idosubaru

That explains it - that's not the right gasket. This is a small port opening 90 degrees to the exhaust flow. It's a small hole in the exhaust port of the head.

HOW DARE YOU - NO PICTURES@!!!! just kidding. thanks, i'll check that out. how did you find that, i couldn't get it to come up on the online parts places.

i didn't say they didn't work. i'm trying to protect the average guy from the headaches these things can cause. here's the key - if they do work, then any number of other, less problematic, methods would work. and without the risk of getting one of these extractors sheared off and stuck in the hole, then you're in for a real big mess. other machinists and professionals recommend what i'm saying (which i've learned through experience) as well, there's even websites on how to remove broken extractors that say just what im' saying...don't use them. i didn't say they don't work, just that they are unnecessary. and for noobs, or people that don't work much on cars, it's asking for trouble to expect them to use them properly or have high quality tools available.

one day i'll get around to tearing one apart. i still don't see how this all fits together. so it's the larger tube on the torque converter that needs to set properly? the ears of it slide into those two ears on the inside of the rotor in your picture? the tube on the torque converter shaft doesnt' seem long enough to go in very far.

do not use EZouts or screw extractors. they absolutely suck, you don't want one of those stuck in there when it shears off (which they do all the time). they are a really #*(&!*$& to remove. here's the important thing to remember about EZouts- they suck bad enough that "if" they actually would work, it won't be that hard to get out with many other means. do not use WD40, it's not helping you at all. you want Deep Creep, PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench (all available at many places...Lowes, auto parts stores, etc). douse it with this stuff, multiple times if you can. there are lots of options, can you post a picture? heat works wonders. heat all around the bolt immediately before trying to remove it. the idea is to expand the metal around the bolt, leave the bolt cool to help break the bond. is there any material left or is it flush? vice grips may work or a pipe-wrench. i can't see it, but if you cut a slot in the head you can use a screw driver to remove it. also welding a nut to the top and then using a socket may work. if it comes to drilling, use left handed drill bits. start with a very small one to help keep it centered then go up in size from there. the left handed drill bit will pull it out. i recommend high quality...whatever the best is, for this kind of work. forgot what i bought but they're cobalt..titanium...something very high quality i searched around for. they're awesome. this is a case where cheap drill bits get annoying and might not work.

will do.

yes WaW it's those ports on the outside of the exhaust ports, i'm blocking them off. i tried. i don't know the part number, talked to one of the parts people and they couldn't find it. that's what i will do, just checking if there's a simpler route.

i've bought gasket material before to make intake gaskets and such. is there any similar way to make a gasket for the exhaust ports of an EJ18 head? doubt the stuff i have is good for those temps. there's a hole there that i don't need that i'll be closing up. i'd rather have a gasket than just use RTV...but i suppose that's an option as well. would i be better off using straight RTV or RTV on both sides of the original gasket...which doesn't look horrible but is used and has some rust on the outer edges.

yes you have a front and rear differential and they both have their own fluids. what you don't need is the fuel cleaning service. that stuff is waaaaay overkill. if you wanted to do something, just buy a can of quality treatment to put in your gas at the next fill up - MMO is a good bet. otherwise in reality you are fine to leave it alone. all of those other items are good to have replaced. definitely have the automatic transmission fluid replaced if it's never been done. i'd do the others as well but i'd consider that one the most important. BUT - make sure you at least check the levels of the diffs.

get a Subaru thermostat, make sure it's installed properly and that you have properly purged all the air out of the system. EJ engines are prone to need "burping" as it's called to get air bubbles out of the system. also check for loss of coolant...if you're loosing coolant that could create loss of coolant, pressure, flow, etc...and all sorts of issues. you want to rule out something simple first because: of course the EJ25 (2.5 liter engine that's in your car) are prone to having head gasket issues. bubbling through the reservoir is a common symptom and they will exhibit bizarre behavior....overheat...then fine for awhile...overheat....etc, it will appear random.

engine, transmission, mileage?

the H6 probably won't differ by much. the trick to removing the crank pulley is getting the engine to stay put while backing the pulley out. that's all. even the EJ22's and Ej25's have a "special tool" but few use it because it's not necessary. do you know of the H6 is any different than any other subaru engine with regard to the crank pulley? all other subaru motors are the same essentially...each time a new motor came out, the same methods work...EJ22, EJ22, EG33..... here's tpyical ways of removing it on other vehicles and the H6 shouldn't be any different: manual: put the car in gear with the ebrake on and back the bolt off. automatic: there should be a plug to access the flexplate...has to be to get the flexplate bolts out. the flexplate will have holes in it that you can stick a socket extension in to keep the engine from turning over. remove bolt. and then the bump-the-starter-trick requires no tools or work at all, but if you're having problems doing this then that's probably not a good option for you.

she's probably condensing things. those tires may be fairly new...they could have been replaced two years ago and have 50 miles on them as well. they don't necessarily look high mileage to me. and it's possibly that only 2 were replaced. brake stuff rusts fast when it sits and is exposed so that's hard to say as well. and they likely didn't replace all 4 calipers and rotors, she's giving you the condensed version. if by "needs timing belt" means it needs fixed....then it won't likely sell for $1,200. if it's just due...which at 120,000 miles it is due for it's 3rd belt (every 60,000 miles) and it still actually runs, then she's got a much better chance of selling it. that will make the difference.

i think you'll make out all right. the time to cool down may help you, all of the parts places i've had to deal with are usually very helpful and willing to work with me through various issues. i think you'll be fine. testing is no big deal, they have to test. people mis-diagnose things all the time. equating "lifetime warranty" with exceptional quality was the mistake. along nippers lines - that's not how it's done and if we owned the business we would understand and do the same thing or not survive the competition. the market supplies what it can sustain...for the most part (no pun intended). you screwed up their business model, i like that! for "critical parts" like this and to keep reliability your best financially unrestrained option is a new part. the best financially restrained option is an extra used ($20) one in the trunk!

turns out the two notches in the torque converter are different. so i just had to try the other side. it's obvious by looking, one notch has two notches at it's base that allow the circlip to catch into once the shaft bottoms out.

shop vac it out. another engineer, awesome. i'm aerospace. boeing or a contractor i presume?

here's what i did - get a knock sensor equipped (most are) EJ22 intake manifold that bolts to the EJ18 block. it was easy, on the EJ18 the knock sensor boss is there...and it was already drilled...and i think it was even tapped on mine....i did it a couple weeks ago and can't quite remember.

Speaking of 4EAT transmissions and that last 1/8" or so of the torque converter that's the important but tricky part to get seated. what causes this? It should be one of the following: The input shaft seating into the transmission? The torque converter seating onto the input shaft? Or the oil pump shaft (affixed to the torque converter) seating into the transmission?

dropping in an EJ25 engine would give you about 20hp and head gasket issues but they are expensive. with CCR you could get a newly rebuilt one though with a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty. a good tune up - new Subaru or Magnecor wires, and having the valves adjusted might bring back some power that's been lost. not sure if the 96 has adjustable valves or not. modifying a non-turbo engine is a long road with very little return, few...if any, are ever satisfied with it. "i think it's better"... "wait, wait, i know it is"..."it's still slow"...is how it usually goes. large off road tires and lift will slow you down. modifications that gain you significant HP also push the power band higher and loose low end. not sure what kind of driving you do but with the lift, tires, and moving your power band higher you could have some really slow acceleration from a stop. that was really annoying to me when i had to downshift all the time going up mountains/hills while highway driving. if you're waiting for tax returns to do modifications then i think you're headed the right direction keeping the legacy. overextending yourself is not necessary when you have a good vehicle already. hopefully some extra into the motor/lifting will get you what you need.

I am trying to install the torque converter into an automatic FWD EJ22 transmission. The shaft came out of the torque converter. I've done this before but I don't recall how. It appears like the two ends of the cir-clip prevent the shaft from going back into the torque converter. What do I need to do to get this shaft and clip back in the proper place? I put black boxes around the clip ends to clarify them. Even if I pull them together they still stick out too much to slide into the converter if I leave it in place on the shaft.

try this: swap the rear struts and see what happens. all you have to do is either rotate or swap the top mounts and you can use either strut on both sides. put the good strut in the questionable position. if this strut airs up fine..then that likely means the something is wrong with the new strut assembly (the one that wouldn't work). could be the strut, wiring, connector, or solenoid. should be very easy to find. if that known good strut doesn't air up then the problem resides on the vehicle side.

he did talk about that after i said the same thing. everyone is different and makes decisions in different ways. some subaru lovers are subaru lovers because of their anecdotal experiences with other brands! most of us have a few things in life where we are that way...turned off by one really bad experience...like a girl we'll never consider dating again, EVER AGAIN!!!!!

you mentioned ignition wires, the plugs should be replaced too...were they already replaced, is that why you didn't? fuel filter, air filter are good ideas too. any check engine lights recently? have the valves ever been adjusted - they are recommended at 100,000. at least the 97's have adjusted valves...not sure if the 96's have HLA's, if so they may not need adjusted. an important thing to remember about skip's suggestion is that you may not notice anything abnormal with the brakes. you want to make sure you regrease the caliper slides with BRAKE SPECIFIC caliper grease, not ordinary grease. they sell it at the stores, often little packs at the counter for a brake job. the slides loose grease over time and the brakes will drag...not enough to cause any issues, but enough to reduce gas mileage. i've seen mileage go up 2-3 mpg on a perfectly running vehicle after a brake job. yes the fronts are basically just as easy. you should remove the brake fluid reservoir cap to make sure the pushed fluid has a place to go and doesn't blow the seals in your master cylinder. the fronts are just a bit bigger, but easy.

Subaru OEM. if performance upgrades are in your future then NASIOC is a good place for serious engine mod advice, not that people here don't know you just get better exposure to that type of stuff over there.

the air suspension can do all sorts of crazy things, yes it can leak without making noise. if it's a huge leak you won't hear it, but that probably won't be the strut either. i would jack the car up first and manually test the strut to see if it will inflate and hold air. if everything else worked fine and your previous strut was just leaking....then the most likely scenario is that something is amiss with what was just installed - the solenoid or the strut. that's why i say - jack it up and test those components. the information we get from that will be delicious! glad you found the XT board!!