Bushwick

^ I did some searching, and it appears the 130 amp was introduced WITH the 3.6L 6 cylinder, and was used in everything from Legacy, Outback, etc. starting in 2010 to at least 2012. I found some used ones ranging in price from $50, up to $85 on average, and considering the years, the mileage is going to be really good. I'm going to go this route. If yours eventually fails, I'd say give one of these a go. The 90-110 amp range are more common, but roughly the same price. Only thing I can think of as being an issue is if the pulley diameter is too large, meaning the alt won't kick on at idle. If the factory pulley is smaller and fits the shaft, then do that. I know I spent around $300 to get my Lincoln's up to 290 amp, installed it, and stupid thing wouldn't charge at idle. The builder conveniently forgot to mention that. I was like, how is this supposed to be OK if it won't even charge at idle? The solution was to call a pulley company I found through Summit Racing. Gave them my crank diameter, MAX rpm, rpm alt was turning on, and they cut a custom diameter pulley that that sped up the alt slightly, allowing it to kick on around 600 rpm. Worked like a charm after that and had zero issues for the couple years I still had the car before selling. Had a little over 1200 watts RMS (about 130 amp draw with head unit and amps) and it never missed a beat, even at idle with everything on.

Spent some time looking on rockauto at different years, seems 100-110 amp is common throughout the 00's on 2.2 and 2.5L engines. Finally found a 130 amp on a 3.6L Outback, Legacy, Tribeca, etc. ($300 LOL) Looks like the same housing. So, if you want 130 amp guess it needs to come from a 3.6L. Though at those prices, almost better getting it custom wound.

Are the Outbacks with full power and heated leather only 85 amp? Between running the fogs, headlights, heater, defrost, etc. gotta think those go above 85? My 9-3 has heated leather and came with a 130 amp instead of the 90, my Mark VIII had air ride so that got a 130 too. It'll parasite a little more HP, but worth it.

^ Yeah, I can't believe they'd put a switch in that doesn't even light up until 2 psi. I mean, what's the point? If the engine is so clogged or the pump is so worn/damaged, by the time it reaches 2 psi it's going to be too late. I'm just going to run out and get a gauge and not mess with replacing that as it won't give any kind of early warning.

^ Any idea what it's amperage is? This particular amp is one of my old ones and isn't exactly efficient when it comes to current draw. Last time I ran it was in my 96 Lincoln Mark VIII which had a 130 amp alternator originally from the factory. Even after adding redundant grounds, heavy gauge power, running power directly to alt, etc. it could still dim the lights at full tilt (talking maybe 500 watts rms). Wasn't until the alt was rewound to 290 amp that it could handle that amplifier, which by that time I'd upgraded to 2 better Crossfire VR602 amps that put out 600 watts rms each. Granted I'm not running 2 high-end 12's anymore, but the Alpine R can handle it bridged w/o issue and I don't want to cook an under-powered alt. Yeah, it's the alt making the squeak. The idler for the AC was garbage so it's removed and no AC belt for the time being until it's replaced. Alt works fine though, but the squeak is from the back of the unit, if the bearings aren't greased, it won't last. Would like a minimum 100 amp alt, with 130-140 being ideal to handle lights, defrost, heat, + radio stuff at night.

Around here, the ej20t, ej22, and ej25 are more common. Many guys seem to have the ej22 or ej25 in NA form. The ej22 seems to have a solid reputation for being reliable and last many miles/km (not to mention they are CHEAP and easy to work on). I've read where people considered the ej18 heads on the bigger bottom end, but since it's easier to just get an ej25 block and hybridize with ej22 heads/top end, that's more common. Also, I think compression ratio is something to consider, as once it's starts going past 10:1, it's not always practical to run, especially if you can't really alter timing advance (slightly thicker head gaskets are a solution, especially on NA setups). I'd have to think an ej22 bottom end with those heads would work OK, though I know nothing of the port sizes. If willing to experiment, could always try an ej25 bottom end with you ej18 top end as I'll bet it'd have SUPER responsive throttle response, but might lack top end power. Velocity through the heads would be crazy. Around me, I can get ej22 or ej25 engines for $155 all day long with a $55 core which isn't worth giving a good engine as a core for that price, so $210 is more realistic on low-side of the curve, whereas $300-500 seems to be norm. The swap is easy and straight forward. Since cars are harder to keep on the road down under with your regulations, you might be better off getting a salvage car at auction for $300-500 that runs. Take everything you want from it, then sell the rest for parts. You can easily come out ahead with profit after it's all said and done if you don't mind wrenching. I spend time in the Saab forums where a mate from your neck of the woods has picked up at least 2 NG900's from auction just as parts cars and came out ahead on both cars. Both cars still looked road worthy too, so I'm guessing Subarus should be easy to locate. Personally, I think the ej25 block with the ej22 heads sounds like the nice way to go. I'm not sure on the bhp on a stock setup as no one ever seems to mention it, but if an ej25 SOHC is 165hp, and adding the ej22 heads increases hp (maybe 10-20 at most), that'd be an easy 60-80 hp over what you have now with a bunch more torque and probably very similar gas mileage with nothing but some wrenching and a weekend. If I keep my Legacy for awhile, I'll probably do the bottom end swap for the extra tq and 30+ hp over what is now. Figure it'll increase the value and novelty slightly to a dieharder and make for a little more fun.

If you are willing to travel to a Pull-A-Part, you can get a complete 2.2L for $150 (you pull it though) with a $55 core. I'd keep the core for that price and sell outright. That's a complete engine, prices change slightly depending on which one you go to. There are atleast 10 ej22 within a 40 mile radius of me, and they are almost always fully intact. http://www.pullapart.com/parts/pricing.aspx?letter=&loc=25pricelist

My alt has a little squeak from a bearing, though it still works. Any way to get in and grease the bearing? Even if it's a sealed unit like the timing pulleys, they can still typically take grease by forcing some in the side of the cover as they aren't airtight and it'll prolong their demise. If not, I'd like to swap in a higher amperage unit as I think mine is only like 85 amps. Something like an Outback with heated seats and full power would have to be higher than 85 amp? Reason I'd like higher amp is I have an old amplifier and a 10" Alpine R sitting around, and it'd be nice to have some low end in a car for a change, but the amplifier will most like over power the alt, even on a low gain setting. What years/models have the highest rating and are either a direct fit, or work with minor mods? i.e grooved alt pulley swap, idler swap, bracket swap, etc.

Very good info Fairtax and you've been VERY helpful. Thank you so much for not only timely responses, but for taking a minute to be thorough

What is your long-term goal or what would you like from it? Cons= Very low HP 108-118 bhp depending on model A swap to an ej22 would bump up to 130 bhp; ej25 about 165 bhp (SOHC) your heads might be too small to try and fraken build with, but I'm curious if 1.8 heads on a 2.2 would increase like 2.2 heads on a 2.5 does. If you did the swap, you could sell the ej18 to half the costs. Also, I know Australia is rather strict on their cars, upgrading to another Subaru family engine would be hard to detect, especially if you only swapped in a new block/bottom end.

Since you stated you put forged pistons in with a .20 overbore (dunno why you reused the factory head gaskets though), I'd check to see what compression it's at now. Usually 9:1 is a common ratio that accepts a power adder. 9.5:1 is getting up there. You'd HAVE to run premium fuel all the time. Might be able to get away with a slightly thicker head gasket to drop ratio, but it's a lot of work to turbo a non turbo car. Can always relocate the turbo somewhere else, but even that would require custom oil and coolant lines, custom oil drain (has to be done correctly to avoid oiling troubles) custom down pipe, etc. Then you need intercooler, piping, ECM with proper tune, etc. Lot of work. You'd be better off getting a small roots style blower and making that work if you really wanted forced induction, but compression ratio MUST be acceptable. If the engine is 10:1 cr, you might be able to get away with 5psi or something w/o issues. Keeping detonation away is the biggest challenge, and having a proper tune is vital. Could also try and convert to a carb'd setup if you can't get the ECM tuned.

Make sure to run distilled water, and NOT tap water as the minerals in tap water will eventually clog the cores in the radiator. Giant Eagle, Walmart, etc. sell the big jugs of Distilled water for like a $1 each. I personally always have about 5 gallons on hand just in case. Make sure to mix the coolant with distilled too.

I'd get a magnet wand (looks like a pen with a telescoping shaft and VERY strong magnet on it's tip) and run that through the fluid. If any bits are there, it'll find them. Also, if you can get the diff cover off, with the tires up in the air and trans in neutral, slowly rotate a tire and inspect all the teeth on the ring gear and pinion gear for deep gouging or unusual wear (you can mark a tooth with a special white marking compound, spin assembly, and observe each tooth is making identical contact), (check spiders if present) check the end caps for breakage, etc. If a tooth broke or is damaged, installing new ring and pinion gears isn't easy as you have to shim them for correct engagement (it affects noise as well) and the pinion gear requires a ton of torque to crush it's sleeve (I'm assuming Subaru is like other cars). One of the few areas I'll farm out on personal cars since it requires proper experience to do correctly. Out of curiosity, did you run with a low tire for extended period, or mismatch your front tires? Did you make a video yet?

^ You can bypass the valve temporarily, but long term on cars designed to run with it can cause drivability issues, especially on OBDII cars. Best bet is to either clean it out, or replace, otherwise it can't store the fumes in the canister.

Running too rich for too long can cause all sorts of issues both with sensors and the internals. Get that straightened out 1st or risk hefty repairs.

Glad you told me these things operate at 10 psi If I'd installed a gauge and saw 8-10 psi I'd probably panic. What's start up pressure then and where does it settle when idling in gear?(10w 30 Mobile One Full synthetic) Maybe I'll splurge for a middle-end electrical unit and mount a pillar pod for it for piece of mind. $10 each is great price, would need another purchase to get the $25 free shipping limit.

I honestly haven't looked at what ours run up close, but the diagram you linked is one-way and probably has a simple ball check valve with a spring keeping it seated (PCV systems run the same type, manual boost controllers work the same way). I know on newer cars (OBDII) it's electrically activated (pretty sure it's still an open/close affair unless there is a bypass or something, and can cause problems with drivability (and CEL) if it's "stuck" while the engine is running (speaking in general). If it was a true "2-way" valve (allowing flow in both directions) it'd have to be electrically controlled as I don't see how it'd be able to contain anything inside the canister as it'd flow right back to the tank, meaning how would it switch flow without a solenoid? Maybe their reference to "2-way" is just a name, I dunno maybe I'm wrong. Were those links helpful? If you check valve is sticking, you can try and liberally spray carb cleaner in it and see if it frees up. It most likely has a directional arrow on it to signify flow, so long as it's flowing in the correct direction it should be OK. But it's still possible it could sticking at times.

Eh, I bought some tube bar already... maybe I can reuse some of the rubber section with the sleeve by wrapping a thin 16 gauge around the rubber outer diameter, butt weld it, then use a section of the bar in between (like the aluminum dog bone deal in the last link above). Wouldn't cost anything at this point but a few hours of killing time. If it becomes to much a PITA to fit together, I think getting 4 end links like I've got on my 9-3, and a tubular sleeve coupler, and tack a nut on each end of the sleeve, I could thread the stock 9-3 pieces into that, and have a full on double adjustable ball-joint style for the fronts for under $25, and still be under what a decent set of plastic replacements would run from rockauto. It'd be pretty cool if they work as good as the $$$ ones which I'm guessing they'd be exactly the same. Just figured if the oil switch needs replaced anyways, and I could find say a 10 psi switch, I'd gladly install that. Not a huge fan of mechanical oil gauges due to potential issues with running an oil line in the car (copper tubing helps, but if in an accident and it ruptures while you are pinned or unconscious....) and electric units are sorta pricey for a winter vehicle and accuracy can be an issue on cheaper units.

Given the low mileage of yours, I'm betting it's something else. Hopefully your video will help. Also, careful where you take it. If you go in saying "I think my front diff is bad" and they are seedy mechanics, they might figure out it's a dragging brake but come to you and say "Yep, it's the differential, it'll run $2500 to replace".....

Well, checked the light for oil and it was there. Swap the bulb holder with the e-brake and pulled up, oddly enough it worked, and e-brake light was put in the oil slot. No light with key ON. So back to jumping the wire to the ground, only this time it DID light up. Very odd as the bulb was apparently good AND it was snug against the circuit board. Seems the oil sensor switch IS bad, and originally the bulb holder wasn't getting a full contact. This brings me to a possible modification. Since you guys/gals are saying the factory oil light switch only comes on when it's REALLY low pressure, and the switch is a one-wire sensor, why not retrofit an oil sensor switch from another year/model or even make for that matter that comes on at a more reasonable low oil pressure? Should be fairly straightforward. If the threads are different, just get one of those brass adapters. Any ideas on what would make a good candidate for a donor switch?

Are they titled as salvage though after being "totaled" in Indiana? Yeah, I think it's a real shame as many cars just need minor cosmetic work and would be back on the road in a week or 2. But the less "old" cars on the road, the higher "new" car dealerships profits and I'm sure government people who all drive new cars think it helps the environment by looking the other way and getting these old "polluters" off the road.

Read these 2 links as they may help you understand better what's happening. This link is really good with illustrations and some ways to diagnose: http://www.agcoauto.com/content/news/p2_articleid/242 This quick link shows how a gas nozzle works to understand better why it's shutting off: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/fuel-efficiency/fuel-consumption/gas-pump-full-tank.htm Also, no.14 is a 1-way check valve, not 2-way. So it should easily pass air through 1-way, while completely blocking air in the reverse direction.

Does it stop making noise when you start pressing the brake pedal but still accelerate? Was any work just done upfront? I'm wondering if the dust shield is touching the rotor. Might possibly be a heat shield on the exhaust. I was getting a weird "zing" sound on mine (older car though) and found out the heat shields on both exhaust manifolds were "loose" around the main pipe, and the vibration from the engine was causing them to vibrate against the exhaust pipe while accelerating giving a "zinging" sound through the pipe. Just ideas of top of my head. Maybe take a video of the noise if you can't figure it out as it'll help narrow it down. Given it's age and mileage, gotta assume it's something simple (hopefully).

Well, tested the connector to ground for the oil light, and it seems the bulb is bad or missing. I ran a volt meter to the connector and battery ground and saw battery voltage, so it's at least getting power. I hope like hell it's not missing, as that'd suggest some questionable ethics in it's past. Out of curiosity, where is the engine VIN on the actual engine? Are they number-matched to the car? It's definitely an ej22 engine, but just thinking if the bulb IS missing, it's possible the engine might have been switched at some point thereafter if there was an earlier oil issue that wasn't fixed. I know some cars run the sway bar directly to the control arm or axle, and the bolts hold up. I'd just be omitting the rubber and plastic, and would use the center sleeve that runs through it. Should be easy to get that out of the rubber, drill a hole through the bar, center it, and tack in place. I think if it's torqued to the same specs as the factory piece, it should be OK. Dunno why it'd hurt the mount? The rubber doesn't decrease the overall amount of load it sees and the center sleeve is what sits on the bolt. I'll be the guinea pig and see what happens. I have an arc welder just in case. I definitely wasn't racing this nor off-roading. The rear should be able to handle this fairly well; the front will have to see. I googled some WRX aftermarket pieces and it seems the "double balljoint" with a single bar connecting them http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419GAF4KG7L.jpg is popular (could actually buy some Saab NG900/9-3 units, mate the threaded ends, and attach together for same effect for MUCH less than the aftermarket companies want for a Subaru piece- Here's what the Saab one looks like: http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=2531454&cc=1423088 they have Moog pieces for $5 each, so for $11 I could fab up one side and have the same effect. I did find a rather solid looking aluminum piece: http://www.oakos.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/KB-017-08.JPG with minimal rubber isolating the sleeve (dunno what car it's for though) so the "bar" unit I want to make would be very similar to that. Will try the bar deal first, and if it doesn't work might try the Moogs mated together. Don't forget the sway bar can move and absorb much of the movement.

Insurance companies in general are a joke. Usually what they do is get super high quotes for repairs so they can "pay" you less by saying your "low value" car needs repairs that exceed it's value. This way they can say your $2550 car needs $2900 in repairs, the repairs cost more than it's worth, and they just weaseled out of paying $350. If you really want to fight them, expect a chunk increase in future premiums and tons of attorney fees. You'll probably loose a small claims case as they'll do whatever to win. The buy back price of the car is low to entice people to buy back the wreck, and they still come out ahead $2550-300= $2250 ($300 buy back) out of pocket for them = $650 they just saved by totaling it as opposed to "fixing" it (which also ties up their resources for a couple months while it's getting fixed). Hence why they like to pay you off and close the claim ASAP.