idosubaru

like rob said, they look similar but are not the same. the mickey mouse gaskets look identical, but when you put them side by side you see the actual differences.

no i didn't know there was a bleeder screw on the passengers side of the radiator. looks like this one is finally figured out, but doing the same work to my grandmothers legacy too and my wife's impreza is due as well for a thermostat so i'll be sure check that out on those. i burped it again (after pulling and checking the Tstat) and finally it's back to normal. Got heat in the cabin and it's running normal temps. that's odd to me, i've done numerous EJ jobs before, did this one the same way and it was much more difficult to get all the air out. wonder what the difference was. thanks guys.

oh yes, I only use OEM t-stats. i even just boiled it to make sure it works, it does. i guess i'll burp it again, i know they're difficult, but i've never had this kind of trouble burping an EJ motor.

i filled through the radiator cap. i forgot to respond to your PM...will do that now.

pulled the stat out, everything looked right. coolant on the radiator side was cool, coolant coming out of the engine was smoking hot.

are you using 6 point or 12 point sockets? 6 points are much better at not rounding off the bolts. on those small bolts sometimes a 6 point socket will remove a bolt that a 12 point rounded off, might want to give that a try. also make sure you have the socket fully seated all the time, it's easy to get it wobbling as the cam pulley wants to move with the force you're giving it. heat and PB blaster don't hurt either if you have those on hand. as for bolts, subaru's uses standard metric sizes, you won't have any problem finding those sizes at any hardware store. you can even use some off of less important parts of the car....like maybe the fender bolts, timing belt bolts...any of those that are long enough may be the same thread and will be easier to replace later when you get more bolts.

Car was running perfectly fine prior to this, I just did a tbelt/oil pump/water pump job as PM. Replaced the water pump and thermostat and have burped this thing all morning long and it's still wanting to overheat. As usual the lower hose is air temperature and the upper hose is hot. With the car running, radiator full, and the radiator cap off, water just won't start to flow. Could I have installed the thermostat improperly?

your sure it doesn't just need an adjustment? all the subaru's of this vintage i've worked on are hydraulic clutches, but maybe an impreza is still cable? the good thing is almost all subaru clutch jobs are nearly identical in principle between older subaru's and yours, so just about anyone that has done it will offer very applicable advice for you. typically the engine or transmission has to come out to do this job. on some older subaru's you can actually unbolt everything and slide the trans back without actually dropping it, replace clutch and bolt it back together. not sure how that would turn out on a newer subaru or for your first time though. make sure you replace everything while you're in there - like throw out bearing and pilot bearing and both retaining clips.

wow, good point about the clutch. sounds like we know why this car was traded in and ended up at a dealer. they probably gave nickels for it on trade in. the same issues they'll play down to you they probably acted like was the end of the world on trade in "oh that's going to cost us huge to fix, we'll probably have to scrap it - we'll give you $500 trade in, that's a couple hundred more than scrap price so we're taking a loss on it." or seller: "well it's almost at a quarter million miles, it'll be nearly impossible to sell with those miles and issues". turn around..... buyer: "oh, it's a Subaru it's good for another 100,000 miles". sorry..i'm cynical of dealers, there's a lot of dishonest ones out there.....maybe these guys aren't so bad. good luck AF!

asking if 4EAT's are compatible is akin to asking if light is a particle or a wave...it's REALLY hard to answer, unless of course the numbers are a perfect match. 4EAT's are a pain the rear to interchange. any EJ 4EAT from 1990 to 1997 will work, it's just a matter of making sure the final drive ratios match his rear diff. but rear diff's are replaceable too, so in essence you can use whatever you want.

oh yeah - sorry about that Andy. the 96 manual is the freaky outback - the only one that got the EJ22. that's a 60k mile timing belt so it's "due" for replacement but it's not an interference engine (EJ22 is interference starting in 1997). that is a great combo. and i agree...the EJ engines are awesome but like someone else said - it's still a car with 200,000 miles, that's significant. there are likely to be plenty of issues. as you know from talking off line there are plenty of great deals around that i would pass unless it's a great deal. but being at a dealer they probably want top dollar for it. i'd make them give me a new timing belt and whatever other parts i could get from them (tensioner/water pump) since it's over due and those should be replaced anyway.

in general yes, they'll swap easily. a few things to be aware of: make sure the rear diff ratio matches the transmission diff ratio (trans and front diff are one unit on these). they will not be the same - so you can just swap the rear diff too. is the outback a hydraulic clutch or cable? the Legacy GT sedans are always hydraulic clutches, so you'll have to work around that since the 91 will be a cable clutch. in either 98 or 99 the bellhousing bolt pattern changed, still doable but it's 4 vereses 8 bolt pattern - though the 4 still line up and "work". so you'll need to verify that and whether this is a 97 or 98 if it even matters.

yeah you can get 100,000 miles 4EAT transmissions for a couple hundred with a warranty (i got one for $150 last year, but that's on the cheap side). read my comments already made on replacing the trans and why not to buy used. $2,400 is waaaay over the top. i've bought a number of legacy's and impreza's (the entire car) for less than that. replacing the rear transfer clutches should only cost $500 tops - someone on here would sell you a rear extension housing with clutches in it for $200 or something (heck i would), and then a couple hundred to install.....BUT..... exactly like nipper said (good to see you nip!) - replace the trans if you can find a cheap one.

i agree totally. has the check engine light been on before, and you just didn't mention it or did it just come on? if they aren't new Subaru wires there's a really good chance your ignition problem is related to the spark plug wires as well. the EJ engines (which yours is) are best to use Subaru wires on for some reason. i've seen brand new aftermarket wires cause immediate problems. they are usually accompanied with a cylinder misfire code though - which is why i'd check into the fuel injector code first.

welcome aboard! if you're around here much, might want to update your profile to include the state you're in.

most important - even if you do need another transmission, a new one is not worth it. subaru transmissions are reliable enough that buying a used low mileage unit is well worth it. and because they are reliable, they are cheap because there's plenty out there for sale that yards can't sell (low demand). (this isn't true of the SVX). if it's an automatic - there's a chance you only need to replace the rear extension housing (clutches and Duty solenoid C) - which do not require removing the transmission to do. there's more knowledge and experience on this board about your car than anywhere else in the world. but we can't see it, touch it, drive it, look at it, or smell it. on forums like this more info..specific info..not "i went to town to get groceries"...is a good thing. how many miles? what vehicle are we talking about? manual or automatic would REALLY help. what exactly happened? did the AWD ever work? how did it go out? any recent work done? have you checked the axles, drive shaft, FWD fuse (that's an AUTOMATIC only option), and do all your tires match? in other words are all your tires the same brand, size and tread wear/depth?

is it possible your clutches are warn and that's why the fluid didn't make much difference? i've heard they do wear and have always wondered how much, how to check and how to rebuild. i have heard of people rebuilding them...or adding shims or whatever to bring the grip back up to spec's.

it's much easier with the engine out of the car. but it is tricky either way. if you use a high quality bit and start with little pressure it's easily repeatable...but i agree it's totally annoying. i'll check into that tool he just linked to on ebay...but not while i'm on dial up! if the outside sealing surface was scarred i would imagine some sealant would seal that. but on the cam side would suck since it's moving. has anyone actually used these redi-sleeve's? i had seen them listed before on parts places but have never heard of anyone using them. never really heard them mentioned on here before either. i want to ask what they do/how they work?

you can do whatever you want...just depends what kind of custom work you want to do. the EGR port threads into the back of the head as well. so if you install an intake manifold with EGR and want to install the other end you'll need to drill and tap the head...most people don't like doing that to a good motor. you can remove the head and replace it with a head that has an EGR port. that seems silly since you're trying to avoid a head job to begin with. another option is to get an intake with EGR and pipe the EGR into the exhaust somewhere (avoiding putting it into the head). that would require some piping and custom work but wouldn't be all that hard.

how many miles/what's the history of the motor? the low power would lead me to think the fuel isn't getting burnt properly verses too much fuel getting dumped in. ignitor? or the ignitor...i forget what it's called, but there's another ignition related component that's close to the windshield on an EJ22 (not sure where you put it)? i doubt the fuel injectors are to blame, i think you'd just have bad gas mileage, not poor running - but - fuel injectors sticking? try some fuel injector cleaner, make sure they're firing/opening properly. you can have them sent off and reconditioned/rebuilt by a company like RC Engineering (that's who i use). they are expensive, there's cheaper ones out there i just like those guys. and they send a report back indicating the condition of the injectors when they receive them. when i send a batch in there's typically one or more listed as "dripping". maybe you have a "dripping" or leaky injector?

yes you'll get an EGR code. find an EJ22 with existing EGR?

the idea of a viscous sounds bad, i'll never have one since i do mud, snow driving. the require slippage to create friction. well if your in slick nasty stuff, the minute you start slipping you're starting a nice rut..not good in my experience. but i don't know, i've never had one because i avoid them, i have clutch type LSD's and love them.

i typically replace the leaking seals only. if i replace the oring behind the cam seal, i replace the seal with it of course too. if i pick up a car for a friend or relative and it has unknown history and decent age/mileage i'll do the it all. i've never had a problem with leaks on the many that i've done. with the exception of one EA82 crank seal that was the wrong size (aftermarket part - Fel-Pro). pulling seals is annoying. often i drill a tiny pilot hole, screw a self tapping sheet metal screw in the hole and pull it out with the screw.

it seems like the trans is toast but you're thinking about an engine swap? i'd think the other way around - the engine is good, start thinking about a trans swap. the mismatched tires will fry the transmission, not something else. they can strain things like cv's but for the most part the real kicker is the trans. as with any auto trans, start by changing the fluid. next step is change the trans.

oh yeah, the EJ22 rocks. it's different though, so familiarize yourself with jobs and don't assume it's "Just like the Loyale" on everything. search here and check first. does it have to be a 93, you might be able to find a newer one? the newer ones look much nicer, they are nicer, and should have fewer rust issues. but no matter - the EJ22 and EJ18 are awesome engines. if you keep them from overheating or running out of oil, they easily make 250,000 miles.