GeneralDisorder

Noise when the pedal is pressed is typically clutch bearings - noise when released is often teansmission bearings. Sounds like something is coming apart inside the tranny. Try shifting in/out of 4WD - that will tell you if its a front or rear input shaft issue. What car? What transmission? GD

There is a good reason to ditch the EJ25D heads even if you already have them - basically it comes down to cost and ease of maintenance. It is orders of magnitude cheaper to rebuild, add cams, and maintain (valve adjust, spark plugs, etc) the SOHC heads. For that reason alone it os a great option for some of us who dont want to spend $1500 on *just* head work to get the same low-end grunt as the 22E heads and maybea little better top-end...... which a lot of us don't care about anyway. GD

You want butyl rubber - it comes in rolls at any good auto parts / auto body supply, etc. The lights don't have to be cleaned of all the old rubber - just remove dirt, debris, etc. I would not use silicone personally. GD

The power difference isn't that great - especially coming from a worn out 2.5 to a good condition 2.2. Remember the 96 outback 5 speeds were factory 2.2 cars. I'm in Portland Oregon unfortunately - wish you were closer. The power steering bracket issue is easily solved with some 2.2 lines - simple to install with the engine. When I do this swap it looks 100% stock. No one has complained about the power difference - a good running 2.2 is still pretty peppy. GD

Too bad you arent closer - I can easily swap in a used 2.2 with waranty (6 month, 6k miles) for about $1000 with all new belts/tensioners, water pump, hoses, etc. Just did one for a board member for $970 out the door. Ask for help in the wanted section - might be theres a member in your area that does this kind of work. In any case look for a 95 to 98 2.2 from an automatic with EGR. Any of those will bolt right in either directly (95's) or by swapping the front exhaust section (96+). They are also a lot cheaper - abouta third to half the price of the 2.5's. GD

I would say that a very high percentage of axle failures on EA's is due to people not really understanding the mechanical lock system being used here. Very often the "clicking" is not from the joint but rather from the cone washer not being properly seated or being worn and no longer locking to the axle shaft. Personally I've never had a problem with an EMPI other than a boot failure after a couple years. NAPA reman's are junk and I've seen them fail on rhe DOJ side. GD

In a pinch you could use a two-wire pickup disty but you will lose knock control by doing it. The only thing i know of that you can use for sure is another 85/86 turbo distributor if you want to retain knock control. Alternatively you could switch over to something like an MSD ignition controller with the ability to retard timing under boost - then use the standard two-wire carbed dirty. Or you could swap over to a complete 87+ fuel/ignition system and its associated optical disty. You can have a place like philbin rebuild your current unit with new bushings..... GD

18mm non fouler. Yeah - just do all three. And yes you are making this way too complicated. 1. Drill through the non-fouler with a 1/2" bit. 2. Unscrew sensor(s) using an open-end wrench, Ford wrench, crescent, etc 3. Thread sensor into non-fouler. 4. Thread the assembly back into the exhaust and tighten. Done. Takes about 15 minutes. GD

The big deal is the cheap power they make. 1. The compression increase is the biggest reason. Increases thermal efficiency and that is effective for making power. 2. 25D heads are about $500 to have rebuilt. Then cams are about $450 or so on top of that. Port/polish work can runs hundreds more - without increasing the comp. You might gain as much as the 22 heads if you have about $1500 to drop on just your heads. 3. You use the 25D gaskets. Gasket must match the cylinder bore. 4. You continue to use the cheap 22 timing belt setup. 5. You must run 91 octane or better. Same as a turbo. The goal of the frankenmotor is cheap power - rebuilding the 25D block is not typically done as it will increase the cost. Often you can find cast-off blocks from people building EJ257 turbos using the EJ25D heads. I just got a nice short block for $100. I paid another $100 for a 97 EJ22 with a rod knock. I will do a light hone, new rings and bearings plus the torque cams..... probably be into it about $500. See how this works? You can't build an EJ25D for anything comparable. Plus I like the simplicity of the EJ22 heads with their easily adjusted valves, etc. It's just a great combo all around. GD

I just get used ones personally. There are plenty of suppliers that sell just the pump - some of them come with the pickup/bag. And yes theres nothing keeping it from sucking debris without the pickup. GD

If you don't want a reground cam (why not?) then there aren't any performance cams available. Unless you want to do something like the frankenmotor you are very limited. Reground cams are the best option but if you don't want those then you are prett much stuck. GD

Rectifier failure in the alt. The indicator lamp circuits are on a common 12v bus and the AC current from the alt causes them to light up. GD

It's just that specific engine - others are not like that at all. The early EJ engines especially are super reliable and simple to work on. The EA82 and especially the turbo version was a low-point for Subaru. Get a 90 to 94 legacy - much better than a corrolla - same reliability but awd. GD

I'll put my 4lb hammer up against any breaker bar. This is why really big impacts were invented - sharp blows applied repeatedly do the trick. I havent met my match yet and do not own any 3/4" drive tools. It's all about how you use the force. People that have been to my shop know of what I speak. I laid aside all that big cumbersome stuff when I left the army. There's good reasons I don't drive big trucks - the dang parts are too heavy and the fasteners are too tight! These are Subaru's not tanks! GD

I also prefer the first-gen seats - 90 to 94 were all about quality. After that things started to suffer from the cost cutting ax. Seat foam and fabric was definitely one of them. I know a good upholstery shop that could make them better but a nice first-gen set would bolt in also..... steal the wifes seats. LOL. GD

Are you sure your problem isnt just some leaky pipe or gaskets? Loss of exhaust before the cats will cause them to not get hot enough to work..... cold outside temps right now..... sounds plausible. GD

Yeah - pull back the carpet and its like 10 nuts and the whole assembly pulls out of the tank. The pickup has a flat, square nylon mesh "bag" that I guess you could call a sock of sorts. Some carpet, nuts, few hoses, and a couple connectors. No big deal on a Subaru unlike most cars where you must drop the tank. GD

I've covered it a couple dozen times at least complete with pics. Do a search with my username. GD

Manifold won't fit a non-turbo. Different heads entirely. You could swap the heads but the compression will be too high unless you also swap the pistons. Bottom end failure isn't usually how the turbos die but whatever - the result is always the same with that motor - frustration and disappointment. Ditch that ride and get a nice legacy. GD

I don't think it will hurt anything to leave it for a while. Takes about 20 minutes to pull the pump. I got a used assembly and replaced the whole thing - easier than fussing with that filter. GD

And you still need a tranny to handle the power - not to mention wiring, shipping, pedal assembly, etc. Buying parts car for 8k would be cheaper. GD

For future reference there is a belt that can be used to run just the alt - many people that have EJ swapped their EA vehicle. I would look it up in the EJ swap threads but I'm on my android phone. GD

I would say the frankenmotor is easily 180 HP - possibly more. Consider that it's a 165 HP block that's been raised from 9.7:1 to around 11:1 or a bit higher using the small CC 2.2 combustion chamber heads. Further it has Delta torque cams that lower the torque peak - they breathe like crazy at low rpm - we were told the torque starts pulling pretty hard at 1200 rpm. I don't doubt it. It's not a winder - the heads flow poorly at high rpm. It runs out of steam at about 5500. But till then it pulls like a train. I think the last one I built cost about $700 with a strong used 25, rebuilt heads, and the torque cams. That's using the heads and manifold from the 2.2 that was in the car. It's a very cost-effective upgrade. As noted an STi swap will be prohobitively expensive and a ton of work. You will need a whole donor car for certain. You will never recover the cost and you will ruin the value of the car because no one wants to buy someone's project like that. GD

I recently had a legacy where the filter/tube on the end of the pump was AWOL due to an aftermarket fuel pump replacement. Guess they didnt think they needed it. That left it with about 4" less pickup and it would die on hard right turns when it was low. Something to investigate. I would pull the pump and inspect. GD

Pics would help. A slight missalignent with v belts is not a big deal. They will handle quite a bit. That said - I would need pics of your setup to further advise. GD