davebugs

Search here. Most of your questions should be answered by doing some reading. Look for endwrench links mostly. Use OEM head gaskets. Have the heads checked/surfaced sense you abused it soo long before deciding to fix it.

Sprayway is at my local Sams and lots of other places. Stop at a glass shop. They usually use Sprayway and actually private label it for glass shops. It's what I use. I'ts better than the other glass cleaners that I have tried over the years. It's easily available and cheap enough that I've never looked any further. When I'm at an auction or something and need something I've tried a variety of glass cleaners from Advance, Autozone, Carquest, and local part stores. SPrayway seems to work the best of that I've tried.

I have only installed one of their belts. The MitsubOshi on a 95 2.2 recently. I get my Dayco belts locally and on the DOHC on the drivers side the hash marks on the cams don't totally line up IIR. Sometimes it's cheaper to buy the packaged kit and pitch the belt versus just buying the idlers.

Tom, Thanks. Great to know for when I take the leap to the Phase 2 engines. My only experience with a 99 Forester wasn't so pleasant.

If you find you need one let me know. There were apparently several types - even in the 97 Model Year. I'm parting a 95 Legacy sedan and a 97 Outback both with ABS. The 97 OBW I have driven and know the ABS works/light doesn't come on, etc. The 95 I bought with a bad tranny so I can't speak for it. I also have a 99 on the shelf.

You have a PM.

All the 98 and up's that I've seen are the much more expensive new style. You could get lucky and have the old style two piece one on the 98 though. Even thought they are more money I usually replace the new style tensioners since they are always (it seems to me) on interference engines. They also don't seem to hold up as well recompressing to use again.

I buy these folks kits off of Ebay all the time - with some other stuff thrown in. I don't use their belts on interference engines but I also often get extra idlers (depending on what I already have in stock). theimportexperts.com - I've had excellent luck with them. There are others selling the same parts for essentially the same price. I prefer to build a relationship with one company until I have a reason to look for someone else to deal with. These folks have been very fair to me. YMMV.

I always use a 7/8 box end wrench. Since the old one is always rusty - and I wouldn't want to end up using a pipe wrench. It's easier to keep it "true" when hitting it with the hammer which is often needed. I also usually use Liquid Wrench instead of PB Blaster to soak the sensor down preferable when warm a time or two before attempting removal. Liek hours before. Tehn hit it with PB immediately before removal. I also ALWYAS anti-seize the new one with the highest temp anti-seize that I can find.

The plate on the back gets no sealant. The pump to the engine gets Ultra Grey.

I make them about as tight as I can with a conventional screw driver. Sometimes other folks and I loctite them. Think about how clean Loctite really needs the surfaces to be to work though. I'm undecided if it's a good practice. I rarely have the time to properly clean and wait for the oil pump to dry (like overnight) before re-assembly. In truth I rarely Loctite them - only if a screw or two is really, really loose do I do this to it(them). I figure I'm torqueing them down more than the factory did and that should help avoid future problems. Hopefully others will comment.

No one replaces the head bolts. I have a template that I keep them in so they go back into the same holes. They often creak when getting close to tight no matter how well lubed so don't panic. I also have another template that I lay on the floor for the torqueing sequence so it is easy to follow. Just make sure no rod knock. Worst Suby experience I ever had was 3 engines into a 99 Forester to get a good one. One engine I pulled TWICE. My first experience with the SOHC 2.5 wasn't pleasant.

I do these frequently. If they have a good body that is. My basic math is this. Take KBB TRADE IN VALUE average condition. Subtract 1,500 (for the HG, timing belt, seals, baflle plate, head gaskets, plugs, filters, fluids, rad flush, heads surfaced/checked/cleaned you get the idea. If a 5 speed clutch kit & flywheel resurfaced - another 300. Iv'e also started budgeting a slave cylinder - probably 8 of the last 10 standards I've done have needed a slave shortly after so now I just do them as part of this project. 500 for me (that's where I start but there are ALWAYS surprises like torque bind, filler tubes, whatever). That's how I start to work backwards. Hey - if I'm not gonna make any money why take the risk? The person you're buying the car off of knows all the issues - you don't. Figure towing, fees, something for havng the cash tied up and arrive at a number. If the car is KBB fair trade in of 4k - 1,500 - 500 - 300(stick) the most I'd pay is 2k. But more like closer to 1k depending on obvious things - like tires, body, etc. I almost think it's funny when folks think I should pay them the Private Party value of the car minus whatever they were quoted for the HG job. Like I want to take the gamble, and tie up the money, and discover all the things they already know are wrong with the car for free. I'm a nice guy - but I need a better deal than that. I try and do one a week if other things don't have me tied up (like they currently do) I have one setting here to do and another one paid for 3 weeks ago that I haven't picked up since I'm outta room. I have a stash of parts (kept inside) and several engines for parts and several good engines. I lack outside space (want to keep the neighbors happy). You learn to have a good idea of what to save and what not to. I've developed a clientelle with probably 80% of what I sell going to folks I've already sold to or their friends. Ironicaly currently I have some cheap ones and have a few requests for the "redone" ones in the 4-5k range. I enjoy doing it but you gotta go into it with a buffer to make money. And don't forget you'll probably be waiting for a month on the title before being able to resell it.

Head gasket, everything else is symptoms other than the white foam. But that could be oilish stuff mixed with the coolant. You may have other issues but I believe the classic head gasket job will solve your issues. I think the rad cap appears not to work (all the time with HG issues) because the air in the radiator can't suck the heavier fluid out of the overflow. But I'm just guessing.

Hope you get off cheap and easy. All folks dislike Lawyers. But you knew that going in. I've got lots of Lawyer jokes - some you might even like. Lawyer: "One who's main purpose in life it to protect folks from others in his same profession" Or something like that. Not a joke - but accurate. The only quote from Shakespeare(I believe) that I can remember (because it made sense) is about lawyers. I've never really seen a belt "come loose" due to a pulley. I've seen them strip off the rubber lugs, break, shred, or melt, but never come off. But I hope the car turns out well for you.

Harmonic balancer(crank pulley) and the splined sprocket behind it that drives the timing belt. And of course the TB cover. I used to use a pic but recently bought the Lisle "cam in sprocket" or some weird name as is posted here. Makes it much easier especially when the engine is in the car. You probably want to pull the rad fans, and I ALWAYS put coardboard in there to protect the rad/condensor, etc. I use PVC to reset it. Suby only seal unless you wanna practive doing this again. I'd do atleast the timing belt. I'd probably do idlers, WP, etc while I was in there - but that's me. Even potentially cam seals - gotta be the same age. Make SURE you ge tthe harmonic balancer tight when re-installing.

Gary, Let me know how it goes. Pics if possible. I haven't had any yet that I couldn't fix. But I've seen some ugly ones and have sold parts to folks that shouldn't be fixing what they had. Especially if it can be done in the car with whatever is in this kit that I could refer folks to.

Search a little. HG's (Suby). Crank and cam seals(Suby), idlers, Oil pump Oring and check the screws, WP, coolant, oil & filter, and I do air and fuel while I'm at it. If it's yucky I send the rad out to be flushed and pressure tested. Sometimes valve cover gaskets. HG's around 80 bucks (IIR). cam/crank seals under 10 bucks each = 30. VC I forget. WP 55 Dealer WP gasket 4 Coolant 10 Plugs 8 TB (I forget) 30-50? for aftermarket Accessory belts 20-25

It's supposed to charge the battery - like over lunch or something. I figure it's like a 10 amp charger. Not fast but hard to screw anything up. Not that I'd use one myself. It just doesn't sound like it could hurt anything.

I had to look for one for a lady friend. They have a gizmo that goes from cigarette lighter to cigarette lighter. Hard to screw up. But you gotta have patience. In some cases you may need to have the key on (to make the lighter "hot") so it may never charge. I myself have the big blue Jump-n-carry 660 I believe. The best i've found. It'll start 20-30 dead cars on one charge when newer, and diesel cars. If it's charged and doesn't start it the car is dead. ALso works to power my winch. Remember those bizarre batteries they were marketing that had like a different "bonus" section where you could open the hood, throw a switch, and get an extra start out of them. Saw them on TV, never seen one in person. Can't imagine they worked well or that folks would buy them.

Mind if I chuckle a little about a lawyer allegedly(sp?) getting screwed..... o.k. - I feel better now - its the highlight of my young evenigng so far. I'm a bad person! Yea - you're pretty stuck. I know a few lawyers (who don't live in a big city) and they are all incapable of doing anything mechanical themselves - even if they had the place, tools, etc. Nice folks. But if they weren't lawyers they's be living in a box on the sidewalk somewhere. You're really at the mercy of others. Sucks. If it's a 2.5 it's a goner if you can't do it yourself and not worth buying a JY engine and paying someone else to do the Head Gaskets, timings belt (and all components) and install it. I'd 2.2 it or nothing personally. Or cut my loses as you're talking of. FYI I have pruchased 2 OBW's with less than 120k where the Dealer did the Timing Belt only around 100k and shortly thereafter something else failed (Idler) causing the same exact outcome as yours. Whether they were offered all new components are went the cheap route and shot themselves in the foot I don't know. Still sucks no matter who you are. Don't mean to beat up on the lawyer. Edit/add: Find a Subaru Guru someplace and have it towed there. Jersey, upstate NY, wherever. You'll probably more than pay for the towing in labor savings and finding someone who knows Suby's. If the whole family drives them I'm surprised you don't already have an asset like that lined up. This is along the lines of Nipper's thoughts I believe. It's where you live that's compounding the situation - so get the car outta there.

Queens (I assume New York). I spent most of 2 years commuting weekly to the LaGuardia Marriott in Flushing Queens and working at the BQE and 30th ave. Dirving my car there was enough (parking bites). Mostly I took a limo - had to when I flew. Almost be a fun challange to bring in a car trailer to pick it up - but not really. Don't know what a broken SUby goes for there. I pay 200-1k for them here- depending mostly on the body since I redo the engines of 2.2 them.

Hard to tell without seeing the car. But Idlers DO fail. That's why I always repalce them. The WP can freeze, or worse yet camshafts can freeze up.

Thanks. I see me trying this atleast one time and referring to this as a starting point.

Thought about it. Used to do this with the air-cooled VW's - simpler engines, electroincs, no coolant all made it easier. If someone has a rig I'd love to see pics. I scrap cars often enough I could come up with the parts easy enough. Size and simplicity would be the issues.