idosubaru

it can do it no problem of course. i would certainly have access to tools and as many parts as possible. depending on what has/has not been done to your vehicle there are a number of common failure points. timing belt and all the pulleys, good to have an extra of each. alternator, crank pulley (they separate at the rubber ring), fusible links, coil and ignitor (doohicky attached to coil bracket), distributor cap and rotor. don't overheat it or run it out of oil.

also forgot to mention just below where you enter the key words for the "advanced search" is "search entire thread" or "search titles only".....start with "search titles only to be more specific. here's a link to a search in the New Gen forum searching titles only with "EJ22 swap": http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/search.php?searchid=506060

CCR - http://www.ccrengines.com/ they will be more than the used engine installation you quoted. do NOT get a used 2.5, that would a terribly stupid decision, sorry to say that but it is the truth. see the search button up there....in the gray bar is a search funtion. practice using it, go to the advanced function too. select "New Generation" forum to help narrow it down. type in combinations of the words "swap EJ22 EJ25" etc. and you will find information on the EJ22 swap, it's a VERY popular topic. while yo'ure playing with the search function type in "head gasket" or "headgasket" and see how many EJ25 problems come up...or just do it in google/yahoo, that is why i say buying a used EJ25 is stupid. it really is...unless it's super cheap and you're installing it yourself, that's the only time it "could" be worth it and that's only if yo'ure time isn't very valuable. the thread above should have said "the 1995 EJ22 is the easiest EJ22 to swap" not a 1998. all you need is a 1995-1998 EJ22 (with intake manifold). if it's a 1995 you'll want one from an automatic (has to have EGR) if it's a 1996-1998 you will want the exhaust headers with it. you will swap a/c and power steering stuff from you old engine onto this engine...it all swaps over very easily. after that it's drop in, bolt up and plug in. it's that easy. 1995-1996 EJ22's are NONINTERFERENCE. you might like that, if the timing belt breaks it does not ruin the engine. if the timing belt breaks on a 1997 or 1998 EJ22 then you're looking at basically what you're looking at right now...major engine damage. in your situation a 1995-1996 would be a good bet cost wise. a 97-98 really should have all the timing pulleys replaced now ot make sure the belt doesn't break...and that's a lot of additional cost that you may not want right now. i always replace them anyway, but if you want to keep costs down the 95-96 is easier to do that on.

no they are not the same. just find one in a junk yard, the rears very rarely fail. or call MWE. after market axles are junk, i would avoid them unless you can not.

i would expect a bleeding affect of sorts anyway - into 2003 (2004 MY) would not be a surprise. i remember someone saying they've seen this, but i haven't seen it yet. i'm waiting though....it always expands the opportunity to own nice cars for next to nothing!

i thought about $2 and change but i'm seeing multiple varieties and have not worked on any 2005 and up models. i assumed they took the same platinum plugs i've used on other earlier models. maybe that is not the case. i looked and saw platinum plugs online for $2.82 and $2.79 at advanced auto parts, but they had more expensive "laser or double platinums"...etc. if the newer ones use different platinums than i'm used to buying then that is news to me and i'm wrong on the pricing. i wonder if online Subaru pricing is better. they're typically 20% under MSRP through the local dealers. that would save $2 per plug and would be worth a quantity order for anyone doing substantial subaru work if they combined that with another order. or - the local dealer gives me that cut rate anyway and i have an account with advaned auto parts for discounted pricing as well...though sometimes it doesn't help much with things like - oil. not sure if spark plugs get discounted or not. in any event - im sure you have accounts with someone as well.

do you mean 2003 stamped on the manufacture date or MY2003? i agree and don't trust anything Subaru may say hence my careful wording and use of " " and my curiosity of his date. but it doesn't appear his is a head gasket issue anyway, so that's no logistical fun. if you mean 03 man. date, have you seen any 04's? have you noticed what year they have the newer version of the head gasket installed, i haven't done any newer ones. someone in the know with Subaru informed me that they did do something about it in 2002 (man. date), that would be 2003 model year. that adds up with Subaru's conditioner fix which they put in 2000-2002 EJ25's. but i doubt there's a way of specifying an exact date, so it doesn't surprise me that failure rates may taper in either direction. someone else mentioned some 2003 leaks as well, but i did not ask if they meant man. date or model year.

the only rebuild option is a CCR engine in my oppinion. they are located in Denver, CO. new rebuilt, Subaru only specialists with a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty i believe. otherwise go used. the best used option in my oppinion is to do an EJ22 swap, swap in a 2.2 liter engine. 2.5's are really expensive (because the demand for them is high due to head gasket issues). they go for about $1,000 used. that's a ton of money to pay for an engine that has known head gasket issues, no way i'd pay that kind of money. 2.2's can be had super cheap ($200 isn't that hard to find around here). and they will drop right in, plug right in, wiring is identical, etc. a few tips for that job and which year EJ22 to get, but that is all on this website. that is your cheapest and most reliable option.

if you're getting serviced at a dealer, $40 for spark plugs is a drop in the bucket of unnecessary and exorbitant costs you're paying to maintain your vehicle. i wouldn't worry about it. that's why they refunded it so easily. a recent trend in the last decade or two is that the largest dealership profits (not total revenue, but profit) come from the service and parts departments. stealership is the correct name. those exact same NGK plugs cost a few dollars at your local auto parts store, so Subaru gets a healthy triple digit mark-up on them. that is insane in any industry, except one where the consumer is "educated" to insist upon dealership service and parts! but then again i never take my Subaru's to a dealer and they all blow up after a year or two....ha ha.

oh yes, replace that cam carrier o-ring. it's a metal reinforced o-ring only available through Subaru ($2.13) or thepartsbin.com like he mentioned. you'll need two (one for each side). do NOT reuse the old ones or try to use any other kind of o-rings.

Valve cover gaskets, don't worry about them. Based on what you are telling me, no signifcant loss of oil between changes, there's nothing that can happen. But it wolud be nice to get a picture of them to see if that's the cause. Basically you can let valve cover gaskets leak as much as you want so long as you keep adding oil and don't let the level drop...and don't mind your Subaru marking it's territory if they get worse! As long as you check the oil periodically and don't let the engine run out of oil you can let the valve covers leak all they want.

Hey! Good news! I think you're okay! I will only say one thing...just keep an eye on your oil and coolant level and I think you'll be golden for a long time. i'm not saying your mechanics are wrong, but i am very skeptical of their diagnosis. this is probably a mis-diagnosis or they are trying to rip you off. seals seep on any vehicle, that's very typical at your mileage. there are front cam and oil pump seals that very commonly seep or leak oil...more often than not actually. they are typically replaced at every timing belt change interval by "good" mechanics. they only cost a couple dollars and are right behind the timing belt. which brings up the next question, you're 8,000 miles past your timing belt change interval (105,000) has that been done yet? do you have a digital camera, if you can take pictures of the engine we might be able to help. try to get good shots of the oil and plenty of lighting. the most helpful shots without taking anything apart would be from directly underneath the engine. the 2000-2002 EJ25 engines are offered a Subaru coolant additive by Subaru for the head gaskets. as a precaution you could add that to yours as well, but i do not think it's needed. do not EVER add anything else to the oil or coolant, I am not in any way endorsing that practice. could you post your manufacture date of the vehicle - it should be on the metal plate inside the door jamb. the head gasket issue was supposed to be "resolved" "sometime" in 2002...i'd be interested to see your man. date in 2002. in the future if you have no savings and disposable income i do not recommend driving a vehicle in the price range you are currently driving. financial stress is a very, very bad thing. i see and work with people all the time that spend too much money on vehicles, my suggestion is to not be like that, it's bad news.

significant improvement in safety and reliability, nice rides and the impreza EJ18's get great gas mileage. the 1.8 is a bit small, but that's what the EA series are anyway. the EJ22 has around 140hp...the EJ18 probably around 120ish at least. the EA82 in the dual range probably only has around 90-105, i forget the exact numbers. you can look that up here and online, it's all over the place. the annoying part to me is that the manual transmissions of the EJ cars don't have any way of locking the center differentials like the EA series stuff - diff lock, dual range, PT4WD...EJ's never had any of that. for EJ stuff automatics are better in the real nasty stuff, you can install the Duty C switch and "lock" the rear transfer clutches. not applicable to most people, but i like optimum control of 4WD for off road, snow and mud. not a big deal for most people.

not sure but some limited slip REAR diffs are VLSD (that is probably what yours is if you have one) - viscous type limited slips. the fluid must be heated up due to slippage before they start doing their thing. but with the brakes on i don't think the rear diff should have been turning at all anyway. in the snow, mud, or offroad the clutch type LSD (i have one) are far better. you could have heated the fluid up enough to finally get better traction. the car would stall if the brakes are on....so you must have an automatic. if yours is an automatic it should be able to vary the power split when it detects slipping and give you better traction. that's why i install the Duty C switch so i can control the lock up of the rear transfer clutches (inside the transmission - the rear extension housing). otherwise you have to wait for slipping to start before the TCU says "okay, i see we are slipping, let's do something"...if yo'ure in bad mud or snow you don't want to start rutting and wait even a half a second or one tire rotation for the TCU...that easily makes the difference between rutting and high centering or making it out. at least in the bad stuff, for normal road driving it rarely matters. sometimes it takes a bit for the TCU to give a good power distribution as well, maybe you got better reaction from it with the "launch" verses rocking.

the smells are probably not anything to worry about. you said you have a transmission cooler - is that on the Subaru? if so, that might be your problem. it's so flat in ohio that when you're not towing your transmission fluid isn't reaching normal operating temperature, particularly this time of year (cold). i would not think this is your issue, but worth looking into. many transmissions do shift differently based on temperatures, for instance some vehicles typically would not shift into 4th until operating temperature is reached. the shifting, noises, and delay going into gear are the ones i would be concerned about. those could be transmission related issues that will get worse over time, though it could easily be 10 years and 150 k before you see that, but odd all the same. speed sensors/circuits can do strange things to the transmission and odometer...i'm wondering if those are related? older automatic subaru's with speed sensor issues will stall out while coasting and have odometer mis-readings.

torque procedures are hear...it's a multi-step process, not a one time torque. the cam carriers (between the cam and head) are not sealed by any pre-made or bought gasket. use Anaerobic or RTV sealant from a bottle. Many use RTV because it's easy and cheap. I prefer Anaerobic as it does not run the risk of coagulating in the oil supply. RTV won't if you apply it properly and don't over do it.

i would (and do) use the Fel-Pro PT (permatorque) gaskets. add 5 pounds to the final torque and call it a day. retorquing takes way too long for no added gain in reliability. any other gasket you buy should follow the FSM retorque procedures.

if it's doing it at idle - i really doubt it's an axle problem. am i missing something here? the axle isn't turning at idle...i assume you're parked? if so, ignore all the axle ideas. most likely needs a tune up - plugs and wires. make sure the plugs are NGK (stock) and the wires are Subaru or Magnecor only. these EJ engines are not forgiving and have many issues with after market wires. good time to replace the air filter and PCV valve as well, very easy to do too. have them read the codes and do a diagnostic check for you..very simple, they just plug a computer in. i would want to make sure the check engine light is working properly. with shaking that bad i'm surprised the ECU isn't throwing a code for it. on a side note...axles are not a big deal, just make sure to replace them as soon as possible. easy and very common job really, $150-$250 at most shops.

that legacy L you were looking at should have an EJ22, not an EJ25 like your car. although that is an easy swap, it drops right in, bolts right up and plugs right in. keep looking you should be able to find a good head. try posting in the parts wanted forum here. i saw a motor with blown headgaskets really cheap not too long ago, i think it was on here. that would have been a perfect candidate. the old head isn't repairable? wrong, edit your post please to keep other users from seeing that and "remembering it" in the future. this is very common and easy information: EJ22 up to 1996 is non-interference EJ22 1997+ is an inteference engine

of course! that's why cap, thermostat, leaks, fluid level and water pump should be checked first. excellent news!

it could be the TCU but i highly doubt it. when you put the FWD fuse in - does the FWD light come on in the dash? you should see it. i would make sure the speed sensor is giving some kind of input, but i'm not well versed in checking or testing those. come to think of it i bet the FSM has a good trouble shooting guide in the transmission section for "AWD not working properly" and will certainly include details on the VSS - how it works, what it does and how to test it.

really, it doesn't work with the Duty C solenoid switch? that was going to be my recommendation. did you find the correct wire for it? i would verify...just to make sure, that is an AWD transmission actually in the vehicle. most wouldn't know this, but FWD and AWD trans are nearly interchangeable actually. unlikely but takes 2 seconds to check. while you look under the vehicle make sure the rear driveshaft is in place, it could have been removed for defective ujoints...another stretch, but takes 2 seconds to look at. they can be removed...but would have to have severe torque bind (welded transfer clutches) or have the Duty C Solenoid wire cut somewhere...which should make the transmission light flash. either way - check for AWD and make sure the driveshaft wasn't removed. others will chime in with suggestions but if it comes to it, you can swap the rear extension housing (has all the transfer clutches and stuff in it for the 4WD) with another one without dropping the transmission. there are some good threads on here about doing that, check those out if you get to that point. there were FWD Legacy's up to 96...even a couple hundred in 97 though you won't see them listed as such most places (like parts stores).

the reputation of a company does not hinge on one motor or one experience, if that were the case none would be in business! and Subaru's reputation was not built on the EJ25. it is not a bad motor, though in terms of reliability it is Subaru's worst motor in 2 or 3 decades. the EA, ER, EG, and EJ22 motors...and even the new H6 is looking to be a better motor so far. part of the responsibility lies on the buyer if the vehicle was bought in the past few years. this isn't subaru specific, any car can have issues or significant items to be aware of. some manufacturers tend to have far less issues than others, we believe Subaru to be one of them, but there are none that are entirely exempt. it only takes a few minutes of searching to find out about the EJ25 head gasket issue or torque bind. knowing that you have a few options. don't pay top dollar, look for one with new gaskets, bargain with a dealer and have them replaced, look for one still under the extended warranty. actually it looks like yours was still under the extended warranty when you got it - 94k. when did they actually start leaking? unfortunately there were probably signs of leakage well before you noticed it and may have fell within the warranty period?? some dealers will even flex on the mileage...but obviously that's not the norm. ring failure? how sure are you of that diagnosis? did you do it, or someone else? ill say it again that is very, very rare, almost never seen. it is highly likely that something in the history of that vehicle compromised that cylinder, in which case the engine isn't to fault. internal problems do seem to come after a very small number of head gaskets failures. but i haven't seen it often enough to rule out coincidence either.

i have seen an EJ25 pass a hydrocarbon test with bad head gaskets before. it was one of those befuddled mechanics i was helping out. he had replaced everything and was fortunate to get in contact with me. he had ruled out the head gasket (it was a 96 or 97 EJ25) based on the fact that it passed the hydrocarbon test. i guess the other option is that he didn't do the test properly , but i think it has happened to others on here before as well.

EA82 info that i think is applicable: if it is the water temperature sensor, you probably don't need a new one. usually you can pull the plug and clean the contacts of the sensor and the wiring harness. a new one typically only helps for a little bit because the corrosion just comes back soon. that's why the wiring harness connector and contacts need to be cleaned too. i did a permanent fix to my XT6 by stripping all the wiring down and solder the wires directly to the sensor contacts since the connector was brittle and about shot. in the process of doing it the green corrosion was well up and underneath the wiring insulation a few inches.