idosubaru

funny we've been communicating all this time off the board and have the exact same problem, cause and situation. i could have typed that thread you just posted, identical situation. let's keep each other informed on anything we find out. all i can say now is that i didn't see anything obvious when i uncovered the ECU, but im' not a pro. hopefully Cougar will respond with more details and help us out. oh, i see he did respond, thanks a bunch. do you remember Cougar if you had the same symptoms, everything appeared fine but the fuel pump circuit was faulty? i'm betting this same transistor will be our problem. i'll try to grab that ECU and get some pictures of the internals. i have a multimeter so i can test with some guidance. i just happen to be in the state where that vehicle is right now, so perfect timing. thanks guys!

i disagree with replacing the internal filters. really you're right in a way, but my real problem is that it's not a filter, if it was i would say replace it as well. but it's just a mesh screen. your oil sump in your engine oil pan and your fuel pump sock have one as well, but noone ever replaces those and without a doubt the most likely one to need it is the fuel pump since anything it collects can't go anywhere. that being said, i've pulled apart a number of auto trans and used to replace the "filters" as well. mostly on 20 year old XT6's with 150,000+ miles on them. i soon realized they don't get dirty, because their job is to prevent stuff from getting sucked up, not collecting it like a typical fliters. yes, there's a difference. proper drain intervals will drain any items the mesh screen prevents from getting sucked out. so in essence rather than collecting it really just makes sure particulate stuff stays in the pan, which a fluid drain removes. it gains you nothing and requires new gaskets, lots of time dealing with trans pan bolts. the bolts can be problematic, the gaskets sometimes don't seal well, pan bolts holes can get ruined...etc. the newer style external filters starting around 1998 shoudl definitely be replaced. ACTUAL filters finally and easy to do. but those screens just aren't worth the time and risk....under normal circumstances.

stickedy, try a place holder like this to search ECU* or *ECU and see if that helps, it likes at least 4 letters for the search. sounds to me like getting that ECU figured out will likely solve your problem and mine. could you elaborate on where and how to locate that transistor. after crossing up the battery cables, if i wired the fuel pump directly my XT Turbo would run fine. if i didn't the computer didn't blink any codes and the fuel pump would not prime. not too mention this vehicle would run (not well, but it would run) on an XT6 (yes a 6 cylinder ECU in a 4 cylinder vehicle). it ran enough to tell me that the engine and other sensors were working fine. anyway, i opened the ECU and couldn't find anything obvious...but i am very novice at electrical boards and such.

nope, same guy. this is the legend! what vehicle is this for again? it's a loyale right?

ihi turbo is stock. yes you can put non turbo (higher compression) pistons in your turbo block but be very careful. it's possible and theoretically should be fine. many people that have done it have had problems. if you're going to fire up the boost and "play", best to keep the turbo pistons. have you thought about an EJ swap? by the time you're replacing main bearings, rod bearings, rings, and spending all the time and money or machine shop work you might be better served with an EJ22 or EJ25...and those are easy to install a turbo on as well if you wanted to.

yep, that's RAM engine. custom oil pan, intake, heads, valve covers...everything....

i usually do 3 drains and refills in very short succession. just run it enough to circulate and do it again. do this at mileage intervals the owners manual sugggests. i would not do it multiple times a year myself. the system and fluids are designed with the intent of being replaced at large intervals (compared to engine oil changes), i would rather stick to those recommendations than try mixing one change in every now and again. sounds like you're trying to save some work...do two things at once. not a bad idea. but if you follow the recommended ATF change intervals, it's not very often.

i would install a used one and inspect your old one for a rebuild if you're interested in going that route. the entire driveshaft can be found for $50 or less. post in the parts wanted forum here or call some yards and have it shipped to you. off the top of my head i can't think of anyone rebuildling the carrier bearing. before assuming that's all you need i'd also remove the shaft and make sure the joint isn't bad. a bad joint could possibly ruin the carrier bearing. the joints can not always be diagnosed on the vehicle, they have to be removed. actually more often than not in my experience, the bad ujoint doesn't show itself until it's off the vehicle. a seized joint will look fine and feel solid on the vehicle, but it's certainly really bad.

did your car originally come with a 2.5? some slap isn't all that rare and i wouldn't attribute it to seafoam myself. change the oil and see what happens over time. might be time to check those oil pump backing plate screws.

the coil side doesn't matter so long as it doesn't interfere with anything, like said the 90 degree helps it clear the throttle cables and there are wire holders underneath. but, if you don't have clearance issues then you're fine. the EJ25 and EJ22 are sensitive beasts in the wire department, so be glad you got the OEM Subaru wires.

oh right, your box is in the mail, i forgot to email you i believe.

yeah, ECU's for an EA82 are a dime a dozen around here. it's too bad i didn't know, i could have thrown one in that box i just sent you. ECU's do not always fry when the battery connections are crossed. in my experience, the fusible link fails more often than the ECU and the ECU occassionally fails. i've heard of people opening them up and finding the failed part...pretty sure it was a resistor or was that transistor? the information may be on this board, have you searched? i think i fried one last year, when i opened it up i could not find any particular parts or traces that were damaged. unfortunately mine is a freak of EA82's and has been a bear to deal with ever since. it's a unicorn 1987.5 XT Turbo that i converted to non-turbo. swapping electronics on an XT of that vintage is not a fun task.

what GD said. wrong part means nothing. i've gotten more wrong parts from Subaru dealers than the parts bin, but i wouldn't say "Subaru parts dealers suck", it happens. hopefully they take care of it for you.

you had noise prior to failure, so i wouldn't call this a defect or safety issue. let any noise on a major component go and it could potentially cause issues. CV boots, axle, driveshafts, ball joints, wheel bearings...all typically make noise prior to failure. continue to drive those and serious consequences are possible. in the northeast, rust is a big issue. i've seen rust cause major...unsafe suspension issues. tires rubbing against the inside of the vehicle and other bad things. most inspections are way overkill, but looking for rust and actual safety issues is one good thing about them. if this passed safety inspection then they missed it. unfortunately on the late 90's legacy GT's, the most common failure point of the exhaust is covered by heat shield...you can still see the exhaust, but might prompt an easy glance over of the joints that usually fail. it is highly, highly unlikely for the exhaust not to give notice...like at least have a hair line fracture or leak of some sort. it would have to rust so thin over such a large area that it reaches failure right before any holes developed...highly unlikely i would think. never heard of that before either, but i have wondered about the exhaust and drive shaft doing this, coming loose under the vehicle. i always assumed the weight of the car would just crush the pipe or push it in some way....particularly if it's rusted enough to come off. sounds to me like all the stars aligned in a very bad way. glad to hear it turned out okay...minus all the damage and insurance crap of course.

subex - all of this info is over at xt6.net, there's a recent thread about brakes. are you talking about front or rear? fronts can be done. like he said, the legacy stuff has a rear ebrake so if you install legacy brakes you'll have no ebrake. some EJ brakes require larger wheels to clear as well. i think all twin pot calipers require 16" wheels, though i think there's one that will work with 15", although no matter what your 14" XT6 wheels have to go for 2 piston calipers. legacy stuff is a no-go on the back, won't work, competely different set up.

this doesn't necessarily mean the Subaru reman's and any Cardone aftermarkets are identical. Subaru makes some attempt at keeping a certain level of quality...tolerances, parts used in the rebuild, etc. Cardone is on it's own though to supply the aftermarket world and those parts aren't required to meet those same standards. there's a good chance, but i'm also not one to put anything past a company. if they can save a buck, they may. wonder if there's a conclusive way to find out?

caboob, here's someone at xt6.net that did this....sort of, but you're probably not going to like what he has to say about it: http://www.xt6.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7781 why did you want EJ stuff over EA82/XT6 rear discs or the ebrake conversion? EJ hub conversion is all but impossible. of course anything is possible, but the time, money and fabricating involved would be intense as the set ups are completely different.

with the transmission out, it is a good time to replace the clutch. can't speak on the clutch issue, i'm not familiar with that one. torque bind is fixable without removing the transmission, have they already removed it? someone just had there's fixed to the tune of $500 and i believe that was at a dealership. i'd much rather have that than a used trans that's had an unknown owner and sat on a shelf somewhere...and i doubt they'll pull, buy and install another transmission for $500 either.

soak it really good with PB Blaster or Liquid wrench...WD40 doesn't count. that may help get parts to come off properly. i'm with him, high possibility it's all gunked together...but i am on the east coast so i see some real nice ones out here.

how much do you plan on using it. alot or emergencies? for emergency use i'd just have an extra tank to throw in the back whenever you go wheeling. fill the tank at home with your compressor and take it with you. then it's not always there and you have to worry about mounting, lines and the a/c deal. you can get a power inverter. check loads and demand and this might be all you need for emergencies. or install another alternator and maybe you can roll your home compressor right in the vehicle with you.

that's great info xrturbo, thanks for posting.

you mentioned "cheap". i wouldn't replace the rear rotors unless you had vibrations or something is wrong with them. subaru rear rotors rarely need replacement in my experience...actually never in my experience. i wouldn't be concerned with the dust shield...of course i can't see it, but i'd just leave it. at most i might hit it with some POR-15 type stuff..or the cheaper knock offs ,or just spray it with rust inhibiting enamel automotive paint. if it's that rusted back there i would suggest touching as few bolts as possible anywhere near that rear hub. they can really suck to work on if there's rust. at 12 years old and 216,000 miles there are probably other higher priority items than rust holes in the rear brake dust shields.

nippers last sentence. i would add to check the battery terminals while you're at it. it isn't all the uncommon for battery or alternator failure to follow a few months after having electrical issues. i've had multiple "come backs". in other words, a friend or family member has a vehicle that has horrible connections or terminal end links at the battery. replace those and all is good. then the battery dies 2 months later. or replace a bad battery. then a few months later the alternator dies....bad connections over work the alternator and don't sufficiently charge the battery, lessening it's life. i'm fairly picky about my own connections now. i install new alternator plugs as soon as i get an older vehicle, i have a bag of them. battery terminal end links, i replace those frequently as well.

like ive already mentioned in this thread: there's not much info out there because not many people do this. so you hear a few stories about people doing it and discussion from those that have never tried. there are people out there doing it right now, i just spoke yesterday with someone i know doing it and all is well, he's running in RWD.

i think it's about the right price considering it has a cracked windshield, dings and crinked hood. you can always use KBB to value a vehicle, gives you good general place to start. you don't see many RS around, so if that's what she wants then it's a great deal and the timing appears right. as far as a late model subaru it's not a great deal, but the RS is hard to come by. particularly one with some issues that drive the price down where you want it. i would guess it would be a long time before you see another running, driving RS in this price range. i'd test drive it for a very long time, the headgasket issues don't always show easily. make sure you drive it at operating temperature for awhile. make sure the temp gauge stays pegged right around the middle where it's supposed to (not too low and make sure the heat works well)..basically signs that the thermostat has been removed. if the radiator, water pump or thermostat was recently replaced then that's a flag of sorts.