Numbchux

There's some sort of "security" system. My '96 Outback had a yellow tag hanging from the battery cable (and I think under the hood or something) telling you how to disable it. It involved finding a little black button hanging in the wiring harness by the pedals and holding it for a few seconds or something.

Yes. All cars sold in the US in 1996 had to be OBD II.

No easy answer. But here are some pros and cons. There are way more wheel options available for the 6-lug. 5x100 is relatively rare by comparison. That said, most of those 6-lug options have much lower offset/backspacing, so if that's not your cup of tea, your a bit limited to basically the import 6-lug options (still Nissan, Toyota, Mazda, etc.), but I think those are still more common than 5x100. But I'm assuming since your talking about wider track width, you're probably not too concerned with keeping everything under the body work. 5-lug swap requires a lot more parts, basically the entire front suspension. Control arms, knuckles, brakes, axles, tie rod ends (assuming you're already running an EA82 steering rack to go with that crossmember), struts, etc. 2 options there. Use the XT6 knuckles, brakes. That way you're using as many parts as possible from that one donor car. You'll be limited to XT6 front pads and rotors (IIRC there's a cavalier option for rotors that works...), so parts aren't any less rare than what you've got. Those calipers will have ebrake mechanisms, if you want to retain the front ebrake. Assuming you have a transmission with 23-spline output, there will be no simple axle option. Either hybrid XT6-outer, 23-spline inner. Or one of a few options to use the rare 23-spline EJ axle option (inner wheel seal is different between EJ and XT6), or swapping 25-spline stubs into your trans. That donor car will have air struts (unless it's already been converted), so you'll have to get your hands on EJ complete strut/spring assemblies, and then modify them for the XT6 knuckles. You can probably dial in the correct toe with EJ tie rod ends, so that part is more easily available. Use the XT6 control arms as the intermediary to allow EJ knuckles and such. Obviously you will have to source a whole slew of other parts. I've heard there's a combination that will allow the XT6 calipers to bolt to some EJ caliper bracket (I think 2-piston, but I haven't confirmed that) to retain the front ebrake. Makes the pads and rotors common. Still have an axle challenge, but makes the '93-'94 5MT FWD Impreza application an easy option. Will require EA81 tie rod ends to dial in the toe (you also get better ackerman angle, but you probably won't notice on a lifted rig). EJ struts will bolt on. Some people have reported an axle length vs control arm length issue. I've done it many times and never seen it.....but beware and/or research. Rear doesn't yield almost any of those challenges. It's basically just a brake swap. I can't speak to the details of using an EA82/XT6 rear crossmember in an EA81, but I can say that the XT6 one is interchangeable with the EA82s. It will have sway bar mounts, just like an EA82t, but I'm betting you're not concerned with that.

It's been a long time since either of the EA81 lifts I helped install. But as I recall, a properly-built lift block will keep the strut tight against the inside of the tower (sometimes it's even necessary to "clearance" the strut tower to keep from rubbing). So you could theoretically adjust for more positive camber, but not less, and certainly not getting it into positive. The other issue I see with your plan, is if you have the adjustment between the strut and the block, there will be no way to adjust it without removing everything. Those bolts are not accessible once installed.

http://offroadingsubarus.com/rear-disc-conversion-on-ea81-ea82s/ It's an old write-up, but still accurate. Only thing I would do different is to shorten the steel line that used to go to the wheel cylinder (in that write-up, he just bends it out of the way). Most parts stores sell pre-flared chunks of line, too, you could just replace it with a new one. Or, you can replace the 2 rubber lines and the steel with the rear hose for an EJ car and it's banjo bolt. I used Centric braided stainless for a GD ('02-'07) Impreza. It comes off the caliper at an angle, instead of straight out, so you'll have to route it out around the back side of the shock. 2017-07-25_02-22-30 by Numbchux, on Flickr

Yes, Hubs are different between disc and drum (drum cars do not even have separate hubs). In that write-up, the hub and rotor are bolted together, but there are 2 pieces there, and you will need both.

No. Other than the basic concept, all the dimensions that matter are different, specifically that fronts are 30 spline, rears are 27.

Fair enough. Sounds like you've put way more research into this than I did....I know I just guessed on a drill size a bit smaller than the knurl of whatever studs I used (I don't remember either dimension). It helps that that is not a street-driven vehicle.... Carry-on.

I was reading this thread and wondering just how expensive.... So I looked it up. Part #38434AA050, MSRP of $577.93, which is actually less than I thought. But.....discontinued. Looks like you could still get one straight from Japan through Amayama trading, but then it's more than $700 https://www.amayama.com/en/search?q=38434AA050 I'm sure you could get an aftermarket one, if you really wanted.

2005 has drive-by-wire, immobilizer and 5EAT. Excellent car, excellent engine, but not a great swap candidate. Has to be run on a standalone ECU (which drives up your cost considerably). And I don't know how a person might get that to work with the 5EAT transmission. It may not be the best choice, but I think it's the only one that could be done reliably for $2k.

As I understand it, the OD of the knurl is 14.43mm, but it's supposed to be an interference fit. It might be designed for a 14mm hole. I know when I did my 6-lug conversion, I drilled smaller than the OD of the knurl, and it worked perfectly.

No-one has made a system to flash that ECU. And no, there's not really anything to get any more power out of them. There are a few things to shift the powerband up higher (lightweight or even underdriven pullies, primarily), which can make it feel faster, but generally speaking they just reduce low-rpm power.

Yep, EG33 doesn't fit without a little fabrication and creativity (I've seen some very creative ways that didn't require almost any fabrication, I've worked on a couple that required zero welding). EZ30 does fit fantastically. You don't need to swap head to turbo your engine, just need to have some exhaust fabricated. I've even seen it done so it goes up from the stock non-turbo manifold, and the up-pipe goes up behind the cv axle, which meant the engine crossmember didn't have to be changed. There's no point in going to the trouble of swapping heads to use all non-turbo parts. All the parts you'd need to turbo your engine, you'd need to swap in a turbo engine (turbo, intercooler, downpipe, coolant hoses, etc). Yes, it requires a little exhaust fabrication, but that seems pretty mild compared to pulling and replacing the engine, crossmember, and most of the interior to do an engine swap and harness merge. Stock turbo swap is not easy. EJ22t ('91-'94 Turbo Legacy) fits the best in the engine bay, but requires all the electrical merging work of any of these other swaps, and will not yield 250hp, no way. JDM stuff is cheap, but risky. Pretty hard to buy one that's in good shape. Also the wiring is very difficult (very few wiring diagrams available, and what's out there isn't very reliable), they do not have any on-board diagnostics, so much harder to troubleshoot any issues. Getting an '02-'05 USDM WRX wiring harness and ECU is a great option, as they're abundant (people part those out all the time), OBD II, and open-source tuneable. From there, you could run just about any combination of phase 2 turbo heads/block. But, you'll have a hard time putting together an engine for your budget. EJ205s are mostly blown up/abused. EJ255/257s are expensive.

This isn't quite true. It's not a great idea, but it absolutely CAN run, and will run surprisingly well. I've had personal experience with 2 2.2l Imprezas (one a '95, and the other a '97) that were turbo'd without any management mods for some time. There are ways to get it more fuel to compensate for the extra air. The biggest problem is the timing maps aren't really boost-friendly, so they're much more prone to detonation. And obviously the mechanical challenges of cam profile (you don't want any overlap in a forced induction engine) and compression ratio. These things make it less reliable. But depending on the person, vehicle and use, it can be a fantastic option to have some cheap fun. And even if you blow it up, 2.2s are cheap.

I disagree. The speed difference between the 2 wheels opposite is much more extreme than front-to-back. And with the Duty C engaged and a rear diff welded, the transmission, transfer clutches, and driveshaft are still not the weak link. It's the axle shafts. But being loaded with forward-drive torque, as well as the strain of different speeds on either side will put a bit more force on them then if they're just coasting, but not much. Also, I'm assuming your thinking of an EA82/XT6 with "pop the pins and go on your way". This is a 2000 Outback...axle failure isn't the end of the world, but it's much more difficult. As both ends must be present to keep the hub together and gear oil in the diff. And swapping out for a spare axle is not really an easy trail-side repair.

Yes, it would reduce the stress a little bit if they weren't loaded, but the hubs are still engaged to the axles full-time, so it would still be really hard on things on the street.

No way would I run any sort of temporary stud. I agree that that sounds like it would be hard on your tires, and many would probably fall out on the road....no thanks. I've seen the studs fly out of dedicated ice racing "permanently" studded tires.... What kind of car is this? I'm assuming it's pretty early ABS if you're running 14" wheels. If that's the case, the system is pretty terrible. It focuses so hard on trying to keep the tires spinning, that you can't stop. I've done a few tests on mid-'90s cars, on pulling the ebrake, or disabling the ABS and locking up all 4 frequently is a faster straight line stop than with the ABS. That said, good tires help immensely. Our '04 Outback VDC has a much better ABS system (the VDC system is integrated with ABS, and has a steering angle sensor, and G-sensor so it can change programming depending on whether you're turning or not), and that combined with our new Nokian Hakka R2s, and the ABS almost never kicks in.

What kind of money are you looking to spend? How much power do you want? That's not a terribly strong transmission, so I wouldn't shoot for much more than 200-250 hp. Luckily the turbo cars went back to a push-style clutch after about 2007, so you can still get a decent clutch for that transmission without spending a ton on a custom one. In that power level, you have several options. If you're looking for more of a DIY project, you might consider just turbo'ing the stock engine. With a few psi, it can even be done on the stock engine management (you sacrifice longevity a bit that way, but it works surprisingly well). Some sort of tuneable management and a good tune could make it pretty reliable (Subaru ECUs don't really like piggybacks, generally speaking, especially when you start talking about trying to tune the timing maps. So if you're not up to spending $1-5k on a nice standalone, you might consider a megasquirt). That's the route I will probably go with my Celica, replacement engines are cheap if I blow it up, the exhaust parts from a stock turbo car bolt right up, just have to figure out the intake side... In a similar DIY situation, there are some high-compression 4-cylinder options. I'm a big fan of 6-cylinder swaps. EG33 is a fantastic engine, but requires some fabrication to physically fit in the engine bay (longer, radiator has to be moved forward). EZ30 is a great fit, but donor cars aren't quite as easy to come by as the cars they come in are still pretty desirable. If you decide to go that route, go with a '01-'04 non-VDC car. And then basically any of the turbo engines from 1991 and newer would fit fairly well (bolt to the transmission, and motor mounts would line up). All of those options will require wiring a different ECU in there, either a harness merge for the stock ECU for the engine your using, or aftermarket. You'll need a turbo engine crossmember to clear the exhaust up-pipe. The '91-'94 Turbo legacy one is bolt in but getting harder to find, newer WRX and similar ones can be used with a little modification. Turbo Subarus went to an immobilizer system in either 2005 or 2006 depending on the exact model. If your donor is an immobilizer car, it's virtually impossible to use the stock ECU.

I did miss that. I would recommend a reconsider on that topic, if possible, as the Subaru automatics just suck power, a manual will make it feel a lot quicker. In the case of an automatic, though, I'd recommend the EZ30 route. If you shop around, you can probably find a decent LL Bean donor car for less than $2k. Swap the engine, transmission, ECU, and TCU (and wiring to run it all). You shouldn't need any more parts other than maintenance stuff that you might want to get out of the way while it's out. And then you should be able to make some back on parting out the donor car (leather seats, suspension, brakes, etc.)

I've had a bunch of Loyales, and I recognize exactly where that is, but I don't think I've ever seen anything like it. Is it plugged into anything? Does it look factory, or maybe something somebody added on later? My first thought, is it looks like a hall effect sensor of some sort. I wonder if someone added a magnet ring to the axle, DOJ cup, or driveshaft and that was maybe mounted to read it as an auxiliary/replacement speedometer or odometer.

We install a TON of Hankook Optimo H727s on Subarus at the dealership where I work. Apparently they're a copy of the Michelin Defenders, but much cheaper. 100k mile treadwear, quiet and comfortable, and moderate all-season performance. Yokohama Avid Ascends are also good and very similarly priced, sacrificing some of that treadwear for a little better bad-weather traction. My Dad has put Kumho Solus KR21s on a few of their vehicles. He has loved them on the Subarus, but his Honda Odyssey is absolutely worthless in the snow with them.

$2k parts cost for an engine and transmission that's a performance upgrade from what you've got isn't really doable. Best option is maybe a 6-cylinder, but EGs or EZs were never made with a manual transmission. You might be able to get a good SVX donor for less than $1k (5-10 years ago, you could find rusty ones with blown transmissions for a few hundred bucks all day, but they're getting rare up here). Those are fantastic engines, but require some fabrication to fit. Then you'll need 5 speed swap parts. pedal box, shift linkage, driveshaft, flywheel, clutch, transmission, probably rear diff. '01-'04 Outback LLBean would be much easier project to fit, but they're more expensive to find a good donor. (don't get the VDC, as the traction/stability control systems make them very difficult to use for engine swaps).

It means you cannot rotate your tires front to rear. If your tires are directional, it complicates mounting them. If this board has taught me anything over the years, it's that getting your hands on a couple 13" EA82 rims in the PNW shouldn't be hard. I've probably thrown away a dozen of them over the years....

It's not ideal, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it on a new, AWD car. But, being that it's not a new car, and it's part-time 4WD (which means you should only be engaging the 4WD in slippery conditions), it's probably fine. Also something you should be aware of. EA81 wheels will not clear the front brake calipers on an EA82. I think it's possible to space them out, but not great. If you only run the narrower wheels in the back, no problem....but that's inconvenient to say the least.

Here's the Subaru parts diagram for the handle...as helpful as it is. Subaru does not offer parts for he button, just the entire handle. I grabbed one part number at random, and it's $100, and still available.