F419C

Thanks for the feedback guys, so basically the jury is still out. Opinions on the engine would be appreciated, is the EJ202 in anyway better than the EJ18 apaprt from the gain in HP, I've only ever heard good things about the EJ18, if it was a turbo version, I guess the EJ20, I could see the benefit of swapping or keeping hold of it until the EJ18 goes south.

thanks for the responses, should have included the basics right. Impreza is a 1996 model Impreza GF, I don't have access to the Forester right now but based on driveshaft.co.uk it should be a 1998-2002 model which sits about right with the owners recollection of when they got it. Its encouraging to hear that the Forester is built on the Impreza platform though. Might make it worth taking it off their hands and breaking it for parts. What is the correct URL for opossed forces, I keep getting a IIS7 site or a blank page , I'm using http://opposedforces.com/parts/ which by all accounts should be correct, I wonder if the site is offline.

Hi all With second hand subarus being as rare as hens teeth in this part of the world, the opportunity arose recently after an RTA to get my hands on a Forester, I'm not 100% sure on compatible parts, I have a Subaru Impreza EJ18 the Forester is a model (SF5BL4J) out of Spain I believe with an EJ202NWZVA engine TY755XS1AA Trans, is it even worth looking at for some of the parts, engine bay is intact but the body work and front right side got a good beating. I think the driveshafts may make the journey to an Impreza. Anyone got any idea on other parts.

Hi Nipper I think I have enough to go on with identifying the clunking noise, the bush that tcspeer suggested certainly looks to be shot given the amount of grease around it, the one on the right hand side is fine, I am currently looking for a supplier that will deliver via DHL to the Falklands, that is usually the hardest part of sourcing parts. I was interested in the date of manufacture to make sure I got the right part number when asking for pricing. The option of returning wrong parts is an expense in itself that I would rather not have to do. Tyres are all the same brand and are regularly rotated to equalize wear, so i don't think that is contributing to the problem, like you say age is probabaly the cause, although wear and tear here is harder on most vehicles, given that 90% of the roads are unsurfaced, and one of my more frequent trips is 70 odd miles all unsurfaced and some off road to my folks farm. The Falklands probably have one of the highest ratios of Land Rovers to people in the world for the reasons above, I just like to be a little different. Thanks

Thanks for the pointers, I have checked door posts and doors but no labels telling manufactur date. I see one that has wheel sizes and recommended air pressure etc on the drivers side door post. Don't know if it makes a difference but this vehicle originated in UK.

I checked that bushing and sure enough grease all over the place, who would have thought that a dodgy bush would sound like that, now to find a replacement. Any ideas on finding out the actual manufacture date of this car from the VIN number, I know I bought it in 1996 and assume it is a 96 model, but would like to make sure, I've been looking at the opposedforces website for parts but the dates are a bit misleading.

Hi all Wonder if anyone has any thoughts on a problem that has got me a little stumped. I have a 1996 Impreza 1.8 EJ18, brought new with 70K on the clock. Recently started emitting a clunking sound when turning right if under load, taking off uphill while turning right produces the most noise. I would have put money on it being a CV Joint, so I duly purchased and replaced both only to find the clunking still there. The noise sounds like it is coming from the front left hand side, its a RH drive version if that matters. How do I find out the exact month of manufacture as it appears there is some difference between the replacements front axles on this model, it looks like it comes down to whether you replace the whole axle or whether you replace each end. Can the inside joint wear to the extent that it will produce a clunking sound. Any feedback appreciated.

Evening all, well after 14 years of only needing routine maintenance and the odd replacement part the 96 Impreza EJ18 has finally thrown a hissy, I think after trawling this site I have pinpointed the cause - CTS. Also found various threads that were similar thoughts to what I thought might be the cause, leaking injectors, MAF sensor etc etc, Will need to get my hands on a replacement CTS and give that a go. I think I have the only Impreza in the Falklands, there are a couple of Justy models here, there used to be a 1.6 Impreza but it succumbed to rust and was donated to the local fire department for training purposes. Thanks for the pointers if replacing that doesn't fix the problem I will probably be back to ask soem questions.