BigMattyD

That's true about rotating by hand, if you miss, it snaps around and fingers will get bruised!!!! I've done it also... You could also put a wrench on the bolt head and turn it that way if you want to avoid finger crushing... Matt

You should be able to rotate the camshaft sprocket back into the proper position using a strap wrench or maybe even by hand. You will have to overcome the spring tension of the valves, and be careful as you get to the proper position not to overshoot and have it snap out of position... Matt

I put 2 bottles of the Subaru (Holt's) coolant conditioner into my leaking 2003 outback wagon. It had an external coolant leak, that was going on for about a year, and it has basically stopped it. It may leak slightly, but not enough to notice. Praise to all who gave me that great advice. I was getting ready to change the head gaskets, but not anymore!!! matt

I was able to find some used lifts on craigslist for reasonable prices... so maybe I will go that route... Thx

No, I wouldn't try grinding the gasket sealing surfaces.... I usually use a soft scraper and solvent. Also, I would love to be able to remove the engine from the car, but I don't have a suitable apparatus for lifting it out of the vehicle. Maybe I unknowingly have a friend with a shop crane. I should ask around. Thanks for the advice. Matt

Ok, I've had the conditioner in for 2 days, and have only done limited driving (to and from work, 15 min each way) and it seems to have helped dramatically. I was skeptical that it would work, but it seems to be working well. Now I can plan for any repairs in the future... Thanks to all. Matt

Thanks, Gary. I'm going to try the Subaru "Coolant Conditioner" first since it is only a small external coolant leak, and I don't really have the time or money for the full HG job right now. I just want to know what I am getting into when I do decide to take my engine apart.... Matt

Thanks, this is perfect. I just want to see what I am getting into. I have changed a head gasket or two on other cars, but the heads were facing upwards, so clearance was not an issue. Matt

Good, I just wanted to be sure before I get into it. I would hate to get it taken 80% apart and then find I can't get the heads off the block. Matt

Hi, y'all. I am wondering if it is possible to change the head gasket of the 2.5 L SOHC engine in my 2003 Outback without removing the engine from the vehicle. If anyone has experience with this, would you please let me know if it's possible and if any special things need to be done to make it possible? I have changed the timing belt and water pump with no problem, but I am wondering if there's enough clearance on the sides to allow the head to be removed in place.... Thanks for any help... Matt D.

I will add two bottles, and hope it does the trick. I think and hope it will, as it is a very slow leak that seems to come and go depending on the engine temperature. It happens the most at around 3 to 5 minutes after a cold start, especially on cold winter days, then it seems to reduce as the engine warms up. If it doesn't work, I can replace the head gasket. Thanks, Matt

Thanks for that first link. That was exactly my problem. My belt cover shroud was pulling up on the fluid line on the power steering pump.. What a stupid way to attach the belt shroud. My respect for Subaru went from a 95 percent to a 93... Also the shroud design sucks where it attaches at the other end. It gets caught when tightening or loosening that bolt, and often bends the sheet metal. I have to stick a brace in behind it to keep it straight. Oh, well. At least I fixed my horrible squealing, foaming, noisy power steering system. thanks again for that link. Matt

Thanks, y'all. I have had a slow leak from the lower rear area of the driver's side head gasket for a while. It started after I changed the coolant following a timing belt and water pump change. I did not know I had to put the coolant conditioner in it, I did not know my model was affected. I will try out the coolant conditioner and see how it works!!! I would rather not change the head gasket if I can help it. Matt '03 Outback 2.5L

I don't know if this will apply to your situation, but on my 96 Legacy, the tone wheels in front are rusted/corroded to the point that the teeth are no longer square and equal in size. This was causing my ABS to activate on normal stops on dry surfaces. This would happen for the first few stops on a trip, then I guess the ABS would shut off, until I started the car again. I read the codes and got a code for faulty wheel sensor input, and I needed to remove the brake rotor to see how badly the tone wheels had corroded. I would like to replace them, but that involves removing the hub and replacing the wheel bearings, which I am not ready for. For now, I removed the ABS fuse, so I don't have ABS anymore. Surprisingly, it wasn't a problem this winter in Syracuse,NY, but then again, none of the cars I had before this had ABS, so maybe I reverted to my old driving techniques. matt

Sweet inside-joke reply.... Matt

Man, that sucks. Mine have been fine. I am certain that different years/ body styles have different parts, so that could account for the difference. I feel for you, though. I have ordered aftermarket parts that sucked a nut, most recently "Bosal" exhaust parts. Did not fit well at all. Matt

My 96 legacy sedan seems to handle less well than in the past. Of course, I have never changed the struts, but the only worry is on steep turns the body tends to lean more than I have ever noticed before. The front and rear sway bars are still attached and present, though noticeably corroded. Wondering if it is more likely to be struts or swaybars?? There is no bounce over bumps, etc, which is why I don't suspect struts, even though they are 13 years old and have 150000 miles on them. Matt

Yes, there is no rush to reassemble the car, so I could order the parts and be sober by the time they arrive. My wife is out of town for the next week. That is why I'm having a one-man party with the beer, etc. I was wondering if I could save a few bucks and re-use the idlers, or if they are definitely bad/going bad. Still drinking Genesee beer:banana:, Big D

Check out this thread, It may help: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20661 Big D

It is 2009 and I still have the NAPA axles (new, not rebuilt) on both sides of my front end. Guess what... They still ROCK!!! and ny rock, I don't mean vibrate or shimmy, etc. In fact, every time I stop in to a Napa store, I remark to the salesperson how pleased I am with their axles. I spent around 95 dollars an axle and I am extremely happy. D-master over and out

I am in the process of my second Subaru Timing Belt Change. My first was on my 96 Legacy, and I also changed the water pump, oil seals, etc. This time, it's my wife's 2003 Outback SOHC, and I have elected not to change the oil seals unless I saw leakage. Alas, there is no leakage, but in my drunken state I got upset with the crank pulley bolt. I broke a Craftsman 1/2 to 3/8 adapter trying to loosen it, so then I decided to take the advice of the crafty people here and attached a breaker bar to a 1/2 drive impact socket, and carefully braced the bar against the frame rail so I could bump the starter motor to loosen the bolt. After checking twice to make sure I had it on the proper side, I went into the driver's seat and cranked the engine for 1/4 second.... Voila!! I sliced the power steering hose and sprayed fluid all over my garage. Yes, I put the wrench in the wrong position, and watched in fright as the wrench handle swung in a wide arc across the front of my wife's engine bay and wreaked havoc!! I take total responsibility for this act of carnage, and I decided to resort to human strength to remove the crank bolt. Ok, that's all done. Note to self and to anyone reading... No critical procedures while drinking beer. Should be standard practice. The real question is, on the lower idler pulleys, after I removed them and spun them to give a good listen, the toothed idler gives a very noticeable ball-rolling sound. The smooth pulley has a little quieter, but still apparent rolling sound as I spin it. The other idlers are pretty quiet, including the one on the tensioner assembly. Should I replace the two noisy idlers, or can I lubricate them, or are they ok being noisy??? They both rotate freely. By the way, the front of the engine under the timing belt is pristine. The T-belt looked so good, I almost put the cover back on and said F-it, but since I already had the belt, and I had gotten this far, I figure I might as well change it. Any opinions appreciated, Big D

I will agree with the throw out bearing. When I bought my legacy, (used) it had a constant growling or humming noise that would dissipate with anything from a slight pressure on the clutch to full travel. I had it fixed free cause it was in the warranty period. It was a very annoying noise. If you are going to fix it, might as well do a whole clutch replacement, etc.. or at least have your mechanic do it. matt

As I recall, my local backwoods mechanic had replaced the opposite side a year or so earlier with a NAPA maxdrive axle, and he was all about quality at a good price, so when the other side crapped out, I got the Napa part, and did it myself, thanks to the helpful tips from the USMB. Both sides have been A-OK. I saved the original. I was going to clean and repack it, but I forgot what happened. I moved a few times, and I may not even have the original any more. I remember thinking that the new part looked and felt sturdy. It's only been a few years but so far so good. I would vouch for the Napa axles, but I have heard bad things about autozone or advance... matt d

Punching that double spring pin out was a big hassle, in fact, the biggest pain in the rump roast of the whole procedure. mine were fused together, so I couldn't get the inner one out first. I had to use a drill to make a flat spot in which I could fit a punch and beat the heck out of it with a 4 lb sledge hammer, and liberal amounts of pb blaster.... all the while on a bed of coarse gravel... plus the pb blaster smells like bum bum. My wife was not too fond of me after that.. Getting the new spring pins in was a bit easier, but took a little creative thinking a la Legacy 777. But a couple yrs later, it is still feeling great... so I guess it was worth the rehabilitation. Matt

Yes, check wheel balance, but first check to see there is no crap built up in the inside of the wheels. In winter conditions, I got a lot of buildup in the insides of the wheels. Dirt, mud, water, sand, salt residue coated the inside of the rims, creating a sticky mess. I used the pressure washer at the local car wash to get the stuff out. matt