ccrinc

Good Lord. One of my granddaughters is nearly that bad.

When are these kids going to learn that they have to check AND change the oil (and other fluids) in their cars? I can't tell you how many people we've sold engines to because their kids ran the cars out of oil. You, sir, have my condolences. If I was you, I'd be darn tempted to get her an old beater until she learns to take care of it. Say, a '93 Impreza with an EJ18 engine. They're much more forgiving. (Yeah, I'm a mean mother/grandmother.) That said, use the longblock, BUT make sure that these things match the old engine: Left cam pulley Crank pulley (the one that fits up against the block) Heads (there are several options, like ACVS, but it's a pretty sure bet that the oil passages in the heads are full of metal and the cams/cam journals are probably badly scored) Swap all the car's engine electronics onto the new engine as well. If the car is a manual, make sure the engine you put in either came from a manual or has the bracket on the oil pump to keep the timing belt from rotating backwards (thereby jumping time). From my research, you shouldn't have any problems using the older engines. Good luck! Emily

Hail dings are especially tricky because they're so small. Those pullers are more for larger dents. Either way, be sure you do it when the metal is nice and warm, not cold. It's much more effective that way.

Nipper, Yeah, I just wasn't trying to be nice about it.

Sorry, but I'll say it if nobody else will. Driving on tires which are that badly weathered and with steel sticking out of the tread is just plain stupid if not reckless. If you can't afford tires (which I can understand), take a bus and don't put your own safety and the safety of others around you at risk. Emily

The 3.545 you already have is the sport option. Internally, the SVX and Legacy turbo transmissions are identical if they have the 3.9 gear ratio. We've rebuilt quite a few, so just FYI. Emily

The shift kit I mentioned is Transgo's, part #K78908. It goes in the valve body area. Available locally from Transfirst Industries. ps: $800 is really quite a good price for rebuilding that transmission. I've known places that charge upwards of $2700++.

What ^^he^^ said.

Torque: 7.5 in. lbs. to 127+ ft. lbs. 10mm to 21mm. Metric, not SAE.

Definitely pieces of the steel belt material coming out. The tires show a weather wear pattern right at the base of the tread. You are lucky you haven't had one blow already.

First, you need to know the gear ratio of the trans. in the SVX. They were either 3.9 or 3.545. The only direct swap of a different transmission that will handle the torque of the 3.3 engine is out of a Legacy turbo ('91-'94). Handling the torque is important. If you decide to swap in a Forester model (I wouldn't), you will also need the rear diff to match the gear ratios. Unless you get a real bargain on the Forester one, I personally would have the existing one gone thru, with a shift kit added to the valve body. It really solves most of the issues on the SVX transmissions. I had one in both my SVX and my Legacy Turbo Touring Wagon.

While all your answers and questions are germane, the biggie here is that she ran it almost completely out of oil. The engine (no matter what else is going on with it) is trying to seize permanently. At best, the bearings are now very damaged. (Sorry, mikc03, they do get damaged, they're just more forgiving of ignorance than most Subaru engines). With no oil showing on the dipstick, it had less than a quart left: so at least 80% of the oil was gone. Eeek! If it was my car, I'd replace the engine. (Who am I kidding? I'd have my husband build me a new one! ) Emily

Gary, while that valve is added protection, it's only for help on cold start up. What causes those annoying failures is (methinks) lack of oil changes! We've seen more than one engine fail rather spectacularly because an aftermarket filter sealer ring let all the oil drain out. Sometimes, it was a fairly slow leak, a few times it was "Spoot!" ...there went all the oil!

We require Subaru oil filters on our engines to maintain the warranty, but will allow NAPA Gold. It's not just about the filter material, the seal that meets the block also has to fit right. Most aftermarket ones don't.

All lawyer jokes aside, it's great to see a post like yours. An honest attorney! Like an honest engine builder, we seem to be the rarity in our fields, rather than the norm. People are astounded that we don't charge to diagnose. Go figure.

Does the radio work? Any other power stuff work? If not, then my bet is on the ground wire for the starter. When you jump it with a screwdriver, you are "grounding" it.

Manuals are not a 50/50 split: I don't know where you got that information. They all (manual and automatic) are momentarily 50/50, but only in 1st or 2nd gear. Test it without the engine running (see below: it's a quote. I didn't feel like typing that much). if you put the MT or AT in neutral and have both front tires off the ground - and you turn one front tire the other front tire on the other side which is physically joined via the differential will turn the opposite direction. First, check the axle on the wheel that's not turning. Is anything turning on that side? Assuming everything is intact (no broken axles), there's more than just that one possibility: The opposite wheel turns in the other direction in exact sync with the turned wheel, as you noted. In this case the differential input shaft remains stationary even though it would be free to turn because the transmissions, in both cases, are not "locked". The opposite wheel turns in the other direction, but slower. In this case, the differential input shaft will also turn. This could happen if there is some drag on the opposite wheel, perhaps from a brake pad, or friction in the bearing, or a binding CV joint. The opposite wheel does not turn. In this case, the input shaft is turning. This can happen if the opposite caliper is seized. The other wheel might not turn but the input shaft will because it is free to turn and its degree of friction is less than that of the brake on the opposite wheel. The opposite wheel turns in the same direction. This is unique to the viscous coupled "limited slip" differentials. In this case, the friction of the coupler's seals causes the differential case to turn with the wheel being turned and this causes the opposite wheel to rotate in the same direction. However, this can only happen if the differential input shaft is free to turn. (This would not apply in the example of the front being raised, but I raise only to cover all possibilities, whether the differential is at the front or at the rear.) Emily

To verify which part number you need, use www.subaruparts.com and look it up via your VIN.

Generally speaking, all post-Loyale automatic Subarus operate in 90-10 mode under normal driving circumstances. When cornering, slipping, driving in bad weather, etc. is when the AWD features kick in, taking traction from whichever wheel has the least "grab" and transferring to a different wheel to keep the car stable. (You know, the old "transferring traction from the wheels that slip to the wheels that grip" advertising line.) When conditions return to "normal" the 90-10 split returns. Best AWD system in the world, IMO.

IMHO, she should just bitchslap her husband!

EJ22 heads will not match up to the coolant ports on a 2.2 turbo block: they're a completely different pattern. The stock EA81 engine is 74-ish HP. Stock EJ22 is 135 HP. Nearly double. (You can buy an adaptor plate to mate the engine to the Brat transmission.) Geez, that's nearly double without any "additions". Cheaper and more reliable: deck the 2.2 heads about 15/1000ths. You can do a Delta grind, but remember that it will give you a loping idle, so take that into consideration. Since the Brat is so much narrower than a Legacy, you're going to have "fun" shoe-horning that in there as it is. If you're set on this, you can "wheee!" out of the stock 2.2. Emily

The only thing "special" about them is that they are torx-head bolts. You don't need to spend a ton to get torx tools that you won't be using on a daily basis. But, yes, you should use the torx tool. Sears torx end head on a standard ratchet. Emily

I'd find a different mechanic. I'm also betting on it being run low on oil and seizing the engine. Any decent "Subaru specialist" should not have to repeatedly start and stop an engine to tell whether it's bad tensioners/idler or a rod knock. I've seen way too many mechanics/shops do this just to low ball the customer on buying a valuable car, then do a cheapo repair and turn around, selling the car for an inflated price. No wonder our industry gets a bad rap! From one woman to another: do the 2.2 swap, preferably a '95 2.2. You'll get the reliability you need at a better price than rebuilding that problematic 2.5 engine. When you get it smogged, don't tell them anything about it. The two engines look nearly identical from the top unless they check the stamping on the block and the number of cams. From what I've been told, as long as it has an obviously Subaru engine in it and looks stock, that's as far as they know to go on it. Emily

3.0 (EZ30) engine is an exceptionally solid engine with timing chains instead of belts. As long as they get absolutely faithful oil changes and the cooling system is well maintained, they run for a very long time. In the time period you're considering, the only vehicles with the EZ30 are the Tribeca and the Outback LL Bean. Since the engine oil is what lubricates the timing chain tensioners and idlers (they're internal instead of external), you probably will want to try to verify the service records of any vehicle you consider with that engine. There is a double metal timing cover instead of plastic on these. 104 (IIRC) bolts which hold it on: they must be taken off and put back on in a very specific sequence. Gas mileage isn't as good as an EJ25 SOHC of course, but damn, they are one smoooooth running engine with good power. Otherwise, the cars that have the EZ30 are no different from the EJ25s except in trim levels. Emily

Ha! I'm a grandma and I have richly deserved so many speeding tickets I didn't get.