davebugs

I've thought about trying to use electrical tape to hold the bolt in the eye. It is often frustrating. I use the connector end to help maneuver the eye of the knock sensor. Often I stick a magnet to the side of my 3/8 wobble extension and that's just barely enough to help with the bolt. FYI Gearwrench does make extensions with a magnet at the end. Just an awkward place. Atleast it's easy to see what is happenning, just hard to reach. Still haven't found the best consistent approach. Always involves a magnetic pick-up tool and swearing - and a sore back.

There is lots of good info here about doing the job. The "skipnospam" link is one of my favorites and probably the best available now that endwrench is gone. Now threads about folks that'll show up and do the job for 200 bucks - those are rare - and should be. Cause it ain't gonna end pretty. Threads and writeups on how to do it properly are all around if you search. If I were still traveling to Woodstock VA with regularity I'd offer a hand. Although this accident has me pretty busted up at the moment. Do it right. OEM gaskets, have heads checked, I always pull the engine, crnak/cam seals, WP, idlers TB and acessory belts, spark plugs, reseal baffle plate, etc. Lots of folks start out cheap. And if they don't realize what that actually is gonna cost them - well - atleast it's entertainment for the rest of us. Find someone here or the instructions here and do it yourself. Please search a bit on your own. As you see there are lots of folks here to assist you along. But it goes better if you've done some of the investigation yourself. Good luck. Hey - I posted in a thread I said I was done posting in! Sorry. But atleast the outlook is looking better.

As pointed out the compressor shouldn't still be on when you are reinstalling the strut/spring assy. Sometimes spinning it to get the top 3 bolts (from memory) to lign up can take a little effort. Struts/springs make me uneasy too. I actually thought about getting one of the nice wall mount units but they went for like 500 bucks at the acutions I went to last year. I'm a hobbyst not a professional. Often if during "normal business hours" I take them to a shop and pay them a few bucks to swap put the struts in the assy for me. Respect for struts is healthy - for me atleast.

200 is a fair price for a timing belt/idler crank/cam seals WP job alone in my opinion done correctly. Don't know you or this guy. But I wouldn't go for it. I won't post anymore in this thread. But especially if you take the cheap route I hope you'll update us a few times over the next several thousand miles.

I don't believe copper spray is warranted or a good idea on a Subaru. I've used it a lot on VW 1.8 and 2.0's but never on a Suby. Personally I don't think you can do near as well of a quality job with the engine in the car. Well, you probably can if you wanna make a point of it. But really it's not time well spent in my book. It's a lot harder to prep the block and see what it looks like for instance. Then you know the baffle plate is gonna need resealed (even though yours may be aluminum). I'd guess this kinda fella won't use OEM gaskets either. I'd pass myself. I'm thinking you may be out more than 200 bucks by the time you fix it again. YMMV

What year OBW? I don't recall any specific problems doing rears on 95-99 Outbacks with my cheap old strut compressors. Nothing some "finesse" couldn't overcome.

Paper towels and rags mostly. Some goodwills you can buy a garbage bag of rags for 5-10 bucks usually mostly towels and t-sirts. I have been known to buy their used "flannel" sheets to detail cars with. Also sometimes I can get pretty used up rags cheap from one of the uniform places cheap but they are on their last legs.

the only rear main seals i've ever needed to replace is because someone else has a.ready done it prior. i've never had to replace an oem one. i use a pvc collar and a block of wood to install the new one. a real seal puller may be suggested to get the old one out. good luck

i probably do 160-180 lbs. don't go light. very unlikely to break crank bolt - which would be a real pain to remove

both of these are a bit obvioud - don't be offended. the flex joint is the very likely culprit. is you pulled the entire exhaust in one piece to test i still dont think you could test this well. the other is that the baffle plate is leaking and you're smellin oil and not exhaust. typing one letter at a time left handed - sorry for lack of punctuation

half the time I'm not. but both engines are here so it's easy enough to look

I disconnect one of the fuel lines at the car, the other at the intake, the third is a different size. No tape and marking needed (since gas has a tendency to screw up tape and markings).

Rearb main NO - unless it's very, very obvious it's leaking. Because you're probably gonna cause yourself problems. Baffle plate - I usually clean and reseal with Ultra Grey. A lot of folks get a new metal one with the matching new screws.

If you used OEM HG's I'd look at WP spout, coolant hose, even the rubber hose that goes to overflow bottle. You could be chasing the wrong problem. If not OEM HG's - you're on your own. Did you start by placing pizza boxes underneath to see exactly where it's coming from?

Have you manually rotated the engine over 2 full revolutions? Most of us do that then recheck alignment. Tensioner will have taken up slack, belt kinda "seated in" by doing the 2 revolutions w/breaker bar/ratchet, etc.

importexperts don't have every kit on Ebay all the time. But whne they do have stuff on Ebay sometimes its an even better price. Had that experience with a VW clutch kit recently. I think they are open this monring on the left coast. I just ordered another set friday for an 02.

rad fans. Rad can stay in

Nice location. Tells us nothing Just do the HG's and you can have a good 2.5 for under 5k.

Yea - that's when I post looking for help I always state year, engine, tranny. Will make it easier to find in the future for folks who use the search feature that may have similar problem.

Someone probably didn't put the little holder back on the lower eng/trans bolt on the pass side to hold that O2 sensor wire and it rubbed. I doublt they go over 200k. There are probably 2 (forget ehat year you're working one). Search for discussions here. One is thought to be needed to be OEM and the other generic seems o.k. I always buy OEM because I don't need a collection of aftermarkets that didn't work. Search for "tubing wrench" - like I said probably even on Sears site. I don't have a 7/8 tubing wrench. On a Subaru the connector is small enough that I use a 7/8 box end. Easy to hit with a hammer too. But keep soaking that puppy.

Tubing wrenches are great. Especially for brake lines. I even use one for that EGR tube that goes from the block to the drivers side head in the back when doing HG's. More contact points than and open end, but still with an opening to get around brake line, or other "tube". Sears puts them on sale a few times per year. SOmetimes the better brands are thinner and sometimes that's nice.

Where in PA are you?

Congratulations.

I ASSUME he's meaning the marks on the belt. They really aren't needed. Helpful but not necessary.