idosubaru

are engines and subarus expensive where you are? i'd just buy a used engine or a newer lower mileage car, but they are cheap around here. is their any rust on the vehicle? at 267,000 miles i wouldn't put that much money or a new motor into it myeslf.

i agree with the above post, i have an engine lift and air tools and removing and reinstalling an engine can take a significant amount of time. now, if you're pulling an engine from a parts car - that can be much quicker...cut and yank. but still, aligning stuff can be annoying. air tools are nice either way that's for sure. no matter the time it takes to pull an engine, much of that work needs to be done to pull the headgaskets anyway - intake, lots of hoses, clamps, etc, and exhaust. so there's not a ton left to yank the lump.

you can do a search here for more information. there is extensive info and posts on it and a thread about "repeat" failures, they are very rare. if done properly the head gaskets rarely fail again. internal engine failure (bearings) is more common on EJ25's. to those of us absorbed in the subaru community, resourceful and handy with mechanics no big deal. to the average owner wanting (and expecting) a reliable, problem free, low maintenance cost daily driver, the EJ25 can be a financial burden. make decisions accordingly.

all of these questions are already answered on this site. there's a search function that would really help you a ton on this. first - are all your tires matching in type, size, tread wear and pressure? need to make sure all that is in check first. there's a chance that a fluid change could help, yes. and yes it could be more involved. fluid changes are cheap and easy, so you start there (after checking all tire stuff above). No, they're wrong. torque bind has everything to do with the rear transfer clutches on your vehicle and nothing to do with the front and rear differentials. no, it won't. the driveshaft, rear differential, axles, hubs, etc are all still there and rotating. it's not the equivalent of a FWD vehicle. aaaand, even more importantly i've done it before (because it had to be done) and noticed no difference even with the driveshaft removed (FWD and less rotating mass). i'd check out the search button and read through some torque bind stuff. sounds like you got it pegged but certainly make sure that's what it is.

$1,500 is an average, i'd only pay $2,000 if it's a noteworthy and reputable shop that you fully trust. i just posted a recommended (by a friend) shop in southern indiana, you could search for the thread if you'd like. just make sure the headgasket is Subaru only. and MAKE SURE, if the mechanic doesn't know they may try and blow you off "yeah okay" and really they're thinking "like this guy knows, otherwise he wouldn't be bringing it here!". show up with the headgasket if you have too, they can source the clutch stuff just fine. make sure they're replacing with an entire clutch kit - throw out bearing, pilot bearing, pressure plate, clutch and both retaining springs. pick up the retaining springs (they always have them in stock) and the headgasket from the dealer and take them to the mechanic. the retaining springs don't come in the clutch kits i've purchased.

what he said - the EA82T has three oil pump related resealing parts: pump to block "mickey mouse" gasket oil pump shaft seal (behind the sprocket) an o-ring behind the cam caps (that hold the cam seals) also lies an oring, you'll need two (one for each side). buy a cam seal "KIT", not just a cam seal. they will come with one seal and one oring for each side. do not just replace the seal. keep in mind the oil pan gasket is a serious PITA to replace, particularly for the first time and for those that have never seen an EA82 torn down before, the baffles and oil sump are hard to get to clear, requires jacking the engine up, removing motor mount bolts, and often even removing rear trans mount bolts to tilt the entire contraption "back". i'd replace all the front engine oil seals/o-rings first before the oil pan. see if maybe that's enough to cool down the oil leaks for you. replace as many hoses as you can too...turbo hoses are a good place to start.

first - are you sure it's head gasket? i mean i'm not doubting you, they blow all the time, but best to make sure it's not something simple. also - make sure your car doesn't qualify for the extended headgasket warranty- though i think that's only to 100,000 miles but i forget the details, some 00+ vehicles are covered for head gaskets. worth a shot. bubbling in the overflow is a sure sign. if it's bad do not drive it, the more you drive it the more you risk ruining your block down the road. if you're driving it you're also straining your internal bearings more and more and run the risk of future bottom end failure (not fixable without a complete rebuild) in the future. do a search on here and you'll find examples, someone just posted with a good one yesterday or today. price varies - roughly $1,500 including the clutch. should even be able to get a dealer to do it for that much. the local dealer to me charges $1,500 for headgaskets and they are a bit high, other dealers i know charge around the $1,000 range and closer to $1,500 if you're doing a clutch too. can get a better deal with a private mechanic, just make sure they do it right. if you do not go with Subaru make SURE you use the newer updated Subaru gasket and not something aftermarket.

there is no comparison between all seasons and snows in snow traction and safety. it all depends how much snow driving you're doing, what kind of road maintenance you have, and how much you value safety and control during those rare instances of slick stuff. in other words whether they are for you or not is up to you. if you're pushing your vehicle and driving spirited then i suppose you'd notice the lacking in the snow tires as an aggressive performer, but for daily driving duties snow tires are far and above the way to go in terms of safety during the winter months.

better sell them to me just in case! j/k - compressed!

too bad you bought an EJ25, you're not the first stung by that. sell it, never buy subaru again and you'll be golden!

it can be done in the car. there's a really good page linked elsewhere that someone created with lots of detailed information of the process.

that rust spot doesn't sound like anything to me, but i've only owned 20-25 XT's so who knows?!?! i haven't done much body/rust work on them though but i do live in the "rust belt" over hear where things rot if they can.

bearings - like rod knock or main bearings. i haven't actually disassembled one (why bother!?), but obvious internal engine failure. things like this are typically associated with contaminated oil - so i would guess, but this is just speculation , that the overheating of the oil and/or mixing of the coolant/oil aids this. problem with that theory is that when these headgaskets blow there isn't typically a mixing of oil and coolant, although it's certainly not impossible.

i know people that have driven without 5th gear for years if that helps at all. just rev that thing out, it can take it!

CCR is your only option for rebuilt, if i were installing a 2.5 i would consider it a waste of time to go with anything else. check them out. if you want to install used, install an EJ22 and avoid the same headaches you're having now, it's a drop in and plug-and-play swap with very small tips needed (all can be found here by searching). you want a used EJ25 that is likely to have the same issues you just had, bad idea. type in "head gasket" and see how many EJ25 posts come up. the EJ22's are FAR cheaper too, they're a dime a dozen...because they don't blow head gaskets all the time. they can be had for $200 around here.

CCR is your only option for rebuilt, if i were installing a 2.5 i would consider it a waste of time to go with anything else. check them out. if you want to install used, install an EJ22 and avoid the same headaches you're having now, it's a drop in and plug-and-play swap with very small tips needed (all can be found here by searching). you want a used EJ25 that is likely to have the same issues you just had, bad idea. type in "head gasket" and see how many EJ25 posts come up.

i'm not sold on that cleaning helping the head gasket issue at all. the EJ25's tend to loose bottom ends more than EJ22's as well. but this could be an artifact of the head gasket issue as well. they blow so often it's not hard to find one for sale that's already been replaced. 2 out or 3 i picked up this year already had new head gaskets on them (the other was blown). yes, other than that they are solid. the knock sensors tend to crack, no biggie. use Subaru or Magnecor ignition wires and NGK plugs only.

you're membership is all approved and ready to roll. welcome aboard and see you over there!

if the switch is in the center console it's to lock the center differential. in this case it's FTWD. if the button is on the shifter then it's PTWD and is, as you said, 2WD until you push the button, then it's in 4WD with the center diff locked. in the states the 87.5 model i mentioned earlier would be FT4WD, then earlier models would be PT4WD.

it can, yes. what is more often the case (every time i've seen it actually, i've never seen an actual failed sensor) - the sensor contacts are bad. in other words the plug that plugs into the sensor or the contacts on the sensor are corroded, dirty, etc. in worst case scenarios the corrosion gets under the wiring insulation as well. for starting conditions you also need to check the battery terminals and connections. they have to be clean and tight, not just look good from a glance, but actually be clean and tight where metal meets metal (remove and inspect).

waste of time depressurizing. have some shop towels/cloth ready and go to town. when you first pull the hose some may spray out, just protect your eyes. otherwise it's completely benign and simple.

yes, but NASIOC will likely give you more information. they are much more into building like this over there and have more information about it. from memory i'm thinking they have stickied or easy to find information about this.

if it is rod knock i'd avoid it and pay a bit more for something that runs and save all that work and cost of an engine swap. time is money they say, so i guess depends what you have the most of. at least around here it's not that hard to find a decent running and newer subaru in the $500-$1,000 range. a 2.5 will have issues here. it'll drop in and bolt up just fine, but the intake manifolds will not swap and i'm almost certain the 1991 will be OBD I and the 2.5 will be OBD II. to get it to work you'd have to attempt to swap the 1991 wiring harness onto the EJ25 intake manifold and make sure it's a 1996-1998 EJ25 to avoid bolt up hassles (bell housing change in 1999).

best bet is to swap the suspension to coil over and get rid of the air suspension. overheating, head gaskets, and turbo failure are typical problems with a 20+ year old EA82T. they also crack heads far easier than non-turbo EA82's. your best bet is to plan on putting some maintenance into it right away - new hoses, new turbo hoses and gaskets (coolant/oil), radiator check, new water pump, thermostat (subaru only), etc.

yeah check us out at the XT forum. it was originally an XT6 forum, but encompasses many XT's as well, plus the XT6 has air suspension as well so it's a very common topic over there. what you do with the suspension will greatly depend on if you're keeping the stock EA82 4 lug or swapping to 5 lug. if you keep the EA82 suspension then really any EA82 suspension swaps right over to your XT. just about any Subaru motor will fit in your XT, not counting the 6 cylinders although they may fit as well depending. the biggest help will be if yours is the 1987.5 variety XT, manufactured 1/87 or later. if it's a late 86 manufacture date but is listed as a 1987 model then you'll have less room to work with.