Storm

You'll have to see if your hubs have the same caliper mounting tabs. There is a difference between my 96 base Impreza and 98RS. Jay

shhhh....Most of nasioc still thinks it's the heads and not the gaskets! I find more sets of good usable heads that way! Jay

Go lighter if you can afford it. If you're gonna be rough to the wheels, then you might wanna go for strength over weight.

Sure does! Jay

While not completely on-topic.....I applaud you for keeping you child's interests first despite marital trouble. I did the same thing (though not as extensive in repairs) for my ex so as to ensure my son was safe. Nice score on a $300 fixer-upper!!! Jay

Virtually no different than any other car. Pedal pressure is lighter than an american car....some subies have chatter, but most of those are the hydraulic throwout type. Very few cable operated clutches have problems. A couple days and you'll be fine.

I don't know how much the CR is effected yet. It shouldn't require higher octane. Post 97 EJ22s are already interference. Jay Storm

I thought I would pass on to y'all a PN for thin headgaskets for the EJ22. I just picked up a set I had made through Cometic gasket in a thickness of .027" as opposed to the OEM .040". If you're looking for good gaskets and want to bump the CR a bit too, these'll fit the bill. PN: C4262-040........EJ22E SOHC 16V, 98mm MLS .040" (stock) PN: C4262-027........EJ22E SOHC 16V, 98mm MLS .027" (thin) These should run about $90 for the set. Enjoy!

Yup, interchangable and I would help offset the cost of the hood if your L hood is in good shape and want to get rid of it. Jay Storm

If it's anything like mine....the blue wrench and replacement bolts are gonna be needed. Jay Storm

.....or a 20mm bar off a WRX. Many owners are practically giving them away.

Yes. You'll take a CR hit when you put SOHC heads on a phase I block. The DOHC combustion chambers are about 2cc smaller than SOHC heads. The only Issue I see with putting the DOHC heads on the phase II block is the need for the correct intake manifold since the bolt pattern is different. Other than that....it's legos for everyone! Jay Storm

The 96 had hydraulic lash adjusters so you won't have shims. On the crank timing gear you will see an arrow and a hash mark. You'll want to put the arrow at 12:00 to remove the belt. This brings the pistons away from TDC and takes the cams off the lobes. Yes a 12pt 14mm socket is needed for the headbolts. Follow the loosening sequence as well as the tightening sequence for best results. The cam cap bolts on that motor (iirc) are not reuasable. They are torque to yield so grab a set before you get too far. Don't forget the RTV or fujibond on the caps closest to the cam pulleys and new cam seals. When you go to put the belt back on, turn the crank until the hashmark is at 12:00 and then line up the cam timing marks. One of the cams will be on a lobe and may want to spring free so an extra set of hands is a help. After you get the belt back on....the rest is cake. Take your time pushing the tensioner back into it's housing. Forcing it makes it go harder. Jay Storm

The 98 will bolt in with no problems. You will lose your 96's hydraulic lash adjusters to shims on the 98 heads...but all of your ancillaries should bolt right up.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=700370 This is for the newer generation of trannies, but if it will work for the older ones too...it's a viable option for light duty.

I did not add any LSD additive. Is this a SOA specific fluid or available locally via retail shops?

Thanks Shawn. I'll do that when I get back from my trek to Topeka!

Yes, I put fresh Pennzoil gear lube in. The bottle says it is suitable for makeup and top off of LSD diffs. I swapped the diff from an 89XT(3.70) to a 98RS(4.11) case. I didn't check to see if I could overpower the diff by hand with the rear off the ground, I only checked for smooth operation and wearpatterns. Is there a preferred fluid to use for it? If these parts are available I should, in theory, be able to talk to my parts guy and determine what would be needed to rebuild the unit. Correct? We get a decent discount on parts......I just want to make sure I can actually get the parts I need. Thanks again for the info......It's nice to discuss repairing usable parts instead of buying new for everything.

I finally got the LSD sucessfully installed into our 98RS rear end. Initial results of the first autocross event are showing that the LSD is still allowing some slip, just not as much as the open diff. Does anyone have electronic files of the parts breakdown of the clutch-type LSD so I can look into freshening it up over the winter? I can't find anything showing a breakdown of the diff itself.....only the whole R160 assembly. I'm hoping some of the crawlers and trail dwellers might have some tricks to increase the preload somewhat to give something inbetween open and lincoln locker performance.....closer to the lincoln side! Thanks in advance! Jay Storm

The triangle mark is what you want lined up to remove the belt. The hashmark on the tooth is lined up for installation.

Pm'd you twice since I don't know how to read fully before responding!

Well, thanks to the great info here, I got the bolts out and the diff apart without much drama. I did end up stripping one of the bolt heads which required me to drill it out. That leads me to my next and hopefully final question..... What is the PN for these bolts? My dealer can't seem to find the diagram pointing out these specific bolts to order a pair for me. If someone has this number handy, please shoot me a reply, PM or email me at dodgin-cones@sbcglobal.net... Once again, many thanks to the wealth of knowledge on this forum!

Thanks Jibs! And of course now I see the related posts at the bottom of the page showing the threads I needed......sheesh!

The impact will surely round off the bolt head if I can round it off with my meathooks. I gotta put the correct torx socket onto it. My measurements of the bolt are showing .355" across the tips of the points. McMaster shows T50 as .348" and T55 as .442" across these same points. I can't find the measurements for the (external torx socket) E8-E10, etc...which I'll need to get the bolt out. Somehow I remember seeing the E10 referred to when warning about snapping the heads off. I don't want to buy a socket until I know what size to get and I'd rather not have to go visit my dealer asking for them to pull the bolt (assuming they even have the correct socket). Any other ideas?