96 Impreza Outback 2.2... parts swapping

[hamannthorn]

First Post on this forum.

 

Just over a year ago i bought this super awesome little car from a buddy that had it sitting for over a year. I gave him 500 bucks for it knowing that it would need work and it would be good work on a good car. 260,000 Miles.

 

We had some electrical issues from the start. Battery, alt and several bits of wiring harness were replaced. A/c recharge worked very well. Power steering fluid leak, slow, but leaks.

 

The fuel filler neck was barely there at all. Replaced it with a fuel friendly rubber hose. No it's not perfect, but it cost me 1.20.

 

I thought that the gas smell would go away... The biggest issue has always been the gas smell that permeates the car. I've been told to check several things, and my last to check will be the fuel diaphragm.

 

There is a rubbing sound from the speed cable, occasionally.

 

Then everything was dreamy. I got to really love the car. 

 

Then it crapped on me. Head gasket blew and I wasn't in a financial place to have it done. I decided to try to fix it myself. The first three bolts were so rusted on, it took me 3 hours to get them off. I decided to scrap the car. Then a guy calls me in the middle of the night and tells me to put this super duper miracle head gasket repair one step into it. No. Normally I would not, but I did. And holy crap it worked. IT WORKED. well enough for me to get a few more months out of the car before....

 

I have no clue what's going on right now. Head is fine. Oil and coolant are great. No leaks. Radiator cracked on the top, assuming that the miracle liquid clogged something it shouldn't have and now the system MAY be able to be flushed. 

 

I'm going to basically tear this baby down over the next week or so and repair any gasket and rebuild any pump and clean every nook of it.

 

My reason for getting onto the forum is actually to ask about parts interchangeability. I have access to several subarus that have been junked or being parted out, with almost no cost to me other than a long drive. Id really just like to know what other years and models I'd be able to pull parts from. Body parts, I'm not concerned about, except I'd like to pick up a new headlight, but all i can find near me are 99 legacy headlights.

 

any filler would be appreciated.

 

 

 

 

[lmdew]

Headlights will have to be from an Impreza 93-99  can be interchanged if you are willing to change out the marker lights and grill.

 

Engine:  Any 2.2 will work 90-98.  If you can get one with the same EGR configuration that will help

 

Subaru's are like Legos, plug and play for the most part. 

[idosubaru]

there's a lot of variability to your question - it's too convoluted to answer your question. 

 

you can use ebay and www.car-part.com to determine some interchangeability - though they generally interchange far more than listed. 

find out what years/models are listed for the same part. 

 

you can often google front suspension, rear suspension, brakes, engines, and sometimes transmissions and find some very specific threads about those interchanges. 

 

roughly speaking for a 1996 impreza:

 

front struts (height will vary), axles, knuckles, control arms - 1995-2004 legacy, outback, impreza

rear suspension - 1999 and earlier outback/legacy/impreza.  2000-??? impreza/forester. 

brakes - almost any subaru brakes interchange if you swap the caliper bracket and rotor too - but if they're bigger you need larger wheels to clear them.  jamal has an excellent brake interchange thread on mulitple subaru forums.  google it. 

 

transmissions and rear differentials interchange if you either match the final drive ratio of the current vehicle or swap both (matching trans and rear diff):
manuals are 3.9 or 4.11 final drive - your impreza would be a 3.9

automatics are 4.11 or 4.44 final drive - impreza would be 4.11

 

it gets complicated because nearly every thing can interchange.  Say you want "Part A" interchange info. 

certain year impreza's interchange with A

different year legacy's interchange with A

sometimes which engine or auto/manual changes if A interchanges and what years for each of those....

other year impreza's interchnge with A if you also interchange another part - we'll call it "B"

A interchanges if you also swap part B. 

But - only certain year B's. 

so you need all those "A's" listed above - with another completely different list of years, models, engine, trans for part B.

and then sometimes you might be able to interchange A - but it changes some things which may or may not be an issue (say you install taller front struts and then the car sits at a rake - you might be fine with that, or you might want to swap in rears to match or not do it at all). 

 

 

it's usually simpe if you just ask a question or three.  but to write a complete interchange list like you're saying is nearly impossible. 

 

for the HG repair:

 

pull heads

resurface heads (there's a DIY thread here, easy and cheap)

use Subaru (or high quality) headgaskets

 

replace radiator.

 

ideally you install a complete timing belt kit - pulleys and belt and a new water pump with Subaru OEM water pump gasket.

 

those are great engines, as long as it was't overheated significantly it should run until rust kills it. 

[hamannthorn]

Headlights will have to be from an Impreza 93-99  can be interchanged if you are willing to change out the marker lights and grill.

 

Engine:  Any 2.2 will work 90-98.  If you can get one with the same EGR configuration that will help

 

Subaru's are like Legos, plug and play for the most part. 

 

I beleive both the market lights and grill are available to me for free, so awesome there. Thanks.