heartless

for service manual, check here: http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/

you can get new guide pin and boot kits from Advance Auto Parts or RockAuto.com - much cheaper alternative if everything else is still in good shape. Advance Auto links guide pins: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/wearever-caliper-guide-pin-bolt-kit-14119/10167988-P?navigationPath=L1*14921|L2*16461 Guide pin boots: http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/wearever-disc-brake-caliper-guide-pin-boot-kit-18046a/18310398-P?navigationPath=L1*14921|L2*16461 I replaced the pins & boots on my 90 legacy with parts from Advance - the parts worked just fine.

NGK is a brand name, like Champion or Autolite. And yes, a Subaru is VERY finicky about what kind of plugs and plug wires you use - especially the EJ25s. Proper plug for your 2003 2.5 should be NGK # BKR5ES11 (new number 2382) gapped at .044 - check your owners manual for verification. NGK does make platinum versions, but to be perfectly honest, they are little more than a waste of money if they are not specified for use in your car in the onwers manual. Plug wires should be either from Subaru, or NGK - for your car, NGK part # FX58 (new number 8691). Old or cheap aftermarket wire sets are a known cause of a multitude of running issues. "coil pack" and "ignition coil" are one and the same

should be a pretty straight forward swap - both are the same year, just one is higher end than the other.

the sound is from the exhaust leaks - get new exhaust gaskets, clean the mating surfaces and put them in dry - never use RTV on exhaust parts. Also, if the studs came out fo the block when you dropped the exhaust, you really should replace them - it is VERY difficult to get them tight enough again to prevent leaks when they do that. Speaking from experience here - blew out 2 exhaust gaskets on the same side on my car due to this. Go to the "HELP" section of your local auto parts store and find exhaust studs (and nuts) for I believe Nissan - they should have the correct thread pitch to fit the block. the right most bracket does look like the one that holds the O2 sensor wires out of the way, should be mounted on one of the passenger side tranny bolts. Not super important the middle bracket is for the alternator - goes on the back of the long bolt the alternator pivots on - nut facing the intake. Important. Did you pull the wires out of the O2 sensor itself? or out of the plug? If out of the sensor itself, or the sensor side of the plug, you may be further ahead by just replacing it. Coolant temp issue - did you replace the thermostat? If so, if you used other than an OEM Subaru T-stat it will cause issues. T-stat aside, your description sounds very much like air trapped in the system. When refilling, did you fill the block through the upper radiator hose? if not, you almost certainly have air in the system. Might also be a good time to replace the radiator hoses. if they are soft/mushy, definitely replace.

look for DIY cans of 134a refrigerant that come with a gauge that will help keep you from over filling - not the greatest in terms of accuracy, but something is better than nothing - worked well enough for me & my car.

there are very few "car specific" items that you would ever need for basic maintenance on your car. a basic set of metric wrenches, metric socket set, screwdrivers and pliers will do just fine for working on a Subaru. they do not need to be expensive either. If you work on cars for a living, then yes, it makes sense to purchase higher quality tools, but for the general DIYer, it isnt necessary. I have a Stanley 3/8" drive socket set that I bought years ago for under $30 (was purchased in an emergency situation - was out of town and needed a socket set asap) - has both metric and SAE sizes in a plastic case that holds everything nice and neat - each piece snaps in so they dont fall out when I pick it up. I use the heck out of that set on a regular basis - working on cars, lawnmower, bike, installing new porch railing, whatever i need a socket set for. I have more than gotten my money's worth out of that set (did that when I was able to fix the problem the set was purchased for - a loose crank bolt), and it continues to perform just fine more than a dozen years later.

Sorry to hear this. if the car is still in decent shape otherwise, it would be worth putting a used tranny in it if you can find one local to you - just be sure that the tranny and rear diff have matching ratios - should be 4:11 for yours, i think. use http://car-part.com/ to do a search, see what turns up.

hatches can be changed - dont go by the badge on the hatch. get down and look underneath for the rear diff and axles. generally speaking, the 2.2s dont have headgasket problems. they do leak oil from other areas that can allow oil to drip/spread all over the place - cam cover gaskets can make it look like the headgaskets are leaking, so yeah, a good cleaning and keeping an eye on things is a good idea. another potential leak spot is the oil pressure switch on the top, front - just below the alternator - when those go bad they will pump out crazy amounts of oil in a short time - makes a heck of a mess, too.

the $73 one looks a lot like the one I just changed out on my 95 Lego You should be able to see the upper part where the vent attaches without pulling the tire off - if you still have the plastic cover over everything, just pull it back a bit to get a look at the vent tube. on the 95, the vent tube is about 3/4" wide or so, and about 8" long, give or take, in an upside down J shape- then a section of rubber hose about 8" long that attaches to another tube that goes to the tank. The other 2 they had listed look like they have more and much smaller sized vent tubes on them. dont think it is so much "motor" specific as it is "year" specific - as in emissions control stuff.

there is a chance that this car has an external filter for the tranny - my 90 Lego does - but it is NOT a spin on type, and is not easily obtained...even from a dealer. Open the hood and look down between the motor and windshield washer bottle - if your car has the filter it will be mounted to the chassis in that area. it is about the same size as an engine oil filter & there are 2 hoses attached to it - one runs from tranny to filter, one from filter to radiator - transmission cooler is integrated into/part of the radiator. If your car does have the external filter, it may be best (and easiest) to just eliminate it. as john in KY mentioned, dark red fluid is not a good sign. You may be able to save it with a fluid flush and fill using a tranny fluid conditioner like Trans-X or something, but odds are not the best. For the duty C - under the hood, on the back side of the passenger side strut tower there is a small black box that will accept a fuse, may/may not have a cover on it marked "FWD" - doesnt really matter what size fuse you put in, you just need to complete the circuit to force the tranny into FWD mode. there are plenty of online resources for ordering dealer specific parts, but be aware that shipping to Alaska is not gonna be cheap.

she has a 1990 Leggy - original thead here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/147243-1990-legacy-has-hard-time-shifting-to-second/

The complete Forester strut assemblies were a direct bolt in on my 95 Legacy, should also be direct for yours. Rears should be marked as to which side faces out - yes, it does matter on the rears. Fronts not so much I am running the 15" Forester wheels with 205/65R15 tires with zero rubbing issues (stock forester is 205/70R15 - this would have fit ok, but was mightly darn close when turning)

knock sensor is a fairly common one and will cause drivability issues - not real sure about it affecting the tranny shifting, but I suppose it is possible. are you sure the transmission fluid is at the correct level? low fluid levels can casuse shift problems these can be a bit of a pain to get a good reading on. must be fully warmed up (drive it around for 10-15 mins - shift manually if you need to, you wont hurt it by doing that) park on a level surface, leave the car running & check the level - may need to pull the dipstick, wipe clean, and replace 2 or three times to get a really good idea of where it is actually reading at.

what Faritax said - and it can be a real bear to get that connector apart. This is what it looks like when you do get it apart... you are supposed to be able to squeeze the white part to slide the hose side off...I had to do a fair amount of digging with a dental pick to get enough rust out of there to be able to separate mine.

Agreed! and probably cheaper, too.

if the guy really is worth his salt, then yeah, sounds like a pretty fair deal. I would hope that some of the other engine work he spoke of was new timing components, new water pump, and related parts. If the work is done right, the car can easily get another 100K with good care & maintenance.

there are very few mass market "mods" available for these cars - most that mod them do it old school - fabricate! or find existing things that can be made to work with maybe some minor modifcations. a lot of Subaru parts can be made to work across multiple years - like suspension parts. Body parts dont cross generational lines well, but most everything else will with a little bit of work.

not much talk about them cause there arent too many survivors out there anymore, so please share yours with the rest of us!

price will vary depending on area of the country, but I would say somewhere around $5-6 for a freshly cut genuine Subaru key. and chances are 95 will not have factory keyless entry - that became more common a few years later, and as already mentioned, can be rather expensive to get parts for... altho I am sure they would be willing to set you up with it for a price, haha

just one problem with that - if his is anything like Madkow's 2006 LL Bean edition, the stereo controls are integrated into one large panel with the climate controls - it isnt as simple as taking out the old radio and putting in a new one. That whole panel would have to be changed out. Aside from the LL Bean being an automatic, having the steering wheel controls, and the all beige interior, it looks just like this one....

There used to be a small WIX filter plant near me, and someone that used to work there did say they built most (not all) "name brand" filters. but, like most of the manufacturing in Northcentral Wisconsin, they closed up and left town some years back.... Like most others here, I buy what oil I can afford that meets spec for my car. The local farm & home chain store has a house brand that goes on sale fairly regularly - we buy by the case when it is - good for a couple of oil changes that way. Filters - I generally get Purolator.

what fairtax said - +10 on the impact driver if you dont have one. general concensus around here is to leave the rear main seal alone unless it is obviously damaged. a small amount of weeping is acceptable. 99.9% of the time any oil leakage on the rear of the motor is from the separator plate.

it could simply be that the lock cylinders are seized up due to disuse. Try a little penetrating oil spray & wiggle the key back and forth - dont force it. the drivers door lock cylinder on the other half's 2006 was seized up from not being used (his does have the factory keyless system) - a little penetrating oil and working it and it freed up and works fine now.

For transmission work, which motor you have is kind of irrelevant - they used the same trannies across multiple platforms & years. the writeup you found should work just fine, with perhaps a few minor differences in things like harness connections & shift linkage - the basics should all be the same.