idosubaru

84 GL wagon will be an EA81 vehicle. you can search here to figure out what vehicles are EA81. the wagons changed to EA82 in 85 or 86 but the hatches retained the EA81 until 88 or so. that's all i got. i think most, if not all, brats will work.

$1,000 for someone else to do it or for you to do it? if you're not doing it yourself and don't have a very experienced old school subaru person doing the work, i'd pass. otherwise there's a good chance they'll miss some important items to make it a reliable vehicle. that's assuming you're paying someone to do the head gasket work. turbo's..and really any EA engine...need a good deal of maintenance to be reliable. and if you're putting $1,000 in it you might as well do it right. no point in spending $1,000 to have some $20 turbo hose blow a year later. nearly all seals and hoses should be replaced in my opinion. that's true even of a "good" car, but becomes even more important on a car that's cycled through some overheating.

probably a stock one. removing a 12 year PCV is standard maintenance and they really aren't "high pressure or velocity" devices, just a simple check valve.

sounds like a valve cover gasket but there's other possibilities. definitely change the PCV if it's never been done. that's a part that is best to get from Subaru rather than a parts store. picture would be fantastic. no software needed, just attach it. i think the size requirements are 25 or 50k or smaller in size, so just reduce the size in paint or any generic editor to post. try to get a shot of where the engine is wet rather than where the oil is ending up. in general oil leaks migrate from the origins towards the middle/back of the engine. so the outer most indication of leakage points to that area as the culprit. valve covers, cam mating surfaces (including cam carrier oring), head gaskets. start at the valve covers on the far drivers and passengers side of the engine and work your way in towards the center of the motor when looking. the first wetness you see will likely be the leak.

oh yeah, i didn't even see your location. maine. i absolutely can not stand ABS in the snow here, it is outright dangerous. it really should be illegal in my area, with the mountain terrain and slopes it will not stop the vehicle on a steep, snow covered downgrade, that's just ridiculous. the ABS will be pulsating with the brake pedal and not stopping the car, but the car comes to a complete stop by pulling the ebrake - are you kidding me!?

try some window shopping/pricing things out. you're essentially asking us to tell you how much to spend, i doubt that's how you really want this to happen, but if it is just let me know and i'll give you my phone number! you're throwing up options that run from $200 to $2,000, orders of magnitude in difference. not too many wouldn't want an EZ engine over an EJ22. depending which option you want, the simplest thing for you would be to find a complete car (a wreck). not possible with the SVX since it wasn't offered with a 5 speed. piecing together a 5 speed swap is annoying...trans, engine, clutch pedal assembly, hydraulic/cable gadgets, other tidbits, center console, etc. the EG33 and EZ engines will fit. the EG33 will bolt right up to your transmission, the EZ engine will not exactly, but it's not that hard to work around either. the Phase II EJ25 is a much better motor than the Phase I but won't bolt up to your transmission exactly - the bellhousing bolt holes changed in 1999. it can still work without much trouble, but it's not a direct fit. for costs be sure to add up all new timing belt components - including all the pulleys and tensioner. all the seals while it's out, clutch, etc. i usually put $400 ish into a motor before i drop it in with all of that stuff.

give them a call. they don't "make", they rebuild to OEM spec's. as long as parts are still available i don't see why they wouldn't. if it's a less common axle you might just have to wait, where common stuff he has on the shelf ready to go. he came up with XT6 axles for me quick enough.

yes, replace the PCV valve for sure. it's really simple to replace and get to on most subaru engines. if it's dripping it should be easy to look and note where it's coming from underneath. left/right and front/back would help us help you a lot. the valve cover gaskets and grommets are known weak spots. when the cam seals were replaced, were the orings behind them also replaced? being a subaru shop they should know to replace those, but in general those orings should always be replaced. the easiest way to fix this is to first tell us where it's leaking.

yes you can, just pull the fuse for it or remove power from the box (front passengers side behind the headlights i believe. depowered it's a pass-through system and works like traditional brakes. older ABS systems aren't nearly as robust as new ones so you're not loosing much by doing it. and they can REALLY suck in the snow.

right on. clutches allow one surface to turn another but provide some allowance for slipping. they are there to allow slippage during turning and probably for other variables. that's what's happening and i don't know that such small revolution differences really amount to anything in terms of power transfer and traction. would be neat to install a speed sensor or RPM gauge on each "side" of the clutch so to speak and compare them. just install a duty C switch and control traction yourself, that's what i do and it's awesome!

i would consider your options and keep your eye out on any deals, might come across a good EJ22T. rebuilding an engine costs a good bit anyway and it time consuming. you'll have to weigh your time/finances and decide which way to go. i'd totally go with a turbo slapped on an EJ non turbo engine. people have done it and if you monitor it (EGT) and keep the boost low they can reliably handle low boost just fine. 200 hp should be easy - that's only 25% increase for an EJ25 and a bit more for an EJ22, i'd think both should handle that just fine. personally i'd be tempted to just get a good used EJ22 and turbo it. it'd be cheaper and they're easy to find, and be much quicker. but my time is valuable, so a rebuild while i'd like to do one some day just isn't economical for me. check out the user reddevil or redevil or something like that. he had a great supercharged EJ write up with pictures and details. also kevin, myxyphlyx or myxphlyx...i can never spell his user name right, he turbo'ed an EJ22 in his impreza OBS with great results. he's owned (and raced it too) the car for years (i've seen it) and has never had a lick of trouble with it. he did a nice install with EGT monitor on it.

i saw 79 and thought "89". jumped a decade...i'm getting old...

that is interesting from a technical perspective, never thought of that before. the theoretical tire scenario is probably more often true than not since people when neglecting tire maintenance, the fronts are typically warn more. but the order of magnitude is too small. if it mattered it would matter either way, not just "one way" so to speak. if it was significant enough to cause relevant issues it would likely be significant enough to damage a differential or some other 4WD mechanism. many things add friction to the system. might need a drum brake conversion on the front and rear since disc brakes are less efficient. the transmission cooler might not be necessary in the winter but adds hydraulic requirements to the trans pump, reducing efficiency, so you could remove that in the winter time....et.al. "sorry you can't ride with me today, i'm trying to be efficient". technically the shifting resistor is less efficient and causes more wear on parts because it "allows" a smoother transition between gear shifts, giving a more comfortable ride. i unplug them in favor of a firmer shift. i "could" argue that increases efficiency and reduces wear since it's less gradual and not like "riding" the clutch so to speak. but i don't really *believe* it makes any difference. this kind of thinking could be extrapolated in all sorts of ways.

yeah you can definitely do this yourself. a torch (even a little tiny propane job) is awesome for axle nuts. heat just the nut up and it'll come off much easier. i've broken 3 1/2" socket wrenches and "breaker" bars...how nice of them to live out their name for me!? i bought a 3/4" socket set just for axle nuts, wow my life is much easier now. you will likely need a 3 foot piece of pipe over the socket to get it off. other than the axle nut, it's a fairly straight forward job. a 3/16" punch or axle roll pin removal tool is nice for knocking the pin out and back in. please do not buy any aftermarket axles. your best bet is a genuine subaru axle (new$$$$$ or used and install new boots) or an MWE axle. MWE is a private subaru axle rebuilder out of colorado, he does fantastic work. a friend of mine didn't listen and in a year his "new" axle is already vibrating. please search on here about axle issues before ignoring that last paragraph and save yourself the headache.

ticking is tough, it could be a slew of things. piston slap is easily recognizable because it's worst at start up and gradually decreases as the engine temp increases. at operating temp it should be quietest. there are a number of other things it could be. heat shields on the exhaust, any pulley bearing, timing belt tensioner, oil pump back plate screws i believe can cause some associative noise if they're really loose, fuel injectors. a general check....ears and mechanics stethoscope should quickly narrow it down. good to carefully inspect the head gasket on that car. for that particular year/phase engine you need to check the head to block mating surface on the rear of the engine, that's where they show up first. be nice if it was already replaced. some 2000+ head gaskets have a 100,000 mile extended head gasket warranty, so if it's under that it might still be under warranty. also this is a 100,000 mile interval timing belt engine. being an interference engine means significant engine damage will occur if the belt breaks, so keep in mind you could have a significant and expensive maintenance coming up on it. if there's no record of when it was done, it needs to be checked.

keep in mind that EJ vehicles were around in 1992 as well, legacy and impreza stuff. that will not work in an EA vehicle (loyale, GL's, etc) without a bit more work than just swapping trans. the easiest way is to have a complete 5 speed parts car so you have everything. piecing it together is annoying.

take a break from car stuff for awhile? none of us have 100% success rates on projects. i don't want to fill space recalling all the jobs i've botched. if time and frustration are getting to you, you now know your limits. i (and i think everyone) have to learn that too and avoid certain things and jobs where the time just drives me nuts when i can pay someone else to do it. avoid those limits from here on out (whether you keep this car or not). you can increase your toleration and enjoyment next time by staying within a more conservative threshold...like going with a CCR engine, or making the decision based on different plans (though they may cost more). that's just an example, not a suggestion or indication that i have any clue what's wrong...just an example. doing everything yourself or the cheapest possible way is not the most enjoyable or tolerable way....it's the cheapest. paying for things that cost you time, frustration and offer higher chances of success is money well spent. don't let circumstances determine your emotions. this isn't the first time you've claimed people want you to leave, but it's not true. it hasn't worked out so far and that sucks as you were totally stoked in the beginning. just make a good, informed decision on where to go from here given your time, financial, and frustration limits.

don't keep this engine. if it's your only ride and you've been driving it like this, then it's almost certainly been overheated and cycled too many times for me to want to keep it for any length of time. the Phase I EJ25's just plain overheat, so if you're continuing to drive it it's probably not in great shape. that being said it's usually not hard to get a couple hundred dollars for a used EJ25, so if you do replace the engine keep in mind this one is worth something. since they have issues they are worth something even in poor shape. half the time if it's at least running and just needs gaskets you can get enough out of it to pay for a new EJ22 to swap in.

post back how it does, i'd like to get an exhaust for my EJ. have you seen any statistics or anyone mention anything about it on other sites? i'd like to see some power/gas mileage numbers. i've seen more info on that on older generation subaru's than any of the newer stuff (not counting turbo's of course!).

i think the struts are the same. front struts interchange and i think axles too...check those. if both of those interchange then they're interchangeable. just make sure it's a wheel bearing. i just replaced a groaning rear bearing and it's still there. so either it's something else (tire?) or the hub is bad. very annoying going through all that trouble getting the part, 'fixing' it, and NOT fixing it!

oh man, JB weld would be horrific for something like this. actually JB weld is really weak in a lot of ways. i complete avoid it now, it's ability to withstand vibrations, fatigue and...well it's just a really bad temporary solution to anything structural or seeing changing forces, vibrations, etc.

oh man, you're just getting started! i've done this many times and put 50,000 miles on a front torn CV axle before. that one was clicking while driving straight (driving through sand really did a number on it) when i finally replaced it. i've put 100,000+ miles on rear torn boots/axles, i never replace those and have left them torn on cars i've bought and driven 100,000 miles. funny, the rears never even started making noise. road salt/snow never seemed to bother them but sand (driving in south georgia close to the gulf) and driving in WV - where they used crushed coal in the winter in my area, both will destroy an axle quite quickly. so it depends what they use on the roads and where you take the car. the only bad axles are aftermarket store bought crap, i've seen those break in less than a mile, right after replacing.

if it's more like clicking then it's a CV joint. easiest fix is to get a used axle or a new subaru, or MWE. do NOT, please do not, use any store bought axles. just do a search here to find out why. if it's really a rattling noise there's a good chance it's a heat shield, that happens to just about every 90's Subaru i've owned/worked on/looked at. it just comes loose and rattles. often times it'll rattle at predictable circumstances too, particularly when it first starts. requires zero $ to fix, just reattach it or cut off the noisy part.

i just bought my grandmother a legacy so she can get rid of her 1993 colt with a crapped out trans. if there's any parts on it that might interest you, let me know....not sure if they sold it yet or not.

incorrect for US market EJ engines. all EJ25's are interference 1997+ EJ22 are interference 1996- EJ22 are not interference all EJ18's are non-interference