Rooster2

Like others have written, I have heard that piston slap doesn't cause any damage, just sounds bad. Just sounds worse then really is. On my 99 Subie, I use 20-50W oil in the summer, switching to 10-40W in the winter for here in Indiana. Years back a mechanic suggested this for any car with more then 100K miles on the odo. I have followed his advise for years, and have been happy with the results.

Paul, Sounds like your car has the dreaded Trany delayed forward engagement that this post addresses. Sounds like Trans-X is helping. Adding a quart quantity sounds like too much to me. The trany holds about 9 quarts total in the trany and torque converted, so running with a percentage of more than 10% of Trans-X is quite high in my opinion. If it were me, I would drain a quart or so, then refill with ATF.

It is my understanding that torque bind is caused by problems with the differential, not the automatic trany. Are you asking about adding Trans-X to the differential?

O man, I don't see a straight panel remaining on that car. Hope the occupant(s) survived.

There was a similar post just a couple of days ago about a leaky fuel filler pipe and responses on how to repair it. Let the Search button be your friend on this forum to retrieve earlier responses. Don't think you will need to drop the tank to fix.

Paul, Trans-X has been good at fixing delayed forward engagement of gears, when moving the gear shift lever from reverse to drive at a dead stop. However, If you are having a trouble with "slipping" between gears, then this is a different problem, and a problem that Trans-X has not addressed. Still, it is worth a $6 try. Suggest you change your ATF prior to adding Trans-X. I used the smaller round can, more like pint size with 15 oz. I am thinking that adding a quart amount may be adding too much of the product. The increment readings on the ATF dip stick is in pints, not quarts like changing oil, so it is very easy to over fill the trany, which is not good. Post your results........hope Trans-X works for you. My trany with Trans-X is still working fine going on two years with the product. Trans-X works fast. After just 10 minutes of driving, you will know if Trans-X has fixed your trany problem. Regards.................Rooster2

Also, check out front suspension for any "play" in components. Though, at 24K miles, I would suspect tires, balance, and maybe alignment problems.

You are doing all the right things in replacing the above parts. Good Luck!

Epoxy is pretty thick, especially when it starts to set up. I wouldn't worry about much of it leaking inside the hole. Just smear it on with a plastic disposable silverware knife, and your done. Don't use a putty knife or regular knife, as the epoxy is difficult to remove from a knife.

Yea, you are right. That hole needs to be sealed up. You don't want dirt to get behind that cover. If it were me, I would use something a little more permanent then duct tape. Suggest cleaning up the hole area, using rubbing alcohol to remove all traces of duct tape adhesive. Then, apply some J-B Weld "Kwik" product. I am looking at a package of the product right now........it is a two tube epoxy, label says bonds in 4 minutes. The stuff works great to provide a permanent repair.

I don't think that you are limited to a trany of specific years of 98 & 99, other years should work. I have both a 98 and 99 OB wagons. The tranys may inter change, I am not the one to ask. However, they are not exactly the same. The 99 has an external ATF filter, the 98 does not, and I have heard the bolt up may be different, but still do able. Also, the 99 and 00 model years only, have an inherent sometimes issue of delayed forward engagement when stopped, that can be addressed by putting an additive in with the ATF. Because of that, if it were me, I would shy away from installing a 99 or 00 auto trany.

not sure if he has it or not. i'm trying to schedual a time to look at it. i'll take pix of the core support ect... It would be good to get the motor with the body, even if the motor is trashed, there are still a lot of bits and pieces off the bad motor worth having. Check to see what suspension damage there might be. How long has this car been sitting. If a long time, the brake system will need some work.

It is a little hard to tell by the picture, but it looks like the engine bay is empty. Is there anything left under the hood?

First thing I would do, is to check the fuse. On my cruise, I have to hold down the "set bar" for a second or two for it to lock in. I can hear a little click from under the dash that I have learned is an audible indicator that the cruise has engaged.

I don't know which I have. My cars are 98 and 99 OBWs. Any way to know, without disassembly? Rooster2

yea, had the same problem a few months back. I busted off a bolt holding on the rotor, took it to a shop, where they had to heat the broken part of the bolt with a torch. Yes, anti-seize should be used on those bolts.

Okay, Thanks!!

I have seen several posts here saying that 2.5 phase 1 timing belt kits are available on e-bay. I hunted around on e-bay, but couldn't find anything. Is there any special wording on e-bay "search" to find the kits? What is generally the cost for T-belt, pulleys, and seals kit? Thanks!

I think Mugs has the right approach by systematically finding and solving problems. He is the kind of mechanic that I would want to take my car to, and could put my faith in. I have seen dealer shops, not Subaru, and private shops pull the same nonsense on me, that you just received. The approach is to take minor questionable weak evidence and weave it into a story to tell the owner, that a bunch of work needs to be done. The result is a very pricey quote with some scare tactics thrown in about the need to get the work done ASAP, as the car is unsafe to operate, and going to break down. This sales pitch works really well on a lot of people, especially women, who are scared to death of having their car break down anywhere and any time. I think the most bothersome aspect of what you wrote, is the dealer trying to sell you wheel bearings and a front axel, when you brought the car in with an over heating problem. Unless you asked for these items to be checked out, it is my humble opinion that the dealer is "looking" to make work, and a fat profit, irregardless of what really needs to be repaired. If it were me, I would get my car out of that shop pronto, even if I had to have it towed out. I would also let them know why I was leaving without having any work done, and that I was never coming back again. A letter to the Better Business Bureau, and to the Subaru Zone Manager would follow. Let us know how you come out on this!

Everyone responding here is giving good guesses, however, pulling the codes is really the first thing to do. With a code read out, a lot of guessing is eliminated, when the problem gets defined.

Glad to hear that you are back on the road again. Still, if it were me, I would replace the ECU. A used one from a wrecking yard can't cost much. A good investment verses breaking down on the open road somewhere.

had same symptoms that you described on my 98 OBW, went to a auto parts store, where the counter guy pulled the codes. Indicated that the knock sensor was bad. Replaced the sensor, which fixed the problem. BTW, the codes can only be pulled when the check engine light (CEL) is on.

No, the axel nut does not have to be removed to swap out a front rotor. Simply remove the caliper. Looking on the back side of the rotor, there are two bolts located at the top and bottom. Remove those two bolts, and rotor is off. I just replaced my rotors on my 98 OBW. I ran into a snag when one of those two bolts was froze up. I put an extension bar on a breaker bar, and promptly broke the bolt off. Then the fun began. I had to take my car to a repair shop where they applied heat to what was left with a torch to remove the rest of the bolt. Suggest you soak thoroughly those two bolts with PB Blaster, or a good penetrating oil (not WD-40) to keep the bolt from breaking, particularly if you live where they put salt on the roads in winter. As far as rotor size, I dunno. I went to Autozone, told them I had 15" wheels, bought their best, and bolted them on. The Autozone desk guy never asked me what size 15" rotor I wanted. I did not have any sizing problems with what they sold me. Maybe those numbers you list are for thickness, so any size thickness will work.

The Trans-X works well for the 99 and 00 models with their unique AT forward engagement problem. My 99 AT marches on after a year on Trans-X and 10K+ miles. However, you may suffer from a different problem with your 95 model. Still, it is worth a try. Just be sure to drain some ATF off before adding Trans-X. You don't want to over fill.

IMO soldering/brazing on the neck of a gas tank with a torch is a bad idea. Just too easy to cause an explosion from the gasoline fumes.