GeneralDisorder

I would be tempted to do the head gaskets as well if you know for a fact they have never been done. When was the timing belt done? Should have been around 100k to 110k typically (called out at 105k on the maintenance schedule). Over $800 for a clutch swap is silly. It's about a 4 hour job.... how much are they charging per hour? Even at $100 per hour the parts are not over $400..... I don't get where they come up with this price unless you are taking it to the dealer? Personally I charge 4 to 5 hours labor plus parts and the clutch kit is around $200. All said and done it's not usually over $400 for a clutch job when I do them for people. The fact that they want to change your rear main is a red flag..... they obviously aren't familair with Subaru's because it's common practice to not touch the rear main if it's not leaking because they have a bad tendancy to leak shortly after being replaced. It's rare for them to leak anyway. GD

I have bought used 2.5 cars with head gaskets already replaced.... something else has often failed and thus why I bought them but I find that it's common to see them already done. Many were done before 100k miles and some before 60k. So as said above - don't limit yourself on the model years - just educate yourself on how to spot a replacement head gasket. They are pretty easy to see because they are an entirely different design than the original gaskets - MLS vs. old-school composite. GD

I use the Harbor Feight 6 ton jack stands and with a block of wood on my jack I can get it high enough to clear the transmission and my transmission jack so I can just roll the transmission out and then roll it back in. Thus I go much higher than 20" - around 28" to 30" I would guess is where I typically put them. GD

Just replace it - good used 5 speed's can be had for relatively cheap - around $200 or less typically. The metal swirling in the oil means it's days are numbered even if you find 1st gear. Just find another. GD

The part blocking access to all the pan bolts is known as the "engine cross-member" - it's what the engine is bolted to and in turn the cross-member is bolted to the frame. Other things call it home as well such as the control arms, steering rack, etc. There are holes in the cross-member for you to use a large phillips screwdriver to access the pan bolts which are not easily accesible with a socket. You will have to unbolt the engine from the cross-member and jack it up a bit to get the pan to clear the pickup tube, etc. For the oil pan gasket - get it from the dealer ONLY and then coat all surfaces in Grey RTV and let it dry before installation. This will keep the cork from absorbing engine oil and turning hard/shrinking with age. And then make sure you torque the pan bolts properly. They are tricky. It's best if you just install them with a screwdriver rather than a ratchet. The torque value is relatively light. Replaceing the bolts with some new black oxide bolts and star washers is never a bad idea but finding one's that have phillips heads can be tricky. Typically I opt to replace the lock washers with new star washers and I keep the original bolts. GD

Does anyone else hear a faint whining sound in the distance? Seriously - that's relatively painless. I just did an oil pan gasket on my 350 SBC. I had to pull the entire exhaust (42 years old and it shows) and jack the engine up off the cross-member..... Now that's a pain in the neck . Whine about something that's hard or messy at least..... GD

Get Swampers - you won't regret it. Anything less you will regret later when they don't perform like a Swamper..... been there. And frankly the Swampers are relatively cheap for what you get. They are unstoppable on a Subaru. Tire *size* is a total crapshoot. My 215/75R15 Chinese mud tires are *supposed* to be 28". They are smaller in diameter than my 27x9.5 Swampers . So really..... you have to actually measure the tire's in real life. This has been shown several times by prominent members here. The sizing is only a guess and could be up to a few inches off. GD

It doesn't sound as if you know much of anything yet - you don't even know which part is for *sure* making this noise. You mention both the front and the rear differential and the transmission yet they are completely distinct items though the transmission and front diff are actually integrated into a single "transaxle" unit. I'll tell you what I tell everone that poses this type of question to me - IE: "what do I do about sound X?"..... Answer: "You wait till it gets loud enough that you can figure out FOR SURE what component is making the noise." Differential failure's on Subaru's are very uncommon. Front diff failure on automatic's is often due to improper fluid changes/filling as noted above. Otherwise they are not known to fail. And no - the check engine light has NOTHING to do with any mechanical whining noises your car is making. The engine computer has no monitoring systems with which to detect that nor would it care. After all - it's a check ENGINE light not a check transmission light now isn't it? If there were a detectable problem with the electronics of the transmission the ATF Temp light would flash to indicate an error code has been set inside the TCU (transmission control unit) - but again it has no way to detect (nor reason to care) about any mechanical noises being made by your drivetrain. GD

What is wrong with it? Chances are it's just some bearings if it's still driving. The cost of the parts is prohibitively expensive unless it's just one or two bearings, the seals, and some RTV/gaskets. Otherwise it's MUCH cheaper just to source a used tranny. As for where to get parts - other than the dealer your choices are very limited. For seals and bearings you can try all the bearing suppliers in town - give them the numbers and any branding on the bearings and see if they can get them. Very likely the dealer will be the only source for most of them. Bearings for this type of application are VERY often custom and built in quantities of thousands and shipped directly to the transmission factory - in the case of the 5MT's Jatco I beleive. All you can do is call around and see what can be had on the open market. Or just pay the dealer as you are sure to get the right thing. Bearing houses might lead you astray - bearing numbering and specifications can be very tricky and tough to match. GD

Axle "rebuilding" entails replacing everything but the shaft itself. Mostly not worth the cost of the parts. Dissasemble, regrease, reboot. If they are too badly worn to consider this then toss them. Hope you marked the position of the upper bolt - it's a special cam bolt that adjusts the camber. If you didn't then you may need an alignment. Generally speaking the easiest method is to remove the pinch bolt from the ball joint and use a large pry-bar to push down on the control arm and pull the ball joint free of the knuckle. Unless that interface is too rusty and then you mark and remove the strut clamp bolts as you have done. That is not the best way unless it's neccesary due to corrosion. EJ axle swaps generally take me about 20 minutes per side. It's just the wheel, ball joint, roll pin, and then the 32mm axle nut. Very, very, very simple. GD

EJ engines come out really easily. Transmissions are a pain by comparison and I don't pull them except when I need to work on/replace one or for clutch's on turbo's. Easier than messing with turbo flange nuts . N/A EJ engine pull = 1 hour. GD

Just leave them off. You won't have any problems. Lifted = capability = pounding through brush and weeds, etc. GD

You should have pulled the engine. Much easier. Seperator plate replacement is 4 hours tops. The pin is a 6mm roll pin. All the dealers should stock dozens of them for only a few $. GD

Large cap is for 80 to 82. Small cap is 83+. Doesn't affect fitment. All the aftermarket rads have the atf lines and you don't have to cap them (it's just a tube that runs in and back out of the end tank). http://www.rockauto.com is a great resource I use them all the time. Don't forget to google up a discount code - should cover some of the shipping. They give everyone 5% all the time pretty much. GD

The difference is in the location of the timing window on the bell-housing. I can't recall how different they are but if your information is correct about where it's pointing at TDC then you should be fine with putting it to 30. GD

If that's the case - use 10 as your new zero and set the timing to 20 (30 for you). Should be good to go. GD

Transmission is shot - replace it. Nothing about the clutch will prevent it from going into gear with the engine off, and the metallic swirl in your gear oil is a sure sign of doom. 270k is a good run for an EJ 5MT. It's dead. Find a used one. GD

All the 4 speed's are the same except the bell-housing - if you go to a 5 speed you will have to lengthen the driveline and build a custom mount/cross member. GD

Fram is a low-end product. Go with OEM, WIX, Bosch, or Purolator. All are a step above the Fram stuff. There are too many horror stories about the Fram filters disintegrating and clogging up passages, etc - can ruin an engine easily. The risk is admittedly very low, but why take it when the cost of the OEM filter is only a dollar or two different? And larger is not better when it comes to oil filters. The RIGHT size is important and Subaru already determined what that should be. Too small is bad and too large is bad to a lesser degree..... Don't re-engineer your engine's lubrication system as you risk uncovering your own flawed logic and lack of engineering degree in the process. GD

There are advantages to the Optima. Power to weight ratio is higher and they tend to deliver power for longer before discharged, etc. You should read up on them - IIRC they are sensitive to over-charging and some people find they don't have a very long life. As far as bouncing around - any gel-cell battery will be basically the same. The Optima is a type of gel-cell that uses their (Johnson Controls) proprietary Spiral Cell technology. But they aren't the only game in town with a gel-cell. Avoid the NAPA spiral-cell gel batteries - I've heard very bad things about them and I know a couple people that have had them fail in very short order. Personally I've had very good luck with Interstate batteries. I prefer them to most other brands. You can find J bolts at any auto parts store I would guess. Or you could just hit the junk yard and grab a couple that suit your needs. Wire wheel them, quick coat of flat black and some anti-sleeze on the threads..... GD

You will find that EA82's like your's use the opposite-of-normal post layout. That is EA81's and EJ cars use the same style while the EA82's use the opposite. You may have issues with that and the Optima - you may have to make or buy new battery cables for the starter positive and the ground strap. GD

You just need longer J bolts it sounds like. I've seen plenty of Costco and Les battery's in EA82's. They fit fine. GD

How close are they? They often won't line up perfectly to the notches on the rear belt covers. Straight up on all three - they usually aren't perfect though but if you imagine how much the mark would move if it were a whole tooth one way or the other it's usually obvious if it's off or not. GD

Bolts will make creaking noises when they get tight. It's just the nature of tight fasteners. It will be fine. I don't even torque crank bolts - just hit them with the old hand-impact a few times and you are good to go. You worry too much GD

You'll need an adaptor plate and customized flywheel (SJR sells both as well as a few other members here), the entire wireing harness from a vehicle that will match up with the engine you use (a wrecked donor car would be ideal), and lots of little odds and ends too numerous to mention. Especially if you have never done this sort of thing before - figure $1000 in parts minimum. Besides the engine/wiring harness (or donor car) you are going to want to do a full timing belt/water pump job and a reseal on the engine before installing it as well as the adaptor plate and flywheel which is around $350 for the set depending on who you get them from. Misc. hoses, belts, chemicals, etc.... it all adds up. It's not a small job and people that have never done stuff like this before are more likely to waste money on the job just from pure ignorance and not having a good stash of parts, supplies, and tools. It can easily get out of hand and run into the several thousand $$ mark. GD