idosubaru

like GD said you can't really change the final drive ratio anyway. you can, but it's a very big job that isn't really done. easier to just change transmissions since the front diff and trans are integrated and difficult to separate/reassemble. in a recent gear ratio discussion someone pointed out that going from a 3.7 to a 3.9 made such a small difference in the overall ratio that it's a very insignificant part of the gearing. so i'd imagine the same would be true in going from a 3.9 to a 4.11 as well. best to look at overall gearing i guess, there are other EA transmissions that may have better overall gearing, like the dual range GD mentioned.

the 96 is the last year the 2.2 was a non-interference motor. so if you can keep oil in it and don't drive it with the T in the red it should last a very very long time.

after all that abuse and bad workmanship i don't know that i'd trust the existing block. a CCR engine is a very nice thing, sounds like a good deal. ask them if you can keep the old engine. you can get up to $500 for a complete EJ25 even with bad headgaskets. i think i'd talk them down from the $900 too if they're admitting fault...but i don't know all the gory details either...a warranty involved at all...etc. but they didn't do it right, they essentially gave you bad service the first time around, make them fix it. what a cracked up story. i can't believe the dealer is doing all that work and it's hard to believe they suck SO BAD at working on their own freaking engine? installing an engine taking 10 hours and $900? lots of shops will install engines for well under half that price and it doesn't take near 10 hours. i realize that's not how they operate and you won't find a shop to give you a free engine. makes me wonder if you'd really be getting a new engine and how trust worthy these freaks are? i wouldn't trade it in unless it was a really really great deal. i'd never buy another vehicle from them unless i could get it serviced somewhere else. it blows my mind that they're doing all this service for you for free or at such great deals that other places would never do or have to be fought to do...but they can't get it right??? WTF?

the control/switch could be bad as well. i had the same thing about a year ago and replaced the resistor block, didn't help. replacing the control switch fixed it.

plan on headgasket work, it's highly unlikely to be the water pump. if you don't believe me or are confused as to which way to go, spend some time doing a search on headgaskets and overheating on this forum and read through all the posts about head gaskets leaking...eventhough they still pass the test. you'll find other cases exactly like yours on here, and i've personally seen it happen before as well. it confuses most mechanics, but for whatever reason it happens on this motor. sounds like it's minor enough at this point that replacing the gaskets, timing belts, water pump for $1,500 puts you back in the seat of a good car.

really?? they never have the torque bind issues prevalent in the mid-late 90's 4EAT's. i've never seen one torque bind issue in person or on the older gen forum on the older 4EAT's. they are good transmissions...this is of course assuming they're taken care of, fluid changes, matching tires and proper towing for any AWD transmission.

if i were going through this process i'd get that limited slip/locking front differential mentioned in WJM's thread and install it while the trans is apart for sure. how awesome would that be...true 4 wheel traction. i wouldn't take it to the subaru dealership. should be able to get the same or much better service elsewhere for cheaper. a few on here have taken apart EA manual trans themselves, they are far simpler than auto's.

coolant temperature sensor. check the contacts where it plugs onto the sensor. it's never the sensor that is bad, it's the contacts on the plug. i have a permanent fix to this problem posted. your CEL should come on, but i've seen once before where a CEL didn't come on when the CTS was bad.

forgot to mention that...if you do any kind of driving that puts more than average load on the trans, like driving up steep inclines, frequent shifting, acceleratiung, hauling heavy loads, towing...etc, then get an automatic transmission cooler. technically you should check your average ATF temps and get a cooler if you need it. but not many are equipped or ready to do that. i install an aftermarket cooler on all of my vehicles just because the stock through the radiator side tank set up annoys me. you only need the smallest cooler they sell at the auto parts stores - they run $30-$40 and are well worth it. some automatic transmission rebuild shops install them with new transmissions....for good reason!

solid. there are frequent complaints about their lack of power, but coming from EA world i'd imagine you'd be fine. you're not looking for a race car i'm sure...EJ18...FWD.....sounds like a great gas mileage vehicle for sure.

you need to get the codes read to tell you why the CEL came on. i would probably have the Subaru coolant conditioner put in your vehicle, has it ever been added before that you know of? can you post a picture of the leaking area? are you sure there's no hoses above it that are possibly leaking? heater core hoses/clamps are possibilities. with very small cracks, that tend to occur around the clamps, they can leak randomly depending on termperatures and engine torquing/movements. this probably isn't the case, but best to check and rule out simple parts that cost a few dollars in order to save your engine/headgasket which can mean hundreds/thousands in repairs.

personal preference, do whatever fits your lifestyle. the 4EAT is a great transmission as far as automatics go. unless it's really cheap and good i would not pay for any kind of transmission insurance. "could be up to thousands in repairs"...that's a blanket statement that really doesn't mean anything. lots of issues can result in thousands of dollars of repairs. those costs can typically be averted or done for far less though. rebuilding an automatic transmission is a really bad idea on a Subaru with a 4EAT, they are easy to find and reliable enough that installing a low mileage used unit is an excellent and inexpensive option should yours ever fail. if you're the type that doesn't have the time to spend on any issues that may occur and you like to be ahead of the curve on everything and have someone else deal with it should it happen...then get the insurance.

replace both headgaskets no matter what. against what i knew and heard from others i replaced one head gasket once since it was the only one leaking. did not take long at all for the other to have problems as well, ended up replacing that one as well. should be lots of headgasket information on here. i'd use the Fel-pro permatorque gaskets sinc ethey don't need to be retorqued. after that i'd use Subaru gaskets. RAM performance sells a performance headgasket, there are new and noone on here has used them yet. i'd consider using these if i had a turbo motor and running more than stock compression. otherwise i'd stick with the fel-pro's and subaru's. never heard of the ones you mentioned but these questions have been asked before, try a search on the forum.

that's alot more than i would have expected to see, never seen that much on this coast. interesting. you PNW people probably are familiar with it, but i'd want to clean them both off really good and see how long it takes to come back. this is a turbo? i'd make sure no coolant/water is mixing/crossing in the turbo or lines as well. check the intake for any oil/coolant mixing in there as well.

sounds like the trans oil pump is hosed. might want to see if you can buy the trans cheap out of that car you got the motor from. if you're not sure on the torque converter, PULL IT OUT and reseat it. make sure it seats that last 1/4", don't assume it has. if not...you must get the torque converter to seat that final 1/4". if it doesn't, you haven't got it right.

"almost positive" isn't enough to determine head gasket issuse and be adding bottle after bottle of stop leak, destroy your engine type stuff. you should verify the headgaskets are to blame and rule out other items - thermostat, radiator cap, water pump, leaks.... subaru supplies and adds a coolant conditioner to 2.5's with the external head gasket leak. yours may be beyond what additives can be used for, they are a band-aid at best really. be advised, if you plan on keeping the motor, adding more and more stuff to the coolant takes you further and further down the road of not having a useable engine at all in the future. consider a 2.2 swap if money is an issue. with some effort they can be done very inexpensively.

hey steve, long time no see slick! where did you end up? how old are the ignition wires and plugs? do these things have an idle air controller of any sort? i'd check with those as well. on the XT6 you just have to clean the idle air control valve out. no check engine lights (think - coolant temp sensor?)

i have an RX alt phil. came off of kevin's RX. yours for shipping (fits in a flat rate priority mail box for $8.10). sounds like alt problems to me on them all. fusible links will start to blow if it sustains the high voltage (seen it before).

bent wheel?

in my area the cheapest method is a 2.2 swap. they can be found for $200 around here (even less with some work) and have a shop install it for a few hundred if you can't do it yourself. or rent/buy/borrow an engine lift and do it yourself. many have done the swap, search this forum if you're interested. 2.5's are hard to find, but keep your eye out and you might be able to snag one for $500 or so, but they're usually in the $1,000 range. i'd point someone away from installing a used one as the headgasket may be questionable on it as well. headgaskets runs $1,000+ if you're paying someone to do it. engine doesn't have to come out to do them, but it is much easier without air tools to have the engine out...more room for turning wrenches.

your legacy is a newer generation subaru (one of the first years). the older subaru's that you're speaking of had two different automatic transmissions. the 3 speed auto and the 4EAT (like in the XT6). the 4EAT is a very nice *automatic* transmission. the 3 speed sucks. i'm not sure what EA vehicles have the 4EAT, but just make sure if you get an automatic that it has the 4EAT in it, not the 3 speed. i know the XT6 has the 4EAT and i think 87+ XT's have the 4EAT - not sure which others (if any) have them. it's actually the same transmission that's in your legacy if it's an automatic, just an earlier version. they are very reliable if taken care of, i'm weird - i prefer automatics. an older turbo tends to bring with it more complications though. turbo components are hard on head gaskets and engines when not maintained well. and it's not hard to find an ill-maintained 20 year old turbo vehicle. and they probably have the same horsepower as your legacy or maybe less. they can be modified for more of course though. be sure to check the engine carefully on any older vehicle, particullarly those old turbo's.

how many miles on this engine? i wouldn't expect noticeable injector performance loss until 150,000 miles. i've had them tested at professional (RC Engineering) injector places and they've shown dripping/leakage but fully functional. if i had a block rebuilt unless it was really low mileage i'd have the injectors professionally cleaned/rebuilt as well. RC does six of them for less than $150, chump change, and that's for six. others, like the one mentioned earlier, are far cheaper. about half the price. they flow test them before and after and replace any parts out of spec.

Subaru OEM Factory Service Manuals are the way to go. they cover everything. the haynes and chiltons manuals are okay, but not that great. if you're going to have the car and do some extensive work the Subaru manuals will serve you faaaar better than those others. there were a few significant changes on either side of 98 so you're good to get the exact year.

i'd guess brake pads/caliper off the top of my head. have the rears ever been replaced? i'd get that wheel off the ground and see if spinning it by hand causes anything? was definitely there before and after the tire change? they were balanced properly? wondering if you lost a wheel weight.

the kerosene trick has been around for decades, good point frank. a handful of people have told me to "clean my engines" by running kerosene in them for a few minutes. i'll pass on that one, but they swear by it. i don't think engines today are like engines from 20/30 years ago but who knows, i'm not an engine expert.