Numbchux

Camber adjustment, improved Ackermann angle (if you use EJ front knuckles), 100s of front strut/spring options (rear shocks don't change with the 5-lug, but are a pretty simple design so there are options there). dozens of brake options, front and rear. Wheel/tire options. Might not seem like much, but makes a huge difference. Of course, a better torque curve (EJ engine) and real AWD help a LOT, too.

Relatively simple car without any major common problems. 2.2l engine wasn't plagued with headgasket problems like the 2.5. Probably rear drum brakes (lasts longer than disc, but can be more labor intensive to service). Look under the car just behind the right rear wheel for the fuel filler neck (2"+ metal tube, mostly covered by plastic sheilding) and look for rust on it. That's about $100-200 in parts and a few hours labor to replace if it rusts through. Most other rust would probably only be cosmetic (unless it's REALLY bad). Agreed to ask for Timing belt service history. IIRC Subaru recommends every 60k on those. '97 is almost definitely interference, so if the timing belt breaks while it's running, it will do internal engine damage. Not a big job to do preventatively, though. Probably a competitive dealer price, but be aware you're paying a premium for that dealer convenience. That's probably a $1500 car in a private party sale. So do the research on the dealer, and make sure it's worth it to you.

They're not failure-proof, but not anywhere near the failure rate of the EZ stuff.

www.jdmfsm.info

That's completely dependent on the dealership. The Subaru dealership where I worked was willing to do jobs like that on other vehicles, so that Nissan dealership might be willing. Just start asking/calling around. The Subaru dealership is going to be very familiar with the process of pulling the bumper, since they probably do a few every day. AFAIK, that would only effect warranty if it's directly related, BUT I never worked in service so I don't know the details of warranty work, so call your dealership. There is some gray area, and if you've done all your maintenance at the dealership, they're more likely to cover something like that then if you just show up for the free stuff. I do know that should they need to remove it for warranty or recall work, if it's an aftermarket hitch the extra labor is on you, and if it's an OE that's covered. But I can't imagine what kind of recall/warranty work would require removing the hitch....

I don't think there were any bulletins on bearing how-to. Bearings aren't any harder than any other press-in bearing, just make sure to press by the outer race, not the inner. I highly recommend buying a press. My harbor freight press cost twice what paying a shop charged me to do one. I've done dozens since then (as well as bushings, u-joints, etc.).

Could be competitive. Book time is 3.2 Hours. Average private shop rate is usually $50-$75 = ~$200 in Labor Here's the deal with parts. If the shop buys the parts from a local parts store, and installs them, and something fails, the shop will (almost always) do the legwork and the parts store will cover the parts and labor cost (meaning you bring them the car, they fix it, and charge you nothing). The shop will mark up the parts on the original purchase for that service. Decent loaded rear calipers are probably about $100ea over the counter at the store, so figure $150ish through the shop (these are pretty loose numbers and dependent on individual shops/suppliers, but probably within $30 or so). So you're touching $300 in calipers. Depending on how extensive their inspection was, they might be guessing that the calipers will be seized, and it's completely possible that once they get in there, they might find that the old ones are fine. $150 for pads, rotors, brake fluid, maybe shop supplies. That may or may not include tax....not completely unreasonable. Keep in mind, when you buy parts, you're buying the warranty. You can always find a cheaper source, but they might not stand behind the part. You could buy it down the street yourself and bring it to the shop, but they're not going to replace them for free if the part fails, and the parts store isn't going to cover labor on an over-the-counter sale, and you'll probably have to re-buy the replacement part and return the defective part for a refund. If you're prepared to take that risk/hassle, you can certainly save a bunch of money, even if you have the same shop do the labor.

Transfer clutches and/or duty C solenoid have failed.

I got seasick before I got to the point of that video.... Looks like we're talking about the threaded holes in the face? Yep, those are present in the front, and most quality rotors for most cars. My problem is by the time I need them, they're too rusty to use. I tried it on the rotors from our '04 Outback since I had hoped to use them again, and stupidly used caliper bolts to do it. Not only did I not get the rotor off that way, I wrecked my caliper bolts.... The real secret is backing off the parking brake shoes through the little access hole in the backing plate.

Off the top of my head, it should be 4.111, same as the MT 2.5 cars that body style. The AT 2.5s had 4.444s

Completely dependent on the dealership. The one where I worked still had pretty good demand for older Subarus, so it wouldn't be difficult to sell once it was fixed. The service manager also had a good relationship with a couple JDM engine suppliers, which made it possible to reliably get decent engines without spending a fortune (although the VVT SOHC 2.5s were the most difficult). Also with a large service department, it was easier to shuffle things around to free up a mechanic to do the labor. I was never involved in the transaction, so I have no idea what dollar amount they offered, but it wasn't uncommon to get cars like that in trade and fix them, so it must have been a decent offer. But, I can completely see how a dealership in a different area might make a completely different decision. If the used market wasn't as strong, or the service department didn't want to deal with it. They might just send it to the auction as-is, in which case they'll probably only clear a few hundred bucks (keep in mind, most dealerships are willing to take a loss on a trade, depending on what it's being traded)

Android. Using an ELM327 protocol adapter. Primarily using the App "Piston".

I don't believe there's any way to monitor it on the car. But there are 100s (if not 1000s) of products that work with the OBDII system to monitor it. ScanGauge is a nice self-contained unit, but kind of spendy. I have a bluetooth dongle that I bought on Amazon for $15 or so that allows me to read that stuff on a free app on my phone. For just a few days a year, I'd probably go with the phone app direction.

SVX, good luck getting a known-good one. EVERYTHING else requires at least swapping the rear diff as well.

Perfect, yea, I wouldn't worry about that tow at all. Use a bluetooth dongle or something to keep an eye on transmission temperatures, go gentle, and it'll be fine. The Subaru accessory hitch is very nice, but it is fairly expensive (they lowered the price considerably last summer, but it's still a bunch). ECOHitch makes a nice 2" version that mounts behind the bumper like the accessory one. Both of those options require taking the bumper cover off to mount, which is how they get a much cleaner install, but much more labor intensive (at the dealership I worked at, we charged 1.6 hours to try to stay competitive, but even the best techs took more than 2 hours).

The Subaru accessory hitch is not rated for an ounce more than the car, and vice versa. They do not publish any information about which is the weak link. But it's fairly substantial, replacing the factory bumper beam, and bolting to the ends of the frame rails. I have no personal experience towing with anything that new, but I do tow all the time with our '04 Outback H6. I have a 3500lb hitch on it, and an auxiliary transmission cooler on it for that reason. We own a 14' Aluminum boat with a 25hp Evinrude on it that I tow at freeway speeds fairly regularly. We brought it camping this summer, with the car loaded with our camping gear (with a toddler...lots of gear), bikes in the boat, etc. I'm sure we were well over GVWR. I had to turn the A/C off on the inclines as things were getting hot, but it was also over 90*F. I put my aunt's 19' Fiberglass deep vee open bow with 85hp Outboard (the internet told me 2500 dry) in the water this spring with it. It did fantastically on the ramp, but the drive was only about 5 miles, at a max of about 35mph. My concern with towing with a newer Outback would be the CVT, as there's potential for a lot of heat build-up there. I'd monitor transmission temperatures VERY closely (OBDII should be able to display this), and adjust driving style accordingly. Early and late in the season means cooler air temperatures, which helps considerably. Ultimately, if it's a relatively short tow (say, 100 miles or so) and can be done at slower speeds (maybe a scenic route), I wouldn't hesitate to do it....

For anyone curious, the '96 slipped through my fingers. But I picked up that parts car. It's in worse shape than I remembered (it's been more than 10 years since it was crashed, and it's been sitting outside like this since then). But the price is right, and should have the parts I need to fix my '97. 2018-07-31_08-28-28 by Numbchux, on Flickr

Yep, when I worked at the dealership, we stocked those....fairly common.

Anything's possible, and I've never even remotely compared them (I've never even had an EA82 tank out of a car...). But they're pretty different platforms. At the very least, it's not going to be a direct swap.

I would not bet against you there...

The high torque CVTs still aren't standard on the regular 4-cyl. But any CVT behind a turbo (WRX or FXT) or 6-cyl got the high torque (which uses an even more special fluid, which Subaru only sells in a 5 gallon bucket). It's odd, junkyards sell decent CVTs for relatively cheap ($1k or less, find a CVT for another manufacturer for that little) which usually indicates that there isn't much demand. But when they extended the warranty, we started replacing them like crazy (Subaru reman is $7k...). My mom drives a 2012 Impreza with the CVT. We've been doing a drain/fill every 30k miles. Yes, the fluid is like $25 a quart, and it uses more than 5 qts. But it's still cheap compared to replacing the trans.

Yea, that seems pretty expensive for injector cleaner.... Rear diff oil is certainly a good idea, front diff and CVT is probably overkill at 30k, but I wouldn't say it's a waste.

85+ is most likely an EA82 tank, which is not quite right. AFAIK, there are no new EA81 tanks available, you'll have to find a good used, which is tough as most junkyards drill a hole in them to drain them. Brat/Wagon are interchangeable for sure, probably sedan and coupe as well, hatchback tank is physically smaller, can be used with a plate behind it to adapt to the mounts for the larger tank (my brat has a hatch tank in it)

OHV is EA81, SOHC is EA82

The Tribeca being a 5EAT should have Subaru HP in it, which is a full-synthetic. There are a few aftermarket equivalents... 4EATs before 2006 just need Dexron III, which is the most common and cheapest form of ATF (usually labeled as Dex/Merc). There are plenty of synthetic and name brand alternatives, but you're transmission would be better off if you spend a third as much, and change it twice as often.