99obw

I think that is a myth. I switched our outback from Pennzoil to Mobil 1 around 70k. It leaks/burns some oil, but it seems like all of my cars leak/burn oil. All cars will eventually leak oil, especially Subarus. Most of the oil geeks at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com recommend using AutoRX to clean the old junk out before switching to synthetic. Don't use a solvent based cleaner that cleans in 5 minutes, bad idea. I prefer Amsoil. It is a good oil. Mobil 1 is a good oil too, but I think it is too thin. Amsoil is a bit hard to get, but if you buy the preferred customer membership and order a bunch via the internet the cost is slightly more than Mobil 1. I use the Amsoil oil filters. They are a good filter. Napa Gold and OEM (Purolator IIRC) would be my other choices.

Not to spend your money for you, but at that mileage I would just replace them. If nobody chimes in I can look up the resistance in the FSM when I get home.

Agreed! I think the laser platinums are the OEM plug on the Phase I 2.5, at least for '99. Here is the other thread I was thinking of.

The left side cams will rotate slightly when the belt is removed. The cams rotate due to spring pressure, meaning that the valves are closing, i.e. moving away from each other. No damage will be done. The haynes manual that covers our outback actually goes so far as to tell which direction to turn each cam when installing the new belt. I would definately buy a haynes manual that covers the 2.5 Phase I or download the FSM if I were you.

FWIW, here in western NY some of the suby mechanics sparingly coat the pad guides with anti-sieze compound to keep the pads from sticking and/or wearing unevenly. I find that this needs to be done at least once a year to maximize pad life and minimize sticking. You might want to give this a try.

I use the laser platinums at 60k intervals. Generally you get what you pay for. You won't get nearly that many miles out of a non-platinum plug before fuel economy and engine starting begin to suffer. You can get a better price on the internet for the iridiums. IIRC someone said that one of the parts stores has really good prices on the NGK platinums, something like $10 each. You might find it using the search feature.

I have heard of people cutting the bracket. Personally I have a cheap little Mityvac power bleeder so bleeding the brakes by myself isn't a big deal. I am a bit of a perfectionist so I probably wouldn't cut the strut, but do whatever you want. I would be careful to make sure the brake hose is securely attached when you are done if you do cut the strut.

I have a friend that did it that way on the front of a FWD olds. Coil springs are not the thing to be cutting corners on. Do it right and remove the strut.

I am doing the struts at the same time, and I am waiting for the little rubber donut that goes between the spring and the strut. If you didn't have that tool to force the axle out of the hub how did you do it? I have always just used a BFH, but perhaps I should try to be a little more civilized. I have a harmonic balancer puller that I may be able to use in an improvised sort of way. Perhaps I could weld a nut to a piece of steel that has holes drilled in it for the wheel studs and use a long bolt to force the axle out. Did your axle come out hard? Did you repack the new bearings? Why did you replace the bushing? PS: You have a nice shop! Hydraulic press, parts cleaner, air tools.

Good info, I will keep that in mind when I use my huber tamer in the near future. (picking up the last of the parts tomorrow, special order) That is less than I paid as well. Perhaps we should have sevensisters look for the best price for things from now on. Just kidding...

If done properly I think that technique is the most conclusive DIY test for head gasket failure. Sorry to hear about your admission to the club. Good luck!

Skin effect as you describe is only found with alternating current (AC). At higher frequencies the inductance of the wire "chokes" the current in the center of the conductor. The skin depth, or depth of the current that travels on the surface, is related to frequency and material. Using smaller conductors allows the skin depth to be near the center of the conductor such that all of the material efficently conducts. Not an issue with 12V DC. With the 400Hz power found in aircraft maybe it is an issue. I would guess a bigger reason for using stranded wire is it's physical flexibility. Like has been said, in general putting in these higher wattage bulbs is stressing the system beyond what is was designed to do. I was simply trying to help with the splicing. :-\

Assuming your car is N/A they list a Walker 250-23000 universal for $44.95 at http://www.oxygensensors.com

I have to dissagree about the tires, I can make better time in a FWD car with snow tires than an AWD car with all-seasons on all but the steepest of terrain. If you want to drive in the snow use snow tires, it's that simple. I slow down BEFORE the curve, then proceed through the curve while applying a slight amount of throttle, just enough to maintain speed or slightly more. Braking in a curve is a bad idea. Countersteering is difficult to learn, so I recommend learning to avoid putting yourself in situations where you need to countersteer to recover. Practice countersteering in a parking lot before trying it on the road. You really don't have a very good chance of recovering at speed, so this should be considered a last resort. Driving in snow is all about dynamic equilibrium. The car can move in a straight line at a very high speed and only exert a very small force on the road via the tires. It takes something like 8 HP to move a car down the road at speed, so that tells you how little force is required to drive down a snowy road in a straight line, and that is why the AWD provides little benefit once the car is up to speed. Turning, accelerating, and braking require the tires to exert a much greater force on the road. Anticipate curves and stops, keep all of your movements smooth and subtle, slow down before bridges. The rest is good advice.

The splice should be sufficently away from the connector such that the wire reaching the melting point of solder (361*F for 37/63) is not an issue, if you are really worried about it use 2%silver solder. If the wire is consistently getting hot enough to melt solder then you will need teflon insulated wire, which the car may have anyway, I don't know. The excess flux can be cleaned off using "Flux Off" or some IPA. In my experience I have seen the soldered connections hold up much better than crimp connectors.

I have taken my last three cars (buick, nissan, toyota) past 200k with pennzoil and fram filters changed every 3-5k. Currently I use amsoil in the outback with amsoil filters, and pennzoil in my dodge with supertech filters. As much as I drive getting to 200k is easy with almost any car, now 300k is a bit of a challenge. That is what I am hoping to get out of the outback with the Phase I 2.5.

I have used the following technique countless times on similar repairs: Cut the wires as long as possible on both the car and the junkyard connector so you can stagger the solder joints. Make sure you cut away any wire on the car that has heat damage to the insulation. Overlay the "new" connector with the wires from the car and cut both wires where each solder joint will be, staggering the connections. Strip 1/2" off each wire, gently twist, and tin with rosin core solder. Once the wires have cooled, slide the appropriate size shrink tubing over the wire, making sure that it will be well away from the heat of soldering. Lay the wires so they overlap, one coming from the left and the other coming from the right, then solder them together. Slide the shrink tubing over the connection and shrink. When completed it should look like the original with the exception of a bump under the shrink tubing on each wire. The same technique can be used with different types of splice connectors. The solder makes the connection much more durable, and the shrink tubing keeps it clean and dry. This is only a temporary fix, as the heat of the bulbs you are using will most likely damage the "new" connector with similar frequency. It seems to me that if bulb manufacturers are going to sell bulbs that are clearly beyond what the cars were designed for, they should also sell the connectors that can take the heat.

Synthetic oil: While I think Mobil 1 is good oil, I personally don't like it. It is very thin. If I were to use it again I would go up a viscosity grade. Amsoil is just as good with robust viscosity and a good additive package. Amsoil has a low NOACK volatility, which seems to reduce consumption over Mobil 1. The outback would drink relatively large quantities of Mobil 1, while consumption is perhaps 25% as much with Amsoil on what is now an older engine. German made Castrol synthetic seems to be very popular with the oil geeks right now. I personally don't think the high-end synthetics like Royal Purple and Redline are worth the money, and I wouldn't buy any over the counter synthetic other than Mobil 1. Regular Castrol Syntec is an imposter, really not in the same league with the "real" (group 4 and 5) synthetics. Mineral Oil: I have been a long time Pennzoil user, and come to find out on http://www.bobistheoilguy.com that the used oil analysis (UOA) on Pennzoil tends to be very good. There are certainly some other very good conventional oils but I am not as familiar with those right off hand. All of this is just opinion. To really determine which oil is best in your car for your driving you need to take a sample and have it analyzed, or preferably monitor the oil over several changes.

I wouldn't bother changing the downstream sensor unless you have a MIL. Supposedly it doesn't affect mileage, it just verifies the operation of the catylitic converter. I would estimate $100 give or take for the part and $35 for the labor. If the mechanic can't do it in half an hour find a different mechanic. It is super easy to do yourself. Run the car to get the exhaust really hot and remove it with a 22mm or 7/8" wrench. It is directly under the right side inner CV joint on the new gen subies I have seen. You can get at it from near the firewall from above on the passenger side. Be careful, that stuff is hot. FWIW I recently changed the upstream O2 sensor on our 99 outback with about 150k miles on it and saw about an 8% fuel economy improvement. I bought the universal replacement for $45 and did a little soldering.

On the left head there is one seal and one o-ring on the front of the head. On the right head there is one seal on the front of the head and one o-ring on the rear of the head. I would probably do the valve cover gaskets, valve cover bolt gaskets, oil filler tube o-ring, dipstick tube o-ring, front main seal, oil pump o-ring, timing belt, spark plugs, spark plug wires, water pump, water pump gasket, thermostat, thermostat gasket, air filter, fuel filter, fuel hoses, radiator hoses, heater hoses, radiator cap, accesory belts, and PCV valve at the same time, but that is me. You may want to take a close look and see if your rear main seal is leaking, hopefully not because that is a PITA. Be careful to purge the cooling system of air if you drain it.

I have to agree, I would take it to a new mechanic and start over. Based on his apperent level of expertise I wouldn't trust anything he did very much. Make sure the compression test is done at WOT, those numbers sound very low. It's doubtful that a Phase I head gasket failure would drop the compression that much, if any. Could be valves, the wet/dry oil test could be informative.

I think the optima battery is a good idea. I would also think about a high idle solenoid like the old carbureted cars had. Put a switch on the dash and interlock it with park or neutral. Rig it up so it presses on the throttle.

I cleared the code last night and it hasn't returned. When my wife told me about it she mentioned that she had just filled the gas tank. I asked her if she tightened the cap until it clicked. She said "ummmmmmmm, I don't know". It was a little loose, maybe a 1/4 turn before it clicked. I am hoping that was all it was, but knowing my luck I will need every part in the system.

What did you find out? My wife came home tonight and informed me that the check engine light was on. I pulled a code P0400. :boohoo:

I paid about $175 for the JVC MP3 player that I put in my car. I highly recommend it. JVC SX-980. Not the best available but very good for the money. One CD holds about 10 discs worth.