ccrinc

Nope, that's a rod knock. Piston slap goes away when the engine warms up. It will only get worse from here. What's the condition of your oil? If you aren't mixing oil and coolant, I'd be really surprised. When your car overheated, you blew your head gaskets and now you have compromised rod (at least) bearings. Too bad you put all that time and money into it in the last 3 months, because you've been running on borrowed time. A lot more than most folks would get.

First, only the turbo heads had the 3 "generations": the other styles didn't change at all. So, #1 is plain casting, #2 has the line below it and #3 has the box around the EA82. The major change on these was to beef up the metal in the exhaust ports so that they did not have leaks from the coolant passages as easily. "MINOR" cracks between the valves can be peened closed and smoothed over. However, if they go into the coolant jackets, they're scrap. You could "bolt up" heads to a turbo block, but it would be worthless. There are many internal and external differences. If you want a turbo engine, you have to start with a turbo engine. (The MPFI block and the turbo block are identical. The SPFI block and the carb blocks are identical. Between those, you can interchange. Between SPFI and turbo? No.)

I can't address the head lights or e-brake light, but I recommend changing out your PCV valve. Subaru Genuine only! Very common reason for using oil when you can't see leaks.

The Forester is built on the Impreza platform, so I think it will be too narrow. Legacy and Outback have the same chassis.

My gut says the engine oil hasn't been changed regularly and that the oil being used is one with high sulphur and/or paraffin content. Good ol' Rislone will help clean that up. Do an oil change (obviously, at this point, you have to), put in 1/2 qt. Rislone to 3.5 qts.+ of cheap oil. Run for about 50 miles, then do another complete oil change with new filter. Side effect: helps re-expand withered internal seals. It's old school, but it still works!

I'm not saying that this is in any way related to the problems with this car, but there is a 3rd piece which can cause a run lean/rich situation: the coolant temperature sensor on the coolant crossover pipe. If it fails or becomes damaged, the car will usually run too rich because the ECU isn't getting input from it and thinks that the car is always cold. Just FYI.

Very possibly the cam grind. If it was done at Delta Camshaft, Scott can probably tell you which grind it has. Some are better for low end torque, some for constant high rpm...but all will usually produce a loping idle and as a side effect, a "hiccup" at constant speeds. Afterthought: have you checked the O2 sensors?

In addition to what everyone else has said, I'd like to add: 1) Change out your PCV valve. It's about a $12 part...use Subaru Genuine only! If you aren't seeing any leaks or blue smoke, it is highly likely that is the culprit in your oil loss/use. 2) Whether you go for a used or rebuilt engine, there are 6 or 7 things that must be matched up for an engine to work in your car. The left cam gear, crank gear, EGR (or lack thereof), PCV connector type, oil pump (Manual vs. automatic), is it PZEV or AVCS? Some of these can be switched over from your current engine, others are part of the block or internals and cannot. JB Weld on the head surface is a horrible idea, IMO. And like Gary said, have them use turbo head gaskets (11044AA642 part #). Yes, they should be absolutely flat and smooth: the newer engines are not tolerant of anomalies. Any dealer in this area (Denver) would never do a timing belt without changing those items unless they got it in writing from the customer refusing those parts. Whomever you took it to is incompetent, at best. Good luck in whatever you choose to do. Emily

My next thought is a couple of burned exhaust valves: very common issue and can cause all your symptoms except possibly the coolant loss. (More reading here: http://www.ehow.com/list_7559711_burned-exhaust-valve-symptoms.html )

Early Legacy = reliabilty (squared). Good choice.

What Gary said. Plus, I LOVE the SUS! Extra ground clearance, nice stance, bells and whistles. Nice car: I'd tap it!

Thanks, guys. Your words mean a lot to me.

Hey! I'm still around! Just had 2 full spine surgeries in the last 1 1/2 years, so no more shop for me. Or not very much anyway. I set up a VPN so I can work on the server at the office. I check in from time to time, and wave "hi" to everyone! Emily

Blouch Turbo in PA. Good remans. Very reliable. We've used them for years.

Also, changing out your fuel filter. You can have all the gas in the world, but if it can't get to the engine, it ain't gonna run!

First, what codes is the computer throwing? If you have a CEL on, you will have diagnostic codes stored. Figure those out and you will probably find the rough running problem. Have you even tried disconnecting the battery to reset the ECU? Throwing parts at it without diagnosing the problem is a waste of time and money. My first impression is that your coil pack (what the plug wires plug into) is also damaged. They do go bad without any warning, or there may just be corrosion there. The coolant loss is not electrical: it's something entirely separate. A new radiator cap may be just the ticket (use Subaru Genuine!), or a pinhole in a coolant hose.

This is just a remote possibility, but have you checked to see if the ECU numbers are the same? According to Subaruparts.com, they are different numbers. The '96 EJ25 DOHC was a one year only engine with hydraulic lifters rather than solid. The valves are significantly shorter on the '96. Just a thought.

That's an EG33. Emily

I'd go with the '96 IMHO. The H6 is not bomb proof! IF all the oil changes have been done religiously, it "may" be a good buy, but... The '03 Outback has head gasket issues. They still do. We use only turbo head gaskets on those SOHC engines because the stock ones are such garbage! Emily ccrengines.com

Most likely is an oiling issue to the cam on the bad side which cause it to seize in the head and did a "stop NOW' thing on the engine. Valves stop, collide with pistons, resulting damage everywhere. Point of advice: at this point, you have metal pieces all through your engine. No matter what engine you go with, your coolant crossover pipe and your intake manifold need to be professionally purged or you will suck small pieces back down into the new one which will destroy it.

The head gaskets which Subaru makes for the EJ25 SOHC engines are junk. We had multiple issues with them in those engines. Since we started using the turbo head gaskets (the 860 ones) instead, we have had no failures unless the cooling system goes south. They're right about the mating surfaces: they have to be perfect.

Gary, aren't you forgetting that a '99 2.5 has the 4 bolt pattern on the bell housing vs. the earlier 8 bolt? (IIRC) That means the starter is difficult to bolt on.

Texas is not exactly a Subaru haven. Sorry, but I don't know any Subaru shops down there. (We do swaps if you want to come this far: some people do!)

Believe me, I've seen enough grenaded '97-98 EJ22s to confirm, they ARE interferential. I forget exactly what they changed (I think one thing is the length of the piston skirt), but that date is correct. Also consider how extreme the climate is: very dry/hot conditions wreak havoc on rubber. Also extremes of hot to cold to hot. Emily www.ccrengines.com

Since there are at least 5 things we have to match for the engine to work with YOUR car, we build all engines custom. Build time ranges from 3-6 working days, depending on rarity and how busy we are. All engines sold on exchange basis, shipping is included, plus installation gasket kit. Oh, and there's a $250 OFF sale going on right now! www.ccrengines.com Emily