Twitch de la Brat

An easier option would be an older 5 speed from first gen Legacies. A little research can net you a decent mileage transmission with the right gear ratio, and no axle swapping required. I got a 4.111 geared 5sp from a 94 Legacy, for my old 90 Lego auto swap. Also, the 6 bolt vs 4 bolt bellhousing isn't an issue for your transmission, just skip the middle two bolts. Twitch PS: Axle lengths will be the bane of your existence with the newer transmission type. Trying to match that could be quite the headache.

A note for you Mkiester, the EA81 and EA71 "Fat Case" are the essentially the same engine, but with different bores and strokes. The only EA71 that will make a difference in your idea is the "slim case" or "first edition" EA71. The easiest way to decipher which is which is that the "slim" has the starter bump directly on the top, the "fat" has the starter bump off to the side. Twitch

This is the 2.5 engine, correct? There will be double marks on the cam pulleys, line them up with each other. The lower pulley marks should be facing upwards, the upper pulley marks facing downwards. The passenger side pulleys will stay in place without issue, but the driver's side pulleys will fight you and try to jump. My recommendation is to get the belt around the passenger side pulleys first, then work it around to the driver's side pulleys, finally settling all your slack where the tensioner bolts in place. Start the bolt on the tensioner before you apply any tension to the tensioner. Also, if you have the hydraulic tensioner and didn't slowly compress the tensioner pin over the course of several minutes, you fubar'd the internals and will need to replace it. Otherwise you WILL be replacing an engine. Remember, if you're unsure about the engine timing being right, crank it over by hand FIRST. DO NOT USE THE STARTER. If you come to any spots that it stops and feels like something other than compression, DON'T KEEP PUSHING. Back it off and check your timing marks after getting the engine back to top dead center (crank on the alignment mark). Twitch

It's actually GL-4 80w90 and it does make a difference whether you use GL-5 or GL-4. GL-5 will eat your brass synchros. The local Schaeffer's oil rep had good success putting Harley primary gear oil into NV-4500 transmissions (which call for GL-4 as well), which handle far more power and torque than our little boxes will ever see. Also, primary gear oil is a lot cheaper than sourcing proper GL-4. Check with your local Schaeffer's oil guy, Amsoil, or whatever specialty gear oil company you like to get it. Your synchros will thank you. Twitch PS: I did the GL-5 route and was rev matching to prevent grind in less than 20k miles.

Leave the hood up and aircleaner off in a rain storm? If not, headgasket time. Which, honestly, you'd need to do to get more power out of it either way. And just so you know, these engines are stupid simple and can make better power with a cam change and a little tweaking. Look at the thread I linked further up. That's my build, and after it was all said and done, I was probably no more than $800 in, with the extensive machine work and replacement parts. Twitch

So, I picked up a really nice travel trailer that I currently live in. Unfortunately, the OBW's towing capacity doesn't come close to being able to pull it. So I need a truck. My current options I've been looking at are a Tundra/Sequoia 08-10, Avalanche 02-06, or a Silverado/Sierra 03-06 (07 Classic). They all have a towing capacity above my trailer's gross weight (7700lbs) and meet the reliability and comfort criteria. The real question comes down to, is it worth the extra markup for the Toyotas? Because I'd love to have 10k lbs towing with a supercharged 5.7 pumping out over 500Ft-lbs. But is it worth the extra $$$? Thoughts? Twitch

There are coolant lines that run to the turbo. Replace all of those now, as they will look like a James Bond stunt when they pop, and then your engine won't like you any more. They're 10mm if I remember correctly, and route through some very tedious locations. You might even need a lift to replace them. Also, if it hasn't been mentioned, factory turbo cars are MPFI, not TBI or SPFI. As for the heater problems, it seems that you may need to disassemble the heater switch part of the dash and do a little brass brushing on some contacts. Hope you can get it to stay running. Twitch

The EA81 won't swap into the RX without almost as much modding as the EJ, so just stick with the EJ to RX swap. More power with more reliability. The EA81 to EJ only nets more power. Twitch

As someone who owns both, you moved from one of Subaru most robust engines, to one of their biggest problem children ever built. Check your coolant like an obsessive helicopter mom. Watch your temp gauge like your life depends on it never going over the 3/4 mark. Keep good oil in it or suffer the consequences of a gummed turbo oil passage. Replace all your hoses if they even seem slightly soft. Get an OEM thermostat from Subaru. Start preparing for a headgasket or engine rebuild now. Get a spare set of timing belts and timing gears to keep in the trunk/hatch. And everything is going to be different for this than your EA81. This is the breed of monster that even the most dedicated Subaru nuts have said "f*ckit" to. And owning one, I know exactly why. Twitch

Have you checked to make sure you haven't broken off any spark plug wire terminals? Are you seeing if the coil is getting hot when you're cranking? Do you have good voltage across your battery? Is your ignition switch functioning completely? Twitch

I'm not dissatisfied with the dry pavement grip, at all. Hell, my old tires provided enough grip to lift the front tire too. It's a lot of other issues that have cropped up with the tires. Like getting a flat spot when sitting for a few hours in 50f weather at any PSI under 35, incessant bead leaks, cost, dramatic loss of grip when shown anything put pavement, and the list continues. For $180 a tire, I'd expect better. Anyway, Heartless, this isn't an old school block lift, it's a stiffened spring and small puck lift. It gets that last bit of strut length that the stock springs are too short for, and then a little bit more, with the puck. Then the adjustable rear sway bar should also help control body roll. The real issue will be raising the centr of gravity and how that will effect the car as a whole. Twitch

You know, Dave, I've considered that. Hooking it to a potentiometer in the steering wheel and making it shift in the direction I'm turning. On the more realistic side, I'm thinking a lift kit would help keep the front end planted a little more. I'm not sure if the struts have a more travel than the stock setup allows, or if I'll run into strut travel limitations. Otherwise I'll just be getting a stiffer set of springs with my new struts. https://www.rallitek.com/suspension-packages/6294-rallitek-14-rear-raised-overload-springs-kyb-excel-g-struts-assembled-outback-2005-2009.html This is the kit I'm considering for a lift. I'm not trying to make a monster, but I want something that's going to be more capable. Also, I might be going the off-road route a little bit with this car, just because of cost and difficulty of lifting it are both fairly low. The adjustable rear swaybar plays into this, as I'll be able to tweak it up and down for weekend playtime/camping and daily driver duties. Now comes another question: Will lifting and new springs and suspension stop the tire lift, or will the lift counteract the stiffer suspension and still allow the front tire to lift? Twitch PS: The potential oversteer problem won't be, as I am trying to get a little more turn in on my entry with more rear swing to pull through the corner.

Already did the tires. Got myself some Cooper CS5s, Ultra Touring (V Rated). Not very happy with them so far. Also, it's the fact that the suspension is allowing the front inside tire to literally lift off the ground. New suspension is on the menu already, but I'm debating new springs at the same time, and if I do new springs, the lift springs are stiffer than the stock by about 15% as well as the new struts being stiffer. I really wouldn't mind a little more oversteer, as the LSD makes it push more than I'd like in certain scenarios. Twitch

Ok, car in the discussion: 2007 Outback Wagon 2.5i basic. Meaning, this thing literally has no options. It's essentially a new age Brighton model. Manual, no traction control, lucky to have AC and power windows. Also, 16" wheels, not the standard 17" wheels literally every other trim level got. Anyway, onto the point! I have been researching and reading up on anti-sway bars, new springs, possible lift kits, and adjustable sway bar links, all in the goal of getting my car to stop lifting the inside wheel on hard cornering. A couple times (ok, more than a couple) I've had issues with the front inside tire lift and skitter when planting around a corner at WOT. This is a royal pain, as the onramp onto the freeway from my work is a hairpin with almost no run up. So, if I might pick the brains of my fellow Subaru enthusiasts, would an adjustable rear anti-sway bar with matching adjustable links solve my problem? Or would it be recommended to get new springs and struts with it? And then comes the snowball. Should I lift it while I'm down there replacing all the bits? Because the cost of a lift kit over factory replacement isn't much more, and I'd like the extra height. Nothing insane, but Rallitek's 2" lift sounds nice. Especially with the stiffer springs. So, thoughts, ideas, shoutings of "you moron" or "stop driving your car so hard"? Twitch

Don't forget to inspect your clutch cable while you're down there. The end may be frayed near the pedal box. Twitch

I personally would try to find a Sachs or LUK. I've used Sachs with great success and heard good things about LUK. Twitch PS: I second checking your clutch bracket. I went through 3 clutch cables before I welded mine up with some pieces of angle iron.

Check out this thread for building an EA81 for power. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/137196-the-blu-bomb/ I did it, and it was worth the time and effort, for me, but your experience may vary. Power is probably well under the 150hp mark and no where near a racecar, but a fun car to drive nonetheless. Twitch

Try a factory coil and make sure your negative terminal on the coil isn't grounded. Also, your distributor could be 180* out of rotation. Try pulling it, rotating it 180* and sliding it back in. If you can, snap a pic of the coil wiring setup, and label where you have everything running. Twitch

Neat article. So The Bomb has over 20k on this rebuild and while I haven't done a compression check, it is holding up well. As I suspected, it starts to runs out of air around 6k free revving, let alone under load. If I plant it and make it spin under load in any gear aside from 1st, it starts to really drag when it passes 5500, but dumping it into the peak RPM when you shift will make the tires bounce and pull again, so there are times I do over spin it When I do my compression check, I'll look over the plugs and check pistons with my friends boroscope. See if I have any hot spots, etc. Twitch

Only thing keeping her down right now is a wobbly disty. Need a new 2WD Nippon disty or at least new bushings for her. Solid compression and tweaking of the timing and she scoots. Just need to install my dual exhaust to make her a real monster. Twitch

Just peeled the rear window out of my BRAT (85) and MEK is the shiznit. Thorough wipedown and window was out in 20 min. Going to attempt it on my front windshield tomorrow after work. Just as a recommendation, use something slightly wider and thinner than a screwdriver, I chewed up the inner seal a little with my flatblade. Twitch

Yes, the clutch cable. Where does it start to grab in the pedal throw? Near the floor or closer to the top? Twitch

Hey, who wants discounted massages at the show? I have a massage chair and table... Gauging interest before I contact Tex about vendor setup... Twitch

Have you tried adjusting the clutch? And did you get a spec matched flywheel to your new clutch? Twitch

I have full coverage on my 86' XT Turbo and Progressive didn't ask twice about it. I have a $0 glass deductible (because a new windshield is about $500) and so far they've covered everything I've asked for. Twitch