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Found out that certain models and years (my 2019 OB being one) came with a 14 mm drain plug that is made of soft metal that can easily be rounded over. Warned to proceed with caution and best to use a 6 point socket and not find an SAE "equivalent". Some dealers have learned to replace them at the first oil change but apparently not mine? The car is with daughter in Maine and I'm heading there next week with both 14 and 17 mm 6 point sockets in hand. Hold my ankles, I'm going in!

The holes in the frame rails aren't obvious until you get underneath and see how the hitch installs. I have a Curt hitch receiver and I just swapped it from my 95 wagon to my 2003 Wagon. It used one different hole on the hitch for the drivers side tie-down loop, some extra washers to space it out and that was all. Bolted right up with the 4 bolts. Sometimes those plugs on the frame are so covered in dirt they aren't noticeable. I got my hitch from etrailer dot com. They even have good installation instructions on their sight.

All of the Subarus I had or have are from '95 to '02, including an '02 Forester, and they're all as I described. Download the installation instructions for a Curt, Hidden Hitch, Drawtite, etc., for your model/year and they'll show you where the plugs/holes are.

Smart. I don't know. I do almost exclusively Subaru but I have done a couple other manufacturers head jobs. There's two heads and they're horizontal so they're not easy/veritically mounted right on top like some and there's twice as many as a vehicle with one head. But there are no special tools required and nothing is tricky like some vehicles have impossible to access bolt/cranks due to cramming those transverse mounted engines against strut towers. So it depends what you're comparing it too. Most people pull the engine, it's tricky to do in the engine compartment but can be done if you unbolt the motor mounts (2 14mm nuts - easy) and jack up each side as you're working on it to tilt it so the head is somewhat "up". Lift drivers side, work on it, lift passengers side and work on it. It's certainly nice to not pull the engine for some people. Use Subaru gasket, resurface the heads, clean and lubricate and probably torque the head bolts. Install a Subaru timing belt ($70) and lower cogged idler ($30) from Subaru, check the timing tensioner for oil around the seal (if it's wet replace the tensioner) (or just get a complete timing kit with all new pulleys and tensioner). New valve covers are smart while it's apart. Then you're good for another 100k with minimal maintenance. Then add a bottle of Subaru's coolant conditioner - they "require" it. Although I don't think GD even uses it when he does a HG job. Overflows are old and dirty I don't like to assume to much from them. A rubber seal on a radiator cap can degrade and get flakey and end up with black particulate matter in the overflow...etc. That's a horrible suggestion. These engines usually don't respond well and can still overheat without a thermostat. Also the coolant flow often gets disturbed and you loose cabin heat anyway when they start overheating because it's not cycling through properly - basically the same thing that makes the thermostat trick not work also makes the cabin heat not work. Also I've pulled heads that were driven for a couple months with bad headgaskets like that and they will wear the metal on the head down like water wears down rocks. You'll have a smooth, valley of warn metal where the head gasket breech is if you drive it long enough like that. Right by the combustion chamber will be wide and it'll chamfer down to a rounded point. Avoiding additives and blue devil is a good idea. The Subaru Coolant Conditioner works 100% of the time on initial overheats of factory installed gaskets....but this isn't an initial overheat and I didn't want to mention it unless we confirmed an external coolant leak - that's the only condition for which this will work. If it's leaking internally it's a waste of time, effort, and coolant.

Hope all goes well. You can pull the lid apart and remove the struts from the piviot point. As noted, there is nothing under the counsel that would stop them from moving. Is something in the hinge?

NOPE ..... I have 160K on MY14 Impreza .... same setup on 2.0L ... never had a problem. Others say they hold the gas to the floor on first start to allow engine to crank without starting to prime the filter, but being a retired mechanic, we never did that and I have never seen a problem. With a Fumoto valve, oil changes on the FB engines are about 10 minutes ,,,,, slide pan under and open valve ... while oil drains, replace the filter ..... close, wipe valve and remove pan .... fill with oil .... Takes me longer to put the old oil into container and drive to local auto store for disposal .... Good luck with the 19OB