Fairtax4me

"Blown engine" in this case probably means jumped timing belt. When it turns over does it sound smooth, maybe with an occasional chug? Or does it chug chug in consistent increments? Smooth fast crank means jumped timing, and depending on the year, bent valves.

80w-90 is the basic stuff, what's recommended in the owners manual. Works just fine. If you want to spend more money on synthetic you can get 75w-90 which offers a bit better cold flow rate. Or if you are hauling heavy loads frequently, get the 75w-140 for better high temp protection. Do not use either of the latter two in the manual transmission. They will cause shifting problems. Fine for use in auto trans front diff though.

No guarantee that it's the timing, but that's easy enough to check. (And free) Could have a dead coolant temp sensor telling the ECU that its -40° so its flooding it with fuel. Fuel washed piston rings will also cause the compression to be very low.

I don't even bother to take the fans out, much less the radiator, but if you've never done a timing job before it makes it much easier to get to things and see what you're doing. Beergarage.com also has a good writeup for the timing belt.

Won't hurt it. Only needs the front sensor for air/fuel ratio changes.

There's no specific code that says "blown head gasket" because that's a mechanical issue that the computer can not monitor. There are codes that can be caused by the effects of a bad head gasket, such as misfire codes, P0420, cooling fan operation/temperature regulation codes, etc., depending on the failure mode of the gasket and what running conditions it is causing. What codes do you have, or what symptoms lead you to believe you have a bad head gasket?

I bet you saw the difference between the Felpro gaskets and those cheapo gaskets and understood why everyone here recommends Felpro.

.1 = 1/10 One tenth of a quart. If you look at the side of a 1 quart oil bottle you'll see it is marked with graduations. Usually 9 marks. Sometimes they're numbered. Sometimes there will also be another scale for deciliters as well. How much the car realy takes depends on the car. Some vehicles the stated capacity meets around mid-range on the dipstick. While others the stated capacity will mark it right at the full mark on the dipstick. Subaru tends to be the former, requiring slightly more to bring the level up to the full mark on the stick. The only way to find that out is to start pouring oil in and see just how much it takes to get to the full mark. It says 5.1, so buy 6 quarts, pour in 5 then start the engine and let it run for 20-30 seconds. Turn it off and wait 2-3 minutes and check the oil level on the dipstick. Add oil if necessary.

More often its the condenser that leaks. The lower corners are exposed to salt and road debris, and can corrode and leak in an area not easily visible. What is the labor rate they're quoting for that? Even at $120/hr labor you're only looking at $1100 for parts and labor. Another $150 for vacuum and recharge. Where they're getting $1,600 from, I think they're trying to hit you with a "blondie" charge. Absolutely get a second opinion. Maybe someone here can recommend a shop in the Northern Va area.

Pull the timing covers off and check the timing. With all 4 cylinders that low I would think the timing is off at the crank.

Is that with all 4 of the plugs removed and throttle plate held wide open? If not, you'll need to do the test again to get accurate numbers.

So you've fixed the leak? Are you now still having overheating problems? These cooling systems can be tricky to get all of the air out of. Open the bleeder cap on the passenger side of the radiator to help get air out of the block while filling with coolant. Once full, run the engine to operating temp and the radiator fans to cycle on then back off, then allow the engine to cool completely. After cooling, top off the radiator with coolant if needed. No way to really tell how long it will last. You may start burning coolant immediately, or you may get another 50k out of it. Just be sure to keep an eye on the coolant level. If you notice it getting low and you have to add coolant on a regular basis, time will be limited.

Sorry to hear you had to sell the car. Good luck with the hunt for a "new" one! I appreciate you sending your buyer my way! I'm glad to help, and I can always use more Subarus to work on!

Looks like that seal can be bought from several sources online, partsgeek, autopartswarehouse, for about $6 but shipping is a killer for just that seal by itself. It does look like that seal comes with most of the inexpensive head gasket kits, so if a total reseal is needed, buying a whole kit is worth it, and then you can ditch the cheapo head gaskets and buy a pair of Fel-Pro head gaskets for about an extra $60. (90-98 EJ22 only)

They've gone up on that one because retail price used to be about $12. Last time I bought one was probably over a year ago. Obviously if evergreen can put one in a $50 kit with a ton of other gaskets they can't be that dam expensive to make. Gonna have to find a better source for those.

No torque app for iPhone, unfortunately. There are many more options now than there were a few years ago. Most look to be Chinese made with limited functionality, though if you're just reading codes they should work ok. One that looked promising required a purchase for each vehicle and separate purchases for higher functions such as ABS /airbag system scanning. Unlimited use available for about $120 by the time you add it all up, not including the cost of the Bluetooth adapter. One app that was free looked great but the required wifi adapter was $149. One of the first results was a $9.99 app with a "premium" upgrade for another $14.99. (Which I couldnt figure what's included in that) It requires an Eml327 adapter which usually are less than $20.

Lots of people upgraded from the single piston to the dual pistons front calipers on the 95-99 year legacy. Just had to a swap the caliper and bracket. The older dual piston calipers fit under the 15" wheels which were common. Nice to know we can bolt on the newer stuff too.

This o- ring was in your kit? http://parts.subaru.com/images/parts/subaru/productimages/fullsize/11122AA340.jpg That one I paid $9 from the dealer here last time I did a pan seal.

How many miles on it? How old are the O2 sensors? When the light comes do you actually feel it stumble when it misfires?

PCV stuff can be worked around with various fittings, hoses, etc. If the block has the thread in-fitting, go to the dealer and get the PCV valve for that year, and get the hollow fitting that goes in the manifold to match.

Does it ever do that in lower gears at the same engine speed? What kind of plugs are in it?

The compressed air idea sounds bad, but if theres a small leaf or something inside the evaporator box covering the drain hole the air will blow it out of the way. There isn't anything in there to hurt, and the air does a good job of desintegrating dust clumps and leaf crud, then they can hopefully drain out with the water the way theyre supposed to.

I've never bent large diameter tube, only brake and fuel line sized stuff, and some 1/2" conduit, but what I know from that (and kinking plenty of it) is that the tube has to fit snugly into the die. The wall of the die supports the tube wall to keep it from pushing outward as it bends. When the tube has room to wiggle in the die, the walls of the tube will spread outward, and the tube will kink rather than bend. Say you're trying to bend a 5/8" od tube using a 3/4" die. Its going to kink because the die is wider than the tube. Same applies of the die is too small and the tube doesn't fit into it all the way. You can't bend 7/8" Od tube with a 3/4" die. For 1/2" tube you need a 1/2" die. 1-1/4" tube needs 1-1/4" die.

For most things that will probably work fine. For really stuck wheel bearings it may not have enough oomph.

I don't know how complete it is, but there is a 90 legacy owners manual on this site: http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/