Numbchux

It should be mentioned that EJ stuff is very easy, and allows a ton of options. SVX is very different from EJ (almost as much as EA is from EJ). All the mounting points (strut, tie rod end, ball joint) are pretty different, the rotor hat offset is different, I think caliper bolt spacing is different, etc. etc. But, you can get SVX-sized stuff with standard EJ dimensions all day every day, usually cheap or less. That said, EJ is not hard, and completely worth it. They didn't change much for more than 20 years, so there are immense donor options. And when you're swapping them into an XT6 it's really quite easy. Just need the shorter EA81 outer tie rod end, and you'll have better camber, and a better akermann angle. I highly recommend it!!

For the record. The Torque bind in your '96 is likely the center diff, not the rear. But the center diff out of your '95 transmission will work. Also your '95 Legacy and '96 Outback might have different rear diff ratios (I think standard BD/BG 5MT Legacies had 3.9, and Outbacks had 4.111. But '95 and '96 are sort of bastard years in both regards....so it might be different). Only you can decide exactly what you want. I don't think any other transmission option is even worth discussing....those are the only ones I would consider. EA82 Pros The EA82 one will be a little easier to install. Someone on here (I'm spacing as to who....sorry) makes a bolt-in solution for putting an EA82 transmission in an EA81 chassis. The front axles will attach like they were meant to, IIRC an EA82 driveshaft is the right length, just need to make a mount for the carrier bearing. FWD seems to give better mileage. True low-range 4WD is pretty sweet off-road, even if that's just like in the yard... EA82 Cons: FWD sucks for aggressive driving (as you cannot use 4WD on dry pavement). True 4WD also kind of sucks for aggressive driving (especially when combined with stock EA alignment). Mediocre (at best) clutch options. Have to buy an adapter plate. Have to modify the flywheel (really not that bad). EJ AWD Pros: Better dry pavement manners. Better clutch and flywheel options. No adapter plate necessary. EJ AWD Cons: Will require modification for the axles (either hybrid, 25-spline inner EA81 axles, or open the transmission and put 23-spline stubs in it, which is what I would do). Custom driveshaft (no stock length will work). Custom crossmember. AWD will hurt your mileage a bit. If your Outback transmission isn't a 3.9, you'll have to swap the rear diff in the brat to 4.111. Not impossible, or even terribly difficult, but something that needs to be done. There's more...but I have to go to work now.....sorry

Don't I won't hijack this thread with a full discussion on that, but I will say this. The stock system is not very reliable, and performs really poorly, and it would be extremely difficult to retrofit into a new chassis. Aftermarket universal systems would work better, but would be very difficult to install....

No, they won't. Read my post above. Miata shocks only allow better damping options. Stock ones are probably worse than stock Subaru, as they are the same length, and have less travel. The spring perch will still require an adjustable sleeve.....which is what will allow the lower ride height. Just use that on the stock Subaru shock. Not all of them. FWD ones do not (possibly some non-turbo 4-cylinder 4WDs....but I'm not sure), and have the shortest overall length of any EA82 strut. EA82 is a decent chassis for performance, but requires significant modification. The front camber and castor are high on that list, but lowering until the roll center is on the ground is definitely not the answer. And with the design of the rear trailing arms, I do not recommend anything lower than stock FWD height (an inch or so lower than stock 4WD).

No. Miata shocks (they're coilover shocks, some would consider them struts), work on EA82s, and only allow better damping options, they require coilover sleeve type springs, which is what allows ride height adjustment. EA81s do not use a coil spring, they use a torsion bar, which is what determines ride height. AFAIK, they should all have an adjustment bolt in the center to adjust the preload on the bar. Be aware, that lowering an EA Subaru is a form over function modification. The suspension geometry is designed around the factory ride height. Anything lower than stock FWD height changes camber and roll center in a pretty negative way. If all you're looking for is looks, go for it, but you will sacrifice performance.

After a bath:

Holy 10-year old thread, batman!

Keep in mind, it's a part-time dual-range. To my knowledge, the only options for that would be the '85-'86 RX 3.7 (which would also have 25-spline stubs), or the ever-so-common 3.9. I think, if it's not a 3.9, it would have had to have been opened up and modified (at least axle stubs swapped).

I believe '85-'86 RXs had a part-time 4WD with a 3.7. However that would have 25 spline stubs. I'm not sure what you're getting at with the spline counts. That doesn't really have any direct effect on the gear ratios. The 23-spline stubs on the transmission indicates it's probably (it's possible to swap them, but they probably didn't) a non-turbo transmission, which means it's almost definitely a 3.9. Which means it's most likely that the rear diff cover doesn't match it's internals (3.7 w/3.9 sticker). It'll be difficult to see the difference between a 3.7 and 3.9 by counting driveshaft rotations. Probably easiest to double it. Mark the driveshaft. Raise one rear wheel, spin it all the way around 4 times (with other rear wheel on the ground, the spider gears will halve it for 2 rotations of the ring gear). The pinion/driveshaft should rotate either 7.4 or 7.8 rotations, should be easy to tell if it stops less than 180* from where it started, or more like 270*.

Have the stock one lightened. Having seen several in the 8 years since this was posted, I'd bet money it would be a massive pain to get it to work. I bet the EJ flywheel wouldn't even fit in the EA bellhousing.

Yep, driveshaft carrier bracket. I just had an EA81 one-piece shaft lengthened to match the EA82. Rear diff mount has 2 bolts on either side that bolt it to the framerails. These nuts are not present in the 2WD, but there are divots where they go. Just drill and tap. Don't overtorque, and use lock washers. The one I did is still being daily beaten, now 3 owners later. Everything else is bolt-on

Independent of what I think of the reasons... I think it's certainly possible, with the right equipment and money. But, I think will quickly escalate into a complete re-engineering and replacement of the entire front suspension. Selectable hubs require 2 shafts. An inner axle shaft, and outer shaft that the hub rides on. Disconnected, they can spin seperately, connected, the force applied to the inner axle shaft is transferred to the outer hub. They need to have their own bearings (although only the outer ones have to support the weight of the vehicle). This all means that the bore in the knuckle will need to be considerably larger, which will likely require a "new" knuckle. It might be possible to machine the stock knuckle down, and bolt a different bearing flange to it that might allow what you're going for, but I think there won't be enough material left to bolt TO. Years ago, Adam NDJ started designing an adapter plate that would allow him to attach Nissan truck front knuckles to the rear of his Brat. IIRC the primary goal for this was to use the r200 diff more than the hubs, but the beefier bearings and brakes, and lockable hubs were also on the list. Although his had a divorced Tcase, so did not have a FWD option available.

5-year old link. Also. AFAIK, no longer available.

Updates.... It has a parking brake again! About a 1" spacer at the adjustment, and I was able to use the cables designed for drums with the discs. LEDs in the dome lights I used these. Good quality, competitive prices, and they sponsor a friend's Rally car http://www.diodedynamics.com/store/led-bulbs/listed-by-size/194/194-hp3-pair The Blizzaks are like 7 years old, and while they still have decent tread, they're wearing, some more then others (thanks to that blown rear suspension bushing on my last Celica). So I picked up some virtually new Nokian Hakka Qs in 205/50r16, mounted them on some '03 Outback wheels....

Let me clarify....the re-branded Mobil1 thing is fairly recent.

oiling is not the weak link of an EA82. Keep something vaguely oily (A friend of mine with a particularly leaky EA82 uses the used oil that comes out of his other cars....) in it, and you won't have any problems. IMHO, fancy oil is a waste of money on it. Also, I've heard many times that Amsoil is just Mobil1 with a markup.... I work/live just a few miles from the factory, and people here love it.

Yep. Most aftermarket radiators come with the transmission cooler built in. That drastically reduces manufacturing costs.... Looks like Advance carries Vista-pro Radiators. Here's the page on that one: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=63742&cc=1267725 As you'll see there: "Note: If you have a Manual Transmission vehicle you may be surprised to find a Transmission Oil Cooler integrated into your radiator. This does not mean the radiator is incorrect or that it will leak. The Transmission Oil Cooler is sealed off from the main radiator core and will not leak if left unconnected." I know Spectra ones come with a flyer and/or sticker on the box saying the same... You will need to swap your fan switch in place of the plug. That plug does go into the cooling system, which is under pressure, and that plastic plug will not hold up.

That's very interesting, thanks for the follow-up! Yea, I don't think I'll ever run any additive long-term again. There are a few flushing/cleaning agents that I've seen....ATF being one of them.....and I think switching back to straight gear oil for the long term. Is yours an automatic? That's the only thing that makes sense....a manual transmission (what the rest of this thread is about) has solid mechanical linkage, if the shifter is in reverse, the synchros are engaged. An automatic transmission is hydraulically operated, and it seems (Auto trannies are my weak point....) that reverse seems to be the first to have issues if the pressure drops. You may have issues with the pump/or solenoid(s) within the trans. First thing to do is check the fluid level (engine running, transmission warm). If that's good, SeaFoam makes a flush product for auto transmissions, add a quart of that and drive the car for a hundred miles or so, then drain and fill with regular ATF, drive for a few hundred miles, and then do it again. Fresh fluid does wonders for an old auto trans.

I had this '92 Celica ST for many years. I loved it, but I hated the auto transmission. So I always said I might try to get a GT 5-speed the next time around. Well....due to a severe oil leak, the little 1.6 in my ST popped a month or so ago. Knowing that I had a lot of good suspension and brake parts in it, I looked for a cheap Celica fixer-upper to replace this one. And sure enough, a '91 GT 5-speed, Convertible (a lot of bullet points in both the "pro" and "con" lists there....) was on craigslist. Guy bought it just last spring, and drifted off the road (I suspect into a median/curb) and absolutely destroyed everything in the driver's front wheel well. He brought it to a "mechanic" who must have quoted him several thousand dollars to repair, so the guy signed it over to the "mechanic" who then listed it for sale. Long story short, I never actually talked to the guy who owned it, and the "mechanic" didn't know much about the car other than the damage to the front corner. So, I rented a tow dolly, and hitched up the minivan: I actually ordered a junkyard control arm from ebay, and some poly bushings for it, before I even picked up the car. So, I had a bunch of good-condition parts from the '92, as well as a bunch of new parts from work (AutoZone. inner and outer tie rod, rack boot, ball joint, cv axle). Old v New control arms: Less than 24 hours after picking up that busted up car: And....most of my collection of japanese 2-doors (Would have been better if the Brat could have made an appearance) Those pictures were taken a few weeks ago. Since then, I've swapped over the rear suspension/brakes (GR2s, coilover sleeves, stiffer springs, disc brakes, poly bushings, 15mm spacers so I can run Subaru wheels), gotten an alignment, and put those big Blizzak Revo1s on it. It drives fantastic, still has a few issues, but nothing I can't deal with. I've got about $1500 invested into this chassis (not counting the parts off the old car....), so I'm pretty happy with it. 155k miles, almost no rust (I suspect it was someones summer/weekend toy for much of it's life). The top will probably need replacing in the next couple years, but it's not too bad. Doesn't leak, and we've had many days hovering around zero degrees Fahrenheit, and it didn't seem much colder than the hardtop...

Goodbye you rusty bastard Control arm rust....I've been concerned about this for awhile:

Oh yea....forgot about that. That was a bit of a pain. Required some machining and a sleeve to adapt a WRX pulley to the EJ205 heads.

It's identical to doing an entire WRX swap, just need to tune it for the different engine and suppress codes for the systems not present. It does require a full harness merge. But I bet there are literally thousands of people who have merged a GD WRX harness/ECU into the older chassis. I've done it a few times myself. I even wired a BD LGT for a Link Standalone ECU to run an EJ22t/EJ25d hybrid, we had a hell of a time getting that thing up and running, and a baseline tune done. We later swapped that same engine into a different chassis, and just merged in an '03 WRX harness/ECU. So much simpler....I wouldn't do an EJ Turbo for the street any other way. I didn't get into the details of it because I wasn't sure what the OPs goals were, since they are more modest, it's not really relevant

Well...I've been saying for years that this car would be killed by rust. And it happened......not how I expected, but it was still rust. The oil pan began leaking, and over just one tank of gas (I check at every fill-up), I lost over 2 quarts, which left about 3/4 of a quart. Oil pressure switch wire connector broke and fell off a couple years ago while doing the timing belt job....should have fixed that...so no warning in that fashion. Engine started knocking, I immediately bumped it into neutral and it stalled. Got it home a dropped the oil pan and found a spun #1 rod bearing, and a very deformed rod. Pulling the head to replace the rod quickly snowballs into a $500ish rebuild....and this car isn't worth that. So, the partout has begun. And on Saturday, I'm going to get a Black '91 GT 5MT convertible with 140k miles, no rust, and a bent control arm for $1k. I figure I swap the suspension over, and I've got a better car than this one ever was.

Been done many times..... Usually with a 2.2t block, but they're virtually identical (completely identical, as far as compatibility is concerned). Probably thousands of people putting WRX heads on the 2.2t block, which is almost as close. I've even seen the 25D heads drilled and tapped for oil feed and drain lines for a turbo. I have seen several builds with a 22e block and 25d or 251/253 heads for a budget low-boost build. It seems to be a good way to go about it, puts the compression ratio right in the sweet spot of about 9:1, IIRC. Depending on how much boost you're looking at, the stock ECU might do alright. Those OBDII ECUs are surprisingly smart. I am not a fan of Rising Rate FPRs....I prefer to run 50-60 psi across the board. It's better for atomization, and IMHO gives you more consistent mixtures across the range. Also I'd recommend going to parallel fuel rails to keep your mixtures even across the 4 cylinders. Those 2 mods on a stock ECU should be good for 8ish psi, which will give you pretty respectable numbers. If you're going for decent power, find someone parting out an early WRX, and get the wiring harness and ECU. With the open-source tuning that's available for it, it's almost as powerful as a standalone! Merging the wiring harness is a bit of a bear....but it's worth it!