idosubaru

That's good to hear. I'd keep an eye on the fluid level. It's fairly suspicious for it to be dripping right from the inner tie rod base which has a larger diameter than the other components inside the boot making it difficult for fluid to migrate there from a long distance while also being sheltered by the tie rod boot, as well as the entire engine cross member between it and your spillage. I would keep an eye on the power steering fluid and change the boot sooner rather than later. In the northeast, the snow itself and treatments both lead to increased aggregate material on the roads, which isn't good for tie rods.

Failed and/or aftermarket timing belt tensioner 1. Install all new Subaru timing belt, tensioner, and lower cogged idler. Or just get an entire AISIN timing kit (OEM parts). Or, if you're unlucky and the valves were bent: 2. Install used heads if the valves are bent. No need for a valve job, just resurface the heads and install with Subaru gaskets. If the engine does happen to be toast - I wouldn't get that turbo for a variety of reasons. The install would be insanely complicated, best facillated with an aftermarket controller due to the cross generational aspect...and the unknown history and risk of a 15 year old turbo engine leaves a lot to be desired.

What do you mean? 90-94 EJ22 ECU won't work so you can't just swap the ECU to mitigate the later OBDII and earlier OBDI issues. Most of us would do what was posted earlier, where no ECU swap is needed:

Haha indeed. Well played. Timing belt and standard maintenance items have all been widely covered in 20 years. If you’ve tackled all those jobs you won’t have any problem finding exactly what you want and need to fix on that car. EJ22s are simple reliable and well known by Subaru experts and hobbyists. The one surprise might be knock sensors - the material degrades over time and cracks, typically unseen at the base where it interfaces the engine. One 12mm bolt and easily replaced in 15 minutes. 30-45 maybe for a first timer. I routinely replace them preventively because the eBay specials are cheap and it’s easy. The hardest parts to replace are alternator, starter and fuel pump, they are notably inferior from aftermarket and OEM is no longer available or $$$$. Aftermarket electric motors of any brand or warranty flavor are always more problematic than OEM. Install 50 of them and I guarantee you’d be shocked at the reliability, breaks downs and getting stranded. Subaru had $80 reman alternators but they may be NLA. I drive to Mt Katahdin in Maine, snorkeling off Looe Key in Key West last year, 10,000 feet in Colorado in August, and routinely well over 200,000 miles as well as help dozens or maybe hundreds of other people with Subarus over the last few decades. It youre just beating around locally and only putting a few thousand miles on then you’re chances of issues with aftermarket are lower. I want like new reliability and so far have gotten it and while seeing lots of other people struggle with issues I’m usually help him them resolve.

Lower quality is not opinion, how much worse and if it’s tolerable is opinion. That’s not even remotely debatable except with small Subaru sample sizes. The two Subaru “HD” marketing hyped axles I’m aware of the last few years were hype and didn’t live up to reliability expectations.

There’s a red drop showing on the inner tie rod. It looks like the rack seal is already damaged. Your next question will be “does steering fluid stop leak work?” No, it doesn’t. This is probably the single most important boot to replace immediately. Dirt and grit get in that boot and are pushed and pulled past the rack seals every time you turn the steering wheel. It’s literally sanding and scoring the rack surface. It will eventually leak power steering fluid inside that boot. Change it to avoid profusely leaking steering rack that needs replaced. I find steering racks annoying to replace. Maybe it’s the rust. Lol. fuel, oil pump and home water pressure are all under 100 psi. Ever seen a hose, faucet leaks or fuel squirt out of a car? Steering racks are like 1,000 psi. If it’s leaking the rack seal is toast and you need a nee rack. The seals alone unfortunately are convoluted to work on and not economical to replace.

MTs get torque bind too. VLSDs in the center fail to locked, vlsd rear diffs fail to open. The best thing you can do for reliability is to stop working on the car and do a brush up on Subaru maintenance. A mid 90s EJ22 is some of the easiest, inexpensive, most reliable 200,000 miles you can get. Do it right. Trans - change the fluid often. Assume at some point in its history it wasn’t and some extra changes or higher end fluid is worth it. I’d use redline or whatever GD runs at his shop. If those aren’t Subaru parts then you’re throwing away quality precision parts and installing garbage. Not only once but you’re basically doing a complete Advance Auto Parts mobile test bed. You must like gambling !! Hahaha Subaru parts also are not only far less likely to fail but less likely to fail catastrophically. Subaru tie rods bearings ball joints and bushings will give noises and show play for thousands of miles before failure is even remotely possible. Aftermarket have a much higher probability of failing instantaneously with flair. A wheel bearing blowing out while driving down the road on a Subaru is 100% of the time: 1. an aftermarket bearing or 2. installation error Subaru axles are one of the keenest examples. Regrease and reboot original green cup Subaru axles. Don’t install aftermarket they fail *all the time*. Sure 7 out of 10 peole get away with aftermarket axles. But they’re usually not putting many miles on them and the other 3 end up with time wasting break downs. And your car has a slight lift I think from forester struts. That’ll eat aftermarket axles. There’s almost zero chance they last 5 years and blowing up while driving down the interstate at 60 mph isn’t surprising either. I’ve seen it. oEM axles never do that ever unless you ignore noises for 20,000 miles There are no functional “heavy duty” parts for Subarus like this. They’re all inferior to the OEM Subaru parts. Every single aftermarket axle is garbage and it’s well known and documented.

Congrats it runs! Hard to tell. After 25 years those hydraulic adjusters could be seized or not pumped up. What does an EA81 do if the HLA is collapsed or offers excessive clearance? There might be potential for significantly more noise than typical HLA tapping. In EA82/ER27's if the HLA gets too weak or collapsed the rocker arm falls off. That video sounds like a harsh knock but between the accuracy of a recording and my hearing I'm unsure.

It sounds like you need some good Subaru eyes to diagnosis it. The current shop doesn’t seem familiar enough to figure it out. And the info you’re giving us is hard to piece together. grab all the tie rods and vigorously shake them with all your weight and muscle. Do they have play or make noise? Describe the noise or symptoms very specifically with no additional details What is the sound like, when exactly does it do it or go away? Straight turning left or right coasting downhill idling uphil accelerating is it repeatable or not… Tires wearing poorly and uncentered steering wheel are probably alignment.

Excellent, thanks.

I never used a phase II 2.2 block for a frankenkotor, and quit doing them a few years ago so configurations are starting to evaporate

2008 legacy nonturbo automatic. New aftermarket radiator Upper passengers side corner has a nipple that’s covered by what appears to be hose type material but it’s a “cap” to plug it off. Is this meant to stay in place or have a bleeder screw in it? Are these generic enough to match up at a parts store? Seems odd to not have it ready to go out of the box The stock radiator doesn’t have one there. Also the rubber has what appears to be cracks so I assume it’s just for packing and not intended to stay in use?

90-98 EJ22s are beasts. 99-2001 EJ22s are not. I wouldnt totally avoid a 99 EJ22, but it’s not worth any premium or additional effort either. If it’s a commuter car in flat land just push the go pedal harder and you’ll barley notice. Power is personal preference. If you’re running over sized wheels/tires, a lift, 300 pounds of gear, a couple passengers, driving steep inclines at interstate speeds, you will get annoyed climbing mountains at interstate speed in 3rd gear. As an average Subaru commuter shifted slightly on the slower end of average, it’ll be fine.

Yes I’ve seen it. It doesn’t need to “bolt up properly”. It can be installed in the trunk, thats immaterial. I’ve bolted them up just like that before where all the holes aren’t the same. It’s been awhile but I think you can use any Phase I coil pack if you swap the pig tail for it. I don’t recall which models have which coil packs. Look up 95 and 96 and 98 EJ22 coil packs. Or EJ25. You’ll probajg see different ones.

It's either an EJ22 engine and intake manifold, or the year of the forester is off. Need to clear that up. It's probably an Ej22 manifold they hacked up. There are different coil packs. Swap in another manifold or wiring harness. 1. How positive are you it's a 1998 MY (not VIN plate date stamp) Forester? Phase I EJ22 into a 99 forester would need significant customization to get it to idle and run properly (issues you're having). If it's a 99 MY Forester with an older EJ22, this is tricky to work around - prop the throttle body open just so it idles would be the first step to get it more usable. 2. A 1998 MY Forester manifold doesn't bolt up to an older EJ22 engine. So that's why I assume it's an EJ22 engine and intake, and you should just install another intake manifold or wiring....if the 1998 year is correct.

"front right" and "transfer case", which is centrally located and work was done...this leave some uncertainty. Check brakes - might have a hung caliper slide that's sticking and freeing up during working on the vehicle but returns when back to driving it. Is the noise on the right, left, or center? Have someone stand outside the car and listen from both sides...can they hear it? Is one side louder? Does the noise vary: Is the noise the same when accelerating up a grade or driving lightly on flat ground? Same at 10 mph and 30mph? Same whether going straight or fast around sweeping left and right hand curves? Did he carefully check for debris in the oil when the diff oil was channged? If non change again and check for contamination. Could be a front diff bearing. Pull trans, separate front diff, replace bearings and side seals and make sure the ring and pinion is fine.. One of the bearings is $100+ Or get a used trans.

I’m sure you’ve said this before - but is there an age when valve stem seals and valve job make sense or you always do those? I’ve almost always skipped those but I’m mostly doing H6 and FB the last few years.

Subaru parts: headgaskets, PCV valve, radiator hoses, radiator cap. Timing kit - pulleys, tensioner and belt. AISIN is a suitable supplier of OEM Subaru timing components. Absolutely resurface the heads.Don’t check for flatness it’s an archaic waste of time. 2 valve cover gaskets, 6(?) valve cover bolt grommets, 2 cam seals, (1 or 2) cam cap orings, oil pan gasket, crank seal, oil pump oring. 2 Exhaust manifold gaskets, 2 intake manifold gaskets, rear main seal. I’d get all subaru usually but many of these have good aftermarket alternatives. Tighten the oil pump backing plate screws. One or three are always loose. Use a quality driver. Reseal the rear separator plate - a 93 shouldnt be plastic but replace with metal if it is Install a new knock sensor. By far the single most common sensor to fail. New radiator and Subaru hoses and cap. Crank pulley - install a newer hood condition used one or buy new. Ive never seen Subaru valve issues in EJs so I usually leave valves and stem seals untouched. Splitting engines isn’t my speciality (if anything even is haha) so take this lightly but I wouldn’t recommend splitting the block.

No. No. Install a 95-98 EJ22 intake manifold onto the 93/94 EJ22 and then it’ll plug into your 99 Outback. You can also consider repairing whatever is wrong with your EJ25. If it’s just oil leaks and the EJ22s have insane mileages like many do the risk/reward might favor repairing what you have.

Yeah the Gen 2s look far nicer and less dated so they have much greater appeal to get over their marginally worse reliability than Gen 1 which were real beasts, but that has been lost to time anyway. Like you said they are extremely old so time and history and unknown and sitting for lengths of time is a killer. Takes compelling circumstances to choose them over newer ones. We are tainted by rust too, for non rust areas maybe it could still be a reasonable option? Either way you’re right - it would be wise to include newer stuff when searching, there’s no practical reason to ignore them.

1998 or earlier EJ22 all the way. Install all new timing components. If it isn’t high mileage and wasn’t previously mistreated that’s about the easiest, most reliable, inexpensive 100,000 miles you can get. Id look for one that gives you the best sense of its maintenance history. If you can do an engine swap then you can buy any 1998 or earlier EJ25 and swap an EJ22 in it - they’re plug and play. That increases your potential cars to look at when shopping.

Is the clutch slipping? There’s not much more to the system. Pressure switches, clutch, and compressor? 1. verify properly charged. 2. Pressure switches - FSM should show how to test them. 3. clutch - is it switching on and off or making noises or slipping? 4. Compressor is weak FSM probably has some notes on pressures.

Flashing is multiple cylinder misfire. Install new Stock NGK plugs only.

Diagnose. Plenty of people post here “I think….but haven’t checked yet”….and end up being wrong. Yes plug and play if you get a single port EJ22 exhaust. It will bolt right up to your outback vehicle fine. Install a new Subaru or AISIn timing kit. I’d also install new cam crank seals and reseal the oil pump. The OEM are very robust and probably fine but at 20+ years old…. At most you swap the drivers side cam and crank sprockets (EJ25 crank and cam sprocket installed onto the EJ22). It’s not any extra work since the engine should get a new OEM or AISIn timing kit anyway. That cam distinction is usually an MT and AT difference so since both are AT engines it shouldn’t matter. But sometimes we can’t ensure the donor and mines heritage so it’s good to keep in mind. But either way it’s two 17mm so it’s not really any extra work.

Yes, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the exact symptoms you had. Really old OEM tensioners will knock too but I’ve never seen an OEM fail. Aftermarket fail plenty even with low miles. Extraordinary since OEM are run for far more miles from new and have a much larger foot print for failure. Some aftermarket tensioners/kits come with a bolt, I’ve seen those aftermarket bolts snap as well. They have inferior quality and manufacturing probably at multiple levels. Materials quality and sourcing, foundry, design, labor, QA, non ISO or equivalent (not that ISO is all its cracked up to be)….it’s almost pointless to wonder where that cheap train derails. Get an OEM tensioner. We don’t say that 10,000 times a year for no reason.