idosubaru

axle work isn't all that bad. a stout socket or impact wrenches help with the axle nut if you're taking it off, it can be a real beast and often breaks 1/2" socket wrenches and breaker bars (at least in MD they do!). if time, tools, weather, and $ are an issue then just leave it. i've put 50,000 miles on front clicking, busted boots before. if you're into offroading or have a lift on your soob then you'll want to replace it sooner.

there's no CEL? if one pair of injectors is over 1 volt and the other is under 1 volt couldn't the issue be there or before the dropping resistor? continuity and resistance check from the engine harness connector to each resistor might show a wiring issue in the harness. don't let my responses get in the way of following John's lead, consider mine secondary, he's way good with this stuff.

unhelpful? i'm sorry you took offense to my reply? i'm confused, i was addressing the most probable causes of TOD. if i didn't mention the issues that cause 90% of HLA noise (or more), then i wouldn't be helpful in my oppinion. maybe cars in my area have different issues than yours, i don't know, but that's the case on the dozens i've worked on down here. if i don't mention what i've seen on the dozens of soobs i've worked on and owned then i'd really be giving you BS. i would feel bad if i started suggesting things i've never actually seen before...like poor clearances in your main bearings, warn cams or clogged oil galleries which are highly unlikely....all possible, but i've yet to see it. the only case in my decade long, 15+ XT6 ownership experience i've ever seen of a stubborn tick that wasn't related to oil pump or gummed up and sticky HLA's was due to a chunk of RTV getting wedged in an oil gallery to the cam after someone put the engine back together. that none of these were your issue is very rare and something that probably noone on this board could have guessed over the internet without actually touching, seeing, driving, feeling and testing this vehicle in person. anecdotal describes my experience in thinking two things are related when really they aren't. been there done that plenty of times and was trying to help you not go down that same road. that it did not help you, doesn't mean i was trying to lead you astray, am a bad person and am unhelpful. and for those mentioning confusing posts or what not, just ask what you're confused about. keyboards aren't everyones favorite form of communication...i still have no idea what FTW, RMOLG or whatever it is, mean. a follow up question can clarify easily enough.

a noid light will see the injector firing signals which are probably too quick for a multimeter to pick up. there's spark at each cylinder? can you swap another ECU? a noid light might be nice, check signals at injectors (which you already know don't work), at the dropping resistor and finally back to the ECU. somewhere in there you'll narrow it down.

MORNING LAUGH!!! coffee and usmb funiness woo hoo! RAM has aftermarket/custom EA82 headgaskets of some sort. might be something WJM and those turbo guys could use to keep their heads sealed.

as a matter of fact don't go anywhere before scrolling all the way to the bottom left of this webpage. this forum automatically shows a few threads that may be very similar to yours. it shows at least too that are very beneficial. these would come up in a search as well. all that i would tell you is in one of those threads, right here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=65355 your noisy HLA is solved within that thread.

hey, that's copyright infringement stealing my lines like that! what he said (monkey balls and all)....do a search for oil pump, ticking, TOD (won't come up in the search though, doesn't like 3 letter stuff). all that head and cam work isn't probably what you need. i think your results so far are anecdotal.

make sure the connections and electrical harness for each is fine, the code doesn't mean the sensor is bad. it's getting a bad reading from that circuit, usually it's the sensor, but not always. in these two cases it probably is more likely than other sensors. might want to plug in "purge solenoid" in the search feature and see what you find. unfortunately you can't search for "EGR" do to limitations of the search function - it doesn't like 3 letter acronyms.

awesome car, high price tag. that motor with a manual trans is set up for reaching some very high numbers on the odometer. price is up there though, they can easily be had for thousands less. if you have time don't settle, if you need a car right now then your effective price range has to be higher.

probably a head gasket but i'll admit i am jumping to conclusions. best to start ruling out the obvious - fans coming on, thermostat, radiator, radiator cap, etc. any belt noise, slipping, low voltage stuff going (loose belt)?

CCR builds stock engines. and yes it will perfectly fit your vehicle.

have you posted in the "parts wanted forum"? someone on here may have a trans for you.

96 legacy 4EAT from a 2.5 liter for $250 in hazelton, PA 1-877-459-1415 meriden, CT $400 - 1-888-247-1199 i had an engine shipped to my house for $95, so looks like you can score one for under $350 no problem. won't take 5 hours to swap a trans, but if that's what they "say they have to charge because that's what the book tells them" then you're hosed. the rates may be higher up there, they are high around me as well (DC area). have you called any mom and pop transmission shops? (not AAMCO or nationals). the local place that specializes in transmissions around here does trans swap (you supply the trans) for $150 - $200. the funny thing is they have a good reputation and their rebuilds are expensive, but they're good. i find it funny they're so reasonable. i'd bet most if not all the others would be much higher. but a place set up to do trans *seems* like it should be the quickest and have the ability to charge the least.

it's not a D/R, XT6 wasn't available with that. if it's a manual, all XT6's manuals are FT4WD with center diff lock. nice ride, welcome to the xt6 world.

i pulled a head off a 196,000 mile motor i had that ran awesome, pulled it out of a rusted to death XT6. the head was spotless, not a speck of black build up inside (plenty of leaking on the outside). head gaskets were never replaced.

i'm with all those guys...reuse the bolts and fel pro no retorque gaskets. if you're going with highcompression turbo, maybe you want to check our ram performance - they sell custom high performance EA82 headgaskets.

light weight custom pistons might help a tiny bit but engine mods probably won't make a huge difference. remove drag from your motor, remove A/C, remove power steering (install electric XT6 power steering pump), remove clutch fan and install an electric fan. lightweight stuff....pistons, pulley, flywheel may help a tiny bit. big help is FWD manual trans. an 88+ XT can pull 40+ highway mileage.

take a look at the rubber boot (CV boot) behind the front wheels. it's the boot at the end of the axle. see if it's ripped, just look behind the wheel, it's really easy to see. might need to look closely as the rubber boot is "ribbed" and sometimes hard to tell if it's cracked depending where/how it cracks. and noise while making a turn is typically CV related. if it's clicking you'll want a new axle installed. if the boot is busted, then it's not a big deal. i rountinely put 50,000 miles on front clicking joints and 100,000 miles on rears (i have at least 2 broken boots now). they will not fail. i do my own work so wait until i do some other work in the area...brakes, bushings..etc before messing with the axle. it's a waste of time to do that work just for an axle that's not going to break anyway. the only thing you need to worry about is when you do go to replace it (next week or 50,000 miles from now)...make sure you get a Subaru axle or get one from MWE. aftermarket axles at autoparts stores suck. the broken boot you have now is more reliable than an aftermarket, i've seen them (and others on this board have too) explode not long after installing. this is the older generation forum, if yours is a 1998 then you would want to post in the newer generation forum, but CV's are common to all subaru's so you're in good hands over here.

i'd run a carfax on it if that's applicable in canada? probably is. just tells you if the car was ever in an accident. it's not completely unusual for a car to be repainted but it's not normal. most that i run into that are painted are either covering rust (usually poorly) or have been in an accident. you might want to read alittle about how to look for a car that was in an accident. easiest way is to check the hood and how it lines up with the fenders, same with doors and all other body parts. every line should be straight and even. a repaired vehicle typically has gaps between body parts that are skinny, then get wider at the other end so to speak. also look underneath, around wheels wells, in front of and behind wheels for signs of previous or existing rust. most likely the steering pump and rack were replaced isn't a big deal. there is some possibility that the tie rods and rack could have been damaged in an accident but that's not likely. most likely something simple and relatively common started leaking (an oring or hose/fitting on the pump). they probably didn't really need replaced. the "shop" or "mechanic" probably gave them some story about needing both when really the steering pump needed a 50 cent o-ring which is very typical of the older subaru models. it's not normal but not unheard of for a power steering pump to go bad or start leaking. usually doesn't need replaced (just a leaky line, fitting or o-ring) but shops often replace parts not o-rings on something like that. and they very typically replace other related components. i have friends and family that all the time go to get a brake job and end up needing new rotors, pads, calipers, master cylinder....i'm sure ALL of those things didn't go bad as soon as they pulled in the shop! bottom line - power steering stuff i wouldn't be concerned about at all. the paint i'd want to check into previous accident or rust.

i don't know the canadian market or exchange rate but if the rust isn't terrible that sounds like a fair deal. whatever car you buy change the ATF immediately and on an older car change the coolant as most people do not. i'd replace anything coolant related to protect the engine - thermostat, radiator hoses and hose clamps. i personally replace the timing belt, water pump, oil pump seal and cam seals when i first get a vehicle to make sure it is reliable and it's all new down there. all that stuff is together so best to change it all at the same time. i can do it myself easily so it's easy. a pre-1997 the motor will not be an interference engine so you don't have to worry about any internal engine damage if the belt breaks. might want to try to make it a year if the expense is a hinderance....but i wouldn't do that on a 97 or newer interference engine. a broken belt, water pump, or pulley bearing means possibility of major internal engine damage on 97 and newer 2.2's and all 2.5's.

what he said - horsepower is engine horsepower, not wheel horsepower. your auto and AWD system will have higher losses to the wheels than a FWD manual. and more weight than a manual/FWD as well.

if you want power, why not upgrade the block? there are forged, lighter weight and oversized pistons available that offer more performance.

mileage begins to drop around 50/55 mph. threads like this are common, do a search and read oppinions all day long.

get on craigslist and find a subaru much cheaper with a 2.2 in it. you daily find great cars in the $1,000 - $3,000 range for sale. also try autotrader.com, punch in your zipcode and look for a private sale subaru. you're likely to find a much better deal and hopefully someone with some service records or knowledge of the vehicle. that legacy has a 2.5. i would worry less about a 2.5 that i know more about. but one that's being traded in, sold on a lot, at a tow station....those are suspect. if YOU had a 2.5 to sell with a bad headgasket what would you do, sell it privately yourself or trade it in and sell it to a lot to deal with? others on this group have bought a 2.5 and shortly after found head gasket symptoms. all i'm sayhing is don't pay top dollar for a 2.5 you do'nt know much about (i don't pay top dollar for anything). $7,500 is horse************. see how this editing software does.....

is yours AWD? that doesn't help.