idosubaru

look down/up there with a light? probably no way to get much visibility that way. i think i might try pulling the dipstick and drain plug and shooting some compressed air down the dipstick hole to make sure it's not 'stuck up top' or something. you could pull the axle and pull the axle stub out of the front diff- they are only retained by a circlip and pop out and pop back in. with that out, even both sides - you might have a chance of seeing it. in the end it's plastic and one would think it won't hurt the gears as long as it can't get into bearings or compromise fluid flow to them.

what does it do after that hour...does it stay at 22psi then? not sure if different pumps/gauges could differ but i'm not surprised to see some creep due to equipment, disconnect, or internally equalizing. i've never looked that intently - i just pull the vacuum and charge. well, actually i'm almost in the habit of not even pulling vacuum or using my gauges Subaru's are so easy, so far i'm batting a thousand and the a/c works just fine for here. all three of my current daily drivers are running without vacuums being pulled and have been that way for years and i even have a vacuum pump and gauges. LOL

right - leave the EJ25 ECU, no need to touch that. gotta be some CA folks here to respond. if they don't look at and thoroughly inspect (and know a lot about them) the engine they can't tell a difference. did you google it? i'm sure there are hundreds/thousands of questions like this across all vehicles for that ignoramus state.

i would leave the receiver. Subaru a/c systems are extremely robust and have very few issues. i work on them all the time. Subaru A/C is really easy to work on yourself, they are robust and have few issues. you can easily recharge yourself. you don't have to take it to a shop, you don't even have to pull a vacuum. if you charge it as is I wouldn't be surprised at all if it serves you the rest of the life of the vehicle. if you want perfection pull the vacuum and charge it. if you're going for the whole vacuum pulling and all that - i would go ahead and at least replace the orings around the radiator area fittings, or just every other oring you can find in the engine bay. really only the ones around the radiator are brittle. the ones by the firewall are almost always in okay shape...but not a bad idea to replace them while it's all apart. you can replace another 3-5 orings really easily now, might as well. I've never worked on other makes, but i've done tons of Subaru A/C work and they're cake walk. can easily avoid the shop if you need to on Subaru's.

they're so similar, basically the same engine that's why it's so easy to swap. you'd have to have someone well versed in Subaru's look at the engine to even tell, there's no way for an average emissions worker to know. though i understand CA is crazy with smog...do they actually look at every car and verify the engine? the 95 is the easiest and cleanest to do.

where did you see that information? the 03-04's are just like the 01-02's (well very minor differences). i have an 03 and it's no different than my 02. i mean - maybe it's just a matter of bolting the intake manifold on top of any of them...who knows...hopefully someone chimes in. kingbobdole did an H6 swap into an older subaru and was talking about some of the differences a couple years ago i just forget. he talked about it mostly on subaruxt.com, not here though he is a member here.

In the past I've bought computers identical to mine for a few bucks on craigslist and swapped in my hard drive or parts i needed to troubleshoot and repair. still have one of those computers from the late 90's that I fixed that way and it's still cranking. You can have it if you want it, I'm done with it! It's not worth shipping though. LOL Also it's fairly easy to pull the hard drive and access it via other machines as an external hard drive to make sure you get all your data back. Just get a USB adapter or borrow one from a friend (i forget how expensive they are, but i'd mail you mine if you mail it back). I would be sure to back up all of your important information and FSM's and such. It's really easy to have an external hard drive and have it back up stuff. Any computer in a harsh environment like that is going to have issues every now and again.

i've never looked but i don't think they are oringed. more robust design and the Turbo engines never blow headgaskets (well, normally. people blow those motors all the time!). do you get the discounted prices or order online? or you mean those prices are still high? my local dealer matches the online prices.

. technically, you can swap anything you want. you can drop a V8 in with enough talent or resources. but if you mean bolt in and plug and play: I think you'll need a 2005+ due to the variable valve timing. Normally I wouldn't reply since I'm unsure but I haven't seen any swaps like this so hopefully this thread generates some responses. Shawn may know? There's also DBW but that might be a simple intake manifold swap...not sure. Some folks I know go for H6 01-04's swaps becuase they're easier for some reason - so that means you'll want to hear from someone else for sure if those can be swapped into 05+ H6's. Subaru's ER27 and EG33 definitely won't, completely different motors but are H6's. ER27 - 1988-1991 XT6's, EG33 1992-1997 SVX.

*** NO*** the 95 EJ22 engine will not work in your car. You are in luck - that 99 Forester is the SOHC EJ25 that you need. Here are the engines you can use: EJ22: 1999+ EJ25: 1999 forester and Impreza RS ONLY and all 2000-2004 For a 2003 you need a 1999+ Phase II EJ22 to swap into your 2003. The problem is that 99 EJ22's are hard to find and more expensive so it's not as easy of a swap. If your 2003 has EGR then the engine needs EGR and there are no dual port options for 99+ EJ22's so you have to get the exhaust manifold (but the exhaust manifold is identical so it bolts right up). is the 2003 repairable? if you mentioned what's wrong with it you might have other options. there are two types of EJ25's, the information you quoted out of context from me is specific to 1996-1998 and some 1999 EJ25's. the only way to get the 95 EJ22 to work...and i don't recommend trying it without lots of patience and ability to work around issues, would be to strip the 1995 intake manifold harness and swap your entire engine harness from your 2003 intake manifold onto the 1995..including fuel injectors and fuel rails if necessary. but then you run into the idle air control issue since they are different designs. i haven't done it enough to know how repeatable it is, if there are differences, etc. 2003 is also MAP sensor instead of MAF sensor so you'll drop the 95... and might have to install the 2003 passengers side cam and crank sprocket on the EJ22 but that's easy.

good news, so that probably means if i'm having suspension related issues it's not sway bar related?

get the banding tool that matches the bands in the kits you use. CV bands are annoying. i think there are at least 3 common types...each manufacturer can use a different type and auto parts stores don't always carry them or more than one kind. one is just thin straight steel band that gets pulled tight and crimped back over itself with two holding tabs. there's a special winding tool for that - or you can make do with standard tools in your garage. screw driver against holding tabs to keep it from rotating then pull really hard with pliers...easier with two people (one to hold, one to pull), but possible with one and enough ambition. another has holes/divots in it that you pull tigtht and then a special crimping tool that squeezes the ears together for a final tigthening sequence. then there's others, but those are the two i'm most familiar with.

i bought a bunch from rock auto - Beck Arnley. but i wouldn't consider that an informed decision, i haven't compared boots.

depends...you can use any transmission you want if you got enough skills. any EA82 or ER27 transmission is going to bolt up to the EA82 and fit rather easily. a loyale transmission should bolt up just fine, the button can be wired in later...or heck you can even put a manual lever in or your only controller for the 4WD lock.

Keep rebooting them, they last a very long time. The original Subaru axles are very robust, 150k OEM axles would never bother me. I'd rather have a rebooted 150k axle than a non-Subaru axle. Cheaper, quicker, and high success rate (i'm still %100 rebooting OEM axles). There is even a trick where you can "flip" a given part of the joint from one side to the other if you reboot both at the same time...I've had so few issues (none) rebooting OEM axles that I haven't explored that option. If they start to have issues, then buy new or rebuilt.

I'm fairly certain you'll have success either way with good oil supply and never overheating the block. Use the EJ25 turbo headgaskets if you're sticking with OEM gaskets. Haven't dug into the variable valve stuff yet.

wow, what a crazy mess, would have never guessed that. i have a 1996 Legacy Lsi EJ25 ECU if you want it. so - is it probably the shorted wire that fried the ECU?

oh cool, yeah just solder or repair it. i bet both ideas you mentioned would work just fine for something that simple.

good eye finding it! like he said that failure is easily fixed, not in a harsh external weathering environment so that's an easy one....but what caused that and is there other damage may be the next question?

i hear you, that's the most treacherous part of my commute the steep downgrades. back end kicks out on those unmaintained nasty's and you can't get it back. why not downshift auto's?

they don't. "People" prefer auto's. forum members, car enthusiasts lean more heavily towards manuals. the 4EAT is great in the snow. tires make the biggest difference. i own both and both seem about the same in snow, but prefer the 4EAT's all around, more control, prefered traction, less maintenance, more reliable. i can install a switch and have it fully "locked" at all times when I want it. which i prefer for the unmaintained mountain roads. can't do that with an MT. i'd like to know more about the MT's 4WD responsiveness - like how quickly they lock and how long they stay locked.

OEM supplier could vary by model, engines, and even years, or have multiple suppliers...making that up, but there are myriad of variables. Subaru could outsource that mid-production or mid-year. Subaru is married to spec's, not the source. I like to know and find OEM suppliers of critical engine parts too and finding OEM manufacturers often seems harder than it should.

there we go - the issue is the title, walk from that deal. that is terribly risky - should have never even thought about giving a deposit for that car. as soon as i heard that i would move on. if they don't have a title, not even worth my time. deposits are risky, and hose people fairly often even with a signed contract. contracts of this sort usually fall into a "he said, she said" kind of match. people i know have gone through it and splitting the difference is common - so getting half your money back. courts, time, money...not good. it's easy to tell a good seller and a bad one if you know what you're doing. sometimes it's just hard to walk away from a car when you should though! i can see where your situation is different if you're not mechanically inclined and such but having bought countless Subaru's over the years i can say that it's easy to buy a car with cash, it's not a big deal. i can do it with zero risk...no more than any other way at least. others may not be able to do that though, so i can see different approaches.

that was the underlying thought to my response. seems improbable you'll have them all for 20 more years so doesn't seem that practical to me to worry about it too much - as you said - hand out that death sentence and move on. yeah it'll suck a tiny bit - but at least it's protecting all the others. around here the higher probability of loss lies in a deer collision. that was a good point too - what is one more car? that's why i have so many! but if you've got a non-rusty fleet i'd also go ahead and milk that awesomeness for what it is and keep it that way! working with rusty fasteners is a debacle. i had to have two shipped from CA and TX for that.

you can lean (ha ha, pun intended) on some experience if you'd like...i just wanted to say that, you probably don't need any tips..anyway. not really, it doesn't really work or happen like that. ***if you mean the guy didn't have the title - then by all means avoid that deal. no title, registration...that just smells of shady-ness. 1. you buy cars without using cash, you're the shady one - tax evader!!? just kidding - however you do it - show up ready to buy the car, however it is you buy them without cash or whatever - you have some method in mind - well show up ready to do that on the spot - meet them or drive wherever/however it is that you buy cars. in states that require notarization (mine doesn't but i buy out of state frequently), i plan ahead and find the closest notary, heck some even travel and meet you. 3 minutes of planning on my phone at a red light and i can do the deal on the spot. 2. the registration and title tell you if it has a lein on it. so if you can read you can figure this out. 3. have a state issued bill of sale - (all state's i have bought in have them online), ready to sign. if you're super anal have a piece of paper stating the car has no lien and sign and notarize that too. if they lie - it's fraud and you don't do anything but hand it over to a really good lawyer and they can sue for all costs associated with that....but that will never happen anyway...that's just a feel good step for paranoid people or folks that aren't good at business/dealing with people. 4. it's fairly easy to spot a legit seller, walk away from all others. if you show up in an upper class neighborhood and buy a smoking deal from a Doctor with nice cars, at their house, married, kids that has nice cars and just wants to dump this thing quick...you get a pretty good feel for whether or not they're shady. Doctors do not care about $1,000 car, it's in their way. if you drive back a country road and meet someone with 8 junk cars in the yard that looks like they don't ever cross the county line or someone doesn't want to meet at their home...walk. both of those were real world situations i've encountered. 5. compare title info to drivers license 6 . if you're super anal call the DMV and ask them or drive straight there and run a DMV report showing it's lien free there are options. i've bought tons of cars and regularly talk to others that have as well, it's not really that hard. basically walk from the first signs of weirdness you see, don't even go there. i...and many on this board have bought dozens of cars, we've gone through more Subaru's than we know over the years - and i've never had this happen nor heard of it happening. i'm not saying it can't but it's not hard to avoid compromising situations either.