idosubaru

i've seen some front diff dipsticks that are actually threaded, they need to be turned counter clockwise to remove. but i've seen both styles on the exact same style vehicle...some threaded, some not. haven't figured out that variation, but i'd assume it's threaded and see if it comes out. the threaded ones are annoying to check the oil with as you have to remove, clean and thread it back down so it's fully seated for a good oil level reading.

depends which seals and what else you're going to have done while it's apart seals only cost a few dollars and you could probably find a place to replace the crank seal, reseal the oil pump, cam seals and o-rings for $300-$500. start adding in new timing belts, new water pump and the price goes up depending what they want to charge you for those items and additional installation costs (water pump).

and welcome from another maryland board member!

i'd do one more compression test just to be sure you get the same numbers. you probably will but for a headgasket diagnosis it's nice to be sure. they should be fine. if a machine shop is doing a valve job and milling them they will test them and see how far out they are first. yes i've got a write up here and at http://www.xt6.net on how to repack timing pulley bearings. it involves a grease gun and a 3 dollar needle type fitting for the grease gun. you can also buy new or source bearings and have new ones pressed in (but this is really annoying finding the bearings and pressing them in and ends up being expensive anyway). exhaust - i'd look for a used exhaust myself. depending how bad it is an honest exhaust shop will typically weld in some new pipe or flanges for not much $. problem is finding a shop that doesn't want to try to get you for a couple hundred bucks. pipe, flanges and gaskets are super cheap, so exhaust work doeesn't have to cost much.

save yourself some grief and install Subaru OEM wires only. any other off the shelf wires from the parts store are likely to cause issue sometime down the road, i've even seen brand new ones cause problems. the design of the EJ motors is not very forgiving.

subaru manual trans have low failure rates, so i'd guess it's something clutch related as well. doubtful you need a trans. i'd change the trans fluid for giggles. then i'd look at the clutch cable. after that you probably need a clutch change, new pilot bearing, throw out bearing and retaining clips and grease the necessary areas.

i've seen this happen if tires aren't the same tread depth. the TCU will act really weird...like it's confused, usually at low speeds...think parking lots or turns. it's been a while but the ones i've seen would even act strange driving straight, not just while turning. if it acts funny at all while driving straight i'd look into the tread depth, tire pressure and make sure all the tires are warn evenly. after that maybe check into the speed sensors? (the speed sensos suggestion is a shot in the dark though). if it never does it while going straight, only while turning i'd be changing the ATF right away. i'd check ATF, front diff and rear diff oils.

that binding and all is killing the transmission or at least the rear transfer clutches. if it is shifting okay, then the TCU is excepting hte transmission and this entire deal might be much eaiser than swapping transmissions yet again. if hte trans seems to be shifting okay (you didn't say it wasn't), then the torque bind issues is due to the rear diff ratio being different than the front diff (which is essentially part of the transmission assembly). the rear diff is waaaaay easier to swap out than the transmission. i'd find out what the final drive ratio is of the year vehicle the transmission came out of and get an idential rear differential to match. rear diffs are cheap (i've seen them for well under $50), easy to ship and super duper easy to swap. that's the easiest way to get back on the road. temporarily you could install a switch to inhibit and activate Duty solenoid C (or install a fuse in the FWD switch) to keep the thing from binding up so bad.

in 1993 i owned an XT that was only a few years old. 4 cylinder EA82, same engine as the loyale but with MPFI and better aerodynamics. FWD manual. on all highway trips i'd get 40-42 mpg at 70-75 mph the entire way. did it more times than i can count. driving around the 55-60 mark should improve that. but there are some contingencies here....this is over 10 years ago, maybe the gas was a little different back then, i don't know? the motor must be running in excellent condition. how is the alignment, bearings, drivetrain doing? also, this was all highway mileage, no city driving at all. i think i'd question the calculations of anyone saying they're getting over 40 mpg with stop and go driving. first you need to consider your driving habits. are you light on the pedal and what kind of driving are you doing. if you think you're still far off i'd look at the condition of the engine, realizing it is very old and may need a serious tune up or have issues that don't allow for highest possible mpg. 40 is attainable but i would'nt consider it a given for all EA82's in all driving conditions, it is more than likely the exception and not the rule. the motors are old and few people drive in a way that allows little stop and go driving. a 4mpg difference at this mileage is only %10, not a huge percentage change. at 20 mpg....you'd hardly notice a %10 difference as it's only 2mpg. the 150,000 mile injectors i've sent off and had professionally rebuilt and cleaned worked fine but they also tested as "dripping" or "leaking", so they're using and loosing fuel all the time, not just during the short duty cycle when the injector is opened. that's wasted fuel and not surprising on a 15 year old injector with that many miles. if the vehicle is loosing fuel, there's no way to remedy that without removing them and having them tested and rebuilt. service runs $50 - $100 depending where you send them.

i don't know jack. but the roughness of the intake and the tight turns it takes to get from throttle body to combustion chamber cause turbulance that aids in this. whether that can be improved upon i have no idea. that's why you don't polish the intake ports like you would the exhaust ports when you "port and polish" the heads. experiment away.

pool stick may also be a viable candidate, i've used one of those before, but not on an EA81.

i like bills idea of seafoam if you're not going to change the oil for awhile. i would leave running with ATF in the engine as an intermediate step, not a first step. i've done it plenty of times with no problem and others have as well (like GD mentioned), but i like to keep as much oil in there as possible unless it doesn't work.

sounds like a bad job by the previous mechanic. the wheel bearings may not be ruined, i would not replace them unless there's sure signs of damage/issues. how long did you drive the vehicle like this? an entire used hub can be purchased for $35 - $75. i'd buy a used hub and have it installed before paying for new bearings and all that labor on a hub that could have issues anyway. they are easy to swap and these front bearings don't fail enough to cause alarm in installing a used one.

he probably could have defined the term "hand tightened" a little better. he didn't mean loose. more like - not seized/rusted/impacted on to the point where he can't get it off with standard home procedures involving hammers, pipes and the like.

i'd probably just change the oil first. if that doesn't help, add the ATF a little before the next change.

how do you know that the ball joints are rusted? they are hard to visually inspect. most of what you see is a castle nut and rubber boot right? but yeah, replace any ball joint if any bad signs. nipper forgot to mention "roll over" as more failed ball joint fun.

one issue i can think of, the 95 head has an EGR port in the exhaust, a 90-94 head i think does not. if you're removing the EGR stuff it shouldn't matter though.

i wouldn't worry too much about the rear diff right now. that's not likely to cause you any problems any time soon like nipper said. they'll make tons of noise and still won't fail. same with clunk, it's related like nip said. focus on the trans for now.

small size is all you'll want, don't worry about getting one that's larger. it's really not "small", that's just relative to the other sizes available. relative to your current cooler it's enormous.

always change your oil right away if you don't know how old it is or it's been a long time. i'd change the oil then add whatever you want after the fact. that old stuff has got to come out, it's not very HLA friendly.

i just removed an axle last week from my parts car, it was very easy and i didn't touch the control arm. i unbolted the strut and it popped right out. installing might be different though since you won't want to mess with that adjustable bolt in the strut.

a pair of channel locks can be used to "push" them out from behind. you're pushing the insert out with the bolt. the proper selection of channel locks and something to aid pushing will push them out easily.

i thought every EA82T piston was identical? 7.7:1 compression.

LONGER BOLT. there is no reason to search for a nother solution, this it the best. i've done it dozens of times. there's plenty of room for a longer bolt. the only trick is not getting one that's too long. keep trying until you get the right size or cut a longer one down to the appropriate size. use a toothpick or something to stick down in the hole and see how deep it is. hold that up to your stock bolt and that shows you how much longer the new bolt needs to be. washers under the head will effectively "shorten" any bolt that is too long. be a good idea to chase the threads first with a tap to make sure they are as clean as possible. if for some reason you have a problem with this then helicoil will work just fine. helicoil on the cam cap holes is easy. you'll need a right angle drill or attachment probably if the engine is in the vehicle.

check this out and move on from there. i agree...they probably did but until you verify that you can't do anything. you'll likley have to sue or threaten to at least, unless you're good. insurance companies don't maximize profits by giving out money any time they have a chance. they play hard ball, they have more money, resources, training and lawyers than you do. they'll ask what's wrong with the vehicle and you'll have nothing to show them but a car that runs and drives fine. they're used to people not following through with anything so they or their insurance will more or less drag you along. they're good, they'll make you feel like they're being considerate and doing their best to help, but don't be distracted by their ploys, they're trained to do that. be prepared to get serious and in their face (or have a lawyer do it for you) if you want results, do that and you will win. if you hope the insurance company is honest and respectful about a mistake you will have an uphill battle. good luck and let us know how it goes.