idosubaru

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.

replace cap and thermostat for sure and make sure the fluid is topped off. it sounds like head gaskets to me, but i've seen so many with blown head gaskets it's not even funny. on the EJ25, this is very typical for people to be confused. i've helped mechanics before that say it's "so strange" and "can't figure it out", they already replaced radiators, water pumps, etc and it still overheats. they don't quite fail like other vehicles. be careful taking long trips, i would not do it. if it gets worse that will turn into about a 5 hour trip or blowing the engine. if it is head gaskets it will get worse and when they do they spike to red in a hurry. while testing some i've driven them "down the road"....and ended up taking an hour just to get back! drive, overheat, pull over, cool down, drive, overheat...repeat

sounds clogged. pull both hoses to the core and run water through it until it comes out clear.

puke, that sucks for us! you did great stuff with the EA82's, it was a fun ride for us spectators!

sounds good. i'm kind of surprised a couple people haven't chimed in on this yet? i don't have any EA stuff on hand to look at. could you go to your parts store and compare the headgaskets to both? might not answer your questions, but might be worth a look? i have EA82 headgaskets lying around. i'm not against stopping at a store to over-lay them on EA81 head gaskets. would that help at all?

obviously you've already considered this, what's up with EA81T parts or swapping to an EA82T? shipping, availability or cost is prohibitive? it is possible, i worked at NASA, some fairly amazing things can be done. the question has nothing to do with possible and everything to do with resources! i know someone making his own heads from scratch....that's another option if resources are at your disposal.

i don't know, maybe we need a picture!!!???!!?? just kidding, i love all the pic's, that's great. i'm wondering how you do it so efficiently, maybe i'm too lazy?

i agree, that's why i never mentioned buying them, i assumed he would make them if he's talking custom EA head work anyway. or for power, or reliability, or those are the parts they have, or cost, or....there's lots of reasons, all are good ones, i'm trying to figure out what his is. questions are easier to answer if the final goal is known. an EJ swap is different, the goals are obvious. huge power gains, lots of after market support, turbo upgrade options, reliability, easy to find parts, cheap parts....etc. if it is "just to do it", that's great - then we know the final goal which helps answering questions.

the fronts take more pounding than the rears (hence the usual larger rotors, larger calipers, larger pads...etc). so that they were hotter than the rears may not mean anything. it is very, very unlikely that both are seized. as a matter of fact i would be sure to diagnose this properly before replacing a bunch of high dollar front brake parts. what if the emergency brake is somehow to blame and sticking or the master cylinder or brake booster has issues. there's nothing you've mentioned yet that convinces me of the actual cause.

i thought i replied to this thread already..... the FSM is the best source for procedures or pick up a Haynes manual as a cheaper alternative, just don't expect FSM quality from it. you don't really need anything though, it is so easy. with the wheel off you remove two bolts and the caliper comes off of the car. you have to remove the banjo bolt (with a regular wrench) and take the pads out so it comes off the rotor, but there's only two bolts holding the caliper to the vehicle.

caliper replacement is very easy, once the wheel is off it's only 2 bolts and a banjo fitting for the brake line. no special tools. bleeding afterwards is the only tricky part for someone who's never done it before. there are rebuild kits, which are also very simple to use if buying new is too pricey. there's not much to a caliper so the rebuild is very simple - one seal and a dust boot that's it. there's lots more information on here if you want to look up any specifics. there's some good bleeding tips on the other current brake thread going on right now.

this is incorrect. the EA82(T) is a SOHC engine. is there a reason for fitting an EA82 head to an EA81? RAM engines makes dual port EA81 heads, why not go that route?

caliper replacement is cake - like two bolts and a banjo fitting (wrench). tricky part is bleeding them, do a search. i'd make sure the booster, fluid, or master cylinder isn't to blame first or something else isn't causing this. odd that both would be hot, usually seized calipers happen one at a time.

this limited amount of ebrake usage on steep ascents in slippery surfaces will not cause any adverse affects to the rear transfer clutches. you're already slipping and sliding most likely anyway, otherwise you wouldn't need the ebrake "technique". it is fun as a mental exercise but in terms of necessary i think this is following the Duty C thread path, though this seems far simpler to actually accomplish should one want to.