Rampage

I use this web site https://www.hollanderparts.com/ to find parts. Look up your vehicle then enter your zip code to sort closest to you. There are a lot of listings for your 02 Forrester transmission - transaxle. Get the number on the sticker located on the bell housing above the starter and using the chart in the attachment you can identify your transmission and a replacement. The first 7 digits are the important ones. I found this chart somewhere when I needed a tranny for our 95 Legacy. TZ102ZA----

I guess this is your 97 and it has AC. Here is the quickest way to check fuses and relays for the radiator fans if the fans are good. Under the steering side of the dash you will find two light green connectors. They are two terminal connectors, but there is only one wire in each. Plug those together and turn the ignition switch to ON. Do not start the engine. The fuel pump will cycle on and off, then the AC clutch will pull in and release, then both radiator fans should turn on low speed then go to high speed then turn off. This cycle will repeat until you turn the key off.

Several years ago I had to replace the right front wheel bearing on our 95 RHD Legacy wagon (mail car). At that time I worked at an auto parts store, so I used the brand we carried. It lasted a week. I put another one in with a new hub and that one lasted about two weeks. I then got the knuckle complete from a junk yard and that one lasted just over a year. My next step was to go to our local Subaru dealer and buy their wheel bearing and seals. The car now has 467,736 miles on it and going strong. The other 3 wheel bearings are original. I took apart the bearings that failed. The rollers are tapered. The large end was shinny and the small end was black. I don't think the rollers or races were machined correctly.

The first thing I would do is, remove the clip and remove the cable end from the shift lever on the transmission. You should be able to move the lever by hand. Work the shifter and see if it moves freely. You have it on ramps, block the rear wheels, turn the key on and move the shifter out of Park before you remove the cable from the lever. That should move it forward. On our 95 and 97 I put a jack under the transmission rear mount and remove the 6 bolts that fasten it to the floor. I lower it about an inch to remove the 2 bolts for the cable housing mounts. Once the cable is loose you can lower it a little more to change the neutral safety switch if need be. The end of the cable has a ring with a rubber bushing and a metal sleeve in the center. I have found the pin that the sleeve goes on will rust and freeze to the sleeve. Then the only give when shifting is the rubber and it doesn't give much so it will bend the cable. I only had to replace one shifter last year because the cable rusted and broke. That was on our 95 Legacy RHD wagon with over 467,000 miles. I can not help you inside the transmission.

I agree with "don't buy cheap". I tried Gates and the belt broke 2 months after installing the complete kit on our 97 RHD EJ22. I was lucky, I had swapped the heads and Y-pipe for 95 heads and Y-pipe. The 95 heads have hydraulic lifters. Non-interference.

COOL that's what you wanted.

If you are still working on this I can help you with the wiring. From the 95 you can use the engine compartment fuse box with the 4 relays and the wiring harness that goes to the fans using the same connectors. The only thing you will have to buy is an adjustable temp switch with the temp sensing bulb. I got one from AutoZone to use when I rewired our 97 RHD.