johnceggleston

my 97 OBW had a very similar problem with the starter, i swapped in a 96 starter and a few weeks later the same problem developed. so i installed a relay, plans for which i found here. the small wire going to the starter solenoid from the igniton relay(?) (under the dash/steering cloumn) apparently wasn't delivering enough juice toi get the job done. installing a relay did the trick. the wire from thje ignition relay energizes the new relay which then switches a new power wire from the battery to the starter solenoid. the relay was generic from autozone, some connectors and a fused supply wire. no existing wires are cut, just moved and new wires and relay added. search for the plans (starter relay maybe), it's an easy fix and i have been trouble free for 18 months.

given the risk of head gasket problems due to overheating, i'd get SOA involved now. push for a replacemeent engine with a 3 yr 36 k warranty. if you can't get the new engine push for the 3/36 warranty on all of the repair work. 90 days or 1000 miles may not be enough. you could be driving a time bomb. either the dealer can't or won't fix your car. they have created more problems than they fixed. SOA needs to know and you need your car in better condition than it was when you took in. at the very least you need new head gaskets again. SOA should either step in and take care of it or make sure the dealer does.... at no cost to you.

drape a tarp or tarps over it to keep the wind out and put a heat lamp or electric heater under it. keep it away from where thawing leaking radiator water might drip on it. good luck.

look here: www.car-part.com for engines, sort by distance .95 - 98 2.2L engines will fit, some easier than others. the 98 2.2L will be the easiest.

i bought a 97 OBW, 98K miles, with engine noise (diagnoised as a bad wrist pin by a non-subaru dealer). i bought it because i had a 2.2L engine from a donor car just sitting. i paid 2200$ for the 97 fully expecting to swap in the ej22 (approx labor 500 - 700$). mine turned out to be piston slap which is not deadly. 22k miles later and i'm still driving with the noise. search and read up on piston slap, you might get lucky. by the way, most piston slap is worst at start up and goes away as the engine warms up, mine never goes away completely, it does get quieter, but never goes away. i think the headgaskets mmay get me befroe the piston slap. but the only way to find out is to drive it. this might help: http://remanufactured-engines.com/page4.htm

i have no experience with freezing, but i would think the plastic t-stat housing would be pretty vulnerable to freezing.

2 things, FWIW the duty c only cost about 75$ (i think) from the online suppliers, (don't forget the 2 gaskets for the duty c valve assembly, ) do you want to go through this and put in a used part? i generally believe in used parts, but i had the duty c in a used 125k trans go bad. i have sworn never to install a used one again, save 75$ vs. spend 300$. 2. did you add the switch for the duty c while diagnosing the AWD unit or before? my understanding is that you found the problem first and then added the switch. if you did it the other way around, you could have crossed some wires.....

are you talking about the speed sensor on the rear extention housing or the one on the front diff??

i've been wrong before, but this article seems to me to indicat that without electrical in put from the tcu, the AWD will lock. http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/CorrectInfo.pdf am i reading it wrong? wait, i get it, i'm wrong about how the AWD works. never mind. seems you could still use this procedure to check if the AWD will in fact lock. wouldn't this be the same as the 'swicth'? regardless, if the wheels don't turn together, there is something wrong, but you already knew that.

there's an end wrench article about checking the front and rear final drive ratios in automatics. it coulkd be used in this case to check the AWD lock up. you put the car on jack stands, unplug the wire harness to the trans, and start the car in neutral. this will lock the AWD transfer clutch. and as you turn the rear wheel by hand the front wheel will match it turn for turn. (MAYBE IT'S JUST ONE SIDE OF THE CAR ON JACK STANDS?? BETTER READ THE ARTICLE.) if the wheels don't turn the same, or don't turn at all then there is something missing in the transfer clutch. maybe it had torque bind and someone removed the clutch plates. i can't think of another explanation for it not locking up. this AWD unit uses fluid pressure to dis-engage the rear wheels, lack of pressure would equal locked. EDIT Correction: the duty c when activated releases pressure from the transfer clutch and allows the rear wheels to slip. the FWD fuse powers the duty c all the time making the car FWD only. unless it's one of thoses wierd JDM autos that work backwards.......

use the search button above and search something like ej22 swap* . you should have plenty to read. if going from manual to auto or vice versa, you will need to swap the fly wheel. unmount the AC compressor, but leave the hoses connected. this will save you recharging. you may have to swap the AC mounting bracket. there may be a bracket for the powersteering line that doesn't match up, make one or let it go. it's all very minor stuff. the wiring harness, computer, trans, cooling hoses...all the big stuff is the same. search, read and enjoy.

thanks, i was afraid of that.

and the winner is, drum roll please: let's hear it for 85T-REX :banana::banana: who suggested double checking the cam shafts back on page 11. and congrats to sublute for not giving up. and getting it running. :banana::banana::banana: and many thanks to all who helped, :banana: it was a great learning experience for me.

i replaced the rings on a 73 datsun pickup only to learn that it was a carburator problem. it sure did run good though.

if you have installed larger tires, that will in theroy make the car more fuel efficient, fewer tire rotations per mile = fewer engine rotations per mile. BUT... you have also thrown off you speedometer and you odometer, so all of your calculations are off. if you can clock your car and figure out your percentage of error in your speed and distance, then you may be able to allow for the error when figuring you MPG. or if it used to take14.3 gallons to drive to grandma's house and now it takes 13.8 gals, then you are saving gas.

on a side note, i bought the new plate for my 96 2.2L replacement engine (97 GT) but i didn't buy the new screws. i know one of the screws comes with / requires either lock tight or some kind of sealant. since i'll be using the existing screws, what should i put on the threads? will lock tite do or should i use some thing eles? thanks, john

97 legacy GT bad head gaskets at 143k 97 outback still good at 120k - i have my fingers crossed. 95 legacy always good at 180k i'm always surprised to read about a bad 2.2L engine, either HGs or rods/brearings.

of the 3 listed i like the 3rd one, the 2004. it has a better price based on existing miles than the first one and the second one has been hit. based on the description of the damage and repair cost, that is probably not an issue but you never know. don't forget to haggle over price. of course none of this is based on the the actual car, just the price and miles (and accident.) the 3rd one comes wiht a carfax, that's good. if the seller does not provide one you can go online and get unlimited use for 30 days for 25 or 30$. well worht the investment when you are talking about spending $10k on a car you'll have for 5 years. chances are you'll never look at a car that has something hidden, but again, you never know. as buwinkl said, the baja is just an outback that's been chopped into a little 4 door truck. same drive train and suspension. same features and options i think, but they didn't sell too well so subaru discontinued them. i'm not sure it's a very practical vehicle.

ok, so 5 years at 15k per year is 75k miles. most any 2.2L engines out there with less than 150k - 175kmiles that will do that. there are no 2.2L engines after 00 or 01. they are all 2.5L now. 2.5s are fun to drive, but my son's 95 2.2L legacy sedan feels quicker than my 97 2.5L outback. some of this has to do with weight i think. the later 2.5 may have better mileage, but the 2.2 was good too, depending on how you drive. 50 miles a day, 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year is 12k miles. my son gets 26 - 28 on the road in his 2.2 and low 20s around town. i get high teens around town and 26 on the road in my 2.5 outback. so pick your poison. (there is a current thread about putting outback struts and larger tires on a 2.2L legacy. once this is done, the only differenct betwen the legacy and the outback is the paint and the 'raised roof'.) the outback is a very popular car. has a good look, but the late 90s 2.5L had gasket issues. so if you buy a 96 - 98 outback, make sure it has "new" head gaskets" or a bad engine. 96 - 98 outbakcs with bad engines can be found for less than 1000$. you might reconsider the one 360 is selling. it does have ~175k miles, but it will certainly go 30k-50k more if not 75k. as far as oomph and fun goes, the 2.2 will deliver this as long as you don't over load it. the 2.2 has about 10% less displacement than the 2.5. go to www.cars101.com to see other specs, such as horsepower. as i said before, my son's 2.2 sedan feels just as quick as my 2.5. and he drive like a bat-out-a-hell in richmond. my bottom line is that the ej22 will in fact go 250k miles, i don't know how many '03 ej25s there are with 250k miles on them. that's a lot of driving in 4 -5 years. i have a 97 2.5L with 120k miles and the head gaskets are holding, but i still expect to be replacing them before 250K. if you use the fire fox browser, you can use www.crazedlist.org to search a wider area. oh yeah, welcome to the party.

just because the injectors worked on the other side doesn't mean that they were getting the correct signal at the correct time. in fact , if you suspected a fuel problem this would increase the chances that the problem was fuel delivery or injector signal/power rather than the injector itself. it sounds like ob99 has this in mind. keep at it. and good luck.

you can use 95 auto, 97, 98 EJ22 engines, and 96 auto with the y-pipe, (first piece of the exhaust). 95 and 96 are non-interferrence engines. 97 and 98 will have valve (maybe piston) damage if the timing belt brakes.

we're just guessin' and suggestin'. we have no idea what your criteria is for making a decision. you have plenty of money to spen and that always makes the job easier. but in order for us to help you we need more info. how long do you plan on keeping the car? how many miles do you drive a year? does it need to look perfect or operate perfectly, or both? are you a bargain shopper? it sounds like you are going to spend some money trickin' it out regardless of what you buy. if i was going to do what you are thinking about i'd buy: 96 - 98 outback in good condition, with a BAD engine. i'd put in a CRR rebulit EJ22 (95 - 96 non interferrence) engine. and i'd put what ever money i had left into making the paint look as good as i needed it to be, if i had any left over, i'd put it in the bank on the off chance i needed to buy a trans some day. early to mid 90 was the peak of subaru quality. (maybe nissan, toyota and honda as well.) the 95 EJ22 is non- interferrence engine and will run for 200k with 1 timing belt change and 40 to 70 oil changes. i don't think you are going to find that in many newer subarus. i don't think the data is in yet on the 03 - 07 2.5L engines. i don't know. i'd rather have a 95 2.2 with 170K than a '03 2.5 with 70K miles. then i'd add the lights, cargo basket jerry cans, etc. what ever you want. just my opinion. ps: by the time you have a family with 2 kids, one of you will be driving a mini van. they are crap, but so much easier to get in and out of with kids and all of their stuff. lots more room, and lots less bending and stooping. again, just my opinion.

lot's of early 90s legacy manuals were 3.9. all legacy 2.2 manuals 97 - 98 were 3.9. an i'm almoe positive, that the 95 - 96 leg 2.2 manual was 3.9. i take it what you really want is a lsd 3.9...

i don't have much to base this on, 97 leg OBW - up close, 96 leg & 95 leg - a glance, but none of the rear diffs i've seen have had the ratio sticker on them. i assumed they discontinued this practice. people are always asking ''what's the ratio of the rear diff in the my 98 OBW"... etc.

i like the 2 key idea, so you can only actvate it when you have a passenger, that way there will always be some one else to blame.