Numbchux

I'm sure it would be possible, just a matter of removing the tensioner and finding the right size belt. Not sure why you'd want to. They're more expensive, and can't be reused. IIRC Subaru only used them for like 2 years.

Are you asking about replacing heads because the belt broke? If so, just have a machine shop replace the bent valves. The heads are fine.

That was how my mom's 12 Impreza started. I think it made it about 8k more miles before it was terrifyingly bad. And now it's parked in my yard awaiting partout. I hope your experience goes better.

Pretty common to have issues with the solenoids (usually torque converter) in the early CVTs. Subaru does not sell the solenoids separately, and the chinese solenoids you can find on Amazon and such only last a few months. I got my hands on a used valve body and used the good solenoids (there are 3 that are identical), which worked great for a year or so until the rest of the CVT gave up the ghost. That was with about 220k on a 2012 Impreza. I really should start parting out that car.... good news is the valve body is on the top, accessible right below the airbox. Really not too bad of a job. But consider that the best case scenario, and assume the worst. Good CVTs are expensive.

I ran all mine right off the ignition switch just like factory EJ. IIRC the EA coil was powered the same way.

The flat washer between the cone washer and the nut, is not flat. It is concave on one side, and convex on the other. Convex side needs to go to the cone washer, if it is backwards, the assembly will not tighten correctly, and the hub will strip. I never had an issue reusing the washers...

Nope, assuming both are USDM cars with original equipment (you give no reason to suspect otherwise), they will be 23 spline 3.9 ratio rear diff. 25 spline and 3.7 were reserved for Turbos. I don't know about the shifter stuff. I put a GL console in my Loyale, but I used a Legacy ebrake handle.

Yea, absolutely. Transverse inline engine changes things from a longitudinal boxer, but IMO it's just different. Spark plugs are easy, alternators suck. etc. And as with all newer cars, they are getting very complicated.

It's kind of cool, the standard AWD has a electromagnetic coupler on the pinion of the rear diff (no center diff, driveshaft spins at the same speed as front pinion), which allows the rear pinion to slip a bit. Then there's an open carrier in the rear diff. The torque vectoring system has a locked carrier, and has electomagnetically actuated clutch packs on either side, meaning the torque limit to a single rear wheel is dictated only by that clutch pack. Honda has been doing this on the Pilot, Ridgeline and MDX for some time. Theoretically, a person could supply a full 12v to each clutch pack, and essentially get true 4WD with locked rear. The Honda service manual actually describes this for a diagnostic purpose, but only for a few seconds at a time (I'd wire a momentary button to a timer). We replace the standard coupler fairly regularly, but I don't think we've had to repair any of the VT ones (admittedly, they're far less common and only a few years old, but still).

I don't drive them, almost ever, so I haven't had a lot of experience. We test drove an XLE, and I didn't notice it feeling echoey, but I don't have much to compare it to. It felt less tinny then her 12 or 18 Impreza.... Yea, she drives like a little old lady, and with 4 fluid changes with OEM fluid, and 2 torque converter solenoids the transmission is junk at 220k miles. And with a salvage title and an oil burning engine. It's not worth anything. I'm not hopeful about this 2018, it's still a TR580, I don't know how much better it could be. The Corolla Cross has a CVT, but it has a conventional first gear to take the strain off the CVT band (no load on it from a stop, also it needs a much smaller gear ratio spread). There's been a long wait list for those, but we had one last fall that a customer ordered, and didn't even take delivery as they thought it was too small and bought a Rav instead.

I worked at a Subaru dealership for about 4 years (my first dealership). At the time, I made excuses that you only see the worst examples at the dealership. And while that's true, I've learned since then. I've been at a Toyota/Hyundai dealership for the last 2 years. Toyotas are WAY more reliable. We so rarely do anything more than maintenance on Toyotas. We do a ton of engine replacements on Hyundais, though. My mom's last car was a 2012 Impreza and it is now parts at 220k miles after CVT failure, part of that is because it is salvage, as it would have gotten a free shortblock if it had a clean title, but that's still unacceptable. Her last 2 Subarus (01 Legacy and 92 Legacy) were both salvage, and both had nearly 300k on them and were sold as running, driving cars. She was looking at new cars last fall, I tried really hard to get her into a Rav4 or Corolla Cross, as I think they are a way better vehicle. But she bought another salvage Impreza, 2017 this time. Sure it was half the price of the Toyotas, but I think it's half the car.... One thing I will say, we had a handful of issues with the Eyesight system (cars that would do an emergency stop for no apparent reason and no warning), I would avoid those cars at all costs.

3 sets of splines. But if you're not sure, measure.

Building an EJ22t to be stout is more expensive than a brand new EJ257 block, which has thicker main bearing supports, #5 thrust bearing, nitrided crank, and better cooling being semi closed. So the smart people aren't looking for the 2.2s anymore. There was a guy in England buying short blocks for like $800 for his hill climb car, because he was sleeving, converting to phase 2 crank, etc., but even that was like 10 years ago. The heads are garbage, for any performance application What I would pay for it, would depend considerably on my intended use. But I can't imagine spending more than a couple hundred bucks. If I had a stock turbo Legacy that needed an engine, I would pay more for a complete engine.

Similar, but not the same. The OBXT EJ255 block is semi closed, with more reinforced cylinder walls. Also the pistons will be different to drop the compression for the turbo. Probably more that I'm not thinking of. But it would be possible to move all the external components (oil pan, oil/water pumps, heads, intake, coolant bridge, etc. etc.) ...but far from ideal.

Assuming you are talking about the older strong STi 6-speed, no, it's much larger. Requires a shorter driveshaft and shift linkage. I think the mount is in the same place, but I could be wrong... I don't know about the newer split case 6-speeds, they're not nearly as strong, so likely not as physically large as the STi ones.

You have compression, and it won't run on ether? Your ignition timing is off. Did you use the original crank and LH cam sprockets? These have the tone wheels for their sensors, and there was a change about that vintage. Pull the timing covers and verify cam timing. Check the trouble codes.

All EAs were 5-bolt with the bolt in (hollow) stub axles. I don't completely know the pattern, but they were definitely used simultaneously from the '90s until at least 2015 or so. I think in base model/small engine optioned cars.

Lots of reputable brands. Superbrightleds, Diode Dynamics, Autolumination off the top of my head. No. I wouldn't do it that way, but theoretically a person could look at the wattage of the bulb and calcuate the resistance to mimic it.

I wish that was the case, here. I live in a city on a hill that's above the largest freshwater lake in North America (Duluth, MN, Lake Superior) and they are constantly doing PR campaigns about contaminants in the ground water and storm drains getting into the lake, but they still salt the roads like that. And it's illegal to use chains or studs because it damages the road surface.....but the roads suck anyway....

Been done thousands of times. Depending on the LED, the dimmer doesn't always work. And they have to be wide angle LEDs, or you'll end up with bring and dark areas. Just know that the alternator circuit is looking for specific resistance across the battery light bulb, so either leave that one incandescent, or add a resistor to mimic it. Otherwise your alternator won't charge.

Pretty rare to have the rear cover leak like that, but there is a gasket there. Looks more like the pinion seal or one or both of the side axle seals are leaking, and have been for quite some time, and it's dripping down and blowing back to that lowest part. Unload a can or 2 of degreaser and/or brake clean at that thing and get it cleaned up, top it off, and then drive again and see where the leak comes from.

The EJ engine-EA transmission combination leaves a ~12mm (IIRC, because 1/2" is close enough at about 13mm) gap between the 2 bellhousings, which is perfect, as only the bottom studs line up, so the adapter plate to change bolt patterns also takes up the missing bellhousing depth. The opposite combination would have the factory bellhousings hitting each other (not bolted up, because different bolt pattern), and the input shaft would be 12mm short of the flywheel. If you used a standard adapter plate, you'd need a 1" thick spacer for the flywheel. BUT, he's already EJ engine swapped. The EJ transmission is absolutely the way to go. The dual range in the RX transmission is a neat pub fact, but in practice, the ratios suck for just about anything (it was designed and built when the national speed limit was 55). Ditto with the lockable center diff (locked center is good for intense offroading, but nothing else). Get a phase 2 EJ transmission. I'd be looking for something with 4.111 axle ratios and a .738 5th gear will pull harder from a stop, and cruise better on the highway. The phase 2 VLSD center diff will handle better on the pavement, ice, snow and dirt. Keep your clutch type LSD, and swap it into the matching EJ case with matching ring gear. I put phase 1 EJ internals with the above ratios into my XT6 single range case and put it in my '88 XT6 about 10-12 years ago, it drove SOOOOOOOO much better!

Well, I've used an Impreza pedal box on a Forester..... I did some googling for the ones I was thinking of, which have a little dam on the front edge, but I found many other designs. Our GC rally car had a JDM aluminum hood, but just stock OBS/RS vents (I don't remember if was had the plates under them or not) and scoop. But we also had a big aluminum radiator, FMIC, and didn't really ever have any cooling issues.

I don't think that style vent would offer much in the way of cooling. Maybe at slow speed....but that's probably it. There are many factory and aftermarket options that fit there that are more shaped to help create some negative pressure above the vent while moving that would likely have a bigger effect. Then again, reversing the scoop would likely have a much bigger effect, if you don't have a TMIC or intake right below it.

I always bought 6 qts, and saved the receipt. Seems to me I usually returned 1, but the last time I used them all.