davebugs

Do the "newer 2.2 w/EGR" swap that the fella that started this thread was talking about. 95-99 WITH EGR. 95 2.2 auto (with EGR) is the first choice mostly due to the Y-pipe. Do some research here. Lots of info.

REMEMEBR the "front" cam caps bolts have a lesser torque! First time I didn't realize this and broke a few then had to remove them. Also don't get crazy with the ultra grey because along with using oil instead of assembly lube like Shawn says can cause the cams to not be lubricated properly and then something fails. Another heads up. At my local dealer the parts guys look at you like you're speaking a foreign language if you ask for those valve shims, but the mechanics have them if you ask nicely.

That 2.2 won't have EGR. Some here have done that conversion because they have no inspection where they care about the CEL. I coildn't do it here where I live in PA. Your preferred engine is a 95 2.2 automatic (has EGR) or any 2.2 96-99 but yoi'l need it's Y-pipe. Do some reading here.

I'm curious how well they cleaned up. AFTER pics please. Cooling system is always the most neglected, followed by auto trans. The difference is you can service coolant without causing "new" issues. If you service a long neglected tranny it's a crap shoot.

Funny no one had mentioned them. I have a set of the original "Xtractors", Irwin makes them, Sears, Snap-on, Matco, etc.

I have someone local that does my "overflow work" I only work on my own cars that I buy, fix, sell. He's pretty good and fairly priced. I also have him do friends Subaru's. PM me if you'd like more info. But you should be able to find someone closer I'd think.

I've never been able to find replacement panels for Subaru. Or I'd get the cars I redo done where the rear fender wells meet the rear bumper cover. If they are rusted into the door openings I just pass on the car. If you find a good source for patch panels please post here.

Bob, My friend with the most need - we found a car on friday. An 01 GT Limited w/138k for 2k that had the HG's done already on recall. One usual rust spot, some easily corrected electrical issues (WHY do folks use aftermarket plug wires on a 2.5?) and associated problems (cat effeciency). So I'm still in the market but no urgency and if buying one that needs fixed (like I buy most of them) significantly cheaper that what you're looking to get. FYI I usually fix them up to 180k or so, and typically pay between scrap and 1k. That's for Outbacks. Foresters are worth less - just like Impreza's. Good luck with the sale.

I've bene thinking the 4 TC bolts as well. Impact gun. No doubt about it.

Socket on the crank bolt and breaker bar stops the crank from turning. Or a harmonic balancer tool. Wondered what I had missed at getting those bolts out. Thanks for getting back.

You ever done this? How do you get it to fit in there? Or do you have the impact up by the PS pump with a loing extension? Because I've considered it but couldn't get it to "fit" with my tools.

I've done this with a few 99 Forester auto's with no known issues.

If you round them it's gonna get more difficult. Was it setting outside uncovered? You wanna try getting them from the bottom?

Testing the coolant will tell. But I don't know if they'd still realize the problem. What I meant was that on most cars when HG's go they either burn white (coolant into the combustion chamber) or can be diagnosed by a compression check. Most compression checks are done with the engine cold - especially on aluminum engines. Odds are real good your car will pass this test as well. So as stated, no "classic" HG issues like most cars. Subaru's are different when it comes to HG's - what else can we say? Good luck.

On the VW's I just bend the "relese tab" on the door out of the way. Because I don't care if it's locked. Never investigated this on a Subaru because I've never needed to. May be worth considering looking into.

In my opinion it's not rust that's the issue. These bolts are "flat headed" and tighten quickly when the bolt is almost the whole way in they become "suddenly tight". Also any lube there in the long run I would think would be bad. A trick I use to make reassembly easier (make sure you read here about making sure the TC in completely seated before engine install) is this. I take a paint stick and draw a line from each of the 4 TC bolt holes towards the center of the TC. This way when I'm trying to find the first bolt hole it's easier to spin the engine to get the first bolt aligned because you can see the line through the flex plate. Makes that first bolt a much quicker process.

I forget 12mm? 6 point. Some have an offset box end wrench that works. I use a Snap-on or Gearwrench "rotohead" ratchet with a cheater bar. Just watch you don't hit yourself in the head when they break loose. I've seen folks lift the engine a bit and take them out the bottom after removing that annoying plate. But I always do the top method.

You're gonna get yourself in a jamb. But your dad's friend is probably wrong. You'll just have to tie up time and money until they come around. Unfortunate. Subaru HG's are weird. No white smoke, pass a compression check. Unless this guy actually knows Subaru's he's just clueless/ignorant, with all due respect. Until the "grownups" figure it out you're screwed. But they are gonna be like little kids. You apparently gotta let them figure it out on their own. You'll just be the one paying the price. And you had the answer and the fix all along... And you should never say "I told you so" to your elders because they mean well.

Sounding like HG's. Classic really. Only other thought is that it wasn't burped properly. I have a friend looking for one of these Foresters (and an extra 2.2 and 2.5 laying around). So if you wanna sell it PM me for an email to send pics to. Also what are the miles? The HG's seem to go 110-180k. Know any history - or look to see if HG's were replaced?

We were discussing knock sensor replacement tools within the last week. SOmeone said snap-on has a 12mm magnetic socket. Sounds like the perfect tool. ALways a little frustrating to get that bold in there. Remove airbox, pay attention to the orientation of the wire. Install bolt before plugging into harness.

When you get it figured out please post your solution. If I get a car with any performance issues and NOT OEM plug wires I replace them first. And throw in new NGK BKR6E-11 (or whatever the 2 dollar green writing plugs are). If sluggish when driving and no reason to suspect bad fuel, filter, pump, etc it's almost always been the knock sensor for me.

In light reading of the thread I'd guess knock sensor also. Consider it a wear item over 100k. Personally I get OEM but I do believe others have has luck with generics. IIR like 100 bucks. I've seen many bad without CEL.

It's actually pretty easy. I have no idea where sanders is though. Please update with a city/state folks like me may recognize. A 95 2.2 is preferred, and 2.2 up to 99 can be used but 06-99 will require a different Ypipe (from the donor car) called a "single port Y-pipe". There may be some vacuum line work dealing withthe EVAP system and there won't be a bracked on the intake for the PS lines - no big deal. No computer swap necessary. Lots here have done it and I've done somewhere between several and many. But do some reading. Lots of good folks here. But most of us prefer to answer specific questions AFTER the OP has taken some time to educate themselves. But really not a big deal. Sounds much worse than it is.

Be year specific please. Not a big deal for most 96-99 2.5's. But that's hard to understand until you've done one. Seriousely. It's pretty darn straight forward. But we need to know what year the 2.5 car is and what you're thinking of for a replacement. Mostly about the EGR and EVAP system.

Search here for "head gasket failure" and "head gasket repair". You've got lots of company. Welcome, and do some reading. Many useful folks and procedures here. Always best to take some initiative and do some investigation yourself. Probably my favorite writeup you can find by seatching for "skipnospam". Good luck.