MDW25gt

If the design of the piston skirt was the problem, would not all 2.5's do it? my 2.5 does not do this. my 2.2 did from time to time. after oil pump was replaced the noise was all but gone.

A good clutch job should at least consist of replacing the pilot bearing, replace the throw out bearing & clips, resurface the pressure plate, check the release fork for cracks (replace if needed) proper lube on reassembly also check the slave cylinder. Let me know how it goes. Mike

how do you know it is not valve ticking? is this not normal? what is "piston Slap"

I broke the "release fork" and could not get it in to gear. The subi dealer in Charlotte NC said the clutch needed to be replaced. They did the job and when I got the car back, things did not seem right. Engagement would occur at different levels. Ended up replacing the slave cylinder. Seemed to put things in order until the clutch chatter started. 6 mos. later the $1000 clutch job the Subi dealer in Charlotte did, had to be redone. Working with a good independant mechanic in Cincinnati, I found the job the dealer did was crap. The pilot bearing had not been replaced, the fly wheel had not been resurfaced, and one of the clips that hold the throw out bearing to the release fork appeared to be a bent paper clip. Now the car functions they way it is supposed to. Find a good independant mechanic, and drive past the dealer accept to buy genuine Subaru parts.

Seems to me this is a matter of opinion, where the Subaru management team is taking the auto company and what the results over time show. I like the idea of 250 hp in a Legacy! I drive a 99 Legacy GT wagon. My third subaru. I delt with the head gasket problem. To solve that problem I started with a new short block, replaced the heads and clutch and put it back together. So far I am pleased with the results. Thanks to Joe's Subaru Repair. The man has the patience and skill to do it right. If I total the original cost of the used purchase, replaced engine, Borla headers, complete Stromung exhaust, BFGoodrich Traction TA's and KYBGR2 struts I am still way below the cost of a new GT. For that money I think the car is better than a lot of more expensive cars on the road. I would not have spent all that money if I did not like the car alot. I like the dependability the way it handles, sounds, looks and runs. I venture to bet that I can hustle it down a twisty road quicker than maybe 80% of the drivers on the road reguardless of what they are driving. If there is snow on the road that number probably goes to 95%. In the end its value for the dollar personal preferance and long term reliability that answers the question of whether Subaru has peaked. Just my opinion, Mike

Sounds like early stages of head gasket failure. There is a lot hight pressure in the combustion chamber than the raditor. That was my experience. Repeated high level in the overflow, return to notmale level, then finaly when the head gasket leak got bad enough the coolent would come out of the overflow tank and result in a low coolent condition.