Snowman

That's interesting and very good to know. I've seen the same thing happen with brake lines (it was like having a one-way check valve), but hadn't thought about it on a hydraulic clutch setup.

Sorry, the auto and manual AWD setups are totally different.

You can do a better job easier by pulling the engine. I've always used Roloc disks for cleaning the head and block surfaces. They make green ones for use on steel surfaces and yellow ones for use on aluminum surfaces. The yellow ones are less aggressive and take a while to remove all the stuff, but you can get it spotless clean and they won't tear up the aluminum. It goes a lot faster if you use solvent and a brush/scraper to remove most of the gasket material first.

Check out Legacy777's web site, it's chock full of useful information. He did a FWD auto to AWD manual swap and did a full writeup on the process. It's a lot of work, as you have to change tranny, install rear diff and mountings, change the gas tank, install the MT pedal box, and other stuff, but it's pretty straightforward. I used it as a guide when going from AWD auto to AWD manual this summer and it was very helpful.

Axles should be compatible...most axle places list the same one for 90-99, all transmissions. The injectors are different, but may swap just fine. If you swap the whole fuel rail, you shouldn't have any trouble at all, but I can't guarantee the injectors from one can go into the other fuel rail.

Because the rear suspension on the EA cars is not an actual Macpherson strut setup (where the struts actually handle the side to side stabilization), bracing the rear isn't nearly as big of a deal. I would focus more on the front.

Okay, so I tried the removing the strut bolts method on the other side today, and it's way better. I guess I've just always been afraid of messing with the alignment, but realistically, with the top bolt marked, you can get it back close enough. I've also just done it that way before because that's how it's done on the EA models. I can also complete a legacy axle swap via this method in about 15-20 minutes, since I've had plenty of practice recently. This is definitely something I'll watch out for on the older cars now. Learn something every day! (And forget two old things).

Hmmm...the pin for the MT/AT identifier must have been moved on the later ones. If you have an FSM, you should be able to locate it. Depending on the model, it may require either clipping the wire, or adding a grounded wire to that terminal. If yours has the wire, clip it, if not, add one.

I wouldn't worry about replacing the timing gears unless you can see they are damaged. They will outlast pretty much everything else in the engine. In big diesels, the gears will run for a million miles.

Yeah, I've had to drill out my fair share of bolts on Loyales. That sucks a lot. It hasn't happened to me on an EJ series soob yet. I use a chisel to spread the knuckle out from the ball joint just enough to pry the control arm down with a pry bar. I'm sure that the knuckle eventually was weakened by taking it apart that many times. Definitely something to watch out for in the future. I still maintain that under normal use, this method is better than the alternatives (taking the ball joint loose from the control arm, or the control arm loose from the car), unless you're also replacing those parts at the same time.

Haven't done one myself, but I've heard that it's somewhat common to break off a head bolt or two b/c of coolant/water getting in and seizing the threads. I'd just be real careful breaking 'em loose...maybe try gently applying an impact wrench, as the chattering can help break loose stuck threads sometimes (I've had good luck with this on Cummins exhaust manifold bolts). A toyota guru friend of mine said that the timing chain guides like to wear out on the 22Rs, so I would have a long hard look at those, or just plan on replacing the chain, guides, and tensioner as PM at this point while it's already apart that far.

My 92 auto legacy had 3.9s in it. I think it's just that one year, but not sure. Basically, it sounds like the only way to be sure is to use some method of physical verification, or if Subaru can look it up and tell you for sure.

I was installing a front CV axle in my Legacy this afternoon, hoping to finally be DONE with my axle adventures (8 sub-par quality axles that failed almost immediately after install) and as I was tightening the pinch bolt, the knuckle cracked right next to the head of the bolt. I've taken a lot of these apart before and never had anything like this happen. I think the internal combustion gods have it in for me.

Nope, you weren't missing anything. The EA82s never had the 2nd fuel filter like the EA81 cars. Just the one back by the tank.

A buddy of mine is trying to track down some vent shades (I think that's what they're called...those black plastic things that go along the top edge of your front windows to keep rain out.) for his daughter's impreza OBW with no luck, so I thought I'd ask on here if anybody has found them or located some that are for another car but work on the Impreza. Any luck with those? Thanks.

I would agree with GD that once you're in it that far, an EJ22 conversion is probably not much more expensive and will result in way more car. However, if you're into running a high-compression turbo engine, it has been done by several board members with varying degrees of success. I've read most of the discussions on the topic, and it seems that if you ran an intercooler and kept the boost levels stock (maybe even turn it down a hair with a controller), it would run reliably for a while. Another good bit of insurance would be to install a new 2 row radiator if it doesn't already have one. You will run into trouble if you crank up the boost and/or otherwise hot rod it, as many people have found out.

I can't wait! That might actually be the first new car I buy!

I helped a friend put an EJ22 in his Westy, and that thing hauled butt with that engine. However, fully loaded, it may not be what you're looking for. As I see it, the main disadvantage of the EJ25 SOHC is that it's an interferance engine, so if the timing belt breaks, the engine is toast. If you put all new timing gear on it before the install and keep up on the maintenance of it, you should be golden, but it's something to be aware of. If you're willing to live with that risk, the increased torque of the EJ25 might be a big help in a heavy rig like that. Judging from pictures, fitting the EG33 out of the SVX in there is a bit of a shoe-horn job and may be pretty involved. The EJ22 we put in fit well, without a lot of extra room anywhere, so I'd imagine the longer EG33 may require some body clearancing.

Nope. Pretty much all Subaru engine mounts are very similar. The EJ22 mounts will have to be modified with a grinder to fit. There are other considerations though. There are two ways to deal with the transmission, depending on your preferences. Either one requires some $$ or fab work. If you want to keep your existing tranny, you need an adapter plate and modified flywheel to connect to the EJ22. They can be purchased...do a search on the board to find out where. If you want to install the AWD tranny that mates directly to the EJ22, you have to weld the mounts for that tranny onto your existing cossmembers. Not a big deal, but you need a welder or a friend with one. You will also need to get front CV axles with 25 splines instead of 23. Those can be got from an EA82 turbo car. The rear driveshaft will need modified, and you will probably have to swap the rear diff to match the ratio of your tranny depending on the year of the donor car.

No, the front diff is between the engine and tranny, generally considered part of the tranny. Rear diff swap is easy.

I generally buy those from Subaru dealers, as I have not yet found an adequate aftermarket replacement. I've used aftermarket ones, but don't like them. You could try asking at a parts store though. I always describe it as the jumper hose from the heater pipe to the water pump, mentioning that it's 5/8" ID, and have not had trouble.

I meant putting the rear diff from the donor car into yours so the ratios match. Not sure about trading diffs in the auto trannies. Somebody here should know.

Good to know. I had always wondered if there was one that would work. They really are just like Legos.

What about swapping diffs as well? Not that big of a job.

That's tough. At least everybody was okay. I've come to regard my rigs in much the same light...I trust my Legacy more than I trust most people.