AdventureSubaru

I must have gotten lucky on the 96 motor I got to swap in the 99 Outback. It was a dual port. I was under the assumption that they were all that way.

good to know. Hadn't thought of that. As I look now, they have re-seal kits for both left and right hand drive, but the whole assembly seems to be left hand only.

RockAuto.com has them starting at $133.79 plus a core charge.

Get a 95-98 2.2 liter (EJ22) It's a direct bolt in and does not have the head gasket issues that the 2.5s do. Bonus is the 96 engine which would be non interference and dual port exhaust. 97-99 has single port so you would want to swap the Y pipe of the exhaust to match. Otherwise identical. Done the swap before. Easy as a pie as engine swaps go. You can use a 90-94 motor, but you would need the intake manifold, wiring, etc. from a 95+ to match OBDII of your 98. Do some searches on here. It's a well documented swap and is considered far superior to repairing/replacing the 2.5. You'll find tons of info.

All else fails, order a cheap OBDII scanner and get the codes that way. You're taking shots in the dark trying to diagnose a check engine light without knowing what code is being picked up. It's the whole reason the check engine light and diagnostics exist in the first place.

Have you gotten the code yet? Advance Auto, Auto Zone etc. will check your codes for free. Get the code and then you'll have a better idea of where to go.

These outbacks are very dependable cars. As with any car you want to inspect for rust, signs of neglect, leaks, overheating etc. The specific things to these cars would be Head gaskets - they were a common fail point on these motors and while not the end of the world as fixes go, it's not a cheap or easy repair. See if they have been done already. if so, it's a big plus for the car. if not, or unsure, it may need them in the near future. Look under the motor for oil leaking from the seams of the heads (One either side of the oil pan) Timing belt - these are interference engines. If the timing belt goes, valves get damaged and you have an expensive fix. Timing belt is due at 110,000 miles or equivalent in km. Again, it's a plus if it's been done. If it has not, it is a negotiation point between you and the dealer. if unsure, you can get an idea by pulling off the driver's side timing cover and inspecting the belt itself. (This is no assurance that it has been done, but a belt showing cracks/wear is a sign that it is needed SOON. Torque Bind - When test driving, be sure to take some slow tight turns and feel for lurching and hesitation to indicate torque bind. The AWD system can have issues if it's run with mismatched, under-inflated tires etc. Fixable, but something to be aware of. Do a thorough inspection. Always helps to have a mechanic or someone else knowledgeable give it a once over to give a second opinion.

Sounds like a solid plan. The 1990-1996 2.2 Legacy motors were non interference. 96 (and maybe 95s as well) was the ideal setup. It was a newer body style and the computer was OBDII (Easier diagnostics and such for check engine light) And still non interference motors. 97+ became interference which doesn't matter much if the timing belt gets changed on time and done right.

If the car did not overheat, doing a head gasket job isn't a bad idea. Do some research on here and see which brand of gaskets is recommended. There are numerous writeups and a few videos out there detailing the job. It can be done without pulling the motor. If you are sure you're wanting to swap though, any 2000-2004 EJ25 motor will swap in as mentioned. try car-part.com row52.com and craigslist as best options to source a used motor.

Foresters are great cars and nothing to shy away from. I would check and see if you have a bent control arm and replace your axle or whatever else is bent up front. Pretty easy to work on if it's not all rusted out. There's a great junkyard in New Ringgold - EZ pull and save that should have the parts cheap. Then at least you wont be wearing things out on that side and will have a better car to stick with or can get a better price if you sell it. 245,000 is no big deal for these cars if they are treated well. My wife and I sold our 2000 Outback this summer (Which is mechanically the same engine and transmission etc. as your forester. It had 351,000 on it and is still going strong. If you're wanting a smoother ride, and still good capability for PA snowstorms and potholes, the Legacy or Legacy Outback is tough to beat. If you're not mechanically inclined, avoid the 96-99 2.5 motors since they had lots of trouble with the head gaskets. The 2000-2004 Outbacks were good. The Legacy (non outback or GT) can be lifted by installing stock struts/springs from an outback or Forester. Which gives you the more reliable 2.2 motor and the ground clearance of the outback. If you are willing to turn a wrench and want to save money. Buy a 96-99 with bad head gaskets and swap a 2.2 motor in. It bolts right in and is the most reliable motor subaru ever made. You'd also have the best of both worlds with that setup. Nothing wrong with the Impreza and 80s models either. 80s cars just tend to be very rusty in the east. if you find a non rusted one though, they are very reliable and very easy to work on. Imprezas are smaller, sportier and handle well. Not quite the smooth ride of a legacy or outback. Apart from the SVX or Justy, you can't go wrong with a well maintained Subaru. (And even those cars weren't bad. Just not as bulletproof as the rest of the Subaru lineup.) All the models were reliable. It comes down to your preference.

Had that thought myself on a motor. The piston slap sound is likely just sticky HLAs if you have a 96 or earlier motor.

Just a thought since you're a do it your selfer - have you researched the $50. paint job? I've done a few of them over the years and if you're not looking for showroom quality, they really do a good job. Basically use mineral spirits to dilute the paint to make really thin coats that are self leveling and can be applied by a foam roller instead of a spray gun. A car takes 8-10 coats. It's some extra grunt work for a much less expensive paint job. But it's about $50 worth of supplies from Lowes or Home Depot and you've got a car that looks nearly new.

Any plans for lifting that thing a little higher? Seems you could avoid some of the bashing with a little more clearance underneath. The metalwork looks great! With all the beefing up and ad-ons are you noticing weight being an issue? Again, less weight = less force to do damage. I'd imagine if I were at your point in the build I'd be doing some deletes and maybe swapping out some heavy leather/power seats for cloth slider etc. How much different is it to drive with the added steel and gear? Build looks really nice. Used to live in Beloit a couple years ago. Had the Impreza on a few good romps up in the Porkies. (Actually where my profile pic is from) My in laws still live in Loves Park.

Wohoo! Glad to hear the happy ending to the story.

Some of my most dependable cars were purchased with over 200,000 miles and more. They wouldn't have made it that long if folks hadn't taken care of them. Mileage is often a sign of good care. My wife's last car we finally sold at 351,000 miles and I would have driven that car across the country in a heartbeat. I don't shy away from mileage on cars known to be dependable if they don't appear to have been neglected in maintenance. Subaru being top of the list. Toyota, Honda etc. are in the same ballpark.

Worked out a deal on a disassembled EZ30 Tribeca motor for our new(with bad motor) H6 outback. Motor is located in Albany, Oregon (just off of I-5) I am located in Bay area California (and willing to drive anywhere to meet up) I like road trips, but my wife and 6 month old would be happier if I didn't have to leave for a couple days to go get it. If anyone is driving southward into California, even if it's still a distance away, I would happily pay for some gas and time to get the engine a little closer. If not it will be my first distance run in the new outback which would not be terrible.

Very durable in general. Ours went over 300,000 miles before showing signs of wear.

The answer I think is yes. The forester for sure. The Impreza may have still had the dual overhead cam motor but I think by then they had switched to single overhead. If you are unsure of the difference, do a quick google image search and you'll see the difference between the two. If it's a single overhead cam 2.5 motor you are good to go. Again, I think you should have a match. I think by 2000+ all models had this newer motor.

Works just fine. Use just enough to make the motor hesitate but not stall. Too much at once can foul the plugs. Works great on old subies though. Done it plenty of times.

I've driven both and the outback is a much smoother ride and will have better MPG. At that mileage if they have not been done previously, you're not far from needing both the timing belt and head gaskets replaced on the Forester. Depending on the condition of your outback, it may be worth replacing the motor. Car-part.com is a good source for finding a used motor.

Got a good lead on a disassembled 07 3.0 Tribeca motor so if it works out I can confirm first hand whether those two motors are identical or just share the same/similar block.

If they are the same size tire and not different diameter you are good to go. Previous owner may have had an unrepairable flat such as a sidewall tear. Check your tire pressures and bring them up to standard. VERY common in areas with cold weather for tire pressure monitors to read low when the temperatures start cooling off. Had this happen in plenty of cars with topping off the air always being the solution.

A little more digging. Head gaskets between 05+ Outback and Tribeca are the same. Guessing they would probably be identical motors although car-part.com lists tribeca as compatible with only tribeca and the same for H6 Outbacks.

Got the car and the block is definitely toast. Front of the timing cover is cracked and bulged forward from whatever tore loose in there. Probably answered my own question here on whether a 2000-2004 block could be swapped with 05+ heads. Looks like head gaskets between the two are not compatible. Here's a side by side comparison of the right and left head gaskets. I'm a noob at this sort of thing and the H6 is a whole new animal to me, but it would seem I'm in the market for an 05+ only

Good news is a trans that is run low on fluid will act as you described and not try to move. Bad news is that it's not good for them to run low. Fill'er up and see what happens, you might drive away and just need to fix a transmission fluid leak!