warning light. But it got people to come in to the dealer and complain long before the engine blew up. I don't like that it comes on when the engine is about .5 quart low, but it might have saved me a couple engines in my life.... Yea, the bulletin and warranty extension was for -14 cars, and a few 15s. But we've done plenty of newer ones. It's certainly improved, though.

11-14 Foresters did not have an oil level switch/warning light. It was very common to see catastrophic failure on those, as they typically got driven until they burned so much that they lost pressure. Modern cars have so many modules that stay active even with the key off, it's pretty crucial that they get driven.

We've seen them get bad enough to wreck the AF sensor, because that's right under the RF corner of the engine.

CANBUS was mandatory in all US vehicles since 2008 (most adopted it several years before that) I think both engines have their advantages. The FB is less likely to need anything, but a bigger job to do (to do almost anything on the FB, you have to remove the timing chain cover and chains). Take care of them, keep on top of the oil changes (I see VVT solenoids gummed up on both engines). Throw that Sham oil filter in the dump with the rest of the filthy cardboard and use a Tokyo Roki from the dealer, or WIX. The EJ will leak oil externally. The FB will probably leak it and/or burn it. Neither car has a low oil level indicator (just pressure), so check the dipstick periodically, and they'll do fine.

This has stuck with me through the years. I haven't tried it, but it makes sense to get nice square force on the inner race. I broke one apart at a camp site once, and it took forever to do with just a hammer and socket extension.

That's for a brand-new OEM one. Pretty normal for a new OEM alt to be upper 3 digits. 23700AA37AR1 is the remanufactured version, which has an MSRP of $309.52 and $50 core.

Yea, GDs got 2 facelifts (and sedans got flared fenders, so sedans and wagons have different fenders and front bumpers). You can swap the entire front clip 02-07 with some modification to the core supports. You could also use a Saab 9-2x front clip, if you could find one. 04-05 headlights should all be interchangeable (there are likely a few different headlights that fit in that opening depending on trim. I know the STis had HIDs, etc.)

Master Cylinders should be bench bled before installation. so you've likely pushed a lot of air into the system. If your car has a hill holder (definitely on MT GLs, I never had a MT Loyale), there's a bleeder on that.

Taller sidewall with the same wheel diameter = taller overall tire. 225 and 205 are widths. Second number is sidewall height as a percentage of the width. That likely has a 225/40r18. Going to a 205/45r18 likely has the same sidewall height, because it's a percentage. Tire rack does not list a smaller wheel option on the website, but they're the same 296mm front rotors that they've used forever, so I would think you should be able to go down to a 16 easily.

$20 says that post will be edited in the next week to add a link to a sketchy website

Nope, not without major modification (probably easier to fab from scratch) I've heard of people using the standard EA82 crossmembers, and modifying them to accept the EJ center piece.

I've had numerous sets of Blizzaks that are approaching 10 years old still looking good because I store them out of the sun. My only hands-on experience with X-ices have been on a stage rally car, so I can't speak to treadwear 😜 The Nokian rep (grain of salt) will be quick to tell you that the Hakka is the only winter tire that is the softer compound through the entire depth of the tread, all the others get harder, and will essentially be an all season by about 7/32" (50% useable wear, most start with 10/32 and should be replaced by 4/32). I don't know if I buy that, but I do prefer Hakkas. The forester wheels will likely be higher offset and maybe even narrower, so they will be set back in the wheel wells a bit. Might complicate strut clearance, but you're running small tires.

Yep. I had the first AA lift, which didn't drop the rear crossmember like the BYB/PJD ones did (woa....I think that was 18 years ago...yuck). The rear suspension pivots around that front bushing, which is basically right at the front lower corner of the bodywork. So the tire swings forward from the centerline of the wheel well, but I don't think it gets any closer to the sheet metal. But maybe a not-rusty rocker (what's that?) would stick down a bit below that bushing and be a problem. I can't quite picture how it would all work

The 3 bolts between the outer and inner trailing arm can be loosened and adjusted to adjust toe and camber, so it is possible that it is adjusted differently. Might be worth a tape measure alignment. Or, a worn bushing could change the goemetry. I'd get under there with a tape measure and see where the discrepancy is.

It doesn't need an engine. It needs valves. I don't believe for a second that a $650 used EJ25 is "good". Especially from a quality source willing to stand behind the product. Unless the COMPLETE history on that used engine were known, I wouldn't just drop in a 20 year old engine. I would do MLS head gaskets and timing stuff. At which point, just fix your engine.

Even just a compression test Definitely throw a belt on it and see. But I bet there's a dead hole or 2.

I've seen them skip without damage. But broken while running, I'd bet on bent valves. Head gasket job, plus take the heads to a machine shop for pressure testing and valve replacement as needed.

Nope. If you had an XT6 FT4WD transmission, you could gut them both and make a FT4WD EJ transmission. But it's a big job, for worse gearing and differential. Any driveline shop can modify the driveshaft, though. Extra couple days in the process, but drop the engine and transmission in as soon as you can, measure the driveshaft, and it'll be done before you can get the wiring done. 4EAT shaft is likely a bit too short, and 4WD MT shaft is too long (you are correct that EA82 and XT6 use the same length shaft). Easier to cut down one that's too long, than lengthen one that's too short (it's metric tube, to they'll have to machine the factory flanges to fit standard tubing).

No. The AWD tailhousing is longer than the 4WD one. The splines are the same, but IIRC I had to have about 4" removed from mine. Also the bellhousing is different, so unless you're doing an engine swap, too, you'll need to swap all the internals into the XT6 case.

Maybe just throwing a new radiator at it would have done it. But I feel much better having flushed the engine and heater core, too. Circulation through the heater core is crucial for thermostat operation. I don't think anything is bad, per se. I used Gunk, and we use Wynn's at the dealership where I work.

My '04 VDC started doing that a couple years ago (~250k miles), and eventually got bad enough to require significant change in driving style to keep it from getting dangerously hot. I used a Spectra aftermarket radiator when I repaired the crash damage it had when I bought it (at 133k miles). A serious cooling system flush solved it. Put a flush chemical in it and drove it for a few days, drained, filled with coolant and flush, drove for a few days, then drained, removed the radiator so that it could be intensely flushed inside and out, and the condenser could be sprayed out from the engine bay side. Then disconnected and flushed the heater core, and then engine. Temperatures stay perfect, now (I put the 100+k mile aftermarket thermostat right back in with a new gasket).

IIRC, there are 6-8 solenoids in the valve body assembly, so generally you'll throw a code and have a circuit to test. I do remember seeing a few that had other solenoids fail. But the lockup one was the most common. Converter and transmission itself will generally lead to physical symptoms (sound, lurching, slipping, etc.).

The most common "valve body" failure that I've seen is the torque converter lockup solenoid, but the solenoids are not sold separately. On my mom's 2012 Impreza, it threw a code for the lockup solenoid, ohm'ed it out and it was either open or shorted (I don't remember which). I bought a chinese solenoid on Amazon, which worked for a few months. Then I got my hands on a used Valve body, the torque converter solenoid is identical to 2 of the shift solenoids, but the torque converter one is used almost constant 100% duty while driving, so I pulled the shift solenoids and used one in place of the failed converter solenoid, which worked great. Of course, about a year later, the transmission started slipping, bucking and lurching, and being a salvaged oil burner, it now sits in my yard awaiting partout.