idosubaru

you can't ask the folks to count the gear ratio? or just wait until later? I guess you're trying to buy this thing sight unseen and want to verify the ratio? if you're spending all that time on the phone, surfing the web, and diving into this, it seems far simpler to just put a few minutes into counting or having someone else count it. sounds like a lot of effort for one number that's just a matter of counting. this is about as simple as it gets.

ah ha, that's why you're just now bringing this up, gotcha. in that case Dave, might you be able to use the 6 speed axles? I always use 2001+ axles in all my older vehicles, just knock the outer tone ring off the end and it's identical to the earlier EJ axles. on later models the tone ring just comes pressed onto the end of the axle, but otherwise they're the same, so just cut it off or knock it off, it's really easy.

Ah come on nip, don't you have like one of those Men in Black lights or something, go easy on me bud?

The tilting the engine idea is a bad one frankly, I probably shouldn't have mentioned it. probably be more trouble than it's worth until you've done a couple actual engine pulls, if it's even possible at all - that separator plate sits low on the engine. Good luck whatever you get into. And...you're positive this is a separator plate? Valve covers, cam cap oring and other stuff leak and end up in the same area as separator leaks, so hate to see you go through all that.

There's no shame in having a shop do it, don't let it bother you. Comes down to all sorts of other things really...time, other people, responsibilities, work, etc. Frankly the easiest thing to help you learn to work on cars, you know what it is? Having more than one. When you're dependent on one or really put out when one is down anxiety and stress levels go up quick - and that's no fun way to learn and work. So, don't feel bad if you have to have someone else do it. But it sounds like this is also financially motivated. Take a stout screw driver or chisel and wedge it between the engine and trans. Knock it with a hammer until it starts to split. Work your way around...over, and over, and back over the same spots again until you can get something in there to pry with - crow bar, digging bar, etc. Lots of prying, pulling, yanking, i'm usually REALLY shaking that mojo - like the whole car and lift and stuff will be rocking. It's also probable you'll have to play with angles which can be very tricky - like the engine has to be at a certain angle to come out and to come off the trans. Go through a bunch of effort then set the engine back down and readjust chains, links, etc, pull it up again, more yanking and all that jazz...then readjust again - it can be very cumbersome. I hate to say it again - but if you had trouble with one 19mm easily accessible strut bolt, this is going to be shooting for the moon relatively speaking. Did you take out the flex plate bolts yet in the torque conveter/flex plate? Those need to come out. Make sure absolutely everything is undone before proceeding. If you only have to do the separator plate i'm almost wondering if it's possible to just tilt the engine forward enough to seal the plate and then rock it back in place, never actually removing it. I know folks have done that on older gen stuff to replace a clutch and clutch parts....just thinking out loud.

don't matter, i was just surprised to see you surfing old threads, i was genuinely interested in how you came across it.

what they said. finding auto trans final drive ratios is really bizarre, no matter what someone tells you, i don't care if it's subaru!! i'd still want to verify it. just do it yourself or ask a shop to, only have to count.

How did you come across a 2 year old thread nip?

You probably shouldn't do either one. Either way the engine/trans are going to really throw you fits unless you have someone that's done it before or intuitive about this kind of stuff helping you. The engine requires throttle cables, exhaust header, heater core hoses, intake hoses, engine mounts, radiator hoses, wiring harness, brackets, starter, ATF brackets, power steering and a/c hose removal and placement, and your nemesis - separating the engine/trans. For removal - dropping the trans is the quickest - i've had them out in 30 minutes before. But good luck installing it, you're probably lucky you never got it out, again those auto trans 4WD are REALLY heavy and awkward to work with.

They're the way to go anyway, EJ stuff is so easy to come by and lots of options. The newer EJ boots are nice too, they have more convolutions in the boots, seems like a more robust design. Not sure why but suberdave said his EJ axles are a bit too long making them on the tight end fitment wise. So he's actually looking fro XT6 shafts to build a frankenaxle - XT6 shaft (a bit shorter) with EJ joints. Not sure if his is different or what but apparently he had some problem, been talking to him about it on the subaruxt.com forum and here too.

yeah, right on. i tried my hardest, i was pulling fuses, disconnecting thing and generally working on it not only with the battery all connected but even with the car on.....that wasn't bright.

Success, Sweet!! Read the codes! "12" - drivers side air bag circuit. A friend installed that bag for me years ago when i first got the car. What he didn't tell me was that it wasn't connected nor did it have the right connector on it! Just found that out when I pulled it to inspect. Easy fix ! Fortunately I had a spare bag from a Legacy GT that was the same and it hooked right up. So there's a tidbit - 97 Legacy GT and 97 Impreza OBS drivers side air bags are the same. Installed the bag and airbag light went away and no BOOM . Reading the codes was really easy actually once you decipher the Rosetta stoneish manual also known as the FSM and realize by "DIAG CONNECTOR" they really just mean a bare pin that's taped up and unseeable and not labeled like all the other connectors in the FSM making it unrecognizable - the others all have specific, traceable labels like B82 and such - the B81 DIAG CONNECTOR is lacking in details and info like all the rest. There's a 6 pole pin connector up under the cover below the steering wheel - sort of "above the gas pedal" next to the center console side of the drivers foot well area. there's a few dangling plugs there, two green plugs, a black plug or two...woah there's a hummingbird 8 feet from me, cool - and a bunch of connectors. The black 6 pole connector (2 on top 4 on bottom) is your money maker. Only had three wires going to it (but that could differ slightly based on options probably). Grounding the blue wire (top left facing it) spits the code out on the AirBag light. There are two diagnostic connectors - they are just pins and taped to the same harness that plug is on - pull the tape and those pins are exposed and you can use them to ground it. Without the pins you can just ground it yourself. Well, I've seen other trying to figure this out in the past and I don't ever recall anyone getting the codes, but it's just as easy as the ABS or other codes I've read before, nothing special to it.

yes, without a doubt this has to be replaced. you will have noises if you don't.

1997 Impreza OBS. I replaced both air bags, controller and checked the fuses. Still no dice. I did not bolt the computer down, that was probably dumb, I just got excited to test it. Maybe it needs properly grounded and I need to stop cutting corners on stuff that might explode in my face :lol: The FSM doesn't show any sensors - it indicates they are all self contained within the control module/computer. Is that true or did I miss something? I know davebugs says he has a dealer do it, but anyone know how to pull codes? It can't be that hard, just need to get a light flashing. I found one side of the diagnostic connector, but the other one isn't there?? FSM says it's simple - connect two connectors and the ABS light will flash the code.

man, wish the camera's were rolling on that one!

i've often thought the exact same thing, if you're going to make a tensioning mechanism what is the point of making the "loosest" point still tight and difficult to get on when another 1/4" makes it an easy job? if you plan on having the car awhile and doing your own work the FSM's are awesome. they're available free too if you start asking around and looking, folks have the digital versions or you can buy them online. they are immensely better than the Haynes or Chilton's manuals. They pay for themselves with one job often times but they are also way overkill unless you're really getting into it.

Are you doing the work yourself? Yours is new enough that used axles are a great option. My source is $35 a piece, well worth it compared to new. If you want a new axle go with Subaru or MWE only. After market axles are a waste of time. I'd buy a used axle and have a shop install new boots before getting an aftermarket axle. There's nothing else I typically replace with an axle. Someone recently said they replace the wheel seal every time the axle comes out to protect the wheel bearings. That is a great idea, but i've never done it. Axles are really easy if you're doing it yourself, except that the axle nut can be a real beast to get off.

crack, that sucks. good luck getting it back together. hopefully the torque converter didn't come out when you go to bolt it back up? i thought you might hit a brick wall here, so i answered that question before you asked it: It's one of those things that's difficult but it's not. You just gotta get in there and manhandle the thing and pry it apart. But you gotta do it right and make sure everything is properly disconnected. It's not a rigid and formulaic process - like "insert bolt here". It's more like... - get things aligned well, pry on one side, pry on the other, wiggle a bit, pry on the one side, pry on the other, shift things, take a break, get a wider pry bar/chisel, pry on the other side, get something to suport the rear weight of the trans, get another bigger one...wiggle it some more. there's just no cut and dry "method" for that. shops have transmission jacks to help aide in all of this, but hardly anyone on here uses them. but it's not hard either once you've done it and seen it. also - are you prepared for the weight of the transmission? those 4EAT's are quite beastly and dangerous if you're working underneath of them when they let loose. it does seem like you're over your head. you've ran into too many issues this far. frankly just getting those strut bolts off should not be an issue. you're not torquing them enough and you don't know that you're not torquing them enough or how to. my point is that pulling the trans out, while not terribly difficult, does require all that process outlined above and then reinstalling it which is way more complicated than dealing with a couple bolts and nuts. are you sure it's not the valve covers or rear cap oring that's leaking? they can end up back the rear bottom of the engine too.

I go with the Beck Arnley ones I believe. I really don't have any reason except they seem robust and decent.

Cool, awesome. Someone just posted about doing something...but i can't remember what it was - with a DR and after only a few thousand miles and couple months it grenaded. He thought it was due to the teeth cut being different even though everything appeared to line up and work. That's from memory though, I'm not sure if it was front diff, ring, pinion, whatever you'd want to find that thread - just in the past couple weeks - search for Gloyale as the starter of the thread under advanced search, i think it was him.

I'd go for clicking over vibrations. I left a vibrating axle on my XT6 for awhile and it eventually destroyed the speedometer driven gear which is inside the front diff. Couldn't tell how fast I was going. I've put 50,000 miles on clicking front CV's and 100,000 on broken boot rear axles...but vibrations I won't let linger. Granted those are all Subaru OEM numbers, I'd never expect that out of aftermarkets (which i've had fail in less than 100 miles!!). If you're into messing with axles yourself, a member of the subaruxt forum does some kind of swap of internal parts from side to side and speculates that's a good way to get rid of wear issues internally - you'd have to read the thread rather than me explain it. I actually posted a link to it on usmb just a week or two ago.

hhmmm, good point. yeah, it's totalled, way gone, one small dent in the fender. definitely time for a new "work" or "heavy duty" or "off road" or "hard core" "full size" truck. :lol:

Sorry, I wasn't saying you had low quality tools, just not the right ones. You're not getting enough leverage to knock those bolts loose. The right tool will get them off or shear the bolt, then you just knock it out and put a new one in! Much simpler than grinding/cutting it off. I'm assuming you know that you have to hold one side in place while loosening the bolts otherwise they'll juts turn in place and never come loose?

Here you say you want to take out your imp trans and put in the DR trans. then here you say you want to take the open diff out of your imp trans and put it (the open diff?) in your DR trans: What exactly are you trying to do? We can't hear, see, or touch anything - descriptions are important for us to help online. I'm guessing you're wanting put the DR guts into the imp trans? If that's the case, there's some other threads you need to read. I'm forgetting details but that's been talked about and I think you'll find some really useful stuff in those threads. I'm thinking Gloyale recently had some dealings with this. The wisest option is to get an EJ to EA adapter and just run the EA trans in your vehicle. You might just run into axle issues since your trans is from a non-turbo and will have the wrong spline count I think. But that's not hard to remedy, i think you just use 1993 FWD impreza axles.

I can almost gaurantee my tools would get those off, might be a good time to invest in a better tool?