idosubaru

draw a line across the crank pulley - run car. if the line separates your crank pulley is failing and the the smell is the rubber ring burning and the low voltage is the outer ring not turning as fast as the crank and therefore low output from alt. alternaftermarket alternators suck. www.car-parts.com get a used one (or two) or Subaru has remanned alts for $60-$70 for 1996 legacys that fit your car.

there are hydraulic and standard screw type adjusters, you can get what you want. compression ratio goes up a bit...i don't get into this for performance modifications so i won't comment on this in terms of performance, though in general it seems most folks like the results. and they'll likely comment in a bit. no annoying valves, improves on the headgasket debacle, cheaper and simpler timing belt and maintenance - all around better. the EJ22 head bolts are external - so you can have a head off in no time, no removing valve covers, hard to access head bolts, etc.

or - install EJ22 heads instead of the EJ25 heads and use an EJ22 intake manifold and timing belt to match. probably cheaper than replacing a bunch of valves and no more shim/adjusting madness.

what is that part anyway?

easy fix, awesome!

EJ into EA has been done a bazillion times EJ turbo into EA has been done countless times RWD has been done before. a failed EJ VLSD, which isn't terribly hard to find as people throw them away when they repair them, will be permanently "locked" in 4WD - install that and don't install the front axles and you have RWD. or use an EA trans with center diff lock and lock it. have to install the outer CV cups into the hubs to hold the front bearings together/seal them. i did the same thing when i converted one of mine to FWD - disassembled a rear axle and slid the outer cups into the rear knuckle/hub assembly. have at it.

+1. realize that if something is true that does ***not*** mean it carries any real world validity or statistically relevant meaning. for example: "driving with a roof rack protects you from a rock or meteor strike more than not having a roof rack - therefore you're more risky to any passengers or children in a car that had one removed". it's true...but it doesn't carry much statistical weight or real world implications. as stupid as that sounds i found more instances of it than someone being liable for disabling ABS on the internet, and i tried multiple searches for the later, only one for the former: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/02/130220-russia-meteorite-ann-hodges-science-space-hit/ millions of drivers have disabled airbags, ABS, lifted vehicles, aftermarket parts, modified or oddly repaired engines, brakes, fuel lines, transmissions, axles, driveshafts. probably 60% of vehicles on this board have some thing that's not "perfectly up to code, state inspection NHTSA, etc". the reality is nothing ever happens. but maybe you should start a movement - insurance companies and law enforcement officers and states attorneys could turn the tide of lawsuits and liability upside down, there could be a paradigm shift in liability if every vehicle started being scoured for "not up to code", non-traditional repairs and modifications liability. more drivers would go to jail, be sued, inspection stations, audio installers could be held accountable, the floodgates of responsibility would usher forth a new era in safety! then you could write a book about your exposure of systematic evil, get your own wikipedia page, and live the american dream! there's a one in 10 million chance of something happening and of course maybe it could be very significant but few people run around basing their life decisions on 1 in 10 million odds. if you are that type of person then you would be a nervous, anxious wreck regarding what time you wake up, what time you drive, what stores you frequent, what routes you take, leaving early and late to avoid weather patterns....there's infinitely more risky things you're taking on in life than what we're talking about here.

there are two marks - use the dash on the very back of the sprocket. seen on the right in this photo: http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f207/BigBadSubaru/0423091040.jpg people use the wrong mark often, the triangle at 6oclock in that photo i think. how the engine turns over is meaningless. as long as the timing marks are set - they are set, purely mechanical. it's not electrical or anything fancy, secret, or magical - the engine could never "know" that it was turned by: 1. hand 2. transmission (popping the clutch) 3. combustion 4. the starter it's all the same. it's all the same. it's very simple and nothing secretive or magical about it. with those three marks properly lined up - you're done, purely mechnical. nothing else matters.

all auto's are 4.44 manuals are 4.11. there's a wonky year or two around 01/02/03 of manuals transmissions but i'm not sure how all that shakes out with years and models.

more than likely you used the wrong mark on the crank sprocket. any check engine code? and yes check that the same or crank sensor weren't compromised during the flailing belt episode. should show up as a check engine code to if you scan it. if it's not that, the belt is probably just installed incorrectly or off a few teeth. the cam can't be off 180 degrees unless you don't have the mark lined up properly - you'd have to purposefully install the cam 180 degrees off - mark pointing down, but who would do that? 1. line up crank mark 2. line up cam sprocket marks 3. install belt 4. release tension 5. rotate to verify marks are correct it'll start

TONS of us have head bolts galore. just ask in the parts wanted forum or take him up on that offer. they're a dime a dozen.

not an issue with subaru oil pans as long as you're not going bonkers with the RTV. it's done all the time, routinely in shops so 10's of thousands of Subarus have it. i do use anaerobic sealant for oil pumps and cam carrier cases, etc. i won't be for the oil pan though. older generation (EA82 and ER27) engines could have problems with globs of it in the oil passages due to the cam case carriers being bolted to the heads and required removal for head jobs, etc.

Shawn - so you use the donor trans ring and pinion. Do you need to use the donor trans tail housing and front case or other parts to keep the shim/distances/backlash set the same? There's another thread from a guy that did just this on here too, I'm in the middle of cobbling together a trans from two on a 2002 H6.

+1 i've repaired a few subaru's from this vintage from wrecks/airbags and in no way will the air bag system cause a no-start. it's purely mechanical and engine related. i'd guess too the timing belt skipped or the cam sensor was damaged. FSM should have spec's for testing the sensor circuit. though i would just pull it out and look at it. if it's compromised i think you'll know. i can't imagine it being compromised without visible damage. i'll send you a used crank and cam sensor for $8 if you want to swap it out.

good question, i've smeared enough cam carriers doing exactly what you're asking. oil pan helps in that it's not awkward spaces, you're able to maneuver it well at least even if it's tight getting it in.

All 1.8 liters are non-interference If you buy one with bent valves, just replace the heads with a set of used ones. Super easy to do on 1998 and earlier EJ22's - headbolts are external and a cake walk. Much more work on 99 EJ22's and all EJ25's.

Ultragrey. It's not that tight that you have to be too worried about it. That you're asking suggests you'll be more careful then 90% of the DIYer's doing this job LOL.

great, thanks miles. wanted to make sure before i waste time crawling on freezing concrete, it's not at my house and therefore has limited tools/equipment.

Can I lift the engine far enough to remove the oil pan without removing the exhaust manifolds? 1995 EJ22 Legacy automatic This blog post seems to suggest it's possible: http://beergarage.com/SubyOilPan.aspx

oh yeah, you're young, i like the sounds of this now! do it. good experience even if it is a terrible financial move. good chance of learning some important stuff along the way. at 17 living month to month and planning on spending money you don't have yet is the norm. later it's a pretty good recipe to live month to month the rest of your life like most of americans.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/104569-lsd-oil-limited-slip-differential-gear-oil/

clear the header panel? i'm not sure what that means. if you mean the exhaust - that has to come off for the trans to swing down and come forward. it gets pretty vertical, i don't know how to be specific about it. i didn't pull the trans crossmember when i did it, but it's not like that's hard if you had to. you'll want the engine much higher than the trans to pull it up and over the front radiator support. i did write down how many chain links front to back so i can reinstall the lump at a similar angle. but i'm currently doing it on an H6 EZ30 with automatic so it would be different anyway.

in my experience buying and fixing the older stuff shouldn't be touched unless you really like the car, not to make a buck. parts hard to find, usually far more "unknown" issues crop up, lots of work, for little return. get something newer and flip it with far less hassle.

that's what i was thinking - install another head if the block isn't hosed. they're robust engines and totally worth keeping if there's any indication it's in decent shape. why is the mileage unknown on the junkyard engine? if it's a craigslist special and the guy said he "forgot" then that means it's 200,000 miles. he wouldn't "forget" if it had 40,000. is there any oil in the pan or oil filter to take an oil sample from - have it sent for UOA? do a leak down test on the junk yard engine?

easily comes out from underneath - can actually come out quick minus stubborn rusty exhaust bolts. if you have an engine lift - snake chain down past the engine to the trans and let it help you hold the weight as you work from underneath. depending on work environment, your agility, tools, your ability to keep googles on to keep rust and dirt out of your eyes - it can be annoying to challenging for some people. but mechanically speaking it's simple to pull from underneath. you can pull the lump - engine and trans together out of the engine bay.