GeneralDisorder

I could fix you up for less than $5k. I just sold a '99 OBW with a 135k drivetrain (212k on the body) for that. I currently have a '97 OBW that I'm going to sell for $4500 or so - one owner, auto, 169k, rebuilt heads, new head gaskets/complete reseal, and all new maintenance items, etc. Short block looked excelent and has had good maintenence - just missed the 105k valve adjustment and burned an exhaust valve. I get non-Outback Legacy's from time to time as well. Just depends on what I find. I don't turn down the OB's though as they are desireable so I grab them when I see them. GD

Power valve failure on the Webers is pretty rare. Glad you found it. GD

Well - if this respected shop says head gaskets...... I would assume they are familair with what a bad intake manifold gasket looks like but you never know. These cars are getting pretty old so a mis-diagnosis is certainly possible simply due to mechanic's that are not familair with the details of the EA82. The intake gaskets are much easier than head gaskets - just pull the intake manifold off, clean the gasket surfaces, chase the threads, and reinstall with new (dealer only) gaskets. Corrosion can be a factor with the intake bolts though. It's important to be very careful and patient when removing them as they have a bad tendancy to break off either in the manifold or flush with the head. GD

If you are worried then pull the engine and replace the head gaskets. GD

Keep it topped off and watch the level closely. There's no telling exactly how long it has if it's losing coolant. Cold weather might indeed increase the deterioration - I haven't a lot of first-hand experience as ~25* F is the coldest we ever see here in the NW but it makes sense - larger gradient between hot/cold. I could see that. I would start a seperate post asking specifically for people in your area that could help. It's really not that bad of a job. Certainly - I can see how that would be the case. I've heard that Subie's are real popular up there and people do almost anything to keep them on the road just a little longer. Just PM me before your trip and let me know your price range etc and I'll get something lined up for you. We have lots to choose from. GD

You can heli-coil it. The studs should be 11mm x 1.25 You will have to use multiple heli-coil's (stacked) to get enough thread engagement. Do not use loctite. And definitely replace the head gasket. GD

While both of them do have filter elements inside, the front filter is actually a "vapor seperator" and the rear is the actual filter. The front filters rarely fail from being clogged, though age can sometimes soften the glue and plastic they are put together with and cause problems..... it's the rear that is usually the bad one and you CAN get the correct replacement two-line filter for it. I've bought tons of them - go to a different parts store. Or just replace it with a generic in-line filter. That's all it is. I like to use the glass one's with the replaceable elements in them - EMPI makes them for old VW's, etc. They are nice because you can see what's going on inside them and clean the filter element with compressed air, etc. GD

If you are interested in a trip to the NW - I could find you a nice deal on a Legacy. It's what I do these days - find people cars and get them all straightened out. I would question the diagnosis - what indicators are they using to tell them the HG is the culprit? Who are these guys and what is their background in EA engine diagnostics? EA82's do blow head gaskets but it's usually related to an overheat or a serious amount of miles (250k+) causing the heads to chafe against the HG fire ring from a lot of hot/cold cycling. A head gasket job should be no more than $1000. If you find a board member or someone that's familair with these engines to do it then possibly much less. The parts will run about $200 give or take and then the heads will need surfaceing ($60 for the pair) and if the miles are high a valve grind and stem seal job wouldn't be a bad idea ($100 for the pair). If you were near me I would be able to do the whole job for around $750 with labor.... give or take. It's not actually that hard to do it and the only "special" tool you need is a torque wrench and on these engines the $20 special at Harbor Frieght, etc will do the job. You can easily do the head gaskets without pulling the engine although it's a bit more comfortable to pull it - you can rent a cherry picker and borrow a garage.... this doesn't have to be the end of the line for the car. You *can* do the job yourself with the help of the people on this board, maybe some local members in your area, and a garage plus a weekend to do it in. If you do it yourself you could easily come in under $400 - maybe closer to $300 depending on what you opt to replace while you are in there. GD

Right - like a 3" diameter bend is about what I use. It's soft stuff - just bend it by hand. GD

Most of us just bend the hard line into a "pig-tail" (loop) and connect the rubber line. That's what I've done multiple times and it's been just fine. GD

Very useful! I have never seen that info before. Could be very useful for MegaSquirt type work. Good to know the D21 injector is not an upgrade - strange though - aren't those engines larger? GD

Coolant sensor is a good place to start, but there's a couple problems with your method... 1. The CTS (responsible for telling the ECU the engine temp) is not the only thing that causes the fans to run - having the defrost or AC turned on will kick them on all the time, etc. So the fans running with the engine cold is NOT an indication of a problem with the CTS in and of itself. 2. The CTS is a seperate sensor from the temp guage sending unit. They are right next to each other - which one did you replace? 3. It is possible to TEST these sensors with a DMM. They are resistive temperature elements of some kind and that resistance can be measured and determined to be accurate or not. Replacing them just to see (throwing parts at the problem) is not the answer. GD

Pull the seats out, wire wheel the rust off, and paint them. It's likely just surface rust and is not going to affect the strength of the rails or brackets to any significant degree. Don't worry - your floor will rot out long before those rails rust through GD

If you buy a new cable from the dealer (I don't reccomend aftermarket for these) then you will get all that hardware you lost for the cable end with your purchase. The HH cable.... do you have the "cylinder" and the adjuster nut etc or is it just a bare threaded end (looks that way)? You will have to find all that hardware at the junk yard in order to use it if you don't have it. The HH is also the return spring for the clutch fork so if you *dont'* use it you really should install a return spring in it's place. GD

Can you think of a better place to keep a spare plug wire GD

Hard to tell - depends on the conditions where you drive. If it was improperly routed over the steering column or heater core hoses it can fail prematurely. etc....yes they do get heavy before breaking - that's a sign that the cable is binding in it's sheath due to lack of lubrication. GD

Yeah - I end up with lots of spare parts from stuff - parted out cars, junk yard runs, etc, and my dad (he's retired) built a whole bunch of shelves in my shed from the leftover scrap of a garden "cottage" he built for my mom. And I have a whole bunch of those plastic tote containers I got at an estate sale for like $1 each. It just needs to be put together..... GD

Are you sure it's not just a bent valve, etc? A head job would be cheaper than a new engine..... unless it punched a hole in a piston or broke a valve off and rammed it up and down in the cylinder a few times...... GD

Probably best to just leave it stock. The engine is an EA71.... what we refer to as a "top mount starter" due to the bell-housing design. If you were to change the engine at a later date (EA81, EJ, etc) then the transmission would also have to be changed as the top-mount-starter bell-housing is not compatible with anything made after the EA71 engine. 80/81 models are problematic for ever "converting" to another engine or even fuel injection - there's issues with them not having a speed sensor in the cluster as well as not having a fuel return line with the engine-bay mounted fuel pump. It can be done but it's more work. They also have externally regulated alternators which are a pain unless properly converted to internal (there's a few posts on that). It's a cool collectible though. I always tell people to stick to the '82 and newer EA81's because they are more modern in some very critical ways. GD

We are probably going to reuse your seals. If we need some we can get them. Discount Import Parts is open tomorrow. I've got all that handled so don't worry about parts, etc. GD

I don't believe either has been an issue that I have heard of. GD

Buy a new one. I've seen plenty of them break. Not worth saving $10. GD

What year is it? 1600 does not tell us much. They used that engine from '75 to '89 in one thing or another. Being a wagon it's got to be a '75 to '81 but that still doesn't narrow down which one we are talking about...... GD

That does not apply to EA81's and in any case it's not a PITA - it's very simple actually. I've done quite a few EA82 Weber's with PS and it's the sum total of one extra step to peen a dent in the PS reservior and throw some black paint on it. Nothing to it. GD

Saturday sounds like a good plan. My other half works from noon till 7 that day so we should have a good stretch. You organize my shed and help out, etc - I'll take care of the wheel bearings and/or whatever else is going on with those front-end noises. I know a thing or two about bearings and most important - where to buy them on the discount . Your money is no good here - I just need your time and your effort. I don't have enough hours in the day or hands to keep all the balls in the air with GD