ccrinc

Can you tell if it's coming more from one side vs. the other? That would be more of a "flap, flap, flap" noise!

Good explanation of what causes these noises. THIS is a rod knock! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WS37L1G8lnA I have come to the conclusion that what you're hearing is detonation. What fuel are you running? Any mods? BOV? Tune? etc?

What, exactly, do you mean by "bypassed the two steel lines"? It sounds like your ATF is not being circulated properly. Can you post pictures?

Not a rod knock. Those are consistent at all rpms. Sounds familiar though...let me think about it.

Bad torque converter. Especially if you can't actually see any damage under the car.

2. Plastic covers in front of the motor are melted If they are melted, your engine has gotten HOT, multiple times. 3. Manual transmission, but an anti-bump cover that keeps the timing belt snug on the the crank pulley was missing Those were never put on the EJ22 engines. 4. Idler pulleys sound like rollerskates. I looked at the PO's bill for the last timing belt service, and it said that only timing belt Yep, need replacing. and waterpump had been replaced. And the belt and the pump do look newer and cleaner than all other front components! From what I've read on the forums and seen on youtube, the right HG was certainly leaking while the left one stayed more or less ok ? I've got no machinist straight edge and can't do the measurements yet. Please take a look at the pictures of the block and heads and let me know what you think. Is the engine still worth HG replacement? As I said before, it's also highly likely that your radiator is at least partially clogged. They tend to corrode from the inside>out. It is worth noting that, with 219K on the engine, you need to take as little as possible off the head to make it flat. You do NOT want to bump up the compression thereby making the "bottom" end fail. Also, when you say the temp gauge "jumps up", how high? It doesn't need to be pegged to be overheated. And any overheating compromises the head gaskets. At this point, it's a 50/50 chance. It's a high mileage engine that has been repeatedly run hot, the former owner obviously had problems and didn't do anything but gerry-rig a "fix" and pass it on to the next guy (you). Put on some Genuine Subaru head gaskets, replace the idler pulleys and see what happens.

There are multiple threads all over Google about Foresters and their cruise control issues.

In the USA, the only real difference that I know of is a change NOT between the valves, but in the exhaust ports. Comparing the 3 gens here, it is very easy to see how Subaru beefed up the metal in that area because that is where they failed most often.

I was leaning toward a speed sensor, but I also looked here http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discussion-t9991_ds508275 . Lots of possibilities. Worth looking over anyway.

There is actually a large o-ring that goes on the underside of that cap. We provide it in our install kits and it's the one thing people call and ask about all the time. "I figured everything else out, but what's this huge brown o-ring for?"

Actually, we buy them from SOA several times a year. Sometimes, if they are out of stock, we may have to wait a few weeks, but they are still available. They even stock them in the local warehouse here in Denver. And, the going price is over $500 ea., bare.

I wouldn't buy it. To me, that signals lack of regular oil changes, and you know we already had this conversation!

If the tranny shifts normally when you test drive it, I wouldn't worry too much. After 1999, the 4EAT transmissions became much more solid. Their only real weak point is the torque converter. So, if you do have a reason to take out the engine, I recommend you put in a rebuilt torque converter. As to the 7500 mile interval oil change, the newer cars (post-2000) come out of the factory with 5W20 full synthetic oil which doesn't break down as badly as dino oil. It's what I run in my car. We bought mine (an '01) with known bad head gaskets, ~220K on the odometer: but the guy had taken such good care of it otherwise, that we felt it was worth it. He just showed up at our shop one day, looking to sell it. Besides, any Subaru in CO for less than $3K is pretty much a bargain!

Is either one VVT or PZEV? There is where you'll find the internal differences. Otherwise, it should be "doable". The engine gasket kit is different. They probably also have different timing belts, oil pump and rings. Do the PCV mounts match up?

Gary, Are you sure about an "ebay cheapy"? I've always thought you have excellent advice and recommendation, but I personally would recommend a Genuine Subaru knock sensor. Just a thought.

CCREngines (CCR, CCRInc) celebrated our 20th Anniversary in December. I also completely redesigned our website. (www.ccrengines.com) I'd welcome any comments on it. (As usual, USMB members get a discount if you mention the board. But you need to tell Cindy and Sarah, the front office ladies, about it.) Due to 2 spine surgeries in 11 months, I work from home now and am rarely in the office. As always, thanks for the support everyone here has given us over the years!

Have him keep one eye on the temp gauge and the other on the road. It's highly likely that those head gaskets are now compromised. 1st rule of owning a Subaru: NEVER, ever, under any circumstances let it overheat 2nd rule: faithful, regular oil changes and keep an eye on the oil between changes.

Take a good sniff at the dipstick, away from the car itself. If the oil smells "gassy", you may have fuel wash, gas getting into the oil from a "run rich" condition. This thins out the the oil and can cause significant damage to the bearings and everything else that is oil lubricated. This can be caused by a dirty Mass Air Flow Sensor, failing knock sensor, bad coolant temperature sensor on the coolant crossover pipe as well as a failing injector or o-ring. Cold weather brings out the worst in our cars' fuel systems!

The very first EZ30 block we got (years ago, from a dealer from which we buy cores) had failed at 79,000 miles because the owner had NEVER done an oil change on it! Just kept adding oil when ever it got low. You wouldn't believe how brown/black the inside of that thing was! Needless to say, there was no warranty on it.

I have the same car and I love it! The single most important thing about this engine is religious oil changes (no pun intended ). The timing chain tensioners and idlers are internal and lubricated by the engine oil. If he has good oil change records and has used synthetic oil in it, you are probably good to go. Of course, make sure he never overheated it either: these things are EXPENSIVE to rebuild! (I wouldn't recommend Seafoam in the EZ30. Rislone maybe, but not Seafoam. Funny: my car has the same "squeaky bump" (or bumpy squeak) whenever I hit an uneven spot just right. We never have figured out what it is. We think it's frame related.

Rick and Jason have switched to using the Snap On battery impacts almost exclusively at our shop. Everything from 1/4" up. There's a lot of "small" work on an engine, so the 1/4" ones probably get the most use. Great battery time!

I'm not saying it can't be done, I'm just saying it won't be worth much. If you want it to not explode, it should have turbo pistons, not SPFI pistons or carb pistons. Drilling, tapping and converting is not the same as "bolting them on". Miles can be ingenious as hell, but I also remember when he drove to WA State with several (IIRC) milk jugs strung together in his trunk in place of a gas tank! True story!!

A shortblock from 1990 is not really compatible. Those are 2.2s and the bore is smaller. The water jacket holes are different on the EJ25 DOHC from 1996 to 1999, plus the pre-6/98 engines had a 4 bolt bell housing where the later ones had 8 bolts. If you want this to last for any amount of time without making significant modifications, a shortblock from a '99 Forester and then Legacy or Outback from 2000-up fit correctly.

We see it all the time. Core engines come in with scored cams and cam journals on the heads. Yes, it's due to lack of oiling. Broken ones aren't as common, but we've seen 'em. 2005 was a particularly bad year for oil starvation on the non-STi turbo engines. Also fuel wash. Something changed but we're not sure what. The '02-04 WRX engines were notorious for oiling problems (it was even addressed in a TSB), but nobody from SOA has said anything about the newer ones. If they did, they would probably have to do a recall. The thing is, it's actually a pretty low percentage of their overall sales, so they aren't going to address it. Plus, those cars are now 9-10 years old, so there's no way SOA is going to say anything.

$530 for hoses may be nuts, but remember that this guy is in the San Fran area. Shop rates there run ~$130+/hr. plus parts. And that's not a dealer. It's an expensive place to live. Also, your radiator is probably going/gone bad by now. That's why the additional air flow from higher speeds helps keep the engine cool(ish). These radiators tend to corrode from the inside>out. At 219K miles, it's just high time to give your car some love and maintenance.