96 Impreza Outback Sport - cracked boot, rack and pinion pump replacement

[scotteverett]

Hey all,

 

Headed out to look at a 96 OBS, Manual trans, later tonight. 1806K miles, owner has driven it for the last 50k. Claims the 2 main issues that may need to be addressed soon are a right side cracked boot, and then a rack and pinion replacement.

 

He wants $2,000, so I want to go in without blinders on, understanding the csts for the types of issues he highlighted, and any related part failures I should be mindful of.

 

He was saying on the phone the boot is a "non-factor" and may not even need to be addressed. Unsure of wht he thinks that.

 

Thoughts?

 

Here's the original ad:

 

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/4432124984.html

[scotteverett]

Correction, 186,000 miles, not 1,806.  

[scotteverett]

Leaving in 2 hours to go meet the guy, who apparently has a mechanic for a dad who will be there also. We'll see how that goes.

 

Let me know if you think there are any red flags I should raise when it comes to the above work or related issues, thanks!

[upnorthguy]

I haven't swapped out a rack on a Subaru, but I know grossgary often chimes in that the racks rarely fail and if they leak, it is usually just an o-ring replacement.

 

By "right side cracked boot" I take that to refer to the CV boot on one of the drive shafts.  They all eventually crack/split and the grease spins out and they start to click during turns as they wear.  Replacing the half shaft with a good one from a junk yard or a rebuilt Subaru is best as the OEM are much better than any replacement from parts stores.  They can be rebooted.

 

Prices will vary a lot depending on if you can do the work and just need parts or if you are going to pay someone to do it.

 

Junk yard half shafts that you pull can be as little as $20, but you have to remove them (which can take some time/effort).  There is a place (I think it may be in CO) that sells rebuilt Subaru half shafts (someone will probably reply with contact info).  A replacement from the parts store is about $80, but they often make noise and are generally low quality.

 

A new rack would be pretty pricey (around $225 from Autozone, OEM a lot more).  Again, a junkyard replacement would be a lot less.  I found some on www.car-part.com for $75, the pull it yard near me only wants $30).  O-rings will be a couple of bits.

[johnceggleston]

the 96 ej22 engine is a great , non-interference engine.

if it has not been abused, it should be a good car.

a good ''middle aged'' car.

 

but any used car is going to need some work.

an axle or two is not a big deal,

and as mentioned, the racks rarely fail,

so it may not be bad.

if it is leaking i would replace it,

but make sure it is the rack that is leaking,

not engine oil leaking onto the rack.

 

and since they do not fail often,

buying a used one is a really safe bet.

and much cheaper than new, only about $65.

 

http://www.car-part.com

sort by zip code.

 

add a couple of new boots/ bellows before you install it

and you are like new for less than $100.

(you would have to drive on a long time with a torn boot / bellows to ruin it.)

 

it sounds like a decent car.

good luck.

Edited April 24, 2014 by johnceggleston

[idosubaru]

those are minor issues. 

 

the rack boot does need replaced immediately.  they crack, contaminate the sealing surfaces of the rack and pinion and cause the steering rack to start leaking.

 

replace the rack with a used one, new are pricey and I wouldn't trust them to be as robust as the original Subaru units anyway.

 

i generally avoid this recommendation and cringe when i see/hear it but since you'll be trashing the rack anyway, add some stop leak to it if it's leaking.  got nothing to loose if you're trashing the rack.

[scotteverett]

Well, in the end it wasn't the engine that dissuaded me from buying. The guy had abused the interior to all hell. Stains everywhere, smelled funky. I thought about just sending the $2000 and then investing another 1-2K to re-upholster and re-carpet, but decided I'd rather just find a later era leather outback for example, and invest that same 1-2K in an EJ22 swap.

 

I've now driven 2 EJ22's in the last week when test driving cars on Craigslist. The first was a Automatic 93 Legacy wagon, second was the manual 96 OBS. The legacy had a nice low rumble sound, really sort of inspired confidence in me, and the overall pickup and gearshifting felt really healthy. I walked away sort of dreaming I could find a low miles legacy wagon automatic. The OBS on the other hand, while sounding fine (if not a little less manly), just didn't quite feel the same. The transmission seemed fine, if not a little jumpy. I'm guessing the differences I was noticing are less to do with the engine though.

 

Either way, I'm going to be hunting for a 90-94 Legacy Wagon Automatic now, really loved driving it, just felt right.

Edited April 24, 2014 by scotteverett

[idosubaru]

the 90-94 legacy's are beastly robust animals.  if you like practical cars that run forever and are amazingly reliable and cheap to run 100,000+ miles, that's the car.  most people just don't like that older gen/age, but they're the best legacy in those terms ever made by far.

 

OBS running feel was probably like you said, not engine related but whoever treated the interior like that probably didn't treat other things well either...the engine, trans, fluid changes, dirt roads, etc.

 

the OBS's are great little rides when they're nice, but a fullsize wagon is really a better vehicle for the additional space.  the OBS is a little bit smaller and if yo'ure the type that will use and enjoy the hatch/wagon style, the extra space of a legacy wagon is worth it.  we had an OBS and granted we had kids so that preempted this, but we travel, carry a lot of gear, hobbies, etc so the space just made sense for us.