idosubaru

check the torque on it first and check the connector making sure it's seated and not corroded or dirty. then remove and check it, looking for cracks. then reinstall at the proper torque making sure the threads are clean (they should be). did you use a Subaru knock sensor?

just to clarify for the original poster - as to what year the headgasket problem was alleviated - 2003 is the answer, no matter all the technicalities between 1996-2002.

yep, all of those you mentioned 95-99 legacy parts will interchange. if it's an impreza outback sport they will interchange as well.

is this an impreza? i think legacy will.

basically have to get a 2003 or newer to avoid potential headgasket issues. or a better option is to buy one with a blown headgasket, cheap and easy to find, and install a brand new CCR engine with a 36,000 mile warranty on it.

yes, you can just lift the entire manifold up and leave most things connected. there are typically a few things to disconnect like the intake and a hose here and there. be very careful on the bolts, they seize, rust, and break very easily. i can't stress how common this is. i just had someone emailing me last week because they saw my posts after they had sheared the bolts off in the head. fortunately for them they had the motor out and are rebuilding it anyway. i've got a few very detailed posts about removing them carefully and getting them out without shearing them. good idea to drain the coolant, otherwise when you lift the manifold off you'll dump coolant directly into the heads/cylinders.

the US never had any EJ's in the carb variety.

quit calling nipper an idiot!!!! is this part easy to access? i have a legacy GT sedan that i might be twisted into removing it from if noone else has one. it may end up back on the road some day so i'd rather not get into it if i don't have to, but if yo'ure stuck i can.

not much, spider intake manifold and XT6 style hood/bumpers, and a bit more power. personal preference, it's a tad nicer and they are harder to find. if i was getting one there's just no point in getting an earlier model. if price is your hang up, then yeah maybe the older ones are nicer, but if yo'ure doing a swap and such why not get the best.

oil pump is driven by the timing belt, so the belts have to be removed, no way around it.

yes.

yep, i know someone that did a bad install, ruined the new front diff.

good news! the clutches and duty C can easily be done in the car.

XT6. there's no aftermarket support for these so "engine mods" are very limited if yo'ure looking for bolt on parts. an XT Turbo probably has the potential to be "quicker" with the stock engine. it would require exhaust and turbo work and without it the XT Turbo's are quite a bit slower than the XT6. just keep in mind, neither are fast. if you do decide with an XT Turbo get the harder to find but nicer 1987.5 version. be sure to join us at http://subaruxt.com/forum/index.php

first thing i'd do is make sure it's not an internal leak/mixing of the front diff and trans fluid. keep an eye on the fluid levels over time, they could be mixing. otherwise, yeah that's a real bad deal but not much you can do about it now. i'd imagine it has a good chance of being okay, but the good thing is that if it does fail it should give plenty of warning and shouldn't just randomly break down on you.

great job! i've found the EJ stuff much simpler than EJ's, just need to remove the top strut mount and loosen the bottom. i've never had to remove anything else to do EJ front axles, super easy. maybe some have different sway bars or something that make it harder that i haven't seen yet.

gothca, makes sense. is there an easy way to explain why it's possible for the auto but not the manual? if there's not, i can start another post or search.

i agree 100% with this being the only way to go. the other thing that i've seen done is to install a piece of metal that isn't rigidly fixed in position, that sounds like a terrible idea. if i were doing this, i'd tap and fit a piece rigidly to the pump.

first, check your fluid level to see if you're loosing it. if it's leaking your fluid level has to decrease. it's not terribly difficult, but it is tricky and critical that it's done very precisely. i'm not an expert on the deal, but the retainer around that seal has to come out of the trans and those adjust some kind of pre-load on the bearings or front diff inside the trans. basically if you mark it and count how many revolutions to remove it and then install it with the same number of revolutions and back to it's original position yo'ure fine. not difficult, just be sure to get it exactly the same as it was before. but, i would assume it's just grease that's been heated and running in that area. definitely rule that out before assuming the worst.

you mean it doesn't slide onto the axle stub of the transmission at all? or it partially goes on? if it's not going on, keep trying, it should go. new axles may have very stiff joints and be hard to bend to get squared up, should be the same as EA stuff on this part of installing. just like the EA stuff as well, the pin will only install one way, you can look at the splines and tell before you go to install it or try and install...the axle will slide on, but the pin will not go in. if you have that problem, then rotate 180 degrees and try again. i'm leaving and won't have internet any more but you can call my home number if you still have it and have any questions. i'll be there in about an hour.

make sure you marked the proper strut bolt - only one adjusts camber, can't recall if it's the top of bottom one? don't remember on the cone washer, but the EJ series stuff uses an indention to secure the axle nut. you should have had to pry the notched in part of the axle nut out in order for it to unthread. with the new one installed, you use a punch to indent the axle nut again into the notch on the axle. they use that rather than a cotter pin you see on the EA stuff.

hey, if someone is misled by "maybe" i appologize! i know someone installing 4.44 front diff guts in an XT6 auto trans, but i realize the manuals are another story. .

yes, the XT6 trans has a center diff lock button.

he's not missing the picture, just making a statement about looks, nothing wrong with that discussion. he never said subaru's are only and exclusively quirky because of looks. he's only commenting on the "cosmetic quirkiness". man, everyone has to pick apart the point of the thread!

XT6 trans will bolt right up to an EA82 - completely interchangeable, same transmission really just minor differences - like the final drive. as far as driveshafts you won't have any issues if you're installing it in a turbo vehicle, non turbo's have a different spline count. if it's a non turbo, just get a set of turbo axles for it and mix and match. someone calculated once before that going between 3.7 and 3.9 final drive is a relatively minor change, if you're really wanting to change the gearing you're better off going even higher to make the effort worth while...that's just regurgitating from someone else though, i'm sure others will comment more specifically. the front differentials should be interchangeable. EJ series front diffs may interchange - almost postive they do for the automatics, i'd imagine the manuals may as well. if this is the case then you can go with 4.11 or 4.44 gearing as well.