2X2KOB

Just another thumbs up for the Marshall Wolf (MWE) reman axles - nothing but good experiences with them.

Don't bother fixing it unless it gets a lot worse. You can buy a lot of antifreeze for what it would cost to fix it. And the stop-leak stuff just might work, too.

There are several quality levels (and price levels) of Fram oil filters. Generally I find myself at the wal-mart because they have the cheapest Mobil-1, and they ususally have a couple different Fram filters to choose from. The higher end ones seem to be pretty good. Last time I got Mobil-1 it was $16.97 for a 5 quart jug, on sale. I can handle that.

Some will, even 2.2 engines can be made to work. Where are you? What's wrong with your old engine?

http://ccrengines.com/mwe/index.html MWE axles. Good stuff, I have used them twice now, two different cars.

I added a set of <Volvo 240> seat heaters to my wife's 2000 OBW. As far as I could tell, none of the Subaru factory seat heater wiring was pre-installed in that car. I had to run new wiring and relays and switches from the fusebox in front of the driver's left knee, through the center console to the switches, then on to the seats. Works fine now though. I just used those seat heaters because I had them laying around. Had to strip the seats down to the springs to do it, sort of a big job. Probably I would not do that again.

Should be an H1 bub. Not a dealer only item, for sure. Yes get two.

Y2K has it. (US spec)

As long as you got to below the torques indicated in steps 4 and 5, it shouldn't matter, right?

Not sure if it's relevant to the engine under discussion or not (what type of engine was that again?) but the following is the FSM procedure for the 2000 OB 2.5 SOHC (EJ252): (1) Apply a coat of engine oil to washers and bolt threads. (2) Tighten all bolts to 29 N·m (3.0 kg-m, 22 ft-lb) in alphabetical sequence. Then tighten all bolts to 69 N·m (7.0 kg-m, 51 ft-lb) in alphabetical sequence. (3) Back off all bolts by 180° first; back them off by 180° again. (4) Tighten bolts (a) and ( to 34 N·m (3.5 kg-m, 25 ft-lb). (5) Tighten bolts ©, (d), (e) and (f) to 15 N·m (1.5 kg-m, 11 ft-lb). (6) Tighten all bolts by 80 to 90° in alphabetical sequence. CAUTION: Do not tighten bolts more than 90°. (7) Further tighten all bolts by 80 to 90° in alphabetical sequence shown in figure below. CAUTION: Ensure that the total “re-tightening angle” [in the former two steps], do not exceed 180°.

Loosening them a full turn like that, I would expect them to lose all torque.

The best clamps ever are here: http://www.powerhouseproducts.com/ Do a site search for "hose clamps", they sell the "gator" brand clamps. Very high quality, aircraft grade. Not connected to them, just a satisfied customer.

Speaking of Rockauto, here's the discount code they sent me:

For future reference, here's the Coolant Temp Sensor data for a 2000 OBW with an EJ252 2.5, from the FSM:

Firsthand experience: I switched one of the 2000 Outbacks to Mobil 1 at 148,000 miles, and the other one at about 50,000 miles, and they are both doing just fine at around 60-70,000 miles later. Oil and filter change interval is 10,000, same as the air filter. Go for it!

I guess that depends what "the life of the car" really means. One set of hard tires might last the short, desperate life of a 'Taurus' or an 'Alero'. Not a Subaru, though.

I predict this will end up being sticky gunk residue on the front rotors. Take them off and clean them with steel wool and brake cleaner spray and see if that makes a difference. This fix attempt costs about $3.00. -2X2KOB

I am on a similar oil change schedule with the 2000 OBW EJ252. I have taken the oil filters apart after running them for 10K plus on Mobil 1, and observed very little crud buildup inside the filters. Maybe the stuff that the filter is catching is too small to see, but they sure looked pretty clean to me. I did this as a way to help me decide if I should change filter only at 5000 miles. Based on what I saw, I decided not to do that, and just run the filters for the full 10K, or 11 or 12K, whenever I get around to it. This is normally 3 to 4 months as I do drive a lot, I have one of those unwise commutes...

We had the exact same problem at 148,000 miles on one of the 2000 Outback wagons. Factory rebuilt transmission (one year warranty) bought from the dealer installed by an independent shop. $3750. At the time, I was working overseas and my wife was home with the car, otherwise I would have sought a more economical solution.

You think your crankcase is dirty? Why would it be? I wouldn't put weird stuff in my oil. I use Mobil 1 though, so crud doesn't build up.

How often do you change the timing belt?

I don't care too much about power (I must be a non typical "American") but I think I'm going to look for an H6 in the next Outback, just for the reliability. I don't like worrying about when my timing belt is going to break, and I generally change them early. They both have 60k - 80k on them now. 2000 OBW 2.5's... Let's face it, if it was horsepower I was after, I wouldn't be driving a 2000 Outback. 2X2KOB

2000 OBW 2.5 EJ252, 4EAT, 24 - 25 combined. Better if I drive it carefully.

Simple, yet elegant. And economical, too!

Good stuff. Thanks for all the responses - helps me figure out what to do. Like you said, performance is probably more dependent on pad quality rather than rotors. I'll be looking at the EBC pads. Thanks -