idosubaru

this isn't a black and white discussion like some may tell, but it's certainly is a fact that replacing all 4 tires is wise. subaru's are not 2wd, you can clear that up with some reading on how they work, lots of info out there on that. Subaru has the specifications in the owners manual - measure the circumference and make sure they are within a certain limitation. most folks don't care to measure tires...i don't, so it's simpler to rotate tires properly and replace as a set. will your trans experience issues with tires out of limits and no attention to rotation, yes. will it be 10,000 miles or 100,000 miles, no one can predict that. you're asking too much to quantitatively analyze every vehicle, every driver, every person's round trip to work, car useage, type of tires, rotation, air pressure...you see my drift. so we get a one size fits all standard. yes it's conservative...how conservative is not a very profitable question since we're talking a big and expensive job if you have to pay someone to repair your trans. if you're that bent against it, put your best tires up front and they'll eventually wear down to meet your rears.

the two i have laying on the floor seem to suggest you'll see only a tab on the newer version. the older version isn't really a tab, more or less just a contour of the gasket. so if you see a distinct tab - roughly 1 inch by 1/2" sticking out you've got the new ones. don't have an internet connection here worthy of posting pic's or i would.

yep sounds good, i just used that exact oil in my last oil change. my motto on your question is intervals are more important than brand. personally i have preferences (WIX) but avoid FRAM, but even then it's not like any particular brand is making engines fail.

some spacers like used in lifting the vehicle might bump it enough to give you clearance? an inch or two would likely suffice...or an inch or two with some hammering too

yeah these are really easy, don't let the air bag scare you. it's all plug and play, nothing special to it. i don't even disconnect the battery to remove or replace them. i don't recommend it, but i'm just saying it's not a job to be scared of. i've done a couple rebuilds too, replacing all the air bag components, not hard at all. like dave said, the newer stuff i've never had problems getting steering wheels off. unbolt stuff, unplug, reinstall, plug in, done. they're very easy and don't take long either.

i'd consider looking up more info on some of the other suggestions, they're either new to me or off a little. i wouldn't be too concerned with the headgaskets on 2005-2009's, i'm aware of an example or two but are there any ongoing discussions and info about trends? if there are it has nothing to do with the 6 cylinder. I'd lean towards a 6 cylinder. Ghostwalking is a 2009 only issue...maybe some 2008 bleed overs, but pretty sure it's all 2009's. i would check if they ever resolved it, on that year due to the prevalence of that issue. Subaru requiring the road force balance was funny, like that's going to fix it and who wants to pay/do that every time? check out the massive thread on subaruoutback.org about it. that will tell you if they've resolved it as well or how to tell if one has it or not.

so the 2.0 block isn't repairable? the 2000 crank won't fit the earlier block i don't believe. the easiest solution would be to bolt the 97 heads onto the 2000 block so you can retain the stock intake manifold and wiring. in general EJ heads bolt to EJ blocks. and it's better to go with smaller displacement engine heads on larger blocks, like you're trying to do. so there's a chance it's simple. being in another country and a turbo block i don't know if that changes anything.

that sounds like diff gear oil, not ATF. diff gear oil is on the passengers side, ATF is on the drivers side - which did you check? if you think ATF smells "nasty" then you should never smell the gear oil in the diff, it'll probably kill you. it's far more putrid, which makes me think that's what you checked. i have a terrible sense of smell so this doesn't mean much but to me ATF doesn't even smell like much of anything. the engine is "under load" - does it go forward normally? any check engine light? recent work, engine removal, anything? jack the car up and make sure all the tires spin freely? maybe something is binding somewhere? an ebrake sticking?

yeah dealers are not in the business of swapping/interchanging parts. they're the worst source for info of that type, i would never think to even ask them even though some are very competent. if one happened to be familiar with stuff like this, that would be the exception, not the rule.

more info. is it not torque bind? any noises at all? how long has it been doing it? any idea if it's "gotten worse"? has the diff fluid ever been changed?

i'd start by checking the fluid and possibly just changing it for good measure. as to ricearu's transmission - it probably had issues coming. i doubt it would have lasted much longer, if at all, with old fluid. that's a really low percentage guess given the number of other possibilities.

drill it out. use a tap to get the remaining out if it's just bits and pieces. overdrill it if you have to and then use a bolt and nut or retap if you have a tap and die set. multiple ways to do it, they're all just really annoying unfortunately.

hmm abe, no clue about those numbers. i haven't worked on a 2005+ yet so i'm not sure what the differences may be. cars101.com has lots of subaru specific info and specifies changes, whether any would be useful in showing a 2005+ block over the earlier 2000-2004's I don't know, but that's where i'd start if i had nothing else to go on. at some point the exhaust "came forward" so to speak, my in-laws 2009 EJ25 is like that, so that would tell you it's not a 2000-2004 if it still has the manifold with it. or ebay pictures? i think subaru360 and some others here have some later engine experience, maybe they'll chime in.

they're just a standard metric size - but you'll want to make sure it's a 12 point socket and not a 6 as they are actually 12 point bolts, you probably remember from before. memory is telling me 14mm i think. it's either that or 17mm, it won't be anything else.

newer style has tabs "ears" if you will, that stick out of it. i actually have an old one and new one lying in my garage i keep meaning to take pictures of. it's multi layered too, obviously, and that shows if it's not too old corroded, dirty which some are by now.

you don't mention what vehicle or engine so i'm only assuming some things. EJ oil pumps don't have gaskets, they are sealed with sealant. there's one oring that goes in place, the rest is supposed to be the three bond (or equivalent). so i'm kind of confused that you "put a gasket in there", since there isn't one? i'm sure i'm just not understanding something.... as for cracking the crank sensor on top of the oil pump, don't worry about it unless it causes issues, which is unlikely. i've always omitted that step, actually i've never even noticed it was there. so yeah, install belts and done countless times for me.

actually best to reseal the entire front of the engine whiel the timing belt is off. it's not that hard - crank seal, reseal the oil pump, tighten oil pump backing plate screws, cam seals, and cam orings. valve cover gaskets aren't a bad idea either but they're not hard to do later either if you dont' want. get the ebay timing belt kits - for $80 you get all new pulleys and the belt. you can't beat that and leaving the 15+ year old pulleys is tentative.

almost none of the folks doing this use the tool, you could also ask for suggestion if you're just trying to get the bolt off.

there were no SOHC EJ25's prior to 2000 (excluding the intro's in a few 99 models). do you have a reason to believe this could be newer than 2004? my guess is it's a 1999-2004 Phase II EJ25. seems like there should be some info on the motor, either inferred or positively?

thanks, i appreciated the help from here and subaruxt.com, this is the kind of stuff i dislike and am not good at. and there's tons of varying info on the internet. i figured this might help the next guy like me that wants to try this. it was easier than i thought in some ways, but time consuming too, the prep work. i think i'll do my own rust repair and small stuff but in the future will probably have more paint work done by someone else than me. good learning experience. one recommendation - don't spray without a shirt on....well at least not if your chest and back have hair, it falls right on the paint.

a machine shop could resurface the block or you could try a home made resurface, that might help it hold. like GD said seems like it's had a tough life though, not sure it's worth the effort.

yep sounds like classic torque bind. good diagnosis and use of USMB resources! the fact that you said "two new tires" sounds like it's probably been mis-maintained. the tires on these 4 wheel drive trans should be rotated frequently and always matching and replaced as a set of 4. replacing 2 tires is generally a bad idea. the quantitative measure from Subaru is that the circumference of all the tires should be within 1/4" of each other. i'd get all the tires matching and change the fluid immediately. start diagnosing from there, lots of information on this here. i would avoid an additive at this point, the tires and fluid change might do it. i'm assuming you know that a drain and refill of the ATF only gets like 1/3 to 1/4 of the fluid out? if the tires and fluid change don't help then i'd entertain an additive...maybe. be very careful and don't just buy any additive, it's generally a bad idea to treat issues with fluids, though there are rare cases when it's a better idea than others. in this case folks have successfully used a GM limited slip additive i think, a search would reveal the type of fluid. but i'd avoid the temptation to just start dumping bottles in. the problem is not with the front diff at all. the problem isn't "in the rear" either, not of the car anyway. it's in the rear extension housing of the transmission.

that sounds about right for resurfacing cylinder heads. place i go to in WV does them for $15 each to resurface, but they don't warranty them without a pressure test which costs more. doesn't charge a minimum shop fee like they do in MD. WV isn't a stellar economy so it's far from the norm. that shop should be familiar with someone to do the block and crank work.

oh man that's brilliant - getting paid to lift it!

remove as much weight as possible, get a couple hundred pounds out of it and it should lift it for free