johnceggleston

kind of what i thought / was hoping. i was also hoping that the solenoid was accessable without removing the ''valve body'' from the trans. it looks like it might be. this thread suggest i would have a ''code 12'' if it was the solenoid. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75839&highlight=trans+lock*+torque+converter+solenoid i guess the first step is to check the connections and the resistance in the wires at the TCU. or maybe go read the FSM. i hate this electrical stuff. i have no patience for it.

you did a lot better than i did, congrats. there is an oil separator plate on the rear of the engine block behind the flex plate / fly wheel that is a known leak point and right next to the rear main seal. you have to pull the engine to see / replace it.

i saw no mention of the vent bleeder plug. did you remove it during the filling process? this is important.

three quarts low is not good. and that probably explains the smoke. but nothing says you can't buy oil by the case and add some every sunday and continue to drive it. i have nothing to base this on but my guess is rings?????

TCU pin outs from josh. i assume the torque converter is controlled by the duty B solenoid. on page 2 below. http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/TCU_I-O_page1.jpg http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/TCU_I-O_page2.jpg

so my AT Temp light is flashing 16 times at start up. i assumed it was the duty c so i installed the fuse even though there were no TB symptoms. the FWD light is on but the fuse did not stop the flashing light. so i read the TCU codes and i get a ''16, torque control cut circuit. open or shorted input signal''. so how do it test this? is this a bad solenoid or a shorted wire? what is the difference between: code 16 torque control cut circuit code 25 torque control signal? suggestions? or better yet, magic solutions? 97 gt wagon w/ ej22 swap. engine has 160k miles, (car slightly less) i did the swap about 30k ago. the trans was replaced before i bought the car, not sure when, but it has always had a harder than normal 1-2 shift as long as i have owned it. my son calls it ''jerky turkey''. thanks, john

legacy and outback hold about 1.5 gallons of coolant.

legacys and outbacks have a bleeder vent plug on the top of the rad at the top hose. it is supposed to be open when filling the cooling system. it is almost impossible to fill it correctly with it closed. it has a phillips head fitting. at 26.25 inches in pic. i'm not sure imprezas and foresters have them, but i don't know.

the last 2 i did (not at the same time but weeks apart) i siphoned in a gallon with the bleeder plug open. poured the left over into another jug with a half gallon and then siphoned that in. the process was so slow i wondered if it was even filling, but it did the trick , no air locks or other troubles. obviously this is extreme, but it worked and i was able to do other stuff while waiting.

i don't believe this is accurate, at least not for 90s subarus. they do not control the flow of water thru the heater core, only the flow of air across the heated core. the flow of coolant to the core even by-passes the t-stat. i have even herad of some engines over heating when the heater core is clogged. and then a back flush of the core fixing the problem, i think.

several possible directions to go: rebuild existing buy and install rebuilt - CCRengines.com buy a japanese import engine or swap in an ej22, 2.2L, engine and let the boy drive it through college. the last option, the ej22 swap is probably the most economical. probably not quite as reliable as a ccr rebuilt engine. but not a big risk either. the import engine has more risk, in my opinion, than the ej22. CCR isn't perfect, no one is, but they are damn close and real good. rebuilding your engine is only as good as the shop doing the work. and depending on what ''blew'', will determine what all must be done. i have done 2 ej22 swaps and highly recommend it. the ej22 is very reliable and very durable. it will take a lot of abuse and keep running. this is the perfect engine for a kid. install a 150k ej22 with all new timing parts and oil seals and it should run another 150k miles (with timing belts every 60k). he will be out of school and earning his own money before that happens.

it sounds like you have good cooling at speed and not so good at idle or slow speeds after speed. a blockage maybe? was any ''stop leak'' ever put in this engine? is the rad original? blocked radiator? did you flush the rad as soon as you removed it?

for which sprocket? put the hash mark straight up in the 12 o'clock position. this is true for all 3 sprockets. (the arrows on the cams should be about 45 degrees to the right, between the 1 and 2 oclock position. on the crank, the arrow, if you have one will be pointing in the 3 oclock position.) when in the correct position, the crank sprocket will have the keyway in the 6 o'clock position. you should probably do a tooth count to make sure you get it right. start with the crank and locate the cams based on tooth count.

crawl under and shake push pull on the drive shaft to the rear. check the universal joints and the carrier bearing, the mid point support. this is further back than the CV but it sounds like it could be your problem.

NEVER the arrows, always the lines / hash marks. the hash marks on the cam sprockets are on the front edge, the face of the sprocket. the crank has it on the rear of the sprocket. some one should have a good pic, but here are a couple of links with good info. the second page of the first link may have what you need. > timing belt pictures this is for the ej22, but the process and parts are the same except for the tensioner. yours is different. > TIMING BELT ARTICLES

fans working, sounds like no.

improper filling and failure to burp is the leading cause.

so if it isn't along side of yhe door, look on the bottom of the door. when o got a 97 outback, i thought they quit putting the sticker on the cars. i couldn't find it any where.

95 - 96 should have a sticker on the B column showing the build date. I THINK, in 97 they moved the sticker to the bottom of the driver door. yes, you have to lie on the ground and look up at the bottom of the door. don't ask me why, they just did. and if you have ''old'' eyes, be prepared to use more than one pair of glasses to read it. there isn't much room between the door and the ground. at some point , I THINK, they moved it again, but i'm not sure.

i have not compared the 97 access to the 00 access, but i think they may have move it to a location under the back seat, a little more forward than the 97 location. does any one else know?

i would bet against head gaskets as well, but anything is possible. as mentioned 3 leading causes of overheating besides head gasket are, wrong t-stat, failure to fill and burp the system correctly and coolant leaks. link below to head gasket explanation just in case you need it. the thread happens to be for the ej25 engine, but it addresses internal head gasket leaks which is the most common type of failure, 99%?, in the 90 - 99 engines both ej25s and ej22s. although gasket failures in ej22 is very rare compared to ej25s, it can and does happen. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=104353&highlight=badheadgaskets i guess it is time to look for bubbles in the overflow bottle when it is overheating. and just so you know, the ej22 head gaskets can be done in the car very successfully without engine removal. not as easily as pulling the engine but still can be done.

from the pics it looks like it COULD be a GT (ej25), or maybe LSi (ej25), but it is probably an LS (ej22). power antenna, sun roof, roof rack,.... what size tires? do the rocker panels have a plastic, bumper-like, material covering them? any leather in side, steering wheel, shift knob? it is definitely NOT an outback. (paint isn't two tone, roof rack is wrong, no step roof.) they just used outback parts to repair a rear collision. check the engine , if there are 4 cams, 2 round ''lobes'' on each side of the engine in the front is is an ej25. if there are 2 total, one on each side, it is an ej22.

i bopught the car at thanksgiving and the AC did not work. no big deal, it was winter. last week i started to fix it. based on gary's thread, i replaced the o-rings at the compressor and re-charged the system. i got the pressure in the green, but it still did not cool. the compressor clutch was bad. i bought one for $70, shipped, from car-part.com. i replaced the compressor and re-charged the system again. yeah, now it works. i charged the system with one 12 oz. bottle of r134 ( i later added one 3 oz. bottle of leak stop and indicator) and the pressure only barely comes up to the green on the gauge. just under 20 psi. i'm undecided about adding more since it is cooling (60* air in the 68 degree weather), AND i'm not sure i have eliminated all the leaks. r134 isn't terribly expensive but it isn't free either. does this ''low pressure '' situation suggest any thing other than it needs more r134? the other car: when i first charged the H6 i used an 18 oz bottle and had some left over and i decided to check my 97 GT w/ ej22. i have had the car for several years and it has always done the job, but i had the extra r134 and this new gauge. it was in the green but a little low for the outside temp. so i added some, no problem. but when the compressor cycled off, the pressure on the system jumped up almost to the red. as soon as the compressor came back on it drop to normal for the conditions. HUH? also the compressor seems to cycle on and off much more quickly, more often, than my other cars? HUH? as the pressure approaches the red, the compressor comes back on. (PS: this is with the doors and windows open, so there isn't mucjh chance that the t-stat? or what ever thinks the car inside is already cool.??) any experienced AC gurus out there with insights? thanks, john

what happens if you put 97 ej25 heads on a 96 ej25 block? still premium fuel? slight compression increase? any HP increase?

yes, exact same trans. enjoy.