idosubaru

great, good job! change the serpentine pulley bearings NOW!! they fail all the time, suprisingly frequent. 1. remove belt (takes just a couple minutes - it's hydraulic not mechanical like every other Subaru, so just use a long wrench to loosen tension and remove belt) 2. remove two bolts holding pulleys (the top one has a capture nut in the rear, best to hold your finger on it so it doesn't fall out) 3. the bearings knock out super easy - tap them out with a hammer and socket - install new ones. 6203 bearings, sealed on both sides. 4. there is a DAYCO part number if you want to replace the entire pulley with new bearing with a part off the auto parts store shelves, i don't have it with me but i bet if you search this forum for DAYCO and "posts by my username" you'll find it. the store can't look them up though as they don't consider them a direct replacement.

you'll be installing a 3AT i assume? there's no (or limited) wiring, nor a TCU to deal with, so it's all mechanical and not electrical in nature. that's a good thing. reverse lights would need addressed since they're triggered differently between auto/manual. center console and instrument cluster to clean things up. i've driven without an instrument cluster in numerous Subarus from the 80's to the 2000's so they're not necessary components. ask someone about rear driveshaft - on 4EAT models the driveshafts are different lengths between manual and automatics.

only the STi switched bolt pattern in 2005, probably you know that, just checking. all other models are fair game for your car (though i think tribecas may be different too). you can use any Subaru wheel made from 1995-2014 with those few exceptions. check out forester Turbo's, WRX, Outbacks, lots of options! no i'm not certain on brakes, i'd google it or read from folks that know what they're talking about. that's what i did. i went from single (same calipers as yours) single pot calipers to dual in my former 1997 EJ22 daily driver and noticed no difference but i don't work them hard and had no issues before hand, and one experience is next to meaningless. i picked up 2 or 3 sets of upgrade calipers for my other Subarus and never installed them because i didn't notice a change and others said it won't matter much if everything is working properly. i think it's put this way - you're right that larger brakes grab more - and require less force to locking up the wheels or activating the ABS. but it's still the same result - locking up wheels or activating ABS, just requires a little less force to do it, not decrease stopping distance. but the information seems murky all the way around, so i'm still questionable on the matter! with larger cars, more weight, towing, aggressive driving/braking - then yes larger brakes i believe would help dissipate heat which can be generated quickly in more performance minded applications. yours seem like they may not be performing properly. this could be nonsense but it seems to me that Subarus tend to feel less grabby/biting than other vehicles and seem weaker, though folks say they're not, it's just a different feel.

they need to have synthetic oil all their lives. i'm not super familiar with turbos and i think they all have it, but maybe not - but if yours does, check the oil screens and remove/replace/clean them. they are problematic and cause big issues. replace the timing belt kit - belt, tensioner, and pulleys. gates kits are only $130 on amazon for all that. you're beyond age and mileage of the timing belt. you're in the northwest - prices will be inflated over everywhere else (except Denver LOL) maine is #32 in per capita income, washington is #12, economy of scale in a subaru-rich environment - the market will look different as an illustration.

EMPI was touted, but there were a couple of reported failures. a search will show brands people like. i would favor responses from those that have done countless axles. "I've used these axles twice" anecdotal responses have no statistical validity and don't help the axle debacle. i'm sure you know this but getting used low mileage OEM Subaru axles and rebooting them is cheap, better quality boots than aftermarket, 100% repeatable, and they'll last the life of the vehicle if properly maintained. www.car-part.com

i wonder if the lines or ATF cooler in the radiator are clogged and starving the transmission(s) of oil? i've heard a transmission when it's low on oil and it'll start with a chirp, chirp sound. never heard one for more than a few seconds at idle that was never driven so i don't know what would happen if driven like that, but it would get worse quickly. was the original torque converter used or did the new transmission come with one? are you under the impression it's failing the same way/similar ways as the previous transmission? how many miles did you put on the first transmission that blew up? 1. maybe the rear differential doesn't have the same final drive ratio as the transmission and it's tearing things up. 2. all the tires are the exact same size?

Get a good vehicle - private owner sale is my favorite as you actually know something about the car and can get a feel very quickly on if they're honest, straight forward, or shady, hard to communicate, don't answer questions/calls, etc. 1996 and earlier legacy and impreza engines are awesome. don't overheat or run them low on oil and 300k here you come. the 1995-1996 models look a lot nicer IMO. 1997-1998 impreza and Legacy's with EJ22 are equally robust but are interference engines so if the timing belt breaks you have valve damage. not a big deal if you just replace all the timing components though. plan on a complete timing belt job when you get one: new timing belt kit (tensioners, idlers, belt), cam seal, crank seal, reseal the oil pump, water pump with Subaru water pump gasket, Subaru thermostat, valve cover gaskets, NGK plugs, and quality spark plug wires. change the transmission fluid and front differential oil. buy a good car and do that and you're not likely to have many issues for 100,000 miles. the best newer candidate is a 2001-2004 Outback H6 3.0 engine. But they're not stellar on gas...they do okay depending what kind of driving you do and are light on the gas pedal. No timing belt to maintain. Replace the two serpentine pulleys ($10 in parts, 30 minutes labor), that's about the only common issue on them.

good point miles - they can get corroded really bad. they aren't meant to be replaced, but if they're bad enough it might be worth it or save you gobs of time wire brushing/cleaning them.

if you want a reliable 1996-1999 Outback with the EJ25 the best option requires a little legwork but you end up with a far better end product: 1. buy one with a blown EJ25 - since they're such bad motors they're easily found all day, every day with blown engines and cheap. $300 - $1,000. 2. install an EJ22 - it so happens that's it's a direct, plug and play swap. excellent engine, one of Subaru's best engines they've ever made. don't overheat or run them low on oil and about as easy and inexpensive 300,000 miles as you can get. $500 vehicle, $300 engine, $500 install, $300 in preventative maitnenance (timing belt, seals, water pump) - and you're in $1,600 with a vehicle that easily makes 100,000+ inexpensive and reliable miles. it requires a bit of time to organize but well worth it if you like reliability and economy.

2001 - the spark plugs are a bear to do and valve cover gasktes as well. but they're only done like every 100,000 miles. if there's no record of them being done maybe you could work them into the deal before buying it fromt he dealer? they were due at 100,000 miles.

avoid the 1998 - that has the worst engine Subaru has ever made in it. EJ25 - they blow headgaskets all the time. they're not a bad engine really - but they are Subaru's worst. H6's are awesome - i've got two for a reason and have helped friends get a bunch of them, including just last week a friend got one. great, reliable platforms. 2001: check for rear subframe rust - known issue drive it hard, get it to down shift, and check for timing chain noise - 2001's had some weak guide issues, rarely an issue but test. replace the two serpentine pulley bearings immediately when you get it - can be done for $10 and in 20 minutes, very easy. can also replace each pulley with a DAYCO part number as well. though it's not listed in the store, you'll have to ask here if you get the vehicle. or i've already posted it elsewhere.

you don't replace headbolts on Subaru's. if you've driven it a year with blown headgaskets i don't know that i would even bother doing them at this point. though EJ22's are on the easy side. sealer doesn't do good things to vehicles and it sounds like it's had a steady regimen of it. when driven for awhile with blown headgaskets the aluminum wears away at the breach, so there could be damage to the head and/or block. i don't ever recommend using block sealer of any kind, it's never a good repair - but at this point why not just keeping dumping it in and limping it along? if you do it, find the thread on how to resurface your own heads, it's really easy and should be done.

what he said - replace everything - all pulleys and tensioner too. do *not* use an aftermarket water pump gasket, they're flimsy, thing cardboard junk. get the metal one from Subaru. and yes they're really easy - once the timing belt is off there's like 6 10mm bolts and the pump is off, very easy. and the metal gasket require little clean up.

have the fluid being completely bled out of the entire system? new brake pad retaining clips, slides cleaned up, regrease, replaced if necessary, new boots where needed? bigger calipers don't stop a car any quicker. nearly all Subaru brakes interchange if you want to go bigger. yes WRX stuff swaps right over. larger caliper brackets run into wheels and require 16" or 17" wheels depending which calipers you get. search for Jamal brake caliper thread and it's got a lot of information there. tires make the biggest difference in braking difference. larger brakes will make no difference in stopping distance unless you're racing on a track or towing. a properly operating brake system is going to activate the ABS or lock up the wheels. if you have the smaller brakes ever made or the biggest brakes ever made and both lock the wheels up, which a properly operating brake system does - you'll get the same stopping distance. fluid completely bled, new hardware (clips, boots, pins if they're corroded, etc) will make them perform much better and so some people report improvements after any brake job (same calipers or different). oh man you got gobs of options on Subarus, just about anything. all Subaru rims are 5x100 and interchangeable except 2005+ WTi, SVX...and maybe Tribeca rims. So you've got lots of options, very easy to do. the only issue is what you already asked about - larger brakes require larger wheels, so depends what you current have, what calipers you want, etc. but i dont' see your vehicle listed.

this: buying a car when it's not an immediate need or annoyance is a HUGE advantage for making a good purchase. i have multiple vehicles and generally never need to look for a car. i just rotate them out as i see good fits/deals.

awesome. the rear subframe rotted through and none of the bolts sheared off? nice! the even tread and no cupping seems odd if the alignment is really bad. but you know it's off and had all that stuff apart so makes perfect sense to start there and nowhere else.

brand is benign. change it often and use synthetic in turbo engines. other than that they all meet basic specifications and your issues making high mileages won't be oil related, so it's a pointless question. unless you're towing huge loads, racing, or other extreme conditions but i doubt that.

they don't do that all that often, i've only ever had one break off, all the rest have come out. i've got a bunch of them. lots of us have used crank sensors - i could mail you however many used ones you want. paypal $8 and i'll send two, keep one in the glove box as a spare. i just bash them apart with assorted screw drivers, punches, nails, etc. they're all plastic and 134 miles of hair thin copper wire once you get down deep enough and some weak metal. they aren't hard to get out - just have an assortment of goodies like that and start breaking it to pieces. have a couple thin/stout screw drivers to drive between the sensor outer casing and the aluminum of the block/oil pump. it'll start to cave inward and break it's bond.

i've removed them before when they broke off - it's not that hard actually. annoying to do when it should just come out, but in the end it's only a few minutes to get it out and you're done. do not buy new - just get a used one, or two for pocket change. they don't fail often enough to worry about and if you antiseize everything up it'll come back out no problem if you ever need to replace it again. new is overkill. i'll send you a "newer" style 1995+ used crank sensor for $5 if you want one to play with and attempt. your idea of converting sounds like a good option if it's physically the same size. like fairtax said it's just a basic pick up.

i think it's your tires: that means little in the snow, most people underestimate tire performance regarding snow, particularly in Ohio where flat roads are and easy to drive when it snows. 1. not all tires are great in the snow - a FWD with Nokian Happs is going to perform better often times than a 4WD Subaru with regular tires in flat land. 2. age matters profusely. i've seen "new" tires be so terrible that the ABS couldn't stop the car on steep inclines, it keeps pulsing and the car will not stop (you can google/search subaru forums with other people having the same issues - *swearing* their tires have tread on them, doesn't matter), have to pull the emergency brake to stop the car. that's with nearly full tread - but the rubber is old or dried out and no good in snow. how many bolts did you have shear off and how bad was it getting them out on the rusted crossmember?

it's 30% beyond the age limit, forget mileage. it's 105,000 miles/10 years, that belt is 13+ years old. replace all the timing components - belt, 3 pulleys, and tensioner. amazon has gates kits for $125-$130 with all that. they do break - google or search any subaru forum, it happens and that motor will bend valves, i've repaired them before due to broken timing belts. i've finished a timing kit in 45 minutes before. if the timing cover bolts aren't rusty it's an easy job and not that bad. if they are rusty, get some tips from us and you can do it sooner rather than later. If they replaced one spark plug (instead of them all) due to being cheap - i'd be changing the oil, transmission fluid, and front differential oil in case they were cheap on that stuff too. hopefully they didn't replace one due to some existing issue. most of us look for like-new reliability and another 100,000 miles/10 years and replace the cam seals and reseal the oil pump and maybe the water pump while we're in there. but if they're not leaking the seals can generally be risked and EJ water pumps rarely fail so you can skip that if you're trying to skimp on some area. all of those items require pulling the timing belt to repair and the seals will eventually leak. i'd call it lucky or rare for a seal that doesn't leak by 200,000 miles. other than first time learning curve getting the cam bolt off - it's only one bolt to replace the cam seals and only takes a couple of minutes. there are some parts you want to use Subaru only on: water pump gasket, original OEM spark plugs (though you can get those in any auto parts store), seals and orings (cam seals, crank seal, oil pump oring), thermostat

CCR for rebuilt used: www.car-part.com JDM depot for used engines transmissions are robust. frankly i'm beginning to think auto's are less maintenance and more robust now days. just depends. driven gently and maintained well the manuals easily exceed 200,000 miles. otherwise they can have input shaft bearing, synchro, and clutch issues of course. auto's easily make 200,000+ miles with little more than fluid changes. rotate tires frequently to protect center differential (manual) or rear transfer bits (auto).

1. reboot your axle if it's a SUbaru axle (green inner cup), don't replace it. 2. buy a used Subaru axle and reboot it do not replace with aftermarket. if you're unsure why, google or serach any subaru forum about aftermarket axles. very unreliable and issue prone waste of time. +1 to miles comments. alignment not necessary if you pay attention. mark the top bolt "head" (not the nut). that will retain alignment. mark with a marker like he said or sometimes i use a hammer and chisel and strike a notch into the head and knuckle at the same place.

lots of questions, i'll try to address them. #1 THERE IS NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT if you get an EJ22 with EGR. you can get one without EGR and swap the vacuum hoses, there's a post on here on how to do it - very easy. but no matter - if that scares you then reread #1 above. if you get a 1995 EJ22 there is nothing to do different than an EJ25 replacement. if someone will swap an EJ25 this is the same job. i just put together a 1995 EJ22 (timing kit, water pump, rear separator, reseal oil pump, plugs, etc) for a friend to have his mechanic swap into his 1998 OBW EJ25 which blew headgaskets...same exact thing you're dealing with. his mechanic had no experience doing this so i gave him my infomrmation - but never contacted me with questions because it's easy. this is why i recommended to get a 1995 automatic EJ22 - distance, uncertainy of mechanics, etc. simple is good. other EJ22's are easy to swap too - with the points noted. i wouldn't "fault" the mechanics or junkyard guys for not knowing, they're not being shady or untrustworthy, they're just speaking about what they know not. they're accustomed to hearing all sorts of non-mechanically inclined questions on the phone from desparate people and probably lumped you in with them and they assume they know more than they actually do. junkyards do decades worth of every make, model, vehicle made. they can't possibly get into all the nuances and tricks of one specific platform, that would be an inordinate amount of information to handle. also the guys answering phones and the guys pulling parts are often not one in the same so the phone guys may have no hands on experience just how similar the engines are - on paper they do appear a lot different and many manufacturers engines and with more complicating electrnoics, can be vastly different when talking different sizes. as to the EJ25 being "the good motor" - that can be true and not true. it is more power and in todays world, that sells. it is nearly unheard of for consumers to buy a "reliable" engine. they want new, faster, better, etc. i mean consumers say they want reliability but they really don't have enough technical leverage or experience for companies to take them seriously so the market isn't driven by it very much. anyway, the EJ25 is the "good motor" in that: 1. more power 2. it came in all the higher end vehicles - outback, leather, Impreza RS model, etc... 3. those higher end vehicles are owned by people with more money, have fewer owners, are more well taken care of (large sample size), and tend to stick around longer. lower end vehicles get trashed, used as beaters, poorly maintained and aren't worth as much due to them being lower end models so they're sent to the junk/scrap yard quicker - so to a junk yard they look like worse motors in some ways. so it seems like the "better" motor. in terms of reliability, the EJ22 is one of Subaru's best motors they've ever made and the EJ25D is Subaru's worst motor they've ever made....or at least since the 1970's, i don't have experience beyond that. don't run them low on oil or run them hot and an EJ22 easily see 300,000+ inexpensive miles or however long you care to keep doing easy maintenance on the vehicle.

what he said, you don't seem to be hearing him but it's ***really*** easy. i've done it before, if you think there's a problem then you're simply not seeing it correctly, which is easy to have happen when we only get a keyboard to talk with, kind of annoying, let's go grab a drink and discuss this!! use this combo: EJ251 block EJ25D heads EJ25D intake manifold basically you're only swapping the block so nothing matters, there's no exhaust or intake or wiring involved since that's all associated with the heads which you're keeping original to the vehicle, very easy swap. get a used EJ25 head for $50-$75 and you're done