idosubaru

Beck Arnley often carries OEM parts and they're almost always decent, so I go with them. Price is usually good too. Order from Advance Auto Parts and google discount codes for them. You can always get 20% off and usually 30% and I almost always personally get 40% off. TRT41 is a current 40% off code but gotta spend $100 for that one. If they have it locally you buy online and pick it up at the store. Axles are a different story and a beast unto itself, all aftermarkets should be avoided unless you like risk and have time to spare doing multiple axle jobs. Best axle approach: 1. always reboot original OEM axle, never replace it. 2. if you have to replace it get a used Subaru OEM axle from car-part.com and reboot it. that's the only cheap %100 successful solution. 3. FWE in Colorado has high quality but shipping drives price very high follow that and you'll never have axle issues again. if you don't follow that you are guaranteed to eventually have axle issues of many kinds over the years. sure you'll get a good one here or there but they routinely have issues out of the box and don't last.

www.car-part.com for any used parts, all will ship. ask here for which parts should be Subaru, which aftermarket, and which are fine used. there will be parts that are simply atrocious to buy from Subaru...engines, heads, transmissions, knuckles, axles, certain sensors, radiators, etc. many parts are way over priced and sometimes you even get a lesser grade part than you can via other venues. these forums shines at allowing you decades of platform/Subaru specific experience so you can get the best value for your money with little investment.

the question is never "can i tow this", it's simply a matter of increasing risk and wear and tear. towing once is no big deal, so on something that sounds rather small and light i'd totally do it. if it's flatland you can tow significantly more than mountains. far less heat generated and work being done and easy driving. EA82's are low on power so drive and plan accordingly.

they pretty easily see 300k if they're well maintained. the serpentine belt pulley bearings should be replaced immediately. they're a standard 6203 or 6204 bearing, readily available for $5 each. very easy to install, 30 minutes or very inexpensive at a shop. tap out the old bearings, reinstall the new ones. they fail so often i'd consider this immediately necessary maintenance and done every 60k or so. replace the PCV valve, it's probably never been done. air filter, fuel filter, spark plugs. other than that just drive it - these engines and trans don't really need anything but regular maintenance. they tend to leak oil at the oil cooler gasket and valve cover gaskets - they'll need replaced at some point, but not a big deal and may have already been done. best to time the valve cover/spark plug tube gaskest with a spark plug change as the spark plugs are tough to replace. buy the stock OEM NGK plugs, they're expensive but excellent and robust to 100,000 miles+.

that cars101 is a good starting point. baja is essentially the same turbo to non-turbo. they just bolt a different engine inside of it and tweak some very minor things. auto trans has a few more clutch plates, spring rate on the springs are a little stiffer...etc. very little difference except for the turbo. heck - the hood, fenders, suspension, etc all swap with an Outback and Legacy, so they're even "the same" in many regards. highly unlikely for Subaru to partner, but why ask us, i've seen stranger things. it is highly unlikely for a company to partner with you about a product that's outdated and not current either. i'm sponsored by a company and when i want to use older products they push me hard to use the latest and greatest...it's what's being sold and part of their corporate strategic marketing/branding/commercialization structure, going against that violates the principles that makes business focus and succeed. outside of a very, very compelling reason i doubt it. You're more likely to get a creative partnership with a college that has automotive presence or other avenues like that and then attract sponsors/grants that way. But that's enough about that, you're in this biz apparently and hardly need my recommendations....or i'll start charging a consulting fee. lol Lots of people on here customize, engine swaps, build products, lifts, controllers, have started businesses/products, etc...partnerships are unlikely. subaru has a very small market, so they're not nearly as big of a player as some of the others.

Impreza Outback sports are awesome little vehicles. A little less ground clearance and more basic trims and you sounded interested in interiors. Up to 2001 they all have 2.2 liter engines too. I'd prefer a 97 or 98 Impreza OBS myself, excellent engine. Interference so you'll want to replace the entire timing belt kit (not just the belt).

yeah i'd like to have some resources for setting up a Subaru front diff - even someone that's efficient and knows how to do it. i contacted a couple Subaru forum guys that know how to do it within 3 hours of me and didn't hear back. fortunately my donor front diff transmission ended up only having two cracked solenoid tabs and the pan was dented. doesn't look like i'll have to swap front diffs yet.

oh yeah, you need a vehicle and simpler the better. craigslist, autotrader, local ads, keep those eyes peeled. having cash on hand and buying it as soon as possible helps with good priced/condition stuff. higher priced stuff sticks around longer, better condition and priced stuff moves quick. being positioned accordingly helps. as an example, i'll carry around a lot of cash when i'm ready to buy a car and respond with "I got cash and a truck to come pick it up - let me know time". people who take their time, ask questions over a few days, wait until they see it and then mess around with banks/money, how they're going to get it...are apt to miss a good condition/priced vehicle.

i can't follow along here, look at your post, it's unreadable the text and which photos are which. in general - those are both DOHC EJ25's and interchangeable. plug and play, bolt them right up. the bellhousing differences are no big deal. one is probably 8 bolt and one is 4 bolt, their still interchangeable. it appears that you have one EGR engine and one non-EGR engine. that poses some problems if you're installing a non-EGR engine into an EGR equipped vehicle. that is NOT an EJ22 engine and could not have come out of a 1996 Outback with manual transmission (unless it was previously swapped). so we'll need some better picture labeling and text to see what's going on. is that a JDM engine, where did it come from...etc? probably: 1. look up the thread in the USRM about working around the EGR issue. I think you can install the EGR intake on the non-EGR engine and just figgle with some vaccum tubes. 2. or you can install the non-EGR engine into an EGR vehicle and just ignore the check engine light if you don't have to worry about emissions. do you? 3. or....i'll have to wait to see what these engines really are to know what we're getting into.

i guess you misread it or didn't read it. it was an illustration/visual aid for a question. approaches like that and not answering/avoiding questions, makes it not too surprising that shops/mechanics may not be too interested in discussing things in those manners. but we have different approaches so i'll let others help you with axle issues from here on out. Glad you compared it to your dads, sorry to hear it's notably different, that's unfortunate. Got a zipcode, I suspect I can find a shop that reboots in a matter of minutes? Or post online here and see if someone might reboot, ship you an axle. A better end product with less work for you - no phone calls, no posting threads, no researching various options.

can you wait until tax season is over? it's a terrible time to buy a vehicle. i mean if something comes up, jump, but tax season is a terrible time to buy. friends that sell a lot of cars say nasty things i can't repeat on a public forum about people buying cars this time of year - they know the market is favorable (understatement). granted that means more cars are coming on the market to an extent too as people move on from one vehicle to another...but still it's a fast market now. you're right, it is about risk. the 1996-1999 Outback EJ25 DOHC engine is much riskier than other engines. you got a 70% chance of not having issues...which is pretty high. but 30% risk of a high dollar repair bill and future issues is not very comforting either in my book. http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4360020667.html http://seattle.craigslist.org/est/cto/4357316064.html honestly the best product you can end up with is essentially buying one with a blown engine and swapping in an EJ22. $2,000 for a vehicle with a blown EJ25. $2,000 for an EJ22 with new timing belt and components, seals, water pump, adjust the valves you're almost guaranteed a cheap and easy 150,000 miles, there's hardly any comparison in the subaru world to that end product in terms of reliability. extra work - but for 5-10 years of low cost, reliable, enjoyment and saving gobs of money over 10 years in repairs, wondering when to buy the next car....it's a huge payoff, like compounding interest. if you're ambitious you could look far away for a vehicle outside of the seattle Subaru savy area and probably get into a less volatile subaru market and end up much better off. i've flown 700 miles and driven a car home i bought off ebay, towed a car 500 miles, had one shipped from California to the east coast, had a friend fly to texas and drive one to the east coast. where there's a will, there's a way. and with some effort you can get a great car for a great deal.

i got your PM. i'll reply here - next time post a link in the PM's as i can't generally get into PM's with everyone that has a question. 96 Outback manuals all came with 2.2's so it should be as you said. It's very easy and plug and play. Keep your grubby hands off the ECU and sensors, there's no need to touch any electrical stuff at all - plug and play. Remove the 2.5 and install the 2.2. Done. What you will have to do is: 1. swap the 1996 exhaust manifold onto the 1998 EJ25 vehicle. Very easy since you have to remove it from the engine anyway - just swap it over, it bolts right up. 96 EJ22 is single port exhaust, the 98 2.5 is dual port, but otherwise they bolt up just the same. Here's the one big question: 2. does the 96 have EGR? does the 98 have EGR? (big valve on the direvers side rear of intake manifold). it doesn't matter except for the check engine light and emissions if you have them in your state. the car runs and drives fine regardless of the EGR and matching. you can swap EGR into non-EGR and the other way around all day long, but you'll get a check engine light. there are work arounds depending what you have. i'll wait to hear what you got, but in general: non-EGR into EGR is the trickiest to work around. an EGR into a non-EGR - just don't use the EGR stuff or block it off.

that option was already put on the table, he is not interested, though that is typically the better and nearly 100% repeatable solution. that being said, axles wouldn't matter anyway if it's the stubby shafts. 1. are you positive it's not normal amount of play which axles have - maybe it's normal? 2. how do you know the stubby shafts are bad as opposed to the axles? 3. is there a more robust material similar to Teflon tape that will hold up to mechanical use and could be wrapped around the splined shaft to take up some of the play?

assigning a mileage to EJ25 headgasket failure is not accurate. people who assign a mileage usually means that's just the largest percentage of cars on the road (120k....150k), getting worked on by owners, DIY, worth still repairing, but pricey for the low value they still hold, etc. these things were blowing at 30k under warranty, or at low mileages where most first owners were still okay with the high repair bills and they weren't hitting the online forums yet. can't diagnose a Phase I EJ25 headgasket condition so AWD auto won't be able to tell you anything. they could test for exhaust gases int he coolant maybe. that's how those engines fail. they should be able to tell if the headgasket has been previously replaced. not sure what that would tell you though - gobs of 200k EJ25's have had their headgaskets replaced. i'd prefer it having original head gaskets, then you know it's never been overheated. that being said, in regards to 4 digit repairs it's hands down the worst engine subaru has ever made since the 1980's. it also has valves that are suspect since they are so absurdly hard to adjust most people never have it done. for reliability and inexpensive maintenance and value, i'd aim for an H6, 2000 and up EJ25, or older EJ22 in pristine condition. if those things aren't a concern then my commentary isn't much worth reading. or buy one you're looking for with a blown engine and Ej22 swap it. it'll end up being cheaper and a better end product. okay, this sounds terribly against the EJ25. sounds like yo'ure on the right track to get it prepped and diagnosed as much as possible.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/82583-my-swap-ea82-5sd-dr-trans-into-brat-done/ http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/128843-ea82-5spd-swap-newbie-qs/ use google search if you're striking out here. then click on the "search USMB for more..." link and it'll only search USMB. a very helpful function of google.

ah copy, exactly like you said - gotta get into the casing for MT's.

you already got one, but check out this site: www.car-parts.com next time also post in the parts wanted forum here, people have rear diffs laying all over the place.

for a manual the case does have to be split, automatics just pop right out and back in very easily. i was assuming you had an auto due to the discussion about axle stubs, where issues are usually with auto's.

definitely timing belts. rock auto and amazon has gates kits with all new tensioner/idlers for $120-$130. interference engine, if the belt breaks you'll have bent vales and need another engine or head rebuild.

might be worth seeing how much new Subaru OEM front springs are. sometimes you get lucky and they're not as expensive as you'd think. those would probably work great. are you a member of subaruxt.com? a few members have experimented with various springs and commented on them there.

how long have you owned it? when were the headgaskets replaced? annoying code. there's about 1,000 things that can cause it. best off just ignoring it. being a 1996 you can get an exemption from emissions due to a 1996 specific issue. so it shouldn't matter at all if the check engine light is on. fix any exhaust leak seafoam the intake fuel additive new NGK OEM plugs New OEM wires you're not likely to find a mechanic capable of properly diagnosing what is causing it so they'll usually just throw a new catalytic converter and O2 sensor at it even though that's not likely the cause.

the transmission stubby shafts pop right out - just pull them if you ever want to entertain replacing them. a circlip holds them in place. if you suspect the shafts are the cause you can get another set. i think i probably have a known good set and i'm sure lots of others do as well. so far every case i can recall has been remedied with replacement axles, suggesting the stub shafts are fine, but i'm sure left in place long enough it would have to wear over time like water over a rock.

1. reseal oil pump 2. new oil pump 3. new HLA's 4. new cam carrier orings 5. might be too much clearance between HLA's and rocker arms for some reason? buckets are warn? after that you've got some issues to diagnose - is it on both sides or just one? oil supply may be compromised due to wear or clogging in oil passage (one member had it caused due to RTV broken off and stuck in oil passage).

timing cover gaskets are not needed, i've never replaced one. my 1997 DOHC EJ25 FSM shows 58 ft-lbs. I'd lean towards that over the lower number. i've never properly torque the cam sprocket bolts and never had an issue - but i suppose you should. similar confusion over those two numbers here: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2191386 to further muddy the waters, here's a thread with even more EJ25 confusion: http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f66/cam-bolt-torque-65504/

if you're not mushrooming the splined shaft via BFHing - maybe you're not pounding it hard enough. on the really bad ones - i have to grind/file down the shaft to get it to pass through once it's loose as the end is all mushroomed out from pounding. i've only seen it that bad a couple of times sounds like you got one.