davebugs

I unplug the TPS to get at TC bolts but never undo the TPS - sounds like a pain to reset if needed. He's just looking for the bunghole. But it is under that wire loom.

Perhaps someone else can chime in. I've never run into this. The one at the rear of the head on the passenger side is a bugger - very tight fit. The drivers side front has more stuff going on but usually is actually easier to seat.

Don't know if you're doing anything wrong - but I'm not understanding you. First off - Suby Orings? They are very thin as opposed to the Orings out of an assortment box. The old hard ones are always triangular any typically break when trying to remove them. Personally I refer to drivers and passengers side when discussing cams and Orings. I've heard all kinds of things (almost like stage left instread of Right, etc.) when folks are discussing these things. On the LF (drivers) side the Oring is on the front(right by the cam sensor). On the Right (passenger) side at the rear of the head is the other Oring that has a simple plate with 2 bolts that holds it in there. Very tight fit - I always use assembly lube and a rubber mallett.

There are Orings that go around the spark plug tubes that you replace when you do the valve cover gaskets. Usually these Orings leak ling before the VC gaskets. But they are all replaced at the same time since VC removal is necessary. Depending on what I'm doing I don't worry about it. I just add that to the list of what to do next time major maintenance is taking place(like the clutch, baffle plate, HG, etc.) This oil won't smell, it doesn't even seem to do much to the plug wire boots. Don't get me wrong it's not a good thing, but often it isn't even noticed. A minor out of the way annoyance rarely corrected as a standalone issue. All in my opinion or course.

Mike - see my post#5 in this thread.

Very true - but usually a bit of a different smell.

What year/model? I buy name brand good quality. Bendix, Wagner(more available locally what I mostly use), even Coni-Seal on my personal car because I needed them in a hurry and they have been working well. Never done ceramics. Terrible few experiences with Advance Silver's on Suby's (whne I needed pads in a hurry).

Knowing the year always helps. But a 2001 SOHC would have the new style one piece tensioner assy.

Yep. Infact I'm doing my first Suby ever that I just didn't pull and seal the entire engine. The ENTIRE underneath is covered in oil. 99 Impreza 2.2. The whole way back to the muffler. It was a real smoker. The back of the car looks like a diesel. The entire engine was covered in oil on the bottom. I couldn't find a likely source on the front of the engine which was covered with oil. I did oil pump Oring, resealed it (all phillips were tight), Suby crank and cam seals. There is so much oil to burn off! I put 200 miles on it yesterday. I figured with 67k and probably a metal baffle plate that I'd risk it. Now I gotta try and clean it up and see if the baffle is leaking and I gotta yank it anyways. I should know today. But I'm also guessing the seller thought it was the rear main seal (which is probably isn't) but the labor to fix the baffle plate is the same so they just sold it.

Once they were past the pinch weld on the rocker they looked no further. Atleast they got past bending the pinch weld - you need to look at the positive. At the risk of upsetting another group of folks I've seen a lot of tire places lift in the wrong place. Cars that I work on and do the maintenance on. One of the many reasons I got a 4 post lift. It's not always the best but there isn't the inconvenience of getting under the car to look at jack points 4 times on each car. That's more trips under the car than would be needed for lets say an oil change. In short it comes down to laziness in my opinion. Not training, not the lift, the unwillingness to be particular about one's work. They figure no one will ever know or be able to trace it back to them. Would be a heck of a topic for one of those consumer guys on the news. Take a car to different garages and see who lifts it properly.

Did it have the smell before? Did you pull the engine and seal the baffle plate? That's the most common cause in my experience. But on the 99 Forester it's metal which is much better than the plastic ones. You did use Suby seals?

See the TPS? It's on the throttle body on the passenger side. There is a black plastic piece on it with a blue label (the TPS). Lood DIRECTLY BELOW it. Right where the engine meets the tranny on the engine side. There is a bit of wireing harness covering the black plastic plate about 2 inches around (It's not exactly square or round). It's right by the tab to hook a chain to when removing the engine. It'll have a little tab on top that you can use to pry on. I've never successfully gotten one back in - and I don't worry about it.

If the belt was that far away from the change interval you gotta let us know what failed and what brand the part was. Did the belt fail on its own? Did an Idler or the WP fail? Did a cam lockup? I'm VERY curious. And always interested in hearing about parts failures to learn about what not to use. PM me if necessary.

First - use a good quality socket. Second - I use a long breaker bar. This lets me keep one hand on the socket/breaker bar head and the other on the handle. You may need a cheater bar in order to get the needed leverage with one hand on the handle. I always have the head I'm working on at the top position on the engine stand. I've never had an issue with the socket coming off. But if you look at the bolt head's shape, add in the torque you need to apply, you can see a potential problem that's why I put a hand there. When installing the new HG's and torqueing then down in certain steps it's tough since for most torque wrenches to be accurate you're supposed to have both hands at the end of the handle. When you get to the loosening and tightening by fractions of a turn I go back to one hand on the head of the breaker bar(since the torque wrench is no longer used - atleast by me). Things are getting pretty tight by then. Why a 12 point? Why else would anyone buy a quality 12 point set I guess. VW does the same on some things. Like the 2.0 Crank bolts. Hey - atleast it's not a "specialty tool" - read $$$ Good luck.

They are tough. Helps to have someone hold the engine stand if possible. I jamb it against my lift so it can't move. Those puppies will creak when coming out (and some will going in it seems no matter how well lubed). Read the Endwrench procedure for the order. I have a hunk of cardboard for each head to keep track of their positions. On some heads they say that isn't necessary. I figure it can't hurt anything. I use a 1/2 longer breaker bar. I'm not a guy who works out but I'm 6'2" and about 235 and not a couch potato. Them puppies are on there - as they should be. Often they are tight for a few revolutions. I ALWAYS run the bolts in and out with no air tools. I want to feel any resistance. Again a personal preference - there are a lot of threads. Don't forget you'll be re-installing them to the same torque and trying to pay attention to partial revolutions in the long installation sequence.

Friends with no money. Common issue. Amazing isn't it. Ignore it until it breaks then beg for mercy. A car is an investment just like anything else. o.k. it's a depreciating investment. But you still have some control of the overall cost with proper maintenance. Invest as you go, or invest multiples later. Over the years personally this is what I've learned (and my friends learned). I'll help them maintain their cars. If something like a TB breaks because it wasn't done don't even call me, you're on your own. Now if you want to do a TB because it's due thats a much different story. Works for me. Needy friends are easy to come by it seems. PM me.

I have EJ22 parts engines as well but someone closer to you has to have the parts when you figure out what you need.

I'd do this. I'd pull the engine. Remove heads. Examine pistons. If pistons not bad have head fixed or used heads(and I'd probably have them checked). Seal everything up (crank, cams, oil pump, baffle plate) new plugs, reinstall. I looked up where you are. I'll be near Brookville next weekend. I have parts engines here if you want used heads. I have a couple 97 2.2's here.

Based on what I've witnessed (and sweated out myself) on a SOHC as long as the crank was in position I've been o.k. Actually that cam has enough load that I always imagined a fella could still bend the valves turning it by hand and not know.

Just call whoever you buy parts from. You'll want the upgraded metal one and the new screws that it takes. I don't know it that's what will be listed for the 95, but it's what you want if yours needs replacing.

Use a screwdriver to pry it over to the left. I've even redone TB's when I've forgotten this step. If it's non-interference I guess you could take the chance. It'll proably be o.k. while things are new (and unstrectched or worn). I wouldn't - but you could be a case study - you may be o.k. maybe not... In my opinion it must be needed. First Suby I did I was amazed that those were a bit slotted and that they could be "adjusted" before I saw in the procedure how to use them - it's not really an adjustment it's mandatory. Gotta wonder about the design. Why didn't they make the plunger 1/8" longer and just have 2 regular bolt holes on the tensioner?

I don't know what your you're working on but I have a set of DOHC heads already torn apart. IIR a pair of 97's. Idler failure, I already sold the short block. Some bent valves. I had to steal some cam cap bolts for another job (they had been rounded by someone prior probably adjusting the shims for the valves). But I've got the cams, caps, etc. FWIW I've never seen your issue before either. I did drop Delta Cam a PM a while ago to see if they were still interested in cams, heads, etc. I have about a dozen parts engines around here 2.2 and 2.5's and haven't heard back. I don't really know what they are worth. The 97 had 111k on it. The TB melting onto the idler for the tensioner was really something. Dealer had done TB at 100k and didn't do the idlers(according to the PO never recommended idlers) and at 111k it had a meltdown.

Hey - an English teacher has arrived!! You're gonna be VERY busy around here. Yes - that's what I meant.

I use Permatex(I believe) Ultra Grey for everything on Suby engines. It sets up a bit firmer than some RTV's. I use it for oil pans, baffle plates, by the cam corners on DOHC's when doing HG jobs, to reseal the oil pump (along with a new Oring). Everything that needs sealed on a Suby. Easy to find, reasonably priced. Not to say there may be better or more pricey stuff. But it seems to work well for me and I'm not a shortcut kinda guy.

Other than the backfire it could be the alternator. You seem to loose the ability to do higher RPM's as the battery keeps de-charging. If the battery is good setting for a little while will rejuvinate it - for a while until you run it down again. First time it happened to me on a Suby I was replacing the fuel filter and stuff like that thinking it was RPM related (and the associated fuel needed form the pump, through the filter, etc.) But I've never had it cause a backfire. I'm amazed by the weird problems caused on Suby's by alternators - and how they seem to often need alternators. Someitmes it causes the ABS and another light (I forget) to come on apparently due to the low power.