idosubaru

guys over at xt6.net are saying it won't work. transmission came out of a 1989 non-turbo XT. it appears the non-turbo stubby shafts won't match the xt6 axles. i need a transmission from a turbo EA82 to work in the XT6. how do the EA82 non turbo guys do a 5 lug swap?

a guy i know with an XT6 thinks he needs another transmission installed and i'd probably be the one to do it for him. i don't have any manual trans but i do have an EA82 PT4WD transmission. i'm going to drive it next week and make sure it's not the clutch first, but i'm trying to think ahead to help him out. other than swapping the rear diff and driveshaft to match what other issues might i encounter? it should bolt up right? anyone know how the 4WD mechanism works in the PT4WD EA82 trans? i can wire that into the XT6 DIFF LOCK button hopefully?

headgaskets can fail at any time. i would not assume they've been replaced nor would i assume they won't fail. type in "headgasket" using the search button under "New Generation Forum" and see how many head gasket threads get started for the 2.5. Skip (i think) has a webpage with hundreds of documented failures. this site you're on right now, usmb, is loaded with 2.5 head gasket threads, read up on them is my suggestion. don't be too scared though, this is a great motor and great car. just be informed about the decision your're making. the good news is that they rarely completely blow out and leave you stranded, it should give you warning so it's not a huge liability in terms of getting stranded somewhere. test drive it alot, drive as much and as far as you can and watch the temperature gauge. any fluctuation besides gracefully rising to operating temperature and holding dead steady should be noted. bottom line, search the forum there are tons and tons of threads and information on 2.5 headgaskets. torque bind (use search function to read up on it) is another issue. changing trans fluid and keeping your tires matching and generally being nice to the transmission helps prevent this from happening. drive around in tight circles, if you feel the car "binding" at all, it has torque bind. (this is only an issue with auto AWD transmissions, extremely rare otherwise.) great car. when you get it , have the transmission fluid changed (or make that part of the deal when you buy it) to prevent torque bind.

quit sniffing your automotive chemicals and get back to work! i'm going to try this. my car is running fine though, so not a good candidate for before/after results. if my mileage goes up to 50mpg i'll let you know (har har ha....)

since nipper says it's line pressure problems. there are a few things that can cause fluid line pressure or flow problems that are easy to check/fix: old or clogged radiator (clog in the ATF side tank), kink or bad ATF hoses, dented transmission pan. the whine sounds like issues are beginning but could be lack of flow to the trans (which won't cause desirable things to happen!). very unlikely you have rear diff issues. but even if you did they are super duper easy to replace (unlike the trans). if you're doing it yourself or want to offer good advice to your mechanic make absolutely darn sure that the torque converter is properly seated the last 1/4" before installling and bolting everything up. the torque converter apperas to be seated before it gets that last 1/4", so if you don't know it's easy to assume it's in all the way. that last 1/4" can be very tricky, it can take awhile to seat, which makes people think it's in all the way. not doing this will ruin your new transmission as soon as the engine to trans bolts are tightened. might want to install new hoses and an aftermarket cooler or new radiator so you're ATF cooling is back up to spec's and nothing causes issue there.

i have to be honest, this does not sound good. if it drove 600 miles with no problems then i'd think the block is fine. if it was cracked then it should have shown problems in those 600 miles. same with the heads i would think (in terms of cracked heads). if it's not just burping the system i'd suspect head gasket issues. i'd wonder if the gasket didn't hold for some reason. did you have the head milled properly? what brand head gasket did you use and if it was Subaru are you sure it was the latest and greatest head gasket? (it wasn't old stock was it?) i think i'd try adding some Subaru conditioner right away myself, can't hurt at this point.

you feel confident you got all the air bubbles out of the system? some have had a tough time with that even on numerous attempts. i've never had a problem with it so i'm not too experienced in it, but there's lots of threads here about that. how much was the car driven with the headgaskets being bad?

there is a board member who put a turbo on his Impreza OBS. it was originally non-turbo and has the higher compression non-turbo pistons. he had excellent results and it was fairly easy to do considering. i think there was even an easily accessible oil supply line someone on the EJ22 that he used, but i don't know much about turbo's except that it's been done. it would be my guess that there's information on this board about this kind of stuff, if he didn't write about his own set up at least. the computer didn't even need upgraded, it handled the boost quite well. he actually removed all the turbo stuff and has been driving the car for a long time, it's still in great shape and he drive it in stock form now, back to non-turbo. a 2.5 turbo will definitely drop in without a problem, i just don't know what issues you may encounter. i bet it plugs right in. the engine will be identical, it'll just have different pistons and a few other items, but the basic layout, size, motor mounts are the same. one issue with turbo motors is that the engine cross members on the older subarus are different. the turbo's require some clearance for the exhaust so you have to have a turbo crossmember on some older subaru's to get the swap to work right or customize your exhaust (not a good option). you'd think Subaru would find a way to make them all the same by now though...cheaper manufacturing costs. so...i really don't know any specifics to this swap, it's a relatively new vehicle. but it shouldn't have any problems fitting, but i'd suspect some minor issues to creep up. i'd guess NASIOC guys have more info on these specifics. you'll want an entire engine, engine wiring harness, complete intake, and exhaust. and an ECU might be nice as well.

i've swapped ECU's zillions of times without issue. did you know a 4 cylinder EA82 can run on a 6cylinder XT6 ECU????? not real well, but it does run. in your case, don't sweat it.

i like to change mine fairly often. 30,000 or so, good insurance. don't know of any way to qualify that though, that's just what i do. i use regular Valvoline, if you're using some high end synthetic like Red-line you might not want to change that often. like benebob always says, best bet would be to install an ATF temperature gauge. if it's riding high (i think 200 - 210 is high for ATF), then think about changing it more frequently. i've left mine on many times. it's obvious that it's binding though, so i turn it off right away. i have a 2 pole switch with a light wired in with it, so i can tell if it's "On" (well, er uh, off, you know how it works). easy to miss during the day though with the sun bright. i notice the binding and turn it off. no problems yet.

i've installed a simple 2 pole switch and it works great. i use it all the time, no transmission problems after a couple years of use. why would the switch cause the clutches to be fried (not including mis-use on pavement and what not!!! i haven't seen that problem and as far as i know, the other guys on the board here and at http://www.xt6.net installed it the same way.

i've installed a simple 2 pole switch and it works great. i use it all the time, no transmission problems after a couple years of use. why would the switch cause the clutches to be fried? i haven't seen that problem and as far as i know, the other guys on the board here and at http://www.xt6.net installed it the same way.

when you do get this car aligned, ask them how far off it was and where. i'd be interested to know how far off it was. be sure to tell them how it's wearing, i assume they'll see it, but want to make sure. i'm as surprised as you are. after smashing my control arm wheeling in the snow everyone swore i'd need an alignment. i was in college so i didn't bother after fixing it. never had any issues. XT6 doesn't have adjustment in one of the typical alignment directions though, whatever that means. the strut bolts aren't adjustable at all, they are straight bolts unlike the EJ series so they are whatever they are. that does make it easy to take apart the suspension and reassemble. someone either here or on xt6.net works at a tire store and told me to never bother paying for an alignment unless my tires are showing signs of uneven wear, otherwise it's a waste of money. i stuck to that and didn't ever have my last two daily drivers aligned after 120,000 miles each in my possesion. we'll see how the two new ones do. currently at 5,000 and 30,000.

i wouldn't buy a relatively new engine myself. but i'd plan on keeping the car a very long time, i'd want something that is proved solid. there's very little to go on for those that want to see long term engine performance. someone commented about sticking 6 cylinders in a horizontally opposed engine. Subaru has been doing it for a long time. XT6 (ER27), SVX (EG33) and the new H6. totally different engines, but all 6 cylinder and horizontally opposed and been around since the late 80's. i'd stick with the 2.5 all day long before going with the new H6. but that's just me, i like seeing lots of evidence of reliability, like we see in the 2.2 and 2.5, which is still avaialable!

boostedballs, the duty solenoid C and clutches are located in the rear extension housing, accessible without pulling the transmission. you can swap clutches and solenoid or swap an entire extension housing for your old one. but...for the cost of those parts you can probably just find a good used trans to swap in. might want to try a transmission fluid flush to start with. all the tires match? so it's binding and it's reving up as well? more than one symptom? might want to start another thread for your problems....

was the tire pressure ever low? what kind of driving, any hard turns? have they ever been rotated before? the rears may show wear that was actually caused when they used to be on the front? yes you can get it aligned, i know the fronts have alignment and i'm thinking the rears must as well. they have similar strut set up, i can't recall if the rear strut bolt is a cambered bolt or not off the top of my head, but the fronts certainly are. they should be able to check it and correct for that if you think everything else is solid (tire pressure, tires, driving habits...etc aren't to blame). i never get my subaru's aligned. my tires always wear perfectly. my last XT6 was retired this summer at 220,000+ miles and i never had it aligned. wrecked the control arm off roading and replaced it, replaced struts, balls joints, axles, front suspension bushings, went through a number of set of tires in all those miles and they always wore perfectly even with never having an alignment. got 30,000 miles on the impreza and it appear to wear nicely as welll.

correct on the Duty C solenoid. this has already been discussed at length in other threads. yes the POWER light (or other AT light) blinks on start up if the power is cut to Duty Solenoid C. if it's "off" (normally wired), which it almost always is, then no light blinking. i also have my shift resistor unplugged so mine blinks every time i start the car anyway. shifts much better that way and i can plug it in if i ever needed to troubleshoot, not that i've had to.

you need to be persistent, read up on the laws for your state and be very firm with the dealer. if you approach them properly and tell them it's time to get an attorney involved they will usually cooperate somehow. talk to managers, regional reps...get names and numbers and start hounding. unfortunately it requires some effort and consistency. my aunt finally got a new vehicle taken care of by the lemon law and all i remember from that time was that it was a serious PITA and some of my relatives needed to help her out, she got nowhere on her own (she's too nice).

i see people dumping new cars all the time in the DC area, as i'm scanning every day. i'd blame the economy and high car payments before i blame the car. i know two people that lost their job this summer and bought new subaru's just before that. not fun. well i don't know what i'd blame, i'm not an expert, but i wouldn't suspect it's the vehicle. the 2005 2.5 is a great motor and subaru transmissions are solid, so i can't imagine people are dumping a fully warranted vehicle for any minor issues.

yep, for a couple years on two different vehicles. i've used it plenty, it's awesome. since the EJ's don't come with center diff lock options, this makes the auto equal to or better than the manual.

i think you'll want the 4WD flywheel as well. i know there are two different flywheels for EA82...it's either FWD/4WD thing or a Turbo/Non-turbo thing. I think it's FWD/4WD though, so snag that with the trans. if you go dual range you might want the center console so the interior bits fit right with the handles? since noone brought it up i guess they all know that yours is a manual already and not an auto? if it was an auto conversion as well you'd need center console goodies, pedal cluster and some wiring tricks to get the reverse lights working properly. mr. radon over at http://www.xt6.net converted a FWD Automatic to a 4WD Manual and took lots of pictures with mad details and helpful information. might be worth having a look at his thread. i thought his carrier bearing mounting boss was there, he only needed to drill. but that may be XT6 specific only. either way it might be helpful. good luck!

done properly the new headgasket design shouldn't ever fail again. hence nippers "once and done comment". repeated failures are rare and i'm sure due to improper replacement or a mistake. there are the occassional bad blocks after a head gasket replacement (someone recently had it fail on the drive out of the shops parking lot), this happens occassionally and is probably due to too much coolant/oil mixing. that's why "Subiegal" from Subaru, a member here, is always hounding to replace the entire motor and not just the gaskets. i and most others think that's way over the top. these are probably motors that are driven way too long and overheated over and over. headgasket replacement is a fine option, but a swap can be more economical to those that care about that sort of thing. as for the subaru/honda comparison. it's unfortunate you had a bad experience, but it's not that uncommon for even honda or toyota to have issues with New motors either. for the most part they never do, but any manufacturer is subject to issues when introducing a new motor. remember Subaru still made the E81, EA82, EJ18, EJ20, EJ22, and the 2.5 is golden with new headgaskets. all of those motors are insane in terms of reliability and high mileage capability. that's a good track record in my book. that's decades worth of great motors. buying a vehicle who's motor is in the first year or two of production is not the wisest move one can make if they're looking for 200,000 or more trouble free miles. not to say it can't happen, as it did with the EA81, EA82, EJ22....but still risky no matter the manufacturer. fix the headgasket issue and move on, it's annoying but you'll end up with a great vehicle.

you didn't answer a question: do all the tires match, size, tread wear, etc? has the car ever been towed? you don't have to remove the transmission or open the case to replace the rear extension housing or just the clutches if you want to do it that way. it's bolted to the back of the trans. there is some excellent information on the boards here, with really good pictures detailing how to do this. use the search button and plug around for appropriate terms.

right on wayne, i do my head gasket jobs in the car every time unless i'm doing a clutch or something. pulling motors takes alot of time for sure and i just hate doing it. but a 2.2 swap can be more economical and a good option for some people...like i mentioned above. and i've never even suggested throwing away a 2.5, they're worth good money and typically pay for half the cost of installing a 2.2.

i agree with you in that replacing the headgasket is a good idea for some. i can drop a grand as i please with no ill effect, not everyone can do that and swapping a 2.2 is cheaper if you can't do it yourself. now...if money isn't an issue then yeah, i'd recommend a head gasket replacement as well. i don't think they're junk at all. you can get $300-$600 selling your used blown headgasket 2.5 if it's still in good condition, which can just about pay for your 2.2 swap. which is part of the cost benefit of the swap for those that care about the $.