1 Lucky Texan

man, I just think you could do better looking for take-offs in the classifieds here, or over at NASIOC.

'ticking' might be OK, 'knocking' doesn't sound good. on many of our motors, there's a easily missed or displaced hose under the intake from the IACV that will prevent idling - look to make sure it's connected.

no experience here, but from reading, the valves stretch over time - I guess they also sit slightly deeper in the seats - anyway, exhaust valves evidently get longer/less clearance. You can , carefully, grind the back of a shim down, just put the ground side away from the wear of a cam.

story seems weird. price seems high. anyway, get another opinion - maybe ask in a new thread for a shop recommendation near you.

maybe look through here;http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1919333 - perhaps cross-check with Yelp or Google reviews? also, you could subscribe and ask in the Forum;http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=29

^^^ ah - NEW struts, not sure, if the part numbers are different, just go with what matt and bleak said I guess. forester forum might know. also, at NASIOC there is an entire thread called something like "will this suspension part work on my car"

just thinking, if you're close to doing the TB system service, just combine with the coolant change and thermostat. is it creeping up only at stop lights? check that both rad fans are working.

2002 ?- those struts are worn out anyway - get 2 KYB, then save up and replace the fronts.\ car will handle/ride like new!

yeah, kinda behaves like a non-oem t'stat. Is the car new to you? anyway, get a t'stsat from a dealer or the Stant Xacststat 48457 or w'ever it is. It matters. good time to install fresh fluid if needed, inspect the condition of the hoses and maybe a bottle of Subaru Coolant Conditioner. Also, that is an interference engine, do you know when the timing belt system was last serviced?

doh ! fairtax to the rescue!

honestly I can't help a lot here - if there were other electrical problems, I'd suspect a common ground was involved. But some high-ish current devices have their own dedicated ground. A Factory Service manual with wiring diagrams may be required - sometimes you can find pdfs or scans online. someone may chime in here with the info or experience with the fan system.

trans final drive ratio must match rear diff - maybe you have a mismatch? what is donor and recipient cars?

look for oil in the spark plug tubes - might need valve cover gaskets. If the problem seems related to moisture/dew/rain, maybe plug wires.... both of those can throw misfire codes. also, our cars don't like most plugs other than NGK - maybe prev owner threw some cheap plugs in it. do you KNOW when it last got a timing service? Interference engine so, idlers and tensioner need to be in good condition. toothed idler often seizes or looses it's bearings and throws the belt off. $$$$!!! AT fluid must be checked while idling - only fluid that's like that. Might try a fluid change - best if really nasty would be 3 drain/fills with a drive around the block between each one - that gets you 80-85% new fluid.

where was it?

maybe a ground wire is broken somewhere? something physically blocking the fan/air flow? is there a noise? any chance of rodents building a nest in the car?

can you post a pic of where the hole is? you probably need the eyes of a mechanic on this issue. Guys typing on the internet are only making guesses without more details.

hmmm, - .. just wondering if this could be a hole melted thru the plastic timing cover?

the center diff cannot transfer enough power to the rear end. The car may move, but the center diff will be under a lot of stress. also. i THINK the wheel bearing needs the preload (or w'ever) from the axle nut ? hopefully, someone else will have a more thorough explanation.

most people get full kits from ebay or elsewhere - depending on a few different approaches and 'opinions' - you should at least consider; belt - Gates or Mitsuboshi or dealer (m'boshi may be OEM ?) NOTE! there are reports of a 'generic' belt that fails very early! IF you do the waterpump, I read that most people prefer OEM or Aisin GMB idlers seem to be OK, usually the toothed idler is the first to fail - not the belt. Tensioners - if re-used, should be compressed VERY slowly. over several minutes or the internal seal can rupture. cam./crank seals might be a good idea to replace - must be if leaking. confirm you understand all the marks - DO NOT use the arrow/triangle on the front of the crank sprocket - use the dashed line on the back tab. Find out the tooth count and triple check timing marks and tooth counts (crank the engine around twice with a wrench on the crank bolt) before and after pulling the tensioner pin. Crank the engine around twice again and check the marks and tooth count before starting. do not skimp on the TB service, if valves aren't already bent, they will be when the toothed idler fails (or one of the others. If the present belt isn't severely worn, you could check the tensioner and other parts, retime the engine and run it enough to decide if valves are bent - if they are, at 250K, probably better to get a lower miles engine from a wrech, throw a TB kit on it, and go from there. maybe others will chime in with suggestions. Tough spot you're in but, it's an interference engine and MAJOR damage will result if the TB service isn't done correctly.

it's been a long time since I read; http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/110-gen-2-2000-2004/47896-sleeper-vdc.html but i THINK cardoc was running about 9lbs of boost. here's one of the graphs he got from his VDC 3.0 Outback; but, cardoc went 'dark' and there's really no way to know what the longevity of his engine is.

ideally, tires need to be within 1/4" CIRCUMFERENCE of each other. A different brand tire could easily have a different rolling radius than the other 3.

good point - pull the plugs and try.

wonder what just the airbags are worth? still, it would be a huge hassle where I live - maybe not allowed due to city codes.

coupla times in the past, Subaru was almost done for - and marketing is what saved them, not the 0.5% of the population wanting a quirky car. Whether or not they have totally caved in and given up on quality will always be open for debate (I doubt it) - but it's a poor business model to completely abandon it when you're always being tracked by JD Power, Consumers Union, Car & Driver, etc. You may not last long.

if no one here has a suggestion, you could ask here;http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=29 user ajracerfan over their seems fairly active and you might personal mail him thru the Forum - he is in Buda TX. good luck (I know how hard it is to find good shops for soobs. around here, my closest dealer is 17 miles away and based on experience with my MIL's Forester, they are a joke. )