biglittledog

Interesting...that car would be worth twice that (prolly 5500 to 6k easy) here in Colorado with that mileage and great condition. Maybe there is somebody knowledgeable nearby that can take a look at it with you?

'97 Outback AT, 212k miles but I've had it only a month. Bought it cheap with a bad front differential and had a shop install a used diff/tranny from a driveable -97 Outback (trans had exact same code) that was hit with 90K on it. The shop put in new seals on the engine side and the input shaft. It seems like they did a good job and the car drives/shifts well. They told me the leak was the pan gasket. They probably would have fixed it except that I had stupidly told them to do the tranny swap and seals and I'd do everything else...I'm still figuring out how much else I have to do to get the Outback in order and didn't want to rack up a huge shop bill until I had driven the car a little to check it out. It looks like someone jacked the car up from the oil pan since there is a big dent in it. I loosened and retorqued the pan bolts to factory spec. but the back four are a *************** to get at. I drilled two small holes in the crossmember and tightened as best I could. One of the back bolts was very loose. It seemed to have lessened the leak but it's still there a little bit...

I have an oil leak onto the exhaust coming from the rear of the oil pan. I need to know how much trouble I'll get into if I try this without the aid of an engine hoist since the Haynes manual says I need to raise the motor 2+ inches. If its not feasible to do it without a hoist I'll end up taking it to a shop and letting them do it. Has anyone done this at home with the motor in the car? Thanks for all advice...

Around here (Colorado) that would seem like a pretty fair price if the car is in good shape like you say. Don't worry, just enjoy it!

Yes, it is a used transmission. That's why I put "new" in quotes...I probably should have called it the replacement. It was pulled from a normally running car that was rear-ended and totalled with the insurance company, given a salvage title and bought by someone near me who needed the motor, driven to his house etc. and I bought the tranny from him at his house. I think a rebuild would be overkill considering the car has 200k on it and was bought for 1000 dollars. I'm not ready to dump 2 grand into the beast with that mileage and that's what I was quoted for a rebuilt and install here. The Outback is in decent shape other than the diff being bad. The trans cooler is a good idea though! I can do that one myself. What I'm wondering is what items are easy to replace while the transmission is out of the car...what things normally wear and leak etc.?

Thanks nipper!

Hi again. I found a same year AT replacement for my '97 Outback with the blown front differential. It's out of an Outback with 90k that was hit but was still driveable when parted out. I have the transmission sitting in my garage and am in no hurry so I'm wondering what else should I take care of either while the "new" trans is in front of me or while the old one is out? An example being the rear seal that seems to end up leaking. Anyone's ideas are greatly appreciated! PS- I'm having a local shop do the actual swap since it's relatively easy for them with lifts and trans jacks etc. plus they've done it lots of times before. I'd like to do anything I can ahead of time and provide them with the parts for anything else.

Thanks mucho. It's good to have a ballpark idea of what I'd be looking at. This may turn into a parts car, not sure yet...

Thanks...exactly what I needed to know.

I bet (unfortunately) you're right. The last clue is that the jerk/shudder happens every 6 times exactly per tire revolution. How much am I looking at for a used tranny swap approx.?

I'm still checking out my transaxle clunking problem listed in the thread with the movie attached. I also get a 0743 code even after reset which is "Torque Converter Circuit Electrical" in my little book that came with the scanner I bought. Any ideas on what to check or if there is a connector I can clean etc.? This noise is a weird one and a very good local suby shop here is a little unsure it's the front diff since there aren't any metal flakes or contaminants in either the AT fluid or the front transaxle fluid. They also had me check the driveshaft for a bad u-joint but that's okay too. I'm trying to figure out a little more before I have it towed to them.

Thanks. Yeah, its metal on metal alright but sounds deeper than something rubbing or scraping. I'll check the shields but I doubt it would make the car lurch like it does which doesn't come across in the video. I'd be happy if it was that! Are there any ways to tell if its the transaxle vs. other parts? BTW, I had both front wheels off the ground earlier and I could rotate each one independently and didn't feel anything beyond a small amount of backlash play. I also rotated the passenger side wheel with the other on the ground and it was difficult to turn but didn't feel abnormal or binding in any way. When driven it feels like something is about to blow up front. It feels like the front wheels are binding and releasing repeatedly. If you go above walking speed, the whole car shakes VIOLENTLY.

Here's another video of the right side. It's pretty much the same noise but here it is anyway... http://img532.imageshack.us/my.php?image=subynoisertic1.flv

Hi everyone. I need your diagnostic help on this one. Its a '97 Outback SW AT that is making a horrible noise when under any kind of load. Accelerate or decellerate. I have just replaced the right front halfshaft and now its even louder. Both boots were totally blown and I was hoping it was the CV or DOJ but I may not be so lucky. The drivers side boots look fine so I haven't investigated them but the car lurches with each "click" you hear on the movie. I had to drive it up a very short hill to get near my garage and it was lurching violently every 6 inches or so. Needless to say, I went very slowly. It doesn't seem to matter if the wheels are turned lft or rt or center. The sound and lurch are the same. I'm hoping it's not the front transaxle but... Any thoughts appreciated! I'm not getting any cells except a 0743 torque converter electrical circuit which has not come back since a reset. Also, the noise was present before the halfshaft was replaced. Help! http://img531.imageshack.us/my.php?image=subynoiselftfg2.flv

I just put GR2's on the rear of our '94 Legacy and I like them. Firm yes, but not enough to bother me. As others have said it's a world of difference from the blown rears.

WARNING: SHORT RANT AHEAD! I guess bluebooks are nice and easy to look at, but I think it's all poop. Each car is worth what it sells for, period. There are just too many variables involved in an individual vehicle plus sellers rating of condition to make bluebook values worthwhile. I think that average minus the repair is crap too. Its just an easy way for Edmunds to calculate a value. Let sellers just repair it themselves and then sell it for the average price! Why should I take the risk and PITA involved in a major repair because Edmunds says I should? I don't want to sound ungreatful, because I'm not and appreciate your idea. It's just that NADA and Edmunds and KBB have dumbed this whole process down to year, model, options, mileage, select one of 4 conditions and ABRACADABRA! here's your value! Or not. I guess I'm a little sick of seller's who have done this and are convinced that is what there car is worth even if it's been passed over by loads of buyers and relisted and relisted and relisted. Then they won't budge on price because the bluebook on the internet is some kind of holy bible that tells me and the buyer that the car is worth THIS much... year, model, options, mileage, 4 conditions. Baloney and poop. I don't mind looking until I find the right car but I end up wasting huge amounts of time on cars that seem inflated partially because of the internet bluebooks everybody checks. Cars are worth what they sell for...see what disappears on craigslist or sells on Ebay and you have a decent idea of value. Oh yeah, that car that I started this thread about is still sitting there for sale...and the seller is convinced the price is correct.

I have a light whine that comes from the middle of the car when I'm slightly on the gas to maintain the same speed. If I accelerate hard or if I let off the gas completely it goes away. Sitting still, it's not there. AT shifts great and engine pulls hard and all fluids are good. All my drive belts and the timing belt are brand new, all CV boots are sealed new rotors front and back just turned. Mine seems to be speed related and not RPM related. I can't really hear it from inside the car. I noticed it when I had the windows down and was driving next to a long concrete barrier which threw the sound back up at me. Maybe it's the same thing? It's on my list to investigate, I just haven't got there yet... I was guessing maybe a driveshaft or pinion bearing? It's that kind of whiny noise. Does your noise happen while moving, stopped, or both? Oh, '94 Legacy Alpine Wagon 2.2L AT 170k

Thanks, and I'll keep looking... everyone's advice is worth it's weight in gold. I did kinda like the Limited with the leather seats and all though.

Hey, thanks for keeping me sensible! We'll see what happens...she wanted 3400 and I could possibly drop it some but not much so I'm gonna wait and keep looking. I was thinking like you, Grossgary, the only way to really trust an early 2.5L would be with new HG and know the repair was done right. Thanks for the linky to the OB. I see they are out there and one closer will pop along. I'm not in a hurry. Grossgary, would anything else make the car fail its HC test or could the shop have made a mistake or been blowing smoke to get a big repair job? If there is another way to test the car I'd go do it just because it's only about 10 minutes away. Any other thoughts on the HC test result?

She didn't take my offer as I kind of expected. Much of the reason is the damned KBB and NADA. Those prices may work for stealerships selling used cars but I don't think many private party sales are for the bluebook price, especially on a 8 or 10+ year old auto. Bluebooks suck. With plenty of sellers listing high prices on Craigslist because it's free (nothing to lose), its easy to think your car is worth more than it is. Unfortunately the sold cars are removed from the list and the high priced ones just keep relisting and relisting and relisting. It's easy to get a false sense of inflated value. I wish there was a "completed auctions" setting like Ebay... Thanks for the help! [edit for clarity]

Thanks everyone. This helps a lot! The HG didn't throw the CEL but the owner said it started idling funny and the CEL came on. It immediately went to a local shop and the code read "misfire #1 cyl" and they did a hydrocarbon test which it failed. It was driven back and parked. I was shortening the story for the sake of brevity. I thinks the owner is very honest about everything and bummed about her car. She was indeed hoping the value was the fair KBB value minus the repair. There are many wagons and good shops around these parts. I was having trouble weighing the balance between a running car with/without HG repair and getting a car like this and having the repair done by a shop I know is good. The money spent would be the same but I would know the repair was done right. What I'm hearing from everyone is that I should get the car pretty cheap in it's present condition. Thanks!

I don't need a car badly at all right now. I'm thinking of replacing my Jeep Grand Cherokee (great in snow but crappy mileage and constant mechanical probs...good old GM) with an Legacy or Outback. This car is tempting because it's decked out with a leather interior and the works so I'd figure it was worth more than an L needing same repair. Of course it's not tempting because of the 2.5 Phase 1 motor and HG prob. There are some very, very good Subaru-only shops in town and if I had the HG done I should be reasonably good to go? It sounds like if I can't get it cheap, it's better to pass and look for an earlier Outback with the 2.2L motor anyway. Low mileage but major repair...that's the tradeoff. I don't think she'd take 2 grand but I could float it out there just to see what happens.

Quick question: What would you pay for an 97 [edit] Outback Limited w/AT and 130k miles. Good shape and very clean BUT needs head gaskets. Its a private seller and not a car lot and they seem very honest about the situation. Car threw a CEL and they took it in immediately and they showed me the estimate from a local shop. It failed an HC test.The car has been driven less than 80 miles since the diagnosis. I know the KBB and NADA values are around 5600 to 6K if everything was decent, but I'd be taking some risk by buying a car needed this repair. Knowing you were gambling a little, what would you pay? Is 3500 too much or fair? PS-I've just done lots of HG thread reading but not found much on values...

Well, I had never considered that it was overfilled when I got the car! I guess I'm stupid but it never entered my mind. Everything has been so jury-rigged and neglected on this car, I never thought there would be too much of anything. I started it up and set it on max AC with the doors open (its 100 degrees today on my thermometer) and I connected to the low side but with no can...I let pressure out. The compressor cycled on and off again. I let more out, and the compressor cycled again and stayed on longer. This continued for several minutes with me gently bleeding pressure off of the low side valve until now the compressor stays on all the time. Inside, plenty of cold air! I think the PO must have overcharged the crap out of it and instead of saying he had added refridgerant, he just said "ummm it works a little but might need to be looked at". I guess I'm lucky nothing popped in my face while I was hooking up to the AC the first time and thanks for all your cautionary posts and advice. It was the trinary switch that got me thinking again. Another problem solved by you guys! I'll get it hooked up to a set of gauges and see if its everything is where it should be or close to it.

Thanks and I've stopped until I find out more. I actually shut the "Blue Demon" off yesterday as soon as it did that. I mistakenly thought the compressor had to engage to bring the pressure on the LOW side down enough to take refridgerant. It would only stay on for a second or even less. I'll do some reading as you suggested. Oh, and it's a '94 Legacy L Alpine Wagon.