el_freddo

It’s Monday here in Oz. Can’t wait for it to be Monday over there and the update shared. Hopefully something simple/cheap! Cheers Bennie

I’m guessing it’s an auto. Could be a loose exhaust hanger bolt, broken engine or gearbox mount or a heat shroud that’s rubbing on something it shouldn’t be. Keep an ear out for it developing further and see if you can get a general location that it seems to be coming from Cheers Bennie

That’s insane! But I can see how it swings people towards electric vehicles. Once majority are there watch the tax follow on to electric vehicles too - probably a distance travelled tax with the technology of trackable GPS. All the best with it. Cheers Bennie

The seals should have the rubber extension/flap piece mounted so this is external. In that third pic, it’s backwards. Cheers Bennie

Ah yeah that makes sense. I thought the autos were all the same and the manual flywheels are all the same - but different between auto and manuals. Cheers Bennie

Flywheel diametre different between EJ models? First I’ve heard about this! Different weights, but you probably wouldn’t notice this too much as the driver. EJ22 with bolt up to and run the EJ25 gear no worries. Likewise an EJ22 flywheel and clutch will work fine with that gearbox. You just need to ensure you have the NON turbo (push) style clutch kit and it’ll work no worries. For example, I have a Gen1 EJ22e with its matching flywheel and clutch working just fine with the phase 2 eight bolt gearbox in my L series. It’s seriously Lego! Cheers Bennie

G’day SiriusB, I can’t help with the ECU tune but @GeneralDisorder will be able to help out there. That gearbox click immediately had me thinking of a chipped tooth on the second gear’s gear set. It’ll eventually let go completely if not rebuilt. A replacement gearbox would be easier though. You could drain the gearbox oil and see what else comes out and if there are any teeth bits sitting around the drain hole. It sucks that you’re in this situation, I bet you paid the Covid tax on this WRX too. They’ve all gone UP in price over here since covid hit, not just WRX’s either - just about all vehicles! Cheers Bennie

Or just the chassis and a cage Cheers Bennie

It’ll be the centre diff unless you happen to have a VLSD up front and it happened to fail. Replace centre diff, go from there I reckon. Cheers Bennie

Split transmission to remove the circlip that holds the diff stub axle in place. No other way to do it other than brute force - and lose the circlip in the box. Not what you wanted to hear I bet. What’s the issue with that stub axle? They’re pretty tough things! Cheers Bennie

Easiest way todo a H6 “conversion” is buy a H6 model and convert it to manual. Much easier than an engine conversion! Forester rear struts won’t work on the Gen 3 platform, later model units from the SH onwards *might*. Many do a 2 inch strut lift without any issues. As GD said, replace your current springs for a standard height King spring (HD if you want a firmer ride) and you’ll be set. If going for raised springs you’ll have to add in subframe drop blocks as well (also known as a lift) to keep the CV angles happy. This build aims for best approach, departure and ramp over angles on a Subaru. SLO does a “monster lift” kit and others too that have the subframe drop from memory, they also do strut lift blocks if you’re just wanting some easy height over stock. Cheers Bennie

Don’t think so. They’ll be like any other cam type caliper. I did mine on the L series in a car park before a 4wd trip. Took an hour or two all up from memory: Basically pull them apart, clean up any rust or dirt build up, grease the new square edge O rings (with brake fluid from memory), refit pistons and dust covers. You can try filling the caliper with brake fluid to reduce the amount of time and effort required to bleed the brakes once it’s all fitted back as it should be. The important bit is that your pistons and cylinder walls aren’t pitted. From memory the piston sides are chromed and you want to avoid pitting on them, but you can get away with some or minor pitting. The cylinder wall can’t have any pitting otherwise the seal will be damaged. This is the reason why you should replace your dust boots if they’re ever torn! I hope that helps. Cheers Bennie

It could also be a gearbox input shaft seal that’s leaking. Not common over here but I’ve heard of it happening on the single range gearboxes via this forum. I replace the rear main seal when I have the engine out - genuine only. Lube it up with a rubber grease (moving parts only) and it’ll be just like the old one. Oil separator plate will surely be the plastic unit, that era of subaru seemed to be the guinea pig for this change. EJ clutches are basically all the same except the pull style clutch found on turbo models - they’re very different in operation and will not work in a push style clutch (push is what you’ll have). Cheers Bennie

Meh, all good mate. The excitement of a new vehicle and forum to explore, I get it! Cheers Bennie

G’day Warren, Your brat is the first Gen. You’ll be best to post in the 70’s subforum above this one in the main home page. Cheers Bennie

As others have mentioned, there are many options and it depends on how you want to go about it. There was one in South Oz that was done on a classic Range Rover body. Actually, thinking about it now it was a L series wagon but the principle is the same. Cheers Bennie

Brumby loving. Been a while since I’ve had her running well enough to have a drive on the open road let alone loaded and towing! Cheers Bennie

It could be plastic moulded/welded to the underside of the trim - you know the trick, plastic tab through a metal bracket, heat and pressure applied to the plastic tab to melt it and make it hold the metal bracket in place. Someone may have forced it in the past for whatever reason and busted the plastic melted tab pieces. Pull it out and have a look would be the easiest way to find out - I understand the want for information before you dive into it. Cheers Bennie

Are you running an AWD box Steptoe? It’s the only way I can see you experiencing the rear diff noises you describe. I cheaped out on the fix by shoving strips of old rubber conveyer belt in the gaps of the bush. It did the trick. But this bush would be so much neater and all round better, it’ll be something I look into. Cheers Bennie

It’ll bolt in no worries and will be physically the same in fitment. You’ll lose your dual range feature as the WRX box won’t have this. You might find a difference in the front diff setup - impreza might still have the diff stubs, your 2003 forester will surely have the male stub axles. I don’t know if the impreza driveshafts will swap into the later model forester. You might find the gear ratios sluggish to work with the large tyres and the difference in revs between each gear will be different too. If the impreza box is a four bolt (stud on the lower starter motor mount is the easiest way to identify), it’ll be in the weaker phase 1 front case, but it could be a phase 2 eight bolt gearbox which is what your SG would have anyway. Cheers Bennie

You can use a coupe, wagon, hatch or sedan EA81 steering columns - but the ignition switch will be setup differently. Any other models will most likely need to have the mounts modified. I’ve seen WRX steering wheel and the matching columns fitted in Brats with a WRX conversion. You can do anything with enough effort and motivation to achieve the desired outcome... Cheers Bennie

I recently purchased a rear spring isolator kit from superpro USA for our Pajero/Montero/Shogun cheaper than I could buy the two individual kits from Oz - INCLUDING postage!! The kit I was after was no longer available in Oz. I don’t know how it is cost effective to produce a product, ship it OS, sell it then dispatch back to the country it was manufactured cheaper than the locals can buy it locally! Good product though. Cheers Bennie

Probably will be a stuck or sticky turbo shaft. I had the same thing on an EA82t that sat for some time before I purchased it. Turbo is still in bits... Also double check your cam belt timing, followed by your static spark timing. Cheers Bennie

Leaky head gaskets would be suspect number 1 I think. EJs can pop the head gasket that only leaks a tiny bit or only leaks under certain conditions. If you don’t know the history of the HGs I’d suggest it’s tie for replacement. Cheers Bennie

Thanks for the conversion there @heartless, I didn’t think to include that. Cheers Bennie