idosubaru

cleaned the driveshaft up and all the joints are perfect (they are brand new and freshly greased). swapped it end for end and still the same thing. you can't change the orientation on these, the holes are such that they only bolt in one way...so i guess you could rotate it 180 degrees, but you can't change the orientation of the ujoints. drove it with the rear half of the driveshaft removed (in FWD) and no vibration at all, so i'm assuming it's that half that is bad. there are no places around me that balance driveshafts so i'll have to find somewhere in maryland or ship it somewhere to have them check it out.

hopefully someone on here will know. it won't leak, i'd be concerned about rust down the road and would want input as well. trim and gaskets can trap moisture and eventually rust. being so new i'm sure you plan on having this car for some time.

your brakes have nothing at all to do with getting these larger wheels. remember...if you get larger wheels...there is no issue with your brakes. you might want to let us know why you're thinking the brakes need to change, maybe we can help you understand how it works a little better.

can you describe it any better? "it seems to drop in RPM's"...does it actually drop, does your tach do anything, do you feel any vibrations, any other noises? it only does it when it's in gear and decelerating? the clutch is performing just fine, travel is normal? bad ujoints usually are audible and vibrate as well, particularly as they get worse.

i emailed a guy with an old post about this same problem and he wrote me bac last night. he said he had the fluid flushed once before. after the problem started he read up about it and decided to flush it again. so he flushed it, pulled the lines to pump some additional fluid out and then added new fluid and Lucas oil treatment as well. that was over a year ago and he said it's been fine since. i'll try changing the fluid once or twice on my friends car and see how it goes.

i've seen these "plastic" cam gears on DOHC Legacy GT Sedans as well. i was very surprised as well. and they do chip/break easily, i cracked one and replaced it. still have it at home, if i remember to take a picture i'll post it. i remember just thinking that "was normal" since i haven't worked on nearly as many EJ's as i have older gen stuff.

is it an EA81 or EA82? the XT6 clutch won't work straight up in an EA82 GL. it'll need some help....see below....

yep, motor is out. i don't think they'll come out with any type of tool or equipment from the remaining stud that's outside the engine. if a welded on rod just sheared the bolt off, even after heating and cooling...the torque to remove the stud is more than the force required to shear it. so i think no matter what, the stud is just going to shear. i'm not sure what stud pullers are, but if they require any threads that's not going to work either. too rusted and weak, the threads just tear up easily...or they really aren't even there. and the first one i've been working on is all mangled. i was putting some serious grunt in it with a large pipe wrench (i think that's what it's called, one of those plumbers tools?)...anyway, it just shredded the metal like a cheese grater once i really put some stank in it. even after grinding all the rust off and getting to clear shiney metal, it still crumbled under the force of the pipe wrench and never turned at all. i'm working on it tonight or tomorrow morning, i'll be trying the drill bits.

it's 5 lug. 5 x 100. no need to change the brakes. if you went with larger brakes you would likely HAVE to get larger wheels to clear the larger brake caliper behind it. but not the other way around.

hey jeep, i syour 99 outback still doing this? a friends 99 Legacy sedan is doing the same thing? delays/hesitation going into drive. has yours gotten worse?

the calipers should not cost anywhere near that amount to replace. this is really easy work...the rust will be your enemy. i'd have a notion to just remove the brake lines, leave them hanging in place and install new (or used) lines in place. this would not be hard and saves you the hassle of dealing with some of the rusted bolts and stuff holding the brake lines. the calipers shouldn't need replaced. if they're working now, there's no need to replace them. subaru calipers very rarely fail. now with all that rust, maybe the inside of the calipers are bad...but i doubt it if they are working fine now. but, even still you can buy used calipers for $25-40, and they require TWO bolts to replace and the brake line, that's it. they very rarely fail and are easy to replace, used is an excellent option. have them shipped from somewhere south or west with no rust. another option is caliper rebuild kits, that's what i do. for $8 you get a kit that does both calipers (both rear or both front). it's one piston seal, and the rubber boot, that's it. also very easy to do and you essentially have brand new calipers for $8. there might be some options. and hopefully someone on here has experience with this and knows an easy way to replace those brake lines without much effort. there are companies that make brake lines and it isn't all that expensive. just give them lengths and type/size of the end couplings and they make them. you could start by putting a request in the "Parts Wanted" forum on this board, someone may have those brakes lines you need.

non-issue, go buy it. as of '03 headgaskets are a non-issue. with 07 you're way beyond that. and for any with the H6 6 cylinder engine, it's a completely different engine anyway.

Ordered 4 CV axles from MWE in colorado. excellent service, top notch all the way around. he went out of his way for me, highly recommend.

i think i'm also going to install a bypass switch in the engine bay that allows me to disable anything in the cabin. that way i can disable the function if i let anyone borrow the car, my wife drives it and i might even use it myself. since my use is usually dedicated to the late fall and winter, i can probalby levae it disabled the rest of the year. and it's not that big of a deal to pop the hood in the limited times i use it the rest of the year.

is it only the turbo wagons that have the 4EAT?

well now that the nuts are off and the engine is out i have 4 exhaust studs to remove. they are not friendly. i welded a steel round bar to the existing studs...even with all that heat and cooling...the stud didn't budge, it just sheared off right next to the engine. since the metal is just shearing off even at the engine it's obvious this thing is not coming out. looks like nowhere locally carries left handed titanium bits. i can order, but can only get right hand titanium bits locally.

after replacing the faulty relay and the fans now working, it's much better. holds fine now even on hot days. with the a/c sometimes it seems the radiator hose wants to collapse still and will run hotter than normal rarely. while looking at it, it looks like the hose is "too long" and causing it to crink at the bends, i think this is making it easier for it to collapse under load. i'm going to cut it down a bit so it's not so compressed and i have another hose if that doesn't work. pretty sure addressing that hose will take care of it completely. thanks!

yes and no. it's easy to do, but access is annoying, it's hard to get good solid and even pressure to get it in quickly. get a Subaru crank seal. i installed a Fel Pro seal earlier this year on an EA82 and it wasn't a good fit. didn't seem to want to go in quite right, eventually got it in. ended up leaking horribly in about a month and i replaced it again. the old seal was mangled and definitely not quite the right size...just off enough to cause the sealing edges of the seal to be compromised. the rubber was folded and torn. the new seal went in fine and doesn't leak. have a short piece of PCV pipe the right diameter to help install it. take your time and be patient, sometimes it takes awile of tapping and massaging it in place. other than the cramped space it's not hard. definitely remove the radiator.

the oil pan gasket is nice to do out of the car. it's a real PITA to do in the car. it looks easy, but is not, requires all sorts of engine lifting and blah blah blah to clear the sump and baffles in the oil pan. i'm not going to mislead you though, the oil pan gasket is annoying because the gasket sticks bad to the pan and it's hard to clean off. they are also prone to not sealing/seating very well when reinstalled. make sure the pan is in good shape and use a Subaru gasket, many even use RTV on the gasket as well. yes - permatorque Fel pro head gsakets so you don't have to retorque them. Subaru intake manifold gaskets you'll need the cam carrier reinforced o-ring between the cam carrier and heads. thepartsbin.com is the only aftermarket source i know of, and of course Subaru the prices are about the same either way. youll need two. Subaru exhaust manifold gaskets are much better too, but the aftermarkets, while scrawny looking don't typically leak either. definitely replace the valve cover gaskets while the motor is out. they are cheap. get the cam seal "kits" (as seen at thepartsbin.com), they have the cam seal and the oring behind the cam cap. replace both, not just the seal. you'll want a new separator gasket as well, or at RTV on it. it's located between the engine and trans. the rear main seal is debatable. if they show no signs of seapage or wetness i do not replace them. subaru's rarely leak from the rear main seal and i've seen a number of guys have issues with brand new ones leaking shortly after install....more encouragement for me just to leave them. if it's an automatic i'd replace the torque converter seal and have a transission shaft "ring seal", as Subaru calls it, at least on hand if you need it as well. it's annoying to need one and not have it.

if it's a non-interference engine i'll use ebay kits or repack the bearings myself. even on the later models i'm not against adding grease to the bearings, they perform like new once you're done and i've never had a problem with the. on the EJ25's i have not extended that practice yet due to the 105,000 timing belt interval, if i don't see any problems with pullies i've repacked as i start doing the 2nd and 3rd belts on them, i'll probably do it on those in the future as well. bearing supply stores can get the bearings for you and you can just reinstall new bearings in all of them. if the bearing store doesn't do it, have a machine shop press them in for you. here's a link on repacking the bearings: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=50430&highlight=repacking

i don't think we need to revisit this idea of killing the trans. it's been beat over and over again in other threads, and i posted links to how he uses his soob offroad which i don't think typifies normal use. i think his experience would be anedotal..at best, not a sign of anything significant. i was happy to see this thread remain useful and informative in terms of the + and - of the 4EAT offroad.

i got your PM, but wasn't around for a couple days. it looks like you got this taken care of. like already mentioned, the resistor pack likely needs replaced. you could try cleaning it and soldering it or taking it to an eletrical shop, they may be able to fix it for you. or just get a used one or two. they don't fail all that often, not enough to warrant paying whatever outrageous amount the dealer wants. of course the last post with part numbers might allow you to find them somewhere else, i wouldn't know where though. for used ones, try posting the Parts Wanted section of this forum, someone on here can probably help you out. i imagine most if not all EA82's share that part, so it should be easy to find. and any junkyard with the blower fan will have the resistor as well so long as they still have the vehicle, they just might not list it in their computers and such. so ask around until you find one willing to check for you.

that sucks it's cracking up again. i'd find a shop to install a used one for you. before you drive 2,500 to slap me, i know it's annoying that yours is now kaput, but subaru auto trans are very reliable. i'd rather source a low mileage unit and have it installed than pay the astronomical prices for a rebuilt. particularly for a car that's not worth very much. if you were in an accident you'd be hard pressed to get your money back out of the insurance company for it. they run $500. local reputable shop charges $150-$200 with a new filter (unnecessary though) to install a trans you supply. i had an engine shipped for $95, so your market is rather large when searching. i'd rather spend $750 more than once than pay for a rebuild. i'd also have the radiator coolant lines, tires and possibly the TCU checked and make sure something isn't causing them to fail. and i agree, i would avoid national chains and find a reputable local mom and pop shop. sometimes searching outside of town is a better bet, there are predators everywhere but city shops seem to be more so in my experience.

by oil pump seal i meant crank seal too. had 3 loose screws (the oil pump, not me, i have far more). i'm doing the clutch tonight, will check the separator plate whether it's plastic or not and replace the gasket. car was running fine and i just yanked the motor so i'll leave the rear main. didn't want to start another thread, but wasn't sure about the cams...the EA's have the o-ring with the seals and i've heard people talk about "half moons" and spark plug hole gaskets. i got the spark plug gaskets. the dealer told me there was no oring for the cams to worry about. what are the 'half moons'?

yes there are people that like them and have good results. the problem is mostly age and limitatoins of the engine. with the age...nearly everything on any car needs attention, with the extra heat and abuse of a turbo they need it more. head gaskets, water pump, coolant hoses everywhere...throttle body, heater core inlet, heater core outlet, turbo return coolant line, turbo inlet coolant line and number smaller lines up front as well as the radiator lines, caps and the radiator itself...ideally all of that stuff and the turbo oil lines all need to be in great shape. turbo's overheat and blow headgaskets quick. not too mention turbo's need replacing and cause their own problems as well. keep everything in good shape and don't push the limits and they can be good cars. next is the limitations. start increasing power and you run into more problems. first..there's that long list of parts that are nearly 20 years old now. if you start looking into major and expensive mods for more power...it's easier just to upgrade to another engine that is newer, has more availability and can handle it.