heartless

have you checked FSM for the info? you can find one here: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/

for just tire size comparisons, i like this one better... https://tiresize.com/comparison/ looks like nearly a half inch more in sidewall height... do you have enough space between current tires and the spring perch to add that much?

if it makes you feel any better, I too was afraid of the EJ25 series, but I gave in... I lucked into an 02 Forester - EJ251 - that I bought with 214K on the clock (pd $1400, private sale).. carfax type report said headgaskets were done around the 80-85K mark (forget the exact mileage) - it currently has just about 260K on it and running great. No signs of a 2nd failure, no major issues at all. And guys, he is in Dallas/Fort Worth area - pretty much rust free zone, so values are gonna be a bit higher than they would be up here in the rust belt. However, I would agree on checking values on comparable vehicles for the area

my 02 Forester has an EJ251 and is definitely NOT a turbo - so that little bit of info is way off.

knock sensor does not always throw a code.

ideally, you find a tranny with the same final drive ratio as what you already have. short of that, yeah, grab the matching rear diff from the donor

got curious and went looking at FSM info here: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/ looks like the 2001 had 2 different crank sprockets - one for auto, one for manual.. where the 2003 only used one version for both.. so it would appear that for a manual, you need the crank sprocket with many small teeth

does the DOHC have an oil cooler?? never had one so i have no idea.. but the oil coolers are a known source of coolant leaks.

ok, this is how radial tire sizing works 1st number is the tread width in millimeters 2nd number is the ratio of the sidewall to the tread width (basically a percentage) - so a 225/50 has a sidewall height that is approximately 50% of the tread width last number refers to wheel diameter. so, if you want more sidewall (to fill the opening), you want that 2nd number to be higher. there are other factors to take into consideration here as well.. how far from stock size you drift will have an affect on your speedometer readings.. faster or slower depending on whether the tire is smaller or larger than stock a useful comparison tool is this one.. https://tiresize.com/comparison/

huh, both of the ones i had go bad got warm.. one got REAL warm.. but both were warmer than the other 3 axles after driving for about 20-30mins

cant always count on "looseness" unless it is really far gone. temp will tell you faster than if it is loose or not. Just be sure the brakes are in good working order and not dragging (that will cause things to heat up as well) If brakes are good, and it still gets hot, it is the bearing

wow.. that is a lot of miles. even if it is on the 2nd round so far mine is still on its first round (original engine & tranny), and going strong.. engine had the headgaskets done long before I got it (somewhere around 108K from the carfax report), and so far, so good.. knock on wood.

jack up the car and try spinning the tire while putting your hand on the spring.. bad bearings can often transmit vibrations that can be felt thru the spring temperature difference after driving a bit can also prove/disprove a bearing going. the corner that is going will usually be hotter than the others - use caution when checking, dont want you to get burned..

most likely wheel bearing

as have i.. the old 89 GL (Brumhilda) was at 265K when retired due to subframe rot the 90 Legacy (Cherry) was around 275-something when retired. the 95 Legacy was only at 230K when I sold it on Hoping to get at least 300K out of this one before it has to be retired due to rust

so I actually took this pic on 3/17/20 .. went to get lunch and then back to work.. happened to glance down at the odometer after parking and this is what i see...

something from 14 years ago, I would imagine so..

a wider angle view of the area might help us pinpoint the issue..

that is too funny!

not sure on an 06 model, but on my 02, disabling the DRLs was as simple as unplugging a small "thing"* under the hood, behind the passenger side strut tower. (* apparently called a dropping resistor) i typically just turn my lights on & leave them on, but there are occasions I want them off - completely off - and on the 02 if the car was running, the DRLs were on - regardless of being parked or moving. might check the wiring diagrams for that part & its location

like i said, search outside your area. use the contact info to reach out to them..

use car-part.com to search for potential engines in your area. or where ever you like really.. junkyards can probably get you whatever you need, and most have contact info included in the listings.

yes, your speedo will be off. https://tiresize.com/comparison/

when did they start mounting the oil filter like that?? holy cats, that is a dumb idea. Sure, it might be easier to get to, but the orientation is all wrong.

ok, so orientation depends on the style of tensioner.. I am most used to the old style, so.. yeah.. point taken.