RallyKeith

I was questioning where you got the plate. Is it a dealer only thing, or have you found it other places. As for the screws I don't know what to say. The dealership I called claimed the screws needed to be replaced to match the metal plate. Keith

Where do you get that? The dealer? UPDATE**** Yes you can get that part at the Dealer, I'm guessing most stock them. BUT, they said that you should also replace the 6 screws which are $1.40 each. They said the new screws are a different length because the metal is a different thickness than the plastic.

IAC Idle Air controller. It is what regulates the air into the engine at idle to keep it running. It is also what allows more air in for high idle like when the AC is on. MAP Manifold Absolute Pressure. This is a secondary way along with a MAF Sensor(Mass Air Flow) of measuring how much air is being pulled into the engine. Nope. They only effect how the engine is running. The amounts of Fuel it gives, and the amount of spark timing advance. The only thing that would effect the transmission is the TPS or Throttle Position Sensor. This sits along the axis of the throttle plate, on the opposite side from where the throttle cable attaches. It will tell the TCU (Transmission Control Unit) what position the throttle is at, and based on it's reading and the RPM of the engine (and a few other things) it will decide if it needs to down shift, up shift, or stay where it's at. Keith

Along those line I'd replace the rear main seal, and re-seal the seperator plate. Both are things that will eventually leak, and you have to pull the engine or the trans to get to them. Keith

The only difference between auto and manual on the 95 is the EGR... For some reason some threads don't mention that or tell people the donor 95 should be from an automatic. I'm doing the same swap, hopefully this weekend, but my motor came from an automatic so it should be plug and play. Coincidentally, I own a 95 Manual Legacy. I can try to study the two engines and wiring tonight and see what I can come up with. I would imagine that everything would work, but the check engine light would always be on because there is no EGR there.

Hmm. Good point, but depending on the year and model I don't think they all have the indicator on the dash. I think it's my Sister in Law's 95 Impreza wagon that doesn't have the indicator on the dash. Keith

I second that. Also, is this an automatic? I had an automatic loyale that did this but it was because the contacts were dirty on the shift position sensor and it thought it was in reverse instead of park. Keith

I want to appologize for steering this off course a bit. I don't, nor do I believe anyone else, thinks the bolts have anything to do with the initial failure cause. I was bringing it up as a possible cause for replacement gasket failures. That article I posted talked somewhat about why using a head stud help eliminate the variability of actual applied torque, but it also said that TTY (Torque To Yeild) or TTA (Torque To Angle) solved some of that same issue. We could debate the issue of re-using head bolts for ever. Unless we do some research or true scientific testing, or ask the engineers in Japan that designed it, we won't know. So I'm going to stop argueing that point and move forward. I appologize. Keith

Yeild is the point at which a metal becomes elastic (stretches) and does not come back to original shape. Using this defenition, yes the gasket is deformed after being torqued, and never goes back. The question is the bolts. Using the argument that SOA never told you to replace them means nothing. Just because they never told you to, doesn't mean that you shouldn't. The fact is that you strech the bolts in the installation process. The real question is if it's to yeild. I think everyone discussing this topic should read this: http://www.rv8.ch/article.php?story=20051227112926716 It has some really good information.

See that's just it. Everyone I've talked to has said that based on the torque procedure they are torque to yeild. I don't think I have any new bolts laying around, but I shure would love to measure the ones I took out against some new ones. The strength comes from the threads, count and pitch. If I remember correctly there is something like an inch of threads. I believe as the block and head expand with heat it makes the connection even stronger.

Look here to answer your question: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=41751 There is a mixed view on this board, but I'm of the opinion that you should replace them. In fact there are a few sets on Ebay now, and they are available from many parts stores. My thought is that a part like this wouldn't be available if it was something that didn't neet replacing. Keith

What is a few seconds? 2 or 5? My 95 with 201000 running 5w-30 only stays on for 2 seconds. Anything too much longer than that would worry me. I've resealed my oilpump and have fairly fresh seals all the way around. If you have never resealed the oilpump, or have older slightly leaky seals that may be all it is. Like said above, as long as it isn't low on oil, and the light doesn't come on when driving, it shouldn't be an issue. Keith

Something that I feel should be mentioned is the replacement of the head bolts. WAWalker, do you install new head bolts when you do the gaskets? I spent some time discussing this before both on the USMB, and with the head mechanic at my local subaru dealer. The Torqueing procedure for the head bolts stretches the bolts. The bolts are then further stretched once the engine gets hot, and of course further once over heated. My local dealer said that they were originally not replacing the bolts when doing the headgaskets. They also were having cars come back a second time needing new head gaskets. They said that about 2 years ago now, they starting replacing the head bolts, and ther were getting fewer cars back for repeat headgaskets. If I were doing the job, and I have, I would spend the $100 and replace the head bolts right away. Keith

Sure looks like nothing more than expensive crap. All it's doing is tricking the computer to think the engine is getting more/less air than it really is. That's not a good way to get power. It takes the right combination of A/F ratio and spark timing to make real power and be reliable. I wouldn't buy it. An open intake and exhaust would cost about the same and give you better performance.

The higher mileage ones that show rod bearing failures is not due to the over heating. The big problem is that when these gaskets fail, they don't fail big. They go a little bit, and go un-noticed by the driver for many miles. During that time some coolant is sucked into the oil. That coolant in the oil eats away at the bearings and is what truely causes that failure. The longer you drive it with the blown head gasket, the shorter the bottom end will live.

Is it coincidental that the failures occured on the exhaust side of the head? I'm wondering if the is an inherent design flaw that is causing extremely uneven heating of the head which is causing greater expansion and contraction of only that side of the head leading to the failures. The eninge I tore apart looked bad everywhere, and the overflow tank was "black as coal." I never took the time to examine it closely like this. Keith

I caught it right away.

#1 YES! It was obvious in my mind, but I should have mentioned it. #2 My father and I have been doing it in our garage with two pry bars and our bead breaker for years. We still do. It's not that bad if you are just doing one or two. The real key is balancing. If you're mounting a new tire then you need to get it balanced, and that is something that isn't easy to do, even if you have a simple bubble balancer. So While this meathod works, if you are installing a new tire and want it to be balanced, then just take it to a garage. Much faster and easier, and it gets done right. Keith

It can be done with two big pry bars, but first you need to unseat the tire from the rim. The rim is shaped kind of like a U with about 1 inch of a flat lip on the tops of the U. The tire needs to be forced off of that lip so that it can sit down in the U. Then you can shift the rim around inside the tire and use the two pry bars to work the tire off the rim. Garages and tire places have special "presses" to unseat the tire. It is a very difficult thing to do with out some kind of press.

$250, pulled for me, guaranteed, LOW mileage

I'm looking for a replacement engine for my car. I'm not looking to get rid of it or buy another car. Also, I've already secured another complete engine.

Sorry dude, but no one ever said their car did that if they press hard on the pedal. I don't even have to be pressing on the gas pedal of either my 96 or 05 and they will shift hard from 1/2 when cold.

Typically they shift HARD on their first 1/2 shift. Both my 96 and my 05 are like that. I've also read lots of other posts saying the same thing. Almost seems to me like maybe it's taking a long time to build up pull pressure in the trans. I was once told by a subaru mechanic that if 4EAT revs between shifts that it is because it isn't makeing full pressure, most likely due to a worn o-ring in the pump of the trans. Don't know....

Does it get better or worse the longer you drive, and it only the very first shift, or will it do it every time when cold? Keith

This statement confuses me. If you want a hill holder that means you want a 5spd. But if you want the ability to put a switch in to lock the center, you need an automatic... So what are you really look for, or are you looking for either 5spd or auto? Keith