GeneralDisorder

I have not had a problem with any of the 4-layer MLS gaskets. They are a turbo-style gasket and I think you would probably crack a head or melt something before you blew one. GD

You cannot use the EA82 manifold with the EA81 style power steering. It just will not work. You also cannot use the carter-weber manifold. You will need an EA81 Hitachi manifold to do a Weber swap. Unfortunately that is your only option - or lose the PS or switch to a later EA81 block that has the bolt bosses for the EA82 PS pump bracket - then switch to an EA81T crank pulley, water pump, and alt pulley...... WAY more work than you are looking for I'm sure. GD

He used Shuck's (Oreily's) gaskets . But apparently they were MLS - I asked him about them and he confirmed they were MLS..... so who knows - they might just be rebranded OEM. I'm not sure any of the members here are brave enough to buy a set just to see . We'll see how they last. But a failure is a learning experience so no big deal. It got him along and now he got a decent job, a new woman, and a house with a garage. So even if they fail again he's still in a better place from doing them himself. GD

Normal. GD

The stock jetting should be fine for sea level. Buy an extra 55 idle jet just in case it doesn't like progression from idle to mains. All my EA81's run fine with a 50 though. GD

Yes - the MLS stands for "Multi Layer Shim" and you can (usually - unless you are in the rust belt ) tell by looking at them and counting the layers you see. The composite one's (original) look like the exhaust gaskets - they have a graphite impregnated, perforated metal appearance. The MLS gaskets just look like a stack of metal sheets (which is exactly what they are - with some space-age sealant stuff on them). Early redesign was 3 layer and later they went to a 4 layer. I bought a '99 not long ago that already had the 4 layer's in it and I just bought a '97 with the 3 layer's in it and both were holding just fine so I wouldn't turn down a 3-layer equipped car. If they are still composite - definitely a bargaining tool because they will have to be replaced before considering driving it any distance. GD

Well - you should be doing a valve adjustment anyway - so you are (hopefully) not totally hosed. You need to check each lifter for clearance with the cam lobe - you do this with a feeler gauge with the valve "unloaded" (closed). Intake valves need to be set to .008" and exhaust to .010". If they are too tight then you need to change the shim on top of the bucket. You will likely find several exhaust valves that need new (smaller) shims. They are around $6 each from the dealer but you will have to measure the old shim (micrometer), subtract the amount of clearance you need to add to get to the desired spec, and translate that into metric. Then you can order the new shim. Your local dealer should have a list of shim sizes and part numbers handy in their parts departement. The reason you need to do a valve adjustment: if the clearances close up to zero you will "hang a valve" open and it will burn - causing a loss of compression in that cylinder and an expensive repair bill from your machine shop - not to mention another head gasket job GD

Sometimes people just need to jump in and learn by making a mistake or two. A mistake or two will still likely not cost the $1000 difference if you are careful and observe at least the rule of turning the engine over a couple complete revolutions to be sure the timing isn't so off that there is internal interferance. Too often in our society people want to be insulated from making a mistake or hurting themselves. I see failure as an oppotunity for education. And if you eliminate failure then there's not much joy in success. And shops screw stuff up - I see it on every car I buy. Something I would have done better/different/etc where some idiot at a shop stuck his fat little fingers where they didn't belong..... I have a recent aquaintence that completed a head gasket job on his '97 SUS (EJ25D) about 6 months ago (before he met me). He's an electrician by trade but had limited wrenching experience - mostly oil changes, etc. Hard times ensued with divorce, job loss, and near homelessness.... when the head gaskets blew the situation was such that he was either doing the job himself or walking because $1800 just didn't exist in his budget. He bought a Haynes manual and the neccesary parts and did the job in the parking lot of his apartment complex - no USMB, no advice from me or anyone else, and no roof either. And in the end - he is HAPPY that adversity showed him a better way. He is not scared to replace a wheel bearing or hit the junk yard in search of something anymore. It turned out very well and runs just fine. Though he knows that *next* time he's going to pull the engine because doing them with it in the car is a PITA GD

Carbsunlimited sells the adaptor plates as well as the air filters. I don't like the kits from Redline - I prefer to buy the carb, adaptor, and filter seperate so I know I'm getting what I want. The kit does not give you the choice of choke style or filter size and the filter it comes with is too tall for a non-lifted Subaru. GD

If it was a valve problem then it would show on a comp. test. Burned exhaust valve would probably be around 75 psi or less. The one I just did was 60 psi and the one before that was 5 (yes just 5) . GD

'99 is a phase-I engine. It will not leak externally on the head gaskets - they blow into the combustion chamber causing the cooling system to pressurize and blow the coolant into the overflow bottle (the infamous "bubbles in my overflow"). Eventually this leads to a loss of coolant and the water pump stops circulation causing a rapid overheat. It can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several hours to overheat. If you look at the head gaskets you should be able to tell if they are original (composite), 3 layer MLS, or 4 layer MLS (newest). If they are any of the MLS variety's then they have already been replaced at some point. 2000+ is a phase-II engine and will weep coolant on the ground. Those are much less dangerous as you can use the conditioner and keep them topped off and they should never cause an overheat. GD

I understand where you guys are comming from - I really do. I do work for people like this all the time. This is a judgment call the OP has to make. I'm just offereing a different veiwpoint - one that is often ignored - that you CAN do a head gasket job and it's not that hard even for someone that hasn't done one before. Yes it's going to take a few more hours than an oil change - but it's completely doable with basic hand tools, a $20 torque wrench, and a rented cherry picker. All the hard stuff is done by the machine shop when you take the heads in..... all you have to do is dissasemble and reassemble. I agree that often making/saving money should be secondary, but when it crosses that "I'm about to lose $1000 or more" line in the sand.... well I can think of much better ways to spend that $1000 than on some head gaskets.... . Obviously that's a moving target and $1000 is a large sum of money to me but probably not a lot to quite a few people..... then again we are on a Subaru forum talking about an 8 y/o car so..... I would wager that $1000 is a bunch to most of us. Personally I also feel that a man should be master of his environment..... I actually get a lot of enjoyment out of doing most things for myself. GD

Yeah I've never seen that. I would use a heli-coil myself. Don't go with the aluminium pulley - get a stock one. They can be had with or without rubber - most of the earlier 2.2's were solid steel. I wouldn't loctite the bolt either. The rotation of the engine tends to tighten them so as long as you get them tight enough not to back out you will be fine. GD

There are variations but they will all work the same once installed. There are three peice, and single peice units out there. They all come out the back of the trailing arm once the ring nut is removed. The longer sealed one that NAPA gave you the first time is probably the one you want. GD

Don't use loctite on the axle nut . It's a taper lock - you need to make sure the cone washer and conical mating surface on the hub is in good condition. That is what leads to this type of failure. The axle nut doesn't move (it's pinned in place with a cotter pin afterall ) - the cone washer wears down and no longer lock's the axle. This eventually leads to stripped splines. If you don't fix the cone washer problem then this will keep happening loctite be damned. Clean cone washer, clean hub, 150 Ft/lbs. NO LOCTITE. GD

Hhhhmmmm - they generally don't make ticking noises. I will have to hear it to make my judgement. GD

Just knock the ring loose with a punch - you don't need the pin socket unless you do this all the time. The bearings are an assembly - there is no inner and outer. They come as a set. There is no difference between any of the EA rear wheel bearings on 4WD's. All of them use the same system - disc or drum does not matter. GD

If you don't have a weekend and can't ask for help from some board members then that's just admitting you are helpless IMO. If you truly can't spare a couple days to save $1000 then you must make a hell of a lot more than me. This board can provide the know how. Time is just something you have to make. GD

The 1.8/2.2 intake won't work on the EJ25D or any of the phase-II engines (including the phase-II 2.2). Ports are entirely different. You would have to use the whole engine and swap in it's harness and ECU as well. GD

I've had the opposite experience - the '97s I've worked on have all been the piston style tensioner. Even the '97 EJ25D in my garage right now is the older style.... engine swaps happen though and there's no for-sure way to tell unless you know the car's history. It *should* be the old style but we'll find out..... I agree with the piston slap diagnosis. Could also probably use a valve adjustment - '97 will have solid lifters. Just the fact that it has solid lifters will tend to make them noisy when cold. The factory gap is 8 thou/10 thou on the intake/exhaust and when cold you can get a tapping - especially if they want adjustment and a few are looser than the spec. Solid lifters are always noisier than the '96 and older hydro stuff. Rod knock would only show up under load and would get worse when warm (thinner oil). GD

Probably not. It would be overheating if it was a head gasket. Fix your coolant leak. The gurgling sound is from air bubbles in the heater core, and the popping noise the expansion and contraction of the exhaust headers. Normal. GD

First you tell us what you are working on - then we tell you if it's likely or not. Then if it is you take the heads and have them pressure tested after you remove them. It's a head gasket job either way - most of the time the gasket's blow rather than the heads actually cracking. GD

They are designed to read exactly half under a wide range of temps - so that the driver isn't uneccesarily concerned as the gauge fluctuates. Unless it's seriously overheating it will not move. GD

The conditioner works quite well actually. I have a Forester with 240k on it and two bottles of the conditioner stopped the leaks dead. It's not ideal that they leak in the first place but the conditioner really does work and helps prolong the life. GD

Head gaskets aren't really that big of a deal - arrange alternate transportation, rent a cherry picker, borrow a garage, pull the engine, replace the head gaskets, and reinstall. Adjust your valves while it's out, etc. You are talking less than $500 if you do all the maintenance stuff (timing belt, water pump, idlers, cam/crank seals, etc), the head gaskets, and intake/exhaust gaskets. GD