GeneralDisorder

You just aren't listening. He has two belts and a dual groove pulley now and the new alt came with a single groove pulley. Simple solution is to swap the pulley. Not redesign the belt system to use different length belts. Reading comprehension - get some. GD

Many DL's and entry level Loyales did not have AC. There are also outboard AC compressor setups as used on turbos, etc that use the twin groove pulley. It's not just in Finland and you show you inexperience with such statements. There are some setups where the single groove MUST be used as the twin groove will interfere with another belt that runs in front of the single groove pulley. There are a LOT of variations. GD

Silicone hoses are a HUGE win on the turbos. They don't deteriorate like the factory rubber. Do your homework and don't buy the cheapest ones though as they tend to fit poorly. Especially if you are talking about the turbo inlet that runs under the manifold. Not an easy part to replace and trust me the cheap ones fit very poorly. So poorly that you won't even be able to find all the leaks without a smoke test. Last cheap one I installed had three leaks on the first smoke test. Hours later it got sealed up but the frustration level on those is unbelievable. GD

You haven't seen all possible belt setups. You can disagree all you like but there are still cases where a dual groove pulley is used to run two belts of the same diameter. Such setups do not have AC. Regardless of how many GL/Loyale's you have seen - I've probably seen more. GD

Not true with all setups. If your existing alt has two grooves then you need to swap the pulley and run it with both belts. You can just impact the nut off and swap the pulley - impact the nut back on. GD

Not really. That's pretty common knowledge around here. The transmission internally defaults to 3rd gear without it's computer brain to tell it otherwise. Reverse is not a computer selected gear ever so it's selection is entirely mechanical based on the selector lever. The forward drive gears are shifted via computer control and without the computer to intervene the state of the shift solenoids that govern pressure to the drum bands and clutch packs defaults to 3rd gear. That is their unpowered "at rest" state. So no computer = no electrical power = unpowered hydraulic state = 3rd gear. GD

Doesn't seem like it's worth fixing to me. You have a parking brake right? I'm sure the parts are available from the dealer. Pull the back off the transmission and see what bits you need. Most likely you will find this to be a messy, expensive repair and a '90 Loyale isn't likely to be worth it in the scheme of things. GD

You need to replace the o-ring at the pump inlet and the two hoses going to/from the reservoir. I fix these quite often on the turbo's. It's worth the extra money for new factory hoses. There are silicone variants available as well - I think Samco makes them. GD

I agree I can rebuild a block better and cheaper than a new one typically. Although for the EJ turbo's (255 and 257) the factory short blocks are an often used option. Take a factory 257, pull the pistons and replace them with forged. This is a very common 400+ HP build. GD

$175 is pretty reasonable really. EJ pumps cost about the same if not a bit more. I think last I checked my price on an EA82 pump at the dealer was somewhere around $145ish for the one with the pressure sender and like $115 for the idiot light pump. You can put your sender in the idiot light pump and it will work just fine. That's pretty much par for the course on engine parts. If you're going to drive old cars - best be putting money aside each month for repairs. In the Subaru world the dealer is often the only source but their prices are (fortunately) pretty reasonable. If you want cheap parts I suggest a SBC. Super cheap parts. Mileage generally sucks though. GD

The teeth on the outside of the synchro are never worn since those aren't what do the work - those are just the drive teeth or "shift dogs". The "teeth" that need to be inspected are on the inside diameter of the synchro and cannot be seen or inspected without removing them from the shaft. These are a very tiny (1/32"-1/16") series of SHARP ridges that run around the inside diameter and have a cross-section like a saw blade. They engage with the matching cone of the freewheeling gear and pull it up to speed durring the shift. These are what cause grinding and poor shifting behavior when worn because if they are not sharp and defined they will not grab the gear and spin it up to speed before the shift collar engages the dogs - causing them to grind into each other rather than smoothly engage. You can tell absolutely nothing without shaft disassembly but the forces required to disassemble many of the components will apply force through the rolling elements of bearings - generally requiring their replacement as that is not acceptable bearing protocol. GD

Do you know what a good synchro is supposed to look like? How do you define its appearance as being "good"? What characteristics comprise a good appearance vs. a bad one? Have you removed them from the shaft? You can't inspect the syncros without complete shaft disassembly. I've had luck with Extra-S in conjunction with shifter bushings solving some instances where the transmission pops out of gear. Most recently I solved a 2nd gear popping problem on an '06 WRX. GD

Don't fix it. There was too much heat generated by that failed gear set. The discoloration seen on other gears and in places like the speed sensor drive allude to this. That much heat can effect the case hardening of the components and that much metal means every bearing is suspect and the syncros probably took a beating from that much metal. You would be looking at three to four times the cost of a used transmission in parts and I can guarantee it will make "ghost turbo" whining noises in every gear (except 5th cause you'll have to replace that set) and may live a short life due to the changes in the hardness of the remaining components. The part on the end of the shaft simply keeps the fifth gear shift collar from sliding off the end of the shaft since there is not a 6th gear for it to engage. GD

Makes sense since most '87s were carbed. SPFI's were mostly limited to 2WD's in 86/87. GD

If it's trying to fire as you describe then it must have fuel and spark. That really only leaves compression/timing as potential failures. As Gloyale mentions above - did you check to insure the timing marks are aligned correctly and that the belt isn't missing any teeth? Also check the distributor timing using the ignition timing marks on the flywheel. If something has slipped out of time then you will get a crank/no start and occasional pop when a spark ignites some fuel at the wrong time. GD

I probably have not done any 90 to 94 engines. It's rare that I use one of those for a swap since the availability is poor. Typically I'm buying 95 to 98 engines and often I have to use a manual transmission engine or a JDM engine if that's what I can get at the time. Having done over two dozen 2.5 to 2.2 swaps I've had to tap the EGR ports about half a dozen times and find a matching manifold. I haven't run into one yet that I wasn't able to drill/tap but it's possible they exist. If I had that problem I would just put a JIC bung in the exhaust header and weld a stainless flex line to the EGR tube coming off the manifold. That's how a lot of manufactures (Nissan for example) do it from the factory anyway. Where there's a will there's a way. GD

Depends on the model you get. The Imp's and the Forester's tend to be pretty tinny. The high end Legacy and Outback tend to be quieter. Remember that these are not $50k+ luxury cars. They are really very capable vehicles but very utilitarian by design. If you want a really comfy ride that looks like it could go off road then an Audi All-Road is probably what you want. DON'T take it off road though. WAY too much vulnerable plumbing directly under the car and right behind the the plastic core support. Last one I worked on bumped into a curb and crushed an ATF cooler line that's 1/2" from a steel bracket on the plastic core support. Core support was undamaged but transmission didn't last long GD

Weber wont fit the carter intake. You need a Hitachi intake manifold to make it work. GD

Auto or manual? If it's an auto then it's likely pinion bearings and there's nothing that will help but replacement. If it's a manual then it's most like the rear input shaft bearing. Either way you need to repair it. GD

I call em like I see em. It's not up to me to provide proof of anything since I am not the one making unbelievable claims. So where's the pictures of all these new individual components from which they built this short block? I see lots of pictures of a short block already assembled but no pictures of all the individual components. Buying the individual components is more expensive than a full short block and you can't order specific piston sizes (A and to fit the block in a totally factory way. The individual parts are sold in order to REPAIR an existing engine. That listing says in NO uncertain terms that all the short block components are BRAND NEW from SOA. That means it comes as a complete short block. Again - any monkey can bolt on heads. There is no amazing skills involved in that and I can provide the same service for anyone that would like this option for less than their asking price on ebay. You can believe whatever you want and you can drink their cool-aid if you wish but those are the facts. GD

It says "brand new parts from Subaru of America". You don't buy that list of items separate. You buy the complete short block cause its cheaper and there's no guesswork. I know how this works - build engines all the time and buy hundreds of $ in dealer parts every week. You got had. GD

I just do a rough depth check with the depth end of a cheap digital caliper and then put a piece of tape around my drill bit to get proper depth. I burnish the inside of the hole a bit by installing the EGR pipe and then rotating it's bubble flare in the hole while putting pressure on it with a wrench on the threads. Just to insure a good seal. GD

They don't "say" that's what they are doing but trust me it is. I can do the same exact build for anyone here at my shop for hundreds less than they are charging. It's no surprise that it runs like a new engine since it essentially IS a factory new engine. Completely assembled factory short block is $1989 from my dealer that's a mile from my shop. It takes basically no real skill to assemble these. Torque down the heads, install timing bits, and ship it. GD

They are just buying new OEM shortblocks. The wholesale price for which is less than $2k. You can easily have those single cam heads completely rebuilt for less than $500 and there's not anywhere near $1400 in gaskets, timing components, oil pump, and labor to bolt on the heads and palletize it there. That's pretty much a huge rip-off. GD

It's a slippery slope though if you haven't got first hand experience with the transmission. If you have driven it and know the syncro's to be good then I can see going that route but if you are rebuilding one that's unknown I tend to just replace them all. And even at $350 - you can usually find a good used one for half that. Interesting option with the bead blasting. Though when I've seen bad syncro's they often have all the ridges worn flat and I'm not sure those could be saved. With respect to "bad" syncro's - try the Subaru Extra-S gear oil first. I've had that clean up a lot of transmissions with a grind here or there. It's well worth the entry price. I stock it at my shop so anyone in my area can get a gallon of it for less than the online sources that sell it in liters. GD