Numbchux

Then I say just drive it...

Mine came right out... It sounded like you're already considering scrapping the car/engine if it does in fact need head gaskets. Start with the Subaru coolant conditioner, it's like $3. If it still runs hot under load etc., then you have nothing to loose. I've heard nothing but good things about Blue Devil from those who have used it (You can always find negative reviews from people who haven't...). I found a YouTube video awhile ago where a guy did a chemical block test immediately before and after treatment, and the results there were night and day. Then I found in his later videos, him retesting the same car tens of thousands of miles later and it still passed. Search for it, it's better than most Youtube videos.

Not really, I have this picture with all the ruined stuff cut off, and one of the junkyard bumper beams mocked up on it: NCM_0839 by Numbchux, on Flickr I was making it up as I went, so I didn't really ever have any pictures of the process. And I'm not real proud of some of it, the framerails are solid, but some of the stuff around the headlights and under the airbox is still pretty ugly. We took it to Headwaters Regional Rally this weekend over in Walker, MN (as the name implies, the stages aren't too far from Itasca state park and the headwaters of the Mississippi). Swapped the Yakima rack over from our '03 (almost was a problem. With the hatch open, that sexy rear wing only clears the back tire on my 29er by about a 1/2" with the rack pushed as far forward as possible). 20160522_130336 by Numbchux, on Flickr Temperatures were about 80* all weekend, the A/C worked flawlessly. I love climate control. And even with the bikes on the roof, 89 octane and the A/C cranked, we got about 25 mpg (rural roads, cruising at about 60 most of the time). This week we re-pack for 4 days in the boundary waters next weekend.

http://get-primitive.com/protection-skidplates/295-front-skid-plate-.html

It's been awhile since I've done them, but I'm almost completely positive the diagnostic connectors are under the hood, by the driver's side strut tower. Also, car manufacture dates are typically about 6 months ahead of model years (dec of 1989 is definitely a 1990 model year).

No need to replace the bolts unless coolant got to them and they rusted. Agreed that you should replace the gaskets

Obviously rubber ages, but since they are out of the sunlight, the biggest thing that breaks them down is the heat and pressure while running. So they would be far more worn if they had more miles on them. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I always carry fluids, and some hose repair tape in the car for long trips. I've patched radiator hoses with it before, even an intercooler hose on a Rally car. That, a tube of QuickSteel epoxy (fixed fuel lines and a radiator with that), and a AAA card is enough for me. Trying to preventatively replace or carry spares for everything that could possibly fail seems like a serious snowball situation to me....with parts availability in the US these days, and how common Subarus are.....it just isn't worth it to me.

I don't know exactly what was changed in the rings, although the original part number was superseded. But I kind of suspect it was an assembly issue, as some cars have the problem, and some didn't, with very little pattern. All the FB/FA engines call for 0W20. 2011 for the Forester, 2012 Impreza, and 2013 Legacy. I've never heard of a spun main bearing. Doesn't mean it doesn't happen, but I've probably handed out 100 short blocks for oil consumption in the last year, and zero parts for a spun bearing. I'm not convinced I could tell if the filter was full or not without having a window on the side or something. There's a pretty good column of oil on both sides of the filter, and as soon as the filter seal is broken to allow air in there, the oil will drain out pretty quick. I *think* by the time you got it threaded all the way off, it would drain back into the engine. I don't know, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. The oil filter on my Celica is mounted at about a 45* angle pointed down, several inches above the oil pump, my inclination is that it would drain back too, but the 5SFE is a very reliable engine.

2011 Forester uses a 15208AA130 Filter. It's fine to use that filter on other models, but don't use anything else on that one. I've heard that most aftermarket companies have copied that design, and use it for all the FB engines, but I can't confirm that. The OE filter is cheap enough....(MSRP is like $6.95, we sell them for $5.50). There is no mileage cap for oil consumption on the effected vehicles (again, has nothing to do with the oil filter). I think the notices were mailed out about 2 months ago, you're covered for at least a year after that, and if you're still under 100k miles, you will remain covered until 100k.

I work in parts at a Subaru dealership, and my mom has a 2012 Impreza (we purchased with 20k on it, it now has over 70k, no issues), so I've seen the notice you received as well. FYI, the oil pump has an extra anti-drainback valve to keep the oil filter full while the engine is not running (2011 Foresters did not have this, so they use a unique oil filter with a different anti-drainback valve in them for the same purpose) The issue is faulty piston rings. And it isn't that the wear out fast, or anything like that, it's that they never seated correctly. The affected cars had excessive oil consumption from the day they rolled off the assembly line. When the issue first started, Subaru was having dealers replace just the rings under warranty, but as they realized the quantity of affected cars, it was more effective to replace the whole shortblock. We probably average 1 or 2 of these jobs a week, and stock all the parts to do it.

It'll all depend on what you want to do. Hard packed dirt/gravel probably won't be an issue, but if it gets soft.... I think you'll probably want more ground clearance. You could probably get a bit with a little suspension modification, but ultimately, you'll probably want large tires. Also, I doubt there's much for aggressive tires available in that size, so going larger will probably open up the options. Although still, it'll probably be snow tires, or rally competition tires. Neither of which are ideal. The other major challenge will be traction. Tires will help that, obviously, but FWD and an open diff, means it only takes one wheel to loose grip, and you've got nothing. You might be able to combat that a little with momentum, but that's dangerous. It's a catch-22, where having a tight LSD or locker makes steering difficult, and daily driveability compromised, but having it too loose could leave you stranded. Also, there probably aren't many (if any) options for those... You might be able to get creative with brake line locks on the front wheels to help force the power to the other wheel when you need it, but that's not a great option. Good news, is with it being so light, recovery shouldn't be difficult. Make sure you have good tow points, and a come-a-long with you, and you should be able to self-recover from most situations.

Yep, it looks like it. That's what the original question in this thread was. Keith said he ordered that part, hopefully he'll follow up whether it works or not.

Yep, first gen EZs (2000-2004) were siamesed all into one port, as are some mid '00s california EJ25s. The second gen ones ('05+, commonly and incorrectly called EZ30R) are 3 port.

Block off is in a box in the bottom-center of this illustration: http://opposedforces.com/parts/impreza/en_g12/type_6/automatic_transmission/at_transmission_case/illustration_2/ Your car should have it.

Yep, 2 cylinders are siamesed, just like the EA82. The second port is the same size.

High and Low beam use the same fuses/relays Low beam and Daytime Running Lights both use the same filament in the bulbs. I'd test for power across the bulb connector, if it passes, try a new bulb. If it fails, then isolate whether it's the power or ground side of the circuit that has failed (test each wire individually, referencing straight to the battery for the other). The power side has the same source as the high beams, so I assume that will be fine. I just spent quite some time studying the diagrams for that circuit (btw, the 2003 diagram has 2 wires for the Daytime Running Light relay switched, and it didn't make sense, but I had the same diagram printed for my '04, and it does make sense). I don't see a common component that could cause both issues other than the bulb itself (I have seen bulbs have some continuity, but not light up...). The Daytime Running Light module and relay would both have to be failed, I think. And they get their power from the same fuse that supplies power to the ECU and fuel pump (so if it runs, we can assume that is fine).

I picked this up about a year and a half ago. '04 Outback VDC with every option, and most of the available accessories. It was in a decent wreck, but it was at just the right angle and not hard enough to set off the air bags. [/url]NCM_0445 by Numbchux, on Flickr NCM_0448 by Numbchux, on Flickr I got a lot of parts from our local UPull yard: https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4281/35529466042_13801ff378_k.jpgNCM_0802 by Numbchux, on Flickr But they won't do body cuts, so Oak Leaf Auto Salvage saved the day (these guys are awesome, and specialize in newer Subarus): NCM_0810 by Numbchux, on Flickr Fast forward..... NCM_0840 by Numbchux, on Flickr While I was at it, I added an auxiliary transmission cooler. Plumbed before the radiator to reduce overcooling. 20160326_155341 by Numbchux, on Flickr I took it through the DMV inspection so that I could get plates for it about 2 weeks ago. I went down 2 days ago (it's been at my parents' place) and threw a trailer hitch on it, and brought it home. A few pictures of it with our '03 at a rest stop on our way home: 20160508_182200 by Numbchux, on Flickr 20160508_182216 by Numbchux, on Flickr The '04 has a Reese trailer hitch on it, and the '03 has a Subaru Accessory one: 20160508_182229 by Numbchux, on Flickr 20160508_182245 by Numbchux, on Flickr AFAIK, these are the only options for these cars that go over the exhaust, all the others hang under it. The Subaru one requires the bumper cover to be cut in a few places, where the Reese one extends to the front of the car further and doesn't interfere with the bumper cover (although I did have to lower the charcoal canister to do it). Yesterday, I rented a vacuum pump from AutoZone, and bought a new receiver/drier. I then replaced every o-ring in the engine bay, added a little UV dye, and replaced the PAG oil (FSM calls for .27 fl oz with condensor and receiver/drier replacement). Put a vacuum on it, which held for an hour. So I ran the vacuum pump for another hour, then I emptied 2 12 oz cans of refrigerant in it (FSM calls for .6-.7 KG, which works to 21.1-24.6 oz). I have a '97 Legacy that I did some work on and am reselling. The day that sells, I'm ordering a 2" SJR lift with trailing arm spacers. And I'm planning on 235/65R17 Kumho Road Venture AT51s on 17x7+48 '07 Outback 7-spoke wheels. A good friend of mine has a 2013 Forester with a 2" ADF lift and 235/75R15 General Grabber AT2s (0.1" taller than the setup I'm looking at) on 15x7+40 Team Dynamics gravel wheels. We're planning a camping trip up the UP of Michigan in August that should have us driving off-road more than on-. And completely living out of the vehicles. So there will be lights, recovery gear, full-size spare tire, etc.

Did I miss something? What would make you suspect 3 calipers at once? You said your driver's side rear was smoking.....which tells me that caliper is not releasing. Most likely the piston seized in the bore. You might be able to hone the cylinder, clean up the piston, and replace the seals. But it's usually cost-effective to get a reman caliper.

I would agree that you're boiling the fluid. I suspect one of 2 things is going on. Good brake fluid has a very high boiling point, so assuming the fluid is good, the caliper is probably locked up pretty tight to generate that much heat. In which case, it'll probably need a new caliper (or a thorough rebuild yourself). Or, the fluid is contaminated, and the source of the heat isn't nearly as severe (sticking slide pin, or pad rusted into the hardware). I'd probably start by flushing a little fluid through, and looking at the condition of the old fluid. If the fluid looks healthy, I'd probably jump right to a new caliper (I particularly like Napa Eclipse calipers). If the fluid is nasty, I'd flush quite a bit through it, and then clean and lubricate all the moving parts. Possibly replace the pad hardware and pin boots.

Lots of importers bringing over low mileage EJ201/EJ203s (SOHC non-turbo 2.0) which is a direct replacement for the stock EJ251/EJ253, so that's possible. But they only came with EJ251/EJ253s (N/A SOHC 2.5l) or EJ255 (turbo 2.5).

At the very least, it would probably have to be from a pull-style clutch, and not a push. I'd bet a turbo legacy one is the same though

Welcome to the life of an imported car. Since a '93 WRX was never sold in north america, you'll have to look at catalogs for other parts of the world, and then start cross referencing.... http://opposedforces.com/parts/ has a great source of free USDM and European Subaru catalogs available. That'll get you the part number, your local dealer *might* be able to get that, otherwise googling it sometimes turns up a source. www.amayama.com can help source pretty rare parts from foreign markets.

That TSB was news to me, but sure enough, there it is in the tech info system.... Of course, that part number is loooong since discontinued. But it's just a remote filter kit mounted inline with the stock cooler. 16-51-92R41139.pdf

I'd double check all the brake hardware. It doesn't take much for something to hang up and drag. Bolt the caliper together without the pads, and make sure it slides back and forth smoothly on the pins (sometimes they will work fine individually, but once you get the caliper bolted on, and they have to move together, something binds). Also check closely that the pads can move freely in the clips. Rust on the clips, pads, or even on the caliper bracket can cause the pads to stick. Make sure everything is clean, lubricated, and moves freely. I fought this with all 4 wheels (one at a time, of course) on my wife's '03 Outback.

As far as I know, all the cars that got the remote filter had a second primary cat right under where the filter goes. So I do think that was the reason for the relocation. But that is not the case with the cars that don't have one at all. I agree that with the condition of the lines like that, it wouldn't be a bad idea to drop the pan and clean the magnets. I think the strainer can be cleaned, too.