Numbchux

Well done! https://www.thedrive.com/news/42017/homebuilt-subaru-outback-survives-500-mile-rally-that-killed-trophy-trucks

Meh, car-part shows 4 pages of results in the US. None close enough to me to drive to, but they can be shipped and they're cheap enough.

Take it easy guys. The question was clear, and relevant. And there are a lot more ratios available on the newer cars than that. Legacies and Outbacks with a turbo and a 5EAT have very tall diff ratios. Looks like 07-09 LGT 5EAT cars use that one in particular. Car-part.com lists that option for a Legacy 3.0 5EAT, but I couldn't reproduce it in Subaru's catalog.

Depends what you're smelling. Could be anything. My guess is something more potent, like antifreeze, gasoline, or something dripping onto the exhaust.

All the Orings are in the engine bay. The only place the refrigerant would be leaking that's inside the cabin is a hole in the evaporator itself. Also, there isn't a lot of refrigerant in the system. A volume that you would be able to smell would only last a few minutes. I doubt that's your issue.

The stuff specific to the XTs (body and interior) are some of the rarest parts in the Subaru world, just the wrong combination of uncommon and undesirable. The classifieds here, and the various old school and/or XT Facebook groups are probably your best bet.

'96-'98 EJ22 would be my preference, but almost any EJ22 would be a great option. The factory fuel injection won't run anything other than a stock engine very well. So any engine swap involves wiring in a new ECU, and making that happy. There are hundreds and hundreds of details on different options and methods. Basically any Subaru engine is mechanically possible without too much trouble. And anything else is possible with enough time, money and knowledge (a good friend of mine put a turbo 6.0l GM V8 and 4L80 in his Legacy). That said, I think the early OBD II EJ22s are just the right combination of simple reliability, with a dab of modern technology ($15 dongle with allow you to view trouble codes and engine parameters on your smart phone). The Earlier EJ22s are simpler, but OBD I leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to diagnostics.

I just put a newer JDM 2.0 into an '01 Forester. It was similar to a 253, but no variable valve timing.... Anyway, yes. Best practice when swapping Subaru engines is to swap the intake manifold and wiring harness from the old motor. Obviously the EGR valve itself is mounted to the intake, so that takes care of that end. My '01 Forester engine had a plug where the EGR pipe goes into the head, so I was able to just zip that out of the old engine (14mm allen, IIRC), and plug the hole in the new engine. Moosens just had a thread on here with a Legacy with the opposite situation (non EGR engine in place of an EGR one), and he had to drill and tap the head for the port, so some engines do not have the plug there. In that thread I believe GD said it was an M20x1.5 thread, in which case an aftermarket drain plug would probably be easy enough to get.

The important part, is that the outer diameter (technically, circumference) of all 4 tires match. Changing wheel size is no big deal. For anyone's future reference. Tire sizes can vary from one manufacturer to another, so it's very difficult to match the circumference from one to another. It would be possible to measure the circumference (not the diameter, 3/32 difference in tread depth can translate to ~1/2" circumference). BUT, to be accurate it should be mounted on the same-width wheel and inflated when measuring. By the time you mount and measure enough tires to find a good match, you could have just bought the right one (or a new set).

Yep. AFAIK, the only pairing process that can be done yourself is for the keyless entry. But it sounds like you have an immobilizer issue. If a previous owner added a key (either of your working keys), but didn't bring in that second master, it would be cleared from the immobilizer memory. Or maybe they had one cut and never bothered to have it programmed.... But yea, you could try calling local locksmiths and see if they can work with that system, but likely dealer only.

I've had pretty good luck getting individual used tires with partial wear on ebay. Just did it when my wife managed to find a nail with her car.

Yep. And the internet will tell you that all aftermarket Subaru stats have a smaller opening and you should only buy OEM. Which is why I said the Aisin one I have is smaller, and Duralast one I have is identical to OEM. And also why I said I've never had a problem with aftermarket, although I'm the first to admit I don't live in a climate that requires much of a cooling system. YMMV. There is the argument that higher flow rate isn't better, as it doesn't give the coolant time in the radiator to actually cool off, which is why you never want to run without a thermostat. Obviously I don't have the equipment or knowledge to completely analyze the most efficient flow rate of a Subaru cooling system....just adding my anecdotal experiences. I mentioned opening temperature to point out that even after 250k miles and 17 years, my probably-original one still performs almost perfectly to spec (probably within the accuracy of my thermometer).

Good luck, with a thermostat? Truth is, I've never had a problem that was definitively solved/caused by a thermostat, regardless of source. I had purchased a Duralast stat for this car when we bought it, which is still on the shelf. And I bought an Aisin one for the Forester I'm working on. When I took the one out of this '04 a couple weeks ago (likely original, *might* open about 4 degrees F cooler than factory rated, opens fully), I compared it. The Aisin one was the stereotypical small aftermarket one, where the Duralast one was identical, down to the markings, to OEM. Complete opposite of what I expected. Yea, that's why I haven't bought one either. There's a couple sources for those, and Aliexpress is the cheapest to me, but still expensive as they all have to come from the far East. If it were half as much, I'd probably buy 2....Then again, I have a few of these cars, and intend to keep running them for many years, so it might be a good investment.

My '04 H6 was running warm. Approaching 250k miles, about 115k since I bought it and put an aftermarket radiator in it (I bought it crashed). It passed the hydrocarbon test with flying colors, doesn't pressurize the coolant while revving, doesn't loose any coolant (leaking, burning or pushing it into the reservoir). So, even though these engines are prone to head gasket failure, I do not believe that's what I was seeing. I tried Water Wetter, the only one of those additives I've heard good things about. It's supposed to reduce surface tension, and therefore improve molecular contact between the liquid and solid. Might have made a small difference, but not much/enough. Then I did 2 rounds of Gunk/Motor Medic Radiator flush. The first time, I removed the radiator and back-flushed it with the hose (as well as washing the outside of it, and spraying quite a bit of degreaser/water through the condenser). I disconnected the heater hoses, and back-flushed the core. Removed the thermostat and tested it, and flushed the engine through the top heater hose and radiator hoses. Second time I just drained it out and refilled. It seems to run great, now. I did buy a ScanGauge so we can actively monitor the temperatures, as the factory gauge really doesn't show much. I've heard good things about this Golpher aluminum radiator on the Six-swapped Subarus Facebook group, so I was thinking about buying one. Might still for the next car....we'll see: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001893254265.html?spm=a2g0o.store_pc_groupList.8148356.20.664f421a5EchJf

I generally agree. But, my local dealership is 2-3 days out, and doesn't stock much for 20 year old cars (I don't blame them). Where the parts stores generally stock the aftermarket ones. With some patience, they do fit, but they're generally thicker rubber and will not fit the factory clamps. When I was putting together this Forester this spring and had time, I ordered OEM. When I've had hoses blow out, I grab aftermarket.

I've seen the timing cover warp and rub on a good pulley, but that pulley is clearly separated. "Needs a new engine" HA!

Most aftermarket hoses are "cut to fit" as they fit multiple applications. I just put a Gates lower on our '04 H6 and had to cut some off both ends, but then it fit great.

Depends on the hose. All hoses have intended fluids. If you use bulk heater hose for PCV, it'll turn to mush. Standard fuel hose is only fuel resistant on the inside, and can't be used submerged in fuel as the outside layers will degrade. But for a coolant hose, fuel would probably be the worst, but oil is not good, either.

Not reliable. I always start with the OEM part number (with the VIN on www.partsouq.com or www.parts.subaru.com). If that's cheap enough, I just buy OEM. Or I use the part number search on RockAuto to look for cross references to aftermarket numbers. Otherwise, RockAuto has a pretty good application lookup (look for notes, though, as there can be some tricky listings in there). Any parts store lookup. Or, I believe Dayco, Gates and Continental all have pretty good lookups right on their websites.

Sounds like you need a new mechanic. I've been working in dealership parts departments for about 10 years, now. And every vehicle gets a thorough inspection, and when necessary, potential failures are communicated/quoted to the customer and any work declined is clearly noted on the repair order for our records and theirs.

Typically listed aftermarket as a bypass hose, but it's actually inline with the heater hose circuit. Crucial to thermostat operation. Since it's such a simple hose with a bend, most parts stores stock one that will fit (sometimes with some trimming). If not, there are self-adhesive silicone hose repair tapes that work fairly well for emergency repairs. I try to keep a roll in my cars most of the time.

Yep, different terminology for the same thing. CEL is trying to tell you what's wrong. Pull the codes. My crystal ball is a little hazy.

Several good links in the FAQ in the retrofitting section:

Not any more than anything else that's approaching 20 years old. A lot of mistakes and neglect can happen in that time. My '00 has been well cared-for, and I wish it would run warmer. Only on the hottest days do the coolant temps get above 180, when it's below zero outside, it barely gets over 160. I'm thinking about replacing the OEM stat with a cheap aftermarket one to let it warm up a bit. OEM SOHC headgaskets usually leak oil externally. Overheating is more often caused by dirty radiator, failed fans, plugged heater core, etc.

+1 for boot replacement on the old axle.