ron917

Check the fuel pressure (or was that done already?) to rule out the fuel pressure regulator. Or, if the part is cheap, just replace it. Possibly a leaky injector (or 2 or 3). Try some injector cleaner - Techron or Seafoam and the like. Maybe sucking fuel or vapor through the evap recovery system or whatever else is connected the mess of vacuum hoses that run to the fuel system. Not even sure if that's possible, just thinking out loud.

I was wondering about that myself. Haven't needed to pull a hub yet. But if the FSM says use a slide hammer, I'd just screw one on to the puller yoke. The OTC puller is designed for that, the same yoke is included in some of their slide hammer kits. I bought the puller because I have an axle job coming up. I want to have it on hand in case the axle is stuck so I don't have to hunt one down in the middle of the job. 'Course, since I have it, the axle will probably just slide out with no fuss.

I've seen it happen when the crank position sensor was dying. On more than one car, and not just Subarus. Typical failure mode for a dying crank (or cam) position sensor, in my experience, is the car not starting after a "hot soak". You drive the car with no problem, make a quick dash in to a store for a few groceries, and then the car won't start. Wait 20 minutes for it to cool down, and everything is fine. To diagnose, you need to measure the signal with a voltmeter (an oscilloscope is better) when it's in failure mode. Which only tends to happen in grocery store parking lots . On a cold start, the signal looks normal.

http://www.amazon.com/OTC-7208A-Hub-Remover-Puller/dp/B0002SRF6C Use the screw to press against the axle stub or attach a slide hamer (5/8-18 thread) and bang away.

Looks new to me, too. Every new O2 sensor I've purchased has had antisieze on it. That antisieze is in a glob, not smeared as if it had been screwed in. The tip is clean (would be black if used). Looks like the hex had never seen a wrench. And the gasket is not crushed.

At the state inspection stations here in NJ, they sometimes look under the hood, but not always (maybe random sample?). Not sure what they look for, but they're not taking enough time to look at the stamp in the engine block or the ID plate/sticker to verify that the correct Subaru H4 engine is in there. Now, if you install a small block V8, I'm sure they'd notice something amiss. But all those H4s look pretty similar and there's nothing on the engine itself to indicate the model year. They do check for CEL and plug in the OBDII scanner to look for codes (sniff test for pre-OBDII cars).

Googling "how to use an oscilloscope" brought a lot of hits. This one is very thorough: http://www.tek.com/Measurement/App_Notes/XYZs/03W_8605_2.pdf That document is form Tektronix, one of the biggest makers of 'scopes. It is geared mostly toward modern units, but should be useful for learning what a 'scope can do.

15" rims won't clear the front brakes. I've heard of folks grinding the brake calipers to make them fit, but that's not something I would do. From what I have found, 215/65R16 is the tallest tire that will fit. There are folks running that size General Grabber AT2s on '05 - '09 Outbacks.

Lifting the engine a few inches sounds like a good plan. Last time I did spark plugs on the '99 OBW, the engine was sitting on a pallet on the floor. That made it VERY easy! It's really not a difficult job. Most the time is spend figuring out which combination of sockets and extensions will work for each plug. You'll need to feed the sockets and extensions in piece by piece and assemble snap together in place. The suggestion of using spark plug socket turned by a 3/4" deep socket is a good one - it works very well. I removed the rubber insert from my spark plug socket - I've that stick on the spark plug more than once, and it won't be easy to retrieve from a 2.5 DOHC spark plug well.

Here in NJ, they were running radio ads telling people to NOT swerve for deer. Swerving causes more damage to humans, cars and other objects, than just hitting the deer.

Subarus are not like other cars. No piston is at TDC for timing belt installation. You must use the hash mark that is on the back of the crank sprocket (on the reluctor for the crank position sensor). Ignore the arrows, they are not for timing belt installation.

Ditto on the wheel balance. I just went through this with our minivan with similar symptoms, except that the shimmy started at about 67 MPH. Sam's Club, where I bought the tires, didn't get it right. What do you expect for $9 for mounting, valve stem, lifetime balance and roadhazard warranty? The local STS (tire shop chain) charges $10.95 per tire for balancing, but they always get it right the first time.

That thin plate is called the flex plate. Yeah, it's amazing that the thin plate and four bolts is what transfers all that power to the tranny. See this thread about torque convert seating: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=79713 Near the end of the thread, I posted a picture from my '99 factory service manual that shows how to measure to ensure that the torque converter is seated properly. I don't know if the measurements will be the same for your car, but that's the type of info you need. When I swapped the engine in my '99, the torque converter didn't budge when I yanked the engine, so there was no trouble getting it back together. Hopefully, it goes the same with your project.

When I did the struts on my '99, I had the same problem with keeping the springs from curling and getting them compressed enough. I ended up using 3 or 4 compressors on each spring. One set is the Lisles, like in porcupine73's picture. The other set has U-bolts instead of hooks. Sorry, I really couldn't bring myself to trust $7 spring compressors from eBay. Spring compressors are something that cannot be allowed to break, it's too dangerous. I agree the GR2's are pretty stiff, but I didn't find them objectionable. The stock struts on my '07 are very mushy in comparison.

The same test works on dirt or gravel as well. If your AWD works, there will be a HUGE difference between fuse and no fuse - you can't miss it. For tires, here are my recommendations: dedicated snow/ice: Bridgestone Blizzak, some claim as good as studded tires, but they suck on dry roads all-season plus good snow/ice handling: Nokian WR, almost as good as Blizzaks in snow, a good all-season tire in dry and rain

Those tabs are what the crank position sensor senses, so that the ECU knows where your crankshaft is in its rotation. Your car may not run well, if at all, with that tab missing.

This if from the '99 Legacy factory service manual. Note the different measurements for 2.2 and 2.5 engines. Also, note that the value for the 2.2 is negative - I assume that means that the TC is inset from the face of the trans. On the 2.5, it sticks out. If you don't have a '99 Legacy, you should check the measurements in the FSM for your model and year.

It's an automatic, so no clutch. Repairing the CC is pretty far down on the list of things to do, so it will wait for a while. Thanks for the hints, the brake pedal switch is where we'll look first when we get around to it.

OK, my cleaned the screws and connector pads for the speedometer with Caig DeoxIT D5 and a paper towel. It's working now, but it was intermittant before. We'll give it a few days and see how it goes. Thanks for the hints, guys. Hopefully it was just dirty connections.

Thanks, we'll look at it over the weekend. Also: the cruise control hasn't worked for more than a year, but the speedo was find until yesterday. We rarely use the cruise, so it's not important if it doesn't work. Just wondering if there might be a connection between the two.

My son just came home and told me that the speedometer and odometer on his '99 Outback have gone intermitant. :mad: It has 131K miles on it. I guess we'll pull the speedo head and take a look at connectors and stuff, then start troubleshooting. Is there a component or connection that goes bad that can be repaired or replaced? I really hope it's not the gear in the differential...

Rockford Driveline offers a solution. Not sure if it will work with your car, but they claim to support at least some Subarus. Your driveshaft shop may not be aware of them. http://www.rockforddriveline.com/replacem.htm No experience with Rockford's products, just something I filed away for when I need it.

Agreed that the GR-2's are somewhat stiffer than the stock struts, even though they appear identical externally. KYB does not offer a direct fit part for some cars, like the '99 Legacy Outback. The difference between the '98 and '99 is that the OE '99 struts have the ABS cable bracket. Otherwise, the struts listed for '98 are identical externally to the OE '99 struts. I used the '98 KYB GR-2s on my '99 and zip-tied the ABS cables to the strut. That works just fine, and there is no trouble after 1 year and 16 K miles.

Take a look at tirerack.com, everything you need to know about tires is there. I believe they sell the Winterforce tire there. Also investigate Nokian tires, which are not for ordering on the web as far as I know. You'll need to find a local dealer. For a non-studded, no compromise snow/ice tire, I recommend the Bridgestone Blizzaks. Downside is the soft rubber is squirrely on dry pavement and they wear quickly when the weather gets warm. We have them on the minivan, where my wife's stated requirement is "I don't want to slide, ever!".

And now you know why they offer the free oil changes! Once you're in there, they find something else to do and overcharge for it.