GeneralDisorder

Did you ask to see its report card? Did it do its chores? Maybe you should talk to its mom. Zombie thread. Shoot it in the face! GD

Could be the idle control valve needs cleaned. We have had some luck with dipping them in a sonic cleaning tank for 15 minutes. I say some because sometimes you just need to replace them. Cleaned one today on an 04 WRX and it worked perfectly afterward. Don't trying cleaning them without the ultrasonic tank though. It's pretty much futile in my experience. Mine came as part of my injector flow bench but you can buy them cheap. I run simple green in mine per the recommendations of the injector bench manufacturer. GD

Go to www.car-part.com and find the fans you need if they won't fit. Compare the fan diagram and part numbers on Subaru's online parts database - parts.subaru.com Frankly there is nothing wrong with using a quality plastic unit. Get a Koyo or a CSF. The Spectra ones are junk and we have seen a high failure rate with them. The good plastic ones will last about 10 years. Welded aluminium is good for maybe 20 years. Brass/copper is good for 30+. The brass/copper factory radiator in my '69 GMC pickup is still going - 48 years later. You can have them made if you look around for someone in your area that does old radiator repairs and fabrication. There's a guy down the street from me that has been doing it for 40 years. Act fast though these guys are retiring and dropping dead on the job. GD

Your local dealer. These are dealer only parts. There are online dealers as well. Ask your local dealer for their best price - they will probably give you 10% or so off list in the least. parts.subaru.com has all the diagrams and part numbers. GD

Unless you run synthetic it's inevitable. The only reason the old 2.2's didn't exhibit oil consumption is the oil control ring is twice as thick and the drain back in the skirt is a 3" long x 1/8" wide slot cut into the skirt instead of four 1/8" holes. 150k miles on a 2.5 is the same as 300k miles on a 2.2 with regard to how much blockage of the oil control system has taken place. The carbon will build up just the same in both engines it just takes a lot longer to be a problem on the 2.2. Synthetic will never do this since it has much higher heat tollerance. GD

Nope. It takes about 2 to 3 hours to remove it in my 180 degree spray wash cabinet. And often that's not even enough and we have to work a 1/8" drill bit through the drain back holes to clear them. The carbon is hard like a BBQ briquette. No snake oil down the filler neck will help with this problem. Believe me I wish it were possible. GD

I would not need a core. We would just get you a used engine. I often just buy ones that came from front end collisions and have bent valves, etc. It's not a problem to swap out the valves if you are already doing head gaskets, rings, etc. Or we could buy a reman short block from Subaru. They are about $2150. I have lots of extra heads no problem there. If you want a custom build with heat treated crank and race bearings, etc then we could either buy new case halves from Subaru or I can have a used set reconditioned, etc. You can also email me at: rick@superiorsoobie.com Or call the shop: 503-880-4084 GD

Good! Business is insane. Apparently a shop that doesn't screw you car up worse than when it came in is hard to find. The stories I could tell from the last few years. Ho-lee-chit. GD

It isn't that the rings need to be replaced. It is that the oil control ring and drain back holes become clogged with failed non synthetic oil (carbon). The reasons for this are several and I'm not going to go into it here. You can also apply some knurling to the skirts to stop piston slap on that engine. It will eliminate all oil consumption and restore mileage and performance since oil in the chamber will lower effective octane and piston slap will set off the knock sensor - both cause the computer to pull timing. The oil pump will not need to be resealed or the screws tightened on that model. That only affects older models. But the 7mm pump is insufficient and should be swapped with a 10. GD

Labor is expensive. We charge $1950 for headgaskets but rarely only do this job. We are cheaper than the dealer. The dealer IS NOT where you want to have this done. They do not use the correct gasket and they have some other bad practices that lead to a poor quality job. They do not resurface heads and they don't remove the engine. They use a 3M white zip-wheel to clean the mating surfaces. You will need to have the heads resurfaced - there will be some grooving from the fire ring on the head gasket. We do this on a sheet of glass with 150 grit sanding cloth. Find a reputable Subaru shop. Someone on this forum may know one in your area. Typically we recommend doing a piston ring replacement and piston skirt knurling if you can find a shop that does it. And you don't want to reseal the oil pump, replace it with a 10mm pump. The factory 7mm on that model is not sufficient. You want the head gasket ending in 770 part number. It's for the later turbo models. We charge $2750 for a re-ring and with the oil pump it would be around $2940. That's what needs to be done if you want it to last. GD

He's right - ring land failure is not an EA82 failure mode. That's the realm of EJ255's and EJ257's (WRX, STi, etc) If oil got all the way into the airbox..... well I would say something is dreadfully wrong somewhere. Start with the crankcase breather hoses and PCV, etc. I agree the shop didn't want to work on it or just have no clue what they are doing (more likely). At my shop we occasionally work on EA81's and EA82's but only because we all owned them back in the day so we have the knowledge and tools. Most shops just see an old car and a customer that likely has no money to fix it. Not to say that all EA owners are like that but shops will judge it that way due to it's age and perceived (lack of) value in general. This is really the kind of car you should learn to work on yourself. That's what things like this forum are for. Don't buy into the learned helplessness of your peers. GD

I just don't trust the Chinese or the big marketing machines to make a drill bit out of what they claim on the packaging. Things like Ti-Ni coating, and Cobalt.... Yeah that's great if it's actually implemented correctly (or at all) but since all HSS has some Cobalt unless they list the exact alloy or percentage.... Yeah I just stick with name brand quality drill bits... and taps for that matter. There is NOTHING in this world more frustrating than a broken drill bit or tap. Life is way two short for that foolishness. You most assuredly get what you pay for. I've seen Chinese drill bends BEND like a coat hanger. If they can't even harden them then nothing can be trusted. And who is gonna take the Chinese to task on false advertising of drill bit alloys? Yeah no one. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ahUKEwi12q_KtIzSAhVQ1WMKHV0BDMQQFggpMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNorseman-44170-240-UB-Degree-Premium%2Fdp%2FB00627C8ZU&usg=AFQjCNHPPET9jPMjRBRgaivPP7FNYH3Bcw&sig2=YeOzh8JJzqDjo2blOfa7ew GD

Rings, rod bearings, and turbo failures are all from people not using synthetic. Subaru's only mistake was in not recommending synthetic till far too late. The turbochargers are not made by Subaru but do require quality oil or you will take out the thrust bearings. The 2.5 has a piston design that demands synthetic or you will clog the oil control rings and return ports. AVCS..... I assume you are talking about the filter screens. Yes they should be removed and discarded once the engine has 15k+ miles on it. They are really only there for break in and to catch stray sealant from assembly, etc. Subaru should have recommended removal after break in. They got rid of them on the turbochargers after about 08 or 09. The starters really don't have a high failure rate. True they aren't serviceable but that's the trend. Labor is expensive and skilled labor doubly so. Shops are no longer expected to know how to rebuild these components and the parts aren't available to do so. That's a whole different discussion but no competitor is any different in this respect so complaining about it with regard to Subaru is ignorant of the industry as a whole. Power steering pumps are fine if you don't cavitate them. With remote reservoirs you have to periodically replace the supply hose and o-ring. It is critical they don't suck air. I have not seen a single failure related to Subaru's plastic intake manifolds. They improve performance and longevity of the hoses, etc because they don't get hot like the aluminum ones do and cook everything attached to them (as quickly). Head gaskets were/are fixed in 2010. All previous models can use the 770 gasket and benefit from the improved design. Window motors do fail, yes. I will concede this one. But it's usually only once in the life of the car and usually only the drivers window. It's $220 and takes less than an hour to swap it. All in all Subaru has done a fantastic job making their cars easier to work on over the years. They continually simplify and improve their designs. If it's rebuildable components you are looking for you will have to look outside of consumer products to find them. They don't exist in any modern car company's inventory. Plastics do sometimes suck. But again you won't find any modern car that isn't built this way. Most are worse in fact. Subaru has limited their use compared to what we see on the German and American cars. You can rant all you like about it but Subaru is no different than any other car company. I don't disagree with you. I don't own anything personally newer than 91 other than the pretty one's 99 Legacy and the shop's 07 Forester XT show car. GD

I don't know about CCR's restructuring, but I build all the engines for my shop personally. I can build one however you like and we are a lot closer than Colorado. Typically we build them using the newer heat treated turbo crankshafts and tri-metal race bearings, etc. There are other options besides a full rebuild also. Subaru themselves offers a reman short block assembly thats reasonable or we could source a used engine and just do piston rings, skirt knurling, etc. Hit us up on Facebook if you would like a quote: https://m.facebook.com/superiorsoobie/ GD

They were good cars but really too old and too difficult to find parts for. Too specialized. Stick to the non turbo models. The 92 through 98 models are your best bet. 95 and 96 being the best years as they are OBD-II and still relatively simple. Stick with the 2.2 engine. Automatics are more reliable and cheaper to maintain than the manual. GD

If you drill through it first, you can use something like this: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Carbide-Burr-SB-43L3D-Cylindrical-End-Cut-Double-Cut-1-8-x-1-8-x-9-16-x-3/162106691582?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41375%26meid%3Df0cc38262bf94a7a8896acdde9d5c591%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D5%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D381672610573 The genuine rescue bits aren't cheap but they can be nice to have around. https://www.amazon.com/Rescue-Bit-Broken-Extractor-Removal/dp/B00B1E5APO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486960457&sr=8-1&keywords=Rescue+bit. Broken fastener removal is an art form. Getting the job done in a timely manner and not creating a whole lot more work for yourself is a skill that can only be obtained by doing it wrong many, many times. If you work in a shop and don't have one of these order one immediately: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008XN9HO6/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1486961015&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=miniductor&dpPl=1&dpID=41ZfT6zk5oL&ref=plSrch The home-gamer probably can't justify one but mine has payed for itself many times over. Got mine from Snap On. GD

The computer will trim the fuel to compensate so it may not occur for long. Injector to manifold seals can leak enough air to cause fuel trim codes. P0171 (lean bank 1) can be caused by a relatively small leak at idle. Just had an 03 WRX in the shop with a lean code for two leaking injector snubbers. GD

No usually the stock filters are fine. This one was just plugged and the high volume pump blew through it. Too much back pressure. After about 05/06 Subaru removed the serviceable filter and put them in the tank so it's rare we have problems with most builds being newer than that now. You can get 4.444 final drive 5 speeds from Japan for cheap these days. The last two I have bought came with rear diffs for $800 delivered. GD

We are still working on determining the viability of using the 11mm pumps on non dual-AVCS engines. It may be too much flow. I'll have data soon to determine exactly which pump is best based on temp, viscosity, bearing clearances, pump size, and oil volume consuming devices (turbo chargers, intake/exhaust AVCS, AVLS, etc). Too big of a pump and you cause the bypass in the pump to open more often and it may be unable to flow enough volume to drop the pressure to a desirable level. We also want to know under what conditions the oil filter bypass valve will be bypassing. Science. For now the 10mm pump us the safest bet. It is used all the way up to 14 WRX's. GD

Next time instead of a chisel in the pinch slot just grind the ball joint out of the knuckle with a large carbide burr. We had this happen to both ball joints on an 06 Impreza not long ago. Took about 15 minutes per side to just chew them out. Titanium is not good for drill bits. Would be crazy expensive too. You mean titanium nitride? That's mostly a gimmick. You want a tough drill bit get a high quality one from Walter or a similar reputable brand. Cobalt is a meaningless marketing term. All high speed steels have cobalt in them. You could get a stub length carbide bit if you like spending lots of money but without putting the knuckle in a mill you would likely break it. Honestly the best way to go is a carbide burr. They make some neat 1/8", extended length burrs that have a drill point on the end. Called a "rescue bit", etc. These will drill and grind and can be used to extract small fasteners. I've personally saved the threads in 6mm holes. GD

It isn't the rod bearings. It's the 7mm oil pumps. Change it out to a 10mm. The rod bearings and even the rods themselves can be found in Subaru's turbocharged model engines where they do not have failure problems because those engines had 10mm pumps from the factory. GD

Spectra is not the best in my experience. Order a Koyo or a CSF. Both are reputable. With aluminum Chinese stuff the fitment is often horrible and there are other issues. Even Mishimoto, which is a brand name offering, often have problems. Again Koyo and CSF both make a nice all aluminium radiator for some applications. If you want to never do it again find a local shop that can fabricate one from brass and copper. You will probably pay around $500 to $700. But it's the only way to get a solid 30+ years from a radiator. I do recall that Subaru had offered a brass/copper unit on the 96 Legacy GT. Should fit your application with a change to the upper radiator support bracketry. GD

It's a bolt on but you need 15" wheels to clear outback brakes. You can even go to 03+ outback brakes but you need 16" wheels. Or 05+ Legacy GT brakes which require 17's. GD

It's probably a fuel trim issue - the computer has to learn and has no O2 sensor at that temp. You may need to remove the injectors and clean/flow test them, and also do a smoke test of the engine cold to find any intake manifold leaks that could be contributing to an erroneous MAF reading. Often the injector seals will leak at low temps causing fuel and air leaks. Removing them, cleaning, flow testing, and seal replacement will all help. GD

That's what we will be doing, yes. But Lostinthe202 will be doing it from scratch not a copy of anyone else's (he is what I would term a "master machinist" and that might be understating it) and we have some features planned to improve upon what's out there currently. Both to reduce costs and to improve cooling efficiency and strength. Their claim that you need a closed deck for 10 psi is quite untrue. Subaru runs more that stock. Don't know where they get their info. We run upwards of 20 psi on the open deck EJ205 without problems unless you get too lean. We recently had a 257 blow out a cylinder around 22 - 24 psi because sediment in the fuel system got through a failed filter and clogged up the 1000cc injectors. Two of them flowed only 550cc when I put them in my flow bench. GD