GeneralDisorder

Rev the engine while you stand there watching the hoses - pin-hole leaks like to spray when the water pump picks up speed. GD

Interesting.... So it won't throw codes if it sees the vss signal and the park signal at the same time? That would seem like a large oversight on the part of the software engineers. If I wrote that software I would be calling the park switch bad at that point. I guess if it works without codes that's great. Im guessing that probably wouldn't fly on the OBD-II's. I would never have thought to try that - thanks for the info. GD

Last time I had that problem on a Legacy it was because the pickup tube that was supposed to be on the bottom of the fuel pump was missing due to some hack replacing the fuel pump and leaving it out. It's a short tube attached to a mesh bag that keeps rocks, birds, and small children out of the pump. GD

Application of penetrant usually helps also. They end up fretted in place - almost always. GD

I have seen it done the other direction - that is phase-II into phase-I. Specifically taking a phase-II 2.5 and putting it in a '95 Impreza. This was done by fitting the '95 1.8 manifold to the 2.5 heads using custom adaptors and then using the 1.8 cam and crank sprockets. If you can do it that direction, then it can be done the other direction. Using the 2.5 wireing harness on the 2.2 manifold...... well that might work but the 2.2 manifold uses a totally different idle control system so I'm dubious as to how that would play out. Besides that the 2.5 manifold flows a lot better so building adaptor plates to mate the 2.5 manifold to the older heads would be the way I would do it. Pretty sure the crank and cam sprockets will in fact swap. GD

Contact sube101 (Steven). He has these jigged up and can build you a set or a couple sets if you like. Could be about a week right now as their water jet went down for a week due to a pump failure they are playing catch up with internet orders.... The design was mine - the implementation is all sube101. Oh and those pics are of the proto-types. I'm sure your's will be prettier. Also you have a choice of aluminized or stainless and weld or slip-fit. Slip fit uses 1-3/4" standard exhaust clamps. I would have welded the ones in the pictures but we wanted to prove the concept of the slip-fit version for people that can't weld them or don't wish to. GD

But it will throw codes and may not behave itself all the time. They like to be pissy about idle speeds, etc. GD

You can do it but you will need to make custom manifold adaptors to fit the 2.5 manifold to the 2.2 heads. GD

Flywheel should be fine to resurface at least three times. They are really heavy - something stupid like 26 lbs. No problem taking off a few thou. I have a clutch kit here in my shop I can sell you - bought it for an '03 Baja but didn't end up using it because the thing had a new (3500 mile) clutch in it already. Will fit the '91 just fine. Just need a tranny - shouldn't be hard to fine one. Here's one in Longview for $275: 1992 Transmission Subaru Legacy SK7263 $275 D and S Light Truck USA-WA(Longview) 1-877-575-1676 GD

If you want a set of the header conversion pipes let me know. I was having him run off like 5 sets initially - used one a couple weeks ago. I was lucky to find a '95 engine for the forester I did last week but I may need another for a legacy I'm looking for an engine for. GD

Interesting. I'm betting there's some real nasty carnage inside that transmission. The fact that it was popping out of gears..... this is not a common issue with the AWD 5MT's so I'm sure it's totally blowed up inside. Drain the gear oil - I bet there's a whole party pack of little metal favors in there. GD

Hood release cable is dealer only, yeah. Not that bad to replace actually. The fenders are all the same. I've put wagon fenders on three-door coupes before. As well as complete front clips... some welding required. GD

Yes and no. The struts will fit but the 01 Forester rear top-hats will not. And your top-hats will not fit the '01 rear springs. You will need rear top-hats from a '92 to '94. *edit*..... not sure on the XT rear springs. They might fit your rear top hats. Probably not though. '04 STi springs will fit your 91 rear top hats.... and I think the rest of the pack didn't change back to cone springs till '06.... GD

Resistors won't work. You can fool the ECU into thinking the solenoid is good but that won't provide the MAP sensor pulse when the EGR opens or the O2 sensor readings the ECU is looking for to determine the EGR is working. If you do a bit of reasearch on P0400 codes you will find that people have tried plugging in working EGR solenoids (your co-worker's "resistor" trick is the same thing) and that doesn't work. You can try swapping out to an EJ22 manual transmission ECU. That may work since your 25D was a manual to begin with. GD

Flanges aren't even close, nor is the width. Pipe ID is too restrictive. Not worth the effort. I have a solution to that problem. We will be producing them soon. It's a flanged pipe that is either a slip fit or weld fit to the dual-port header by simply cutting off the dual port merge section right at the weld. These will be selling for about $65 to $75 a set and will fit in flat-rate boxes. TIG welded and water jet cut flanges. These are made by our own sube101 (http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showpost.php?p=1081922&postcount=36): Finding single port EJ22 headers is very tricky. Subaru wants a mint for them and there are no aftermarket providers. GD

Crazier things have been done. But don't you think you should start with a bit smaller of a project first? I could do what you are proposing in my shop with the tool I have now - I would want for an item or two still but I could do it..... just. That is to say I could do it safely and accurately enough that I would allow my mother to ride in it. I think you fail to grasp the magnitude of the project you are proposing. There is not one single part on your car that will be compatible or even close. You are talking about taking the entire drivetrain and suspension from an EJ series and transplanting your body on top of it. The right way to do this is to strip the pickle down to a bare chassis, stick it on a rotisserie (which I don't even have - I would have to "make due" with just my car lift ) and start adding and subracting to make the EJ front and rear x-members bolt up. This takes a LOT of precision measurement, a bit of trigonometry, etc. There will be many hours of just staring at the thing deciding what/how you want to proceed. Trust me - I'm building a FIA spec roll cage for a Brat right now. And what you are proposing will be just as intense if not more. For what you want to do - wrecked WRX. Parts list: 1. All of them Oh - and: Step 1: Buy something else to drive for the next five years while your car is stripped to the unibody. Also - personally I don't beleive there is enough additional benefits to the EJ suspension to warrant going to the trouble to swap over to it. Now that's just my personal feeling on the matter. The Brat I'm building a roll cage for is shortly going to be running full five lug using selected peices from the EJ suspension, some custom bits, and some from the XT6.... but not the full system. Still runs trailing arms in the back, etc. And it was a lot less work that swapping to the full EJ x-members. GD

The frankenmotor is high compression (10.5:1 to 12:1). High compression and forced induction (of any kind) do not play together. Superchargers are not as efficient as turbo chargers and are a lot more invloved to attach being belt, chain, or gear driven. You are talking about a lot of custom machine work to even mount a SC and then mondo tuning besides. You can't just strap one on with bailing wire and rubber bands. This is a serious project and will require serious work to do it right by you or whomever you hire. Transmission and suspension.... your question of "how new can I go?" is a big clue that you aren't prepared to do this. The answer (of course) is that you can't go to anything newer without major modifications. And.... If you are willing to make major modifications then anything is possible. So that question has every possible answer and they are all accurate. Thus none of them are useful. GD

You have several choices: 1. Jam something in the ring gear at the back of the engine (flywheel or torque converter) - a punch or strong screwdriver, etc. I don't use this method. Tends to be frustrating and break tools. 2. Thread rope into the #1 cylinder on the compression stroke (all valves closed) and then tun the engine over till the piston jams against the head. 3. Use hysteresis. An object at rest tends to stay that way. IE - an impact wrench (I have an IR right-angle impact just for this), or a hefty ratchet handle and a 4 lb drilling hammer, etc. For my money and time - the 4 lb drilling hammer, hefty ratchet handle, 22mm socket, and hysteresis is the quickest method if you don't have air and impacts. Usually the balancer chewing into the timing cover is because the cover is soaked with oil from front main seal leaks and has swelled - bulging out at the bottom and contacting the balancer. Or it was improperly installed and is wobbling, etc. GD

Quickest removal method is going to be welding a nut to it and spinning it out with an impact. GD

Permatex Anaerobic or Loctite 518. RTV is also ok but I prefer the anaerobic flange sealants. GD

You can't rely on the gauge. Check your coolant temp with a temp gun. Your gauge is probably not accurate. GD

Possible but not desireable. Idle is going to depend on the engine. Most will not idle well that lean. It's lean *best* idle for a reason. You want a smooth idle but as lean as you can get and still have it smooth. Sometimes that mean stoich - sometimes richer. Usually not leaner though. WOT is going to be somewhere around 13 or 13.5 for best power and to keep EGT's reasonable. Part throttle cruise should be as lean as you can get without a lean surge. GD

Possible but not desireable. Idle is going to depend on the engine. Most will not idle well that lean. It's lean *best* idle for a reason. You want a smooth idle but as lean as you can get and still have it smooth.

I have not found this to apply to properly applied Permatex Anaerobic or Loctite 518. I have done multiple pans with these products and ran them immediately with no leaks. It's a great product and has virtually replaced all the RTV I use. It's easier to work with, never goes bad in the tube, doesn't stick permanently to rags and clothing, and cleans up easy. I do concur that RTV does seem to require some setup time for best adhesion and leak resistance. GD

Something I've discovered about flex-plate to TC bolts.... I now have a small car lift in my garage and can lift the car easily. I put the car about 18" off the ground and then I setup my bottle jack and jack the engine and tranny free from the cross-member (after doing the exhaust, the motor mounts, pitching stopper, and all that other fun stuff on the top). Then I remove the bell-housing dust cover and access the TC bolts from there. With the engine lifted about 3" to 4" they are easily accessed with a 3/8 drive socket and wobbly. Versus doing them from the hole on top of the engine. If the manifold is off then it's no problem to do them from there but otherwise it's often much simpler down below. GD