davebugs

No sealer on the cam seals. But by the front cam caps when it comes time for the valve covers. When you got your Subaru HG's you should have asked for their latest procedure for head installation. Order of bolts, torque's, etc. It's a bit of a Mexican hat Dance. If you didn't get Suby HG's you're just kidding yourself anyways. It probably won't matter what procedure you follow. But it can be a learning experience for next time.

Good thing you checked the screws. The Orings usually seem deformed. Don't know if it's from use/age or if it gets dislodged when removing the cover. Just make sure the new one is Blue/Purple/whatever and not Black. If it's OEM you're good to go.

o.k. sounds like you're o.k. but mis-typed. You have an oil pump Oring and a WATER PUMP gasket - correct? That and a tube of ultra grey is all that you need. WP gasket gets NOTHING if it's OEM (rubber coated metal). Oil pump gets Oring and ultra grey(instead of a gasket). Just did another one this week. I may post pics next week. Worst screwed up crank, new harmonic balancer, cogged crank pulley, and chewed up oil pump that Iv'e personally torn apart. Permatex Ultra Grey is the only goo that you need for a Suby Engine. Anything from oil pan to corners by cam caps when doing HG's, oil pump, baffle plate, etc. It's relatively inexpensive and readily available. It may not be "exotic" but I haven't had any failures and I do believe it's an officially recommended equivalent. Don't forget to double check the oil pump screws for kicks (usually they are o.k. on 2.2's).

The Alternator belt is a tight one to get on. Sometimes I cheat when installing an engine and put it around the PS pump before I tighten down the pump. I have tried a longer belt and it's too long. I do get one 5mm (or whatever) shorter for the AC compressor. A stock replacement belt almost bottoms out on the tensioner. I just finished a 95 LSi today and had to walk the belt on the PS pump by turning it by the crank bolt(I have the rad fans out).

yep

Gee. I assumed he had the intelligence to ask here to get the real scoop. That's why I always start here and only go to the other places when I'm linked there or can't find what I need here. This seems to be more of a "mature" audience (and not just in age) about keeping reliable cars on the road than the other places. Every MB has their nitche and I think this has the best info and least abuse that I've experienced. YMMV. That's why I choose to spend my time here.

NAPA gets a gold star for being the only aftermarket place that had parking/Ebrake shoes. Someone here recommended them. Half the price of the dealer's "rebuild kit". No NAPA's close to me though.

Perhaps we're looking at this all wrong. The 2.2 is just too reliable. It's not that the 2.5's are wimpy. As long as we're setting rod knock and piston slap aside that is. A few 2.2's seem to have some piston slap but rod knock is very rare in what I run across in a 2.2. Rod bearings. I'd argue that they are often part of the fallout from HG issues and "cooking" the engine. But I don't truely know since when I buy them they are usually in need of repair and often don't know the history. I'll do HG's on a 2.5 if no rod knock and piston slap. Thus I usually 2.2 them.

I have good luck with Wagner Thermo-Quiet pads. They are about all I use on everything. Including the GF's 2006 Impreza. Rotors are a crap shoot. Most of the time the cheap ones seem to work. I doubt that the pricier ones are anything other than fancier labels on the same rotors. I just bought Raybestos warranted rotors for my van(also China). Supposed to be lifetime against cracking or warpage. I didn't have to buy the pads from them either. They were 30% more (some bean counter is just playing the #'s). But I use the van pretty exclusively for towing so I thought I'd give them a shot. Too soon to tell.

Who is Greg?

On my VW that are known to have strut bearing issues replacement is the only permanent fix. On them sometimes when the bearing gets rusty it starts to wear into the rubber so I replace the whole mounting assy. Never needed to replace the strut bearing on a Subaru. If is comes as part of the mounting kit (I forget) I'd probably do both sides. Otherwise you have well fatigued rubber on one side and stiff rubber on the other.

I don't know where in the country your town is - so I expect others don't as well. You may want to consider updating your profile. Around here Advance Auto Parts has atleast some Powerbuilt stuff. Occasionally I "borrow" a front end servce kit or something from them. I have bought one of the little jacks as well after 2 of mine died on the same day. I think it was on sale for under 20 bucks at that time. It's been doing well for a year but it doesn't get much use. Usually it's a bigger floor jack or a hydraulic scissors jack that I use. For supporting tranny's when pulling engines I use a screw type scissors jack from the pile that I have in the garage. I think they had a promo on a jack and stand set when I bought my jack. I'm pretty sure it's not the best made - but what do you want for under 20 bucks? I have broken front end service kit pieces from their borrowed set.

I wasn't gonna say anything. There are a lot of red RTV's out there. For all I know it'll work. I was concerned that he's not using Suby seals. Suby doesn't have an oil pump gasket. That's why I assume he's not using Suby OEM parts. But it could be like the recent guy that used Ebay HG's. When he does it again it'll go much quicker. Ultra Grey is all that you need for a Suby. It's a little stiffer getting it outta the tube and after it sets up. It's all I use on Suby's. Not red, or Blue, or Black, just Ultra Grey.

Great pics.

Sometimes that oil pump Oring can be a bugger to stay in place. I often use petroleum jelly to hold it. It's been a while since I did a 94 or earlier. If those have the thin Orings - one behind the drivers side cam seal and the other on the back of the engine on the pass side I'd do them as well.

It's sounding like you're not using Suby seals. I'd rethink that. The reason I say this is that Subaru doesn't have a gasket for the oil pump - just the Oring. Other than that it's Ultra Grey. I use a pic to get the seals, if they are stubborn sometimes I use a very long shafted thin screwdriver and use it to push them out at the bottom typically. I put it between the shaft and seal on the side, get it past the lip, then lift the handle up and push it in a bit more. Then I really puch it out from the bottom back rather than pull it out. You may have to do this on both sides of the shaft. I just received the Lisle tool last week and haven't used it yet. But I've got 2 to do next week if I can get the time. The idlers should arrive on tuesday. The oil pump is kinda glued on there from the factory. I usually end up prying it best from the bottom IIR. Either the oil pump or water pump has a bolt or 2 in weird recessed places. Double check by eye and feel to make sure you got them all. Please update the original post to reflect what year, and engine size just for kicks. For pointers like the oil pump screws particularly on the 2.5. If it's a 2.2 and a 95 to 98 or so you wanna do those thin cam Orings as well while you're in there.

I believe you may need to disconnect the dogbone, take the engine mount nuts off, and push/pull the engine to the opposite side and perhaps raise it a bit. I just pull the engine. Think it makes for a better and easier job. But I think the above is what some others do. I know I've sold a few dogbone's from folks breaking them doing this.

Please do some searching around here before replacing the rear main seal. Most here will advise against it. Including me. Not wanting to start a pissing contest thought. It does seem counterintuitive. But of all the engines that I remove usually the rear main has stuff on it from the baffle plate leaking. The only rear main's that are truely leaking are ones that have been replaced. What does that tell ya? Anyways I usually do 95-99's and a few 2000 2.5 SOHC's with the metal baffle plate. So I guess I'm not much of an expert. But yes - a PVC collar works great for all the seals on a Suby. Infact the crank and cam seals are close enough that you can use the same piece of PVC for them. I replace everything except the main seal (by choice - unless it's definately leaking). Crank & cam seals, reseal baffle plate (whether leaking or not), usually valve covers and the plug Oriings. On the older 2.2's the cam Orings. Idlers, tensioner idler or if new style whole tensioner. All belts, usually both rad hoses, new coolant, spark plugs, etc. I do a decent amount of Suby's and replace about one rear main per year. My local dealer doesn't even stock them - what does that tell ya? A lot of the mechanics have their "private stash" and I end up getting one of those and the dealership orders one for me to replace it. Actually whether to replace the rear main would make an excellent pole here. For all I know it's already been done. I know my decision so it's not worth trying to figure out how to conduct a pole. But I would be curious.

Send me a pic and a location. If noone else has one I'l lbe parting a 97 OBW in a few weeks. I'll look for it and it's part# then.

Usually it's the top mount. Not worth going used in my opinion even if you have one setting there. Then again I'm usually selling the car so I fix them correctly. If it were my personal beater things might be different. My VW TDI gets swaybar bushings every 60k and strut mount bearings about the same. A lot of times they actually rust now that I don't drive much anymore. Pushing 180k and due for swaybar bushing as I write this. I just found the new ones while cleaning up the garage a bit. Gotta do rear axle bushings and It's best to remove the rear axle. Not looking forward to that job. But it still looks better than a Subaru rear wheel bearing job. 174k with some heavy loads (sometimes people, sometimes stuff) I guess it's time.

I don't align cars but those lower 2 bolts I think they spin to adjust. They aren't normal bolts. I forget the fancy name. Basically the centers are off center. On some struts you have to pay attention when you mount the top hardware or they will torque like that. I never install them that way. I loosen everything up, fight with that rubber shim that the coil rides on, and pay attention when redoing the top part. I haven't done a front one recently enough to remember any more details. Perhaps someone else here has? If it is the mount you may be able to just lower the axle enough to undo the old mount and install a new one. I'm usually checking the strut anyways so I take it off. Sometimes there will be rubber dust on the strut tower, or signs of wear where the metal ring meets the rubber. In extreme cases rips or big cracks. But usually they just look dry rotted and tons of small cracks. Sometimes you do see the dust though.

I just had a VW where the horn worked but the airbag "section" didn't. I'm telling ya - having them diagnose it was the best 50 bucks I've spent in a long time. They have sections of harness to plug in to bypass sections of the wireing at a time. Atleast they did for the SRS system. I would have been days trying to diagnose, swapping parts, etc.

Usually that's the mount in my experience. Usually the top. IIR you need to compress them a bit but not break them down. But I haven't done any this year and my memory isn't the best. I still mark and loosen everything up and possible remove the entire assembly. I always have a car aligned after new struts - no matter how well I mark, etc. Usually it changes the "stance" of the car with fresh struts so I figure that should change the alignment. On a VW it could also be a strut bearing but it groans.

Are you sure it's not the mount? Often clunking is the mount. Cheaper than a strut and I always go new. I think they are maybe 20 bucks. I forget but I've replaced a lot on fronts and backs. Also I've had quote's vary from almost 50 bucks to 12 bucks on strut mounts on Suby's and VW's so it's definately a call around item.

Didn't save that part. But if it's pricey I'll be parting a 97 OBW in about 2 weeks.