idosubaru

then the same questions and comments apply. reread the last few posts and answer my questions. FWD verses AWD doesn't particularly complicate things at all, that's benign (ignoring DCCD stuff which doesn't matter). the wiring is going to be HUGE. if you're good with automotive stuff and have lots of time to devote to the wiring - then no problem. if you're not then this is way over your head. the one thing you have going for you is that the EJ turbo engine will drop in and bolt up to the cross member and should bolt right up to your transmission as well, whether your transmission will hold it very long is another question. exhaust isn't a big deal, even if you can't do it yourself it's not that hard to have someone weld it up for you. but the wiring and computer interfacing, that's a chore. almost any engine swap is possible. you can put a V8 in a subaru if you want to or a jet engine in a car (both have been done). depends on time, money and resources. automotive advice over the internet is hard enough with all the information you can possibly verbally give....not having any information makes it much harder. are you doing this work yourself, is someone else doing it? what are you trying to do? i think you should check out NASIOC, have you stopped over there yet?

first - make SURE you got all the bolts/nuts off. what vehicle and what bellhousing do you have? it changed right around 98/99 - 4 bolts and 8 bolt varieties exist. after that i use heavy duty screw drivers and then work up to a chisel to pry it apart. start in one spot then work you're way around as much as you can.

it is not rare at all for new axles to have issues. that's why people like me recommend Subaru only or MWE. as far as axles go there really are no Subaru alternatives in my opinion. do a search on here and you'll see lots of new axles with issues.

are you looking for an easy swap or very difficult, labor intensive with extensive wiring is okay? for turbo information your best bet is NASIOC. if you don't know what that is, you should! search yahoo or google.

good question. it doesn't do anything. it drives the same in every single gear....which i guess has me thinking - why does REVERSE work???? either going into reverse is strictly mechanical or there's a very limited amount of electrical activity?

i've got other vehicles and i am replacing it so i'm not going to spend much time on it. but i might do a bit of testing, like pull the codes or swap a TPS, and i'll be sure to post back here if i find anything out.

new OEM is a great idea. if it's price prohibitive then i'd grab a used coil before using an aftermarket, that's how bad they are. you are WAY better off with a used coil for the engine and a spare one in the glove compartment or trunk than an aftermarket...which is in even more need of having a spare!

i'll reconnect the plug some time and try to pull the transmission codes for kicks just to see. i've tried it before but have never had luck pulling trans codes from an XT6. i've done ABS, Power Steering, and ECU...but trans stuff never seems to work. so you think the pump is good then huh? definitely have torque bind. i may pull the plug on my OBS and see how it drives, to see if it's "about the same".

funny you say that, mine was the same way...vehicle was in great shape, not a speck of rust on it, but those exhaust bolts sucked worse than any i have seen to date. anyway, if you're pulling the heads DEFINITELY take it to a machine shop, just not worth the effort in my opinion. you can get them out but it'll probably require some extra tools, lots of time and annoying. i wasn't pulling the heads on mine so i didn't have much of a choice but to extract them = no fun. turns a 5 minute task into a 3 hour ordeal including trips to the store, breaking tools, some welding, grinding...real PITA.

you don't answer inconvenient questions, i thought i answered in another post - it did stay out of first w/o the TCU when warmed up. i drove it 20 miles home after it had already been warm from driving around town (in 1st!). drove home just fine. reverse works fine...for now?? Gloyale never piped up - i'm still wondering what this means?

i wasn't. i don't think it mattered in my case, they were in there so bad there was no way they were coming out.

awesome. this is not what i was thinking, but exactly what i was looking for. if i can get around town for a month or two that's awesome. thanks Gloyale! pretty sure it's torque binding but like i said i don't give a rip about this trans it's coming out anyway and i don't mind seeing what happens, kind of interested. just drove about 20 miles - did great. i think it's always in 3rd or 4th gear, is that how it works? slow to take off and i can't really feel it shifting at all. is there a "default" gear it's in?

it's not worth swapping parts. i already AM swapping the transmission, before this ever happened, so that's not a big deal...untimely yes, big deal, no. i think it happens with way too much predictability to just be a failing TCU. i think i'm driving home tonight with it all unplugged, that's just way too cool, i never had a clue you could do that.

if you're getting the heads milled just let a machine shop get them out, they're equipped to take care of this in minutes. yes, i've done it before, did an EJ25 this year. annoying. use heat and get some left handed high quality drill bits. start small, drill a pilot hole, then drill a bigger hole and eventually it'll back out. or.....a method that others will ream me for suggesting is to drill a small hole inside the existing bolt, tap it, and install a smaller bolt into the old bolt...just leave it there (it's not going anywhere!). i don't recommend it, but i've done it and it does work. just be wise on sizing it as big as you can, drilling in the center and don't over tighten the nut, and you're on your way. actually removing them is a pain, but i've done that too (that's what i usually do). there's lots of other threads on here about this...might want to search and look them up. good luck it's no fun!

but before i get too carried away on learning something, i'd like to know what this means in my situation. i guess i need to know how a "good 4EAT" performs this way though, i have no base line. should it drive and shift exactly like normal or be a bit slower and less firm? might also make a difference what it does when it get warmed up...like once it's warmed it might start doing the same thing as it did before (stuck in first). im confused that's all i know, but i went for a drive not too long ago and it wasn't shifting out of first.

i'm still spinning over this, read my last post it does work...definitely someone fill me in what is going on.

WTF - YOU'RE RIGHT!! dang it, that is awesome. i was just baffled by that comment and went and pulled the plug...and sure enough it drove! what exactly is it doing, it does drive better, it doesn't seem to stay in first, but what gear was it in? didn't seem to shift, took off a bit slower...like it was starting in second or something? i only went for a short drive but it seemed to have torque bind like this, is that normal? wow GLoyale, that is cool...how many other things like this don't i know...can you make a list? that was awesome. can i unplug my ECU too!!

NO WAY! really? i had no idea an auto trans would still work, is that true of all transmissions? hey play nice! i do not understand how automatic transmissions work and what they do when certain systems begin to fail. i'd like to understand how the hydraulics, clutches, solenoids, TCU and shifting, and engine all work, but i do not. it's not denial, i'd like to understand that as much as i do engines so i'll keep asking. i'm an engineer i think you can understand my questioning and learning through an experience...as annoying as it may be! - i'm glad this didn't happen to my other one, you'd be blaming it on the Duty C switch!!!!!

that will make it interesting to see how long it will keep going! it's been since thanksgiving...so a few weeks already.

that's no fun, i've been driving it for weeks like this.

seems goofy that it would rather run the engine at 5,000, 6,000 or 7,000 rpm than just shift into 2nd or 3rd even if it isn't working perfectly. TCU designers: "if the transmission is going out, let's make sure it takes the engine with it??" guess that comes down to how i drive it, but still goofy.

what would it do if i forced it into 2nd, 3rd, or 4th...since it shifts and drives fine when it does choose to go there i'm finding it hard to believe it wouldn't drive fine...at least for a little while! i find it goofy and outright stupid that it just won't shift when it's at 6 or 7,000 rpms. how is that better than shifting into gear and slipping some? i've had and been in slipping auto trans before and mine does not slip a bit, shifts great...(if it shifts!)

i dont' need no santa, i've already got a couple!

not sure. it would just die almost instantaneously like it hit a brick wall...basically just like a manual transmission that is put in gear with the ebrake on...dead stall, no sputter. if i reved it really high rpm in neutral then slammed it into drive it would rock a foot or something and then die...but no sputtering at all, it would just stall like it wasn't engaging at all.

Skip was wondering if the TPS idle switch is cracked up? Just before it was doing this it had a problem that was a bit different (but i bet related). The trans would not go into drive until it was warmed (kind of the opposite of now). I would have to let the car warm up for 10 minutes and then it would drive perfectly fine...highways, towing, mountains, etc. If i tried to drive when i first started it, it would stall as soon as i put it in gear...like a manual trans put into gear with the brakes on. i was replacing it anyway and already have a legacy 4EAT ready to go in it....but wasn't planning on that for a couple months.