idosubaru

investigate further, remember that diagnosing over the internet is quite a chore....so more info is good. how are the bubbles happening? any overheating? are the bubbles happening all the time or only some times...like after overheating and shutting the car off?? etc.....bubbles alone don't verify anything.

define "right". throw $20k at a machine shop and they might think about something like this. but as a project that would actually happen, no.

stub shafts - they are easy to remove from automatics, but they are not removable from manual trans without splitting the block. if it was in the future anyway, do an XT6 5 lug conversion and then using XT6 axles? if there's any way to do everything at the same time, swapping in the AWD trans now would save you time. for gas mileage - an 88-91 FWD manual XT would have been an awesome starting point. 40+ mpg all highway driving right out of the box and the best hp rating of any non-turbo EA engine you can get.

way too high. but, you're paying for the mileage, not the vehicle. if you're a mileage buff then you'll have to make that decision. frankly i'm not impressed with low mileage cars, they have more issues, and more "strange" issues in my opinion. but my experience with low mileage vehicles is limited. if it has a 3AT transmission then avoid it unless you like doing transmission swaps. 4EAT is the far better choice if you want an automatic trans. i know some wagons , like the GL-10, and XT, XT6 had the 4EAT. those are not bad...you know, for auto transmissions.

before someone else says it, the DCCD in those beefed up STi 6 speeds have computers/controllers. your Legacy has an ECU (engine control unit) and nothing for the transmission.

yep, awesome, this should be very simple and straight forward. now as for the final drive ratio, i have no clue. i doubt they differ unless the engine changes. from what someone else suggested if the trans comes from a car with the same size tires as yours, then it would have the same final drive. i haven't verified it yet but just food for thought. as a FWDer it really doesn't matter! have you found any difference between those and the legacy FWDers?

yep, awesome, this should be very simple and straight forward. now as for the final drive ratio, i have no clue. i doubt they differ unless the engine changes with it. from what someone else suggested if the trans comes from a car with the same size tires as yours, then it would have the same final drive. i know that's a bizarre statement and i haven't verified it yet but just food for thought. as a FWDer it really doesn't matter! it really only has 3.9 as an option i believe though, can't think of why/how it would be anything else on a FWD impreza. have you found any difference between those and the legacy FWDers? in the legacy FWD was offered up to 1997 in the automatic variety. 1996 aren't too hard to find, 1997's are unicorns and rarely actually listed anywhere. not sure the last year manual FWD was offered.

no, you'll need to find an LSD!! i already answered this: do a search for more LSD rear diff information, this place is loaded with information and options. EJ LSD's are easier to find, but they aren't typically clutch type (they are viscous) VLSD and not as beneficial in offroad/snow. so depends what you want it for too. racing or messy driving?

yep, good call john. the early impreza's have different stub axles. you can not swap the stubby shafts (well you can, but you'd have to disassemble the front differential from the transmission...huge job). you can on an automatic, pop-out and pop-in, but not on manuals. the easy solution is to get whatever FWD transmission you want and get a matching set of axles for it. if you get a 1995 transmission, get 1995 cv axles to match. the wheel/hub side will be identical.

not sure. these guys have an okay parts look up function: http://www.subarupartsforyou.com/ i'd call the supplier and a subaru dealer to verify.

also revealing is the depth of the lip, you can see a definitive difference in the lip height. and giving what he just said about using the same pulley in both locations, it looks like that is what was used. of all the problems swapping those two nearly identical pulleys would have, i don't know that this would be it. so long as the pulley is lined up properly to the belt and is able to rotate with the belt, it would at most artificially change the timing. if it wasn't lined up with the belt, then it should destroy the belt, not the pulley.

i'm not sure why those part numbers don't match up, but they have a phone number on that ebay page, give them a call. Also - punch in THEIR part numbers into a Subaru online website and see what you get. If my internet wasn't slow right now i'd check it out too. I've purchased those kits before off of ebay for EJ engines and haven't had a problem yet. But I haven't purchased any 2000+ kits yet from them.

is the 85 an EA81 or EA82? if that turbo car is an automatic then i guess it has a 3AT transmission in it - that thing won't be compatible with anything and is worth the most by dropping it off to the scrap yard. get rid of it and swap to a manual transmission. don't bother saving any parts off of it, they are not compatible if it's a 3AT. if you want a 3.7 final drive ratio, forget swapping front diffs, that is an enormous job that you don't need. just get a manual transmission that has a 3.7 final drive. any turbo manual trans will have 3.7 final drive, an RX (they are all turbo's) or an XT Turbo manual transmission will definitely have a 3.7 final drive. in reality the 3.7 verses 3.9 final drive isn't much of a difference so just use what you have. someone did the calculations on this board, the difference isn't all that large. for EA82's - it's not model specific for the LSD's - you just have to look. the only model that always has an LSD is an RX - all the rest could go either way. as for the final drive ratios - i don't believe you can swap front differentials from automatics to manuals. on the actual ratios - this information is probably already here, did you try searching? there's a "search" button up top in the gray bar. no the final drive is not only different from automatics to manuals. RX and XT Turbo's manual trans have 3.7 final drive. if turbo wagons are the same, which i think they are, then all Turbo's are a 3.7 final drive ratio. a search should clarify whatever you need to know though.

good point - inspection is your first move. they may spin nice and smooth like a new pulley should. if not, then start visiting replacement or the zero cost regrease method posted in the USRM.

is it possible that old sensors are somehow more susceptible to this? would new sensors help at all, or is that completely unrelated? from the few that i've removed they degrade quite a lot. any other ideas on dealing with this? +1 on bad struts...just drive an XT6 with flat air suspension and yo'ull see just how dangerous bad struts are, and those are non-ABS vehicles. i know that's a stretch, but definitely shows the importance of good suspension on any vehicle. it's getting very important safety information out there. what other subaru related item from the factory creates a situation where it is physically impossible to stop??!! that's a big deal! i didn't even know that this was an ABS issue, i just assumed something was wrong with "my" car. discussion leads the way to improvements or tips on how to deal with it.

a search and skimming through some ABS threads would answer this. try cleaning up the sensors first. they can attract all sorts of debris. just follow the ABS wire behind the hub and unbolt it. the fronts can be removed without even jacking the car up or taking the tire off. not sure about the rears, but doubt it's difficult. i believe there are common ABS relay issues...common to 1996 actually, search on this forum and yo'ull find the information. i thought it was EJ25 stuff only, but a search will give you all sorts of info on it.

not very often - but on an interference engine that has a really good chance of making another 100,000 miles it's good practice to go for it. if your pulleys seize yo'ure looking at buying a new engine or a very expensive rebuild. you could inspect them and then possibly inspect them at 50k to see how they are doing, but if you can't do it yourself you probably won't because it requires removing the timing belt again, and you probably won't pay for that. why not go with an aftermarket kit, you get everything you need for far less.

there are SVX and impreza platforms with 114.3 patterns, so i'm wondering if that would be a rather easy conversion to do here anyway. the 114.3 impreza's are rather new but they're only going to become easier and easier to get and might be reasonable from Subaru...two things not true of the XT6 5x100 stuff. and the picture posted above is the way to do it, it's how i would do it, and a company has already done it. but they are in australia and it's huge dollars for the kit. crossbred performance.

that might be true but those aren't in demand here. maybe somewhere else. 5x100 is the main demand item. i've yet to see anyone (although i'm sure it's been done!) trying to convert to 114.3. between usmb and the xt6 site, there's a bunch of guys looking for 5x100 lug sets as i type. kingbobdole, xtsix, 85wrx, Psyko, 2K4STi....okay those guys are from the xt6 site, and i know there's more over here (though some are the same guys). either way, 5x100 demand is high. not too mention someone i know paid $700 for a set! i've sold quite a few, they are not hard to sell.

i understand your situation. owning two cars isn't necessarily that cost prohibitive in general. more initial outlay but with the right decisions you will get more miles and reliability out of them. less headaches when mods, maintenance or repairs are needed. in the US insurance can decrease with an additional vehicle (mine did). if cost is an issue then a good option (particularly with projects/builds) is to get one that needs and engine or transmission or body work if you can do that. you can get nice late model EJ's for 3 digit price tags over here easily.

ebay, thepartsbin.com, and rockauto (great prices sometimes but i'd recommend avoiding them to non-mechanically/subaru minded persons as their parts listings are confusing and dead wrong some times).

the subaru maniac in me still says find one of those toyotas. you can't find one because they're that good!?!? with that much towing and that kind of weight you can't beat what the toyota is going to offer you. IMO, i hate to say it, but it'll be at least if not more reliable than an impreza. the early, base model impreza sedans aren't all that far from boring in my opinion. i like the OBS and RS, but the sedans don't do it for me. my actual opinion is not to try and have one vehicle to do everything but have dedicated vehicles - one for winter, one for summer, one for hauling/towing, one for off roading..obviously you can combine some "categories"....much simpler that way and you get to have more cars.

dealer prices are rip offs here. i've used tons of aftermarket kits and never had a problem. if you want to donate hundreds and hundreds of dollars to subaru and no one posts, give any dealership a call...or the online place you're going to order from. you can always email Jamie from genuinesubaruparts.com and she'll get back to you, she's even a member of the board.

a very good friend of mine hit someone, a pedestrian, massive injuries and they never looked at his vehicle.

i'm not slamming ABS and i don't disagree with your points. i think it's great, but a huge over sight. more people should know about it, and Subaru should do something about it. i don't care how effective a vehicle is at avoiding accidents that i have a 0.002% chance of seeing in my lifetime if the thing is physically incapable of even coming to a complete stop in conditions my wife has to drive in weekly. physically incapable of stopping??? that's my hang up, what other options do we have?