AdventureSubaru

Might do that. Got a couple ideas to try since I'm resorting to my scrap pile and welder to create something to complete the task.

No check engine light? Alternator is suspect. Failing/bad mass air flow sensors can also cause stalling and poor running conditions.

Yep. That was the deceptive part. Bolts spun right out. Axle popped free on the first whack. I thought this was going to be a one hour job. Now got 6 hours at least just trying to rig something to get it out. I pulled the hub piece all the way out so theres just the mounting plate and back of the bearing. Thought I'd get it for sure when I got put a bolt in the back of the knuckle almost all the way to the threads and held it there with some big C clamps. Spun a bolt through the threads to hit the other one and press outward. Cranked to the point that I think i'll strip the bolt and still hasn't budged. Going to try a second one like that. If not, I'll be welding a plate and nuts and putting at least 4 bolts of pressure to it.

Still getting nowhere on this. Tried 3 chisels but nothing seperating. Bought two home depot bolts of same threading and pounded from the back side with nail hammer and got some good pops one handing that 15lb sledge. Still not budging. Thought this would work for sure. Bolts bent on the first try. With 3 heavier (1/2 inch I think) bolts its starting to seperate the hub and bearing. Next thing I can think is to pull the hub piece out and try to weld a plate across it to try similar, but get bolts lined up straight with no angles.

2011 Ouback, about 120k. Only a year spent in salty winters. Rears have been making noise for a while. Figured I'd get these done before we take a 4 hour drive Sunday evening to attend a conference. Everything has gone smoothly until it came time to knock the bearing loose. Hit with a hammer. Nothing. Pried with a pry bar. Nothing. Upgraded to a 5 foot crow bar, a 2 foot pipe wrench to pull/push perpendicular with no success. 15 LB sledge and I'm hitting it with force that splits 2ft Oak logs. Metal is mushrooming, but it's not showing any signs of giving up. (Yes, axle nut is loose. I left it on so the whole thing doesn't topple if/when it finally brakes loose. I have most of tomorrow to work on it, but unsure of what to do next. Just keep whaling on it? hoping someone has a trick or tool that can get this unjammed.

Foresters were originially equipped with the EJ20 SOHC in a number of markets outside the US so it should be well suited. I did it on a 2001 and a 2002 outback. (Heavier than a forester) Easy swap. Was actually impressed with the power. You dont notice the difference unless you're really loaded down or going up a long or steep incline. 99% sure the timing belts are the same. Count teeth just to be sure.

Man, I bet that think is spunky when you hit the gas. I've often daydreamed of taking a crunched impreza and making a cool AWD roadster out of an old Fiat, Opel, etc.

Thanks. Figured as much.

awesome. Will snag it for sure then. Next question is what the final drive of the rear diff is for the H6 diff? It's an 03. and the diff and all comes as a whole "cradle" Would certainly simplify the process if the diffs match and dont need swapped. Both are automatic.

Any difference in the rear subframes of the 2000-04s between 4cylinder and H6? Just want to confirm before I pull the trigger on one.

99+ 2.2s (And all 99+SOHC 2.5s) Are NOT compatable with your 99 outback aside from splitting the block and putting your heads on the Phase 2 block (Which is a step up, but not much different than where you started. The cheap and reliable fixes for both are 95-98 phase 1 EJ22s to match the phase 1 Ej25 in your 99 outback. For simplicitys sake, look for EJ22s from cars with automatic transmissions as these motors were also EGR equipped and will not cause a check engine light. If the engine light doesnt matter a non-egr motor will run just fine.\ car-part.com is a great place to find them. Usually if I offer to come down, cash in hand for a motor, yards will negotiate a bit on price.

skipping the resurfacing and using cheap headgaskets. We all could have predicted a quick repeat failure. Without spending a bunch of money, you're just rolling the dice again. Even if you do the job right, there's a high probability of rod bearing failure in the future if it ever ran hot. This is why most of us do the Ej22 swap. It rarely exceeds $500 and far outlives the 2.5 You'll spend far more cobbling that Ej25 back together without leaks and still not have the reliability. There's a reason that it's standard practice. So, of course, it's your car and you can do what you want. Done right and if bearings were never roasted the EJ25 will go on and on. GD has it down to science and I would take his advice to heart if you want long life from that motor.

Make sure the pins are in so the CV is not sliding across the stub. But no, stock axles are fine.

Fun cars, but that's looking like a bigger gamble. best suited as a parts car to keep others on the road. A cheap 90s legacy or impreza would probably fit the bill better. Or even an EA series car since you're not in rust country. Keeping tabs on craigslist and being willing to take a drive when a deal pops up gives you good odds for finding a good one. I bought my 98 daily driver for $200 with jumped timing and creaking rear suspension. Took a about $300 in junkyard parts and it's been very useful since.

Automatic transmissions failed readily in them. 5 speeds were fine.

Take a deep breath and figure the current situation out. Either way - whether you drive the car or sell it, you're better off with it fixed. The smoke may well be the burning of excess oil. Or it could be bigger issues. Absolute worse case scenario is to put a used motor in from car-part.com and proceed. As a rule, unless you are in a rush or get some crazy deal NEVER trade a car in. You will get far below market value as dealers ensure they wont lose money by reselling the car or sending it to auction and they plan for possible unknowns as well. It's not shady, it's good business, but they will offer thousands less than what it can be sold for privately. Also - NEVER take out loans/make payments on cars. It's about the worst financial procedure to get into other than borrowing from the mafia. If you need to sell your 05 for $500 and buy a $500 1992 legacy with 200,000+ miles, do that and own the thing and start putting money in the bank to save for what you really want. But when buying a car and making payments you are usually paying over value on something that quickly decreases in value. Try and get this one running right, baby it and put some $$$ in the bank so if anything does go wrong in the future, it wont put you in such a bind. If the car is not fixable in your current situation, sell it via craigslist, ebay etc. there's decent demand for sporty RSs even in project states as lots of us wrench on them - they are easy. Make whatever the sale price is your budget for a new car and work your way up from there, but more debt can be a black hole to jump into. Usually best to swallow a bit of pride, put on our work boots and move forward. It nearly always pays off better over time.

Both previous posts are correct, but I would not knock the DIY job on a 96. Miles Fox has a good youtube video for EJ SOHC timing belt job. I have done dozens as a DIYer without fail. Being a non interference motor there's not a terrible worst case scenario. I've just kept the used belt and idlers in the spare tire well (just in case) and I err on the side of caution and replace at 80,000 miles. As GD said, lots of mistakes can be made. But if you follow instructions, there's not much to go wrong on a simple timing job to keep a 21 year old car running reliably. It just depends on which standard you want to hold your car to.

Sell the 99 and use the money for a good used motor off of car-part.com - a gates or similar timing belt kit too will save hassle down the road.

Felpro head gaskets are the only way to go for these Ej22s. They have the fuji stamp and cost $25. each as opposed to nearly $100 each for the same exact part from Subaru. I have not been very choosy on intake manifold and exhaust manifold gaskets for these motors since they are a snap to replace if ever needed. Do check your the back of your motor for the oil leak from the seperator plate and replace with the factory upgrade if so.

The $500 fix would be a used motor. You can certainly just swap in an EJ25. Most elect for a ej22 but to each their own. car-part.com to find one.

o2 sensors replaced?

It's not going to be the ECU. Get back to basics, there's a lot that hasnt been tried. You already scrapped a good motor by just throwing darts at the wall on this. Plugs, wires, coil, fuel pump, pressure regulator, injectors, map, knock sensor, TPS, o2s, blocked cats, IACV, EGR, fuel filter (and more that I'm likely forgetting) If you are not sure of these things, you're wasting time and $$$ by thinking the ECU will solve anything. (As you already learned having needlessly swapped the motor and scrapped the one that never needed replacement in the first place) This sounds harsh but is not intended to be. Just a good natured kick in the pants to stop chasing rabbit holes and start looking in the right places. The shotgun approach to diagnosing an issue is a black hole for time and $$$. If you cant diagnose it yourself, pay someone who knows subaru specifics to do it for you. (Not the guy who told you to swap your motor) You will come out ahead in the long run.

You'll have to use the 2.5 coil on that wiring I believe. Again, this is not generally a compatable motor though. You can get it to run, but it wont run well. Takes some mad scientist stuff to get there. I would advise finding a compatable motor 2000+2.5 or 99+ 2.2 and chalk it up to a learning experience rather than go down the rabbit hole of cobbling this motor into running under phase 2 stuff.

Yep. That's normal since that side is under pressure. Will often do the same thing a couple more times as you align everything to get the new timing belt on.

I just bought the standard mixed bag of rings from Oreillys. There was more than enough there. Easy to compare them as you go. Pull the old one, find it's match in the bag and swap.