idosubaru

i might be able to help with parts, get me some contact info via pm or my username (grossgary) here @yahoo.com

change the transmission fluid (keep in mind one drain and refill only gets like 30% or so of the fluid out) you can run with the FWD fuse as long as you need to. there has been no known issue/circumstance of any issues regarding running the FWD fuse/Duty C at full throttle indefinitely. so you shouldn't worry about it too much, certainly not to the extent that you're scared to use or drive the vehicle, things like that. it's not a big deal, myself and others have done it plenty of times as there's various reasons/situations where it's a good fit.

WOAH!!!! $700 that's insane. they might have a huge buffer in case they run into hours of rust issues (ball joint). $100 for bearings/seals, $50 ball joint, $50 tie rod (all inflated prices) = $200 $500 for labor - it'll take them 2 or 3 hours so that's like $200/hour. www.car-part.com get a used one and have it swapped out $50 for a used one

they do loose bearings so it's not terribly surprising, but make sure it's not the timing belt tensioner either. they can get weak and they're slamming into the bracket can cause a noise that has been mistaken for rod knock before. it's surprisingly loud and sounds like "knock".

call Subaru, that's a very common oring to replace. i'm thinking it's the same oring as the two front cam cap orings as well for US 2.2 engines.

timing belt kits are available on rockauto and amazon for $120-130 - all new pulleys, tensioner, and timing belt. install those to prevent what you just had happen. http://www.amazon.com/Gates-TCK304-Timing-Belt-Component/dp/B002R8HMAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386686180&sr=8-1&keywords=EJ+timing+belt+kit engine swaps are annoying and can take many hours. granted things can go smooth and everything comes off without a hitch...but rusted bolts, balancing engine, stripped holes, separating engine...can easily add gobs of time without prior experience or tools/equipment.

replace whichever sensor is failed is where i'd start. there are tests in the FSM to verify if the circuit is good or the sensor is bad if you don't want to guess. FSM information is available all over the internet with some plugging around.

That last post is great - get the plain cable chains approved for your tire size/vehicle and the authorities are appeased and you've got something to try. I've pulled over to help helpless souls put their chains on and been stumped, leaving them on the side of the road once my extremities start to go numb. Tires are enormously important and that's why "4WD and 2wd" are nearly meaningless until you talk tires, those are what actually touches the road (or ice!) FWD = 1 wheel driven (one front wheel spins if the car gets stuck) 4WD = 2 wheels driven (one front and one rear wheel spins if the car gets stuck) 4WD with rear locking differential = 3 wheel driven VDC and traction control can vary power distribution

* if the thing wouldn't shift at all after a clutch job and center diff replacement then i'd think something about the repair work is wrong and the transmission may be fine. simple/short answer - swap in a matching rear 3.9 differential to match the impreza transmission. long answer: swapping the rear extension/center diff ("clutch packs" it seems you're calling it) will not cure the different final drive ratios. final drive ratios are set in the: 1. front differential (integrated into the transmission) 2. rear differential those two have to match. so if you swap in a transmission with a different final drive ratio (different front differential) then you have to do one of two things: 1. swap the rear differential to match (easiest solutin i mentioned in the short answer) 2. swap front differential from OB trans to impreza trans *technically* speaking you can swap front differentials but it's a highly involved process with lots of issues regarding pinion depth, front diff bearing preload, and backlash...almost no one does it. i'm getting ready to do it and i'm not very confident or excited about it.

Yes, it's plug and play. ALL 1996 - 1999 EJ25 DOHC engines are plug and play. bolt in, plug in, done. 99 SUS is EJ25 DOHC and all 1998 and earlier EJ25's are EJ25 DOHC engines too.

read the code rather than guess. if the ABS light is on then it's telling you there's a store code which usually tells you what the problem is as well. can also try cleaning off speed sensors first

ivans might have you covered with the speedo head? i would think it's not transmission related. it sounds like a rotating part which would often suggest a bearing - like belt tensioner, alternator, etc. what makes you think it is - because it didn't do it until the trans was swapped? might be coincidence.

1. when it's making the noise - does anything change as you shift through gears? Subaru AT's will chirp when low on fluid. yours doesn't have a real ATF filter from the factory but if there's an aftermarket one in place make sure it's not old/clogged. there's a lower metal access plate held in place by 2 10mm bolts and it's very thin. if it gets tweaked at all during installation it can rub and squeal or chirp. i can't imagine how that would be temp related though.

you can definitely use bolts. all of our nut/stud combo's are permanently rust-welded and act like a bolt anyway when disassembled and reassembled so pretty much the entire northeast (an enormous portion of the US population) is effectively using a "bolt" every time work is done. so far i've seen no issue with it. if the nut/stud comes out without stripping the threads in the first place (biggest issue), they're easily reusable as 'bolt'. that being said i use studs for consistency when i'm replacing them.

maybe it previously had a "bolt and clamp" type repair on it that simply blew off/failed over time and fell out and then started leaking ? the bolt, clamp rolled out of the way simply never to be seen again? gasoline fumes are highly flammable , i'd definitely be investigating thoroughly as well.l

www.cars101.com 00-04 and 05+ 3.0's aren't much different in terms of one platform being notably better than the other. the 05's get active or variable valve components and a bump in power from it. otherwise they're basically the same. in some ways a newer body style stays fresh longer - most people like it longer, holds resale better, etc.

yes. many/most will have the plugs and all already in place. or hard wire them or install a floor wiring harness from a heated seat car.

I'd also go with an EJ22 swap. Amazing motor and easy to find since they're zero demand (because they don't eat rod bearings and headgaskets like EJ25's) Keep in mind JDM's are nothing magical, they're the same gasket and engine prone to headgaskets blowing too. 4 bolt 8 bolt doesn't matter, bolts right up either way. bolt US intake manifold to JDM engine. there's a thread on how to bypass the EGR code, very simple and not get a code. no drilling/tapping/installing EGR required. find that thread. i have a 120k EJ25, PM or email me if interested.

probably not headgaskets - but there's not really anything else on the passengers side. that being said - the car is coming up on 20 years old, if it's every been overheated before - run low on coolant, hose leak, radiator leak, etc - then that will cause the headgaskets to blow on any engine. inspect the timing covers and look for signs of the plastic timing covers being warped, mis shaped or even melted. a friend got an EJ22 craigslist specal (too cheap) and it ended up having melted covers and when installed it also had a rod knock. it obviously had been overheated.

Or rebuild the 2003? It's not hard to rebuild a wrecked car. Post pic's, we can help. Or simply install an EJ22 - easy swap, more reliable engine, cheap, and easy to find...hard to beat. It's not typically done and not easy/good results. To do the swap you're talking about you have to remove the intake wiring harness from the 98 forester and install it onto the 03 intake manifold. You'll still have idle issues as the idle mechanisms are different between the two and there's no simple work around. Folks prop the throttle plate open or just kind of ignore the poor idle/driving at warm up, or something like that. One member in the northeast tried welding up a fix for this and still couldn't get it to work and got rid of the engine. The intake manifolds don't interchange like MilesFox just guessed.

find a center diff that's got torque bind (failed) and run it RWD. l know people that have converted EJ's with locked VLSD to rear wheel drive. same thing you want to do except add the front locking whatever, so figure that out and get a failed (people throw them away) VLSD or well it up as uberoo says.

the rear studs are very easily replaced. i just did a rotor/stud replacement this year on an 03 OB. true, i think the issue is aluminum is less forgiving with any grime, debris, lower torque values, heat cycling of dissimilar metals, poor attention, etc. all perfect, should be good to go, i never retorque or think to and i change my wheels out multiple times a year. i've had loose lugs and wheels a couple times over the decades. which is more surprising: tire store refusing culpability or 4 wheels simultaneously sheering off without any signs to pull over or check them out?

*** The rear rotor needs replaced (not turned). There's an uneveness that's fatiguing the bolts, it happens very rarely on 00+ subarus and I've only seen it happen on the rear. Get that rotor off, throw it away, give me their address so I can bill them $75 for proper diagnosis....or at least give you a discount for not knowing. lol 1. Replace the rear rotor 2. Replace all 5 lug studs since they've likely been stressed and it's super easy/cheap 3. Torque them properly It could be them not tigthening properly but i doubt they're "not tightening" properly only on one wheel or only on the rears. The consistency and that I've seen it before on the rear of 00+ models makes me think you need to replace that rotor.

i've never had a problem with the cheap ones for $80 and $90 but for $135 an all aluminum sounds fantastic.

No TSB's or recalls, there was a 100,000 mile headgasket warranty campaign in 2000-2002 that is now aged out. But external coolant and/or oil leaks are common on 2000-2010 EJ25's (and 99 forester/Impreza RS). Make sure it's not valve cover, oil cooler, or front seals leaking. those are very common and easily mistaken based on how the oil migrates underneath. sounds like you've narrowed it down but understand our hesitation to confirm when we can't see it. The good news is as long as you don't let it run low on oil it'll keep running as long as you care to check/add oil. they won't catastrophically fail or leave you stranded. The timing belt has to come off to do the headgaskets so might as well time the head gasket job with the timing belt job. Use Subaru headgaskets. Some are using the EJ25 Turbo headgaskets on your engine because the Turbo engines never have head gasket problems like the non turbos'. It's not necessarily confirmed it's because of the headgaskets but they do appear more robust.