NorthWet

From my understanding (remember, I have just looked at the procedure as written by others), the manual tranny is 2 inches shorter than the automatic, so the front section of the driveshaft would need to be lengthened by 2", OR a driveshaft from another vehicle could be used (95-99 Legacy 5mt), but with some modification required (move the center bearing???). Some SVX driveshafts can be disassembled ("component"-style shafts) and the others can't. (My understanding is this is due to the center joint/carrier-support design.) If you have a "component" driveshaft you can have it lengthened; if not you need to go a different route.

I have not heard of teflon tape being used on anything other than pipe-thread, which is tapered enough to allow the tape to get squeezed into the joint space. I would think that the tolerance on standard fastener threads would not work with tape. My preference is to use stainless steel fasteners where they might be exposed to coolant.

That starter armature is ruined. I imagine the field coils are equally damaged. We could look and listen and suggest, but in the end that starter will need to be replaced. To the best of my knowledge, there is no OEM wire that should be coming off of the positive battery cable at the starter stud.

Honestly and truly, the SVX forum could give you the answers for which you are searching MUCH faster than Google and guessing. Several of their members (including myself, though I am more of a lurker) are members here, and I think that we could help you out by getting a moderator's attention. Would you like me (or one of the others) to do this? If so, it would be nice to have the screen-name you used to register. Or, have you tried "Contact Us" on the website?

For the alarm, have you tried pressing the alarm off/on button on the dash, just to the left of the steering wheel?

Your original post said that it hydrolocked while attempting to start rather than while running, correct? If so, bent rods are nearly impossible: Starter at best produces 2HP, compared to at least 40HP that these rods can take in normal use. Same with sparkplug under these conditions. Maybe/possibly blow out an already failing HG due to shock load, but if so it wasn't going to last much longer anyway.

I am more with Milesfox on this: The transmission was not designed not to be shifted. Confusing? It was also not designed to be shifted. Didn't help? The transmission was designed to do a job, to serve a purpose. That purpose included people who just put a handle-thingy in "D", and others that move the shift lever into whatever position suits their purpose. In some ways it will last longer left in "D" (less shock-load) and in some ways it will last longer manually shifted (quicker, more positive engagement of its friction surfaces to limit wear). I think "shift vs Drive" falls into the same class of thought as, "How many angels can fit on the head of a pin?" Compared with other issues (lfuid/maintenance, keeping the ATF cool, type of driving, etc) it is relatively unimportant.

I have run with both covers off and covers on, and my only real concern with covers off is inattentiveness while working around a running engine. When I reassemble my XT engine, I will probably compromise between "all on" and "all off" by putting the covers over the cam sprockets, securing with zip ties.

Get yours all done and then you can help walk me through mine.

I had Belfair Hose make up a 18" line for the blade on a light tractor, and that cost over $50. Nice place, friendly people, high drool-factor for a hardware nerd. Couldn't afford to go there everyday, though.

On earlier years (92-ish) you could affect shift points some by adjusting the TPS. If the TPS is currently adjusted properly, this might cause more problems than it solves, but if it is misadjusted returning it to spec might help. AFAIK, my OBD-I vehicle seems to use the TPS opening angle just for the tranny. I do not know about OBD-II.

The stock driveshaft is 2" inches too short; previous reading led me to believe that standard method was to have the front section lengthened, but it sounds like certain driveshafts are the right length but the center carrier is in a different spot. Is this the way you were planning? The tranny crossmember needs to be fabricated, unless you either are buying one already done or know of another way. (Truthfully, I haven't kept up on this swap in nearly a year, since my project SVX had its roof crushed by a fallen tree.) I don't know if you have resolved your SVX-World issues, but here are a couple of interesting threads: http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33194 http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=32758 http://www.subaru-svx.net/forum/showthread.php?t=31265

Do you already have the tranny mount/crossmember fabbed and the driveshaft customized?

Once upon a time, they sold (at Sears and elsewhere) a fluid that you could put in your socket that would provide extra grip on the fastener flats. It was essentially a fine grit in a liquid carrier, and the grit took up the slack between socket and fastener. Your head may be too rounded by now to do much good, but a product like this still might help.

Easily/normally done with engine still in the car. Biggest issues is removing the timing cover bolts: They tend to seize in the brass captive nuts in the back covers, and then the nuts will spin within the covers. All the rest is pretty simple as long as follow procedure.

My understanding is that more places can/will do PS hoses than do "normal" hydraulic hoses. Around here, at least some of the NAPA parts stores (the one in Poulsbo comes to mind) can build/repair them, and at relatively reasonable cost. (They carry PS hose, which IIRC does not have to be as strong as hose for hydraulic systems so is also less expensive, as are the fittings.)

Minor typo: 5x... rather than 4x... (Not positive about that 114.3 being exact. I have seen other numbers quoted, including 112. Not terribly important for this discussion.) Much of the suspension/drivetrain is SVX specific. At some point, I plan to see how much Legacy-style I can adapt.

If the tranny is in neutral, it should not matter what the clutch does. Might sound like a silly question, but have you tried removing your sparkplugs and rotating your engine by hand?

As usual, Milesfox knows what he is talking about with the waterpump being special. It is unlikely that it is a waterpump issue. Waterpumps are pretty dumb-simple devices. They need replacing due to seal and/or bearing deterioration. I have yet to see one where the impeller is not working. Expect a more common fault, like t-stat or plugged radiator.

Good catch, Miles. I read what I wanted to, I guess... I saw "87 EA82". :-\

Not sure up in BC, but "South of the Border" you can borrow specialty tools from most Auto Parts stores. (The "borrow" is a sanctioned buy-use-return policy.) You might want to see if your local stores offer this and if they have vavlve spring compressors. IIRC, there are generally 2 types: One that looks like a big "C"-clamp, and various others that are meant to mount in the valve-spring area and lever down on the spring. I have only used the big C"-clamp style.

In what manner do they fail? That many failures sounds more like an overstress issue: Bad battery or something else that causes the alternator to have a sustained high output. (Might include a dead-short.)

IMHO, not a good idea as a long term thing. All the control gizmos are there as a safegaurd in case of accident.

Check the threads on the screw; if damaged, replace the screw. Loctite MIGHT work but you will never know when it will fail. Better to fix it properly and be done with it.

I am not near any of my vehicles to check and confirm, but the wiper arm is splined to the shaft, and attached with either a nut or a bolt (my memory says bolt). IIRC, it is either a 14mm or 17mm head. Others should give you more exact info, but this might help you plan.