Dickensheets

Not that I noticed, although my engine has all the usual seeps. I'll address those now that my hesitation seems to be gone.

Yes, cylinders 1 & 2. The front ones. rd

New plugs and wires done last night. Anyone know what causes the yellowing of the plugs 1 & 2? My stumble upon acceleration is gone. The wires were original (10yrs old). All parts ordered from 1stsubaruparts.com. 97 OBW 2.5 dohc, 110,000 miles. click to enlarge

How can the warranty be expired after 1yr?

What is the fourth wire for? Mine has 3 I think. Thanks, I may be in touch. rd

I would start with the cheap stuff: Fuel/air filter pcv valve inspect/clean EGR plugs and wires coolant temp sending unit If that doesn't work move onto the money items: injector cleaning front o2 sensor fuel pressure regulator These are just some general ideas. Others may have some more. rd ps - invest in a Hayne's manual and do many of these items in your spare time.

I will be in these two places next week on my quest for an o2 sensor. Anyone have any yards they can recommend by chance. rd

Thanks for the replies.

Thanks for the replies. I've done this job before. But I have a seeping valve cover gasket and was thinking 2 cops with i donut. I guess my main question is this: Can I get the valve covers off with the plugs in place? Or do the plugs have to come out first? This determines my strategy of disassembly. Thanks for the replies. rd

97 OBW 2.5 dohc. Anyone know if it would be easier to change ther plugs with the valve covers off? I did the plugs a few years ago and man what a pain! I'll do the valve cover gaskets at the same time . Also, when getting new gaskets do I need any special grommets or just the two gaskets? rd

Hey nip, I actually tried that with no results - well actually the other two tires started to dig to china. I think a LSD on the rear would have helped but I don't honestly know. I've never driven a LSD. With a subaru LSD does anyone know how long (how many rotations of the slipping tire) it takes for the diff to lock? Maybe someone on this board with a new Outback could lift one side of their car and rotate the lifted tire until it stops moving and count the revs then report back. I'm just curious because if it's more than a couple revs it may be too late in soft sand.

Every other weekend I take my son (2) and dogs to the river bar for some splashing. My 97 OBW does pretty good on the sand but yesterday I did a stupid thing. I did a 3 point turn and my rear wheels went slightly down-slope. The next application of gas buried the front left and right rear tire very quickly. I had a minor freak out because I was the only car in sight but was able to air down and dig out with a shovel I always bring. Took about a half hour to get out. Ya'll be careful out there.

OK now we've narrowed it down. It's very possible you need a new radiator. But before you start shopping - has it overheated? As far as oil burn, try a slightly thicker oil, maybe 10w-40 or 15w-40 or 15w-50. This may slow it down. After that not a lot of options except rebuild. Black stuff in the expansion tank - could be a headgasket, but look further before we assume the worst. Any overheating?? Have the coolant tested for combustion gasses.

Slow down a bit. What are the symptoms of these so called problems. Address them one at a time. Brakes and plug wires are cheap and easy. No issue there. Why does he say new "block and clutch"? Tell us the symptoms. Does it overheat? Does it drive ok? Clutches do wear out, they are supposed to. Fix it and move on. Even "IF" it needs head gaskets they can be done same time as the clutch for much less than $4000. Sounds like your neighbor wants your car to me. rd

I would try a new fuel filter. Seafoam degunks the GAS TANK along with other stuff. $26 at Autozone and about 5 minutes to replace. rd

Anyone know if this stuff is any good. It's a lot cheaper than Mobil 1. Also, anyone know who makes the Wal Mart line of "SuperTech" synyhetic oil? Ryan

I would backup to the axle replacement - they may have been put in wrong, or are el-cheapo parts. Just seems fishy. rd

Well Jeff, I did mine in October and found everything to be in good condition when I opened it up at 105,000 miles, even the belt looked new! I did change the belt though and the water pump and t-stat. I reused all pulleys and tensioner. I would not replace pulleys and tensioner unless their condition is questionable. By that I mean loose or wobbly or not smooth in rotation. If they are good to go it will save lots of bucks!! 5000 miles later I am happy with the job I did. Ryan D. 1997 OBW 2.5 DOHC

Actually mine takes exactly 5 qts. Unless the dipstick is bad - but it looks to be OEM. rd

Over the last year I have tried various oils in an effort to quell the can of gravel noises (piston slap) I get from cold starts. 97 OBW auto, 110000 miles. My latest experiment was with straight 15w-50. It's not reccomended and now I know why. My avg mpg went from 24 to 19, and the car felt sluggish and didn't rev as freely (thick oil). It also caused shifting anomalies I think because the throttle position sensor was not matching mapped revs, or something like that? But boy was it quiet in the morning. So far the best mix has been: 4qts 10w-30 and ONE qt 15w-50. Ryan

That's wierd - my 97 obw limited does not do that. rd

I have the exact same car, and did the exact same job a year ago. Do yerself a favor and remove the radiator first. Trust me on this one. rd

I may try this. If it works we'll have 2 data points. My 97 obw 110,000miles has this same problem. rd

My eyes aren't what they once were... what does it say?

I 2nd the bell housing technique. I used a 12" craftsman prybar - very strong. Plus this way you'll have both hands free to wrestle with the bolt. Putting it back on this way is easier to accurately torque it back into place. rd