Fairtax4me

15- 50 may be fine for a turbo because that engine needs the higher temperature protection. On an N/A block I wouldn't use anything more than 5-40 or 0-40 synthetic if you're dead set on using expensive oil. I've always run 5-30 Dino in my Subarus. Never had any issues with it. The oil pump wouldn't suffer any damage from that unless you can see visible damage/markings on the front of the pump. If there was visible damage damage to the pump why would you even chance re-using it? My bigger worry in a front end impact is damage to the thrust bearing on the crankshaft. You'd have to hit one hell of a deer to shove the radiator into the engine hard enough to hurt the crankshaft. Subarus are low enough that deer generally roll up and off the hood. If the pulley was damaged, they hit a tree, or another vehicle. Oil leak could be the pressure switch on top of the block, or the o-ring behind the pump. Check on top, if you don't see oil then you need to pull the front end down and reseal the oil pump.

Clutch safety switch or clutch start switch is the correct term here. Somewhere around here is a link where you can download the Subaru factory service manual for your year. That will be a big help for component location, and the wire diagram especially. The starter interlock relay is in the big relay panel under the dash. But I think the start signal goes through the clutch switch. Check voltage at the switch connector while cranking. Compare that to voltage at the battery terminals while cranking. You might just pull the start relay out and make sure the pins are clean. The stat signal supply wire is spliced after fuse 21. One side goes to the relay the other goes to the clutch switch. If you have low voltage at the switch, check and compare voltage at fuse 21 while cranking. Normal voltage at the fuse, and low voltage at the switch would suggest a poor connection at the splice or damaged wire somewhere between the fuse and the switch.

On the old 2.2 its best to fill the engine with coolant via upper radiator hose before filling the radiator. If the radiator has a bleed screw on the upper corner opposite the cap, open it to let air out while filling. If you got at least a gallon and a half to go into the system you should be good to go.

Same deal for the 1.8. Bolt the Impreza manifold onto your 2.2 long block. You might have to swap cam and crank sensors and the temp sensor from the 1.8 onto the 2.2, but those are easy. While the engine is out you can pop some Delta torque grind cams into your 2.2 and get a little extra oomph. If the 1.8 has roller rockers you can swap those onto the 2.2 and use roller cams to free up a few more hp as well.

As said above, when the CEL comes on the cruise will be disabled and the light flashes. Get the codes read and post them here. 05s are known to have radio problems. The CD player goes haywire and it will drain the battery one of these days. No fix for that other than to replace the radio. You can try your luck with a used replacement or get an aftermarket head unit from somewhere like Crutchfield. Any car audio shop can sell you the dash mounting kit to fit an aftermarket stereo, but crutchfield includes that and the wire harness adapter for free if you spend over $130 on a head unit.

Always erase multiple CEL codes and see what comes back. Some codes might only be stored because someone was unplugging sensors at random in an attempt to diagnose a problem, or be just a one-time issue that has nothing to do with the price of tea in china. If you erase 8 codes and only 2 come back, those are the ones that are a current issue. CEL codes and trans codes are not the same. The trans control unit stores its own codes. Find an FSM for that year (there are links posted around here if you search) and look up which pin to ground in the 6-pin diagnostic plug and the AT temp light will flash any stored TCU codes.

Belts toast. Needed to be changed. Install paper gaskets dry. No sealant. On old carburetors I wipe the gasket with oil because it helps the gasket conform to irregular surfaces a bit better. Also keeps the gasket from sticking so its easier to clean off. Done it on water pumps too and it seems to help keep coolant out of the paper which helps keep it from dissolving into pulp.

Fuel guage and pump stop working at the same time sounds like the plug on top of the sender unit fried. Corrosion does that. Pull the access plate behind the passenger rear seat and check the plug.

Nuetral safety switch? That's only on an auto trans. You mean the clutch pedal switch? If you have cruise control there are two switches on the clutch pedal. This code is caused by low voltage in the start circuit. Somewhere along the line between the fuse box, the ignition switch, the interlock relay and the clutch switch, is a loose connection or corrosion, or combination of multiple poor connections, and the voltage is dropping substantially. Got a volt meter? Pretty easy to check voltage at the clutch switch when starting. You have the clutch switch jumped, what is it jumped with? A paper clip may do the trick temporarily, but is a high resistance connection. High resistance= drop in voltage.

Glad its running well! 97 was a changeover year but it's generally agreed that 97 will be interference. The only way to tell for sure is to look at the pistons. Assume it to be an interference engine.

Are they constant on, or on/off/on every couple seconds? The first could be temp sensor bad/unplugged or a bad connection at the large plug on the bellhousing or bad sensor ground on the manifold. The second would be because the green test mode plugs under the dash are connected.

Best way to tell which tensioner you have is pull the drivers end timing cover off. It's only 3 bolts. You can look in through the side and see the end of the tensioner. Only two types of tensioners. The arms style tensioner is a one piece deal. The cylinder type tensioner is a two peice setup. The pulley is bolted on separately, there is a post/casting on the back that the piston on the tensioner pushes against. The two piece tensioner is the more reliable of the two.

Car-part.com has a pretty good interchange. You should be able to use 99-03 Forester 5 speed trans at least, maybe up to 06-07 but I'm not sure about transmission changes after 04. You can also use a Legacy Outback 5 speed trans from 2000-04.

Pic of the flat where the vin is stamped.

Look closer for the VIN. Its small and often covered in dirt/grime. The VIN is engraved/stamped on the flat on the lower vertical corner of the bellhousing. Right side.

KYB or bust. You're likely to regret the savings by using anything else. The mounts don't typically need to be replaced unless the rubber in them is badly cracked and literally falling out.

Bump to get this man some help!

I like my Innova 3130 scanner for live data. They're kinda pricey though compared to the Bluetooth OBD2 readers you can use with a smartphone. I can graph data and email it to myself or anyone else with the Blue-driver app on my iPhone. It costs about $100 now though for the Bluetooth adapter. Could be a mid-model year change. Could just be a fluke. Hard to say. Maybe the transmission temp sensor triggers it, and the trans temp sensor on your other car isn't reading correctly, so it never turned the light on. Or we go back to the charging system / electrical theory. Theory's is theory's. Proving the theory is the hard part.

Propeller type whine is a wheel bearing. These are tricky to diagnose. The easy way is to use an IR temp gun to check hub temperatures after driving. Compare left to right and the warmest is likley to be the side with the bad bearing. The failsafe way to tell is to pull the axle out of the hub and spin it by hand. You can easily tell which is bad by the feel when spinning the hub. The problem with this is it takes quite a bit of effort to get the thing torn down so you can remove the axle. It does sound like you have torque bind. The only fix for that with a manual trans is to replace the center differential. Used is a good option since this isn't a common issue on the MT. Transmission bearing noise is likely the mainshaft ball bearing. Common issue with that trans and it usually fails around 200k. Sometimes sooner, sometimes later depending on maintenance habits of the car's previous owners. Its replaceable, but requires tear down of the trans, removal of the mainshaft (not as bad as it sounds) and a press or very large puller. New bearing is around $60 from Subaru. Combine bad center diff with bad MSB and worn synchros, you may be better off getting a whole used trans with lower mileage. U-joint problems on these have symptoms very similar to other vehicles. Vibration at 35-40 mph, then again at 70-80ish. You don't often hear them make noise, but they can click or knock (especially on a manual trans) when transitioning on/off throttle when in gear. Check for play the same as you would for any other u-joint. U-joints are very unlikely to cause binding on these.

Easiest way is to check the VIN stamped on the block on the lower corner of the bellhousing. If no VIN, check the heads. Assuming the heads haven't been swapped. Single exhaust port heads with hydraulic lash adjuster rocker arms will most likely be a 96. Single port with solid lash adjusters (screw-type) would likely be a 97. IIRC that was the last year they used the two peice tensioner setup.

You may need to remove the heat shield that's just above the exhaust (if your car has it) but I've never had to remove the exhaust to get a driveshaft out. Just shove the pipe to one side if you need a bit of wiggle room.

Ping = knock = spark knock = detonation = valve rattle = pinging. There are a few other names too but those are the common ones. All the same, all caused by the same thing. Knock sensor looks for those. Rod knock (heavy Thock type knock from the bottom end) and piston slap (another heavy knock, a bit more dull/muffled than rod knock) are totally different from spark knock. Knock sensor can't detect rod knock or piston slap.

Do you have a scanner that can read live data? Engine Temperature can fluctuate quite a bit with no movement of the temp guage. Perhaps the VDC light comes on because the system is being disabled due to higher than normal temperature? I would watch the temperature reading when the VDC light comes on and see of the temp is consistent when the light comes on.

Torque sequence looks right. There were some inconsistencies in the older service manuals. Just wanted to make sure you had the correct sequence. I have to wonder if that edge of the block is beveled or rounded and made the gasket slide out.

Can't remember honestly. I may have tried mid-grade, but If I did it was only once. I guess if it had made a difference I would have kept using mid-grade!