GeneralDisorder

The axle nut torque is "as tight as you can get it".... no I'm not kidding at all. Officially it's 150 Ft/lbs, but anywhere between 150 and 250 is good. Make sure the cone washer is PERFECT and that the bellville washer is convex toward the nut. I think Loyale's went back to the manual adjust shoes. There's a slot in the back of the dust sheild where you can insert a screwdriver to adjust the star-wheel. If it won't move you'll have to dissasemble and clean all the bits. If it's got auto-adjusters then you probably need to pull it apart and clean them all up.... or pitch them. They can fail and lockup the wheel. Was a poor system to begin with. GD

He answered you - you need to replace your steering coupler! GD

It's usually the guides that are shot on the DOHC heads. And yes you can re-shim them yourself - but it won't fix the worn guides nor will it bring the valves back into spec - most times they are too far gone to even do a proper grind on. The 25D likes to eat valves - just what they do. So you would not hone the cylinder and replace the rings? How do you expect the rings to seat properly and not use a ton of oil? It's just a bad idea - if you are going into the bottom end to replace pistons then you should be doing everything. Either do it right or don't touch it. I never said more flow was bad - I said it's not needed where this engine makes it's power. The torque cams may increase durration - that I don't know - lift is unchanged. The valve TIMING is altered for more bottom-end power - more air at lower RPM. Thus these cams are the opposite of a turbo engine - they flow big at low RPM and taper off as the RPM increases. After 5500 RPM this build runs out of steam - but that's OK because it's coupled to a close ratio gearset that's been geared down with a low ratio final drive. The DOHC heads flow great up at 6 and 7 thousand - nothing we will ever care to hit. Thus they are useless. Sure you could - and blow the budget doing so. Once again - too expensive to source 253's and 251's. I care nothing for EA82's - engines or body's. I skip that gen completely. Never-the-less.... the EJ251/253 is a fine engine - but again not readily availible and thus too expensive. This has what do to with the current conversation? I've built all kinds of weird combo's as well - not germain to the discussion at hand. You can argue till you are blue in the face - it's not going to change the fact that you can't make the HP this combo makes for the same money. Just not going to happen. GD

Agreed - distributors are BLEH! They don't like water - the stock MPFI on the EJ's is excelent and the only reason people put distributors on them is because they are afraid of a little wireing and afraid of an electronic system they don't understand. GD

The AWD 5MT was used in everything that had a manual transmission (in the US). Gear ratio changes are based on the vehicle power, weight, tire size, and how sporty/economical Subaru wanted that model to be. They are completely variable and transmissions can be found that run the spectrum from short-ratio sports car gear ratios that top out at 120 MPH to ones that are designed for longer ratios that provide better fuel economy. It was a standard platform that was used on all manual transmission Subaru's - you can't really tie it down to the '99 Impreza OBS.... that same basic unit is still being used - it has been almost unchanged since 1990 and it derives it's basic design from the part-time 4WD 5MT's first introduced in 1985. GD

You neglect a couple things - first the timing belt kit for the DOHC heads is about $200, second the DOHC eat valves, valve guides, and stem seals like candy. Plus you will have to do a shim adjustment..... a rebuild on the DOHC heads runs $500 compared to about $175 on the SOHC heads. In either case I AM talking about rebuilt heads. You can't change out the pistons without also changing to the (piston manufacturers) rings and that will require a proper hone for them to seat - which is best done by pulling the short block apart..... which pretty much means it's stupid not to put in bearings. There's also the consideration that the SOHC heads fit better into a lot of the older chassis (EA81's for example can't run the DOHC), and they are MUCH easier to service - plugs, valve adjustment, valve cover gaskets, etc. All around a more pleasant experience. Do what you like - but you will spend more and get the same thing if you use the DOHC heads - they are really designed for forced induction and their greater flow rate simply isn't needed for NA. And flow rate has nothing to do with the cam grind - just because they flow more doesn't mean they do it at the right time. I've built a LOT of EJ engines now. I am well versed in the associated costs and what works and what doesn't work. You go ahead and stick some high-comp pistons in a used block with some used heads and no cams - I'll run circles around you with my SOHC heads GD

I just got a 5 speed '92 wagon for a customer for $500 - owner said the engine might be trash or had some strange sensor issue they couldn't figure out..... it was half dissasembled with the intake manifold in the trunk . Long story short - they had the timing belt on wrong - timed it with the TDC mark on the pulley and not the belt mark on the sprocket . If I wasn't charging labor for this restoration I could easily have it on the road with a complete 60k service for less than $1000. Runs like a dream. They did have LSi's in the 90 to 94's - leather interior, etc. I've seen a very few of them. Depending on condition and location.... A good condition first gen can command as much as $2,000 around here. But that's usually low mileage, etc. Can't find them for much less than $400 to $500 because the junk yards will pay over $300 for one and that route is easier for people to take vs. selling it on craigslist, etc. GD

The VF11 is a good turbo. People have also used the early WRX TD04's - they are more plentiful but require slightly more modification. Either is sized well for a turbo upgrade on the EA82T. The consensus is to keep the boost turned down as much as possible and do not under any circumstances exceed 10 psi or so. An intercooler and a turbo upgrade will increase performance even if you *don't* turn up the boost - and an intercooler is never a bad idea for reliability. Keep it cool and stay within it's limits - that's the name of the game. GD

And WAY more cost. The whole concept of the frankenmotor is built around being inexpensive. Go ahead and price out a head rebuild on the DOHC heads, and a set of high-comp pistons and rings. Now you are talking about opening up the block..... that's not what this is about. Frankenmotor recipe: 1. Used, good condition EJ25D short block ~$200 2. Rebuilt EJ22E heads (generally you already have them so only the rebuild cost) ~$160 3. Timing belt/WP kit ~$120 4. Delta torque cams ~$170 5. Misc. gaskets and seals ~$100 That's a grand total of $750 for an engine that reliably makes over 200 HP without a turbo. If you wanted to use the DOHC heads - add another $350 to the rebuild cost, and another $170 for two more cams. Around $500 for high comp. pistons and then about $500 more for bearings and rings. That brings the cost up to about $1800 - well over double the cost for gains that are incremental and all above 5k RPM because you still have the some comp. ratio - just heads that flow 25% more. Not a win. And arguing that using the whole used EJ25D is better is not viable either - they run about $1200 for a good used one, and are only 165 HP stock. Also not a win - more expensive and lower performing. GD

We have had idling issues with the first-gen ECU's (90 to 94) and the torque cams..... it's not that bad though with the EJ22. If you do the frankenmotor it's way beyond what the ECU can handle it seems. GD

It's not easy to procure. I don't know of any retailer that sells it. When I need it I buy it by the case from a former employer of mine that buys it directly from Chemsearch.... it's about $160 a case (12 cans). A while back I did a group buy on the stuff and bought three cases for board members. http://www.chemsearch.com/productDetail.asp?country=USA&language=English&language_id=4&countryName=United+States&pLetter=Y&pName=Yield%C2%AE%C2%A0%0D%0A GD

Yield - I use it all the time. GD

Count me in for a B.H..... Just bought a t-cased hatch (THE t-cased hatch?!?) and it's pretty much a no-brainer to go over to the Yota transmission. Any way we can get on a list for one of the first batch or what's the game? GD

Yeild is the best. PB Blaster is like water by comparison. WD-40 is for Water Displacement - it's no good for corrosion. GD

You can't easily replace the ferrule on those EGR tubes since the tubing is crimped on the end.... you would have to replace the whole tube. I would just clean it up with a file and keep using it. GD

It would end up being lifted. If that's what you want.... no reason you can't do it. Notching the frame rails and boxing them in would be much easier. GD

Heat it up as much as you can and shock it while hot with penetrant - should break the rust bond. Then clamp the vice grips on so tight it hurts your eyeballs and smack it with the heaviest thing you can find ........ GD

Clamp onto it with the biggest vice-grips you can and hammer on it with a 4lb drilling hammer. Those are always tight.... GD

If it sounded ok I would buy it..... cheap of course . I can't think of a reason that jumping the car would cause abnormal strain on the transmission..... suspension and body would take the biggest hit. If it doesn't have any bearing noises, the syncro's all work as designed, doesn't pop out of gears when you let off the accelerator, etc - go for it. GD

Sounds like you got it under control. Good job. I would definitely check on that blockage you felt and it sounds like it's time to replace the radiator hoses also. GD

You could use an impact of any type - though a cheap battery or electric one might not do much at times. A pneumatic or quality electric/battery operated impact will do the job nicely. Mine *claims* it makes 650 ft/lbs but I doubt it. You can also easily do it by hand with a ratchet and a cheater bar or just a long handled ratchet or breaker bar. And yes - with the exception of removeing the outboard inner race from the hub, the FWD service set has everything you need to do a wheel bearing with hand tools.... without removing the knuckle from the car. Though I almost always do remove the knuckle and put in in my bench vise for easier access. It has all the right sizes and works perfectly. A dremel would eventually work it's way through the outboard inner race - get the largest, toughest cutting wheels you can find..... Or just buy a cheap puller and grind the arms to fit under the lip of the race. Hell - buy a bearing seperator and drive the hub out of the race with a brass punch. There's a lot of ways to get it off. GD

That's a good point about the block distortion - hadn't considered that myself. The stock final torque value on the EA82's is 47 ft/lbs..... but the stock Subaru gaskets require a retorque where the bolts are loosened, oiled, and retightened after a run-in period. The Fel-Pro's supposedly don't require this extra step. As an added safegaurd against having to retoque the gaskets (because it's a huge pain in the rump roast), I typically do a final torque of 55 ft/lbs after the 47 just to be doubly sure. Emperical evidence sugests that this is not a detrimental practice at least in the case of the EA engines as both the 55 ft/lbs and the Fel-Pro gaskets have proven quite reliable in everyday testing. In any case 8 ft/lbs is not a lot and I did it as much because I was using a cheap $20 torque wrench and wanted to make sure I wasn't on the loose side due to any innaccuracies in the tool..... which was probably an unfounded supposistion as they are actually quite accurate but I didn't know that years ago when I was messing with EA stuff and doing lots of HG's on them. I rarely touch one anymore - mostly I work on EJ's and I use the stock HG torque from the FSM GD

They are different aspects of the job. The puller is to remove the *outboard, inner* race from the hub - not the outer race from the knuckle which is what they are talking about. If you don't have any other way to get the outboard inner race off the hub you can simply cut it off with a die grinder. Or if you have a press as apparently a number of us do - a bearing seperator makes short work of the outboard inner race. GD

In my experience the HF FWD Service Set has plenty of force to do the job. I operate it with my 1/2" impact or sometimes an 18" 1/2" ratchet. So far I have done a '91 Legacy front, '98 SUS rear, '99 Forester rear, and a '97 Impreza front. None of them gave me any trouble. I *also* have a 20T press - and I prefer to use the FWD set for this job. The forces that can be acheived with threads are quite high - especially if you use a relatively fine thread. GD