myles

Nope. There are "tunnels" through the valve cover on the EJ253's. Check out http://www.cobbtuning.com/images/sohc-engine03.jpg

How does the A/C get in the way?

Your spark plug tube gaskets are leaking. There are two "tunnels" in each valve cover through which the spark plugs are threaded into the heads. If you're gping to replace these, you might as well replace the valve cover gaskets as well.

Did you remove the trans. to replace the clutch? I've read that it's less time consuming to remove the engine. Anyone care to comment? I'll be due for a clutch replacement before too long.

Was it quiet after they replace the tensioner?

Why was the timing belt tensioner replaced? Was it noisy? I'm trying to decide if my cold-engine noise is piston slap or a bad tensioner.

I get the pop sound from time to time. I think it's caused by the ignition of unburned fuel in the cat. The smoke's probably not normal, and the dealer's lying and/or incompetent. Cars run _rich_ when cold, not lean. You see, oxygen sensors don't spring to life 'til they reach a certain temperature. Until then, the engine runs in open-loop mode, meaning the input from the oxygen sensor is not used to adjust the air-fuel mixture. To prevent a knock-inducing lean condition, the ECU errs on the side of caution and selects a slightly rich mixture. With the exception of the WRX STI, the all-wheel drive doesn't "kick in" on cars equipped with the manual transmission. The viscous coupling in the center differential will tend to equalize the speeds at which the front and rear axles turn, when the difference in speeds between the two is enough to shear the fluid enough to cause it to thicken. I doubt this is the source of the smell. Perhaps it's the smell of coolant cooking on a hot surface (exhaust)?

Did you get it replaced under warranty? If so, how? I've twice complained about my chattering clutch, and the dealer claims she can't reproduce the symptoms.

Are the H6-equipped cars noticably more nose-heavy than cars with the H4?

AFAIK = as far as I know Sorry, I would've replied sooner, but you told me to "wait 'til Friday" (WTF)

Are the parasitic losses due to friction in the drivetrain _that_ high, or does the dyno. "read low"? Makes me wonder how much (little) my Legacy puts to the ground.

The US$600 (maximum) that you should offer for the Brat would be better spent repairing the Legacy Turbo.

The blue paint looks great! I see you've no pulley at the (front) end of the crankshaft. How are you driving your accessories? Is that the stock intake manifold?

I've not any charts, but I'm sure at 3200 rpm you're a long way from peak power output. You are most likely close to peak torque at 3200 rpm, however. Have a look around the web...there should be a number of SVX enthusiast sites. Mind posting some pictures of this monster?

A head with four valves per cylinder and a single cam can't use HLA's, AFAIK. I don't see a way for a single cam to act directly (via HLA's) on both the intake valves and exhaust valves. The SOHC uses "roller rockers". If memory serves, each intake valve gets its own rocker arm, and the pairs of exhaust valves get a Y-shaped rocker arm. Check out http://www.cobbtuning.com/tech/sohc/index.html

If it's an external leak, you're not going to see combustion products in the coolant.

Can we get a picture of this monster (especially one of the engine compartment)?

All Subaru engines are horizontally opposed (no "V" engines). In the US, the H6 is only offered in the high-end Legacy Outback. There is a 2004 US model Forester with an available turbocharged 2.5l four, that makes as much or more power than most V-6's.

Is it safe to R&R plugs on a hot engine?

If I'm not mistaken, there's an indy Subaru shop in Tacoma, and an employee (owner?) of said shop posts here (or is it alt.autos.subaru?). I have no experience with this shop, as I live on the opposite coast.

Is Mobil1 too slick for the syncros? Anyone have any experience?

US$20 will give you 72 hours in which to download the entire service manual, as well as technical service bulletins and owners manuals from techinfo.subaru.com

In the US, two tests are used to determine a fuel's resistance to knock. I believe both tests use small, single-cylinder test engines. The one test results in a number called the "Research Octane Number" (RON). I believe this is what the Europeans and Aussies use. The other test results in a number called the "Motor Octane Number". The average of these two numbers is called the Anti-Knock Index (AKI). That's what we see posted on the pumps in the US. In fact, if you look closely at the pump, you'll see (R + M)/2 posted somewhere, which, of course, is saying that the number posted on the pump is the average of the Motor and Research Octane Numbers.

Continental ContiExtremeContact. Excellent in wet and dry, good in snow. Never had 'em on ice.

The seal (not sure if it's an actual rubber seal, or silicone sealant) between the cam cover and the head has been breached. I'd have it fixed.