svxpert

<<now the damn thing is back here agian.. it never ends.. it still looks like it burning oil.. this time its not coming from either valve cover... its smoking from right in the y of the exhaust.. >> if its oil leaking from the rear of the engine its coming fromt the separator plate and/or the rear main seal. i guess the place thats working on your car really aren't familar with the subaru engine.

<<they tried to put a new gasket and some kind of sealer on it 4 times before replacing it... then they replace the actual valve cover.. now ther other side is doing the same thing...>> if there trying to use a sealer, you should run fast, and run far from that place. if they can't solve the valve cover leak they shouldn't work on subaru's. <<now the damn thing is back here agian.. it never ends.. it still looks like it burning oil.. this time its not coming from either valve cover... its smoking from right in the y of the exhaust.. its really wierd though because it doesnt look like there is much if any oil on it yet i can watch white smoke rise off of it.. and it smells like burning oil.. any ideas.. i cant see anywhere that oil would be coming from.. both valve covers are dry as a bone... im lost.. the mechanics are not sure what else to do.. is it possible the smoke is coming from within the exhast for some crazy reason..? like the engine is allowing oil into the exhaust?>> did they remove the engine at any time during these failed attemps at fixing the problem?

who was the last on to take the pulley off? it should be there problem to fix.where in nj are you?

<<wait for 06 if you can. the 05s are new models, they'll have bugs. the bugs will be sqished by 06.>> the 05' are basicly the same as 04's. the 06's are the new body style and the end of the 2.0 its not a rumor, its true.

<<I am looking at buying a WRX Sport Wagon- should I start looking at 2005 models or should I wait for the 2006 models to come out later this year- does anyone have an inside scoop about any major changes for 06?>> well, the only MINOR change i see for the 06' WRX is that subaru dropped the 2.0 for the 2.5. Now its basicly a de-tuned 2.5 like in the Forester 2.5 XT. And a minor front end makeover.....

<< A: do these cars really have clutch problems... B: will it happen again... and C: are there any other issues with this car that i should know about.>> A: no B: maybe, depends on what went wrong. i.e. driver error/part failure c: no

<<The factory AM/FM/6 Disk Changer costs about $300.>> used maybe. the list price on that radio is around $700. go on e-bay and find one from a WRX for $100-150 and instal it yourself.

15208AA080 if they still stock them 0r 15208AA100, thats the superceeded number.

<<The reliability has gone down hill with the start of the 2.5L engines.>> possibly, they had a rough start. they got better with development. Now, there in the 2.2 catigory of reliability. Just look at the STi 2.5 engine and the de-tuned Turbo Legacy engine. Nothing wrong with them. Soon, all Subarus will have 2.5 or 3.0 engines in them. (hint-hint)

<<Basically I'm looking for a clutch kit that grabs a little harder than stock and won't slip. If I rev up and drop the cluth on a fast break in traffic sometimes it slips a little- has for 2 years and hasn't gotten worse, I assume it's just not the best quality clutch or the pressure plate springs are too weak.>> i think you would want the clutch to slip a little bit. just think, since you have AWD, your tires arent going to slip, so the only other thing that would give is your gears. thats what you don't want. seems like alot of work for 20 HP. did you buy the kit off e-bay?

<<I've had a "tick" for quite awhile, been writing it off as piston slap, >> not in a 93 EJ22 your not gonna have piston slap

where are you getting a EJ18T turbo? i don't think they exist. my shop is in south jersey, near blackwood. thanks

my shop will put a new clutch disk, flywheel, pressure plate and throwout bearing that will handle 165HP all day long for $600. what kind of HP do you think you'll be getting? subarueast@yahoo.com

<<There are a lot of certifications out there, but only dealers can claim "Subaru Certified" (I think) or can an indie shop send a tech to a "Subaru" class to get certified ???>> no, only a dealer or SOA employee can go to a class.

P.M.'ed you.

<<My feelings is they are driving folks to the pirated versions available versus legal acquisition.>> just buy the service manual books then. the online manuals are for convenience.

will the roll pin line up to be put back in? 1/2 inch isn't much, you just have to push it on more.

<<I tryed looking them up on the web with no luck. Seems Subaru has doen a great job of keeping their manuals off the internet, essentially cornering the market on their newer manuals.>> well, unless someone buys them from subaru and re-sells them, there only available through subaru dealers. i don't know if hayes (sp?) makes them for the newer models, i use the factory ones.

<<What's the pin spanner for, looks like crank pulley?>> close, camshaft sprockets.

<<Ok, in my continuing quest to list the parts for a timing belt job, why would I need to replace pulleys? So far I'm hearing: tensioner, water pump, crank seal, cam seal, timing belt, accessory belts.>> I'll try my best to explain this post. On most subaru engines that run a timing belt you will have 3 idler belt pulleys, and a tensioner assembly. the tensioner assembly consists of a tensioner and a adjuster. i took some time and labeled the 2.2 engine and its components so you could get a better grasp on whats behind those timing belt covers. When i do a t/b job at my shop, i always spin the tensioner and pulleys to see if the bearing is holding up. it should spin smooth, not like the sound of a metal rollerskating wheel. that is the way you can tell if you need new ones. if you have any questions, please post. if you need a full size pic of the diagram, just email me, i had to shrink it to post it on here. subarueast@yahoo.com

<<Anybody know what the average rate would be for the replacement of a timing belt in my 98 Impreza Outback Sport 2.2 from the dealer?>> dealer is usually around $500-$600 i do them for $250 at my shop. add about $60-70 for each tensioner or pulley you might need. if your car only has 80,000 you shouldn't need them yet. you might need new cam and crank seals too. its about a 2 hour job for us.

FHI publishes the service manuals.

<<Interference engines are a $3,000 repair just waiting to happen. It's not just the belt breaking that can destroy your engine. I wish that was true. If the tensioner fails, BANG goes your engine. If the water pump seizes, BANG goes your engine. If just one of the idlers fail, BANG goes your engine. If you get in a wreck, and the timing belt jumps, BANG goes your engine. This last one happens more often than you might think. In all honesty, the timing belt might be the most reliable part of the whole Mickey Mouse interference engine>> That is the truth. Thats why when I work on a car at my shop, I always use genuine subaru parts, no messing around with pressing a "replacement" bearing into a tensioner or pulley. aftermarket parts are fine, just when your not dealing with the engine!

<<One would hope that timing belt manufacturer/Subaru would put date of manufacture on it. >> Why? what good would that do? belts are changed in miles, not time intervals. you can get a belt thats been on the shelf for the past 4 years and it will last as long as one just made. I have done dozens of timing belts, i have seen shreded ones and ones that look brand new. no way you can really tell just by "looking" at the belt. if in doubt, replace it. it will be the best $250 you can spend!

<<From your experience/suggestion, if I can reuse the bolts, which steps do I skip? How high do I torque them to?>> re-use the headbolts. just clean them up and dip them in motor oil before you thread them in. ALWAYS use the FSM procedures on torqueing them. Depending on what engine your building you may need to tighten, step off, retighten. This is the only correct way to do it. No need to re-tourque them once they are on the engine for some miles like some people think.