johnceggleston

got it. thanks

yes, the rear hatch from 95 - 99 is the same. the only difference is the labels or badging on the outside, outback or legacy. other differences would be color and opitons like rear defrost, rear wiper... but i think they all have that. what are you looking for?

every engine is different and has it's own noises. subaru engines do too. better than asking what's ok or not ok would be to describe or explain the problems or concerns you are having. much easier to rule out a noise than to tell you one is ok. my 97 obw has piston slap, was diagnosed as "bad wrist pin" by a mechanic at the non-subaru dealer selling it with "needs engine". in my case the noise doesn't go away when it warms up. it does get quiter , but is still there. but for me no biggie, i got a bargain price. so if i have to replace the engine i'll be ok price wise. besides, i already have the engine, tha't's why i was willing to buy the car. so if you have a noise question, fire away, but trying to tell you what's not ok is going to be hard. besides all noises a tempered by how well the car runs.

clarification please: any time the a/trans is in first or when you manually put the selector in first do you have 50/50 split. i just asumed it was only when you placed in first gear or reverse that it was 50/50, all other times it was computer controled. but even when it's is 50/50 you still have computer input be cause you don't have torque bind, right? i guess there's a difference between 50/50 split and locked. john

woohoo!!!!!! now only 250K miles to go!!!

thanks, that helps. i haven't been to reed's since i lived up there, and that was a long time ago. i guess they worked on foreign cars then, but mostly trucks and american sedans. that's what most old timers drove. there's a subaru driver (mid 80s ?) who's the manager of wimmer tier service just off franklin rd, but when asked he said "us". he claims to do the service for carillion hospitals, they have a fleet of imprezas. but some times service is different from repair, and wimmer is mostly tires, brakes, oil change, etc. i wouldn't look to them for engine repair or replacement.

i don't 'no nuttin' 'bout no cracked piston sleeves, but it sounds to me like you need a new dealer. real mechanics will know, but it sounds like classic HG to me. i'd be temped to swap , nto rebuild.

why the rotors, are the brakes pulsing? or are you just doing preventive maintenance? pads only are super easy, if the rotors aren't bad why bother?

if you need some one in roanke to do an engine swap where would you go, or in other words, where's a good soobie shop in roaknke. i do little things my self, but need to find some one reliable for bigger things. hopefully i won't ever need them , but you never know. and on another note, do you know who drives the late 80's (?) subaru with lisence plate "rubasu"? saw it on the hiway and just wondered. thanks, john

was that jackie chan driving?

you have been dealing with this for a long time and i'm sure you have checked the tire pressure repeatedly. i have a similar problem in my 97 obw. i was running over inflated tires for better gas mileage. but when i changed the tire pressure (1 or 2 pounds lower than spec) it improved dramaticly. so if you haven't tried it, i would. i'm sure lots of things contribute to this problem, so why not tire pressure. you might think back and see if the drifting problem started suddenly, around the time of new tires or slowwly over time? can you associate the problem with any specific change? good luck and keep us updated.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showpost.php?p=521335&postcount=3

that sound reasonable to me, but before you do , make sure it's the right size/type/ bulb. there is a horror story on here about a guy who installed the wrong bulb and smelled smoke, then a bunch of lights failed.

don't feel bad, i got my car back after an oil change it wouln't idle. never could figure out how the guy backed it out of the shop with it running so bad, but he did, and then said you're good to go. i found the loose hose. now, do your self a favor and redescribe the problem you are having so someone with real mechical knowledge can help you. i only know the problems i've fixed on mine. john

no problem.

the hose i have trouble with in my 97obw come loose from the intake about half way between the air filter box and the throtle body, but it's on the bottom of the intake. it's hard to see if it's connected. look under there and see if there are any lose hoses or open holes. tends to come loose when you disconnect the intake from the filter box.

you can probably pick up a used instrument cluster for cheap. wouldn't that solve the CEL problem??

i'd talk to the yard, and see what they suggest. putting in a different trany is more work , but you can't live with what you have. i don't know how much work it is to swap the VC but if it's dooable you might look for half of your money back from the salvage yard. that might make it worth it.

i should have a couple of spare switches if you need them, 1 cruise and 1 rear defrost. the cruise ilumination light is iffy, i don't know about the other, but both switches work. let me know.

the plugs in the 2.5 engine thread into the head through a hole in the valve cover. so there is not only a gasket around the perimeter of the valve cover there is a circular gasket around the "hole" in the valve cover that allows the plug to reach the head. some one in a similar thread just in the last few days posted a picture of one.

before i spent another nickle or any more time on the problem i'd have the coolant checked for hyrocarbons. this will tell you if you have a headgasket leak. if you do then you are wasting your time and money on other fixes. i'd go to a napa store or the like and ask about a test kit for exhaust in the collant. hopefully it will not be there, but i've read a lot of threads that started as overheating fixes only to finish with headgasket fix. sure the t-stat is an easy cheap fix, but do a survey and ask how many people have actually replaced a t-stat and had that resolve their problem. my guess is the number will be low. the only difference between an air lock/bubble in the collant system and an exhaust bubble / lock in the coolant is that no matter howmany times you burp the system to clear the air out of it, when it's an exhaust leak, it will keep coming back. you can put coolant in ti till the cows come home and it will just do it again. get it tested first!!! then decide how to spend your repair dollars.

the how is almost as easy as the where. there is a rubber hose about 1 inch in diameter coming off the air intake and attaching to the left side top rear of the engine (left as you stand and look at the engine.) there is a clamp holding it on to the pcv valve. the pcv may be a little rusted. hopefully by now you have the new one to refer to, this valve is hex sided just below the hose attach point, (looks like a bolt head) and then there are threads, like pipe threads, where it threads into the engine. disconnect the clamp, remove the hose end, unthread the pcv valve, thread in the new one , re attach the hose and clamp. easy and cheap. good luck.

depending on how soon you were going to try and install your plugs and wires, you might consider buying on line. i paid 60$ local for subaru wires, and apparently they can be had for 45 / 48$ on line. but i didn't want to wait. a chain service center here (va) quoted 250$ for plugs and wires, 105$ for parts and 145$ for labor. way too much for my taste. search for plugs and/or wires and you'll find some good tips on doing it yourself. it may take a little while to do but is dooable and is worht it. i had to buy an extention set for my ratchet to get it done and still saved over 150$. good luck and let us know how it turns out.

looks like ccr came through again. in spite of the mix up they made the necessary corrections and deliverd another great engine. you can't beat that.

first you read before you drill and bolt, but that's not important. what's important is that the bench press victim needs to adequately lubrcated so as not to squeek when pressing. a six pack minimum, 12 pack better. i don't know this for a fact, but my guess is that the reason these guys are looking for a "2 inch " receiver for their bike rack isn't because that's the only size rack avaiable, but because there are tons more 2" receivers on the market. there must be a smaller receiver version for the bike rack. the 2" receiver is a class 3 . the bike rack is going to carry 300(?) pounds max. how much can a bike weigh? there has to be a 1+1/4" version. tell them to ask.