idosubaru

rumor and gossip? that's certainly not truthful. please type in "headgasket" into the search bar and see what comes up in the new gen forum. notice the lack of 2.2's (eventhough they've been around much longer). the 2.5 is a great motor, but i can fully understand an engine swap too for those that can't do headgasket work like i can.

are you positive all of your tires match perfectly? no differences in size, wear, etc? the rear extension housing is the very end of the transmission that the driveshaft slides into. it is not the rear diff. it houses the transfer clutches that are likely causing your binding. it is fairly easy to remove from the transmission as an assembly and replace either the clutches or just replace with an entirely new rear extension housing from another auto trans. it's easy as far as auto trans work goes, normally you'd be hard pressed to do much repairing or replacing of internal automatic transmission parts, but this is one item that can be done. if it's been like that for awhile i wouldn't expect a fluid change to help.

he replaced the center diff? do you mean rear diff or transfer clutches? auto's don't have a center diff. does it go away with the FWD fuse in? the front and rear are positively the same ratio?

with no jack you can "prop" the car up on a curb or something if you know what you're doing. it's very easy, but if you slam into the curb at a bad angle and bust the bead on your tire or puncture the sidewall then i don't recommend it. i've done it a zillion times. sounds like you have torque bind so the noises you're hearing are more than likely stresses on your drivetrain (driveshaft, diff, axles, bushings...etc), and not your transmission. although it could be trans or both of course. fluid change can help torque bind and torque bind can also be repaired without removing the trans by replacing the rear extension housing which should be cheaper than replacing the trans. i'd have some kind of screen available to filter the fluid out as you drain it, might find something in it (hope not, but.....)

next time i'm at the parts store i'll see if they have any 87 4 cyl and 6 cyl in stock and also 1995 and up (as another post mentioned). a visual should clarify.

i agree, doubtful those mounts will solve your issues.

have you checked the fluid? changed the fluid? anything come out with the fluid...chunks, debris, etc? is it torque bind? does it ever bind when turning? does the light blink when you first start the car? make sure the noises and grinding aren't driveline related: rear diff, driveshaft, ujoint, axle...etc. don't want to blame an expensive trans on something simple. if all else fails you can have a used trans installed for well under $1,000 if you do a little looking around. it's not too hard to find one around $300 and have it installed for a couple hundred.

where's the leak coming from? all of the bolts are loose or just some? if the bolts are corroded, dirty or the holes are dirty they may "tigthen" but the threads (bolt and holes) need to be clean to get a proper torque.

i didn't see the A pillar damage? that's a good engine it's an EJ just like the 2.2. it's gutless from the comments on the board, but should prove reliable if that's what you want. a 2.2 is probably plug and play so long as there aren't any canadian differences.

i read Numbchux write up and he said he used 1987 calipers??? did he mean 1997?here's his write up: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=63647 if it is 1987 like it says, then is it 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder 200SX calipers?

derrick, what did you figure out? i can't seem to nail down whether it's 4 cylinder or 6 cylinder calipers off the 200SX as they are different. anyone who knows, please post.

great gas mileage maybe?....back to the old EA82 days and 40 mpg (35 for all the non-XT guys).

i don't know the best method, except to say you are wise to do something about it. even if it's just to drain the old nastiness. if it's still together, change the oil and drain all the coolant. you can run the engine for a short period of time without coolant, before it begins to heat up. so you have time to cycle in new oil or some of those flushing agents if anyone recommends that. definiitely get the coolant and water out of there as soon as possible.

if you order one of these from a junk yard, you can just order the entire assembly, no worries on all the little pieces. the entire assembly will bolt on very easily.

late model 2.2's are awesome. much better than the 2.5's (in my oppinion due to head gasket issues). i'd plan for a very thorough maintenance if you plan on keeping it awhile (which it seems you would). the timing belt and water pump should be replaced and the timing belt pulleys should all be carefully inspected. any that are even a little noisey or free spinning should be replaced. the 97 and up 2.2's are interference engines, if one of those bearings go, so does your timing belt and bad things can happen to the engine. you could probably get away with a timing belt now and address the water pump and pulleys on the next timing belt, but i personally do mine at the same time. $100 isn't worth it to me. don't forget to pay attention to clutch play and the clutch itself. that's an expensive job. good luck and have fun.

come on let's give good information here...attack the REAR of the tranny with a large hammer. har har har.... i'd do what he said, change the fluid a few times. does it still bind with the FWD fuse in? i'm assuming it does or you wouldn't be checking the rear wheels right?

hey nip! quit picking on me!

yep, get some standard legacy struts from the same year/model/etc and you'll be golden. lots of others will swap as well, but the closer to the same as yours the better chance you have of setting level. i'm familiar with the XT6 air suspension more than the specifics of the legacy, but you have all sorts of options. i wouldn't pay any more than $35 for each strut if i were you. so $150 tops for all 4 spring struts. i'd buy the entire assembly too, don't piece it together. and send me your air suspension compressor when you're done the swap.

i think all the information you need is in that thread. it is highly unlikely you have electrical issues. i think you'd be spending lots of time looking for something that isn't there. if you want to thoroughly trouble shoot this thing electrically then your best bet is probably to go through the trouble shootin schematics of the FSM. they are quite thorough and detail everything. i think those are available online but i don't know where.

WOW, so a 1996 OBW has the same transmission as a 1988 XT6? weirdo. what phase is mine....a negative 1? a zero? maybe they started counting over again with the EJ series? how confusing.

it would be helpful to know if you're experienced with Subaru's such that you've already ruled all the common 4EAT issues. Or describe the issues you're having so we can see if any typical issues are the cause of your problems before chasing weird electrical issues that rarely/if ever cause issue. if it was electrical/grounding in nature i'd want to know if the car has ever been wrecked, flooded, any body work, etc? not that is matters, but i don't think you have a Phase I 4EAT. you have a Phase I EJ25 engine possibly, but the 4EAT was out well before the EJ25 motor.

i had to check the URL to make sure this wasn't nabisoc. mountains do require downshifting to maintain speed, that's very typical depending on the gearing. i haven't driven every possible subaru auto and gear ratio available but all of the ones i have driven require shifting when driving through the mountains, to maintain highway speed over very steep inclines. good luck anyone proving either way, there's no quantitative testing to look at. the 4EAT is fairly robust and will withstand a good deal. this is such a benign issue, next thread y'all!

nipper is correct, you should use a torque wrench, but i never do. i do guarantee i'm getting well past the recommended value. it's a cast iron crank and i've never seen one strip. i use a 3 foot pipe over my socket wrench and crank that mofo hard as i can. they never come off that way. i've done a few without the pipe and they've always held as well, but i don't hold back if you know what i mean. i even have a torque wrench, but have no plans on keeping it only to the recommended spec's, i'll go all out on that one. this problem is too common and causes too much headache to risk. if the motor is turning or the wheels are moving at all (if MT is in gear), the bolt is not turning with all the force you're giving it. make sure the car and crank are locked in tight so the bolt does the turning and nothing else.

i've heard other "gas" alternatives are escalating in price too, making conversion less cost friendly in the U.S. propane and NG varies wildly across different areas/regions. i know nothing about these conversions but have read alot about it. it's something i'd like to do but don't and will never have the time to learn it. i'd only do it myself for the learning aspect of it.

a 2.2 up to 1998 will work as well. the only thing you'll need is the exhaust manifold as well. the 95 just doesn't require the exhaust manifold. but that one item isn't worth reducing your possibilities. in 1999 the 2.2 changed a good bit, don't know if it would work for sure or not, i'd bet it would but i have nothing to confirm that. to recap - you'll need either a 1995 engine. or a 1996-1998 with exhaust manifold. with either of those two choices the swap is the same regarding everything else.