idosubaru

thanks for info Shawn. i'm asking to better understand - why are they a "1/2 a clutch off"? are older generations similarly off and just don't exhibit symptoms or are these off for some specific reason?

he said it has and those can generally fall in the range of possibility. 2005-2008 is what he listed. subaruoutback.org has lots of threads/discussion about it.

Got it - this was on an XT6 and the bearings press in from the opposite side of EJ's. I asked here because the hubs are nearly identical to EJ's - same bearing and ball joints - but the bearing presses the opposite way. The XT6 FSM doesn't show/tell clearly which way it presses in, I figured it out once I cleaned all the grease/debris out and looked.

Front hub is out but the bearing won't budge with hub tamer - snap ring is removed and I'm pressing outside to in. Bolt won't turn with a 970 ft-lb 3/4" air gun or a 4 foot pipe, first pipe i've been using for years bent in half - I'm finding it hard to keep the hub steady with all that force. I don't recall what i've done before but I don't remember this much difficulty. How do you hold the knuckle with all that force from pipe? Can I cut the outer race of the bearing out of the knuckle? The bearing is in there so tight and held in at each side by a snap ring and the axle that even if i nicked the inside of the knuckle it won't matter.

his pictures showed differing trigger marks though i was confused what was which engine and which were from youtube.

hhhmmm, that sounds familiar. i've swapped gears so i don't know the actual symptoms. i honestly thought the trigger differences were only 99-04 models only but that was purely assumption...man i'd really like to "know" what year/vehicle/model gets the different triggers. maybe 05's are different given the ECU and other changes?

Good..sort of, i think there's much hope then. #1 is never an issue really and #3 isn't an issue either - aside from a known 99-ish era difference. It's a WAG but #2 is the most common issue for Subaru EJ25's so i think it's time well spent.

guess it depends on how tight, how many miles you'd like to run the car. I'd like to hear from Gloyale or Ivansimports or someone with a lot of experience - how often do they give warnings before catastrophic issues? If they always do then that gives you time and little risk of major damage. that would make me feel better about risking it. would you rather put the time in: 1. now for sure 2. later - maybe Or put it another way.... 1. if you're capable of repairing if it does happen and won't be too bothered if it does - then it may be a good fit to run it. burned valves certainly aren't "common" - though that's relative. 2. if you're paying significant money for parts/labor/build/time - then probably best to get it just right now. burned valves do happen and would be annoying for many people. most of us probably fall somewhere in the middle.

YES YES YES - THIS! This should be simple - not complex, I wouldn't spend inordinate time diving into compatabiliity issues. There is one known significant issue that you haven't tried yet (swapping sprockets), that's it. ****Swap the *sprockets*, not the sensors. if the crank and cam triggers (sprockets) are the same or swapped then something else is doing on and it's likely not a compatability issue. EJ25's are swapped all the time so there shouldn't be anything magical about this (alternate markets notwithstanding). well said fairtax.

intake should not matter, that would be a last resort in my book. It looks like of steps 1-3 i posted above you've only done #1 and I'd consider #2 to be the most important. Swap those and it should be identical engines as far as the ECU is concerned. At that point the only possible differences could be wiring on the intake manifold which seems unlikely since they are plug and play parts.

1. swap original cam and crank sprockets on new engine 2. swap original cam and crank sensors onto new engine 3. ensure it's the same timing belt as the original engine Then all the ignition/timing related hardware is identical to the old engine. If there's still any hesitancy, then swap the intake manifold - then all the wiring is for sure identical as well. But that shouldn't be necessary. Let's re-verify engines: Original Engine: 2005 EJ25 Impreza RS Manual transmission Donor Engine: 2005 EJ25 (Model????) (Trim????) Auto

it gets expensive rolling through used tires - $200 sounds good but then you pay another $100 to mount them and you're 75% of new with probably 50% the performance so you gotta work hard to get a good deal and probably reduced performance. i'd replace one, (and set aside the remainder of that $300 you would have spent on the complete set for later) get as many miles out of this set as you can and then spring for a new complete set next fall - using that remaining amount you set aside. but most Americans can't save a dime and need the government to do it for them (tax returns), so this is a culturally irrelevant and revolutionary idea. old tires suck in the snow, that's the major down side to used tires. the rubber degrades. if you're buying used, getting newer tires is more advantageous than how much tread or what they look like. there's a way to ascertain the date of manufacturer by familiarizing yourself with the codes on the side wall. get as new as you can. i do a lot of snow and highway driving where hydroplaning is a concern so tires are important to me even though i pay very little for my vehicles and drive them a long time as well.

buy the same size tire and with them wisely installed you're fine - install the two best treads up front and they'll wear down to meet the rear depth. technically you can measure the circumference and the tires need to be within 1/4" of each other which is 1 or 2/32" tread depth. http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/30110-tire-circumference-spec-confirmed-subaru-techtips.html they easily withstand beyond that though and it has a huge safety margin embedded in it as anyone who's done Subaru's for a long time can tell you. mine are beyond those limits now and i really don't care at all. if the rears are bald and fronts brand new then that's probably too much.

lubricate locking mechanisms and tumbler. is it related to cold weather?

there are two different style of triggers, that's well known. i've never know that difference to be isolated to an auto or manual thing though but maybe it is?

#3 is interesting. subaru rear bearings were failing all the time and there's a Subaru TSB Technical Service Bulletin for it. I'm not a mechanic, or a Subaru worker and I know this - surely the dealer is familiar with Subaru rear bearing failures. I'm not saying this is what you have but it sure would be likely: http://www.scoobymods.com/showthread.php/rear-wheel-bearing-tsb-03-2249.html They can take a year or two (depending how many miles) to get worse, but that's probably what it is. If the CEL is showing - read the codes (Advance Auto Parts and many other places do it for free). no sense in guessing, though surely gas cap is a possibility. I'd consider it a blessing that the dealer didn't actually do the job on an EJ22. They would simply reinstalling the same exact headgasket that's already in there. Subaru never updated the EJ22 headgasket so you wouldn't get any better end product. so whatever "risk mitigation" you'd get from having them replaced would likely be offset by "risk increases" of reduced efficiency of torque readings, per-job-payment plan/speed of employees blowing through it, block not being as flat as it was from the factory, Subaru doesn't usually resurface heads so you'd get a medium grade head gasket job anyway... Maybe they could take the car back from you if you feel you were lied to and taken advantage of. They'll relist it, and resell it for the same price with a correct add, not a big deal. Subaru already gets a premium price by selling off their lot, replacing a headgasket in that vehicle isn't a upsell for them for most of their customers. Even more so considering what I just said about them replacing it anyway. A lot buyers of premium vehicles dont' want an engine that's been "opened up" so it's not a magical sales tactic for dealers charging high lot prices.

yep, you've done your homework, exhaust valves tighten with age. and yes they are bucket/shim design and no fun to adjust. good luck. no overheating or headgasket issues? #4 cylinder i believe is most likely to have issues too...but that's just a stab in the dark.

if you have some large flat steel of some sort - you can drill two holes in it and bolt it to the flange the driveshaft bolts to - this will then provide a lever arm to lock the diff/wheels in place so they can't turn while you're messing with that nut.

XT6 front wheel bearing procedure just like EJ's? What bearings to use - Beck Arnley? If XT6 and EJ are the same I assume I can use the hub tamer on it?

If you want the "best" then it's hands down FWE axles out of Denver Colorado. Retroroo is on ebay and is starting to list FWE axles - contact them (Shawn, he's a member here too) if they don't have the axle you want listed, he can definitely get it. They are the only rebuilt Subaru axle i'd let a dollar out of my wallet for. US market or other? Avoid aftermarket axles at all costs, if you don't believe me google it or search any Subaru forum. Unbelievably high issues/failure rates. Here is the best routine for axle maintenance: 1. Never replace an axle - reboot it every single time, yes you'll have to ignore mechanics who beg you to replace your perfectly good Subaru axle with cheap low grade "new" "lifetime warranty" axle. 2. Buy a used Subaru axle and reboot it with Subaru boots. www.car-part.com, i buy them routinely for $25-$33 each. 3. FWE in Denver Colorado. The only reason they're listed last is due to core return, shipping, and cost. Any other option is not a 100% repeatable, long term solution.

99 only changed for EJ22's and Forester & Impreza RS EJ25's. Not Legacy/Outbacks, so listen to everything John just said and ignore whatever is confusing you. Here is exactly what you need to know: ***NOTE you CAN NOT use a 1999 EJ22 in your 1999 EJ25 equipped outback. That's actually good news because 99+ EJ22's are hard to find. Here's what you can use: First you need to know what EJ22 you have? 1. 1995's are dual port exhaust 2. 1996+ are single port exhaust If you have dual port exhaust you'll have to get: 1. 1995 EJ22. If it's from a manual trans it won't have EGR and you'll have to work around that (not hard, couple vacuum tubes, there's a thread on here about it) 2. or you can use 1996-1998 EJ22's if you also get a single port 1996-1998 EJ22 exhaust manifold with it. If you have single port exhaust you'll have to get: 1. 1995 EJ22 with a dual port exhaust manifold ( any EJ25 manifold will work, they're a dime a dozen) 2. 1996-1998 EJ22. If your car has EGR and you want to match EGR then you'll need a 1995 auto (all are EGR) or 1996-1998 you'll have to check, they vary and there's no way to tell without looking. But as I mentioned there's an easy work around.

when removing the ball joint a crack started at the very top of the notch for spreading the ball joint open. it's about 1/2" to 3/4" long and isn't anywhere near all the way or even half way through. i welded it from the inside ball joint area, installed it and torqued the pinch bolt, then welded the crack from the outside as well. GD posted in another thread that welding cast iron isn't effective. New bearings/hubs will be on order but for now i'll drive it to work tomorrow morning. Good idea, bad idea? this is for an XT6 but they share EJ/Legacy/Impreza hubs (they can be interchangeable, same ball joint part number, etc) so I posted it here.

rooster - i started a thread last year with the same question, check it out. agreed - call the city first. you can stop and ask a shop/mechanic, i've had two different ones take my 5 gallon buckets. 10 years ago Advanced Auto Parts in Maryland just took it in their used oil - but they don't any more and WV didn't do that when i moved here. i've got nothing around here, nowhere takes it, the state does nothing except maybe an annual hazardous waste day but i'll never go to one of them. after work i get maybe 30 saturdays a year with my schoolaged children - once a year 2 hour waits in line aren't acceptable.

i'll be hopefully using mostly the stock air compressor for the air suspension which has a drier....but if one is filling air struts on the vehicle - it probably is important for the air to be dry. how do i make sure the air coming out of my compressor is dry? i use like a 50 gallon tank (roughly, i forget) and air compressor with regulator and 3/8" air hose.

great! EA82, right? how do they work exactly - use stock springs? and then you can adjust them on the fly without jacking the car up?