ron917

Isn't STP and similar products mostly ZDDP in a heavy oil?

I've seen and heard complaints about headrests in other cars, as well. Volvo comes to mind. My Dad has a Ford 500, which is a mostly Volvo design (Ford owns Volvo), and the headrests are very annoying. The new headrest designs make for excellent crash test results. But the crash test dummies never complain of back or neck pain from uncomfortable seating positions.

Never just "top up" the refrigerant! Too much can be worse than too little! Everything you need to know about automotive AC can be found at http://www.aircondition.com/

First make sure that there is refrigerant in the system. The low pressure cutout will prevent the compressor from running if there is not enough refrigerant. Best way to check is with a pressure gauge. I don't know the details of your car, but in most cars, you can jump the low pressure sensor briefly to see if the compressor will run. Don't let it run long! It won't have enough oil circulating if the refrigerant is low. Everything you need to know about automotive AC can be found at http://www.aircondition.com/

My '99 Outback automatic also had the touchy throttle. It went away after I replaced the engine with a rebuilt (siezed camshaft). I think that Phugoid and porcupine73 have found cheaper solutions. I did have to adjust the throttle cable when I re-installed the intake. I think that may have more to do with the fix than anything else.

Looks like salty water/slush splashed up there last winter. Nothing else I know of makes that white crust.

That plastic piece is the oil separater cover. It is a common source of leaks. Get a new one from Subaru, it will be made of metal and will be less prone to leak.

Interesting code! If the thermostat is stuck open, then the engine won't reach full operating temperature. What is the temp guage on the dash doing?

That would have been the crank or cam position sensor. Intermittant no start after a hot soak is a classic failure mode for that type of sensor (not just on Subarus). However, if that sensor is bad, it will not prevent the starter from turning the engine over - it spins, but won't start because the engine conrol system doesn't have a correct timing signal.

No holes in my '99 Outback. I doubt there are holes in a '98, either - the bodies are identical.

There is enough room, but you have to assemble your ratchet/extension(s)/socket kit in place. Remove the rubber insert from your spark plug socket, you don't want it to get stuck in there! Slide the socket in, then extension(s), then attach the ratchet. Since the spark plug socket has a hex on the end, I found that a deep socket that fits the hex works better than an extension for some plugs. Then, you need to disassemble your kit in reverse to get it out. It's a bit of a puzzle figuring out which combination of things from your tool set will work. It's not hard, but it will take some time and head scratching. Long, skinny fingers (unlike mine) would be very helpful. Removing the intake plumbing (air cleaner, MAF, etc), battery, and windshield washer reservoir make the job easier. Some folks say it's easier from below, I found access from the top better once the previously mentioned items were out of the way.

For my '99 Outback (also 2.5 DOHC), having the headgaskets replaced by a good independent shop cost $1800. This included head machining and valve job, replacing of all engine seals, new timing belt, idler, water pump, hoses and belts. 13,000 miles later, one of my camshafts siezed, and I ended up replacing the engine with a rebuilt from CCR. That cost just over $3000 including a new radiator, various minor parts as needed, and a few new tools, doing the work myself. I would never buy a used 2.5 DOHC. The things are fragile, and replacements are in such high demand that even used ones are expensive. When the HGs went, I debated whether to just get a rebuilt or repair engine. In retrospect, the rebuilt would have been cheaper, but you never know. If you repair your engine, the headgaskets MUST be new stock from the Subaru dealer. Do not use any other brand!

Tabs of the HG actually stick out and are very easy to see. Just look where the heads and block meet, of course. Somewhere on the the net there are descriptions and pics of the differences between the original and updated gaskets. Given that info, it should be easy to tell. If the HG job were done right, the heads would have been cleaned by the machine shop. If the heads are cleaner than the block, that is evidence that the HGs have been replaced (or at least that the heads have been off). Of course, they still may not be the latest version from Subaru.

I have no suggestions to help prevent such damage, but I will share a few rodent stories - maybe it will help you feel better. - A bad smell in my wife's Pontiac Montana was caused by a rodent nest in the cabin air filter. - One of my old Volvo 240s was running like crap. I found the air cleaner filled with feed corn, apparantly stored there by a rodent. - Something filled the exhaust port of my shop vac with bird seed. I didn't discover it until I turned the vac on. It spewed bird seed all over the garage. It's funny now, but wasn't at the time.

I remember those days. After g/f became wife, the tune changed a bit, to: "At least I know where you are all the time!" Now, I have a 17 year old son for a much more willing assistant. I just tell him, "If you want to drive the car, you have to help me with this!"

Good job! Knew you could do it!

I did a screen capture from the FSM showing where the fasteners are. I photoshopped it a bit to add some arrows and show where the starter is. View is from the rear of the engine. I uploaded it to my photo album. Here's a link, as I have no clue how to show an image in-line on this board. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showphoto.php?photo=15494&cat=500&ppuser=4193

Same animal - I have the same car. If the Haynes manual says there are only 4 fasteners, it is wrong. I'd copy/paste some parts of the Subaru Factory Service Manual, but the PDF file is copy protected somehow and it won't let me do it. I remember a couple of the fasteners where a pain to reach. The flex handle I mentioned earlier (bought it at Sears) did the trick on one of them, one of the lower ones on the drivers side that was kind of blocked by the inner CV joint. I also used a 6 point socket to avoid rounding the nuts and bolts. Gook luck, I'm sure you can do this after some rest! A fresh start and some thought is always helpful.

There are a total of 8 fasteners connecting the engine to the tranny in a '99 Outback. The factory shop manual states that there are 4 nuts on the lower part, and 4 bolts on the upper. I seem to remember that it was 2 nuts and 6 bolts on mine, but I could be wrong. It's dark outside, otherwise I'd go look. The starter must come off - one of the starter bolts also connects the engine and tranny. I found a 3/8 drive flex handle very useful in removing some of those fasteners. A swivel let the the socket slip too easily. There are also two steel pins that align the engine and tranny. They are a pretty tight fit and corrosion will form between the aluminum castings and steel pins. You may need to use some persuaion to separate the two. The pins should stay with the engine, but no big deal if they don't.

You need a spring compressor. $50 or borrow from AutoZone or similar. Also, wrenches for the top nuts that can fit the nut while a using a hex key on the shaft (take a look, you'll see what I'm talking about). Deep offset box wrenches work, if you can find some that are deep enough (the ones at Sears aren't). I fabricated suitable wrenches by welding sockets to 1in. by 1/4in. steel bar. Some folks use an impact wrench, that works if you have one (I have one, but don't use it for tightening fasteners).

Another happy ending!

:headbang::headbang::headbang:

I bought my KYB GR-2s from TireRack. $304 for the set of 4, plus shipping. Not sure what the shipping would be for the struts alone, because I bought 4 tires on the same invoice ($68 total shipping for the tires and struts). So Nipper's price of $330 including shipping sounds good. TireRack is good people, never an issue with them. And I get my stuff the next day if it's in stock in their Delaware warehouse.

I guess it depends on your perspective. My '99 Outback is the fastest, most powerful car I've ever owned (not counting the wife's minivan, which has more HP but no traction and weighs 4000 lbs). My first car was a '78 VW Diesel Rabbit (Golf Mk I outside the USA), it went from 0 to 60 in about a week. One day, I wondered how well my AWD was working. I did some quick take offs in a gravel parking lot, then put the FWD fuse in and tried again. HOLY $%^&, what a difference! Massive wheelspin! AWD rules!

Dude, don't tell me you counted that!