GeneralDisorder

No - that would cost too much money. That poor man can't even afford a shirt. It's sad when the only person that stops to help someone in the ditch is a shirtless guy in a crapped out Subaru loaded down with wood till the suspension is sacked. :-\ GD

AA doesn't build lifts anymore, but the guy that worked *for* them and did some of the design still does stuff on the side I beleive. I think Albie is his name . You are better off building your own blocks and repairs - the AA lift block style had some real design flaws - they were just thick walled tubing with washers welded to each end to center the bolts . The camber on the front wheels wasn't done well either. The wheels were not made by AA - they were made FOR AA from like Stockton wheel or another of the manufacturers that will take blank's if your desired offset and diameter and punch out whatever lug pattern you want. They may have bought a minimum quantity to bring the price down or something but it's not as if you couldn't call up the same supplier and ask them to make you a set. They weren't particularly cheap - over $100 per rim IIRC. Personally I get the chevy 6 lug trailer rims in 15" for $30 each and convert to 6 lug. Stronger that way and if I bend one I'm not up a poo creek - anywhere and everywhere you can find 6 lug wheels. Those rims are probably marked somewhere - but it may be on the inside and/or it may have been obscured by the powder-coating process. When it comes to off-roading it's all about reliability first and replaceability a close second. It may be the greatest thing since sliced bread but if there's a possibility it may break and I'll never find another one - you won't see me relying on it to get me home. GD

It's rare that I have the time. I make a few posts on here, check my email and craigslist, etc - back to the garage Sometimes if I'm watching TV with the woman and I have the laptop out.... rare. GD

Ok - at least this time the grave-digging produced a laugh-worthy image. Seeing that again...... it's still pretty funny . He's not wearing a shirt is he? GD

Wow - you don't usually get vibration from outer joint's, but that's not typical to have them catastophically fail like that. I've had one that did that but there was no warning at all - no vibration, etc. Typically vibration that doesn't come with REALLY LOUD clicking around turns is an inner joint that's worn or without grease. Can you tell if the axle was a reman or not? Sometimes the reman people weld on the bearing surfaces and regrind them to save bad cup's and race's, etc. Frankly, if the axle were *really* rebuilt the only thing you would be able to save (that isn't a wear item) would be the shaft. Obviously that wouldn't be cost effective so they have short-cuts. Glad you got it fixed. GD

The synthetics don't tend to work well in the Subaru 5 speed's - they have a tendancy to flow too well and cause syncro issues and grinding. A good quality non-synthetic, changed on a regular basis, is the most cost effective way to ensure reliable transmission service for the life of your car. Maintained properly, the Subaru 5 speed transaxle design can easily compete with the life of the engine. The biggest mistake people make is not changing the gear oil enough. A lot of folks NEVER change the gear oil. If it's done regularly - every 30k is a good schedule - then problems don't arise as easily. An occasional flush with a full load of ATF for 100 miles or so helps to keep them cleaned up inside. The plain non-turbo 5 speed's suffer most from syncro problems and input shaft bearing failure. Both of these typically related to a lack of gear oil service. I would be much more concerned with head gaskets on your engine than your transmission though - the phase-II EJ25 is well known for external coolant/oil leakage. GD

I'm sure they have their uses - I'm just pointing out the other side of the argument. Are there any ignition upgrades that might require a larger wire set? I really haven't looked into it with EJ's. GD

Yeah - no break in. Just change the oil to get rid of the coolant. No need to remove the pan if it's not leaking. GD

No. That is only done durring break-in maintenance when the engine is new. And then only when you use head gaskets that require it. DO NOT touch your head bolts unless the engine has been rebuilt recently and you know what you are doing. GD

I think that was one of AA's builds - as in one of the guys that worked for/with them built it. Probably sold it when they started lifting Legacy's instead - but hell I don't know. Seems like I remember seeing it at one of the shows. It is what it is - I don't think the "history" would be that important. It's just another lifted EA82 wagon. People build these and then trade them or sell them when they find out they look cool but are too heavy, underpowered, and the gearing sucks. Intresting paint job though. Looks like it got in a fight with the VHS of Tron GD

Been here for years - there's lots of folks that know this stuff - just most of them don't post - probably don't type fast enough or don't care to share. That and I've lost count of how many Subaru's I've had. Oldest would be a '78 - newest - '00. I currently have a "fleet" of 8 as well as one lonely VW and a '69 GMC 3/4 ton (tow/haul rig). GD

Cool - though it gets the depth from the benefit of the Bronco frame and the Brat's frame rails plus the bronco's cross-member and solid axles. I'm sure it's a neat build but it's not "putting a V8 in a Brat" - it's skinning a bronco with the crapped out shell of a Brat...... there's definitely a difference. GD

Folks here in the states have done carbed 22's, yes. Modified manifold with a Weber and then use a Ford Escort distributor. It works - but I would rather transplant the EJ22's MPFI system as it's more robust and handles obscene angles off-road without a hitch where carbs have a nasty habit of dying on strange slopes when the float bowl won't function anymore. GD

A couple weeks ago I found my mother's 2000 Forester (236k) leaking an obscene amount of coolant from the driver's side head gasket - dumping it on the cross-member and exhaust. So I'll be tearing into that when I get a chance. No overheating till it loses enough coolant though - yay for Phase II's...... I guess :-\ But yes - your '97 has bad head gaskets. We see it a lot with that engine - as well as piston slap, bottom end failure, etc. If it's got high mileage trade the engine out for an EJ22 or just find another car. That engine has some serious drawbacks - which is sad considering the car's themselves are quite nice other than the abortion under the hood. GD

Basically - you describe the 22B. Which we didn't get . But we have the ability to make something similar since we have the block's. They are not - they are open deck. EA's are closed but those were the last non-turbo Subaru engine to use a closed deck design. Die-casting is cheaper and the EJ non-turbo was designed from the outset to be die-cast. The only exception to that rule was the (pre 96?) turbo's and the newer "semi-closed deck" stuff in like the EJ257, etc. From what I understand of those folks that build 22's and 22T's - the plain open deck block is just fine up to like 500 HP anyway. It was just overkill on Subaru's part - like the piston skirt oil sprayers - even the 22B did not have those but Subaru was so paranoid about putting the EJ22T into the US market they added them anyway. GD

Resistance isn't the problem.... well it is in a way. Max current capacity (ampacity) of the wire guage is the problem. Maybe it just causes a bit of heat at 110 amps through the stock wire - but if there is any kind of corrosion or a loose connection - 110 amps might well cause a fire where 70 did not. Could be borderline and I would run a second wire to supplement it just to be safe. 110 amps is a LOT of amps. Don't mess around with that much juice. GD

Yeah - I do love the closed deck 22T in my '91 SS. It's a whole different car to what most people know of gen 1 Legacy's. I just wish they hadn't neutered it with the US market heads. GD

GD

The system is designed to fire both plugs. The one on the exhaust stroke helps to burn any remaining fuel vapor and helps with emissions. In fact that was the original intention of the wasted spark system - so there was always a second spark on the exhaust stroke of each cylinder. Manufacturer's have continued to use it though as it is cheaper to produce since you save on the coil pack, ECU complexity, and wireing. At any rate - I've seen plug wires that were original equipment on first generation Legacy's with over 200k and near 20 years on them still working just fine. At what point do you just cut your losses and figure if the OEM set lasts that long why bother spending 3x as much for something I will replace once or may never replace? NGK wires seem to be very good for the price. I don't beleive they are the OEM but it's possible. The NGK sets I've used didn't look like rebranded OEM as is so common with aftermarket parts made by the same supplier as the OEM part. But NGK is large and may make them at different facilities or something. GD

I suppose it was both due to emissions laws as well as because I don't think Subaru thought they had a market for them here. There are a lot of factors - the last EJ turbo for the US market prior to the WRX was the EJ22T in the '94 Turbo Legacy. Pretty much I think Subaru figured they couldn't sell them. It may/may not have been a mistake but consider that fuel was cheap and we have a lot of powerful sports cars here already. Rally racing wasn't as popular back then, etc. The market didn't exist basically. Subaru eventually created the market with the success of the WRX and then eventually offered the STi to complement it. They still sell a lot more WRX's than STi's. GD

2004 was the first US model of the STi. Anything older than that and you have to get a RHD clip from europe or japan and that comes with it's own special set of problems (not to mention import and shipping costs). So - they are pretty prized over here since we have only had them for 6 years. Wrecked STi's that have a completely salvageable drivetrain go for a pretty penny. Hell - just the 6 speed's go for a couple G's typically. As for putting V8's into an EA81 body..... LOL. An EJ20/EJ22 leaves about the width of your hand between the crank pulley and the radiator. People have put H6's of various vintages into them and either moved the radiator to the top of the engine or done several smaller radiators off to the sides. Additionally the hood-line of the EA81's is a lot shorter than the WRX's and it would take a major redesign of the entire front end for the hood to close and the oil pan to not scrape the pavement with how tall a V8 would be in there. Could it be done? Sure it could. Wouldn't be a Subaru anymore and probably would only slightly resemble one. It would be a Brat shaped drag machine. Might as well build a tube frame and put Brat looking fiberglass on it. That would actually be easier. Oh - and this aint the kid that's going to do it either. Anyone want to take bets on that statement? GD

Hhhmmm - yes upon reflection it would seem that I have it backwards - it's 1/2 and 3/4 that fire together. The wasted spark needs to occur in the cylinder that is 180 degree's out of phase with the one that's on the compression stroke. So you probably could see an induced spark if the wires were bad enough and crossed closely enough. The EJ's have very neat and tidy routing though due to the coil pack being in the center of the intake manifold and as such they don't lend themselves to crossing easily like my Chevy SB. It doesn't change the fact that the OEM wires are both inexpensive and constructed with silicone and other materials that really just don't break down much. I have yet to find a bad OEM wire set that wasn't due to rust/corrosion on the plug ends - which can easily be averted with some dielectric grease. GD

Yep - that's me - big poopy head. So reality isn't your strong suit I see. You should definitely keep on dreaming and while you are at it give the search function a try. Kids these days! GD

Good luck with that - no one has ever done such a thing, and no Subaru transaxle short of the STi 6 speed would even handle that kind of power. I sugest you get real friendly with the search function as you have a very steep learning curve to approach something like an STi swap on an EA81 body. You don't even need to bother searching for LS1 swap info - it hasn't been done and never has been discussed here. STi wreck's are often VERY nasty. Even if you got the car for 2k, you would need a lot of replacement parts and the cost will still be much higher than what you bought the wreck for. An intact front clip from a USDM STi that was t-boned or rear-ended hard enough to be a total is not something you will find for 2k. Likely what you saw was a mess and would take several thousand more in parts to even use the drivetrain from it. GD

70 is pretty decent for a couple extra lights. I wouldn't run more than like 4 off it though. The stock alt's are designed to handle a larger stereo, CD player, small amp, as well as the optional fog lights that were availible through the dealer - all that is optional equipment designed to run off the stock alt. You should be fine if you are just running a single extra set of lights. If you are running with all the options, and two or more sets of lights, huge stereo amp, etc then a 90 or higher would be a good idea. Just remember that the main output wire from the back of the alt to the main junction as well as the juntion to posistive battery terminal should always be upgraded in addition to any circuits you are going to add for lights, etc. If the battery is drained it will draw as much current as the alt can give and if the stock wiring is built for a 70 and you install a 110 - you now have the potential to pull 110 Amps to the battery. The wireing may not like that. GD