idosubaru

great, thanks beast. i can pull that off since i have an entire parts car.

So Subaru has the LATCH system installed in such a way that they're intended for use on the passengers or drivers side of the back seat. I install ours in the middle and use the inner LATCH tether points for each side. Anyone else?

i know they're listed as different parts but anyone know if my buddy can use a 97 Legacy condenser (that i have) in his 97 Impreza? any chance they're close enough to work? he's out of state so i can't just go look at it.

totally annoying to install a distributor - first lesson is to never remove it again unless it fails (rare). second - personally i like to look at another engine and just match everything to that - cams/disty and you're done. there are instructions already here that show how to do it, i think there's even pictures. searching will answer your questions. the search button is up above - use the advanced search function, search the older generation forum only and then title only. keep in mind it needs 4 letter words or more. if you have a three letter word sometimes you can get it to work with a star like ABS* or *ABS. also if you look at the bottom left of the screen right now you'll see "similar" threads to yours, some of those might answer your question. good luck!

there are ways to save cash but takes some planning. ebay kits or having a shop install new bearings instead of buying all new pulleys. the one that says they fail all the time is saving time, they need to communicate this often...but who wants a lesson in risk management, percentages, failure modes, etc,...that's very rare. much easier to lump it all together in a canned response. they figure someone that knows all that doesn't need them telling them what to do....like me, i dont give a rip what a dealer tells me. not that i agree with them always replacing them all, that's a lot. but it does save them from the customers that want to sue if an engine is damaged, believe me, that happens. so it's in part also CYA and protecting themselves from customers. i know of a dealer that will not work on pre-EJ subaru's due to too many complaints and law suits. older, ill-maintained cars falling apart as they work on it, then they get blamed. probably somethign to do with lack of experience/knowledge on that old stuff too...but see, this stuff is dynamic, not black and white. remember - Stupid rules come from stupid people! as to the one saying they never fail prior to 200,000, that's definitely a stretch from the truth, there's examples on here of failures. it is a low risk, but a costly one on interference engines.

right on larry - after i read your post i just went to see there are 4 12mm holding the door to the hinge i can remove those instead, thanks! as for non-stock - this definitely looks OEM, paint and bolts, both sides are identical, and all. maybe it's a year or GT or something else difference? i've never removed a rear door before.

not sure what a gear wrench ratchet is but there's no access to it because it's recessed way down inside the B pillar, so front straight on/up above it is the only access, has to be a socket. i just hope a regular extension socket is long enough, doesn't look like like. and im' not sure what size it is - looks to be 12 mm so it probably is. guess i could hand thread another 12mm on top to be sure.

gotcha. the WRX brakes should do you just fine and of course upgrade all your fluid then. i think you'll like the improvement. have you seen jamal's brake thread, tons of information? even LSi or GT brakes are dual calipers and better than the single piston calipers and they are REALLY cheap, you can get them for $25 bucks a side. heck i might have a set I can sell you, i have both sides from a legacy GT dual piston. pads, i've liked all the higher end stuff i've bought so i just go with ceramic. rotors i've never worried with brand, except to have them turned (they still do that around here!?!?), or buy new ones. i guess you have like an L or brighton model, which got the single pot front brakes and 15" wheels? if those are steel then i don't think dual pot calipers will fit under them. some legacy's have rear drum brakes, not sure when they quit doing that, but have you seen them yet?

Went to remove the doors from my Legacy GT parts car - one of the rear door bolts is a stud going into the interior. After removing the trim I see that it's a VERY long stud with a nut at the base. I don't have the right size deep socket, but that thing is so deep I don't even know if a standard deep socket would work. Anyone know what i'm talking about?

coolness you're doing a full on rebuild. wanting head studs and rod bolts....but want to keep the water pump? that sounds interesting, i'd just replace it since it's been apart and sitting. but EJ water pumps are rather robust so unlikely to have issues. i would suggest considering a new Subaru water pump if it's an interference EJ22 (1997 and up unless you modify it enough to make earlier ones interference by decking the block). the EJ blocks are quite durable. stock ones handle boost just fine so anything more than stock is overkill for normally aspirated, but sure tear it up if you want to go for it and try beefing it up. not sure on DOHC studs, if they'd be the same or different as SOHC. should be lots of EJ parts places out there...Perrin comes to mind. Ram performance has EA stuff and may have EJ sources? sounds like a fun project, good luck with it!

the scariest thing about these is how many folks sell them right away to dump them at the first signs of issues, doubt that's your case. this sounds like a good deal, not someone dumping a piece/known issue. that being said, previous head gasket experience does not prepare you for the Phase I EJ25 head gasket issue. many mechanics and others have been hosed by these. i've been asked by mechanics that know i do subarus to come check them out...half the time i "know" before i even get there what's going on. they can pass all typical head gasket tests - i've even seen them pass the hydrocarbon test. they overheat, all the way, into the red, you're not going any where once they start having problems. it has nothing to do with coolant level, it can be 100% perfectly full, you're stuck. that's what i dislike most about these Phase I headgaskets. mileage does you no good either, they were failing at 30k years ago when they were much newer.

easiest way is to get a complete donor car (wrecked, missing engine, etc), it's usually really easy to do that cheap...same way you probably got the bad auto trans car? piecing together something like this gets annoying when you start finishing off details like hoses, cables, clips, trim, bolts, screws, springs, etc. it's a fair amount of work, i find removing the pedal assemblies quite annoying do yourself a favor and pull the steering column out of the way. manual trans may have different final drive so make sure you get the rear diff if it is. you'll need to decide if you want a hydraulic clutch or cable clutch as subaru had both in the EJ stuff.

vacuum leak, check engine light? too much oil - something leaking?

euro car - most likely they aren't as old as the Subaru? a full flush and refill with brake fluid can do wonders to weak brakes. good pads, 15+ year old subaru's don't often get good rotors/pads. calipers - slide pins may need greased and the clips might be original, those should be replaced. if your braking is poor the tires may be to blame as well? that being said - the first gen legacy brakes are as small as they get for Subaru EJ stuff. upgrades are easy on your car. get whatever you want, but the larger dual piston set ups won't clear 14" and 15" rims (some 15" alloys are okay). it's a bolt on upgrade, you'll just need to keep them fitting under whatever rims you have.

sorry to insinuate that, i already pilfered that GT hood for my wrecked legacy. i was referring to other odds and ends - core supports, latch, etc. you'll have no problem finding one locally to get everything from no doubt.

if the engine itself doesn't have EGR you're going to have issues. The EGR is not just an intake manifold related item - it is plumbed into the long block (the head), so the engine needs to have EGR if you want a simple plug and play swap. You can work around it a few different ways, none of which are simple (define simple?!?!!).

No - there is no need to replace the master cylinder. That issue is sufficiently covered on NASIOC by folks that like to argue pointless points and those that have done brake conversions with excellent results (like myself). Check there if you like armchair quarter back kind of discussions. Larger brakes sometimes need larger wheels. Not sure about rears since front conversions are more common. The larger front brake caliper brackets need 16" wheels (or some 15" will clear). There are even some WRX STi set ups that need even larger. Good luck and enjoy!

if it hasn't been added then yes, it is "required" by Subaru. it is supposed to be added with every coolant change. regular coolant changes are a good idea too if that is unknown.

I'm from maryland, a few minutes from Gettysburg. a good number of members here are around you.

OH MAN, jack pot! that's an easy fix. that one looks 10x worse than it is. i could have that on the road in an hour easily if the latch mechanism isn't hosed - pull front, install hood, done. the corner shots are much harder to get lined up, have to remove headlights and pull stuff from behind there. this being dead center is going to be really easy. i wouldn't bother replacing the radiator supports unless absolutely necessary. they're super flimsy and weak, they don't add any rigidity to the car, so they will bend right back in place again. actually your lower one won't need replaced - of that i'm 100% sure, those are much beefier too. the upper one is going to be mangled but they're so weak that i wouldn't replace it unless needed. if you were close by you could have the supports off of my Legacy GT. i just don't have the time to cut them out, too many other subaru parts/work promised to others right now. i'm pretty sure grills can be a little different across models. can't remember specifics but i recall the Legacy GT grill not fitting my Legacy LSi...can't remember why, if it was just needs somethign else or wouldnt' fit at all, i can't recall. but i installed the GT hood but the GT grill i didnt'......well, maybe i just didn't install it because im' not done with it yet? okay - so you might want to check on the grill.

I'm fairly certain I won't be letting a shop do it. I bought one that was sprayed with a cheap $400 paint job and it wasn't bad but not what I'm after either.

All of that is covered here, practice that search engine and read all you want. It's the Ej25 SOHC, but you're not informed i guess that the later ones still have headgasket issues. They're a little different, less annoying than the older ones and fully recognized by Subaru who extended the head gasket warranty to 100,000 miles and 8 years so more than likely a 2001 is going to fall outside of that range no matter what but ocassionally Subaru goes above and beyond. Fortuantely these don't leave you stranded like the older ones as they don't overheat until they run out of coolant (which usually takes a really long time at the rate they drip). Additives also help, Subaru has a special subaru gunk to dump into with every coolant change (which is good to do often given the nature of the headgasket problem). You can always ask/run a VIN through Subaru and see if they were ever replaced under warranty, that's a nice hit and easy to find.

"raises hand" it's very simple and it's all been covered ten zillion times. as long as they both have EGR you won't have any codes, it's that simple. yours is as easy as they get...it's just an engine swap.

This is many faceted including marketing, not just functional. They don't fail enough to warrant replacement and it would be discouraging price wise if that was required with the timing belt replacement. The loss of customers due to severe engine damage is worth more than the loss of customers due to high 100k maintenance costs. That being said I use the ebay kits - much cheaper than Subaru. IF I use Subaru parts (sometimes I do) then I only replace those that need replacing. That being said it is almost impossible to find any of the bearings to be "like new" condition. That doesn't mean they're near failure though and most *can* make another 100,000 miles. That's not very comforting to me with an interference engine or a car that has a lot of life/value in it. Both of the dealers are right - price is a concern, not everyone views risk the same way. One will replace any suspect idlers, a good gesture. The other replaces them all, a better fit but not for folks wanting cheap. Just make sure they "REALLY" inspect the pulleys, ask them about it because you expect another 100,000 miles. "Inspect" usually means a cursory glance...like no metal or parts hanging out - you want them actually spun by hand and checked. Either option is good and I'd save the $800 if they'll let you use an Ebay kit (for the pulleys maybe, but doubtful) or actually spin test each pulley. Heck, tell them you want to see them first?

gauge isn't likely to give you much more in the terms of warm fuzzies - this is the way these things work - the system is getting the volume it needs. most...if not every one on the road...does exactly what you're describing. so what exactly are you looking for?