GeneralDisorder

Why does it matter? GD

Pull the fan motor connector and apply +12v. Could be as simple as a bad fan motor. GD

That is a 90/91 automatic injector (grey top). Those are prone to failure. You can replace them with 92 to 98 EJ22/EJ25 injectors (red tops) as they are fully compatible. I would get a full set of red tops from a '92 to '94 and swap the whole rails. Then you just need a couple o-rings for the rail ends. GD

There is not a set pattern.... you choose which tower you want to be #1, set the rotor to point at it with the engine at 8* BTDC and then you put the rest of the plugs on in counter-clockwise order starting with #1. Fireing order is 1,3,2,4. GD

Depends on your dealer. I have ordered all the hoses for my '91 Sport Sedan (turbo with LOTS of hoses) and I think the total was around $165. That's not that bad. Dealer pricing is actually quite competitive on most things. For example - just yesterday I was checking on EJ fuel filters and the dealer was over $2 cheaper than the local parts houses. This is not uncommon and I have seen it before on things like oil pump seal kits, clutch cables, etc. The dealer prices are actually quite good. Hoses usually range from about $6 each to about $25 each depending on size. That's not bad at all. My local dealer is very helpful with older stuff. They will drag out the paper parts manuals if they have to. Very nice and very friendly and they do a very good service for me. I know all my parts people by name. So..... it's probably just that TX is a poor state to own a Subaru in. Actualy I know that's the case. GD

All you have to do is change the seats to get more room. Personally - there is nothing that makes a better wheeler than an EA81 Hatch and if you are going to build a Subaru into a hard-core unit then that is THE platform to start with. Shortest wheel-base, best departure angle, lightest weight. EA82's are too heavy and their stock engine's are underpowered and have horrible cooling systems with single-core radiators. I would say a close second (and my next "mild" wheeler project) is going to be a first generation Forester automatic. Especially the '99 models as they have a 173 HP EJ253 that comes with a factory oil cooler. Shorter and lighter than the Legacy's because they are based on the Impreza platform..... they have the power to push larger tires and the auto works like a low range and can be setup to lock into true 4WD or to change the front/rear torque bias with a DCCD like controler. The 4EAT auto's are quite good and can be modified to suit many purposes. GD

A sticky with a list of parts to only get from the dealer wouldn't be a bad idea. I posted a similar picture years ago on this board showing the difference - no one bothers to search! GD

The old school ideas about larger filters being better are outdated and incorrect. First there is the fact that the filter is inexpensive and is being replaced with the oil every time. Subaru used to reccomend the filter only be changed every 15k miles. With a 3k or 5k interval you simply don't need all that extra filter media. Also - to a certain extent the filters actually improve with age and will filter to a smaller micron rating as they trap particulate. As for the OEM filters on the turbos.... They have not been an issue. I have a friend with an '06 STi that has over 90k on it - Mobile-1 synthetic and oem filters. Been rallied hard and has even survived a cracked pickup tube. Runs like a top and you couod eat off the internals. GD

No kits. Go to the dealer and ask them to order all the hoses for you. There aren't any "good" cheap alternatives. GD

I think the remote shifter will make all the difference for most of us. That's the biggest stumbling block left for a Subaru application. Thanks for the pics Bill. I see myself ordering both the BH and the remote shifter systems from you when both are ready. GD

Yes - insure that your distributor spins when you crank it over. GD

They aren't worth rebuilding. If you are going to rebuild something - rebuild an EJ25 and build a frankenmotor. You can get used EJ22's in great condition for far less than the cost of a rebuild and they average about a 350k mile lifespan. GD

Sorry - I should have been more clear. What we do is simulate the rocker assembly using two sockets or a stack of nuts that is approximately the same height as the rocker assembly. Thus you torque the head without the rocker assembly in place. Then you remove the two bolts, take out the spacers, and install the rocker assembly and torque it. This is a perfectly acceptable procedure and many people (including myself) have used it without issue. Even Subaru reccomends loosening, lubricating, and retightening the head bolts/nuts after a run-in cycle using their head gaskets. The Fel-Pro's have proven very durable for the EA's and they specifically don't require a retorque so most of us use them instead. Thus using this installation procedure along with the HG's that don't require a retorque makes this tool basically obsolete. Also - I did make a reduced socket like that once - I did it to check that the Fel-Pro's indeed did not loosen, etc. I was unable to get any of the bolts/nuts to further tighten with my torque insturment set to the final value. GD

Sounds like a sticking caliper to me. Wheel bearing is obviously a concern since it was just done and this problem is new with that change.....could be a bad press job (deformed bearing pocket), etc. The design of the bearing prevents them from being installed "too tight" as long as they are installed correctly. The axle nut is also impossible to over-torque as long as the wheel bearing has been installed correctly. The last few wheel bearings I've done had bad hubs as well because the inner bearing spun on the hub. l would be taking a close look at everything. If the future I would not rely on a shop to press in a bearing for you unless you KNOW they have done it before and have experience with that type of work. It's a finicky operation and that's why it costs about $300 at most garages (though I do them for $175 parts/labor). GD

That's not a bad price for a '96. If I were selling it as one of my reconditioned units I would be asking $3k. But then I do a lot to the cars I sell. You should look at the '92 through 94's. Closer to your price range. Mileage is COMPLETELY MEANINGLESS. Understand? A bad owner can RUIN an engine or transmission in 100k. An ecellent owner can keep a car mechanically perfect for 300k+. If you watch the gauges, change the fluids, and actually give a damn about them they will last nearly indefinitely. I have bought cars with about 140k where the inside of the engine looked like a BBQ pit and once torn down it was almost unbeleivable that it DIDN'T throw a rod. Similarly - I have customers with over 300k on their engines and the inside of the valve covers looks like you could eat off them. Mileage is a VERY POOR indicator of condition. Records and the face of the owner tell you a great deal more. Do not write off cars with over 200k. The EJ22 is a fabulous engine and will just keep on going with decent attention to oil changes. It's also simple and cheap to replace should it need to be. Also - interferance vs. non-interferance is a specious argument with the EJ's. I have replaced HUNDREDS of EJ timing belts and I have NEVER seen one break. It simply doesn't happen if you have any concern for changing them. Unlike EA82 belts, the EJ belts routinely far outlast the reccomended interval for replacement. GD

Different years got different brands of compressors and mounting brackets - some were factoy installed while others were dealer installed - all of which can mean different belts. Your number is meaningless without knowing what type of AC system he has and what year it is..... Wraping a bit of twine around the pulley's will easily tell you what belt you need. Then you can just go on McMaster's web catalog and reference the "A" spec number. GD

Everything in those pictures looks 100% normal. Possibly the key is a bit worn or beat up - doesn't really matter as it's only purpose is as a locating element till you get the bolt tight. Bolt tightness holds everything in place - if the bolt works loose the sprocket and balancer will happily shred your key. Just remove the spocket and key, dress them with a file or a sharpening stone, and put it back together - you want everything to fit smoothely and loosely but without much rocking back and forth (a tiny bit will not hurt). You have cam and crank seal leaks. Fix them or the belt will get oil soaked and fail prematurely. You can use blue loctite on the bolt but DO NOT USE RED. Red only comes apart with heat - blue comes apart with normal hand tools. GD

Not worth it on an OBW. You don't make enough power to need the 6 speed. They are expensive and making it fit would be a lot of work for very little gain. The 6 speed is a performance transmission and has VERY short gears. It is not designed for the OBW's ride height and tire sizing. GD

You can't give him a belt number - the year and type of AC makes a differerence. He needs to go to the dealer or measure it. GD

The automatic's are EXCELLENT transmissions. Not only do they have a more sophisiticated AWD system, but the torque converter acts like a built in low-range for off-road purposes. I guarantee that an AWD automatic Outback or Forester will do everything an old GL D/R will do and more - won't wear out a clutch doing it, will get better mileage, and have twice the power. If all you care about is appearance..... why they hell are you buying a Subaru in the first place? The Loyale is a dead platform - move to the first gen Legacy and if you want that low-range then either get an automatic as I sugest or put the older GL transmission into the Legacy. Or get an EJ D/R tramsmission from Europe. If you have $2000 to spend you would be best served by a first-gen Legacy. You can buy the best one around for that much money. No EA82 is worth spending that much on IMO. Trust me - I work on these EVERY DAY and there's no comparison. I will take a stock Legacy automatic ANYWHERE a stock D/R will go. The 4EAT can be locked into 50/50 4WD just by installing a switch for the duty-c solenoid. With the price of the Legacy's in the $500 to $1500 range there's just no reason at all to consider the GL/Loyale series. They are WAY behind the times and they have way too many problems to want to make one a daily. GD

Just wrap some twine around the pulley's and measure it. It will likely be an "A" cross-section and then you just need the OD of the belt in inches. GD

Most of us just use a couple sockets under the rocker assembly bolts for extra clearance and we use the Fel-Pro HG's that don't require retorquing. GD

The fan you are refering to as the "aux" fan (the electric one) is actually the primary fan and is controlled via a thermoswitch in the radiator tank. Verify power to the fan and proper grounding through the switch (at operating temp which is about 195*). GD

Get a Legacy. No reason to fool with the EA82's anymore when Legacy's are so inexpensive and availible. I've bought two 90 to 94's in the last 6 months for $500. Both needed only minor repairs - one had the timing belt on wrong and the other had a damaged crank nose due to a loose crank pulley bolt. Both were on the road with full 60k services for less than $1400 including purchase price. One for less than $1000. The EA82 is a primitive, underpowered, and rather maintenance intensive engine. Get a Legacy with an EJ22 - you'll be much happier. Trust me - anything that 92_rugby_subie knows came from me. There's a reason you won't find EA82's in my stable. His runs as well as it does because I made it run that way. I know virtually all there is to know about them and I still wouldn't own one. Dead platform. GD

Those phase-II engines (99 to 01) are worth about $1000 acording to the pricing I've seen through the dismantlers - about the same as the phase-I 2.5's (EJ25D). They are rare and as such good condition examples are hard for people to get. Sadly they are also compatible with EJ251's and EJ253's so it's often easier and cheaper to just upgrade than it is to find a second gen 2.2 No it will not work in a '98 Legacy. It is a phase-II engine and it is not compatible unless you do a bunch of custom work to it's manifold or make manifold adaptors to fit the older '98 manifold. GD