Gloyale

2 llarge square connectors right below the "dogbone" engine mount. Might need to remove air intake tube/box from throttle bottle to see them. Also check that the TCU is plugged in under the dash. Left side of steering column under dash mounted vertically. Probably a 3"x 5" box with a single about 20 pin connector.

While it's idling and surging, clamp the IAC tube closed and see if the idle surge stops. If that's the case, then your IAC is faulty, and "blowing in the wind" so to speak. Unable to hold a set opening,

well I will continue to buy $100~150 NTN/Koyo japanese bearings and grease them and install them using a press. Just like I've always done. No frickin way I can charge people $750 to change a wheel bearing. That's $3000 for a whole car. I have plates for my press that fit the knuckles perfectly and I've never had a problem with knuckle deforming. If you have to put so much force on a hub or bearing to remove it that you would distort the knuckle, then there is no way in hell a hub tamer is gonna work anyhow and either way you need a new knuckle. Mark the camber bolts before knuckle removal and there is no need to realign. Never had failure from my method done a hundred of them literally.

Your talking about a $2~$3 dollar difference to fix. Studs are way better for this. The reason is that you don't want to have threads disturbed every time the exhaust has to be tightened. And you don't want the force of clamping hte exhaust to be applied to moving threads in teh head, you want them stationary, and the "pull" happening at the steel stud threads instead. These engines are prone to stripping out threads in exhaust, very soft aluminum. The way to install the stud properly is to stack 2, non-shouldered nuts onto the stud and lock them together using 2 wrenches. Then using a socket, drive the stud into the head. Once seated, using the 2 wrenches again, unlock the 2 nuts from each other, take the top one off, then the other. If your head has stripped out holes, you will need to repair. Cheapest/quickest way is to tap the hole to 7/16 and use 7/16 GM exhaust stud. Otherwise you will need to do a helicoil or similar thread repair.

Using a press to install these bearings is Not incorrect. In fact it's the way shown in subaru FSM Screw type, pull through hub tamers are fine, but that doesn't mean doing them on a press is "wrong" I personally find it easier to use the press than wrestle with hub tamers. But to each there own.

I don't like putting in used 2.5 anythings. I always advise a fully rebuilt engine if they really want to keep the car. runs between $2500~4000 for the customer on the entire job depending on what we have to do to their block and heads. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy a Subaru shortblock rather than repair the old one. If it's just one rod slightly worn I just rebuild. If it's gotten really bad and slapped around a ton and/or been overheated I advise replacement.

Interference began in 97 models. The 4eat transmission is still very serviceable by a trans shop, or as complete remans from Subaru. That said, they are tough. Many make it to 300k with no issues.....others need transfer clutches or solenoid repair. Ring and pinion gear can fail on the 6cyl models (driven often at high speeds) My personal Forester has 242k on the original trans and runs smooth as can be, AWD works excellent. The Auto trans themselves are pretty robust, and don't often have problems unless abused. I've seen way more 5spds with grumbling main shaft bearings at 180k. these trans will be shot by 250k if they aren't repaired.

That's crazy. Can't get one for less than $600 around here. Usually more if they are going to be warrantied and such.

Well, you wouldn't expect it to be a used one, so yes I'm gonna say it will come with a fresh, brand new surface. I for one would have the step checked if it's an aftermarket new (likely chinese) I know EA82 step should be .830~.815, I always have mine taken to .815 for the extra clamp force. On my big lifted EJ'd wheeler I run a .811 step flywheel. I do not know the step for EA81 4spd clutch.

smell is the tell tale. If it smells mildy like carbon, it's probably oil If it wreaks of acrid sulphuric devil farts, it's gear oil.

Check the fusible link that the charge runs through. IIRC it's hte black one. Replace it maybe? Check your battery connections, engine ground. I sometimes end up running a secondary main charge wire directly from the Alt to Batt using new 12 gauge wire and a 2" section of 12g fusible link wire at the battery connection. I do this standard on EJ swaps running higher amp alts.

likely to be the shaft seal. The holder is sealed int eh case halves by a large O-ring that probably isn't the leaker unless it's been disturbed before. Are you sure that the oil is gear oil? not engine oil? EA81 rear mains, and the O-ring behind the crank, can make quite a mess.

Unfortunately no. There is an oil scraper around the bearing holder assembly that is clipped into the holder. The case must be split to get to the seal.

My $.02 best combo for reliability, build quality, and ground clearance 96 MT outback is the best from the factory combo. Best custom combo (and my DD) : 98 Forester AT with a swapped in fully rebuilt 92 EJ22, using a 95 EJ22 manifold for direct plug n play.

Hey, it's not personal. It's about what you've stated here. What you stated was that you had someone do work. You agreed to pay. They started the work, ran into issues (which happens ALL THE TIME, stuff breaks, especially rusty brake stuff) Then you asked them to let you drive away in an unsafe vehicle, and didn't pay. Based solely on that info, I would say you stiffed the guy, if not all out stole from him. I would not work on your car. And FWIW, perhaps your installation of a brake pad BACKWARDS (HTF does one even do that?) may have caused problems and stress on the slide pins that led to the breakage. At any rate, it shows you are not a qualified person to asses what a good mechanic should or shouldn't do......since you can't put a brake pad in correctly maybe don't judge people, m,kay?

Not positive but I was under the impression that the Sedan/Wagon/Brats were one windshield, and Coupe was another. 1982 FSM lists the following dimensions Windshield heigth, measured at center: Wagon et al= 654, Coupe = 659 Windsheild height measured at 1/4 way across (center line of drivers seat) Wagon et al= 656, coupe= 655 So it's seems like it's about the same exact size, just a different shape to the curve along the top edge. It's so close that a gasket for one might work for the other, however issues could be if the corners are a bit off place.... hope that info is helpful.

Ignition switch circuit getting old. Add a relay, or a pushbutton, or both. I see this all the time. Customer brings old subie in for no starts.........battery replaced, alt replaced, jump starting works sometimes, blah blah...... Yeah it's the ignition circuit.......add a relay or pushbutton.

6.35 mm ball? That sounds like the one that should be the "detent" ball for the reverse lockout. It should like under the 14mm headed bolt barely visible in the top of your photo of the lockout. check there. If not, it's gotta be the detent ball for the 4wd select....at the top, right, rear of the case. Those are the only 2 balls that are that large. All the other balls and interlock "pellets" are smaller like 3~4.5 mm in diameter.

And those state agencies would be 100% on the shops side here. You contracted work, and then refused to pay. Theft of services. Things break. Especially in rust belt. I worked in Wisconsin for 5 years, and had more trouble with brakes than any other system there. Now if you took the car in for a brakes, and they break something unrelated, that's not the customers liability. But if something breaks in the course of needed work and because of rust, that's just how it goes. That being said if I make a legitimate mistake...I make it right. I misdiagnosed a wheel bearing recently. Car was rumbling, but no wheels had play. I replaced a front bearing.....turned out it was a rear that needed done. I did the work, and ate the cost of the second bearing. Like an honest person to person business person would do. (notice the lack of macho John Waynism in that statement) But that is up to the Shop to decide. I don't think a broken slide pin is grossly negligent.....it happens. It happened to me in wisconsin. If it had happened in my shop I might cover the cost of the bracket/pin replacement. But you'd still pay the labor. I probably would have a caliper bracket used around. But no way in hell would I put toghether a car with faulty brakes and send it out without getting paid for labor that was performed. If you think it was gonna be so easy do it yourself. But YOU don't get to decide to not pay after the shop has done work. Again, this is why everyone signs a service agreement before any work is done. THAT IS THE LAW. Also I would never ever work on your car again if you tried to pull this crap. Hope Frank is smart enough to send you packin next time you show up in need.

To be clear. The other "shop" here is not a general automotive shop. they do not work on cars. They didn't install any of the turbos. ALL they do is service the turbocharges themselves. Nothing with tires goes into there shop.The shop has a stellar reputation. I think the issues lies in the fact that 98% of the turbos they service are large diesel turbos. Workhorse stuff. They do most of their own work for those units. Very few little go fast bits for gassers. And like in our case, when they do small turbos they farm out the major work......to bad results.

Not safe. Do not attempt

you can use 2 claw hammers to pry the axle through the hub. I used to do tough ones that way. Now I use my slide hammer. For reference, I took an old axle nut, and welded it to a nut that threads onto the 5lb slidehammer

You can't remove it without sliding the interlock down the shift selector shaft. Why not just remove the screw? it's easy on a single range. 10mm on a 1/4 drive wratchet with 6 inch extension. once it's out you can rotate the selector shaft hard counter clockwise (as viewed from in the car) and this will slip the finger out of the 3 selector rods. Once you feel it's disengaged, use tape or rubberband/bungee to hold it in the rotated, out of engagement state. Now the entire rear section comes off as one unit.

04 struts aren't taller, and will have the wrong fitting for brake lines. It's the tophats that are taller in 04+, not the strut. I discovered this a few years ago, I put 04 struts on my then GF's 99 forester.......made not a damn bit of difference. Side by side the struts were the same length, and about 3/4" lower perch than 96-99 Outback struts. If you really want the lift from stock parts.........96-99 OB struts with 04+ forester rear tophats.

don't know what it's called, but yes it can leak. It's to keep the oil that runs in the center of the crank from coming out the end and getting through the bolt holes. I have had luck washing the old ring with warm water and dawn dish soap. DO NOT Use brake cleaner, it will swell the ring and make it unuseable. So wash it good to get all oil off, then use a smear of "the RIght Stuff" rtv on it before reinstall.