idosubaru

yes. hmmm, sounds interesting. how do you know it's a 9.5 compression ratio non-turbo block/pistons? how do you know they didn't swap an entire turbo long block engine? where are the oil lines, are they running to the back of the passengers side head? that's a tough set up on non-turbo pistons then lumping on top of that how ever many miles it already has and the additional heat to the oil, 20 year old gaskets and seals...it's tough to do it "right", but there are certainly better and worse ways to do this job. hope you get it running, be interesting to see how it runs.

REALLY easy to fix. it's just a cap, a round-ish piece bolted to the back of the motor. remove it, replace o-ring and reinstall. nothing fancy about it. someone seems to suggest your 99 does not have this cam cap though, so you may not have it. a quick peak would verify, i don't have a 99 to look at. it's probably the valve cover or this cam cap (if you even have it). you could try snugging up the valve cover bolts on the bottom a bit, that may snug it up enough to stop the leak. just don't go crazy on it, keep in mind it's a mostly aluminum engine. you're from somerset, KY? not many soobs out that way, i bought my OBS from there! do you know Huck?

depends what you're after. you'll find a very practical bunch on these boards, i'm not one for novelty, image, paying for a name, etc...so i agree with the previous poster. you can probably find a jag forum that would tell you the opposite though!

that clicking relay, can you take a picture of it? there are some fan and a/c relays over there. but i know mine had some turbo related items over there, i think i removed them all. i may actually get to work on mine some tomorrow and may check it out. sorry for what? trying to help and doing the same thing we've all done!?!? silly rabbit!

should just be the flat style gaskets. if you're looking it up and seeing two, including a doughnut style, that's the one between the y-pipe (exhaust manifold) and catalytic converter, under the transmission roughly. 7/16" threaded rod will work perfectly in the exhaust holes as well. think that's the size.

very easy, just unbolt the manifold at the engine and it should come down enough to slide the old out and the new in. the only issue is the nuts, they are often corroded and hard to remove....it can get ugly real quick here. spray it down with liquied wrench or PB blaster ahead of time as much as you can. having heat available is a good idea as well (torch). heat the nut for no more than one minute, slowly going around and heating the nut only. as for the studs, go to your local auto parts stores, i prefer avoiding advanced and autozone for this task, a more comprehensive store is better. they'll have loose bins of exhaust studs. they won't show any that will fit and won't have any part numbers to help you, don't waste your time asking or looking for any. take one in or look up the numbers here, they've been posted before....like M8x1.25 or something like that. the ones the stores will have will be perfect and almost identical to the subaru ones. they will have a very small unthreaded length around the midsection with thread on both sides. one side of the thread will be longer than the other, leave the longer threaded side for the nut end and the "unthreaded" portion of the stud will be in the bolt hole of the exhaust manifold. it's really simple, it just takes a bunch of words to explain it. basically they should be installed one way and it's obvious which way because if it's wrong the nut will run out of thread...so okay, just install it the other way. like i said, this is like adding 1+1, but just looks and sounds dumb trying to say it.

look down behind or around the base of the power steering pump. having a good flashlight may help. i believe one of the exposed edges sticks out there. just follow the head to block mating surface all the way around. i believe you can see well across the back and maybe underneath as well. i picked up a legacy a couple weeks ago, popped the hood and within 10 seconds i could tell and said "oh cool, the headgasket was replaced". the seller looked at me and said, oh yeah, they replaced it when i bought it from the dealer (used). the last two that i've bought this year both had new headgaskets on them and i did not know it until i picked the vehicle up.

the OBDI and OBDII issue might not be a simple hurdle, i'd wait for some feedback or search on that a bit. you might be able to just swap intake manifolds though, thereby retaining your original sensors, plugs, wires and everything else, just swapping long blocks. machine shops can do the block work for you just fine and can bore them out. i personally would not have one resleeved but they can do it. EJ22's are such good motors it's not cost effective to rebuild one yourself. they are very easy to find with low mileage, i'd get one of those and at the most do a complete reseal on it - new headgaskets on up. i do recommend rebuilding one for fun, experience, knowledge and stuff but it's not economical on this motor. get a used one or if new is what you're after call CCR for a brand new motor with a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty and decades of reputation and experience with subaru rebuilding. often you can get an EJ vehicle that's been wrecked or with a bad trans for next to nothing, yank the motor and there you go.

Can you get one that plugs directly into the antenna rather than broadcasts a signal? I've installed those style FM Transmitters without issue before, but i'm an electrical idiot so my suggestions are limited in scope. You could remove the alternator belt temporarily and run off the battery for a few seconds just to see if it's alternator or battery related. i've done that before, just remove it and then crank it up for 15 seconds. if it happens every time, it should be obvious instantly. EJ's and aftermarket wires is not a good combo. Magnecor wires are excellent as well, I find them better than Subaru and they have a lifetime warranty (which you'll likely never need to use), so you should not ever have to replace them. I use and recommend them on every vehicle I work on. I've seen people going through wires every 15k - 30k switch to them and last 100's of thousands of miles and never need replacing.

torches are money, they work excellent for hard to get bolts. with heat you won't have any problems with the axle nut, makes it a very simple job. heat the nut only for about 1 minute, then apply torque as soon as possible. i'd be very, very surprised if it doesn't come off with ease. some small handheld torches are only $10-$20, well worth it. larger, hotter varieties are nice when you start getting into seized, rusted and corroded parts, but not necessary for basic stuff.

hondas are great cars, there's no doubt about that. there are subaru owners that have owned 5 trouble free subarus though as well and disappointed first time honda owners. the AWD is an interesting system considering it does add more components, more issues and more possibilities of failure. particularly considering low air, different tires, lack of rotation and improper towing can negatively affect it. if he can make it through these annoyances he'll probably be happy with how easily it can make 200,000 - 250,000 miles. "love takes time"....or something?

i can't stress enough how important those codes are before we start guessing and mentioning the dozens of possibilities out there. i don't know, but i'm betting the entire engine was swapped...intake manifold and all (that's what i did), in which case it has an entire non-turbo set up including the fuel injectors. so i would guess they're not a problem, but not seeing it i can't promise that. yes, you are completely off - the entire engine has been swapped so it's just like any other non turbo EA82 on the road today. some would consider it a dog, but it's not what you're suggesting...with turbo pistons still in it. at least that's what he's saying, i can't see the motor myself of course i'm assuming the information posted is accurate.

the 87.5 Turbo ECU part number ends with 290 the 87.5 non Turbo ECU part number ends with 320 but like i said, start with the check engine lights and codes you said it had.

this is your starting point: you need to tell us those codes. i also wonder if there's a way to verify you have an 87.5+ engine instead of an 87 or earlier EA82. that could be problematic. or ordered FSM's for 87 and 88 models to see the wiring differences, if i remember i'll try to look at them soon, i don't have them with me but i do recall small differences. ssshhhhhh!!!! be quiet!

i recall some minor wiring differences across years, i guess you have no idea what the replacement motor came out of? i'll have to check my notes...i was getting really confused between distributor, ECU and wiring changes from 86-87-87+.....so it's hard to remmeber details. but mine fired up without much issues, i had to hardwire the fuel pump. so i think you may have a non-swap issue. i'd definitely want to address that bad gas to start with. have you check compresssion and for spark? no check engine lights?

axles are actually very easy to replace. the very tricky part at times is just getting the axle nut off. bend the tab out of the way..you'll see it, to make sure the nut can turn. then the axle nut is very, very tight. a 3/4" socket set or air tools are preferred. if you don't have those, then a 1/2" may or may not work (i've broken 3 1/2" sockets and a 1/2" breaker bar on axle nuts). if you have any heat source, an el-cheapo propane torch even, heat the nut up and it'll come right off. that's your best bet if you don't have the 3/4" or air tools. after that just follow directions. i recommend MWE axles but with time and money concerns that's probalby not a good fit for you. if it's new enough, snag some used ones, i prefer those over aftermarkets myself.

that's one thing i've seen on 00's as well!

there are quite a few people with newer subaru's with no issues at all. i've done timing belt jobs on plenty that have not had any problems. actually none that i've worked on for friends newer than 00 have had any issues that i can think of. it's mostly anecdotal with the exception of the HG, but few people can think in terms of anything but their own experiences. he's been hit with a number of rather large items. this is normal....people have a bad experience with a car or dealer and say they'll never buy again. it's not like i haven't heard that about every other major manufacturer from someone. but of course that still doesn't change his experience, so if he's ready to move on from Subaru then there are other good vehicles out there....but none produce a vehicle that has never, ever had an issue.

yep i did the exact same thing. 87.5 XT Turbo to non-turbo...that's called castrating a unicorn so i'm told. i do not have it running yet, but i think it was only because i fried the ECU by installing battery cables backwards. i grounded the fuel pump and it ran fine. i have to go but i'll look into this more and i have lists of part numbers for ECU's in this computer i can post later. and i'll be getting mine up and running soon. check for spark, check for the fuel pump and check for codes at the ECU. turn the key on (don't try to start it, just key on) and you should hear the fuel pump prime. or put it in diagnostic mode (i think plug the green connectors in from memory) and the fuel pump should prime every second. check this stuff and let us know. is the gas old and bad? if it's over 6 months to a year then it's suspect. gotta split...more later,

definitely. they are just low on grease, that's all. repack them and they'll turn and feel identical to a new one if it's done right. no more noise or rough feeling. keep in mind that seal is very thin metal and deforms easily, you want to move it as little as possible and not deform or wrinkle it. that's why practice is a good thing. it's possible to even remove the entire seal and reinstall it but i do not recommend that, i haven't found that necessary.

your transmission should be fine for this scenario alone. i've personally seen it....actually never with an old axle, but with brand new ones blowing up which is why i recommend MWE now and avoid any aftermarkets. were their preexisting issues that make you think there's a problem?

yes, but be forewarned with EJ series engines. first i'd practice on a few. second i would be very cautious about doing this on an interference engine or one with 105,000 mile change interval. i would plan on a couple inspections between timing belt changes if you do it just to be sure of your work. for non interference motors, go to town, i've had good success with this. the old EA82 pulleys are the least friendly to this technique but they are also the cheapest to buy. the ER27 and i think all EJ pulleys are easily accessible. i'd have another set on hand to practice/interchange with. don't expect to get it just right the first time and proceed slowly and accurately. there's a write up in the USRM with pictures: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=50430 the results are outstanding if you take your time. the pulleys feel exactly like a new one if you do it right. the issue with doing it carefully is whether or not you deform the seal, proceed cautiously and less is more. also, don't over-grease it, that will push the seals out and even more so once the grease heats up. the inserts are readily available at auto parts stores, it's just a generic needle fitting. look for the smallest one they have, might want to research online and see if there are smaller sizes available. once you get it down, it's nearly free and doesn't take long at all. and no worries about which ones are going to need replacing once you get in there.

that's not a good way to look at it. think of it this way to make a bit more sense. subaru states a 1/4" difference in circumference. let's take a look at a 50" circumference front tire verses a 50.25" rear tire. that encapsulates the 1/4" difference subaru refers to. one mile is 63,360 inches. lets look at how many revolutions each tire makes: 50" circumference tire makes 1267 revolutions in one mile the 50.25" circumference tire makes 1261 revolutions in one mile. the rear is making 6 less revolutions per mile, that sounds significant to me and it's awesome that they can engineer and design differentials and other devices to allow that (including what happens when turning). anyway, that difference is made up internally inside the transmission and subaru seems to suggest that the heat, clutch or diff wear associated with that is not ideal. that they would include safety factors in that and not hang their proverbial feet over a ledge when coming up with these numbers should not surprise you. i would also guess they take the worse case scenario and apply it to all vehicles to keep things easy. they're not going to recommend different values based on auto, manual, engine, mountains, gas grade, tire size differenes, studded snow tires, forester, legacy, impreza, vehicle weight...etc.

i'm confused. spray body foam? like it replaced the metal body panels? that sounds bizarre, i'd like to see pictures of that. i can't picture it looking right and if it does it seems like it would be loads of work to get it to that point. isn't it easier to just buy one that doesn't need that much work? here is a better use of my own time that might work for others: go find a cheap soob that needs work, bad trans, blown headgasket...etc, fix it, sell it, make a few thousand and go buy a whole herd of EA82 vehicles without as many issues.

while i thought they were 4.44, i think that's only part of what he's looking for, that's the final drive ratio. many auto's are 4.11 and i thought the GT's were 4.44? i think he's looking for complete gear ratio charts.