wtdash

HI and Welcome, 1. Use the sprockets that match the head....they may work but I'm not sure. 2. You'll have to compress the tensioner - hopefully you have the FSM (factory service manual) for instructions - do it wrong and it'll ruin it. 3. SOHC Intake Manifold must be used - NOT interchangeable between SOHC and DOHC. 4. No...use head bolts that match head...I 'think' they're too short for the SOHC. 5. Yes...ALL EJ-series share the same pattern. 6. Yes....all heads should be resurfaced B4 reinstall (@ least IMHO). 7. Depends....if the 2.2. is over 150K, probably. But wouldn't bother otherwise.....(I'm a hypocrite...my '96 EJ22 w/128K has a bad valve guide...so....yeah.) 8+. The 2.2 / EJ22 only had EGR on the AUTOMATIC-equipped engines. All EJ25's do/did. You CAN make it work w/the non-EGR port heads w/out drill/tapping.- Search for my post on it. 9+. Read up on what HG to use....it'll need to be a 2.5 bore, but there may be better versions for you....FRANKLY. BTW, Your '99 EJ25D is actually a 'hybrid' year, as it has the Phase 2 block w/the Phase 1 DOHC heads GL, Td

+1 Yes...they wear out and cheap. Td

Hi THIS POST may be helpful RE: the starter. The Misfire is unfortunately another (besides HG) Achilles Heel of Subarus. I'd be suspicious of the coil pack and if you've NOT done the VC gasket and plug seals, they're due. Also, since you've been dealing w/this for so long, I'd get a Compression and Leak Down Test done - not cheap, but neither is throwing parts @ it. GL, Td

Hi, HIGHly recommend you get your Search cap on and head on over to RS25.com. They cover all the Imprezas. Also, most sites have "Stickies/Stickys" @ the top of each section that are there as reference for Newbies like yourself. Many Subaru parts are interchangeable between models. Everything from the '91 Legacy Turbo to the 2007+ WRX have parts that would be an upgrade. I'm glad to see you want to do Suspension and Brakes b4 'power' upgrades. As they say, "It's more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a FAST car S-L-O-W. Gl, TD

If the switch doesn't change the AT temp light flashing, then it's wired in wrong...it may 'lock the diff', but w/the switch OFF - wiring same as stock - the AT light should stay off....unless you still had issues b4 this mod. Td

Hi, I've not done this mod recently (but want to on my '96)...but I think you need turn OFF the switch BEFORE turning the car on/off. It can't be left ON all the time, IIRC. It should've stated that in the Mod Thread. If you ARE turning it off/on then.....well, wait for more replies. GL (hope I'm right?), TD

Uh...the '06 Forester will be a 215/60R-16 which is a 26.1" tire. The TIRES MAY rub the lower strut perch (the spring holder-upper). But the wheels' bolt pattern is definitely the same so they would bolt-on, if there's clearance. GL, TD

Hi, Everything I've read states the '06 was the first year of the AVLS (AVCS was on Turbo engines). Read up on the Cars101.com site -look for Archives on the left column and then choose your year and model to compare. And they should be swappable...although you may need to swap the Intake Manifold (not hard). Go read over on Subaruforester.org, too.....lots of 'swap' posts there. GL, TD

Hi, Fuel smell is due to the un-burned fuel in the non-firing cylinder. There shouldn't be any oil on the plugs. It's common for the gaskets on the plugs to fail and cause misfire issues, but yours was 'fixed'? GL, Td

+1 And every time you overheat it, you're reducing its life expectancy....the rod bearings will not last after repeated overheats. TD

No offense to 'ccrinc', but journal bearing turbos, such as these, will have a little play - Side-to-Side- when not spinning...from everything I've read on numerous sites. One such LINK HERE. And HERE. There are two types of play most commonly seen in turbos: side-to-side, called Radial play. And in-and-out, call Axial play. The in-and-out is BAD, so that's what you do NOT want. Journal bearing turbos use the oil pressure to maintain their 'balance' when on boost. I had a TD05 from an older Subaru and it had Radial play, but it held 18PSI, made over 250HP/Torque AWHP, car used no oil and had no smoke. But a little and a lot of play make all the difference....and I can't tell you How Much is Too Much, but there should be tolerances online. TD

The turbos on your LGT model are a known weak point...go search on LegacyGT.com...it could be something else, but it's common. Also, and I tell everyone w/these engines - EJ255 and EJ257- do a compression and leak down test to get a 'health check' done b4 you start throwing parts @ it. They have a history of blowing ringlands, head gaskets, burned valves, etc....expensive fixes...usually in the 150K miles range. A tune is really dependent on your source. Don't know what 'jw' means, but NO an SCT won't work. COBB AccessPort is the most common (only?) plug-in tuner that people use. Cobb has Off The Shelf (OTS) tunes that are a general tune that can be applied to your car, depending on mods, or you can get a ProTune w/the Cobb that your local Tuner (a person skilled in tuning ECUs / engine computers) would do - preferably w/the car on a Dyno. Also, there are Open Source tunes that require a special Tactrix cable, RomRaider and ECUFlash software and a LOT of knowledge, or, again, a local Tuner that can tune it for you. Expect to spend a min. of $500....If you think that's a lot then I suggest looking for a new hobby. :-) TD

Ok. Thanks.

Hi, +1 - GET the Codes First. What made you change the plugs w/out checking the code(s)? If you're over 100K miles on the GT than Yes, the VF40 is likely dead. Do NOT continue to drive it as the turbo can disintegrate and dump parts into your block and your replacement cost will go up ...a LOT. Get another VF40 or VF46 (double-check on the 46's fitment), or upgrade to a VF52 from a WRX - MUST GET A TUNE! - w/the 52. P.s. You can find these used on Legacygt or Nasioc websites - ensure/ verify miles as these cars are getting old and low mileage ones will be harder to find. GL, tD

I have two '97 Outback RIGHT-hand rear struts and want to install them on my '96 Legacy. These are COMPLETE assemblies - Top hats, springs and struts - plug-n-play. I know the brake line brackets are specific to each side but are there other differences that would keep this from working? Searching didn't answer this specific of question...or just used the wrong terms. Thanks

And to play 'devi's advocate', it's not uncommon to see crispy (burnt) valves on these engines....EJ25D. I'm not a mech, but the fact that your fixes are temporary tells me that something is causing the parts you replace to fail again. This car has a MAF - not a MAP - and they are readily avl. used. Every non-turbo Impreza and Legacy from '92-'98/'99 used the same Green label MAF....but that doesn't explain the 3 and 4 only misfire. BUT go grab the Igniter / ignitor - they're also interchangeable w/the cars above ( I think - unless it's integrated w/the coil?) - and hopefully you can get to WI w/out issue. Td

Hi, Read THIS to get the codes stored in the transmission. Did you used the transmission fluid pan to jack it up? If it's dented you may have broke a solenoid or a wired.....did that one early on in my Subie career. GL, Td

Hi, Double check that the springs are/not tapered (smaller @ top than bottom), as they won't fit the top hats if they are. Certain years of the '02-'05 WRX had the tapered springs. Tangent: And just to clarify for others. The Impreza (all versions) '92-'01 top hats/ Upper Strut Mounts on the REAR struts won't bolt in - different bolt pattern.

Hi, The speedo cable from the '96 will connect to the '90 just fine....just move the electronic part to the other trans. The rear differential pinion flange on the '90 - that the driveline bolts to - won't work w/your '96 driveline - different bolt pattern. They can be swapped, but PITA. GL, Td

Bump..me too. '96 Legacy L.

HI, Read THIS. Been done, not hard - cost depends on where you source the parts. What part failed exactly? I may have some left-overs from my swap.

+ Thanks for the info...I may just throw my extra 2.2 in there if the Tbelt and its components look OK. Follow-up 8/2/15: Did the T-belt, pulleys, Tstat and WP. No difference in noise level. Maybe do an UOA w/Blackstone @ the next oil change in 4K miles to see if there's cause for concern. It does seem louder AFTER it's warmed up. Thanks Edit: I pulled this engine, put in a '90 EJ22e with 22T heads, turbo'd it and then sold it. I then reinstalled this '96 L engine in another '96 Legacy OB (bought w/a dead EJ25D) I 'flipped' in 2017. But I reused the '90 dual-port EJ22e heads (and used my own EGR-fix). I had the heads resurfaced and pressure tested and they were good to go. I DID notice (hint) that the HLA's were kinda/sorta stuck so I cleaned/re-oiled them all before installing. When I put the engine in the car and started it up? Yep. same noise. :-( I was like dang-nab-it, it's rod-knock. But, in a last ditch effort, I knew from a previous experience that I was able to REV the engine - after it had warmed-up - to Redline multiple times and it freed-up any sticking HLA's. It worked again as the noise was GONE and it actually ran great! In fact, I swear these '90-'94 heads are the best for power of the 2.2's.....(but I've never owned/driven a '99+ EJ222). Of course, w/the 4.44 FD ratio of the OB that helps. So, my best guess is that the original 2.2 had stuck HLA's, too. When I swapped out the HLA for SLA, it must've been the other side making the noise? Also, the engine had a stuck piston oil ring (i had all new rings installed), which likely was the cause of the smoke on startup....so this engine had probably seen few and far between oil changes. Tangent> The OB was sold to a kid and it was his first car. Two days after he bought it, it was stolen...w/all the paperwork. His dad came up about a month later and the Police had found the car, and returned it to the kid. The dad sought me out and we did a 'release of interest' etc. so he could get it titled in his name. Apparently it had been driven by a woman, who was living in it....and it was full of loot - phones, laptops, etc. They needed to get the ignition fixed, but was otherwise still functional.

It almost sounds like it's more toward the middle of the engine - not out toward the valves. Even now thinking it could be T-belt-related. Thanks

And I 'think' there is wiring under the rear seat related to the fuel system? Might depend on coupe/sedan vs. wagon.

HI, Miles? Recent maintenance? Original Turbo? Did you replace the seal on the Valve / Rocker Cover around the spark plugs? Oil can leak down and cause your issues....but you should've seen that by now. If you're going to do a compression test, I'd add a Leak Down to that list and a smoke test to rule out leaks as Cougar stated. Yes, it's $$ but then you know the health of the block AND heads. If you don't have the $$ to fix this, you're better off staying w/a NON-turbo Subaru in my opinion....These older, hi-mileage Turbo Subarus are $$ pits...and Yes, that's from experience. And if you haven't, go look on the other Subaru sites such as SubaruForester.org and NaSiOC.com. Your '06 has the same engine - exactly - as the '06+ Forester XT and WRX, and very similar to the STi. Misfire codes on the turbo models are .....a pain. GL, Td