Towel Rail

They're not just slapping a special top end on this one. The whole unit is beefy. Seen these pictures yet? http://www.autoblog.com/photos/subaru-boxer-turbo-diesel/ - Scott

I wonder if they'll use a compacted graphite-iron block like the new Duramax... the rods and pistons are the really critical part to beef up for diesel engines.

When it's cold out, I drive carefully, even on dry-looking pavement. Snow tires rock.

I've been hearing the rumors for years, but I'll let some real-world testing occur first. If they turn out to be alright, I might be tempted to buy an actual "new car." - Scott

That is an AWESOME idea! Everyone would need to post the circumference, not the tread depth, though.

Pics?

1997+ EJ22s are interference, for what it's worth.

Whew, looks like you dodged the bullet! It'll be something to keep an eye on when the weather gets warm again...

OTOH, my STP filter is American-made (Champion Labs, I believe), so I'm keeping the money "here" -- where are the OEM filters made?

I used an STP filter when I replaced it a couple days ago. Nothing bad has happened yet.

Does the car burn oil? If the PCV valve is malfunctioning, and the car is burning oil, that could cause a plug to foul and misfire.

Looks very nice! Sucks that it cost so much to repair, but these cars are worth putting money into, I think.

I think he kept the stock ignition but didn't have it on for all the pics. Not sure why the VW/Porsche guys always like to tear off perfectly good FI systems and replace them with carbs, though. Oh, and that rear bumper is fugly.

With the price of rebuilt Porsche engines, I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later. Looks like they had lots of room to work with too, going from a 6-cylinder to a 4.

Even though my car isn't running rough or burning oil, I may go ahead and replace mine just for the heck of it. Thanks for the pics, porcupine -- saved me from having to search for part #s or ask questions! - Scott

They are *probably* fine, but this is an excellent opportunity to replace the blinker fluid and repack the muffler bearings. Not enough people do that!

Rock on, Nug. Far too many great cars have been lost to rust... - Scott

If it doesn't have to be brand-new, a 1996 Outback with EJ22 would offer nice ground clearance, AWD, and a durable engine. Mine was pretty cheap too, something to consider if you'll be taking it off-road and scratching it up. - Scott

If the rings are no longer sealing well, I could see a gross overfill causing excessive oil consumption and thus plug fouling. Just set up a drain pan, unscrew the plug *almost* all the way, and let it strickle out for a few seconds. Screw in the plug a couple turns, check the oil level again, and repeat as necessary. - Scott

I punted and bought Subaru brand coolant from the dealer.

5W40 and 5W50 oils, for the most part, use Group III/IV basestocks, so they need some, but not a lot of VIIs. The Castrol 5W50 is more like a "strong" 5W40, just 0.1 cSt over the line. Kind of a poseur, lol. I think those wear numbers are in percentages. PPM would be somethng like 26 for Iron, 19 for Copper, etc.

The wear numbers do look excellent, but I don't like how the Mobil and Kendall sheared down to a 30 weight oil. There's nothing about an oil that pumps well at low temperatures (5W) that would keep it from sweeping out contaminants. That's nonsense. - Scott

I haven't needed strap-on extensions yet.

Not feeling it, but give me a couple years.

A far safer plan would be to simply use narrower tires. That reduces the rolling resistance and unsprung weight without having to do stupid things like inflating the tires over the MAX sidewall rating. My recommendations for overall economy are to lose weight (passenger(s) and cargo), keep the car in tune, and drive slower.