idosubaru

XT6 parts are the hang up for sure, there's no easy way around that. be advised the search function here doesn't like acronyms unless they are at least 4 letters long. so WRX won't yield any returns. try WRX* or *WRX and see if that helps.

while i've done lots of swaps, engine and trans work, i've never actually disassembled a strut so pardon the follow ups. you bought new GR2 struts (OBS?), installed 04 WRX springs on them and used your top hats and hardware. is that correct? you think the 04 WRX springs made the difference in height and not the new struts?

in general, sounds like a good car at a decent price. but, i would drive it thoroughly and put some miles/time on it and keep your eye on the temperature gauge to look for any HG issues. i would also look at the receipt of all the work done and see what kind of headgasket they used. these are Subaru only HG repairs in my oppinion for this engine, Subaru has an updated headgasket for this application. if it's not a Subaru gasket i would be far more skeptical about it. the reason i stress looking into this is that why would someone pay all that money and turn around and sell the vehicle? it's not that big of a deal and i've seen a few for sale like this, most likely people just get scared and want to dump them in favor of something newer. Phase I Phase II doesn't really matter at this point, but both have HG issues of some type. i would also check the receipts or ask and see if the timing belt has recently been replaced. if not, that's typically a $500 - $800 repairs depending who and how it's done. this engine is an interference motor, you don't want to guess how old or if it's ever been replaced. check for torque bind like nipper said. figure eigths, tight, slow moving sharp turns in parking lots. any binding isn't good....but is reasonably fixable as well.

if you have other vehicles and would rather not part with the time and money then probably not. otherwise a good driving car with an EA81 that don't have many issues to speak of, it would certainly be a great DD for the next few years fairly easily.

that is so bizarre will. which side is ticking, both? where the rail for the cam shaft oil supply connects to the cam carrier there's a 17mm banjo bolt. under this bolt is a pressure spring of some sort. are they in good condition? they shouldn't affect the HLA's too much, but just curious what shape they're in.

thanks matt. huck might have something for me and i'll check locally as well this week when i get back in town, i'll let you know if i strike out.

no way, that's awesome. could you just swap to WRX rear strut assemblies? what years WRX springs would work, do you have an idea on the range of years that would work? did you use new springs or used? this is excellent, thanks!

mike is quoting the low end of the spectrum on dealer XT6 radiator prices. i've seen prices over $600. the auto and manual prices are nearly identical, only a few dollars difference. they are identical except the ATF lines. no aftermarket radiator was ever made for the XT6. don't even bother checking into or calling aftermarket companies, you will waste your time. they might tell you they have one and they will likely swear their computer has to be right and you are stupid and tell you they have one for the XT6. do not order anything, like everyone else who says they "found" the mysterious XT6 radiator that was never made....you'll order it only to find out that it's an EA82 radiator. the radiator shops i've stopped at don't want to touch it. i believe because of the plastic end tanks, but that's from memory. Subaru only on the radiator. local dealers will run $400 on the low end...some will quote up to $650 for an XT6 radiator. you can score on-line deals for around $280 delivered to your door for a new OEM Subaru radiator, that's about the best you can do. EA82 XT radiators can be made to fit, but they are smaller. i know someone running one with working A/C and he has no overheating issues in the summer.

definitely pull the codes, it's silly to guess when the code will likely tell us something important. being an OBDI i think you can plug a connector in and get it to flash the codes for you. the codes will tell you what you need. the mechanic probably didn't use Subaru spark plug wires, i'd look to change them in the near future even if that isn't the problem right now. the EJ engines (which you have) are notorious for running terrible even with brand new aftermarket wires and i've seen it before myself. you mechanic likely doesn't know that.

is the front pillar an option? are there holes in the roof for the roof rack? if there are plenty of holes holding it to the roof, you could loose one and use it for a pass through for a wire. get some fish tape to run the wire and it'd look clean.

even if it was the gaskets, it's strange that they would let loose that quick. i would not use them on an EJ engine, but aftermarket gaskets should hold up for some length of time at least. check everything carefully and make sure you're torque sequence and numbers on the head bolts are correct.

still good info, differentiating the causes and symptoms helps.

i'm guessing you're using an XT6 flywheel on a non XT6 vehicle? if the distributor was never removed or moved, then the timing shouldn't be that far off to keep it from running. you don't have the goodies up front to time it off the crank pulley? if you have that stuff lying around or another vehicle you could at least swap just what you need to time it up front.

how many miles, does it run at all? how well does it drive once it's started? did it have this problem before the timing belt change and other work? i wouldn't throw parts at it. subaru fuel pumps can fail, but they don't fail very often. alot of people that don't know much about cars say "it's probalby a fuel pump". not saying you do'nt know much, but if that's what other people are telling you, they're probably wrong. i say that, because many people that bring their car to me say "my dad" or "i think" or "so and so" said it's probably the fuel pump. and it's never been the fuel pump, ever. one of mine needed replaced, still worked it just leaked because it was very rusty. if yours did leak somewhere you would likely smell it unless you have horrible allergies. there are other items that are more likely. first thing to do is to verify it has spark at each cylinder, fuel is coming out the fuel hose and the timing belts were aligned properly. did you use Subaru spark plug wires? EJ engines do not handle aftermarket wires very well. but if that's causing your problems it would likely show a check engine light "cylinder misfire". so, does the check engine light ever come on? if so, read the codes. do a diagnostic check on it as well. the coil pack, cam sensor or crank sensor are likely culprits as well. if this problem started happening after the timing belt and seal job then the crank and/or cam sensors are likely to blame since their right next to all of that stuff. check the coolant temp sensor for corroded connector plugs. replacing the fuel filter and PCV wouldn't be a bad idea either. PCV won't cause a no start condition though. well you originally asked about fuel pump...parts and labor will vary alot. $100 - $400 depending if you go used or new, dealer or not. they don't fail enough to justify buying a new one in my oppinion. i'd get a used one for $25 and swap it out. they are very easy to replace, so labor isn't insane, should be one hour of labor.

i had never heard of the choking problem, but i've never done an EA to EJ swap either. the EJ headers may look bigger because the heat shields are still intact, just a guess? the ones i have in my garage "seem" larger, maybe it's the heat shield, or lack of rust or me. did you start the car after bashing the honeycomb out? that's the best part...listening to it pop and sputter and shoot the remaining pieces out like a projectile. do not have anything valuable or breakable behind it after "cleaning" a cat out.

it wasn't mentoined because he said it happens at idle, so that would rule out the ujoints. but it's fairly common for these ujoints to go bad. always a good thing to be reminded of since they are easy to overlook. joost - i thought you fixed your shaking, it was a turbo line or vacuum something? i can't remember, but hope you get it figured out.

i like the pearl stuff, like pearl white on the XT6.

EJ stuff (impreza, WRX) will not work in the rear. completely different set up, design and construction. i guess with some serious fabrication, money, welding and metal, machining skills you could get it to work but i'm guessing that's not what you're asking. EJ stuff will not work in the front unless you do the 5 lug conversion. do a search, there are comprehensive write-ups on the 5 lug swap. read up on that before asking too many questions. if you got with a XT6 5 lug swap you'll be able to use EJ hubs and struts. i do not know for sure, but i am betting that an impreza rack will fit an EA82. i've installed XT6 power steering racks in EA82's and i use impreza WRX steering rack bushings on XT6 power steering racks...so they are at least very similar. my memory is vague but i think you'll need XT6 or EJ tie rod ends to work with an EJ or XT6 steering rack...but that's not difficult anywya and if you do the 5 lug swap first you'll already have XT6 or EJ hubs anyway for the tie rod ends to bolt to.

he might not be very familiar with subaru's or other 90's vehicles that came with updated headgaskets? it's best to stick with the Subaru updated gasket on this one. he's right, the heads will likely test fine, but being a second shot i'd try again. are you sure they were leaking from the headgasket and not the coolant ports on the intake gasket. if those were aftermarket (not subaru), they may have been very thin and sucky as well. if those leak, coolant ends up in the cylinders as well.

what gaskets did you use? subaru head gaskets are highly recommended for this application. the engine block or heads could be cracked or the intake manifold gaskets could be leaking. i wouldn't expect the block to be bad unless you ran it hot for an extended period. maybe you could have a machine shop pressure test the heads?

this variable control has been done before on a 4EAT. unfortunately he is not willing to talk about how he did it, but he essentially built a stand alone TCU for the 4EAT and could control nearly everything. i did talk to him about the duty C thing years ago and he mentioned it would work but wouldn't talk about it any more than that.

like nipper said, what you are talking about will make no difference to the transmission. i keep the difference even at the higher numbers. the manual says to check tire pressure after driving, not while cold.

wow, that's some stellar information right there.

when is the last time you changed the oil? if it's been awhile, change it. yes and no. it's not "needed", in the sense that ticking is not causing any damage and it's not a sign of anything bad. it is likely that new oil pump seals ($15) would cure the ticking. on rare ocassions a new oil pump will be needed to cure the ticking completely ($120). it's possible that the ticking is from high mileage, wear, or dirty HLA's and none of the above will cure it. in my experience resealing the oil pump usually does the trick. the only soob i've come across that a reseal didn't fix the problem was driven for a long time with a blown headgasket and had lots of water in the oil.

i need to check those hoses, maybe they are too prone to collapse?