idosubaru

that's a 3AT transmssion, those things are substantially different than most Subaru automatic transmissions - be nice to hear from someone that knows the 3AT's on this. no noises at all? front diff gear oil looks like what? if it is the front diff - remove front axles (may only have to remove one) and lock the 4WD and you'll have a free repair and RWD Subaru. disassemble the front axles so you can leave the stub shafts in the knuckle/wheel bearings. the front diff is integrated into the transmission - most people just swap the entire trans if the front diff has issues. few people replace/repair a front diff on Subarus.

grease -they make needle fittigns so you can slide the needle into tight places and regrease - i've used it for bearings tons of times, though not wheel bearings. the spring/clamp at both ends of the rack boot are reusable on Subarus. unless it's been replaced SUbaru uses a spring clamp - it's like a metal rubber band - on the inner side of the boot to hold it to the steering rack. just remove it and re-use it. I don't even remove the outer tie rod completely to replace the boots: 1. loosen the lock nut and just turn the tie rod so the inner and outer unthread from each other 2. remove lock nut (so the boot can slide off and new one slide on) 3. remove clamps/old boot and install new boot done. 4. remove outer clip 5. install new boot i've never seen or heard of an "oring" related tot he steering rack boot - please show a picture of where you're getting that information, it doesn't sound right.

+1 one of those 5 foot 100 pound digging bars makes it a cinch too.

looks like that control arm bracket shifted - you're positive those two bolts were tight? sway bar end links and bushings?

which boot is ripped? the outer tie rod boot or the inner tie rod boot? Subaru tie rods are so robust and fail so rarely I wouldn't hesitate to swap a tie rod boot on one with no play. It'll probably last the life of the vehicle. Outer tie rod: Remove pin from the nut that's right on top of the boot. Remove the 19mm (or 17mm) castle nut Pull the tie rod out of the knuckle and replace the boot. They're are some kind of clips at the base of the tie rod boot - either carefully remove and try to reuse to just use something else to tigthen it up. Some other cinching/wire type mechanism. But yeah - might be simpler to just swap tie rods instead of the boot though.

it's easy if it's not rusted. with the wheel off it requires removing one nut, one bolt, loosening a bolt, and knocking out a pin, that's it. remove wheel remove top strut mount bolt (or lower). loosen the other. knock out pin pull axle off trans first - push it up and back - then slide it out of the hub as you pull the knuckle outward. To retain alignment I mark the top strut mount bolt head - reinstall that in the same location. Same idea as marking the knuckle. Problems - this is the worst that happens - like once every 20 or 50 times. Not common - but they're really annoying if they do. You're unlikely to see one this bad, but just know that it does happen. Axle seized in the hub. If they're really bad - pullers will shatter the rotors - pullers themselves will break as well. Dont even think about touching the ball joint in rust prone areas. they can be rust welded into the knuckle and the only way to free them it to do whatever you want until the ball joint stud breaks out of the socket. then you have to start drilling the remaining ball left in the knuckle into pieces and chisel it out a piece at a time. again - only 1 in 50 or something are that bad, but there's no tool known to man that will remove those. something breaks first - like the tool or the ball joint.

+1 change fluid. changing the filter is a waste of time IMO. maybe if you separate the rear extension housing to replace clutches, then do it but pointless now. they're closed systems not subject to contamination. 200,000 mile transmissions have spotless internal screens and the external spin on filters last the life of the vehicle per Subaru recommendations. though it would make sense to replace it at some point - i just wouldn't do yours until youre done troubleshooting as it's nto the cause of your issues.

i've wondered why some people install one piece shafts and Subaru uses a two piece? i like the idea of one less ujoint and one less carrier bearing if i ever have to dig into one again personally. does the shaft stay closer to the chassis, more tucked up, is that a reason?

Use Subaru FSM's and documenation, makes it easy. The chain has colored links on it to aid installation, they may be very faded on used ones, but usually mildly visible at least. http://phantomotaku.com/SVX/011822-MSA5P0631C.pdf Oh - and congrats on getting this far - that's a beast of a job. It's terrible!

$2,000 is an average price for a good job with minimal additional body work. you can get cheaper if you know people or want a cheap/quick spray and go job.

Ask ARP. There's no need to use them though. The last person that bought new headbolts (also unnecessary) on here (or another forum?) had the gaskets fail shortly after. trying some extra step or going "above and beyond" doesn't trump what is now two decades of experience in EJ25's. here's the recipe for repeated success if you ask anyone who has been doing significant EJ25 work for a long time: 1. resurface the heads 2. use Subaru headgaskets 3. resurface the block faces if you want extra protection 1.one negative review is usually an outlier, anecdotal, or holds little water on some other grounds. particularly with no details, history. 2. using head studs on a stock EJ25 non turbo is questionable discernment to begin with. Shocker - an over heated, limped along, oil caked, cheap craigslist special or used auto dealer that came from an auction because it was overheated into the ground and traded in EJ25D block someone tried to make work - i've never heard of such a thing!?!? LM*O

how badly was the engine overheated? were the heads resurfaced? what brand head gaskets were used? Ideally the engine was never overheated, heads resurfaced, and Subaru Turbo EJ25 headgaskets used - it's easy to not hit all three of those items on a used engine for sale.

Great engines, easily rack up high miles. headgaskets are the biggest concern. they have very tricky to diagnose symptoms that can take a year or two to fully present themselves as an obvious cooling system issue. this makes them ripe for selling, trading, and ending up for sale. lots of people - including tons of mechanics mis-diagnose them. because of this - an abnormally high percent on dealer lots have headgasket issues, the rate there is higher than an average H6. i've seen them for sale on dealer lots with headgasket issues and of all the H6's I've been involved with buying (i help people buy subarus) - two of them have come down with headgasket issues shortly after purchasing. guess where those two were bought from? dealers. If I wanted and H6 as a long term vehicle I'd be looking for a particularly kind of private seller - had the car awhile, no issues, honest, obviously not just dumping it, etc. Serpentine pulley bearings fail very often - but are cheap and easy to replace. $30 and 30 minutes. A/C frequently leaks - but it's a simple $5 in parts repair - i have a write up on it. The fuel pump cap tabs crack and fail - not a bad idea to replace the caps and install a better oring. All three of those last issues have excellent write ups and information online about repairing or preemptively replacing them. Typical oil cooler gasket and valve cover gasket oil leaks over time/miles. Spark plugs are very tight - but easy to do with the valve covers removed - i usually just do them at the same time and the plugs are easy. Every 100k plug i've removed looked in excellent shape, so the stock plugs last very well on a good running engine.

read the codes and you'll know what is causing it. google it - there's pictures and descroiptions, very easy.

read the OBDII codes is the AT light flashing 16 times at start up? no dash lights? was the emissions junk under the passengers side rear corner damaged? post a picture

sheared off 4 lug studs on a front wheel of an XT6 in the middle of a 700 mile road trip at 1am. remove two brake caliper bracket bolts - one from each side to use as lug studs - they're the same thread pitch as the lug nuts. each bracket then only has one bolt holding it in place - made sure they were tight. borrowed 1 lug nut from each remaining wheel - had to hold the bolt in place as it's skinny and short - tightened it up and finished my trip. 1996 Legacy LSi converted to EJ18 and FWD has been wrecked at interstate speeds twice: 75mph deer struck straight on, on the interstate - would have been totaled if i had full coverage, i rebuilt it. a couple years later friends were driving, blew a tire and spun out across the interstate smashing the rear end and, careened across the interstate and slammed the front a second time. obviously way totaled. i again rebuilt it and it's still trucking with 240,000 miles or something. i've got pictures of all the carnage somewhere, i've posted it before.

1. install a complete timing belt kit - belt, tensioner, and pulleys. Gates kits are cheap on Amazon and include everything. can be done in an hour - plan on 3 for your first time, it's easy. no special tools - same 22mm crank bolt size as your EA82. 2. change the AT fluid. the filters are deemed by Subaru to last the life of the vehicle, it's a sealed system with no particulate intrusion, it will never cause issues - though i understand the sentiment entirely to replace it, certainly not a big deal, there's just a list of 100+ other things more likely to cause issues than that. if you address items with a failure rate as low as that you'll have a loooong list of items to address. my approach is what items have a high failure/stranded/catastrophic failure rate - address those. 3. change the front diff fluid and coolant and add the Subaru Coolant Conditioner. 4. plugs and wires if they've never been done or just wait for a check engine light/cylinder misfire - those won't leave you stranded so they're just personal preference.

not sure what your real question is. Emissions inspections varies by area - just depends where you live. Some places have no emissions - and you can drive around with a CEL for the life of the car, it's not part of any inspection at all. Some places you just can't have the CEL on. Some areas you can't have the CEL on and they do a sniff test - actually test the emissions out the tail pipe. yes you can remove the converter just fine without issues on any 2004 and earlier subaru. if it's equipped with a rear O2 sensor you'll get a check engine light. you can ignore it or try to trick it with a resistor/circult. it's benign either way. in 2005+ the rear O2 sensors are more than triggers and start to work into the ECU logic more, though i'm not sure how much. saving - that's up to you and wether it's a problem or not depends on your local laws or possibilities of moving to a place that has them.

good call. he mentioned tie rod in another thread where he also mentioned the bearing/axle, so this thread is about a front axle. good to say it for future readers/surfers.

+1 subaru tie rods are robust and take a long time to develop style. actually in 20+ years and owning over 40-50 Subaru's and working on plenty more - I have yet to see a loose outer Subaru tie rod. they're rather robust. i only ever replace them due to boots cracking, that's it. all my 200,000+ mile Subaru's have the original tie rods on them....i think i've replaced one side on my 245,000 outback due to a cracked boot. i live in a state that requires inspection and i wanted to do it before winter anyway, otherwise I wouldn't have even worried about it.

oh crack i'm thinking XT6 style bearings/axles - they're different than EA stuff....but hitting the axle hard will mushroom the end - so if it's really stuck be careful.

if they're really bad these will just plain suck. If you haven't mushroomed the end yet - then you haven't given it much force. so we are dealing with one of two things: 1. a stubborn one that will eventually come out 2. one that will be a debacle Don't pound too hard - it'll wreck the threads and mushroom the end so it won't pull through the hub. Then you have to file down the mushroomed portion but are left with threads the nut won't thread onto. Don't try installing the nut and pounding that - that will do the same thing just in a slightly different way. A puller can get them to budge but too much will crack rotor or hub or not able to handle the force if they're really bad. i think they make a style that bolts to the lug nuts - that's probably the best. I forget which way the bearing or hub slides in but can you disassemble the wheel bearing/hub with the axle still in it? Then get the race/bearing/hub separated off the vehicle? If it's really bad - save yourself the hassle and: A. take the axle/knuckle to a shop and let them heat and/or press it out B. get another front knuckle assembly with an axle already in it maybe? source - northeast rust experiences.

I bought Subaru's on ebay when I was in college in the late 1990's. buy, fly, drive back. there are generally some really good deals on there, but there's inherent risk. so far I've made out pretty good on ebay....but it's only a matter of time before a bad experience happens. make sure the cost (price reduction) is good enough you won't be devastated if something comes up. dealer cars are trade ins or auction vehicles that are unknown, so "full disclosure" even doesn't mean anything, so plan, ask, assess accordingly. if you're open to ebay -don't forget autotrader, subaru forums, craigslist, etc - long distance is long distance.

do multiple drain/refills, that often fixes them. no filter or additive needed. external filters started in 98 or 99 - so yours may or may not have an external filter. have you checked? the internal filters are pointless to replace, i wouldn't waste your time there. they aren't filters - they're just screens. they can't really clog and if they do you have far more internal damage than a filter change will ever mitigate.

00+ outbacks (and i presume impreza's at some later point) have a bushing on one slide pin. those bushings swell and cause the slide pin to seize. using standard Permatex brake caliper grease or other similar brake greases will cause them to swell. you have to use SilGlyde or something like that so they don't swell. but it's also possible for them to stick on their own. I have been throwing them away for years and just not having them because they don't do anything and are an unecessary failure point. Subaru never used them for decades and had robust brake systems - it makes no sense to me to make them less reliable/more maintenance. i still use and recommend Sil Glyde and other similar greases though - it holds up much better than regular caliper greases.