Numbchux

Bah, come on guys. What ever happened to that sticky about not answering if you don't know?! A 4-cyl (XT or otherwise) and 6-cyl engine crossmembers have completely different bolt spacing (front to back) than each other. They are not a bolt-in replacement. If you were to lay the 2 crossmembers next to each other, the XT6 one would be much "wider" (across it's narrowest horizontal dimension, which would be front-to-back in the car), this is why the XT6 sway bar is shaped differently, and pulls the end links back and a funny angle when used on an EA82 car. Now, I have not swapped them (personally...I don't see the point. You have the engine bay for an EG33.....but each to their own), but knowing that the control arm mount is near the rear. And the basic geometry (leading rod mounts, transmission crossmember, etc.) is all the same from a 4-cyl, I suspect the rearward hole would line up correctly, and the front hole on the crossmember would not reach to the bolt through the framerail. So I suspect one could use the 4-cyl crossmember as a template to drill 2 new holes in the frame rail, and from there everything would bolt up. This would probably be considerably easier than notching the XT6 crossmember.

Assuming your 2.2 is a phase 2, the intake manifold should swap right over and make the project very easy. In that case, I would definitely go with the 2.5.

Well, since you are dumping oil in at the top of the valve cover, it takes some time for it to settle in to the oil pan. The trip to the store re-circulated it, and was not likely long enough to get it up to temperature, so it would have taken some time for it to settle in the pan again. The 75 mile trip, however, was enough to get the oil up to operating temperature, so it settled almost immediately once the engine was off. That does seem like more than a quart difference, but not impossible. Really, the only other explanation I can think of, is that there is another fluid getting in the oil that was not there before......which would probably mean the head gasket blew on that 75 mile trip.

Here's a sweet picture of my '85 with those fog lights (I think they were likely a dealer-installed part, as the wiring was not integrated within the main harness). The lights themselves were junk, and never even made the trip home (that pic was from the for sale ad), but I used the switch and wiring with some aftermarket lights for some time after that, and then on a couple other subarus.

Launching an AWD turbo car is a skill, to say the least. And it has been covered many times over the years in many different formats. I did a few searches, and didn't come up with much, so I'll give a basic overview here. I think there was an excellent article in one of the old Subiesport magazines....I'll see if I can dig it up and post it. Fastest way off the line on pavement in an AWD turbo car involves letting the clutch slip a bit. You need to keep the rpms up enough so that you can continue to build boost. If you let the clutch out too quickly, the rpms will drop too much, and the turbo will not be able to spool (I suspect what you are feeling now). There are ways around that. Launch control/antilag will help build boost without any load on the engine (this can be tuned into the stock ECU on older cars....I would imagine it can on the newer ones too). This is what you're seeing when you see a built AWD drag car, or Global Rallycross car launch. But it's very hard on the drivetrain.

The rear spindle (end of the axle, that the hub rides on) needs to go in towards the center of the car to come out of the bearing. So it is possible to leave it attached to the axle if the outer roll pin will not come out. If it's the inner roll pin, at the diff, I'm afraid you're in for a bit of a fight. Make sure you have a good 3/16s punch, not a screwdriver or anything, and a good heavy hammer. Heat and chemicals help a little, but at the end of the day, just sheer grunt. If it doesn't come off, you can disassemble the inner joint on the axle and maybe get enough room to get things apart that way, but then you have to rebuild the axle, as you assemble the suspension when you go to put everything back together.....yuck. And yea, getting the spindle out of the bearing. Big hammer. The end of the spindle has a bit on the end that's not threaded, so go to town. I have mushroomed them out enough that I couldn't get the nut back on, but an angle grinder made quick work of that, lots of room to avoid the threads.

Sounds like a massive post-MAF air leak. Reminds me exactly of a swap I did when I first started it up and didn't have the IAC hose hooked up at all. Sounds like you've done some excellent diagnosis. What has happened since this engine ran well? You mention fixing your timing belt...was this after the swap? Did it run well before the timing belt job? What wiring issues did you fix? Also....what engine? EJs have been made for more than 20 years. It'd be nice to narrow that down a bit....

In no particular order.... 1.)(far west metro)David Wray's shop is in Buffalo, so it's a bit of a haul. But he has something like 30-35 years experience with Subarus and is a GREAT guy. 2.)(south metro)RS Motors is in Burnsville off of 13 and just west of 35w. Matt and Ronnie know their stuff with Subarus and can take care of ANY issue NP. 3.)(far east metro, lol)Subaru Surgeons. I've heard a ton of good reviews about these guys! 4.)(central/west metro)Morries Minnetonka. Brian P. and Ben P. are awesome Subie Techs and are VERY knowledgeable! Ask for one of them specifically! 5.)(north/northeast metro)Devoted Auto. I've heard quite a few good reviews on them also! I believe their location is White Bear.

Regular paint can and will insulate the cooler. But Radiator paint does exist (never seen it.....used it on a friend's build but I'm not sure where he got it), and will prevent that problem.

From the 1988 Toyota FSM. 22RE should operate at 33-37psi From the 1992 and 1998 Subaru FSMs. EJ should operate at 36.3 psi Non-turbo EJs require a minimum of 80 lph (21gph) of volume, per the FSM. I could not find a similar specification in the Toyota FSMs that I have.... So yea, they should be perfect

I don't really follow what number goes with what, but something doesn't make sense there. Neither pump is capable of putting out 60psi. Both engines require about 45psi (I had to ditch the 22RE pump to supply my 4.3 with the 60psi that it needed), and I would imagine the volume to be quite similar.

You're right on the money with the center diff. It will bolt right up to the XT6 front case. It will require an EJ mount. And it will require a shortened driveshaft. Shift linkage will be slightly different, but it's close enough to work (shift lever will be angled a little closer to the dash un-modified). The clutch might be possible, but I don't think it's been done. EJ and EA/ER pressure plates and flywheels are pretty different. I don't think it would be possible to use that clutch kit on an EA/ER flywheel, and the EJ flywheel will not engage the starter correctly. You might be able to mod the starter/mounts to solve that problem, but it won't be easy. 75 mph with stock XT6 gears (3.90 and .780 5th) on stock XT6 tires (23.7"), 3234 rpms. Change to EJ AWD 5MT gears (4.111 and .783 5th) only bumps it up to 3422. about 200 rpm change. Jump to EJ sized tires, and you gain it back (205/55r16s = 24.9" = 3257 rpms). I loved the 4.111s in my '88 XT6. That engine never ran right, and I still got better mileage then my '89 4EAT which ran beautifully.

I have one, but it was original equipment in my '87 4Runner SR5.... But, here's a page about it, and how to modify it to a more useful range (30 degress is still VERY safe): http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/Clinometer.shtml The Altimeter is a mechanical one (uses barometric pressure), so you have to set it every time you want to use it, which means you need an accurate reference. Kind of a neat gismo, but in reality, not very useful. Especially since I've always got a GPS unit when wheeling.... Here's what I did. I got some nasty comments on some of the toyota boards for hacking up an original inclinometer, but, oh well. I think it's awesome!!

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/96433-axle-rebuild/

Yea, we have stability control on our company vehicles at work, it drives me nuts. They have an "off" button, but it's not completely "off". But, like I said, I'll be pulling an ABS sensor to kill that system, so maybe it won't be an issue, as long as the AWD system works like it should at that point. "Require" isn't the correct word. But....that said, I HATE leather, and with the amount/type of stuff that gets hauled in my cars, I worry that stains would be a major issue with tan/beige. Also, I think the LLBean 2-tone is hideous...lol According to Cars101.... Part of 2003, there was an H6 wagon, which was a base Outback with the H6, and a couple other things (climate control, leather steering wheel, body color mirrors/handles). This model with a blue or silver exterior had a grey cloth interior. I think this is exactly what I'm looking for, but a pretty small window, and I'd like to open up my options. 2004 had a similar option, called the 35th anniversary edition, but this was only available with beige cloth. The VDC models with black or titanium (03-04) exterior had grey leather interior. This would mean just a seat and door card swap to ditch the leather. A beige interior car would mean at the very least carpet swap just to be functional, and other interior panels and possibly dash to match. The seat airbag thing is very interesting. Keeping the front airbags working is important. So that's something to think about. The engine swap option has crossed my mind. And I haven't ruled it out....but I'm not loving it. Don't really need another project car. Don't really want my girlfriend's DD to be a swap car. Can't really afford the down time.

The VDC ones had the dual sunroofs too. And at least there's a prayer of getting one with a gray interior. Then I'd only have to swap out the seats and door cards, instead of the entire.

So I got a screaming deal on a BH Outback with a 4-cyl. I'm debating what to do with it, specifically.....I'm debating whether it's worth it to flip it and hold out for what we really want, which is an H6 version. So, how is it? Is it really intrusive? Can it be disabled? When I un-plug an ABS sensor to disable the ABS system, will the VDC system freak out (I assume it won't work at that point). I see on cars101.com that the VDC models have VTD (variable torque distribution) AWD....so if I disable all the aids, will it screw up the AWD? My girlfriend and I both have a lot of experience ice racing, and can control the car in a slide, so I would very much prefer that it didn't have any of that garbage. But if a VDC model could be modified to work (like swapping in cloth interior), that would drastically open up our options for new cars.

I've got 2 years on the kit I got at wal-mart on my '92 Celica. I've had to recharge it every spring, but it holds through the entire summer. I might try a better recharge that has some stop-leak stuff in it this year. It might not be the "correct" way, but it seems to work great, at least for a few years.

Yea, if you're trying to drive straight up a loading ramp or something When picking a line through the rocks, you want to line your tires up with the tallest obstacles, I've seen many rigs (usually Jeep YJs) get all lined up so their tires are up on top of the rocks, keeping the vulnerable stuff in the middle up out of it, just to get hung up on spring hangers. I also have zero ability to fab at my house. Not only do I not trust my own welds, but I have to run a 75' extension cord to get power out to the parking slab. That's ok for a drill or even grinder, but I'm not running a welder out there. And I don't want to take on that kind of project in someone elses shop space. So bolt-on is a huge plus.

I don't think the Walbro's are worth nearly the money they sell for. They are loud. They put out WAY more volume than is needed for this application, and no more pressure than stock (which, IMO is the way to go with big power builds). Stock replacements aren't cheap, but you know it'll fit just like stock, and have a warranty and such. That's probably what I'd do. But, if you're willing to do some legwork to find a cheaper alternative. You can use almost any inline pump designed for fuel injection. The pressure is normal FI range (45ish psi, IIRC), and the volume requirement is actually pretty low. I got one online for an early '80s Ford Grand-squire wagon a few years ago for an EJ swap, and it worked perfectly, and only cost like $30. IMO, redundant fuel pumps is not worth the trouble or cost. Like GLoyale said, grab a used one and carry it as a spare if you are worried.

Not much of a build thread, but I thought I'd post something. I just got a screaming deal on this car. I wanted an H6 version to be my girlfriend's next DD, so we might flip this one for market value, and look for an H6 one. Although, we don't want leather or VDC, and that combo is pretty rare, so we might just hang onto this....I don't know. Anyway, highlights. 2003 Outback, All-weather pack (standard in 2003), 4EAT, Dealer-installed trailer hitch, Subaru hitch-mounted bike rack, Dealer maintenance for the first owner (up to about 70k miles), then no documentation except brakes at 75k. It now has 105k on it, and has been a little neglected and beat in the last 30k or so. It was due for a timing belt, so I did that today (acc belts were original too). Interesting observation, I bought a Duralast (Dayco) component kit, and the tensioner had the OEM part number stamped on it. Pretty sweet. I also did air filter and spark plugs. Front tires are pretty worn out, and when I went to rotate them, I noticed that one tire is mounted backwards! It's got some hail damage, primarily on the hood. The grille is busted up, and the center tail light section is too. And it's got a bunch of scratches and scrapes all over it. But virtually zero rust. So I'll be watching the local junkyards in search of a good hood in color. Going to do an oil change, and trans drain/fill/filter tomorrow. And we're planning to take it on a camping trip up to Houghton, MI next weekend!

Nope, I hate how much they hang down. Front spring hanger is a crucial location for ground clearance, so I didn't want to push it any further forward. I got a deal on a set of brand-new Skyjacker 3" lift springs, stock length. I might take a leaf out of them before I use them...but I'm not sure yet.

Overdue for an update.... Bedliner 2-tone: Interior mods. Kenwood MP3/CD deck and CB radio: One interior handle moved up by the driver's seat (no more hanging on the steering wheel while climbing in), and Mag light mount in it's place: Took it wheeling. Only got a few decent pics And, sold my Outback, so I bought tires (as you may recall, I have a land cruiser rear axle, which has full float hubs, drum-in-disc brakes, and selectable locker. But requires 16" wheels to clear). 315/75r16 GoodYear Wrangler DuraTracs. Almost identical outside dimensions as the 35x12.5r15s, but narrower wheels and more backspacing suck them in under the body more. Now I just need a caliper, gear oil, and leaf spring perches to put my new leaf springs and rear axle under this thing!!

At Autozone, no need for the receipt, just need to remember a phone number. Also, you can get new ones as long as you own the vehicle.

All Cardone Remanufactured parts have a lifetime warranty. In that case, they're relying on you selling the car before they have to replace it more than a couple times. The Duralast Gold CVs are NOT Cardone, or Remanufactured at all. They are definitely a much better quality. I'm very tempted to use them the next time I need axles.