Rooster2

My money is on a noisy tire, since taking the tire off, then installing snows, eliminated the problem. A tire with a bad belt can make some rrrrrrr sounding noise that is similiar to the sound of a bad wheel bearing. Having owned a several cars over the years, a wheel bearing going bad would start making the rrrrrrr sound, and would only get louder and louder. Noise would be louder still when stressing the bearing on a turn, like a freeway exit. However, to answer your first question, I am pretty certain that you will need aa hub tamer, or hub shark, etc........some sort of a press to swap out the bearing, if it comes to that.

I don't think there is a max high octane number that would be unsafe that you can purchase at a gas station. Your engine might run just slightly better, but not much at any higher octane. Yea, aviation gas is super high octane, and could cause trouble, but I doubt that you are referring to that. What is unsafe, is how much extra $$ you will be spending for minimal performance increase. On the other hand, using fuel rated below 87 octane would be unsafe because of probable fuel detonation (pinging). I have seen where real bad pinging can blow a hole in the top of a piston. However, I think heavy carbon deposits helped cause the detonation.

Strange as it may seem, the random over heating is very typical of a head gasket going bad. IMO, you will have to repair the head gasket, because the over heating attacks will get more and more frequent. Suggest not driving your car in a state of over heating. To do so, will completely destroy the engine. One easy way to verify that a head gasket is bad, is to look for bubbles in your radiator over flow tank during an over heating episode. Bubbles are exhaust gas that is entering the cooling system causing the over heating.

IMO this sounds like a head gasket going south on you. You can reads a lot about this on this forum by reading the archives on this website. This is a common problem with Subies with your 2.5 litre engine.

Some where along the line, you must have had a tire or two out of balance, and ran it that way for a while to cause the cupping. It is just so easy to do. I have btdt with previous cars. Once a tire is cupped, about all you can do is put it on the rear of the car, where it's continuing bouncing won't be as noticable. Contrary to logic, it will never wear itself smooth into a perfect round shape again. I doubt that alignment or bad shocks caused your problem, unless your shocks are so bad that they are about as effective as old fashion fly sprayers. Bad alignment would show itself by wearing out one side of a tire faster then the rest of the tire, but won't cause cupping. However, I don't read that you are saying that.

I have a Leggie 98 OBW that has made a very slight grinding noise since last winter. I couldn't find anything wrong with the brake assembly, so thought it was a bad wheel bearing. I took to a shop, but the mechanic said the wheel bearing was good. So, I just lived with the slight noise. Now, thanks to your post, I bet the noise is from the disc rubing the backing plate. I am relieved to know it is nothing serious or expensive to fix.

It has been about 6 months now since I posted the original "FIXED!!," so far so good. Trany continues to operate normally. I continue to sing the praise of Amsoil syn ATF and a can of Trans X.

When pouring in the synthetic ATF, I did not notice that it was thicker (more viscous) then regular ATF. I too seemed to have more shifting problems when trany was warm/hot vs being cold. Thinking like you, that a thicker viscosity would help, I first added Lucas Trany additive. The stuff was super thick like STP. However, the thicker stuff did not fix the shifting problem for me. Still recommend synthetic ATF plus Trans X. That fixed the problem for me. The alternative is to replace the trany with a used one. Cost of buying a new one, or repairing an existing one is expensive. Just my 2 cents worth of suggestions.

Had similiar problem with my Leggie 99 OBW with A/T. Car became more and more hesitant to shift from R to any of the forward gears. Sometimes I had to wait 10 to 15 seconds or longer to get car to shift from R to D. Trany worked fine once I got it engaged in Drive. I got lucky and fixed the problem by draining trany fluid, and replacing with Amsol synthetic ATF (about 5 quarts), and one can of Trans X brand ATF additive. I also replaced the external ATF screw on filter that looks exactly like an oil filter, but it is not. Replacement filter must be specific for an automatic transmisson. I was amazed that these fluid changes cured the problem nearly instantaneously. That has been 6 months ago with no return of the shifting problem. Amsol products aren't well retailed, so difficult to find and purchase. However, I would think that any manufacturer's synthetic ATF would do as well. It's a cheap fix with total cost of less then $50. If your ATF is really dark in color, and smells burnt, you may want to change the fluid with regular ATF a couple of times, before adding the synthetic ATF and Trans X. Only about half of the ATF will drain from the trany at any one time, the rest remains in the trany torque converter, so a couple of changes are needed to drain most of the bad ATF. There is a drain plug bolt on the bottom of the trany pan that makes it easy to drain the ATF. Replace ATF by pouring it into the tube that holds the AT fluid dip stick. It is as simple an operation as draining oil from the pan in an oil change, and an easy diy job. Hope this helps, Larry (Rooster2)

on my 99 Subie Leggy OBW, I run 35 psi on all four tires. As you already know, running more psi then 35 creates a rather harsh ride.

Sounds like your starter is going bad. They will do that, make strange noises just before going totally out. Suggest replacing the starter. It is a fairly easy diy job.

I have never tried this on a Subie, but when this would occur on my old VW, I would use a needle or shirt pin to clean out the nozzle hole. Both are rather small in diameter. Just insert the needle or pin a few times in the nozzle would clean out the built up crud. Test the squirter for improved performance, reclean if needed.

Agree with above, I have used Chevron Techron for many years with excellent results. Also, TL-3 available at Auto Zone is good. Anything else sold with a price lower than $5.00/ container is pretty worthless. Don't add more to a tank of gas then recommended.

How long since the spark plugs and wires have been changed?

Lots written on this, at the bottom of this thread you will see similiar posts. Just post on these old posts to see how others, including me, have fixed the shrill buzzy sound of a loose heat shield.

I have had good luck using Windex and paper towels. Just squirt, and start wiping.

I think the instrument panel is all the same on Leggies made during 96 to 99, maybe beyond that, so I have to guess that they are all interchange. If it were me, I would just swap out the entire instrument panel. That is a lot easier then trying to swap out just the spedometer unit. You won't be able to set the odometer reading to the number setting that you want on a replacement unit. Too many unscrupilous car dealer over the years would roll back an odometer reading, so now the manufacturers design the odometers so that the numbers can't be rotated. So, you are stuck with the milage showing on the replacement odometer, and just have to live with it. Good luck on doing a swap!

If the blue tint halogens are an after market product, I would suspect they are the problem. I tried them several years ago on my Audi, and they were terrible. I couldn't see sh*t. Suggest reverting back to OEM bulbs, if the blues are after market.

The headlight bulb will have a part number printed on the base of the bulb, so it is easy to match numbers to purchase the correct bulb. I did that recently on my 99 Subie. Also, when replacing the bulb, don't touch the bulb glass envelope, as oil from your fingers will cause hot spots on the bulb, and the bulb to have a shorter life span. I always use rubbing alcohol on a kleenex to clean the glass envelope on any new bulb before replacement just to make sure that the glass is super clean.

You might do well to take the alternator into an auto parts store, and ask them to help you replace it. I would suggest going there when they are not busy, so the counter guy can spend some time with you. That way, several Subie alternators from different models can be layed out on the counter, and visually inspected to see if physically they will interchange with yours. The amp output may be less, if you use an alternator not specifically designed for your car, so you will need to know the amp output of old vs new alternators to see if they are compatible enough to do the job for you.

I have had a consistent good experience at Discount Tire. Fair pricing and great service. Also nice that they will fix flats for free on any car that you own, not just on the tires that they sold you. Big O Tire here in Indiana is pretty good too, but really only as good as the guy that you are dealing with there. Stay away from Walmart. Those dummies working the tire shop are really too dumb to be even hired by Walmart. I wouldn't even trust those guys to properly do an oil change.

Just got her broke in.........many happy more miles to you and your '97.

Yes, JB weld holds up very well to exhaust heat. JB lasted at least 4 years. The exhaust pipe finally rusted through in other areas, so had to replace. This was on an after market exhaust pipe from a cheapie muffler shop for an old VW. It even surprised me how long the JB held up.

I had a 91 Leggy that develped automatic tranny problems. With 178K on the odo, I dropped the pan to change the filter screen. The trany had had minimal fluid change, however, the pan filter screen was like new with no particles in it, and no sludge in the pan. Since doing all that work, I have read here on this forum, that there is little to be gained by dropping the pan. It was really difficult removing the remnants of the pan gasket form the pan and bottom of the trany. Plus, there is a down side, that the pan will possibly develop a leak. My pan started to leak even after my best work. My best advise on the trany is to fill and drain the trany three times to flush out old ATF, as all ATF cannot be drained when pulling the trany drain plug. About half the ATF remains in the torque converter, and will not drain away. Your 97 will not have an external spin on filter, Subaru started the external filter on the 99 model. Good luck on all that work. Subies are satisfying to work on. The engines are well made, including the bolts and nuts that hold everything together. Also, suggest pulling the road wheels off to see how much brake pad remains. If you change pads, suggest flushing out the brake fluid. If the color of the brake fluid in the under hood reservoir is the color of ice tea, then it is a good idea to replace the brake fluid. A "one man" fluid changer kit works great to do this.