davebugs

Poke around here. Here is an old link and I had others I'm not finding right now and don't have much time to look. If you strike out PM me sunday eve. I have it in a folder here on my laptop. I believe Nipper has in the past offerered some ossistance. http://www.onlinefreeebooks.net/automotive-machinery-power-equipment-ebooks/subaru/1999-subaru-legacy-service-manual-pdf.html

I start with the PB. Long shafted thin screw drivers from Sears (several now have bent ends). Work up the more regular screw drivers, then huge ones. I always try and get the drivers side to be the "lead". Since it's the most congested area and often that roll pin is the most stubborn. Anything involving a truck to seperate them isn't a good idea. Make sure the motor mount bolts are free of the cross memebr and TC bo9lts are out(if an auto). Cardboard infront of the rad/condensor.

One of my pet peeves is a useless location - I've brought this up often. There are a lot of good folks here who just may stop in to assist if they know where you are at. Or you may be able to stop by their place. I've had it happen to me and I've done it. Please put a useful location in your profile - not just a cute one that only locals would know. The second topic. This is the second time this week that someone wants parts sent priority. Funny thing is that I need a valid ADDRESS. Think about this when you're in a hurry. Anyone sending you parts needs your mail/shipping address. Folks loose a day like this all the time. If you're in a hurry it backs you up a day or costs you a lot more. Most folks aren't on the USMB all day long so by the time they get around to checking their PM's it's too late to get the part(s) out that day. Just a little venting. You gotta give a little more info before folks can help you. Almost as bad as posting asking for help with no specs - year, engine size, auto/manual, etc.

Gary, On the tilt. I don't see that working. I'm thinking it would have to be done from the top of the engine and don't see how to tilt the engine with the mounts, rad, condensor, etc and be able to clean the surface and make a good job of it. And probably all the same stuff would need disconnected as pulling the engine to be able to get much tilt. From underneath I'd think it darn near impossible to reach with the cross member and all. Just my thoughts. Anyone ever done this?

I shouldn't say because I haven't done it. But I believe that I could get a few local garages to do it in under 4 hours. Not that tricky but look for someone that knows Subaru's if possible. You gotta figure if you're starting the process is a good thing or a bad thing as far as them knowing what to do in what order, etc. Then you gotta find someone who will pickup on a job you already started. I don't know but I'd imagine that'll be tough due to legitimate reasons and possibly finger pointing if there are any issues. You may want to have exhaust parts ready for that flexjoint infront of the second cat.

Thats the plumbing and wireing I spoke of. Last week is the first time that I didn't pull the rad and just pulled the fans. You need to do a skill, committment, and time assessment like GG basically said. I work at my own pace (slow, emails, USMB, stock trading) and figure roughly 4 hours out, 4 hours in, 4 hours to work on the engine (HG's, seals, idlers, TB, etc.). I do most everything myself. Sometimes I'll have my dad come help with engine alignemnt, seperation, and have him start the car while I'm outside the car. But really I do all the work. I do have a cherry picker, engine stand, and a car lift. The lift is really because I have a bad knee but it does give some advantage on this job. Some folks claim to be real quick. I prefer to be thorough. Now it's been 2 weeks ago that a Suby tech helped me fix a bad crankshaft end. We were both used to working alone. We had the engine out in about an hour. Fixed crank(weld, grind, Dremel keyway, grabbed parts off 3 parts engines(harmonic balancer, crank bolt, oil pump, TB cover) , TB, idlers, seals, WP, Oil pump O ring, etc. A little Pizza, etc. Trip to parts store (exhaust gaskets and I forget what else) Reinstalled and running within 5 hours. He came at 10am and left before 3 but I didn't really keep track of how long it was taking us. But it was intense - definately not my usual speed. There are some excellent Endwrench articles on the whole process. And a link that I can't find from comcast.net skipnospam or something.

I've got used ones for 20 bucks plus shipping. Mostly Diamond brand. They rarely go bad (especially these Diamonds). But if you plan on keeping the car a good long time I'd probably buy a new one to have a firmer foundation in the future when accessing wires and plugs.

It's just one of those feel things. I'm guessing about 1/4" to 3/8" deflection with decent pressure applied with your fingers? If I think about it I'll look at one today. That's what I do on most cars and Suby's included. Perhaps on the tight side for most folks. Of all the alternator, PS piumps, AC compressors that I've ever replaced very few have been from bearing failure that may be able to be blamed on too tight of a belt.

GG, On the 99 Impreza that I had issues with the wires were hideing. They literally had to free up the fuse block. They were stuffed behind it. Dave

Just curious. If you redo the HG and hopefully use a Suby one tell us how different the torque procedure is. Personally I'd pull the engine again (should be much quicker this time) and do both HG's again. I mean if you already have trouble with one, I'd think the second one was suspect.

Pull the engine. It's no that hard and you can take advantage of it being out to do other major maintenance items. I've yet to pull a Suby tranny. A 14mm swivel socket is almost mandatory for those lower eng/trans nuts. Helps with AC lower bolts and other situations as well. Start spraying down the dowel pins for kicks. Other than plumbing and wireing it's mostly 4 (or 8 if 99) eng/trans bolts, 4 flexplate/TC bolts if an automatic, 2 front motor mounts, dogbone, to pull the engine.

They are tight. Sometimes I loosen up the PS pump to get the belt on. I tried a slightly longer belt and couldn't get it to tighten. I always install a little shorter belt on the AC compressor. Something about that adjuster almost being the whole way to the end that I don't like. I would think it should have some adjustment left. The alternators can be stubborn in the slide going the whole way down to get out of the way. But sometimes I swear it just can't be done. So I do the PS move.

I bought a long wanted tool this week. From Ebay a new MAC 1/4 air ratchet. The head is adjustable in 90 degree increments. NIB, manual, etc. I used one from a friend while working on a 95 LSi last week (I posted a thread about the chewed up harmonic balancer, etc.). First time I pulled the fans and not the radiator. This tool was made for that it seems - even tightening since it stops at 20 lbs. I found lots of other uses for it as well with it's slim design and low torque. Air tools - gotta love them.

Yep. Well worth the money. I'm "saving" mine a bit. I only use it when I need it - not for regular duty.

There is only the one knock sensor.

Those pics look good. Cam sprockets are definately correct. Drivers side cam sprocket hash marks are often a little off. I use white nail polish to mark the hash marks everywhere. Costs a buck and dries fast even in cold weather. I always use new intake gaskets and assess the old ones looking for material missing so mdjdc may be on to something. I also always flat file the exhaust Y-pipe and use new gaskets there (both Felpro usually). When on the stand I always spin it to look at intake mating surfaces, check the oil pan, ,etc. It's acting an awful lot like the TB, but it looks good in the pics. I have no expertise with a vacuum gauge but it sounds like you may need to develope some expertise with one. Gotta run.

I can't get the pics ot blow up big enough. What I can make out looks good.

White smoke on a 2.5 is RARE in my opinion. Sometimes on 2.2's but very rare on 2.5's. That's just not how they leak. Did you have the heads checked? Valve guides (would be unusual to have issues at virtually any mileage), perhaps bent a little? Did somebody check them for flatness - 4 thousanths is the limit according to what I found in Endwrench and what I go by IIR. Out of adjustment? It really still sounds like a TB issues. But the white smoke is an unusual symptom for a 2.5. Perhaps others here have experienced this.

Not being an AC expert (or wanting to be) call around. I have a fella that pulls a vacuum to make sure no leaks, then charges then for 40 bucks. The fancy machine really does it all. From what I understand if the system was open at all the vacuum first is needed. I do this with every car that I buy that has AC issues.

IIR sometimes the cam sprockets on the drivers side don't align perfectly. What brand of belt did you use? The Dayco's seem to have the alignment issues and the OEM ones don't seem to have the issue (I use Dayco's). I'd probably remove everything (including cam sprockets) and start over. I just have a cheap (Grand Rapids Industrial Products - read China) compression set. That was when I ruin it I'm not out a lot of money. I've even used them for oil pressure before. But yea - on a DOHC it's a lot of fun. Enough that I thought about building a stand to be able to do compression checks with the engine out of the car but I thought that would be an unfair test after putting engines back together and not really being run. Perhaps this was in another thread but what was the reason to do the HG's and were there any codes then? Were the heads checked?

They are marked rather well IIR and the offsets on the different sides are radically different IIR. They are marked L and R IN and EX IIR. Right is Passenger side, L is drivers side. INtake are on the top, EXhaust are on the bottom. I would think the belt routing would be obvious if they were screwed up - but I've been wrong before.

Sorry I mean Timing Belt. If you look through the posts here Timing Belt is discussed probably 50-100 to one about a throttle body. So I use TB cause I don't know of another short abbreviation. Felpro does make good gaskets. But I don't use their HG's on Suby's. I use their intakes, exhausts, (dealer WP gaskets). I use Felrpo on VW's often and other cars. Suby's are a bit moody when it comes to HG's so I stick with OEM and have never had an issue. If you look around here for threads with folks with isuses after a HG job youi'll see most didn't use OEM gaskets. Whether the issues arise from the gaskets, or if that's just a symptom of other shortcuts/cost cutting I don't know. But I've done a bunch of them with no issues using OEM. I don't like to do things twice. Even if you don't pay yourself much the frustration factor just isn't worth it. If you're gonna do all that work and use Ebay off brand gaskets, well.... perhaps your momma dropped you on your head too many times? (no offense to those that were dropped). You should be doing research AHEAD OF TIME on an undertaking of this size. If not you'll be amazed at how much quicker it goes the second time on the same car. While I'm on pet peeves how about updating your LOCATION with something USEFUL. Perhaps someone local will offer to double check your work. The results may be better in person than you typing your observations and us guessing. Just a thought. Eventually it gets to be like boxing in the dark. Not that we're there yet.

Hey - you need to start more threads! A lot of times when this happens and the struts look good it's the mounts. Infact I believe GG just had an issue with mounts.

I don't mean to be condescending. But please double check all 3 markings. Crank and both cams. Remember to line up with the dots. Not hash marks or arrows. Although if you used the wrong marks usually you'd be having worse issues. It's really sounding like the TB. One of the other options is that the HG has issues. Not torqued correctly, non OEM gaskets, etc. on the drivers side. Usually it seems the other head is what bends valves first(1&3). Perhaps others will have other idea's. Make SURE that the cam sprocket on that side is seated properly(actually BOTH sides). I realize it's tight now - but is it seated properly at the notch?

First link didn't work for me.