deadend9009

Hey guys i just finished doing the spark plugs on my 99 Outback. While removing the wires, the ends that crimp on the plugs broke on two occasions, rendering the use of a spark plug key useless. It did this on TWO occasions. Plus i had to get new wires...the other ones worked fine before! Sorry if there is no tech, i just want to warn ANYONE attempting this, have it done if you can!!!

thing is, my clutch problem is intermittent. I seems to only do it when going around big corners like highway on ramps...i thought about the bad master or slave, but it doesnt add up because its not always messed up.

Hey guys i bought this Legacy Outback a few months back, but im running into issues. First, the tailgate will not open. I hear it unlocking, but it won`t open. Any pointers? Second, the clutch with go soft and the pickup point will change every once in a while. Its not leaking and it doesn`t have air in the lines, i just bled it using the correct method for a clutch, which is not the same as with brakes. The pedal will simply develop a play and not work properly, i can still change the gears. Im trying to sell it because i got a civic instead because the subbie is way expensive for gas, so i want to have it all aright for when i do sell it. Thanks for any help!

with no budget, don't change a thing. Even if you had money, don't change anything really, and save for a WRX or an STi. The legacy is a bit heavy in my opinion, so it'll take a bunch to handle great and go fast. With little miles as those, keep your money for head gaskets because its coming!

well then can you afford a new transmission? If you can't afford to drive your car, get something else.

so how much is it in tread wear? How many mm? Can't be much...very finicky!

its a 1990 and has a pretty nice sized impact, it might not be worth the work to fix it. Unless only the door has been pushed in (which i don't think so), part the car out or find a car with a blown transmission or engine and swap things over.

i've read lots of threads and they don't have all the information available. I was thinking we could make this thread a reference from those who have done the EJ25 to EJ22 swap. They should tell what year they had in with what they replaced it with. Would this be a good idea or no? Im not sure anymore, but lets try?

but is the 1999 EJ25 held on with 6 bolts?

I've been reading through pages and pages and can't seem to put a finger on what i really need. I thought that if we could get a jist of what all of us have done, we could determine which years are compatible with which ones. I've got a 1999 Ej25 and want to swap an EJ22 in it. Which year will fit (regarding the transmission especially!) So if you've swapped an Ej25 for an Ej22, tell us what year is your car and what year engine you put in it. THanks!

thanks for the replies. Im just paranoid because i know this engine eats HG for breakfast. Thanks for baring with me!

Here we have a blizzard...drove home and hit some snow ruts from the wind blowing like whore, got stuck in one. My radiator was blocked from the snow and when i got unstuck, i drove for a bout 1/2 a mile with a burning smell thinking it was my tires (from spinning them). Turns out i was right under the H mark on the gauge, but NO steam was coming out of the radiator. I stopped, turned it off and unblocked the radiator then turned it on again. The heat came down in about 20 seconds. What kind of damage might I have done? Other than checking for coolant in the oil, what can i check? THanks for any help....im freaking out! PS Thank GOD for AWD!!!

Thanks nipper, i will do that. Its the coolant that smells like used motor oil BTW, not the overall car

Aright thanks for all the replies! I feel a bit more confident now with all thats been said. However, the coolant is dark, i will most likely do a flush soon, but the SMELL is like used motor oil, and thats what has me worried. I has not overheated Car has 229 5xx Km or 142760 miles on it

What has me worried is that there are residues in the overflow above the coolant level, as if it has overheated before. It also has the same smell of used motor oil, but it is not like chocolate milk.

Thanks for the opinion. I was dumb enough to buy this car, someone else might do the same... BUT, it is the HG because it smells of exhaust gases in the overflow. Any one else?

I just bought a 99 Legacy Outback, manual, for 3700$. I did not overheat or anything, the engine did not make weird noises so i bought it. I get home and check the coolant level and notice black residue in there. Extremely disapointed, i realize that this car will need new headgaskets in the near future. It has a 2 yr old rebuilt transmission, new clutch and many new suspension parts (ball joints, shocks, alignment etc). The body has some rust here and there, but the car drives good. Should I: 1- Swap for a 2.2l 2- Do the headgaskets myself 3- Sell the car as is I was leaning towards for swaping out the engine for a 2.2l, since they seem to be much more reliable. How much do they go for nowadays? What is everyone's take on this? I feel like a crap and a half...i sold my perfectly good running 2000 Jetta for this and now im disapointed to be honest. Help me make a good decision!

Automatics use a 90%-10% ratio between front-rear wheel power. Manuals have 50-50 at all time Manuals also do not have a clutchpack in them, they use a viscous coupling with is much more reliable. Beware of "torque Bind" that is when the clutch packs fail, expensive to repair. I would personally get a manual, and its what i did myself.

sorry yes a typo. I want to know about the Phase I EJ25

i was wondering what kind of experience you guys have had with an EJ25 phase I Has someone had to replace their engine twice so far or have people been going through head gaskets like mad...stuff like that. Just wanna gauge if buying one would be a wise choice. I want the outback for ground clearance especially. If the engine is crap then i'll scrap the idea and buy a brighton or an L. Thanks for any help!

Hey there i just sold the vw to get a subbie. I was wondering what has been everyone's experience with a 98-99 Legacy Outback. I know its a ej25 which is phase I and isn't the most reliable engine. If you have one, what is your experience with it? I like the ground clearance and looks over the regular brighton and L model, but cannot afford a GT, which has the same engine. Help?

i would think that the material you speak of is the same stuff they make the Energy Suspension components, polyurethane or something?

I am going back tomorrow. I'll be sure to ask him for it. I can't believe i didn't do that today when i went to see it. I'll see after a drive tomorrow. I'll post anything new that I may need help with. Thank you for your time and input, i appreciate it very much.

thing is, the guy wants 1650 OBO for it...but its an L model and doesn't even have a tachometer. All i really want is AWD and a manual transmission, which this car has. I'll go have a look at it tomorrow, see if the codes go away. Will the codes clear if the misfire stops or will they be stored and the light stay on? I know in my VW, they WILL NOT turn off unless you have it dealer checked (BS in my opinion!!)

All the help is greatly appreciated. The more i think about it, the more im afraid about buying this car. I would rather not buy a car from Toronto as the car will have to be inspected and most likely will not pass with the budget I had in mind. I'll try to have it scanned, as I am not buying it from a dealership.