jazzmandolin

I just think that subaru took a sh t in quality in the late nineties to maybe the present? All the head gasket problems and tires that have to be meticulously monitored!!! Going to interference motors for little or nothing in performance increase! I think is sad any modern day well maitained auto would have major mechanical problems at 100,000 or less and a lot of subarus have!!! So you either lovem and keep driving them or go elsewhere! I love my OLD subaru! Still have a little hard time wrapping my head around the fact that subaru sold cars with faulty head gaskets!

Thanks for additional info! I do understand its much easier to pull the motor and is what I am planning on doing! I also suspect at over 200,000 miles the rear main seal is probably leaking as my small drip has turned into a major gulf coast size oil spill, seeming to be coming more from the rear of the motor than the front? Guess I will see when it gets pulled apart.

Thank you!!! Exactly what I needed to hear! Thanks again this place ROCKS!

Please help me with a little input on clutch kits? I have heard the parts retailers, auto zone, advance, etc. have some problems with the springs? I see borg warner kits on ebay from 50.00 to 80.00 are they worth there weight? Is the 4wd clutch different from the fwd only clutch? About to buy a kit and wanting to get the best for my monies! Kit going in my 92 loyale wagon push button 4wd 203,plus miles. Thanks

Main reason I never quite understood the Justy is a car that size should be getting 40 to 50 plus to the gallon if they did I would own one!!! Lots of folks seem to forget the the Chevy Sprint from the eighties actually a suzuki came off the show room floor sporting 56 to 58 miles to gallon and it was no joke. I drove a 86 sprint on a 8000 mile thirty day tour with Phil Lesh and Bob Dylan i think it was 1999? Car had 150,000 plus miles and still got every bit of 55 miles to the gallon!!! I was filling up on like 8 or 9 dollars and going 3 to 4 hundered mile a tank!!! Drove that car straight through from Ithica NY to Little Rock Ark and it dropped a timing belt a mile form my house and I walked home! LOL Would of had the car fixed but I had way other things going on. ANYWAY the high priced not really high mpg cars they are trying to sell us these day is really a JOKE Peace out

My 92 loyale wagon has gone from oil drip to oil puddle to oil LAKE!!! What I think is the throw out bearing is grinding when letting out the clutch leaking small amount of coolant from water pump Other than these issues the motor runs like a champ with only very slight lifter tap at start up that goes away almost immediately. Due to the mess and head aches caused by smell of oil burning on exhaust the car is parked until all this work is done!!! Clutch, seals, timing belt kit, waterpump, pretty much the works. This will be the most work I have ever done on a car and luckily a friend has offered me his garage to do the work! SO MY QUESTION IS: Which parts should I buy? I see clutches Borg Warner on ebay for 50.00 ive heard the ebay timing kits ar OK? How about water pump. Which parts should I buy directly from Subaru and which can come from ebay-advance-autozone-napa etc. Any and all input greatly appreciated!!!

Right on, would be interested in whatever feed back you get form the guy if you decide to inquire? If it was a 5 speed I would push the subject a little more but not for the auto will keep looking for my ej22 5 speed with working cruise and ac! So far not real easy to find!

Well I did strait for sale search and came up with the add! SO what is your opinion? I dont think its a Outback LOL but at the price still might not be too bad? I thinking he is just wrong and its actually a legacy with the ej22? Anyway Im done inquireing with this one would be interesting to get a vin and run a check. Its been up off and on for weeks now!? Peace out PS for whatever reason I dont know I try to paste the add and it comes up his email so if ya want to see the add go to Richmond Va craigslist under all for sale search subaru and it should come up 1996 subaru legacy Outback. ANYWAY Peace out Jay

HA HA, Seller insists his car is a outback via email, his picture was no Outback! His add is no longer up!l?? He insists I have no idea what I am talking about!!?? Thanks to my involvement here on the USMB I think I might be starting to know a little bout what Im talking about! LOL Thanks for all you guys input this board ROCKS!!!

Thanks, just trying to make sure I have my facts straight and yes the seller is just not right which is why the car has not sold!

Were all the early outbacks two tone in color? I am looking a one from 1996 that is advertised as a Outback but it is all one color and owner says its a outback with original one color? This does not see right? Were all the early outback wagons two tone? Also 1996 Outback automatic was the first year for the 2.5 right? The 96 outback 5 speed was the last of the outback ej2.2? Thanks

No, I have been trying to go check out a 97 legacy on ebay out of Richmond but having a little trouble setting up a time? http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300512530998&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWAX%3AIT Anyway I do find the listing you put up interesting I may do some checking on it. I am really looking for a Legacy Wagon up to 96 with 5 speed and working cruise control. AWD not necessary! For whatever reason the 5 speed with the cruise seems a little hard to find! If you come across anything else please send it my way. Thanks Jay

Thanks that is what I thought just wanted to double check before i make a offer on one. Thanks again Peace out

Did the 97 2.2 motor have the head gasket issues or was it only the 2.5? Also the 97 2.2 would have been a interference motor? Thanks

Thanks for the reply and more reason to keep looking for the perfect ej22. The big monster repairs still scare me as I have never even done a timing belt. Just starters, alternators, radiators and thermostats. Thinks I need to break the ice and do a motor pull, new clutch and total seal on my 1992 loyale. Anyway thanks again for all you guys excellent input. Peace out

Ok, so I am trying to be very well educated as I try and find myself the perfect sub. for many years to come. SO what years and what exactly is the problem with the 2.5L motors. Did pretty much all of them have the problem or did some not? Looking a one that had 170,000 miles and current owner says he does not know if the head gaskets have ever been done but that after 30,000 mile is two year he has had no overheating and no problems with the car at all? So what should one look for in the 2.5 motor. I really will probably wait till i find the purfect ej22 but wanted to be more educated on the 2.5? Thanks so much

Right on and thanks for the offer to go check it out for me but I LOVE to shift those gears so a automatic is out of my consideration! I hope to go look and probably buy the one I have been thinking about Thurs. if it does not sell which I doubt it will. Most folks will not even consider considering a 298,000 mile vehicle so I hope it stays available till I can head that way. Anyway, Thanks and Peace out

Right on guys excellent responses as usual! Thanks a million going to check the car out sometime in the next few days. Unfortunately its about 2.5 hours away. So I have to line up a rider just in case I buy it. Anyway will let you guys know if it becomes mine.

Thanks great input! Pretty much what I expected! Just wish a motor pull and total seal didnt seem like a MONSTER job! Im sure its not so bad once you have done one or two? Thinking I should buy the car and do the work myself! Seeing I think this is pretty much the car I would like to have for the next many years! Thanks again, Peace out

The legacy I am considering is leaking oil onto the exhaust and stinking! The owner says his mechanic said its leaking from the valve cover gaskets and the motor has to be pulled to replace them and told him cost wise he should let it ride! This does not sound right to me but I really do not know. SO cant valve cover gaskets be replaced with the motor in and if its leaking onto the exhaust would there be another leak? I didnt think valve covers leaked onto the exhaust? Anyway thanks for all input

That is what I was wanting to hear!!! Thanks

Ok , so I have been looking for a early nineties legacy wagon 5 speed with working cruise control, AC, no rot good overall drivable condition. I found one for sale from the original owner he bought it new in 91. All wheel drive which I would prefer just front for fuel economy but no big deal. He says the curise and ac work good, blower motor replaced last year. Timing belt, tensioners water pump two years ago. He says it has only been used for interstate driving for the last many years. Also says he as ALL service records. Sounds pretty good but I am thinking that 298,000 miles on even a well maintained ej22 would still be close to the end of the engines life!? What do you guys think of this high mileage? Thanks so much for any and all input. Peace out

Yes sounds like a great car, 167,000 miles, only mechanical problem is a rough idle??? The price is WAY right unfortunately I am second in line to see the car and am pretty curtain the first will buy it. We will see. Thinking I really may want to wait on a 96 or earlier with working cruise control as I do drives from Va to Ark. regularly and am planing a trip to Cali this next year so cruise would be WAY nice. I just like the idea of a non-interference motor! Wondering about adding cruise? Some cars have the system in place all you have to do is add the switch? Anyway thanks again for the excellent replies. Jay

Thanks for the replies, and yes i am getting the systems a little confuses as I do not have it strait which years have which systems this is why I asked. I think I got it now that all 2.2 up to 1996 are non- interference and all 1997 to present are interference! I still does not make sense to me how a little more efficiency is worth the risk of a broken timing belt bending valves! I think all commercially sold engines should be non-interference but thats is just my personal opinion and I respect those who differ! Thanks again for any and all replies.

Is the 2.2L 1998 impreza motor interference or non interference? I was under the impression that all suby engines after 1996 were interference? Then I saw somewhere that only the engines up to 1994 were non interference? I just dont get why any engine was EVER build as interference! Anyway might be able to pick up a 98 impreza non outback wagon tomorrow for 1200.00 OBO and wanted to ask you guys the what for on the engines in this year impreza. Thanks for all your great input. Peace out