Legback

Six Star. I bought them @ the local used Subaru guru.

I bought the 82$ set of brandy new ones at NAPA and used all new ones on that side. Left handed drill bits backed out the broken end easily. :-\

Could it be anything besides the HG's? please, please please? I just changed them (HG'S)a week and a half ago but I DID make that dreaded error of going to 132 FT IBS. before snapping the upper forward head bolt. I went ahead and used that same HG. Is this most likely the cause of my bubbles? Luckily it's on the pssnger side. Should I put yet another new timing belt in when I pull it apart again? My engine does not overheat and never really has as a result of my head gaskets being faulty. Help!! Thanks.

CRAP! I used a really nice bearing grease I use on the wood chipper bearings. Very thin layer. It didn't occer to me they could be TOO lubed. Woops. Found a Six Star oil pressure sensor for 22$. Mine was def. leaking. It's a new car. My seeping head gaskets caused a giant loss of power and an erratic power curve. SOOOOO glad I pulled that off.

camshaft retainer caps in the 2.5 are 70-90 in ibs. x .083 = ft ibs.

I used high temp bearing grease very lightly on the washer and threads. Hayes manual has a torque sequence--get it. Helpful to know the head bolts are spec'd in IN. IBS. I thought it was strange to tighten them to 132 ft ibs. Broke a head bolt in fact before waking up. Why don't they do the conversion to ft pounds in the Haynes.. ??? Multiply say 132 in ibs x .083 to get ft pounds. Heads bolts get tightened to 21 ft ibs then to 50 ft ibs then loosened .5 turn twice then torqued to 132 in ibs. which is like 11 ft ibs. then 90 degrees twice on all the bolts. IIntake whistled on re assembly and them coolant system locked up and overheated. She's good now. Still got drips on my jack plate though!!! double F. Overall feels like a different car.

AS it turns out, my cam seals are leaking very little. The tell tale sign of oil on my overflow tank walls, led me to shoot a question at my local Sube service manager. He insisted I was wasting my time doing a cam job, and not replacing my head gaskets. So I'm balls deep in head gasket project. Power steering pump isn't really leaking either. I think my oil pressure sensor IS leaking just a touch. Passenger side top of block where it meets the head is very wet. Must be the head gasket?.. We'll see. None of the spinny thing felt suspect. There is a bit of powdery black beltish debris on the inside of the timing belt cover but the belt looked good and was dry. Passenger side cam sprckets came off a little tough. Tapped the center while wiggling work after two minutes. Figured out the 6 head bolts require a 12 point 14mm not a 6 point. Is there any reason I can't just prop up the intake manifold and not remove it? Do you put bearing grease on the threads and the heads of the head bolts? Is a really long 10mm rat************\(why not spell it like that?) \boxend the best tool for that bolt-[drivers side low right] Note. I DID have to return my valve cover seal kit for my 98 ej25 and get the actual one for my 98 ej25. He asked if it was a Limited and said there was a different kit for that. Traded kits. Asked questions. You never know what you're going to get when you ask a pro mechanic for input. This guy may have saved me a blown engine... If I do it right...! "See you guys in the emergency room".-Jon Bender

Wow! The parts showed up a day early! Getting started Friday PM fo sho! Good call on the Import Experts. Timing belt in a little non descript. Is it an item that should be upgraded?

250$ with a 50 water pump\metal gasket, 3 idlers, tensioner, and he said it was an entry level belt spec'd for strict manual intervals. Glad I didn't go to Napa...so far. Triangle Auto supply was who I dealt with over the phone and they were great!! Thanks folks!! standy by........

This kit is 440$ which seems a little high to me. The belt IS made by Gates and who knows where the idlers and tensioner come from? Any input is appreciated. Gotta pull the trigger on this cam seal project asap. http://www.napaonline.com/Search/Detail.aspx?A=NBH2522772_0261420873&An=599001+101998+50068+2068008+11040+599999+109999+59999+3999999

Does anybody know what you call this plate? And is it available brandy new?? Mine's nasty. Looks like the handle is part and maybe the linkage etc. It's just rusty and scale-y and it bleeds down the white. And the handle's soooo slow to rebound. Usually, I have to snap it and play games with it and the unlock/lock buttons to get the trunk open. PITA.

Satrdy Am... They may be open!

I think I read it's a 1 inch o-ring on the ps reservoir. Can I get that at the ACE hardware store or does it have to come through the Subaru dealer?

PS pump for sure---thanks again.

I wish I could reach the area to at least stick a finger in it but the area is unreachable til I take something off\out. It IS an oily looking residue and ATF color is not noted. Whatever it is, it's ultra slow...for now. Thanks for the input!!-Trev

Would it be oil or coolant leaking out of it?

There's been a phantom wet spot under my power steering pump\alternator for a while now I just noticed moisture leaking out of the top of the sensor there?? Am I imagining this and which sensor is this? It's a 1998 ej25.

Sounds fun. IF the teeth skip is there are trick to re-aligning them with their TDC marks?

Have been searching the archives but I'm wondering if anyone knows a great link/ keyword search of the top o their heads. I'm @ 160000 and had the water pump timing belt done @ 120000. If a screwdriver in the flexplate hole will work to remove the cam gear nutz and the harmonic pulley, I'm relieved. Got the oil pump o ring and front crank seal on my list and definately the two belts out front. Is the harmonic pulley nut 24 or 22mm?

Looks like Kroil saved the day again!! So far it seems like the u joints were the culprit. Thanks again everybody!

There are no noises save for some PS belt screeches, at low speeds, I think I caused with the Purple Powere degreaser trying to find a leak. The steering got easier when I added a cup of ATF to the reservoir but there is still that hard spot. I'm gonna go try that u joint lube job with my AeroKroil. I may have degreased it!

It really seems like a steering problem but could it be the next chapter in my front DIFF saga? The PS pump seems a bit damp but fluid isn't leaking fast. PurplePowering that now. There's just a tough hitch at a quarter turn in the wheel all of a sudden since Wednesday. Any ideas?

Already got new tires!!! Just to prevent further damage, I thought I'd look to make more improvements.

Cool. Thanks again. If a tire looses air pressure, in effect you're making the tire SMALLER which would mean the low pressure tire has to turn FASTER to keep up. OR is the flab of the flat tire causing resistance thus slowing it down? AND is the problem with the central drive shaft fighting with the diffs or the L and R sides of the diffs fighting each other?

Thanks for the input! I think I'll put the front diff on an every 4 or 5 month fluid change to delay it's demise. IS there a recommended brand or is NAPA 85-90 good enough?