idosubaru

So that is normal? I had this happen after a shop did some front bearings for me. One of them had a bit of play like you said and the shop told me it was normal. It was the first time I had ever done bearings so i took their word for it. Those bearings worked and lasted just fine, so I always assumed the guys were right.

For the year range you're talking about an EJ25 is an EJ25, no differences between models. There is nothing conclusive about EJ25 head gasket issues. 2002 is often thrown around and the quantitative support for that is Subarus extended 100,000 mile head gasket warranty on 00-02 EJ25's. Beyond that no one can tell you anything other than opinions, which are woefully and anecdotally inaccurate a lot of times. There have been post 2002 EJ25 head gasket failures, but so far they few enough to be considered little more than anomalies. The early Phase I 1996-1999/2000 EJ25's blow headgaskets all the time, you can find them every week for sale with blown motors easily. Don't let that affect your attitude towards the newer ones, they are far better as far as head gaskets go. Suggestions: Get a newer one - the later date range. Find one that has already had the gaskets replaced (easy for 2000-2002 EJ25's). Keep your eyes out for something with the H6 or turbocharged.

What you're saying is not possible on a properly put together vehicle, so something is wrong with it or your terminology is wrong. Doesn't sound like you care so I guess I won't explain anything.

Replacing the PCV valve may slow the leaks, good thing to replace anyway. One wrench and a couple bucks, use Subaru part here. If yours has the rear cam cap, replace the oring under it, it only requires removing 2 bolts to replace. Valve cover gaskets are easy and often leak as well. Should be fairly simple - valve covers are on the side, all the hard stuff is right up front and will be seeping out from under the plastic timing covers up front. Should be obvious - is it leaking from the side or up front? You might want to think about one more major maintenance, particularly if the front seals are leaking. If you want another 100,000 miles out of this car, replace everything timing belt related now. Timing belt is a 100,000 mile item. Thing is all of your timing pulleys and tensioner are 10+ years old now, so a new belt is pointless. I always replace everything - timing belt, all the pulleys, tensioner, water pump, cam seals & orings, crank seal, and reseal the oil pump. That's a complete job, if you keep the engine from running out of oil or overheating you're *almost* guaranteed another 100,000 miles or close to it. You have an interference engine, if the timing belt breaks your motor is toast. That's why many of us replace everything on higher mileage or 10+ year old engines.

ATF in the diff didn't hurt anything, it'll be fine. Diff plug is flush/parallel to the ground, ATF plug is at an angle. Diff plug is always in front of the ATF too. And gear oil STINKS!!!!!! BLAH!!!!! i was confusing your post with someone else that had a bad transmission, i forgot you were pulling yours for the rear separator plate. so yeah, now i remember your trans is fine.

Woah that's pretty awesome - how far up the "line" from the inhibitor switch was the cord frayed? That's a strange issue, how did you find it?

The rear diff takes less than a quart, I can't recall the front but it's not much different, definitely less than two quarts. The ATF just depends on a number of things but it'll be around 4 quarts you'll get out. So which did you fill incorrectly? Hopefully just the front diff since you can get all of that out with one drain/refill. The trans is trashed anyway right, so not too big of a deal? You might want to get an owners manual, they're well worth it. They specify all fluid capacities and types to use in what temperatures/climates/driving conditions and all sorts of other things like towing, tire size, rotations, 4WD, etc. Well worth the couple dollars off ebay or a member here.

you posted when i was typing, i'm thinking the same thing.

Subaru Automatic transmissions have two separate fluids - transmission fluid and gear oil for the front diff. The ATF is filled on the drivers side, there's a dipstick below the starter. Transmission gear oil (for the front diff) is filled on the passengers side. So which did you drain? Which did you fill and with what?

it's been awhile but i think one time the high and low pressure side valve core stems may have been different, so be aware of that possibility too.

atf gets all up in the torque converter, lines, radiator, valve body, etc. nowhere near all the atf comes out when you drain the pan like engine oil does. as for your moving issue, it sounds like your plugs aren't connected. if you did plug all of the transmission lines in already, pull the main harness connector apart and plug it back in, they can actually "feel" like an air tight seal almost and actually be difficult to fully seat. if that doesn't help, make sure none of the pins in that connector are bent. if that doesn't help, when you first start the car - does the POWER or transmission light (some read different things) blink 16 times at start up? if that's not it, your problem is more ominous but i won't elaborate on that until you check the above.

i've always just removed them and taken them in to match them up but i have extra parts and cars which makes it easy. the local auto parts stores typically have better help and parts selection over the "national" places, but almost anywhere probably has valve core stems. wonder what an internet search would give or if Subaru carries this stuff/info on it? might want to give them a ring and see?

did it come off the transmission stubby shaft or out of the hub (the actual thing the wheel bolts to)? it is impossible for the axle to come out of the hub...well, unless something is broken or wrong. you should figure this out, something is not right at all. just "putting it back" means something is still wrong with it.

You should probably search here and see what other folks say, as there seems to be good success with Redline Synthetic and others in Subaru's. Of course you could always just start with switching weights and seeing if that helps. If not, then entertain the idea of changing to a synthetic. Of all the "grinding" Subaru synchro's I've heard of, I've never heard of one actually failing on a daily driver. If you're not tearing it up I doubt you'll have any failures or that it'll get worse.

yes - actually i have a piece of me that wants to do that. best bet would be to extend the rear as opposed to the top. so the top (where the bushing is) stays fixed nice and flat like stock. then extend the bottom. looks annoying but not too hard, particularly since i have spare hub assemblies and struts i can mock-up and have a machine shop make parts for, etc. just going to take some time.

You might want to first check it just to verify it has good clean gear oil in it and you're not loosing any. I'd try a high quality synthetic gear oil in the weight range recommended for that climate/useage in the owners manual. RedLine MT90 comes highly recommended by folks for helping stuff like this. but i've never used it. You can search for it here and see experiences with it. It's very easy to change, though I hate using funnels but not a big deal. It's easier than an oil change, no filter. Drain via plug, refill via dipstick tube and you're done. I'm not a trans expert but pretty sure that's your synchro's causing that. I've had a few do that and it always seems like second is most prone(keeping in mind i've owned over 30 Subaru's, some very old). I don't think it actually spells any likely future problems or doom, it's just annoying. Shift from 1st to 3rd if someone is with you and your pscyhe is on the line!

oh yeah, i saw those screws, just not how i imagined it being put together. i was thinking the mirror would have to come off, but maybe not. i have a legacy parts car, so i got spares to play with.

Not sure it will, but want to try something easy first. I don't think it's "breaking" contact necessarily where the bushing seats against metal. It's just rubber disc against flat metal. But under torque it's loosening pressure on one side which allows the air to squeak through. I wonder how "pliable" new bushings are and if they're even available. Maybe just having new bushings would help.

Okay, great! I did actually get it running last summer so it *runs* (very loose definition of the word:lol:). Thanks. Explains why the later ECU's did not work when I installed them a few years ago when I first got this car.

oh i forgot to also give a thumbs up on getting stuff quicker via the aftermarket places verses the online subaru vendors, but i'm not close to any of them either.

Wow that's a very confusing assortment of info. I'll be revisiting this thread sometime this summer. I have a 1987.5 XT (turbo swapped to non-turbo) i've worked on for years and never got running right. The ECU was bad from the beginning and since then I've changed ECU's and Disty's a couple times, not even sure what's in there now. So the body/engine wiring doesn't matter. It just needs to have a matching set of ECU/Disty (or swap wires to match if different)?

Wow, nice work. I've ran into problems here before as well. Did you check XT FSM's at all?

3M says marine 5200 bonds wood and fiberglass. wonder if metal/rubber is still cool?

If yours is the optical style disty like Gloyale mentions then you only can replace the cap and rotor. Folks have cleaned the optical disk and sensor before as well. There's a bearing in there somewhere too, but you'd have noticeable play if that needed replaced. Good luck.

Thermostat - dealer every time. The difference is amazing, someone has posted pictures before. Aftermarket thermostats look like toys compared to the Subaru ones. Distributor cap and rotor I'll get from anywhere with a preference for Beck Arnley if they supply those parts.