idosubaru

do you mean only a "slight" turn to the right or anything past that? in other words, does it do it with a slight turn and full lock or just the slight turn? you're positive it's from the rear? my guess is a rear wheel bearing. with the wheel off i'd check all the hardware too - brakes, calipers, bracket and ABS sensor. make sure nothing is obviously loose.

probably a head gasket with good timing on the road trips home. but time will tell. the bubbling in the overflow tank is a sure sign - that's the gases in the coolant getting pushed out the expansion tank. you can often hear them bubbling once the car is shut off.

i'd have a look at those lines - they are probably very easily replaceable with rubber hoses. remove all the metal and install rubber lines in their place. there usually isn't all that much stuff and it should be easy to find if it's in the fender area.

yeah those things can be next to impossible to get off. i'd just take the entire lump in, even though that's a pain too.

dial up to the rescure - that subaru endwrench article suggests some relation between the PCV valve and this 0440 code in 1998+ vehicles. not sure if that would apply to your 97 or not.

you can type any of these codes in your fav search engine like i did and 6 seconds of work give you this: P0440: Evaporative Emission Control System Malfunction Subaru's own website has some explanation...i'd tell you if it's useful or not but it's not loading too well on my SUPER FLY DIAL UP right now, so check this out: http://www.endwrench.com/pdf/fuel/FtEmissionServiceS01.pdf

i've done 2.5's before with straight sockets. maybe some years are different or with enough pushing it'll work?

who is "Hobby Gary's"? i did something similar to the old gen's where the sensor itself threads into the block. on an XT6 (same set up as EA82) i wrapped the threads of a knock sensor with plumbing tape. which brings up the interesting point that EJ knock sensors seem less reliable then older gen stuff.

glad everything worked out, that's great. USMB is super nice. see the "donor" icon under my user name - you can even donate to show your appreciation. i in no way benefit from that, i just donate because i feel the same way you do. my OBS rear washer isn't working either, we can start a club. i haven't looked at it yet. that cogged idler, you mean when you were trying to install the new timing belt? that thing can be a total pain to get in properly! i wonder if anyone has come up with a simple solution. it seems like Subaru always designs timing belts just a bit too tight. why not make them simple to install...just an extra bit of room and design the tensioner to take up that slack? bizarre that they design just on the threshold favoring the side of PITA!?!? yeah, i like the looks of that tool. i always drill a tiny pilot hole and use a self tapping sheet metal screw in it then a hammer/pliers on the screw head to pull them out. that works well and if you're careful lining up and holding that drill bit it works every time.

subarupartsforyou is showing different part numbers for these vehicles. 1990 Legacy part number: 22060AA031 22060AA061 is the 1996/1997 EJ25 and EJ22 part number 1990-1995 shows the older part number (...031) and 1996+ (EJ22 & EJ25) has the newer part number (...061) they are very simple in nature and usage so i wouldn't be too surprised if they're interchangeable.

that's a really good one to mention. get your charging system up to date now. make sure your alternator and battery cable connections are excellent. clean them and install new terminal connectors if needed. they should be spotless and tight. this will extend the life of your battery and alternator. alternators are very questionable items. they are at the whims of the previous owners maintenance, which on a 20 year old car leaves much to chance. carrying a spare used one is a great idea and luckily with subaru's they are SUPER easy to change. i do this on all my older subaru's as soon as i get them.

some things like ignition coil, MAF, Crank and Cam sensors are so small and easy to replace you can throw extra's somewhere in the car. as far as leaving you stranded i would rate an ignition coil as top priority if you wanted to keep one of those on hand. the cam and crank sensors do fail but i'm not sure how often they cause an all out no-start issue. other things usually give you a fair warning before causing a no start condition and they don't fail very often. if you really wanted to be well adept at this - it would be good to know which ones you can unplug and keep the car driveable, that allows you to disconnect one that might be giving you fits.

it's not that big of a deal, but in general an EJ22 is a better fit. the EJ25 should treat you fine.

not offended, logical. i only mentioned tires - that they make more of a difference in traction than 4WD. you've got one of the best snow drivers around and don't know it, that's too bad. and it's not the "XT6", it just those EA/ER transmissions, they are cool. it could be helpful to figure out what is wrong with your tires or 4WD rather than just assume "the XT6 is bad in the snow". that way you know more about them and realize like everyone else that has owned both, that the locking center diff was an awesome feature that Subaru should have kept. in the end any 178k 20 year old car isn't going to make a good daily driver without significant attention to maintenance. this coupe will be great for you - no rust and less of a chance of poor previous maintenance - like needing an engine replaced and then not being installed properly (leaking intake gaskets).

if money isn't an issue then ignore this. but i hope you're not installing another used engine? i'd hate to see you have head gasket, piston slap or bearing issues in a year. you never found someone to do the EJ22 swap?

T i don't see anything abnormal in that picture but maybe it's the picture or i'm missing something? i don't see much of a gap at all. it looks perpendicular to the sealing surface of the gasket anyway, so doesn't look alarming yet. do you know why one of your head gasket bolts were loose and is this the motor that blew a gasket before? only suggestion i have is maybe save the 6 pack for when you're DONE the work this time!!!!

your questions are too generic and impractical. "best"....that's ambiguous. but yes it's best for you. "best" depends how you define it? only the owner can make that decision. but based on what i know about you, you shouldn't be messing with your transmission. you need to read up all the threads you can about transmissions and...well anything subaru. you spend enough time on the boards that you can do that. and you need to get an FSM - Factory Service Manual. you ask questions about front diff swapping and engine transplants like it's easier than changing your oil!!! a honda or neon, or something else with more after market support. your question is too ambiguous. it would be good for you to decide what you're trying to do and read as much as you can. once you understand things better you can ask better and more specific questions so we can actually help you. as it is you've asked dozens of questions about things you are not going to do. first you wanted a higher ratio (4.11 is the title of this thread)...and now you want to go to a lower ratio (you just asked about 3.7??)??????? it's hard for us to figure out what you're trying to do. but if you wanted the 3.7 the easy way to do that is to find a FT4WD EA82 Turbo transmission - like out of an XT Turbo or RX. those both have 3.7 final drives and bolt right up to your XT6. that's the only easy transmission swap that gives you a gear ratio change. if you're concerned about all this gear changing though - just get different size wheels. a 15" or 16" wheel changes your gear ratio too (essentially lowering your final drive). that's far easier than a transmission swap. and if you can't afford the wheels or tires to do that then trying to swap transmissions is a bad idea.

sounds like it's time to move on from the XT6. you've had a horrible experience with that car anyway. even with the 30k crate motor you like to mention it still runs and performs sub par compared to other XT6's. with all it's issues, a new impreza and near perfect coupe on the way, this XT6 is not worth your time at all. sounds like the car you like the least is the one that needs the most work, which doesn't seem like a good fit.

i'm confused? why put new headgaskets on a motor with rod knock? yank it and give it a good look over, sounds like it needs a new motor anyway.

keep the car. in general there's no need to pull the engine unless the rear main is puking oil, which is very, very unlikely in a Subaru. bad oil leaks like this are usually very simple - timing belt and the seals mentioned above and the valve cover gaskets. a far cry from a $2,500 job, go elsewhere. this sounds like simple repair work too, no need for a Subaru dealer on this one. can you take a picture of the underneath of the car so we can maybe help you diagnose where the leak is coming from?

once or twice a year sounds very odd, make sure you're not loosing coolant. bubbles in the overflow tank when it does overheat - that's a sure sign of head gaskets on this motor. tell your daughter to listen for that next time it does it. once/twice a year is not indicative of headgasket unless it is really only driven more than a few minutes that number of times a year.

best bet is to get a used one. many people have access to parts cars or junk yards where these things are worth pocket change. post in the parts wanted forum or stop by a junk yard. you could try diassembling it and cleaning the contacts though. they are rather simple in design and function, though i've never taken one apart.

gotcha, i'll edit that so as not to confuse anyone. i meant to say the wiring might be the same - like the connectors at the ECU might use the same wires - so swap ECU then make the harness fit? no matter, it's a bad idea any way around.

i would not use block sealer if you plan on keeping this vehicle for any length of time. whatever engine ends up in there - a new one or the original, i wouldn't want that block sealer all through the cooling system - heater core, radiator, hoses, etc. you can do tests and if it fails that's a bad thing. but they don't confirm that the head gasket is not leaking. the EJ25 is a freak. it can pass compression, leak down, and hydro carbon tests. being known locally as having some subaru knowledge i've gotten questions from mechanics that couldn't figure out an overheating EJ25...passed all the conventional head gasket tests.

doubtful that will help. like they already mentioned "filter" is the wrong name for it, it's just a screen and i've yet to see one that even had a hint of dirt on it.