Syonyk

Definitely give All Wheel Drive a call. I've got my Subaru in there now for a few things.

Thanks for all the advice. It turns out it's in slightly rougher shape than I'm really looking for. BUT... if any of you northwesterners are interested: Have at it. http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/ctd/3237884411.html Various notes: - Top of the windshield is caulked in. - Bottom of windshield has some rust. - Power windows are very slow - Driver's side outside door handle doesn't work, guy selling it said he'd fix it. - Turbo smokes a bit (just burning off oil?) - Shifter is a bit loose, but shifts fine, and I've driven *far* worse. - Center locking diff appears to work - clunks when toggled. - Brakes make a bit of metallic noise, probably a low pad warning somewhere. - Dashboard works fine! - Trip computer appears to work fine! - Sunroof works fine! - Body is straight except for some scrapes that have started to rust. - Check engine light is on. - Stop Lamp light is on. - AC compressor does not turn when engaged. Not sure if it has refrigerant or not. - Interior is a bit rough, but not awful. Overall, it seems like it's in good condition, and if someone had some time, it would be a great car fairly quickly. Just not for me.

Thanks! I'm going to jet out soon to look at it, since I'd rather not let this one get away. As long as it's cool & on stock boost, it's fairly reliable? I know the EA82s run forever. How easy is it to plumb in an intercooler?

I'll post pics if I buy it. And, yes, was aware of the coolant/overheating issue on them. Is there a good way to check for head gasket issues in a short test drive? I was planning to verify that the coolant levels looked sane, and look for bubbles in the coolant while idling.

I may be looking at an 88 GL10 Turbowagon in the next few hours. 200k miles or so, otherwise looks like a fairly straight Subaru. I'd be replacing an 02 Outback with it as a weekend driver/ski car, and am quite comfortable with the EA82 motors, to the point that rebuilding the engine isn't a huge concern. Any specific issues to look for on the 88s, or EA82Ts specifically? I've owned a few EA82s, just never a turbo one.

Man... makes me miss my '87 GL. The exhaust was garbage on it, so I rigged something up out of flexpipe & a glasspack, exiting out the side. Damn, it sounded good. *grins* And I set off more than one car alarm idling through lots.

Ah, thanks. That's a lot of information I hadn't found before! Looking at the teardown pictures someone posted, the only bearing that made sense was the one at the rear of the input shaft. I sort of expected there to be some closer to the engine side as well... The 1/8" is about right for what was on there. If that's normal, then I'm not too worried. I was under the impression there should not be any metal on the magnetic plug, and that metal there was a bad sign. As far as the clutch, it was done at a Subaru dealership, so I'd be surprised if the pins are missing. Where would I look to find them? It only had 100k on it, which seems to imply "driven like a madman" - I thought they usually would last 150-170k on the NA motors if driven sanely. What's the failure mode on this bearing? Does it just get louder and louder, and eventually put out such a din that you can't ignore it? Or does it suddenly fail and kill the transmission completely in the middle of the road? If nothing else, it sounds like babying the transmission should help it last longer.

Replaced the fluid, still sounds like crap. Also, I had a nice selection of metal on the magnet - some particles as large as 0.25x0.5mm (ish) and then a bunch of smaller stuff that was just sort of a metallic paste. Is that normal at 120k, or is that my bearings disassembling themselves into my transmission fluid? The noise is any time the input shaft is spinning - as soon as the clutch makes any sort of contact with the flywheel, it makes noise, and continues regardless of what else the clutch is doing. So I'm thinking it's something internal to the transmission, and it sounds like this transmission has input shaft bearing issues. Another question: What is normal clutch life for an EJ25 5MT driven in traffic? The car was a Chicago car, and when I got it at 99k miles, the clutch was fried - I had slippage on the highway trip home (drove fine when the clutch was cold...), took it in, and $1700 later I had a new clutch and flywheel (the old one was badly cracked from overheating, apparently). Is this normal clutch life for these, or does this indicate that the previous driver was hard on the transmission? And if they were hard on the transmission, would that have any impact on the bearings? Out of curiosity, what's the likely failure mode? Is this going to be something that lets go without warning and leaves me stranded in the middle of nowhere, or will it just get louder and louder? *sigh* And anyone know what full 5MT rebuilds are going for lately? Is it worth having the dealership do it, or can aftermarket shops do it decently? If I drop the transmission, I have no way to get it anywhere - I seriously, seriously doubt my gf would let me haul an oily transmission in her brand new Mazda2. Shouldn't have purchased this car... should have stuck with my Loyale. Gutless wonder, but at least it didn't have much wrong with it.

I've got a fairly annoying 2002 Outback (2.5, 5MT) that's demanding yet more money from me. I don't drive it terribly often, and lately, when I do, it has a rather loud grinding bearing noise from the transmission when it's cold. Clutch in, no noise, clutch out in neutral, unhappy bearings. It usually shuts up after a few miles of driving when things warm up. I really don't want to pay the $3500+ to have the transmission rebuilt right now. Is it likely that this will last at least another 10k miles given that it's quiet when it warms up? And is there anything I can do to help it survive longer without rebuilding the transmission? Sadly, I use this car for long trips, so I'd rather my transmission not destroy itsself in the middle of nowhere. I'm going to try doing a fluid swap and see if it helps any, but I'm guessing the damage is already done. Ideas? Expected life?

Hm. I already have an appointment at the dealership for next Monday. I really don't want to drive it anywhere else, as I need enough clutch to get to the dealership, and I'm behind at work so I can't take a day or two (probably 2, knowing my luck with vehicles) to do a clutch swap. None of the independent shops I called were much cheaper. They were all in the same ballpark of $1200 or so, and that was without a flywheel. At some point I'd like to buy a vehicle that didn't require massive maintenance right after purchasing it.

So $1400 with a flywheel at a dealership sounds sane? There are a few other niggling issues I'd like dealt with while it's in as well. It just sounds like a /ton/ of work to do it myself. And I simply don't have the 15-20h to throw at it right now. Nor do I know any shop owners.

The *best* price I've gotten elsewhere was around $1000 without a flywheel. I haven't seen anyone offering to do it for $700 or so with new Subaru parts... As for "DIY," it's rated at 6-7h of Subaru labor, in a shop with lifts/the right tools/etc. I'd be doing it in a garage, without a lift, on my back. So, probably 20h to do it myself. I've pulled the engine on an EA82 before, but this engine seems to be a lot more crammed in & a lot heavier, with a ton more stuff attached to it. And, really, with my job, I just don't have much time anymore.

Just got an 02 Outback... red, manual, just under 100k miles, bit of body damage (dent & some scrapes/wear), but no rust, and seems to be in quite good shape. The clutch is slipping somewhat on the highway - once everything is warmed up, the clutch will slip if I give it too much gas. Not a big deal, I figured it would need one, but I've seen some reports that this can be from "not the clutch" - the slave cylinder hanging up or the hose collapsing. I also get shuddering when starting out, which implies hot spots on the flywheel from what I've seen. How would I go about troubleshooting this? I have a dealer service appointment in a week for a clutch/flywheel/etc, but I'd prefer to not pay $1400 if I didn't have to. With 100k miles, is it likely the clutch just getting worn out/the flywheel having hot spots, or is this more likely something else that would be cheaper to deal with? Thanks!

Sorry for the lack of updates... work swamped me. I ended up buying an 02 Outback I found for a good price (needs a clutch), and will head back & fix this when I have time. I ran out of time/energy and found what I've been looking for at a good price (99-02 Outbacks with a manual transmission are TOUGH to find).

I've got a '92 Loyale in West Chicagoland that needs a new lower ball joint installed & an axle replaced... $1500 if you come to help fix it?