AdventureSubaru

You will be fine if you put either outback or forester suspension under there. Wont affect driveability at all. Your legacy is the same as an outback overall, but with the more reliable EJ22 motor. With outback suspension you'll have the best of both worlds. Bulletproof reliability of the EJ22 motor and ground clearance of the Outback.

Easy enough to add on later. If it comes with towing setup, thats a bonus. But a $200 hitch takes about and hour to install. plug in wiring is another $35. Don't limit your search simply to those already equipped with towing packages.

I own one of those. Towed subies probably a dozen times. No issues. reviews have reported the bar itself bending under heavier loads/extremes so I take it easy. Legacies (95-04 anyway which i've pulled) you have to pull the bumper cover and drill 2 holes (there are 2 existing already on the bumper) and bolt it together. Keep in mind this only works for manual transmission. Otherwise you need an auto transport trailer/flatbed for an automatic. Or tow dolly and disconnect the rear driveshaft and hold it to the side with a bungee cord or something.

If you have your owners manual it's described in there. Pop the plastic cover surrounding the gear shifter. Front right there's a small hole that you insert a screwdriver and releases so you can put it in neutral

Welcome! Others will be able to explain some of the hows and whys of AWD better than I can. Functionally speaking though if the plan is to drive on the road but in snowy conditions etc. AWD (especially subaru) will be superior to 4WD. Especially as 4WD should not be used on dry paved roads and such, the AWD is already there all the time. It gives you much more grip and traction to keep you in control to never be stuck or spin out in the first place. If the plan is off road on rough trails/deeper stuff 4WD is better than AWD. Head gaskets are the #1 thing to look for in those years. Also check the trans for torque bind (Drive a slow tight circle and feel for binding/shuttering) and make sure tires are matching. Keep an eye out on any Subaru for oil loss/consumption. They leak as they get into higher miles and I've seen some die prematurely simply because they got run low on oil. After 150k or thereabouts, it's just good to check the dipstick every so often. Tow hitch - YES! And can be found online pretty cheap. We got a brand new class 2 for my wifes outback for about 165 shipped. I have towed cars behind my outback. Tribeca is not very good on gas compared to the others. It's got a good motor in there but has had a number of glitchy type issues. 7 seater on some though. 4cylinders on the forester are pretty peppy though. Especially paired with a 5 speed.

Plugs and wires. I'd give it a 95% chance it will go away with those replaced.

Financially it makes sense to be rid of it. That payment would stay in your pocket each month. And the longer it sits the more it depreciates in value. It's a good place to be in to not have to rush to buy or sell a car. You can hold onto it until you get the right price. As mentioned, it's not like it's a rarity that could never be found again. Part of the reason I held onto the Ski team wagon as long as I did was because it is probably the only one out there. But you can always find another one if you decide to. And save some $$$ in the meantime. They make expensive yard decorations if they aren't being used.

First it's been driven far for 6 months? Common stuff I've seen is the seperator plate leak dripping on the exhaust and coming up behind the motor (could look like from the intake manifold) cracked CV throws grease on the exhaust and does the same. sometimes you can get power steering/coolant leaks up there but I don't know that they would smoke. I'd take a flashlight and chase it down some more. Make sure your fluids are topped off. As mentioned - the smell can tell you a lot.

likewise. You can pm me for my phone number or send me yours if you want a second opinion or additional perspective. Done dozens of head gasket jobs on these and a bunch of transplants too when appropriate.

I just don't think you are getting it. How else are exhaust gasses getting into the coolant except by failed head gaskets? There is no more testing necessary than to 1. make sure it's not trapped air in the system. 2. Observe bubbles rising out of the overflow. (generally a steady trickle/stream) Scientific method has taken care of it. It's observable. provable. repeatable. It is how the subaru gaskets fail. You say "Bubbles in coolant are not necessarily blown head gasket" Really? Tell me what the third option is. 1. Trapped air - which is easy to burp out/fill with coolant. 2. Exhaust gasses from failed head gaskets. 3. magical singing unicorns in the coolant? vinegar and baking soda from a leftover science project? Subaru coolant conditioner is meant to extend the life of headgaskets, not fix a failing one. Unless the motor has been overheated, failing head gaskets on a subaru DO NOT suggest anything wrong with the head itself. Heads should generally be resurfaced to seat the new gaskets. But unless they were overheated or starved for oil they'll be fine. Again, you need to know more stuff before you can give an informed opinion or argue a subject. You're just needlessly cluttering and confusing what would otherwise be a straightforward diagnosis here. Not trying to bash you. Just asking you exercise a little more humility and speak from experience rather than hearsay or assumption.

You're right that "easy" is subjective. And free advice is often worth what you pay for. In the case of recognizing exhaust bubbles in a radiator overflow though, it's already in the books. Exhaust gases pushed into the coolant = head gasket leak. This by anyone willing to pop the overflow cover and rev a motor and check for bubbles is likely considered "easy" If the OP is having difficulty with it, or doubts the knowledge shared on here, they are welcome to spend the $$$ to have someone look at it and tell them what we are telling them. But I, and others, are willing to take the time to share what is pretty common knowledge on our part to hopefully save the OP some time and $$$ to diagnose and repair their car. This is how I learned what I know. I started out with my first car and researched how to change oil and brake pads. This forum and others provided information that proved itself time and again. I went from completely ignorant about cars to being able to swap any part, do head gasket jobs, basic bodywork etc. I'm a jack of all Subaru trades now and never had any formal training. Just asked questions and followed advice. Lots of others do the same on here. There's lots of value in the members of the board. (Plenty of whom are professionals of a higher caliber than the mechanic down the street) Discounting the value of this boards knowledge, on this board itself seems to defeat the purpose of being here in the first place. This is an incredible resource that over the years has kept thousands of cars on the road and likely kept millions of dollars collectively in peoples pockets by informing and teaching them how to do it right and get the best value.

glad to hear it. never heard back on if the timing belt was original. If it is, make that a priority. A $200 gates kit and 2hrs wrenching are time and money well spent. If it is original, it WILL fail soon and you'll be looking at a valve job or motor replacement to put it back on the road. If it was replaced at the proper interval, you've got 1000s of miles left. Glad to hear it's back on the road!

Yeah. Those fixes in a can rarely work to begin with. For a subaru head gasket they are a complete waste of time and $$$ And in this case a proper diagnosis IS to ensure the system is burped and check again for bubbles in the overflow. No sense paying someone to tell you what can already be seen with you own eyes. A large reason this forum exists is to give or get sound advice and information from those of us who know and love these cars. Sort of defeats the purpose when a person is seeking information and your advice is to tell them to take it in and have someone else look at it. Head gaskets can be confirmed in a driveway no problem most of the time. Especially on these older Ej25s. Respectfully, if you don't have something to add to the conversation, keep reading as the discussion develops. You'll learn a lot on here and in a few years time, you'll be one of the folks with good info to share.

No doubt there can be a lot of miles left on the motor if gaskets are done. It's the low cost and low labor that makes the 2.2 a desirable option. Especially if the labor is paid instead of DIY. 2.5 repair you'll pay $300 for good head gaskets + resurfacing. And shop rates will be $1000-$1500 usually. 2.2 you'll pay $300 for the motor and $500 for a remove and reinstall. In my opinion the 2.2 has a higher likelyhood of outlasting the 2.5 still and at a cheaper price. If the labor is your own it's about equal expenditure but a few more hours work. Both are good options and there are no guarantees either way. These 2.5 motors sometimes have recurring issues even after head gaskets are done. And there's little prior history that comes with a used 2.2 Either option will carry some risk, but either option will likely have you back on the road for another 100,000 miles

If you know that the coolant is full and is not in the process of being "burped" (air in the system) then the bubbles in the overflow are a sure sign of head gaskets failing. The fluids don't mix on subarus. When the head gaskets fail, exhaust gases get pushed into the coolant. (bubbles) Double check on coolant levels and bubbles. Rev the motor while looking in the overflow as it will make bubbles more obvious. If it's bubbling like a slow fish tank, you have head gasket troubles, Assuming it is confirmed failing head gaskets - This is bad news and good news. If this were a 1999 or newer you would have bigger issues/expenses in fixing it. Since it's a 1998 with a phase 1 motor you can install a good used 1990-1998 EJ22 motor. Conventional wisdom says that this is far superior to fixing the existing motor. You can readily find EJ22 motors for about $500 or less. I paid $150. for my last one. It takes a solid day to swap it in. But that motor is the best subaru ever made. The 90-96 are non interference. You sacrifice a few horsepower for a motor that will go 300 and 400k if you keep up on fluids and such. On the other side of the cost/hassle of the motor swap you will have the most dependable forester on the road. If you haven't done a motor swap on one of these, I can talk you through it. It takes a little while but takes only basic tools. I make a cherry picker out of some 2x4s and a $25. come along.

If it's already turning over, you'll be fine. If no one had mentioned it yet - you'll want to put the crank pulley and drivers side cam pulley from the original motor on there. Many had differing hash marks and you'll get a no start/backfires etc without the hash marks that match the ECU in there

Poor mans testing will send you in the right direction. The fuel part has been mentioned. If that doesn't do it, get a spark plug and pull a plug wire. Insert the spark plug in the plug wire and hold the side of the plug against something metal. have a friend crank the motor and look for spark. (Dim/dark light is best for visibility.) Crank with no start = no fuel/no spark/ timing off. If that's the original set it's long overdue and may have stretched and jumped a tooth. If spark/fuel doesn't turn up the issue I'd pull the timing covers and check timing. If it's off, replace before you reset. If it skips a tooth or two you may have dodged a bullet and not have any valve damage. If it goes all the way, valve damage becomes very likely.

This really depends on how big your bank account is. 97 2.2 motor will bolt right in and run the same. The only functional difference is that it is an interference motor so you'll want to make sure the timing belt and components are good. Swapping from auto-5 speed is a chore and financially speaking you are better off selling this one and finding a 5 speed. If you have the parts or $$$ to proceed, you will need Flywheel and bolts, clutch kit, clutch line, pedals from a 5 speed, clutch fork, manual trans & drive shaft, crossmember, speed sensor, TCU and maybe some wiring work arounds. As mentioned, it wont be as peppy but the automatics tend to last longer. Way easier to just find a good automatic from a 2.2 legacy or Impreza and throw it in there and drive.

Here's the chart. http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.pdf

Google the trans codes as the GTs were not always consistent to my knowledge. There's a chart out there to look it all up if you do a search or two on here, it should turn up. They will have the same style clutch.

The short answer if it's anything like California is yes - a stored code will fail an emissions test. P1507 can be neutral safety switch, IACV or speed sensor. I'd try cleaning the IACV first. Does your speedo jump around when driving? (Would indicate speedo sensor) or is it just when starting?

If this is an engine issue (which it sounds like) and no check engine light I'd be looking at mass air flow sensor first. knock sensor, coil and coolant temp sensor as secondary possibilities.

They lift it about 2-3 inches. Look up forester lift. You'd probably want all 4

And yeah. if it's all shipshape and lines aren't badly rusted, swap fresh fluid and gear oil (Drivers side is trans fluid. Passenger side is gear oil) install and drive. I love AWD for snow and trails, but those FWD legacies are extremely low maintenance. Easy to swap, less to go wrong and better mpg.

Don't think Miles Fox is on here much anymore, but he may be willing to do it or could point you to someone who can. If you pm Tom (TheLoyale) he can probably put you in touch with Fox. They're both up in the Milwaukee area. Both great guys. Had a few dealings with them over the years when I lived out that way. Or, a transmission jack can be rented for bout $30. a day. These transmissions are pretty easy swaps. Takes about a day to do one. FWD will be easier than an AWD. I can talk you through it. You'll get dirty and tired but save $$$ and know the job is done right.