idosubaru

right on, that's what I said - 98's are Phase I. that's common knowledge and all over every Subaru forum. I've never seen a Phase II 98, but I'm not surprised if some exist - I've always assumed it wouldn't make sense that on Dec 31 and Jan 1 there's an immediate switch. I'm very familiar with Phase II's being interchangeable with EJ25's - worked on countless, have 2 Phase II EJ22's I'm currently rebuilding. One bent valves, other wrecked lower end due to oil starvation.

I drilled through a few, like maybe 5, copper windings in an electric motor. Small exhaust fan motor. Part of me thinks with all of those thousands of winds, losing a few isn't that big of a deal. $150 for a new motor so I'd rather just install the $4 bearing and call it a day. It takes 5 minutes to install or remove so not much to worry about.

Yes - There is some wisdom in prefering the known engine-is-missing vehicle over the "my transmission doesn't work so surely it's just a cheap sensor fix" diagnosis by the guys dad who has never done more than change oil and air filters on 1970's big block 250's before vehicle.... if you look at the legacy - pass us along the symptoms and we might be able to tell you if it's something common or not. 99 legacy's have an easy to fix delayed engagement issue, buy it if it's that. early like 91's have a transmission cooler issue and are an easy fix as well if the trans hasn't been abused. torque bind is common to all Subaru 4WD transmissions. if it's a manual trans no sensor will fix it - center diff has to be replaced. if it's an automatic there are sometimes easy repairs and there are sometimes easy work arounds depending which of the two possible failures are causing it . worst case the rear extension housing has to come off and some stuff replaced. there is almost always a way to drive a Subaru with torque bind though without damaging anything or repairing it - like converting it to FWD temporarily until you can fix it or installing a switch (only on automatics and depending which part fails) to go between FWD and "locked" 4WD...which is fun anyway! there's the 3 common transmission issues to compare his symptoms against.

Get the Impreza, your engine easily installs in it. I've done this exact swap. Bolt your EJ18 exhaust into the new EJ22 impreza. It bolts in place and is identical on the end that attaches to the rest of the EJ22 exhaust - very simple. Any EJ25 exhaust will also bolt up to your EJ18 engine and into the EJ22 vehicle if you need an alternate exhaust - if yours is too rusty. Bolt a 95-98 EJ22 intake manifold to your EJ18 and you're done. The EJ18 manifolds I have seen have different plugs and won't work. I can't stress how simple it is. I've done it before, basically the exact same swap you're considering - it's really easy. I haven't seen an EJ18 with a knock sensor so install the EJ22 knock sensor right into the EJ18 block. Not only is the hole already in the EJ18 - it's tapped too! Simply bolt it on and you're done. I would just buy a new knock sensors, they can be had for like $20 on ebay or someone on here was selling them as well - Bheinen is his username. If you can - grab the cam and crank sensors and oil pressure switch with the EJ22 harness to make sure it's the same - but i'm almost positive that they are. You could do a little research - search part numbers, ask if they're interchangeable, etc - and then you'll know for sure. EGR options: I think all EJ18's have EGR: 1. if the "new" impreza is also EGR and you don't want a check engine light - then you'll want an EJ22 intake manifold with EGR as well 2. if the "new" impreza is also EGR and you don't care about the check engine light (your state doesn't have emissions like mine doesn't) - then you can use any 95-98 EJ22 intake manifold and block off your EGR port. 3. if the new impreza does not have EGR then you simple block off the EGR port in the head of your EJ18. I just cut a small metal plate and bolted it to the EGR port with sealant. You can also leave the EGR pipe in the head, cut the pipe, crimp it and weld it shut or stuff a ball bearing in it and weld it closed. A 98 impreza is definitely Phase I - there's no question about it. There are no 1998 or earlier Phase II engines - it might look like one if they swapped an entire ECU and wiring into an earlier vehicle and there's all sorts of ways to use Phase II engines parts in earlier cars without it being "Phase II" electronic. Or if someone rebuilt a car (i've done a few myself and sold some) - then it could have different unmatching VIN plates indicating an incorrect build date - in other words a 99 Impreza hood/doors/front clip are direct interchange parts for 95-98 impreza's but would show a 99 "Phase II" date of manufaturer and VIN. A friend of mine owns an Impreza that has a different date on the title,and two different dates on VIN door and engine bay plates. I still don't know what year it is!!! Anyway. Sure, check, but it's highly unlikely that this car is some one in 10,000 anecdotal out liar. More likely scenario is that they mis-listed the year and it's a 99 Phase II....than it being a 98 Phase II. Ask the for the VIN and then you can simply do a VIN check yourself online to verify.

Wow, really, sealant? So they leak around the OD and not the ID, I would have never guessed that. If simply sealing the shaft is an option I'd begin to wonder if you can even unbolt a bunch of stuff and lean the engine forward/pull the transmission back and gain enough access to seal that? Probably not enough room to slide the clutch stuff off.

if you need to pull the transmission then the transmission needs to come out. i would not pull the engine, sounds like a lot of extra work, but there are many compelling reasons to not drop a trans too. I would drop the transmission from underneath. seems even more logical if you don't have a lift. Though if you have a lift you can snake chains around the engine to use the lift to remove/install a transmission underneath the car without pulling the engine. These things are awesome for scooting engines/trans around and the last magazine I got yesterday in the mail had them for only $7.99 or $8.99: http://www.harborfreight.com/material-handling/dollies/movers-dolly-93888.html the fastest *possible* is the transmission, it *can* come out much quicker than the engine. just basic logistics and math...fewer parts to remove. I use *'s to qualify because pulling a transmission is annoying because you have to work under your car and devise solutions for removing, installing in a confined space. it is very easy to hate the task so you'll hear strong opinions to the contrary. Removal is generally easy, can drop it by yourself. Installing is much more difficult and very much aided by an extra hand or two. If you have physical limitations or are going to need to lie on freezing cold concrete or aren't good at figuring out a way to hold the trans to remove/install...then you're going to hate working under the car. If you have an engine lift you can also pull the engine/trans together but you need lots of room to lift up to get the entire lump to clear the radiator at a steep angle. in that case the transmission does not have to come out, you just need access to the clutch which is given by removing the engine. so engine removal is often the chosen way there. then you're also provided easier access to timing belts and headgaskets for folks that also want to address those common maintenance items.

i'll take a few, we need to organize a big group buy for one of our west coast friends. they can make some loot for a days work and we get some panels?

THANK YOU! well done beast, this is the first I have seen of this but both of my (02 and 03) Outbacks have this as well. Thanks for pic's and figuring out where that was coming from, I had no clue and thought maybe mine just had some weird glitch.

yes! very common. if it's an auto, move the shifter forward/back a few times and they crank right up.

are you positive it's leaking between engine and trans? the side cv axle differential seals can leak transmission gear oil too. amazing thread if you want to replace it yourself: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=90182

what they all said: sway bar/end links or strut. my 2003 Outback Sedan is doing the same thing on the passengers side..thunk thunk........thunk.......thunk thunk.... everything appears tight and working properly...but i can grab my sway bar and pull it side to side through the bushings - can't do that on my other Outback Wagon so I ordered sway bar bushings like Turbone said. haven't installed them yet though.

i've never seen a snap ring on a Subaru wheel bearing so i don't even know what you're talking about. must be an artifact of some other time period or manufacturer, Subaru doesn't use them on wheel bearings.

Cougar is an electrical guru I would definitely key in on his advice. cables almost never fail on Subaru's, i wouldn't throw parts at it just yet. get a battery post and cable end/terminal cleaner and clean them both and reinstall. gotta start digging into electrical stuff if that's not it. testing for voltage at the starter jumping it via the battery jumping via the starter - give 12 volts right to the starter etc...

non interference. 1997 and up are interference.

The XT6 got me rolling in Subaru's, I had fun with them, they got me through college cheaply, and then it grew from there. Experience, inexpensive, reliable, high miles. I have so much experience with Subaru's, going with anything else I'd be at a severe disadvantage in maintenance, tools, what to look for, etc. I don't have the time to learn other manufacturers at this point. The forums have helped over the long term too (with the experience component above). Maybe I haven't looked hard enough but I haven't found as many helpful forums for other manufacturers as I have Subaru's. I'm usually working on some non-Subaru for friends/family and it seems like stuff that would be easy to find for Subaru's is hard to come by and get a response for.

Was only talking about a failed rear differential. No mention of properly working VLSD's or center diffs. Right, wasn't talking center diffs, though torque bind due to MT VLSD failure is common, I've seen that too. Have you seen ***rear*** VLSD's fail to "locked"? I've never seen that. I've only seen MT center diff's fail locked.

awesome, glad you're back on the road again.

what is the "plast"? plastic covers wouldn't cause a no start. any check engine light codes? timing belt(s) are probably off one tooth.

nothing should be surprising on a 20 year old vehicle. LOL spark plugs, wires, cap, rotor, timing belt, air filter, fuel filter, PCV valve are all maintenance items likely to have been neglected for a long time.

You could ask if the $2k is for a more extensive job than just the oil pump. all you should need is the transmission oil pump, mechanic might not know that. if not, he may come in a little lower i price. but if the mechanic doesn't know that i'd wonder if he knows how to set the backlash, that's a rather technical job that few people do. or he can probably simply count to retain the existing backlash, if he's familiar with a Subaru transmission.

resurface the heads and use the Subaru EJ25 Turbo headgaskets.

generally not considered a good aid to these cars, at least years ago they tended to be less reliable than stock and offered little to no gain. the stock coil has the resistor pack and such so you'll want to make sure whatever you do can play nice with that.

cam cap - houses the cam seal. camshaft support.... hard ballers! nothing else meets the description...only on drivers side...oring underneath of it...turn it to get it off...pulls forward.

the torque converter wasn't fully seated so when you installed the engine there wasn't enough room and it pushed on the torqeu converter which pushed on the shaft which cracked the transmission oil pump. search for torque converter seating.

Not interested in swapping your spare intake manifold on it? It would have to fix the issue and they're easy? new wire, new sensors, fuel rail/injectors, and you already replaced the ECU. the only thing left would be the body side wiring harness. if you wanted an exercise in problem solving you can try to track it down off the car. if you replace everything, it's hard to not fix it.