idosubaru

I'm with you as using the mileage as an indicator, my point wasn't really anything about the mileage. Just that higher mileage tires usually means harder rubber is used, which means they aren't going to have as good of sloppy road traction. Lower mileage tires have softer rubber, which should grip better. But of course there's more to the equation than that. Any extreme usually isn't good...because compromises have to be made. Something in the middle..unless you're going for dedicated use tires, is a good bet. I just drove my 2002 OBW into work today on snow covered roads. Mine is the H6 VDC, big heavy car. It came with new tires on it. They did very well in the snow. Being new I have no idea how well their wearing will be. Not even sure what kind they but this is what is on the sidewall: Bridgestone Potenza G019 Grid My car has the VDC stuff too, which was activating this morning, but I was really pushing it on some of the snow covered turns just to see how it would do. Tires seemed to do just what they needed. Which is nice, I have dedicated snows on my other Subarus.

you can but it's typically labor and time intensive and might not save much money. if bearings are $20-ish per pulley and there's 4 or 5.....then you're paying a shop $100 labor...it's easy to pay $200 just for doing it that way. and it's annoying sourcing all the different size bearings, finding a shop to do it, dropping them off, picking them up. but yeah it's been done, it's possible, it just doesn't really save anything. XT6 kits are $400, so it would be a good plan for those. but for easy to find EJ stuff, i'm with Dave and don't see the value in it. depends what your time is worth too. i like having parts show up at my door. dave and i do tons of subarus, as well as many others here, and we have faired very well with the ebay kits.

huck, i plugged around on line (i would only do that for you!) and came up with this: clean out the charcoal canister lines. if they have debris in them, it can cause this. might even need to replace the charcoal canister (no big deal). check any additional lines or solenoid (purge solenoid maybe) associated with these lines - they could be clogged. seems like this charcoal canister line stuff being clogged is the most likely culprit. check the fuel filler neck and fuel breather hose. i didn't find this, but i'd also check for damage underneath, like to the tank.

yeah buy it. shipping a fender internationally is going to be the hard part. it's all air shipping now, so prices are way higher than a year and a half ago. i shipped 4 hubs over seas - shipping alone was $350 just for hubs. i would try to repair or find a fender locally and get all the rest online if you can. hubs and control arms are easy.

i think you may want to reduce your tread numbers a bit. i don't think you're going to get quality snow traction with 80,000 mile tires. and if they were acceptable i'd imagine they'd degrade quickly each year in snow traction. then again, maybe "snow traction" to you and me are different since i live in the mountains and drive through steep, winding, passes that remain snow covered for extended lengths of time. if you have significant snow/winter driving, get a dedicated set of good snow tires. the difference is phenomenal. all seasons are lame compared to good snow tires. it shouldn't be hard to get some comments on the RE92's since they're stock. the one set i had were dangerous, but i suspect it was because they were old even though they had plenty of tread. go to tirerack.com and read all their reviews on any tires that interest you.

not sure what kind of vehicle you have - EA81 or EA82? i'm not familiar with DL's? front or rears? anyway, EA82 axles should be interchangeable between 2WD/4WD and right to left, what problem are you having? the difference is turbo axles and non turbo, they have a different spline count. a FWD non turbo and 4WD non turbo should interchange a FWD turbo and 4WD turn should interchange. most likely it's a turbo/non turbo difference, not a 2WD/4WD thing. do you mean the axle is the wrong length, spline count is wrong or something else?

Sounds like piston slap to me, i'd just keep driving it. I doubt the cylinder walls are scored. Maybe you just saw the factory cross hatching that nearly all subaru engines have, even after 200,000 miles? might have just been hard to get a good bead and see in there? I think you'll be okay. Subaru has updated pistons if you really want to get into swapping pistons to get rid of the slap. on the older engines you can replace the pistons without splitting the block open, not sure if that's true of EJ engines.

metal in the oil pan is a bad mojo in my opinion, i wouldn't waste my time. just depends what your time is worth though. if you don't mind chancing an engine swap then tear it up. oil is changed frequently (as compared to other fluids), so any metal accumulating in the pan should get drained out. if there's metal in it now...then there's a good chance some came out with the last oil change too...and maybe the change before that...ad infinitum.... like chux said, it's hard to say, as it could be benign. but i'd guess more often than not that much metal in the oil is a really bad sign. i've never seen metal in the oil pan before myself.

some kits are on ebay for $80, not sure if that's EJ25 or not - timing belt and all new pulleys and tensioner. check those out. i, and many others on here, use the ebay kits. they're great. Subaru pulleys would be a waste here. would'nt surprise me if the SUbaru and the ones int he kit are the same supplier (Subaru doesn't *make* pulleys). if you're concerned with quality you can get the kits and use a Subaru belt in place of the one that comes with it. i would do that on 105k timing interval or interference engines.

yep will, just slap on a set of coil overs from the same vehicle. if the struts aren't leaking you can pump them all up then disconnect the system so they just stay the same. that removes all the controlling, self-leveling, and computers, compressors, valves, etc from the system and simplifies things a lot. but over all, juts removing them is the easiest solution.

stray - you still around? i just got done installing all the air bag components (bags, seat belts, computer). did you have to do anything other than install parts? when you started the car, the air bag light went out on it's own? you didn't have to reset anything? if the stuff all came from a good car with the light off...then it shouldn't *know* any different once installed in another vehicle right? wanted to make sure before i reinstall the fuses and turn the thing on. BOOM!!!

yes $1,200 is a fair price. you can typically get one with that kind of mileage cheaper, but if the owner is honest, fair, and has lots of maintenance records the extra price is justified. the fewer owner, detailed records vehicles are hands down the best. you still want to replace all the timing belt components (ebay kits = $80). just look up the threads with bent valves or loosing a belt because one pulley fails if you're not sure what i'm talking about. it happens. it's high miles, so i wouldn't expect 50,000 trouble free miles out of it. but it shouldn't be anything major if you keep it from overheating and running out of oil. subaru's are really easy to work on - stuff like starters, alternators, a/c compressors, belts, are all very simple to replace. all of those are items that usually need replaced at some point.

someone with a dead trans might sell you a used solenoid for a few dollars? 3.5 hours to install doesn't sound bad for trans work, that means it's accessible from the transmission pan. don't normally say this but i'd consider keep driving it and see how it does. if it's completely failed and you don't mind driving it as is and are considering getting rid of it anyway.....

97 is interference. don't worry about literature that is misleading or wrong (no shortage of that on the interweb!). call Subaru if you need to. at 190,000 miles the timing belt is hardly the main concern. ill be right in line with proclaiming the integrity and value of the EJ22 (that's why my wife drives one..well, for now). knowing vehicles that "make it to" x mileage is anecdotal and not a good reason/way to make a decision. the timing belt pulleys are the main concern at that age and mileage. i never pull 10+ year old vehicles timing belts and find all the pulleys to be in acceptable shape to expect another 60k/100k out of. the pulleys are never anywhere nearly as tight and smooth as brand new. you can search here and find posts on pulleys seizing or failing and taking the belt...and engine, with them. get the car you want and replace all the timing components, not just the belt. EJ22 stuff is on ebay, entire kits for only $80. many of us on here use them, buy the kits and a subaru belt. if you're a mechanic in training, just replace the belt yourself, Subaru timing belts are really easy.

sometimes, but not always. some testing and looking around should show you. get some little mirrors or whatever you can use to look at your struts without removing them. jack up the tire so they extend down and look for leakage. i'm not sure why they can do that (vibrate with no other symptoms), but they can. maybe a suspension goob can explain that.

Well I hate to say it but while there are a few possibilities I give this a VERY high probability of being strut related. Check the easy stuff first, but keep in mind it's probably going to be strut related. This doesn't have to be bad. First, try and find out which strut it is. Noise is the easiest indicator, the next is the strut may be leaking or have notable wear elsewhere. New is nice, but if you can't then a used set of good struts is better than what you're describing. They can be had really cheap too, like $25-$40.

crank pulley is a two piece contraption. two pieces of concentric metal separated by a thin piece of rubber. that rubber is 20+ years old on most older subaru's. go take a peek at yours. they fail with regularity. when they fail they can damage the crank shaft and keyway. i drive old soobs, but getting stranded isn't an option so i don't like unnecessary failure modes. replace with a one piece, new, or tack weld the thing to keep it put, or at least check it. you should be able to see the rubber strating to crack and separate if you inspect it closely - pull it off and look at it in good light.

you need new front struts!

Get the timing belt kit off ebay. they include all new timing belt tensioners and pulleys, and usually only run $60-$80 for everything. also replace the cam seals and cam orings (they reside just behind the cam cap that holds the seals). very simple to replace while you're in there. valve cover gaskets and grommets are likely due. use a Subaru only thermostat and PCV valve (both very easy to replace). flush and check the radiator next summer or whenever you care too. they usually need replaced by now and have seen lots of regular water (=deposits) by previous owners not keeping the coolant properly mixed. if you want reliability or drive a lot, replace the crank pulley with a solid one or weld the dumb thing. they come apart frequently. and when they do they can damage the crank. usually repairable, but can be an ordeal. i'd change all the fluids like you said. for a manual trans the front diff and trans fluid are one in the same, so there's no "both diffs" to change, just the rear. like nipper said, change the oil often. this motor has touchy HLA's if you don't. good thing is they never need adjusting, so there's a positive side too! next best thing you can do is stash extra parts in the car somewhere - a distributor, TPS, coil, FET, MAF, and alternator are about all you need to never get stranded.

if hte rear diff is 3.7 why wouldn't the trans be? I have a single range PT4WD trans and it's a 3.7...or so I was told when i got it. you need one?

i've never tought the EA82 manuals were all that heavy? now the automatics...they start getting beefy. i'd think you hit the major points. it's a true 4WD transmission and it includes parts which are typically separate in a truck. trucks have a transmission, transfer case, front and rear differentials, and driveshafts and other mounting components to make that work. i'd guess all of that easily outweights the equivocal functioning aspects of the soob trans.

was this on an H6 or EJ25? what did this oil leak end up being this time?

okay, idiot alert! is this why some of my CD's won't play in my older CD players? like my desktop stereo and my 96 Legacy CD Changer? this might explain all the riddles?

nail those codes. the ECU is specifically telling you something is wrong. not starting there is like your buddy telling you his leg hurts and then asking the medics what you should look at on his arm. shoot for definitive things first then move on to more extraneous stuff. i like johnfmKY's idea of verifying spark at each cylinder too. very simple, only takes a few seconds. of course anyway you can get your hands on a spare MAF, idle controller, coil, and other parts would be nice. in college i essentially kept spare in my trunk of major items - MAF, Disty (crank sensor is in it), and alternator. hard to get stranded if you have the major stuff. i used the little underneath corner pockets of the XT for the spares. easiest way to pump the gas: from the engine bay - much more space, very simple, nothing in the way. pull hose prior to fuel filter. *** there's a real simple way to 'power' the pump on to drain the gas. you should be able to connect the green connectors by the ECU. this puts the car in diagnostic mode, which pulses the fuel pump once a second. do this and turn the ignition to 'ON', but don't start the car. yo'ull hear the fuel pump begin to click on and off. i know this works on 87+ XT's and it should on yours. good luck working in that parking lot, that's no fun!

it's not a plug and play affair and the trans won't bolt up. in general it's easiest to get a complete donor car. not hard to find a wreck or bad trans EJ vehicle and you got everything you need (minus the adapter plate). piecing together engine and trans swaps gets annoying. did you search? the search function is great and answers most questions. there's an advanced tab and try to use 4 or more letter words. it doesn't really like 3 letter words although sometimes you can get them to work by using *. like say you want EJ2....you can search for EJ2* to make it 4...etc. tons of folks have gone through write ups and threads about this swap. to ask them to spend more time writing about it is taxing the resources of very skilled and respected folks that have already put the information out there. there's a very detailed write up in the USRM. i'm on dial up or i would point you to it.