Numbchux

Yep, pretty common. Rat rods, rock crawlers (great for rear steering), etc.

USDM as well, actually. Also OBXT and Baja XT. Quite sure I posted it in my build thread for my Brat

Not all 2.2/4EAT combos had an EGR.....so make extra sure you get one with.

Those will swap just fine. Only different EJ axles were 93-94 Impreza FWD 5MTs, they had a different spline count on the inner joint, and 02+ impreza sedans have a wider track, so longer shafts. And sometime around 2005 they went to male splines on the axles instead of female. But anything else should work.

Yep, crazy powerful tool. I have a few. Beats the hell out of a test light!

internal regulator can drain the battery, but it usually charges at like 18v too. This is the right idea, but the correct way to do it is get a multimeter, and connect it between the negative battery post and disconnected terminal to actually get an amperage number on the draw, and not just eyeballing a spark.

It can be done without pulling the hub. I've done stock length studs many times, I bet longer ones would work. Maybe not the crazy long ARP studs... Look into the H&R spacers, I'm running a pair of 15mm ones on the back of my Celica. They came with studs that are the perfect size, and they're very nice hub-centric spacers.

Not going to find much. Most vehicles that run 5x100 run higher than that. But, some 10-15mm spacers should get you right in the ballpark.

No. MTs and ATs use very different internals. Not (easily) swappable. I think it's been done, but for that combo, it's much cheaper just to buy a new gearset (Mine was only a couple hundred dollars right from a Subaru dealership)

external trans filter is a spin-on just like an oil filter, on the driver's side. I don't think the electronics changed. But, most importantly: The only things I can think of that are different between a phase I and II are the 8 bolt bellhousing, #5 thrust bearing, and timing belt tensioner. If you put a phase 1 motor in there, the tensioner and thrust bearing don't matter at all. The bellhousing just means you won't use some of the holes in the transmission bellhousing (a bit of an issue with a manual, as one of those bolts holds the starter on, but as I mentioned, not so with an auto).

Alright, fair enough. With those symptoms, I would say it's probably got blown gaskets. It might be repairable, but for personal use, it's probably a prime candidate for a 2.2 swap. I'd still say a little time into further diagnosing the 2.5 is probably not wasted, though. If you don't feel like buying one, you can rent OBD readers, most places don't want it leaving the premises, so you may want to wait until the motor is fixed. The cruise control is another system that uses the VSS. So if that works, the sensor works....

I can offer a little insight. First off, '99 was a mid-year change for Phase II. I have a '99 SUS that's Phase II engine and transmission. That doesn't really change almost anything as far as swapping in a 2.2 is concerned. Especially if it's an automatic (as the Phase II 8-bolt 4EAT bellhousing still has a stud for the lower starter bolt). I believe the change was at the same time, which would mean that a quick glance at the transmission would answer that question. External filter = phase II. Get a code reader on that. If the VSS isn't working, it should be throwing a CEL (and probably an AT, if applicable) code. These systems all use the same sensor. So if the ECU knows that the vehicle is moving, and the gauge doesn't, than it's the gauge or wiring. Oil contamination can happen from a few things. I wouldn't look into replacing the engine unless you know this ones bad. The car will have more value (to most people) without an engine swap done to it, and it may be a cheap fix. Do a compression and leakdown test

Just a clarification. '95 2.2 Imprezas were OBD II.

Am I missing something?

They have their ups and downs. Just speaking mechanically (they would come with different electronics, which could be interchanged), the dual-port ones have hydraulic lash adjuster, where the single port ones are solid. Most single port engines are an interference engine, but that also comes with a slight (.2, IIRC) bump in compression and power. Borla (and knockoff) headers are readily available for dual port, not almost at all for single port.

Yea, it really is pretty simple with EA82s, especially with manual transmissions. Turbo = 25 spline, non = 23. I think there is some combination of the older 3-speed auto and turbo that is an exception to that (23 spline), but for probably 99% of the EA82s out there, that's true.

No. Use the flexplate that is bolted to your 2.5 If you're concerned about having a functional Check Engine Light (I suspect you are since it says you are in CA), you'll have to find a 2.2 (or at least 2.2 intake manifold) with an EGR. These are not terribly common. The one I did doesn't have one, and throws a code for it. Runs beautifully, but would not pass any sort of inspection, I'm sure.

No. It's a FWD (FRONT Wheel Drive) "fuse" (it's not actually a fuse, in that it protects a circuit, just an easy way to disable the center "diff" in case of a flat tire). I don't know anything about A/C. My A/C diagnostic procedure is: Does it work? -> No -> Rip as much out as possible

Yes Maybe, depends on the 2.2. I used a '94, and had to swap the engine harness and throttle body across. Manifold will not work on any 2.2. Maybe. '96+ 2.2s had single port exhaust. So if you use one of those engines, you'll need the exhaust manifold to match

This. Being that it has a shifter rod through the center diff housing, it has to be one of 2 things (EJ D/R AWD were cable shifted). Either it's an 87-89 RX trans, in which case it will have the hi-lo shifter rod on the back, AND the center diff lock lever on the right side of the center diff housing (stock it's hooked up to a cable, which runs to a vacuum diaphragm on the left side of the trans above the CV axle, which had vacuum lines going to solenoids on the left front strut tower). Or it's a part-time 4WD case, in which case it will not have that center diff lock mechanism, and it will have a FWD mode.

I don't remember there being a write-up. I just bolted in another handle, and hooked up the 2 cables to the separate handles. Done.

Fabricate? There are many sources for bolt-on skidplates for the EJ cars. You can get a brand-new 1/8" aluminum plate from primitive racing for $199, and they've been out long enough that they can be found used for much less. I'd have one if I owned an EJ. Wish I could find one for my Celica.

Not any more than any other lifted EA.

Wow, come on guys. Some of the responses here are embarrassing. Let's think about this, she said that he has done an oil change before, so he probably didn't mistake the radiator petcock for an oil drain plug. Also the power steering system would not have a drain plug. There would be three drain plugs on that vehicle that could be the oil. One is correct, one is front differential, and the third is transmission. Oil is.... well... oil. That's easy. Transmission fluid should indeed be red. Front differential is gear oil, which isn't exactly green, more of a bronze, but I suppose in the right light might look greenish. I'm not sure about new cars, but 10 years ago, the owners manual would have quite a bit of information on what fluids to use, where they come out, and where to fill them. I recommend starting there to track down exactly what fluid was drained and where it was added. What worries me, is the idea that he may have added enough foreign fluid to the transmission to overflow it, that would require a lot. First off, if that is the case, DO NOT start the vehicle, as soon as the engine is running, the pump will circulate that through the transmission, and you will probably never get it all out. I would drain and fill (with new fluid) at least twice before attempting to start it, and then I would go directly to a reputable transmission shop to have them flush the system as well.

Yea, the snow can pack in there and cause it to jump. I've seen it happen before on vehicles without covers. I'm not sure if it puts so much drag on things that it causes it to jump, or the moisture causes it to slip. But more often then not, I've seen it where it seems that it jumps mostly from the crank pulley (the cams are pretty close to the same degree off), which leads me to believe that it's maybe pushing the tensioner up and it's jumping on the crank sprocket because that is so much smaller. My friend's wife had a '99 2.5RS that they had to do some engine work on it when they got it, the covers all disintegrated upon removal, so he didn't bother putting them back on. She hit a snow drift coming home, and it starting running like garbage, come to find the crank had jumped about 2 teeth. Cams perfectly in time with each other. Thank goodness it only jumped a little bit, so it didn't damage the valves. His solution was to put a Primitive Racing skidplate on it. Which worked very well. That seals off the engine bay very well.