rockbass

Our White 98 Outback wagon was stolen yesterday from Sodo district of Seattle. If anyone spots it please contact me or Seattle Police. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks renegiust AT gmail DOT com

To me, it looks like the the bell housing is original (if that's even possible) and he replaced the part of the transmission that attaches to the bell housing. (It may be time to take some pictures.) The 2nd mechanic showed me where it looks like he whacked one of the bearing races with the edge of a screwdriver and knocked it out of round. In other words, the bearing is clearly damaged. I have a feeling what's there isn't salvageable. The guy is also selling Subaru parts on CL, and I wouldn't be surprised if one of those parts is my original transmission. My goal is to get this car back on the road in safe condition to drive.

Yes.

TZ102Z2DBA-KF There's another number near the starter: 373128 It looks like the bell housing is the original.

TZ102Z2DBA on the tag under hood.

Yeah, no longer have original tranny. Buying a donor car is not an option...no place for it.

Good info here as usual. They seem to sell at wrecking yards between $500 - $650 range. Next question: should I look for a private party sale or stick with wrecking yards?

I would need the VIN off the original transmission (which I no longer have) or...the "car's" VIN would have the differential ratio?

I've got a story and need some help. Here's the short version: 1998 OBW with 2.2L (swapped out 2.5L couple years ago). Auto transmission was slipping, and I decided to get it swapped locally. Hired a guy who essentially took my transmission out, installed another, test drove and said it was ready but just needed a drive shaft (?). I made the mistake of paying him for the tranny work. He returned a few days later to swap the drive shaft (while I was at work) and basically made a mess. He left the transmission in pieces and has abandoned the project leaving the parts in the back of the car and the transmission hanging from a couple of bolts. After consulting another mechanic, he confirmed the mess and showed me how the first guy destroyed the current transmission (or back half of the current transmission). My current option is to replace the current transmission, and I'm shopping for a used transmission that will work in this 98 OBW Limited that originally had a 2.5L but now has a 2.2L. My question: do I need to be looking for a specific model number transmission and or differential? Will any auto transmission from a 1998 2.2L donor work? Any info greatly appreciated.

I'll try to keep this concise, as I'm looking for advice. (Hey, that rhymed!) Brief history: 1998 Outback Limited purchased with 147K in 2004. Head gasket replaced by Independent Subaru shop. Duty C/Transfer clutch replaced twice by same shop. All of this within first 3 years of owning. Last year the head gasket blows again. It's suggested here that I convert to 2.2. Rick "General Disorder" Cropper, or as known to me, Subaru Rock Star, does the work in a day! More recent history: the transmission has been occasionally slipping into neutral when climbing a slight grade. I did a passive AT flush (multiple drain/fill cycles) as suggested here and things improved. Threw in a bottle of Trans X, also suggested here. Things got worse. Repeat flush. The car was drivable with occasional slips into neutral and let the car slow down enough to start over in a lower gear. Fun stuff. Most recently: slipping got so bad a couple of weeks ago that I could barely get the car to work and back. I had to avoid the freeway completely and nurse it home. Bought a case of AT at Costco, flush - drove a bit - flush - drove a bit - etc. Now it seems stable and has only slipped once this week during a mildly aggressive maneuver. The 2.2 is running strong. I get a P0440 CEL that I can't seem to solve, but that's another story. The car now has 272K miles on it. The biggest issue for me right now is the lack of power climbing even the smallest hill. To keep up with traffic flow I have to floor it and wait for the RPMs to gradually get high enough to get the power to make it up the hill. 1) Should I buy a used trans and get it swapped out and maybe keep driving the car for another year or more? 2) Or, sell my car and get a 2000-2003 OBW? Those years are somewhat more affordable for me, however I don't really want to deal with any more head gasket issues - internal or external, and I'm not crazy about the body styling. The H6 option is interesting (although more money) because I haul about 500 lbs. of music gear almost every weekend and it would be nice to have the extra poop. 3) Or, sell my car and bite the financial bullet and get a 2005-2006 with the body styling I like and maybe even an H6? 4) Or, sell my car and buy another 1998-2000 OBW Limited (I like the body styling, and I'm spoiled by those heated leather seats) with the newest version of head gasket and hope they didn't cook the engine too much when they overheated it? Thoughts?

A few weeks ago I was ready to junk my 98 OBW after blowing it's second head gasket. Folks here suggested a swap. Thanks for the advice, but I have to give special recognition to GeneralDisorder (Rick Cropper) for taking the extra time to hunt down the donor and parts, and for doing all the work. The best part was that he was able to do the switch in a single day saving me money and a big headache. Plus, the man certainly knows what he's doing. A true professional! Great experience! Thanks Rick. The car is running very well.

Wonder if that was your EJ22 on the stand a few days ago.... Most likely. It was installed on Thursday. Drove it back to Seattle that evening.

Just wanted to share some experience with everyone... A couple weeks ago my 98 OBW blew it's second head gasket. I posted here for suggestions. Several people recommended the 2.5 to 2.2 swap. GeneralDisorder (Rick Cropper) offered to do the work (more to say about this in another thread) at his Portland, OR location. Only problem...I'm a few miles North of Seattle, WA. Rick suggested the car may be able to be driven for a while by punching out the thermostat. This is effectively the same as removing the t-stat, however because the gasket is part of the t-stat body it's necessary to remove the t-stat guts leaving the ring that holds the gasket. So, using a hacksaw, tin snips, etc., I hollowed out the t-stat and drove around town for a half day before committing to the long freeway trip to Oregon. It never got hot. In HEAVY downtown Seattle stop & go traffic the temp got as high as about half-way. On the freeway it ran cold with the temp gauge never getting above a 1/3 of the way up. I drove it on and off for another week until I drove it from my home in Edmonds, WA 208 miles to Rick's place without incident. It ran cold on freeway and never a hint of overheating. Of course, the gas mileage may have suffered from the engine never really running at normal operating temp, however it made the trip and probably would've made it to Mexico if needed. So, if you're in a bind, and catch it early enough, by gutting the t-stat you may be able to limp your EJ25 with a blown head gasket along for a bit while you consider your options. Thanks Rick and USMB!

he knows everything. Well then...In that case I may have him take a look at my various physical ailments since I'm planning on meeting him soon for an engine swap. No worries Rick...I won't try to save money by having you perform the prostate exam that's way overdue.

Update: I gutted the the old t-stat leaving basically the ring to hold the gasket. With the hollowed out t-stat and vent cap open I drove it on the freeway and around the city today. It never got hot and stayed pretty much at the normal, mid-point of the range with only minor fluctuations. On the freeway it ran even cooler. This bandaid may work for the short while until a donor engine shows up.

interesting thanks for sharing. did you leave it "open" or what? Yes, kept it open. I even shortened the lever by snipping off part of the red tab so it wouldn't touch the hood. I'm not certain how much of a difference this made. I may try removing t-stat tomorrow. Heater bypass too if I can figure out some way to rig it. I agree, that's a long, long way to limp it. Thanks for the PM, we'll talk tomorrow.

The radiator cap helps a little. Seems to work best for short trips. I tried taking it on the highway for a few miles...temp shot way up...limped it home. This bandaid won't get me far.

From O'Reilly's... $7.99 + tax. Part # 7913

I found the thread but didn't see a part number. I'll swing by my local parts store and see what they have for a release top cap to fit that car. I'll drive it around locally to see how it goes first.

First, thanks for the replies. I think Rick Cropper's generous offer is the best option so far. I just need to figure out how to get the car to Portland. Tow dolly, or...is it possible to remove the t-stat and drive it down there?

Preliminary Info: My 98 OBW Limited has it's SECOND blown head gasket. Religious oil changes, new tabs, new starter, new battery, new OEM Knock Sensor, and even a full tank of gas. 250K+ miles. Decision Help: Find a moonlighting local mechanic who can fix this for reasonable $. (suggest someone?) My official Subaru shop wants over $2500. Not going to happen since I'm currently unemployed. Find a slightly older Subuaru with a 2.2L for $2-3K? Sell 98 cheap or junk it. I live in a condo so working on it myself (engine swap or DIY repair) is not an option. BTW, I have to thank everyone here for the excellent info provided in helping diagnose the blown head gasket....cold air from heater vent, bubbles that smell like exhaust in the overflowing reservoir, overheating, etc. Very well documented here. Any suggestions for what to do greatly appreciated.

That was it! (I should have thought of that.) Thanks so much for clearing some stress from our house. This is what's best about the internet: real people sharing info. Thanks again.

My wife has an '05 Baja and the "Brake" light on the dash has been coming on. It goes off for a while, then back on. It's been mostly on these past few days. Should we: A) Take it to the dealer immediately. Just replace the front pads. C) ...? There's just over 30K miles on this car. I'm reluctant to take the car to dealer since I've been unemployed for several months making finances tight.

I think I'm missing the "whoosh". I didn't notice a sight glass anywhere. Today was hot...tommorow hot too...oh well. Thanks for the help.

I'll be looking. I used to live at 125th & 37th N.E. ...small subie world.