davebugs

No one replaces the head bolts. I have a template that I keep them in so they go back into the same holes. They often creak when getting close to tight no matter how well lubed so don't panic. I also have another template that I lay on the floor for the torqueing sequence so it is easy to follow. Just make sure no rod knock. Worst Suby experience I ever had was 3 engines into a 99 Forester to get a good one. One engine I pulled TWICE. My first experience with the SOHC 2.5 wasn't pleasant.

I do these frequently. If they have a good body that is. My basic math is this. Take KBB TRADE IN VALUE average condition. Subtract 1,500 (for the HG, timing belt, seals, baflle plate, head gaskets, plugs, filters, fluids, rad flush, heads surfaced/checked/cleaned you get the idea. If a 5 speed clutch kit & flywheel resurfaced - another 300. Iv'e also started budgeting a slave cylinder - probably 8 of the last 10 standards I've done have needed a slave shortly after so now I just do them as part of this project. 500 for me (that's where I start but there are ALWAYS surprises like torque bind, filler tubes, whatever). That's how I start to work backwards. Hey - if I'm not gonna make any money why take the risk? The person you're buying the car off of knows all the issues - you don't. Figure towing, fees, something for havng the cash tied up and arrive at a number. If the car is KBB fair trade in of 4k - 1,500 - 500 - 300(stick) the most I'd pay is 2k. But more like closer to 1k depending on obvious things - like tires, body, etc. I almost think it's funny when folks think I should pay them the Private Party value of the car minus whatever they were quoted for the HG job. Like I want to take the gamble, and tie up the money, and discover all the things they already know are wrong with the car for free. I'm a nice guy - but I need a better deal than that. I try and do one a week if other things don't have me tied up (like they currently do) I have one setting here to do and another one paid for 3 weeks ago that I haven't picked up since I'm outta room. I have a stash of parts (kept inside) and several engines for parts and several good engines. I lack outside space (want to keep the neighbors happy). You learn to have a good idea of what to save and what not to. I've developed a clientelle with probably 80% of what I sell going to folks I've already sold to or their friends. Ironicaly currently I have some cheap ones and have a few requests for the "redone" ones in the 4-5k range. I enjoy doing it but you gotta go into it with a buffer to make money. And don't forget you'll probably be waiting for a month on the title before being able to resell it.

Head gasket, everything else is symptoms other than the white foam. But that could be oilish stuff mixed with the coolant. You may have other issues but I believe the classic head gasket job will solve your issues. I think the rad cap appears not to work (all the time with HG issues) because the air in the radiator can't suck the heavier fluid out of the overflow. But I'm just guessing.

Hope you get off cheap and easy. All folks dislike Lawyers. But you knew that going in. I've got lots of Lawyer jokes - some you might even like. Lawyer: "One who's main purpose in life it to protect folks from others in his same profession" Or something like that. Not a joke - but accurate. The only quote from Shakespeare(I believe) that I can remember (because it made sense) is about lawyers. I've never really seen a belt "come loose" due to a pulley. I've seen them strip off the rubber lugs, break, shred, or melt, but never come off. But I hope the car turns out well for you.

Harmonic balancer(crank pulley) and the splined sprocket behind it that drives the timing belt. And of course the TB cover. I used to use a pic but recently bought the Lisle "cam in sprocket" or some weird name as is posted here. Makes it much easier especially when the engine is in the car. You probably want to pull the rad fans, and I ALWAYS put coardboard in there to protect the rad/condensor, etc. I use PVC to reset it. Suby only seal unless you wanna practive doing this again. I'd do atleast the timing belt. I'd probably do idlers, WP, etc while I was in there - but that's me. Even potentially cam seals - gotta be the same age. Make SURE you ge tthe harmonic balancer tight when re-installing.

Gary, Let me know how it goes. Pics if possible. I haven't had any yet that I couldn't fix. But I've seen some ugly ones and have sold parts to folks that shouldn't be fixing what they had. Especially if it can be done in the car with whatever is in this kit that I could refer folks to.

Search a little. HG's (Suby). Crank and cam seals(Suby), idlers, Oil pump Oring and check the screws, WP, coolant, oil & filter, and I do air and fuel while I'm at it. If it's yucky I send the rad out to be flushed and pressure tested. Sometimes valve cover gaskets. HG's around 80 bucks (IIR). cam/crank seals under 10 bucks each = 30. VC I forget. WP 55 Dealer WP gasket 4 Coolant 10 Plugs 8 TB (I forget) 30-50? for aftermarket Accessory belts 20-25

It's supposed to charge the battery - like over lunch or something. I figure it's like a 10 amp charger. Not fast but hard to screw anything up. Not that I'd use one myself. It just doesn't sound like it could hurt anything.

I had to look for one for a lady friend. They have a gizmo that goes from cigarette lighter to cigarette lighter. Hard to screw up. But you gotta have patience. In some cases you may need to have the key on (to make the lighter "hot") so it may never charge. I myself have the big blue Jump-n-carry 660 I believe. The best i've found. It'll start 20-30 dead cars on one charge when newer, and diesel cars. If it's charged and doesn't start it the car is dead. ALso works to power my winch. Remember those bizarre batteries they were marketing that had like a different "bonus" section where you could open the hood, throw a switch, and get an extra start out of them. Saw them on TV, never seen one in person. Can't imagine they worked well or that folks would buy them.

Mind if I chuckle a little about a lawyer allegedly(sp?) getting screwed..... o.k. - I feel better now - its the highlight of my young evenigng so far. I'm a bad person! Yea - you're pretty stuck. I know a few lawyers (who don't live in a big city) and they are all incapable of doing anything mechanical themselves - even if they had the place, tools, etc. Nice folks. But if they weren't lawyers they's be living in a box on the sidewalk somewhere. You're really at the mercy of others. Sucks. If it's a 2.5 it's a goner if you can't do it yourself and not worth buying a JY engine and paying someone else to do the Head Gaskets, timings belt (and all components) and install it. I'd 2.2 it or nothing personally. Or cut my loses as you're talking of. FYI I have pruchased 2 OBW's with less than 120k where the Dealer did the Timing Belt only around 100k and shortly thereafter something else failed (Idler) causing the same exact outcome as yours. Whether they were offered all new components are went the cheap route and shot themselves in the foot I don't know. Still sucks no matter who you are. Don't mean to beat up on the lawyer. Edit/add: Find a Subaru Guru someplace and have it towed there. Jersey, upstate NY, wherever. You'll probably more than pay for the towing in labor savings and finding someone who knows Suby's. If the whole family drives them I'm surprised you don't already have an asset like that lined up. This is along the lines of Nipper's thoughts I believe. It's where you live that's compounding the situation - so get the car outta there.

Queens (I assume New York). I spent most of 2 years commuting weekly to the LaGuardia Marriott in Flushing Queens and working at the BQE and 30th ave. Dirving my car there was enough (parking bites). Mostly I took a limo - had to when I flew. Almost be a fun challange to bring in a car trailer to pick it up - but not really. Don't know what a broken SUby goes for there. I pay 200-1k for them here- depending mostly on the body since I redo the engines of 2.2 them.

Hard to tell without seeing the car. But Idlers DO fail. That's why I always repalce them. The WP can freeze, or worse yet camshafts can freeze up.

Thanks. I see me trying this atleast one time and referring to this as a starting point.

Thought about it. Used to do this with the air-cooled VW's - simpler engines, electroincs, no coolant all made it easier. If someone has a rig I'd love to see pics. I scrap cars often enough I could come up with the parts easy enough. Size and simplicity would be the issues.

Welcome. Please update your profile so it tells us a useful city/state. Locals are more likely to chime in. What year, model, miles, etc. Reason I ask is that odds are pretty good (without knowing what car it is) that it's the Oring by the second cat. A local exhaust shop would be where I'd stop. Lookup a place that bends exhaust pipe. If you go a place that wants to sell you shiny new exhaust parts (a bunch of them) it'll cost a fortune. I get a lot of these fixed. They cut out the joint and weld in a new piece for 40 bucks. Not saying that you can get that deal. But someone may want to sell you several pipes, the Oring, sping style clamps, etc. and easily get well into the hundreds.

Let us know how it goes. I hear it's a PITA and I'm not an electrical expert so I just swap the whole throttle bodies if necessary.

ECU's never seem to go bad.. Infact I don't even bother pulling them before scrapping the cars. I do sell a few ignitors though. A couple per year it seems. I've never had a bad one on a car myself. Coil packs are the #1 suspect as already mentioned if the wires are decent.

Neither of my local shops break down the heads on the Suby heads that I have them do.

Muffler shops can buy those "bung holes". I have used a spark plug non-fouler and had it welded in when in a pinch. Autozone stocks them - most other folks don't. Found out about them here at the USMB. Hanging in the "Help" section. 2 per pack IIR (or I always buy 2 - I forget).

Thanks. There are very helpful folks here that have been known to stop over and give a hand, recommend local sources, etc. But only if they know where you are at. Search for trhe Headgasket threads, links to Endwrench, and decide whether to fix yours or swap in a 2.2. I use rod knock as my determining factor on whether to fix or replace. Probably some under "similar threads" at the bottom of your screen right now.

Welcome. Search for "headgasket". You'll find more than you can read in an evening. Then ask specific questions. Please update your city to actually tell us something useful - like a region or state.

Guess I mis-understood this statement making it sound like there was only one Oring. I have seen Orings on a 97 2.2 - actually several - just FYI. One Impreza(don't do many Impreza's) and several Legacy's.

You shouldn't make that statement. We still don't know the year of the engine (must be a secret?). But if they have the Oring on the drivers side front it has the one on the passenger side rear. In my experience them have neither or both, not just one. I realize that I could be worng. But I do quite a few of these - what years only has the one on the drivers side - I havan't come across it yet?

3 cam Orings? they come 2 to a pack, front of drivers side cam, rear of passenger side cam. Oil pump Oring? Where is the third Oring? We're talking the lets say 2" thin Orings? I believe I'm missing something. What year engine? I just reread and don't believe I saw it mentioned.

Some times that cranks sensor simply won't come out - it crushes. Gets all corroded in there. Soak well as prescribed.