Fairtax4me

It's no better for Awd. If you run different circumference tires it will eat up the AWD transfer unit/center differential. If you can find two different size tires that have the same circumference it will be fine, but it's easier to just run the same size all around.

Just click on the "Manage Attachments" button in the "Additional Options" box under the text window. You can upload pics straight from your computer that way.

Most anything with the Phase 2 (SOHC) ej25 should work I would think.

One of the contacts inside the switch is broken. It looks like you have to replace the whole stalk and switch assembly. Gonna be a dealer part unless you can find one in a junkyard. Try car-part.com to see if there is anything nearby you could get cheap. Might have a good chance at that since they apparently used the same switch in everything for about 9 years. There are a few online dealers that will give a good discount if you mention the USMB. Subarugenuineparts.com is one of them off the top of my head. Probably gonna be around $80 from one of those. The part number is 83118FC030.

If you match circumference it's no big deal. But you have to use manufacturer measurement specs, not just what you find on an online calculator. Different tires and brands may have different overall sizes.

Seafoam says right on the bottle how to use it on the oil. Pour it in with the oil before it's time to change, or with fresh oil if you prefer, let it run for 15 minutes or so, drain it and replace the filter. You can use a half can of Seafoam, a half quart of ATF, half quart of MMO, that engine flush stuff at the auto parts store, Kerosene, Diesel fuel, there are tons of additives to clean an engine with.

Nope. But the innerds are way clean for 178k miles. The oil is surprisingly clean, very little gas smell if any. I did some price checking today. I can pull the head, check it out, replace a valve or two if needed, clean it up and slap a new head gasket on it for about $50. That's cheap enough I feel good about trying it just to see. If it works, I can pull the engine and reseal it the right way when it gets warmer. If it's not too cold tomorrow evening I think I'll start digging into it. Well, either way it needs that. The timing belt has that alligator skin look. Cam seals don't appear to be leaking but I'm sure they're original. But something in the back is leaking like it's going out of style.

Pop off that wrist pin cover on the left side and put a new O-ring under it while you have access. PN 806931070 It looks like it might be leaking. That rear seal has certainly been replaced. Hard to tell if it's leaking, but no sense in taking a chance on it. Clean out the seal bore and make sure it's 100% clean shiny metal before you put the new seal in. A little grease on the outside of the new seal will help it slide right in.

Nice find! Body looks straight. Hopefully the rust bunnies haven't chewed on it too bad.

Have no idea what that might be. Valve guides are brass. Seals are silicone rubber and typically will not harden. Not to the point of feeling like plastic at least. Can you post a pic of it?

If it has been sitting for a day or more, loosen the fuel cap to relieve any pressure in the tank, and just pop your lines off. No need to try and start the car to relieve line pressure, if it has been sitting it has already bled off. But the vapor in the tank can push gas out through the fuel hoses, loosening the filler cap will equalize in-tank pressure with atmospheric pressure so only a minimal amount of fuel will come out of the line.

Dug into it some today. Cam timing is spot on on both sides at TDC. Pulled number one plug, soaked with oil/fuel. I did unplug the fuel injector when I took it on the "test drive" and for loading/unloading it from the trailer, so it was mostly oil. Did a compression check. Number one has 0 compression dry or wet. So guessing it's a burnt valve. There is a funny sound from that side of the engine, that seems to coincide with the "misfire" if you can call it that. So the big question is... spend $120 or so on a head gasket and used head, Spend $120ish on a head gasket and having the current head reworked, or spend $160 and just drop in a new engine? This engine seems fine, no knocking or ticking that I can hear so I kinda hate to toss it, but I'm worried about the chances the rings have been ground to pulp from being driven so far with it misfiring. I guess I could re-ring it. But the cost of a set of rings, plus the time it takes to do all that, just isn't too appealing right now. On the brighter side. I got under it today and had a closer look. One bad ball joint, one loose tie rod end. That's all I could find wrong with it. I mean, besides leaking oil like a sieve. It does have an after market axle on the front passenger side, so I'll probably grab a Subaru axle out of the junkyard just to have when the aftermarket one starts giving me trouble. But other than that, I was pretty amazed at how good it looked underneath. There is practically no rust on this thing. The bolts on the exhaust pipes aren't even rusty! Almost forgot, the exhaust whistles like a VW Beetle under moderate throttle. Not sure if that's a sign of something wrong with the muffler or if it has to do with the misfire but it sounds kinda cool. And I still didn't get pics.

Wish the wagon I just bought had the 5 speed, but I won't be too picky after searching for 3 months for the right one to come along. :-p Good find BTW. Your wife is one good woman!

The weight difference is negligible when running heavy offroad/snow tires. Plus steel wheels can often be beaten back into shape if they get bent. Aluminum, if it doesn't crack, is a royal pita to hammer back into useable shape. One the 01 and newer Outback you need at least 16" wheels (if factory) in order to clear the brake calipers in the front. Not sure if the Foz had the same brake setup by then.

I was hoping that too until I started pulling fuel injector wires. Unplugging number one made no difference at all in the way it ran. Pulling any of the other 3 made it run much much worse. The story was the car was being driven by their son who was going back to school on the other side of the mountain. About the time he got to the top of the mountain, it lost power and started sputtering. He drove it back home, (1 hour +) and took another car instead. Dad drove it to the mechanic about 10 miles from the house for diagnosis, then back home after getting the news. With fuel dumping into that cylinder the whole time, if it was just a burnt valve, this could easily have washed down the rings and scored the cylinder walls by now. Worst case it needs an engine. I'll probably just put an engine in it anyway since I can get one for ~$150 from the local pickapart. Gonna do compression and leak down tests and see if I can figure out exactly what's going on with it. I will be sure to check the timing marks though.

95 Legacy LS wagon. 178k, 2.2, AT, good tires, good brakes (a little warped but not too bad), interior is in great shape, basically near perfect (as perfect as perfect can get for 16 years old) except for two things. Dead miss on number 1. P/Os mechanic said no compression, suspected burnt valves. Gonna look into it. Deer hit to the left front fender and hood. Dented and the paint is cracked. Headlight looks a bit out of whack, but it isn't too noticeable. $700 I'll get some pics up tomorrow.

Don't think I would trust beef from a tire shop. Props to GD for saving the day! And props to you for having the sense of mind to go see him, rather than shell out at the tire shop.

The torque converter has to stay with the transmission. There is an access hole on the top passenger side of the engine bellhousing where you can get access to remove the flexplate bolts. It can be a bit tricky to get them out with the intake manifold in the way, but it can be done. Remove the bolts and jam a prybar or large screw driver between the flexplate and torque converter and push the torque converter back towards the transmission. Once the engine and trans are separated bolt a box end wrench to one of the bell housing bolt holes on the trans so it will hold the torque converter in the trans while you remove the trans from the car. The alignment dowels on these can get rusted/corroded stuck and make it a pita to get the bell housings separated. Just get a screw driver between the engine and trans somewhere and work your way around to pry them apart.

No way to disengage AWD on a manual trans. The manual transfers power through the center differential before it even goes to the front and rear axles.

That's pretty sweet for $160. Perfect size for a Subaru too.

Intake and exhaust bolt ons, and a set of cams will get you the best bang for your buck. Look up Delta Cams, they have made lots of Subaru owners happy for not much $$.

Yakima and Thule are both good. They both offer "fit kits" that allow you to attach cross bars, upon which you can mount various attachments and carriers to hold anything from kayaks, skis, bikes, etc, to the factory side rails. Unfortunately they cost a pretty $$$, even when purchased used.

^ ^ ^ What he said. ONLY the black/yellow plastic overflow cap. DO NOT open the radiator cap unless you're prepared to get sprayed with burning hot coolant.

Hopefully you get it straightened out. Those cam bolts are always a PITA whenever I've used them. If rust is an issue in your area, you might want to try coating them with copper grease or anti-seize compound to help keep them from corroding.

Get some new camber bolts and re-align it. Seems kinda crappy that those would completely rust out in ~4 years. I think I'd try a different source for the new bolts.