Hey guys, like I mentioned in my introductory post, I've got a silver/gray '99 Legacy Outback with more bad than good. I took ownership last summer and almost immediately lost two gears, the power steering pump, and found head gasket seepage. I kept driving it until the trans sprung a bad front seal leak which forced me to park it several months ago. I pulled the motor this weekend. The DOHC EJ25 seems to be in good shape and is on an engine stand in my garage. I never had any overheating issues. I've got HGs on order and expect them within the next day or two. I can't believe how easy Subarus are to work on... Went ahead and bought new cam seals, timing belt, and accessory belts too. Any use in replacing the head cover gaskets while I'm there? They look to be in pretty good shape. The 4.111 MT and diff are being replaced with used 3.90 that Techlord had from his '98 RS project. I didn't think there was a lot of use in 1st gear on this car in the first place so I'm glad to open up the ratio for better mpgs! I am replacing the clutch and resurfacing the flywheel while I have access. I'll post up some pictures this week. Also looking at a DIY shifter linkage solution and maybe another trick or two. Please visit regularly as I'm sure I'll have questions as I put this beast back together. Parts replaced/machined: 3.90 transmission and diff - Thanks Rick PS pump w/lightweight pulley - Thanks Wes Lightweight crank pulley - Thanks Wes Heads resurfaced MLS head gaskets Flywheel resurface w/ new bearing Cam seals Front crank seal Rear crank (main) seal Timing belt Water pump OEM replacement clutch Belts/plugs/fluids/etc... Pics!!! Clean & running better than the day I bought it! 5-Spd & Leather is the only way to go! The 2.5 DOHC was easy to rebuild and is a great engine for the DD. I gained a TON of confidence in this build and couldn't be happier with the results. My toy! I'm glad to have the DD back so I can work on the s2k!
i have so many parts left over from the engines and swaps.. let me know what ya need, ill try to dig it up.. i have a 95 legacy converted to the 99 outback front end
Update 7/22/09: I stopped by Subaru of Kennesaw on Saturday to pick up a bolt & cam seals, and also ended up purchasing coolant and conditioner. Thanks to Kingwrex for steering me towards using Subaru coolant as I'm trying to have this rebuild last for a long time. Friendly guys up there, ended up talking to everyone for 15 minutes while the wife sat in the car! The engine is completely put back together and looking good. The cam sprockets, timing belt/covers, & PS pump went on last night. I also pinned the front axles and squared away the 3.90 transmission. BTW, the timing belt was EASY! I'm going to pick up fresh spark plugs, thermostat, & fluids this evening. Everything is going better than planned. I only lack a flywheel resurface and having the bearing pressed in. Hopefully I'll have that taken care of this Saturday. I have TONS of pics and will load a bunch of them when I have time on my home computer.
Added pics! I finished the car and put 25 miles on my fresh engine and tranny this weekend. The 3.90 should have come with the car originally as the power and gear ratio is very smooth for driving around town. I still have plenty of low-end to sling it through ditches and am very satisfied with the car. Thanks again to everyone for all of the assistance in my build! I'm considering buying this cargo rack for the beast: http://www.topoftheline.com/cargo-roof-rack-basket.html Thoughts?
So here's an update on the wagon before I start talking about the new toy: Since fixing the wagon I've logged about 60k on it as a DD. I ended up ditching the 3.90 in favor of the oem 4.11. The issue was a huge lack of power @ highway speed. I cracked open the 4.11 and found a trashed rear mainshaft bearing without collateral damage so it was an easy r&r to fix. It's also needed a battery, starter, alternator, & regular maintenance. It's @ 200k & the car feels surprisingly strong. I've taken to beating the living shit out of the car. In the last few years I've used it to haul 1000s of lbs of engines, wood, camping gear, etc. I've rescued a few friends stranded in snow, pulled a truck out of a ditch, & slept in it on a couple cold nights in the mountains. Last summer on a camping trip:
So using the experiences I've accumulated with the wagon & the profit I made from flipping a few cars I took a little risk and bought a strong-running '03 wrb WRX with a trashed 5mt. The car appears to be stock-ish, with only a shorty dp & 115k. The shifter wouldn't move more than a few mil but the car idled with the clutch out so I was confident I wouldn't find gear damage. I got what I considered a steal of a deal and towed it home. The transmission had a broken 1-2 fork, bad center diff, some worn bearings, and the a-hole tried to cram it into gear so hard that the 1-2 rod had to be replaced. While I had my hands dirty I went ahead and did the following: Oem Exedy clutch Resurfaced flywheel Gutted UP Timing belt & WP All new fluids New set 'o tires. Fixed a broken seat rail Mended a broken center console Here's how it sits:
Probably one of the most pristine looking Bugeyes. How much did you pick it up for, if you don't mind saying?
Thanks, it needs some painless dent removal but overall it's in great shape. I told the parts guys @ Subaru what I paid for the car and they didn't believe me. I almost bought a totaled '02 for more