GeneralDisorder

Sounds like a head gasket to me - that's pretty much par for the course when they blow. 1. Pull the engine. You don't want to do this in the car.... trust me. 2. Have the heads resurfaced and new valve stem seals installed *at the least*. Have the machine shop check the valves, seats, and guides as well so you know where you stand. 3. Use ONLY Subaru head gaskets, manifold gaskets, and exhaust gaskets. On these engines - it's a gamble you don't want to take. 4. Use ONLY Subaru thermostats. Other's have a high rate of failure. 5. Get your complete timing belt kit from "theimportexperts" or "mizumoauto" on ebay. Get one with a water pump, etc. Around here the consensus is that you should change all the idlers every time you do the belt. 6. Also replace the cam carrier o-rings (not in the kits). Get these at the dealer. GD

First of all - you have the wrong idea in your head. We aren't buying "unknonwn junk yard" engines. Most of us buy engines from "automotive recyclers" that are tested and come with a warrantee. Most of them come into the hands of these places because the car was wrecked - IE: it was moving under it's own power well enough to get into an accident. Further - they are tested and inspected - the oil is drained and checked for metal, bore scopes are used to inspect cylinders, compression tests are done and number recorded, etc. I just bought an EJ22 engine from a local import recycler. 175 psi on every cylinder, 160k on the clock. Engine was $450 with a $100 core. For another $50 we upgraded that warantee to 6 months. That's $500 for the engine after the core return. You can't touch this for what it would cost to rebuild an EJ22 and quite frankly that engine has a good chance of seeing 300k if it's properly cared for. That's why we do it. GD

That play is normal. It doesn't mean you don't have bad joints or bad grease - but you can't tell anything from grabbing the DOJ cups and moving them. They normally move like that around 1/4" or so. GD

If you want this for off-road then you might want to rethink your purchase - they are not well suited to that application (lift, larger tires, etc), can be rather spendy, and a welded diff is much more effective. GD

When I do these it's typically in the $1000 to $1200 range depding on what the customer want's for an engine, etc. Lower mileage/warrantee/etc can bump the cost up a little. If the old engine runs but just overheats, etc you can probably sell it for $100 minimum - maybe closer to $200 depending on mileage, etc. GD

You'll have to be more specific. Play in what directions and where? some play in the DOJ to stub shaft interface is normal and no cause for concern. GD

I have one too but am in Portland. GD

Buy an Outback with crapped-out 2.5 (for $500 to $1000) and swap in a '95 to '98 EJ22 (direct bolt-in). Perfect combo of feature-rich and reliable. The 2.2 does NOT have the head gasket issues. It's a common mis-conception that this is a Subaru-wide problem but it was actually only a couple engines and all of then were 2.5's. You lose 20 to 30 HP. It's not that big of a deal. The car's still do just fine. Outback's came with the same tires and gearing in '96 with the 2.2. The 2.5's extra power is mostly something that people *think* they need but soon find out that it's just a money pit. Some are good but why gamble? GD

OBD-II EJ22 manifold will have a harness that will plug right into your 2.5 car's harness. You are not seeing that because you don't have one to look at. You need an EJ22 manifold from a 95 to 98 automatic. It will bolt up to the engine and plug into the car. GD

Yep - and you have seen me do it . GD

1/2" ratchet. 22mm socket. BFH. I do this all the time. Or a 1/2" impact wrench if you have air. I do that if the engine is out. I also have a IR 2025MAX now - which is just AWESOME. GD

No - if it's got plugs in the valve covers - it's a phase-II. They only used that engine from '99 to '01 so they are hard to find. You might looking into putting in the EJ253/251 instead - also a phase-II engine but more powerful and larger displacement. GD

No and the phase I engines are not an upgrade in reliability. That would be a bad idea - mostly because the phase I would require a different manifold that is not compatible with the phase-II harness. GD

I use one of these: http://www.harborfreight.com/450-lb-capacity-transmission-jack-39178.html Works great every time. GD

A good condition (cosmetic) hatch for $850 is a great price - even if the engine is shot. One that is running/driving and looks good can fetch $2500 to the right person. They are rare - almost as rare as Brat's anymore. And prized because of their short wheelbase. It is not a wagon and you can't compare prices to one. The owner may not know that - but even if the engine is toast it's likely worth $850. I would buy a cosmetically perfect hatch with a blown motor for $850..... and day of the week. Sounds like there may be some serious issues if the oil was brown looking - may have popped a freeze plug while sitting or has a bad head gasket. Note the color of the oil to the owner and that the engine is likely a total loss (maybe not - but for purchase price you have to assume it is) and see if she will come down. If not - let her stew about it for a week and then come back. I got my hatch for $250 and haven't replaced the engine or tranny yet. They are out there - just be patient. GD

Fix it and drive on. Weld it, grind it down, and run it till it dies. GD

I agree with Ed - the ONLY advantage is they last longer - which if you have a car with hard-to-access plugs - it's worth it for double plat's or iridiums just to not have to deal with them again for twice or three times as long. Regular plugs every 30k, double plat's every 60k, and iridiums can last 100k on many engines. GD

Ditch the push button crap and use one of the dual range transmissions they have. GD

The original rack may have just been one of those rare failures.... the second rack could have had a lot of miles on it already or, more likely, all the metal wasn't flushed from the lines and pump - or the pump is chewed and it's making some of the metal going into the rack..... Best bet is an entire used system - rack, pump, and lines. That way you eliminate the possibility of fluid contamination. Still much cheaper than a new rack. I think the lack of responses to your question is probably due somewhat to the super-bowl. GD

Yes - the header sections are the same. You can use any dual-port header for '95 to '99. The OBX borla knock off's are good replacement headers for a good price - don't expect any performance change but it will change the exhaust note slightly due to the (more) unequal length tubes. It will sound more "aggressive" but the performance will be unaffected or slightly worse due to the seriously unequal nature of the pipes. GD

Yep - cat's broke. That can happen with vibration or just from age - the "honeycomb" is very brittle. A good smack will crack it easily. GD

It's likely just a twist-loc style thing - you turn it about 1/2" and then it pulls out (the tabs disengage). It may give a little resistance because there's an o-ring in there to prevent water instrusion. From the diagram that looks like a 9001. I would be willing to bet...... Heh - good thing I'm not a sports fan huh? I'm assembling a new rolling tool cart. GD

Those are very likely the same as the later GT fog lights. I would see if any of the parts references show a bulb listing for that. It's probably a 9004 like the big-brother or perhaps a 9001 since they are so small.... GD

Probably won't damage anything but your wallet. What are you trying to accomplish with fancy plugs? This has been a sales pitch for many decades - changing a plug that is doing it's job and has a correctly set gap is basically a waste. The plug ignites the charge and that's it. It either works or it doesn't work. It is highly unlikely that a $10 plus is going to do any better job in the REAL WORLD than a $1.50 plug. Go with NGK's - the plain copper's are fine but most places only carry the v-power's anymore which are fine also. If you have one of the DOHC engines where plugs are difficult to get to - get the double-platinum or irridium plugs from NGK - because they WILL last longer before needing to be changed and they are such a pain to get to that it's worth the extra money in the long run. GD

No - the FI distributor is little more than a crank sensor - it does not have the ability to trigger the coil directly. On FI models the input from the crank sensor to the ECU is used to determine when the spark should occur and the ECU then triggers the spark via a transistorized amp near the coil. GD