Rooster2

Having blown head gaskets on two Subies with the same engine as yours, it is pretty likely that you have a blown head gasket. The bad head gasket in a Subie always presents itself as an over heating engine. The head gasket breaks in such a way, that exhaust gas gets pressurized into the cooling system, causing a big hot air bubble that over heats the motor causing coolant leaks. With one of my cars, the high hot air/water pressure caused the radiator to spring a leak, resulting in having to buy a new radiator. Subie head gasket leaks don't result in water vapor out the tail pipe, or water mixing with the crankcase engine oil, as happens with other makes of cars. If your car engine was severely over heated for like 15 to 20 minutes of driving, then the problem becomes warped aluminum engine surfaces, and damaged crank bearings. At that point, a replacement engine is needed. If over heated just only once, or few times minimally, then installing new head gaskets will fix the problem.

Did the tech discuss with you about adding Subaru's coolant conditioner? If not, then I would try that product first. Others on this forum have said that it works great in stopping minor leaks. The product is just a "stop leak" product for the cooling system. Would assume that you have had the timing belt replaced during your ownership.

Good work....I like to read success stories like yours. Glad your rig is back on the road, at minimum cost, and valves not reported as bent.

I wouldn't be all that concerned about using different brands at the same time, as long as the tires are the same size. I think I read on this forum that all tires need to be within a quarter inch size depth of each other. Others will chime in here, agreeing or disagreeing with me on this post. Looking back..............Years back I had a 91 Subie with AWD, I never knew anything at the time about concerns over tire size. I remember having different brand tires on the car with different depth tread, but all the same size tire. It never presented a problem. Maybe I was just lucky, I don't know.

All classic symptoms of a blown head gasket, especially your writing that the heater only blows cold air.

a bad half shaft would be a possible problem. My last car had a bad half shaft that would cause front end shake intermittently. I would take the car to a shop, and they could not find anything wrong. Finally, it got worse, and consistent to determine that it was a bad half shaft. A year + earlier, I had a cheap rebuilt half shaft installed. Are either of your half shafts rebuilts??

Yea, I understand your problem, you have made your point.

I used one of those Harbor Freight Hub Tamers, or what ever they call it to R&R a wheel bearing. It didn't work well, just a bear of a job to remove old bearing and install new one. About 4 months later, the replacement bearing went bad. It was then, that I realized that the hub was bad. I wasn't going to buy a new hub, bearings, and seals, as it would take too long to get a new hub. Solution was to go to a wrecking yard, pulled a nice hub with fresh grease around the bearing. I installed that, pretty easily, and a year later, all is well. I sold the Hub Tamer for half price what I paid for it. IMHO, replacing the entire hub from a wrecking yard for $75 is the way to go in the future.

Advance Auto Parts is my 1st choice store to buy parts. They have the most responsive counter people of all the parts store in my area where I live, (Indianapolis). Usually, I buy parts from them online, and save 20-30%, then pick up the parts at their store. I have never had an issue with quality. Guess the Advance Auto Parts you shopped hired a bunch of lazy Bozos. It happens!

Discs are simply circular chunks of metal, so nothing exotic about them. They just bolt on. In the U.S. cost is about $40, so in AU, product cost would not be much. Doing your own brake work is an easy task to learn, and saves you a good chunk of money, and doesn't take much time. Ask us how, if you want to learn.

There is a recent post last week over on page 2 of this forum from Bushwick, and his problems with 95 alternator. Post titled........... Replacing/fixing alternator 95 Legacy talks about getting new alternator from the dealer for $75. Check out the post and responses. From symptoms you describe, it does sound like a bad alternator. t Clink on the link to read

Well what ever is wrong, pulling the road wheel and then inspecting the caliper, pads, slide pins lubed, and looking at caliper bores, you will see what is wrong. It won't be anything exotic, just a "whatever" that needs to be corrected.

as you should be. That shop was so inept to think the job was finished with the wheel wobbling that bad, I wouldn't go back there again. I am no mechanic, but have changed wheel bearings, and know to check for tightness afterwards. That is just common sense.

I suspect the guide pins need to be lubed. When not lubed, they tend to not release the brake pad from the rotor when your foot is off the brake. It is an easy do-it-yourself job. Ask us how to do this, if you are wanting to work on the brakes, and not that knowledgeable of how to lube the guide pins. Be glad to advise.

If it was torqued down as you say, it won't back off. It is a matter of trust, that it was indeed torqued down as stated, as you weren't there.

Usually I don't like hammer mechanics............but this I can see would work.

How can remanufacturered alternators be picked up from Subaru for $75?? I don't need one at this time, but would like to know how I can get one.

I am thinking wiring harness difficulties.

I don't know where the line in Indiana is drawn between status of salvage and rebuilt. Rebuilt sure sound a lot better then salvage on a revised title.

2 years ago, I bought a '95 2.2 with 145K miles from a yard for $400 here in Indiana. I maybe could have talked the price lower, but I was desperate for a motor

I agree fully with your posting. To add to the story, the insurance companies takes their cars to an auction not open to the public. There, the cars are sold to companies that resell the wrecked cars. Here in Indiana, cars are available from T & T Repairables, www.ttrepairables.com/‎, and are sold to the public, as well as to small used car lots that repair the cars and put them on their "buy here - pay here" lot. Check out T & T repairables website. Interesting to see what they have for sale, always a few Subies available. Pretty amazing what happens to wrecked cars behind the scene, that is not known to the public. Always an angle by someone to make some $$$$.

I have the same thought, the Kelly book is always higher then reality. Besides Edmonds, check the NADA guide for used car prices. Both will be lower then KBB, I am sure. Still you can argue with your insurance company for a higher figure using the KBB quote. You insurance company prolly still has some negotiating "room," and with some insistence you may get them to pay you as much as $500 above the original quote. You may have to climb up the management ladder at the insurance company to get a more senior person to increase the pay out to you. If your car is appraised as "totaled," but only because the cost of repairs is higher then the percentage allotted for repairs, Then ask what the figure would be that the insurance company would pay you less the "buy back" amount. As an example, a few years back I had an Audi that was hit on the front. The other party's insurance covered my loss. Pay out as "totaled" was about $2,000. I was able to "buy the car" from the insurance company for about $300, so I got to keep the car, and pocket the difference of $1700. I repaired the car with a new grill, headlight unit, and front bumper from a wrecking yard for about $150. Bolting on the new parts was really quite easy. I had to re-title the car as a "rebuilt" titled car. I drove that car for another 4 years, and sold it for $1300. So, I came out way ahead on doing the buy out, and kept a car that I really liked. Worth a thought, if your car is rebuildable, or drive as is.

I have always had a 4 wheel alignment done on my 98 Outback, which is the same car that you have. I don't think it is an "issue," it is just how alignments are done on Outbacks.

So you have 14" wheels on the Legacy L, and 15" wheels on the Outback. I too vote for 195/60/15 size tires, but that means buying 15" wheels for the Legacy L