GLCraig

The water pump will eventually fail at some point. What your mechanic is trying to do is save you some money in the long run. Since the pump is driven by the T-belt you will need to go through all of the labor again and depending on the type of pump failure, the t-belt maybe damage or broken too.

which 4wd system do you have? If you have a single range 5-speed, you could have a vacuum leak between the solenoid and the diaphragm.

Adding a second gasket might help.

here a link to start looking at http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=47914

Maybe my phrasing wasn't the best. I need to turn in the paper work before June.

I scrapped all of the dried on mud from the underside, after a season of rallycross.

I got mine on Ebay but you don't need the Subaru tool. There are a few other methods of extraction. You can find a longer bolt and grind the head down so it fits down the bore of the pin and hooks the back side; attach the other end to a slide hammer. I think someone here, instead of using a slide hammer they attached a washer and nut to the other end and pulled them out with a claw hammer. There might be a expanding mandrel type tool out there too.

It may take to work to get to them, but there are 2 or 3 screws that hold the electric portion of the switch to the lock. Take them and the switch out and use a screwdriver to turn the switch; Or Maybe the switch fell out somehow.

The bellhousing is a part of the block casting on EJ engines. When they switched to an 8 bolt bellhousing they just added 4 holes. A transmission from with a 4 bolt will mate up.

Well if this helps, the only Gen1 auto I ever scrapped out was from a 78. Execpt for the bellhousing, I could not tell a difference between it and a Gen2 2wd Auto.

Do the rist pin plugs use a 12mm or 14mm Allen wrench?

Where isn't the issue with me. I'm more concerned with the date that show date and location is finalized. I have not use my vacation week for 2005 yet and I must have it scheduled before June of 2006 or I loose it.

You can get either head out without pulling the engine.

I know you can still get KYB GR2s for EA81 4wd but you would need to check their catalog to see if there are 2wd (which are shorter) struts available.

Try checking out some of the OEM parts websites. I have a funny feeling a you'll get the same part number for all EAXX thermostats.

What you really need to do is get it inserted as close as you can. Then once you have it running and warmed-up you need to use a timing light to get it set to 8 degrees BTC.

Take off the flywheel and tap it out with a hammer and socket.

The input shaft of an EA81 D/R 4-speed is smaller then the input shaft for EA82/ER27 4wd transmission. You may have to use a clutch disk from EA82T 2wd Transmission but I'm not positive if that disk is compatible with a XT6 pressure plate.

On an 81 the fuel pump and filter should be in the engine compartment near the left strut tower; unless the fuel pump relocation kit was installed. If that kit was installed, it's hard tellin' where the pump.

You adjust the distributor,

Have you verified that you are getting spark?

Looks like i'll make it, I just made reservation in Enumclaw for Friday night.

It depends on how much you want to pay. I've been at the parts counter at my local dealer while another customer was buying some 16" take-off wheels but they were not real cheap. You could checkout the local used parts houses or the wrecking yards for some.

It would help a lot if you could post your emission test results, so we could give better advice.

Only EA82s with a knock sensor were the Turbos. Also the knock sensor is different between early and late style.