idosubaru

good point, though it has been done. more to deal with for sure. then the obvious answer is to get an XT6!

perma-tack? i might be making that up, maybe it's a permatex product and it's tacky....i can picture the freaking bottles, but the names are eluding me. like i said, very common and easy to find though.

yep pep boys will have it, it's very common. rummage down the sealant aisle or ask, you'll see it. i would use this over RTV.

on an EJ - at most i'd use the tack stuff that's specifically designed for water pumps, not RTV.

i sent them an email, sometimes she doesn't check her email for a couple days, but she should respond, if not i'll call. feel free to PM or email me a reminded, i'm rather busy and making lists doesn't cut it because they'd be a billion pages long. reminders are good - i'm good at over commiting, but i did send them an email. i can call if they don't write back in the next day or two.

yeah that stuff is very simple, there's nothing complicated or subaru specific in any of that. the trans will get a new transmission filter assuming it's a 99 or newer, but they should see that sitting there. your goal is an honest mechanic, not cheap, just a straight shooter that wants to do a good job. most want to make as much money as possible. that means flat rates and do them as quick (less quality) as possible. dealerships work under the same principles, it's revenue driven. now that's not bad, i'm not against that, 'im a business man and understand that - but the high price should also come with quality and fair treatment. too often these days high prices come because "people will pay it" "people don't have the expertise" and the quality isn't there because the shops paying a guy by job...not by hour or salary. some soob mechanics in DC are making 6 figures working tons of hours and completing lots of "jobs", i had a regional subaru executive trying to recruit me - it's about quantity, not quality. the quicker your filter and fluid is changed the quicker he gets to the next job and more money. do you think that makes you get a "better" and "attention to detail" trans filter and fluid chnage - of course not. they're answer to that is - insurance, that's not what you want. how far are you from Salem, IN? I have very good friends there and will send them an email about who they go to. fairly certain that have a good mechanic, his family is from close to there as well, so they may know others elsewhere. let me know what part of the state and i'll shoot them an email. i'm off to send them an email.

gotcha, the EG33 fits in the XT6 if that helps you at all.

if you transplant the entire wiring harness i'm not sure why this would be such a big deal on the wiring end. swap the entire engine, transmission, wiring harness and computer and call it a day. i would not go with stand alone myself. the XT will run without the dash even installed, now i don't recommed that, but i'm just saying that the dash isn't necessary and i'm sure you can figure out how to get the RPM's, speedo and temp gauge to work as needed.

i'm sure you thought of this, but the EG33 would probably be an excellent option as well. much easier to find, very, very reliable, non interference (well technically it's not but functionally speaking it is) and i think more HP. cheaper, just as reliable, and more hp.....lots of performance options for it too.

LSD on the rear diff tag. if not, turn one side stub. if the other side turns the same way it's LSD, if it turns the opposite way it's not.

okay i've never disassembled the struts before. i thought for sure that any EJ strut could be used in an XT6 if you swapped the top strut mount. so i was figuring at most i could swap the top strut mount and use these Legacy struts and springs on my impreza. actually i was thinking it would be a straight up swap, didn't know they were that different. i didn't know this was uknown territory, maybe the XT6 guys actually know more since we're the ones playing with EJ struts all the time.

i agree that is a bit high, is that american dollars or candian? don't know if that matters or what the conversoin rates are. sounds like he's just charging you a few hundred less than the dealer rather than giving you a good deal. but if you konw the guy hopefully he'll treat you right and not rush to get it done and get to his next job. he may be including a valve job in the mix too, i always get a valve job done when i pull a head with any mileage on it. and he could be replacing additional parts. make sure he uses Fel-Pro permatorque gaskets, they do not require a retorque and are highly recommended by subaru experienced community (us, many of which have replaced dozens of headgaskets).

depends what you're wanting. if it's basic service...which is probably all you need, any competent mechanic should be able to help you. frankly i'd avoid the dealer, there are more bad ones than good ones, so i wouldn't touch them anyway unless you have very good reports from them. what i would do is find the best, most honest local mechanic you can. ask around, ask people you know, at work, around town, anyone. look for a good, honest mechanic. let us know what you're doing and we can tell you any subaru specific things that might be useful in the particular job you're getting service for.

i don't think the starter motor is going to fix it, but let's hope it does. ignition cylinder or mechanism controlling the steering lock seems most probable. will the steering wheel lock if you turn it without the key in it?

windows annoy me, i just swap doors. if the pull it yourself yards are as cheap as they are out here it's far easier and quicker to just swap doors. swapping doors is super easy - 4 bolts, one pin, an electric connector and you're done. just an idea in case you see a cheap door. i realize you want to do it yourself but as a last resort window/glass shops don't charge much to install and they're super quick. got my rear OBS window replaced for $35. which means it's not hard to do either so that's probably the route you'll want to take.

oh right ed, i may be thinking of the 15" variety, none of the 14"ers may fit...scratching head. there is one size (14" or 15") where some do fit and some do not...basically the steels don't clear the calipers but the alloys do. if that's true it rules out the 14" steels either way.

no. 14" steelies will not work. i think some 14" alluminum alloys may have enough clearance, but almost positive the steelies won't work.

Will front 97 Legacy GT Sedan struts work on 97 Impreza OBS? will the ride height be okay?

i have the rockford u-joints in my XT6 driveshaft which is the same as your EA82. they require a bit of machining to install but do work. a machine shop will likely charge about $100 to install plus the cost of parts. in the XT6 you can actually drop the driveshaft without removing the exhaust, gotta pry it a bit, but it'll come out. i believe the same is true of some..if not all, EA82's.

1k - 2k like GD said. the more you want to "get out of it", the more you're going to have to advertise - here, ebay, autotrader, subaru boards...keeping in mind you're looking for a particular kind of buyer, most people even here don't want an 82 or FWD. that it's a manual is a good thing for sure though...ebay being risky of course and the more patient you'll want to be. if you want to sell it quick, do not expect top dollar, it will take awhile to find a buyer that wants exactly what you have and nothing else and is willing to pay for it.

XT6 front struts are completely different than EA82 front struts, they are not immediately interchangeable. maybe with some significant modifications you could get them to work. but there are turbo's and XT Turbo's with front air suspension that would bolt right up, is there any reason you wouldnt' want to use those?

that's about right. pretty sure you can jack the one side of the car up and turn the wheel by hand to see if the gear driven insert at the transmission (where the cable screws into) turns with the wheel. i believe it's the passengers side you have to turn. you can also try to turn the slotted insert with a screw driver, it should not turn (without the wheels turning). if it does turn then something is probably wrong. you can also spin the cable/instrument cluster a variety of ways just by rigging up a drill to it, spin it and see if the speedometer indicates anything. if it does then it may be in the trans side of things.

private sellers you will typically get a better deal with. also keep in mind that you're dealing with a board full of subaru specialist mechanics who know this board can help them. this board alone can help you save thousands on a car. it takes patience, time and knowledge to find one cheap. any dealer is not a place to get one cheap and even private sellers are sometimes looking for top dollar so they can go get a newer car.

as a flight software engineer for two NASA satellites i will add that GD is understating the truth, he's saying it rather nicely. i know people that have the equipment and capabilities to do this, but their time is worth bank. you'll be hard pressed to get the support you need to do this without massive amounts of money or very lucky in the friends department. have you tried contacting companies that do this? i talked to one in Australia that reprograms soob ECU's, and they would work with this older stuff for around a grand, but i don't remember what all they would do or what kind of flexibility they could give you, but it might be worth talking to someone like that. hope you figure something out....i'm tired of seeing "MS isn't cutting it" reports. i've always been tempted, but until they're reliable i'm not going that route.

really, an axle seal? it's not very common to replace axle seals as preventative maintenance. i'm not saying it's a terrible idea, i've never done it before though. unless you know the boot hasn't been ripped long i'd just buy a new axle. personally i'd replace the axle with MWE or Subaru only axles (don't have much personal experience with GCK). parts store axles absolutely suck, i (and others) have seen brand new ones blow to bits...not to mention leaking grease, cracked boots, vibrations and clicking. if that's not appealing to you, i'd consider replacing the boots over a store bought POS. it should be okay, but could start vibrating (inner) or clicking (outer) if much debris has gotten up in there since it broke. if you drive on dirty/gravel or off road it's probably not a good chance to take that it will be okay. normal road driving, you'll probably be okay. the good news is that the axle won't blow to bits, it's not a safety issue, it may just start making noise down the road if it's been exposed too long.