davebugs

My favorite question - where in the He11 is Pittsfield?? If you post a better location you may get an offer of help. The harmonic balancers coming loose is common when TB's, WP's etc are done by folks who don't know Suby's. It's why I chose to have wrenches made to hold them tight when torqueing the crank bolt, I also use permatex red on the back of the harmonic balancer - can't hurt. Some of us have good used harmonic balancers, some tools, and may be able to offer some assistance - especially if we knew where you were. Don't run the car like this. You don't want any (or anymore) crankshaft damage now that you know what's going on.

Don't know why Interstate is head and shoulders above the crowd - but they are in my experience. This winter I needed a battery for my "new" 97 Astro van which no-one local had so I had to settle for Advance's best. I would have gladly paid even more for the Interstate. Last van 90 Astro had an Interstate in it when I bought it. I had the van over 8 years. Twice in the winter the ex-wife left an interior light on for weeks in the middle of the winter. I still don't use my newer van much. Anyways it came back from stone cold dead twice. Was still performing well when I sold the van last fall. With the cars I buy and sell I see similar stellar performance. They didn't offer one for my VW diesel at the time I needed one. I debated about an Ultima red top but went with Advance's best. I have red top Altima's(perhaps it's Ultima's) in several antiques and haven't been inpressed with their performance - but they never leak!

I started to have the same issues (that would have caused a CEL) with my last swap. In the end I was unwilling to use the 97 2.2 due to other reasons. But I wasn't looking forward to the challenge of figuring out what to do with the EVAP system. I did start a thread here about it a few weeks ago. First thing I'd do is look to see if either car had the charcoal canister up by the ABS unit just behind the radiator on the passenger side and the hoses running to it. If they are the same you're in pretty good shape.

Price. The later 2.5's seem to have different HG issues (external leaking). So you end up doing HG's on the new engine anyways. Would need intakes swapped for the electronics. I'd expect others as well. But the above issues are enough for me.

No PS line bracket - but it doesn't matter. GG covered the tough stuff. Allow a little time for possible vacuum and breather hose work. Thats usually the tough part. And use the flexplate/flywheel from the 2.5. You will probably need the Ypipe from the 96.

Correct. The ramps were to make it easier to look for the clip INSIDE the car on the clutch pedal arm. But it's sounding more and more like it's the slave.

For slave cylinders I never go OEM. Just isn't really that high tech or much of a Subaru specific part to spend the extra cash on it in my opinion. NAPA seems to stock them better than Advance or my local place. I bought a couple last year and I think they were right around 48-55 bucks. I have had one like Gloyale says - the spring clip on the pedal itself - easy fix. I might suggest pulling the car up on rhino ramps or something to make it easier to see - get it off the ground a little.

If you put them beside the ones that you take off they certainly look like "double row" rahter than the bottom "single row" idler. Atleast to me they have.

Yes they should be identical. They ship them both the same (and the sturdier version) so that folks don't put them in the wrong place. Occasionally I buy a car where folks have re-installed the OEM's and switched positions and the one fails that is now on the top that should be on the bottom. Skip actually had posted a pic a while ago with an engine that he had with the same problem.

I've probably bought a dozen or so kits from theimportexperts and I don't recall ever getting any bolts like I said. And why in the world lock washers? I'd be interested in hearing if anyone else received bolts, the correct length bolts, or lock washers. I'm thinking yours was a fluke. Like I said usually I have them send the idlers, usually an extra idler or two (especially the splined one), and no TB so they may not just throw the bolts in mine.

Look for an old copy of the idiots book - try and find one with the ring binder kinda thing. It lays flatter when you're working on the car. Quite good precedures for adjusting valves, etc. Hopefully this is the style of book that she bought. The newer ones don't lay flat. It was updated in the later years - but not by John Muir if I recall - somewhere along the line he killed himself. An attempt but not as good as the original material. There is a site (now that I rarely work on them) and it's not vwvortex - that seems to be mainly kids and watercooled VW's. http://www.thesamba.com is the site. Appears to be good for buying/selling but I don't know about good info. I haven't done anything I didn't already know how to do in years. If you do find a good site please post the link here. Even a lot of the parts catalogs will help tell you which carb was stock, etc. Gotta remember - they were very simple Lego cars. Hardly any left that are virginal. A lot of those catalogs you can look things up by engine#. Keep the valves adjusted. Keep oil level constant - almost 3 quarts - I use 30 straight weight. I know it's obvious but the oil both lubricates and does some of the cooling as well. That car should be pre-emissions which is good. Unfortunately it has the McPhearson strut setup. Just more expensive with no benefit that I can see. One other suggestion. By now the rear is probably starting to sag. Best solution is JC Whitney(I'm not joking). Most of their stuff is crap but they are the only ones that seem to have the old VW listing for Gabriel air shocks. Makes a whole lot more sense than killing yourself adjusting the torsion bars. Places that handle Gabriels locally have always been unable (or incompetent) to look them up so I always get them from Whitney. I used to have the part# but one time someone thought they would "help" me and cleaned up some cardboard in the garage. Yep - the part of the Gariel air shock box was one of the things missing. Keep it from sagging - it'll only get worse and you really do want to avoid the torsion bar fix. Fun cars - I have several but only one Super Beetle because it's a last year convertible.

I don't recall ever getting bolts for anything but the special one for the tensioner. But I usually reuse the ones that I take off anyways. And I have never seen lock washers on the bolts. Where did they come from? I have installed a lot of those kits but I get my own belt.

You're having classic slave cylinder symptons. Sometimes bleeding it will help for a short period of time - but you're kidding yourself. After all how did the air get in there? They are only like 50 bucks. 2 14mm bolts IIR. A dab of grease. Need to remove the airbox to get to it - but it's very easy to do. Bleeding it can be a bit of a pain. DOT 3 fluid if needed. Probably a procedure around here somewhere. But at that miles and that age, and the cost of a slave cylinder it would be the first thing that I did. Note that when bleeding it can be a pain. Aften I push the shaft(perhaps incorrect word) into the slave to get air to flow up to the master cylinder. It's often a bit stiff but can be done. I only do this after trying to bleed it in the normal manner.

Slave cylinder if it's not the floor mat. Other choices are master cylinder. Worst case it the 2 little clips that hold the clutch fork to the TO bearing. Cheap but hard to get to (gotta pull engine or trnas). Miles? Last clutch job?

Some IAC's are noisy - was it noisy before? Any CEL's Just guessing/asking.

No but I'm about due to get more. Both of my old cans are about empty - it's amazing how long it lasts. I know they now make a higher temperature one that has a bit of a bronze tint that I was thinking about getting for the glow plugs on diesel cars. Don't know about a zinc one though. I'd look at permatex.com or something, Google zink anti-seize, whatever. You thinking zinc plays well with steel and aluminum? Link to permatex about nickel product: http://www.permatex.com/products/Automotive/lubricants/specialty_lubricants/auto_Permatex_Nickel_Anti-Seize_Lubricant.htm

I know nothing of Brats but have similar issues with my VW onroad dune buggy with the front end. If I can't find any worn out shocks for the front I get new cheapies and drill a pin hole in them so there is no pressure in them. Perhaps the same with the Brat struts? On the VW I didn't remove any leaf's in the front torsion tube and the shocks seem to do the trick.

Clean/brush/antiseize. Age old problem with no good solution. I would imagine any paint (unless left forever to dry) would just cause a different sticking problem.

I use brake clean. Let is set. Pay attention to the bottom where oil and oil& brake clean like to run out. I just use ultra-grey - gotta be way cheaper than the dealer stuff and it works well. I make a very small ribbon on the groove of the plate, attach plate to engine, get all screws started a bit, then come back and snug them all. I'm always leary of using too much sealant for this. You'll be able to see it squish out even if you use the smallest bead that you can squeeze out of the tube.

I've seen that pic many times before. But it's the first time that I noticed the welder, then the fact that he's weling beside the fuel tank it appears.

What John says. IIR the only 2.2 I ever installed that was bad had bent valves on the R(passenger) side. I have several sets of 97 2.2 heads here (still attached to engines) and have never had valves replaced in a Suby head. In the cases where a TB broke or idler failed the pistons were knicked so I junk the engine. If you know the engine, miles, maintenance I'd lean towards getting them fixed. If you need a head and can't find one locally drop me a PM.

Search here about the idlers. It's in interference engine. Most of us would rather get the PCI kits with the GMB NEW bearings rather than leave OEM in there that have been there a while. OEM idlers are very pricey. Local parts houses and chains aren't a good value in my opinion. I always do a waterpump (with a Suby gasket) and usually crank & cam seals. I always do new coolant as well - but a lot of folks skip these. Take your time compressing the tensioner. It appears the new ones are easier to ruin than the old ones. I'm single tonight as well and I'm typing rather than cleaning - the GF will be here in the mornong.

I'd probably get an Ebay kit for the idlers. I'd double check the tensioner bearing - since it roughly costs the same as all the other idlers. For another 20 bucks they can get it from the left coast here in a day usually. I usually stock a splined one but just used it on a friends car so all I have left is used - and you have one of those already(actually I probably have 20 used - haven't thinned the heard lately). And you'll be sober by the time the parts arrive. If not - you've got a whole different problem.

On the lift it's quiter(due to no load I'd assume). The noise goes with the speed of the car (versus RPM of the engine, tranny,etc.). Makes same sound in neutral, starts at low sppeds - maybe 10 mph? Sometimes it sounds like the RR wheel bearing, sometimes the LF. Someone was driving it last night and I sat in the back seat and stuck my head in the cargo area. Pitch changes whether slight turn or straight away but still can't tell. Actually when going straight it sounds most like RR. But when turning wither way sounds more like LF. Car has some torque bind. No "at oil temp" flashing though.

No maintenance history. OB99W - thanks for the links. The plug wires are secure but I'll check them again tomorrow. No idea about the valve maintenance. But the genious who installed the non working PS pump stripped the threads of 2 bolts, the oil plug is oversized, and other tell tale signs of poor maintenance. Some glimmers of hope thought like lithium grease sprayed on the door check rods like dealers do at service intervals. Tick seems to be coming from around cyl#4 and is noticable in the passenger compartment. I've heard enough piston slap and rod knock - and this aint it. Another theory could be a slightly bent valve - like if someone broke the TB and threw a new one on. At one time it did have a CEL for cylinder 3&4 missfire. I figured it was due to non Suby plug wires. I went to install used Suby ones I had but I didn't have the correct ones - the correct shape of the boot/grommet. That's why I know they were tight. First one of these I didn't "redo" the engine on and/or replace the engine. Usually an OBW only lasts about 3 days when I'm done with it and I've had this one 3 weeks and 3 folks have looked at it. It's the cheapest one I've ever tried to sell by over 1k. It's got a whine like a wheel bearing in the rear. Diff is full (and was full when I checked it), can't tell which WB may be making the noise. Infact 2 old Suby techs and I all listened with a stethascope and it running 30mph on a lift and couldn't figure it out. This was after road testing it a few times. Some cars are possessed. Like the Forester I did in the fall. I seem to get one each fall (Skip wrote up the "mysterious Legacy from ell" or similar a few years ago). Perhaps I got one this spring as well. I'm unlikely to fix the car if it requires head removel (which would mean engine removal for me). But I would like it to sound better if possible without compromising the engine. It seems to run fine. But keep the suggestions coming - and thanks for the suggestions (and links) so far.