GeneralDisorder

They last forever if some wingnut doesn't damage them when changing the axle. Axle swap is about 15 minutes on that car. Seal is going to add about 5 minutes. Axle and seal both fall under the hour minimum at my shop. I will do both front axles for 1.5 hours.

Here's the manual resource I use: https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?18087-Subaru-Factory-Service-Manuals-(FSM)-Every-Model-USDM-EU GD

All the optical SPFI distributors have the screw held rotor. And yes blue loctite is probably the best bet. Make sure there is no oil or grease in there so it has the best chance to setup. GD

Screw fell out of distributor rotor.

It won't hurt anything if it breaks. And all you need to do is remove the outer covers to inspect it. GD

Idle control would not keep it from starting. You say the engine sound changed - check for a broken timing belt. GD

No - never buy that Chinese junk from autozone. Here's a smokin deal on an OEM JECS sensor: https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-UNISIA-JECS-KNOCK-SENSOR-P-N-22060-AA031/332812539727 GD

Yes it will make it work a LOT better. Without it you are in limp mode for ignition timing. The knock sensor protects the engine from poor quality gasoline or other causes of detonation. GD

Buy a new sensor. Cleaning it is not likely to work. GD

Yes it sounds like you are well equipped to deal with these then. I am mostly cautioning prospective buyers of "cheap" older Subaru's that these are a poor choice for someone looking for a first car, or a daily driver, etc. They are NOT that. I know it sounds silly, but the EA82 chassis is not the one you want if you want simplicity and frustration free. You want the EA81 chassis for that. Look for a really nice 82 to 84 GL wagon, or hatch. The EA81 is a much easier engine to work on than the EA82 and to some extent has more support. No timing belts and much easier to work on. Still going to be hard to find parts but if you have the money anything can be found or made. I still maintain and drive a lifted EA81 hatchback. Contrary to what people think around here - I don't hate them. I just see the reality of the situation and that reality is these are not for most people anymore. They are for collectors, folks with lots of parts, time, and money to maintain them. I have customer that pay me to work on their EA chassis cars and the bills are OUTRAGEOUS. Because no other shops have the knowledge or know where to the get the parts anymore. Trust me - I couldn't afford to pay myself to work on these cars. GD

That's insane. Those cars are worth nothing more than scrap value. Seriously it's a horrible idea. Get a Legacy, Forester, etc. What are you trying to accomplish with buying a dead platform for 1000% more than its worth? These cars have about 90 HP, and you can't get any parts to fix them properly. Try to find a decent drive axle.... or an engine oil pump... you can't maintain them in a meaningful way.

They popped the spring out of the axle seal or cut the seal when they were removing or installing the axle from the front diff. You are slowly losing gear oil due to a lack of seal lip spring tension. The mechanic that installed the axle owes you a seal. GD

Don't. You'll make the already poor tire wear situation worse.

Look for a Legacy. The EA82 chassis is a dead platform with little to no parts availability. Working AC is unlikely and converting from R12 to R134 is easily a $1k+ proposition. With how inexpensive Legacy's are it's crazy to buy a Loyale. 95 to 99 Legacy's are SUPER cheap and already have easily repaired R134 systems and MUCH more reliable drive-trains with excellent parts availability. GD

No it's just a single core in there. The flapper door system I suspect is setup for dual climate control though and you may have an actuator that is failing to respond to the HVAC controls or the HVAC controls are not telling the actuator to move. It's got to be a problem with misdirected airflow. Either something is stuck, or an actuator isn't moving. These cars have pretty complex actuator systems for the HVAC. It's honestly a total nightmare even at the dealer level. And about 75% of the time it's the HVAC control panel itself that's to blame as they have a high rate of solder joint failure on the circuit board. The best fix I have seen is to replace the entire unit with the JDM one that also allows a normal DIN stereo installation. So then you can have bluetooth and so forth as well. GD

The HVAC controls on the 05 to 08 are a disaster. The control unit's are steady wth the circuit board failures. Being they are setup for dual climate controls, my guess is there are separate actuators for driver/passenger.... but with how unreliable the head units are - it's probably that turd that's at fault. You will need the FSM for this level of troubleshooting but it might be just as easy to find a good used control unit and try that first. Or send it to Panasonic through Subaru and get it rebuilt. Alternatively get a JDM HVAC unit with a DIN stereo slot and just upgrade the whole mess. GD

DS axle seal. Who replaced or rebooted the DS CV axle assembly? GD

Unfortunately, the Subaru official methods leave much to be desired. They tell you what to do, for the most part, but leave out how, or their answer to the problem is simply "throw it away"...... better to just find your own way through it. Use common sense. What specific questions do you have? Clean the bolts with a degreaser - no abrasives or wire wheels. Chase the block threads and clean with brake or carb cleaner. Lube the bolts with Amsoil assembly lube. Make sure the small washer bolts go in the corners. If you get ANY creaking from the bolt, back it off and reassess the situation.

If the FWD fuse makes a difference, the duty-c solenoid is good. Either the clutch pack is fried or it's sticky and the drum needs to be filed, etc. If it doesn't make a difference, the duty-c is failed. GD

Injectors can be VERY loud. It's basically normal. If it's working... don't try to fix it.

Yeah it's always the chassis to manifold harness connectors. Just cut off the offending wires, and extend them into a westherpack connector.

The classic blend.

It's probably a 4PK875 GD

The idle is not adjustable on the EJ22. Also belongs in the new gen forum. If the idle is low then either it's running poorly (misfiring, etc), the idle control valve needs cleaning/replaced, or you aren't reading the tach correctly. Probably the last one. GD

99 Forester/Impreza, and 2000 to 2005 - all models (with 2.5's). Block is *cracked*?!? Really? Post pics or it never happened. GD