davebugs

And I don't consider you home free until a 45 minute or so drive - that's how long it often takes the 2.5's to have issues. Take a longer trip as soon as you can to test it.

Don't forget you probably "accidentally" filled/burped the cooling system as well. after the thermostat swap. Glad it ended well. Major thermostat difference though. IIR it's also hard to install an OEM one the wrong way (which folks also do). Yet another reason to use OEM.

I've had better luck with the less exotic plugs. The 2 dollar ones with the green printing(not with the blue printing). Infact on these late 90's I have seen platimuns cause problems - but often they were Bosch. Best case you spent more than needed. The mid 2000's start calling for "laser platinum" or "double platinum" plugs.

Did you do a compression check yet?

Compresison check would be my next move. That's tell if it's mechanical (I'm guessing) or not. Not all that bad on a SOHC.

Most likely on this particular head. Could be fuel delivery/injectors possibly. But I'm thinking mechanical probably. Usually the fuel delivery pieces are fine. Just thinking of simple(and easy) stuff first. Which means more than likely the biggest job to fix - pulling the head. Sorry no new SOHC OEM HG's laying around. If you come on Saturday morning I may have a dealer on your way that has them though. I believe my parts engine still has an intake off an 02 or so Legacy including injectors. Coil is missing and perhaps some other minor stuff.

Felpro is usually o.k. on 2.2's. You gotta have a straight edge to have a clue about whether a head is warped. If it's visually bad, it's really, really bad and likely junk. Pull the lower rad hose, put the OEM thermostat in, burp it right. If you've still got issues, well, you're likely to get a chance to check the head for straightness. For kicks double check the timing belt. I have seen this with other brands of cars from it being off a tooth or two.

Gary, I'll probably be around. Even trying to clean up the garages a bit. I'm really sore. Rode the mower for 20 minutes on monday - not a good idea apparently. So I'm unlikely to head to the mountains. Just light work in garages. Good news is I did get lots of tools put away a week or so ago. If I were in better shape I'd say I'd pull the head(s) and check them for warpage. Worst case we can do that when you're here (if you're not just gonna take the whole thing) but my engine stand is busy with an engine that's hard to set down. Cherry picker is folded up in the corner but those head bolts are tight and I can't rally help hold something with that much pressure. Hey - atleast you're bright enough to not use the arrows! I've even got some OEM crank and cam seals around if you need them.

Is this the one with the sanding belt head job?

Sorry, sounding like timing belt probably off. Or other head issue(s). On the same side(head) it's not electrical(plugs, wires,coil) Gonna be more involved than that. Can you feel it - or just the code? Fuel rail o.k.?

Drain and reburp. Somewhere around here is a video. I run them until the fans kick on then put the cap on, let it cool and suck out of overflow bottle. Hopefully overnight. You can cheat a little by having the drivers front wheel on a ramp or jacked up a bit to try and ensure that the rad cap is the high point. Full through upper radiator hose until full, then atttach it and top off rad. The head that was installed - was it checked for being warped? What brand of gaskets. DOes it blow coolant out the overflow when it does this (see burping). Otherwise I always get the rad flushed on HG cars because folks have run miracle cures and after market thermostats to try and solve their problem. If you look at an OEM thermostat and another brand (say Stant) side by side you'll notice a major quality difference.

IIR the heat range is different. And the 2.2's that the 5's and the 2.5 take the 6's because it would be too simple to remember if the 2.5's took the 5's. You have another thread going. The knock sensor won't set the missfore code - it's set the knock sensor code. Fix one thing at a time. I'd start with plugs, then wires, then coil myself. When doing the plugs carefully inspect the wires. Heck - you might even wanna swap the wires form 1 to 3 and 2 to 4 to see if the problem follows the wires and not the coil. I often do this when installing new plugs when starting to chase this problem.

PM coming

1/2 or 3/4 is ELECTRICAL not mechanical. As in valves needing adjusting, etc. Start witht he NGK 2 dollar plugs with the green writing BKR6E-11? or close. That'll give you a chance to check the wires better as well. If you want a used coil let me know - I shoul dhave several, and some like new OEM wires too. But some years the coil pack was different where the wires plugged in. Some took male and some took female wires. And you can swap the coil and wires together to get them to match up. IIR OEM wires are like 100 bucks. Coils - I have enough used ones I never needed to buy. But hte "Diamond" brand seems to be preferred.

Plugs, wires (especially if htey aren't OEM on a 2.5) and then coil pack is my order. It's usually electrical when you get 2 opposing cylinder codes due to the wasted spark ignition system. Please state year and engine.

I used to use Kennedy all the time. Best selection and good folks to work with back in the 80's. I figured they would have something for this. On the Corvair swaps you had to baby reverse and just didn't use 1st at all was what I did. I haven't messed with my air cooled's much the last 10 years so I forget thesamba is good for anything but adds. Any other good websites you'd recommend for the old stuff? Might same me some time and trial and error. I'm in the middle of putting an engine back together that's been apart over a year for my 71 bus. Parts of the fan/shroud and thermostat are a bit of a puzzle that I'm not sure I remember.

I'll watch w/interest. I have a few 2.2's and 2.5's around here. My street legal dune buggy needs some new rings. Keep thinking of getting an adapter plate for traxnaxle and putting in the 2.2. I haven't even figured out if the crank spins the same way or if I gotta swap things around like many years ago when I did a Corvair swap I believe I had to. And this time I'd need to plum for a rediator. My engines are all EGR engines though.

I PM'd you about it a week or so ago. I have friends looking for one. They just bought a high miles Forester, but want a Baja. Please PM me with info. You said hihg miles - how many? How long have you owned it? Price? Auto/stick? That kinda stuff.

I have used ATF over the years to clean cars out. Something we used to do at Uhaul in about 1980. It's apparently oil with a ton of additives and a lot of those are for "cleansing". Gallons of MMO are cheaper. Often MMO is stocked at Walmart.

I've found it easier to but the whole "stub" from a JY - I think I paid 50.00 delivered for the last 2. Happily the bearings in them were fine. No messing with that lateral link bolt that way. Basic tools. Have to bleed brakes.

Yep. And I'm heading due North to Cook Forest area to open up my place for the annual trout fishing trip with my dad. Haven't missed this weekend in probably 40 years? I'm still recovering from the accident so I want to get there in daylight with plenty of time to handle any issues - like water, heat, and the like before I get too sore to move for the day. Beaver Falls is 1.5 hours away from me. Thanks for the thought though Gary.

I'm a ways off. Need something looked at and hand money put down - a couple hundred. I can paypal you the money. Then come pick up the item and settle with you on sunday or monday. More than willing to give you something for your time. Please PM ASAP. Or email davebugs@yahoo.com and I'll check it, normally I don't use it for emails. Thanks.

Funny. Valley made what I consider to be the best tow bar for regular VW beetles. A slightly different design than most where it attaches to the front torsion bar.

I usually use an impact from below. In the 70's I installed a LOT of hitches, actualy when Uhaul got into the business in about 79 or 80 I was the regional hitch expert since I had been doing it for about 5 years by then. A lot of times the "nuts" are rectangular hunks of metal that are threaded and made to get jambed and thus stop from turning be they in a spare tire well or frame inplaces where you can't get a wrench on them. The Subaru's I've removed hitches from didn't reuse any OEM hardware. So the 4 bolts from underneath (and I've never had to put a wrench on the "nut" on top) and you should be good. The manufacturers vary a bit but usually if there isn't ample room they either do rthe rectangular hunk of metal thing or weld a metal strip to a nut to help position the nut in the frame/unibody that that strip helps it get jambed.

Not bad on a 97. Just 4 bolts I believe. On the 98 you have to undo the EVAP crap by the right rear wheel well so it's a bigger deal.