idosubaru

definitely bargain shop, they often (usually) come down in price. particularly if you've really got options and can just go somewhere else. i've taken in internet parts prices before and had local stores match those even on brand new parts (XT6 gasket sets are expensive). if it's a mated engine trans set then make sure the trans gear ratio matches the rear diff. OR...make sure you get the rear diff with the trans. the 2.2's usually have a different trans gear ratio than the 2.5's...but probably not always. just check. all that matters is that the rear diff and trans have the same ratio. and yes the 95 will drop right in, dual port exhaust and no wiring issues, plug and play (as is the case with any 2.2). with all that you need if it were me i'd probably look for a wrecked car. but you probably don't have the time for that. they can often be picked up cheap and would have the entire engine/trans and rear diff (if needed) for the swap. probably too late since you've already put all this work into it though. i've gotten 4 soobs for free and 2 wrecked EJ's fairly cheap with engines/trans in excellent condition.

oil and antifreeze degrade the timing belt. i'm not sure what you're asking though. if youre asking about waiting until summer, then yes you'll most likely be fine and the oil probably isn't pouring, coagulating and splattering everywhere yet if it's minor seapage (very typical). even if the timing belt was getting oil all over i'd bet it'd make it to summer anyway. i would wait until summer and replace the belt and seals then. if you're asking should you install the new belt and leave the seals seaping as is, then i'd recommend against that.

i vote for nippers list above. on interference engines i always use Subaru only (those are 1997 and up 2.2's and any 2.5's). i have no experiece or specific reason other than the Subaru parts are proven. on yours i'd be willing to install other manufacturers items since it's a non-interference engine. were those on the forum here? any links or recall the user, i'd like to see those.

XT6 seats won't fit without some modification in an EA81. XT6 are identical to XT which is an EA82 and i've seen XT6 seats go in other EA82's so i think they are the same. i just gave a local guy a set of XT6 seats for his EA81 and they aren't a direct swap. but i don't think it would be that hard to fit them either. search on the boards here, there are very specific pictures of how to do this and what's required.

the fact that a jump got it started once before is either coincidence or your electrical system has issues - i'd start there. are the terminal ends that connect the battery clean and tight? if they're loose or dirty this could easily be your problem. if you attached the jumper cables to old and marginal terminals then they may not do it any good. i can't see your terminal ends/battery cables so i don't know but i'd check their first. that's the most common issue i see in non-starting soobs. second i'd check both timing belts. any check engine light? second i'd look for vaccuum leaks - oil cap has a seal at the top. the EA82's i've worked on (mostly FI) were very sensitive to vacuum leaks, cutting off if they had a leak. the XT6 is much more forgiving...starts and runs fine with leaks for some reason, but not the EA82's i've worked on. check the coolant temp sensor too - tons of information on here and a very common issue. occassionally it won't trigger a CEL even if it's causing issues.

EA82's are a cake walk to replace headgaskets on. the turbo is the most annoying part of the whole deal. all that freaking piping and rusty bolts in the way. if you have air tools, removing the engine is a complete waste of time. leave it in the car and go to town. i never remove them for just a head gasket job, even on the larger XT6 engine. but if you only had hand tools to work with they are much nicer to work on out of the car. if time is critical then leave it in the car you can have it done quicker if that's how you want to work. clean all the bolt threads and holes (this is where air tools are super nice). i personally have all the valve seat cracks repaired at the shop. they use stitch pins specifically made for this (info already posted elsewhere). have the heads milled. the cam carrier o-ring is a metal reinforced joker, it must be bought from Subaru or http://www.thepartsbin.com, i haven't seen them sold anywhere else. make sure you don't use just a regular o-ring for it and make sure you replace it. you'll need some thick grease for hanging the rocker arms in place while you install the cam carrier if you're doing it with the engine in the car. be careful with intake manifold bolts, they like to seize and shear off. that's no fun.

+1 for that too. plywood works for setting your jacks, jack stands, engine lift, etc. carpet works great to work on and to drop transmissions/engines on and pull them around easily or out from under cars. stop by a carpet store and see if they have any carpet scraps. they go through scrap carpet daily, as long as they don't leave it remotely they should have tons on hand and basically give it to you.

make sure to use a new Subaru PCV valve. the EA82, EA82T, ER27, EJ22, EJ25 all use the same PCV valve, so any Subaru dealer will have them.

it's hard for me to say without looking at it but i'd replace that oil pump. i won't elaborate on what i think it does or consequences of not having because i really don't konw but i wouldn't mess with the oil supply. as far as not running well....any check engine light? all the ignition stuff is new? hows is the turbo? any exhaust leaks before the turbo?

they're cheaper because they're paying non-automotive minded people to work on your car for peanuts. it's inherently riskier. Subaru is expensive as nuts because they're paying people who've been trained, certified, etc. A cheaper alternative is a local mechanic, but as with any mechanic...even dealerships, be very careful. there are plenty of shady people out there and i wouldn't want them touching my car. if you do go elsewhere, make sure they aren't using FRAM oil filters (or a relabeled fram) and you're fine. a friend of mine made it about a mile from the shop before the engine locked up, they drained the oil, installed a new filter and the drain plug and forgot to put oil in it. to their credit they immediately took the blame and replaced her engine. but still no fun.

you won't get screwed, just a minimum $300 bill. or a $98 bill with a long list of items that need their immediate attention or your engine will blow up, leave you stranded and be unsafe to drive.

what happened to the block? how long did it sit out of the car or not running? check the valve clearances while the heads are off maybe. probably doesn't need it, but since they are a pain to do, why not check them with the heads off and at the dealer? if the engine was overheated i'd get a new water pump. at only 25,000 you could easily skip it, but on that engine i always replace t-belts and water pumps together. cheap insurance on a good motor. i doubt it did, but if the engine sat for awhile i might consider some seals being replaced (like cam seals), but i'm guessing that's probably not the case.

it's common for used prices to vary like that. some shops don't mind selling fewer items at a higher price, others may like to work on a volume basis. i'm sure it's dependent on many things in how they operate. and surely insurance has something to do with it as well.

john, you might not need a new transmission. a friend of mine has an XT6 that growls. you start the car car the clutch in and all if fine. as soon as you let the clutch out (in neutral still) it growls something fierce. i mean - hardcore growling, like you think it's going to blow up. drives fine if you can tolerate tryihng to drive it making that noise anyway. i posted in the old generation forum about this and over at http://www.xt6.net about it and the consensus was "input shaft bearing" or "bad throw out bearing". i'll have to drop the trans to see. all that to say - you may not need a new trans. but at only $150 it might not be a bad idea to have an extra when you finally dig in to see if it's a clutch or trans issue. gary

first make sure it's not something simple. you've already verified it's internal to the trans? you sure it's not a throwout bearing or pilot bearing? or not rear diff, wheel bearing related. used $150 yes and yes - drop trans and install a new used one.1-800-634-7964 $150 1-518-893-0151 $200 both in NY.

cracks between valves are fairly normal (i've seen them on every subaru head i've pulled except one that had less than 10,000 miles on it). pressure test is a good idea and they can be repaired as well. you should be golden.

+1 only goes on one way.

i thought you were in ohio.....ohio, beach pictures of soob and PA as location...quit confusing me! i have a house about 20 minutes from gettysburg in maryland. but i'm not there too often....boo for that. were the fogs a direct fit for your existing fogs? i need some for my OBS.

i thought you were in ohio.....ohio, beach pictures of soob and PA as location...quit confusing me! i have a house about 20 minutes from gettysburg in maryland. but i'm not there too often....boo for that.

shouldn't leak after 50,000 miles but like i said sounds like it's a very minor leak. maybe just one seal wasn't seated perfectly? at the 100,000 timing belt change you can have the leaky seal replaced for less than $10, if it's coming from behind the timing belt covers up front, then it sounds like it's one of those seals. or have a look and make sure it's not valve cover related. engine degreasers suck by the way. i can't recall what it is, but there's an excellent product that washes away grim off the engine.

ej20tt, nice hit that's a smoking motor to have in that car. fantastic, congrats.

i'm wrong. there are some benefits. personally, at 239,000 i wouldn't give it much thought, i'd expect the possibility of oil loss to be greater than the chance of reaping enormous windfall benefits. but best to check and he is going to do that as i suggested in my first post. i know they are *supposed to* get better, but i haven't seen it. i had no increase in gas mileage or better cold starts in my vehicles when switched to synthetics (including diffs and trans). that leaves longer change intervals as the deciding factor and that sounds good to me if it isn't using or loosing any oil.

FWD fuse was checked already or you need to check it still? Check that the circuit isn't shorted as well. Probably Duty Solenoid C or clutch pack related is my random guess. The transmission light isn't blinking?

thanks for the details. i don't think you have anything to worry about. if you do, we don't know enough to instruct you. the best thing you can do now is to make sure the oil level is full. check the oil level everything 1,000 miles and see how much you are loosing and let us know. my guess is you're loosing very little. some minor seapage is no big deal and quite common on engines with some years and miles on them. most likely you're only seeping very small amounts and that's what you're seeing. small drops blow all over the bottom of the engine while driving and make large areas look wet, but don't signify serious issues. keep in mind that you can take care of these oil leaks most likely at your next timing belt change. the cam, crank, oil pump seals all reside behind the timing belt and only cost a few dollars. so these can probably be cured at your next timing belt or water pump change for a few extra dollars (the seals run $25 or less). there are also valve cover gaskets that could be replaced as well. to determine exactly where the leaks are, post a picture for us and/or clean the bottom of the engine off real well and check it again later to tell where the spots are coming from. at this point it's probably too wet, blown around and spread out to tell exactly. there's more info on this forum (i think i've posted it 10 times) about how to track down a leak and what they mean...search for those threads if you're interested in doing that.

if they came with the EJ25 like in the states, then watch for HG stuff. i like those 97 legacy GT's, solid car and not much to look out for.