johnceggleston

the front speed sensor is an easy replacement item. but i'm not sure it is the cause if the speedo works. although i have heard that the ECU will use the rear for speed info if the front one fails. but i didn't / don't think it will operate the speedo. i guess there is also a possibility that that the connections between the speedo and the ecu have some problem. the rear speed sensor is a simple device, no moving parts and has to be wire spliced in, no easy wire connections. i guess there is the chance of a failure, but i doubt it. a broken wire is more likely in my mind. but i don't really know. manauls only have one speed senor. just a guess. my guess is the front sensor or speedo / instrument cluster connections.

the 99 auto trans has a known ''slow to engage'' issue which has corrected for some folks by using a trans fluid additive ''trans-x''. i don't know if that's what your ''clunk'' is, but there is a great thread about it. use advanced search, look for ''trans-x''+ fixed + slow + fluid and you should find it. it has 100s of responses. i think rooster, maybe rooster2, started it. holler if you can't find it. clunk could also be a bad trans mount or maybe a drive shaft issue, but i would think it would clunk in more than just reverse and first thing in the morning.

subaru changed the wire connector to the knock sensor in the late 90s, 98 i think. they went from a one wire set up to a 2 wire set up. the second wire is just a ground, the earlier version relied on the block for the ground. adding the ground wire helped / tried to eliminate corrosion between the sensor and the block causing issues. this is very common in automotive stuff. the knock sensor didn't change, i don't think. sounds like some one installed the wrong sensor or screwed it up. are you saying the wires are tied together and the sensor has been removed from the circuit. that would cause knocking, i think. if the car is not knocking i doubt the wires are causing your issues. but the sensor could be tired and not working properly.

check the link below for your ring and pinion final drive ratio. it will be the same as outbacks of similar years. your trans should be the same as others 00 - 04 as long as the final drive is the same. in the late 90s the legacys and outbacks had different ratios. but at some point they changed that and i think they are the same for your year, but you will need to check. you should be able to use any 5 speed from your model year group, 00 - 04, as long as the final drive matches. http://opposedforces.com/parts

if you have tried 2 ECUs, yours and another, and the car does not run then it is not the ecu causing your problem. even if it was not the perfect ECU the car would run but maybe throw some codes. i am not 100% sure about this statement, but it is highly unlikely that both ECUs are bad and unlikely that the one you have, as similar as it is , would not work at least a little. if you had swapped the engines instead of the ecus the car would run so the reverse should be the same.

wasn't it subaru who first started suggesting this stuff be put in the cooling system. it sounds like a bandaid to me, but it has obviously proven it's place in these engines. the clog factor scares me, but if it is either that replace the head gaskets i would probably choose the stop leak. but still the possibility of clogging is scary. what i don't understand is how the ''conditioner'' works if it does not start working until it hits the air. does it just flow through the system waiting on a leak?? and if that is the case, doesn't that indicate that subaru assumes the HGs will leak?

the 96 2.2L has HLAs, hydraulic lash adjusters which do not need adjusting. and only need to be addressed at all if they are making noise. as long as they are quiet they should be good.

there is an icon you can click on when you are writing a response. it looks like a postcard with a mountain on it. but i doubt that is your leak point. i guess it could be, but i have never heard or read about it leaking before. the cam seals on the other hand are a very likely leak spot. but if it is just an o-ring no big deal, fix it. just don't over look other possible leak points.

i recently read a post somewhere, which i can't locate now, that listed all of the stuff a slow blow fuse, #2 i think, controlled. your list of things not working sounds similar . i'd check check those .

the ''no lights no radio'' makes me wonder. but it is pretty easy to re-connect the battery with the key on.

which relay? located where?

alarm?? connect the battery with the key in the run position. bad from the factory battery?? now many volts? another scary thought, was the old battery doing the same thing? oops, already answered.

in hindsight i wish i had put the cd player in the lower position and the cubby above. this would keep the cup holder out of the line of sight, a little. but would you be able to insert a cd with the car in 'P'? oh well, get an ipod and throw the cds away. another idea, tape a piece of plastic wrap on top of the ''radio'' so if / when your drink spills it may prevent SOME of the liquid from pouring into the inner workings. you don't want to shrink wrap the thing, it needs to breath, but any shelter would be a plus, i would think.

any idler part you do not replace will be expected to go another 100k miles with out failure. that is a lot of miles, 225k, on a timing idler. most folks replace the idlers that are making any noise at all. but any one of them could start making noise in 10k miles and then be expected to go another 90k with out failure. my point is if at all possible replace ALL idlers, tensioner and water pump just to be sure. the ej25 SOHC process is the same as the ej22 but the tooth count is probably different. you will want to confirm that. and be sure to torque the crank bolt to 125 ft lbs minimum, i use 140 ft lbs. question for all: does the crank bolt get 30 wt or anti-seize before torquing or go int dry?? i may have used lock tight but i can't remember. but dry vs ''lubed' will change the actual final torque.

all the 96 - 99 ej25s came with EGR. so if you swap in an engine with out EGR you will have a CEL. in some locations a CEL will prevent you from passing a safety or emissions inspection. in other locations it is no big deal, you just drive with a CEL . you can however start with your 90 - 94 non-EGR engine and swap in an egr intake and driver side head. but that will cost something unless you have one sitting around.

and 180+ months??

i don't know the actual temp but i have read that the stock temp gauges have a fairly wide range of normal operating temp. may 40? degrees. so the gauge is only slightly better than an idiot light. once it starts moving towards hot it is almost too late to do anything except shut the engine off. so an 8* swing is ok. how do you know the actual temp? do you have a scangage?

you can look at link below for used ej22, not a lot to choose from in your area but the prices are about half of the jdm and the miles are higher. but it is worth a look and a phone call. remember, you need an engine from an auto trans car 95 - 98. www.car-part.com

my 95 lego L is a sensor and wire setup. i think 90 - 94 were cable driven.

the haynes manual, for 90 - 98, calls for 10w30 when the temps are 0 degrees F and above, 5w30 for all temps and below 0. but it is haynes so keep that in mind. it looks very official though.

bubbles are typical on internal HG leaks, 96 - 99. 00 - 02/03 typically have external leaks. you don't have snow covering your radiator? no leaks? yeah, you said no leaks. fans are working properly? next time it starts to climb stop and see if the fans are both running. if you are not losing coolant it has to be a flow problem or a fan problem. (or maybe a gauge / sensor problem) you may be losing coolant and just not know it yet, if that is possible. i have a slow leak on my recent ej22 into a 98 obw swap. after about 1000 miles the over flow tank is dry. i hope to get through the winter before i have to fix it. was the water pump replaced with the timing belt at 105k?

could have been over tightened at some point, maybe. one of the mounting bolts may thread through to the internal part of the engine. i seem to remember one with thread lock on it. but that may have been for the AC or a ''just in case'' sort of thing. i can't remember.

so 4 inches may be the max to expect on a lego without other modifications.

no question, that is the way to remove the axle nut. what about the lateral link bolts? same trick?

outback struts fit on legos with out steering, alignment, or axle problems. and outbacks have body lift blocks on them that the legos don't have (95 - 99 at least). so you could lift outbacks ~2'' to ~2.3"(?) or so before you run into trouble. likewise, you could do all the same stuff to a lego, OB struts and blocks, and strut top lifts, gaining 4'' or more. are the outback body lift blocks 2 inches, has any one ever measured them?