johnceggleston

i didn't know the seperater plate would leak that much, a pupple under the car sound like oil pump to me. if you let the engine idle in the drive way, where's the puddle, front or rear of the engine? is the trans oily or engine and trans?

if the crank was in it's 'proper' timing position, the valves won't touch the pistons. even if the pistons were in the wrong place, i doubt there would be any damage, you weren't turning it at 3000 rpms. you should be ok. there's even some evidence to support the idea that the 97 - 98 ej22 are 'free wheeling' but i wouldn't bet on it (endwrench.com). the repair cost is too high to take the risk.

so if i hated to change my plugs, but hated to pay for it more, what plug should i use for extra, extra, very, very long plug life?

have you tried higher octane gas? with prices still sorta low it might be worth a try. i thought back fires were a timing iossue.

so i finally got around to fixing my speedo needle problem. i removed the cluster, and then removed the clear lexan cover and then reinstalled the cluster no cover. i removed the speedo needle and started the car, and then re-installed the needle so it pointed to '0' with the car on and not moving. then i went for a test drive. well, it was still off, about 7 mph too fast @ 65 mph, but not as bad as before. so i stopped at an exit to try to adjust the needle yet again. but here's the problem. how to install the needle so it reads 7 mph slower with the engine running and sitting still. the pin/peg is in the way and i can't install it past the peg and 'lift' it over, i have already broken one needle. what the hell, it's not right now, so i go for broke. with the needle installed and the ignition off, i use my finger to turn it all the way around past the 120 mph mark. i only had to push it past the top of the speedo and gravity took over. it came to rest past the 6 oclock position but not as far as the 7 oclock position. so i pulled the needle off and reinstalled it at 6 oclock. manually pushed it back around to '0' and went for a test drive. i ended up with the spedo ~1.5 mph faster than actual speed. not bad, i'll always be slower than it says i am. i think this needle adjustment method would work for legacys with outback tires, but since those are a percentage off, you could adjust it to be fairly accurate at hiway speeds, but it may not be accurate at neighborhood speeds. since i started this i have learned that the speedo drive gears for the legacy are different than those for the outback; and the GT is different yet again. apparently, generally speaking, the speedo drive gears are designed to match the final drive and tire size but since the GT has the outback final drive and the legacy size tires they added a 'special size' drive gear for 96 - 97 (98?) GTs. any way i got my speedo to read correctly and i'm happy, well satisfied with my car anyway. john 97 GT wagon 2.2L a/t 125k, i hope the car last long enough to put another 200k on it, but at 12k a year, that's a long time.

is this a DOHC or single??

the only practical difference might be the clutch, cable vs. hydraulic. as for the gears, you should be good. seach for 'trannychart' to confirm.

on my first time i was ignorant and thought i needed a puller, so i borrowed one from auto zone, threaded the 2 holes in the pulley, and off it came. no banging or prying or breaking any thing. second time it came off in my hand. i envy the guys who get to work on their cars in a completely stocked shop with a lift. think of all the time and brain cells you could save by not having to figure out the right order for jacking and blocking needed to get the car in just the right position. or not having to search for a pipe large enough to fit over your breaker bar handle or where your wife moved it when you left it lying in the yard. sure, it looks like trash, but it's really my 'special tool'.

FYI: added note, if you use a trans other than your model, outback, your speedo will be off 3 - 5%.

did you just replace the belt? has it run since the t-belt change? i can't remember.

needless to say, take the good one with you to match up.

yes

ditto

i doubt it will help, but you might try a $6 bottle of trans-x a/t fluid additive. it helps the 'slow engage' on the 99 auto trans, but that is usually a seal leaking problem. your trans is probably on the way out. you can use any auto trans from a 2.5L legacy, (outback, gt, lsi) 96 - 98 (a few, very very very few, 99s) as long as the trans part number starts with TZ102Z2........ it will work and match your rear differiential. good luck. http://www.car-part.com

5 for $2.50, 10 for $5.00, plus shipping. lots available. let me know. john

i vote for plug wires. use only subaru wires, buy them on line. they are easy to do. they cost about 40$ plus shipping. http://www.subarupartsforyou.com/cp_partdetail.php?partid=10387

typically, 96 - 99 2.5L engines were prone to internal head gasket leaks, 1200 - -1800 repair. and 2000 - 03? were prone to external hg leaks. same repair cost. if you see bubbles, i wouldn't buy it at any price without new head gaskets. or you might try to negotiate your best deal as is and then ask for a "head gasket / over heating warranty for 90 days. but this only benefits you if you drive it on some trips and test the head gaskets in the first 90 days. if the leak is small enough, it may drive around town fine for months. better to just have them replaced before you buy. but work out a price for the car before you discuss the gaskets. spring it on him late in the discussion. if he knows they are bad he may balk, if not he'll know the car is worth less than if it was in good working order.

another place to look might be the auto trans repair shops. they swap out bad trans all the time. but it might be hard to find one that has a subaru trans. but, i think you can get all the parts for around 200 online.

my wife took hers in for an inspection and she got the same thing, needs rear brakes, front rotors and p/s belt. i called them and b*tched, then i go in and inspect the car with them. well once it was all said and done, it only needed front rotors, and they gave them to me for free, with pads, to keep me from calling the state and reporting them. i love free. i also love winning an argument.

for a duty c and 2 gaskets, i paid less than 100$, maybe less than 90, at https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/oe_parts_cat.html call or email jamie.

great pictures, take some of the under side and post them. it may help diagnose the problem. take a lot. is oil dripping off the front bottom of the engine?

there was a thread on this recently, and from that: let's be clear, ABS was not designed to stop you faster, not on dry pavement, not on wet or icy pavement. it was designed to give you steering ability in slippery / brake lock up situations. if you can do that without the computer so be it. but i would ask these questions: can a 16 year old new driver do it without the computer. can you do it without the computer if you have had 2 beers? how about 4? these cars a designed for the multitude of average (and below average) drivers, not the relatively small percentage of above average drivers. it's my car and i can adjust it as i see fit. now, my abs kicks in only occasionally, why does the op's kick enough to annoy him? anyway, mine kicks so rarely, i just don't care. each to his own.

i recntly swapped a 96 leg L speedo into a 97 leg GT. what surprised me was that the housing that the guages are mounted in has a space in the back for lights to indicate which gear the auto trans is in. these lights were standard in 90 - 94 i think and done away with in 95. so to make a short answer long, the housings are the same (early 90s vs. late 90s), connections on the outer edges are the same, and so my guess is yes, it will work. there would be no reason for lhd and rhd to be different.

don't-touch, you may know a lot about cars and just be new to subarus and i don't mean to question your knowledge or ability, but you'll get lot's more helpful info here if you tell us what are you working on and why you want to know where they are. what are you trying to fix / correct. what problem are you having? besides, we like solving problems. if it helps any, ej18 and ej22 are almost the same engine.

the rear slide pins is probably inch pounds. don't know about the rest.