cj7135

I'm having a real dilemma here. My OBW rides very nicely, and is cosmetically in very decent shape (considering it has 392,000 on it). One job i've never tried is changing the gas tank. It's been leaking for a while now when i fill it over 1/2, and I've done some tests to figure out where from. it's leaking from the seam halfway down the tank. I was fine with that, since I picked this car up for 100$ (needed a headgasket but I threw an EJ22 in there and away she went). I was under there trying to change my wheel bearing in a very difficult manner (since the lateral links are seized tight) and noticed one of the straps have fallen off I've been able to hide the gas leak from the authorities so far, but I don't need my gas tank falling out while I'm driving. I need to know this: 1. How to change the tank (I've searched the forums for hours but found nothing that tells me which parts to remove, what order to remove them in, etc). I'm hoping somebody will tell me that it's not that bad of a job, since I have just basic tools (impact, socket set, screw drivers, etc). 2. Can the rear differential be removed without removing the CV axles first? (As i said, my lateral link bolts are seized, and will probably remain that way). 3. If, upon further investigation, the fuel lines are rotten, how hard are they to change? I noticed all 3 fuel lines are held on with little clamps, so I am wondering if it's too hard to replace the lines can I just put a long hose with a clamp to where the lines are good? I'm hoping somebody will be able to help me out, as I'm currently working with a very tight budget and very little tools/space. Thanks!

Are you kidding me? You have some kinda shares in this engine design? The EJ25D is the worst engine for reliability in Subaru has ever made. Also, any Subaru mechanic (and I mean a mechanic that works on Subarus, not the dealership mechanics as I've seen a lot of them that dont know $hit) would tell you that those are symptoms of INTERNAL HG failure. That's why you're leaking oil, and that's also why you can't see the coolant leaking (internally). If my wheel is vibrating, then i get a flat tire, then i notice the tire's bald, then i notice a bulge in it, I'm not going to say to the tire people "How can you condemn a tire so quickly?" They'd tell you to get out of their shop, and I think I would tell you the same on this topic. Agreed and Agreed. Hard to believe all this madness wasn't stopped earlier. What General Disorder is saying is the right answer, go with that.

Can anybody tell me why the TC is so hard to deal with? I've never touched one (too afraid to), but probably will have to in the near future. I just can't understand why it wouldn't go in without issue, is there not a master spline? And if there is then how come you can't just spin and push until it slips in? I know that's what GD said to do, but why would it take 10 mins?

I just use a socket on a breaker bar or big ratchet to hold the crank from the bolt that holds on the pulley. Just take out a bolt, spin the crank clockwise, take out another bolt, etc. Should be easy enough, especially since you should take out the rad to pull the motor anyways. As said before, you don't want to drop any of the flexplate bolts but I've done more than a few of these, and as long as you're not the kinda person that rushes and fumbles with everything you wont have a problem. I also just used a normal ratchet and socket to remove the flexplate bolts.

Hey, I'm running 215/70/15 on my 97 OBW right now. Not sure about 2000, but I run them fine with no rubbing and extra clearance to spare.

Yes, I would say timing belt tensioner is your first stop to check. If you remove the timing belt cover (fairly easy job), and run the engine, check if the belt is "jumping." Also try pushing down on the belt when the engine is not running, look at the tensioner and see if it's moving, if it is it's probably bad. I believe most of the 99 Outbacks had the EJ25D, and since you said the headgaskets were done i'm assuming they probably went, which may have overheated the engine (since people tend to continue driving them). If this happened it's quite possible it's a rod. If you're mechanically inclined, I would check the timing belt tensioner. If you can confirm (either yourself or by another mechanic) that it's NOT a rod, then like was said before do a complete timing belt job, and replace the idlers, tensioner, and water pump. If the gaskets were done and the rods aren't knocking, this would be a worthwhile investment. Finally, if it is a rod, just let it blow up. When you need a new engine, swap an EJ22 in there which you can find pretty cheap, it will plug and play without issue, and it will go forever.

For anybody else that comes across this and reads it, I can confirm (that's 2 confirmed cases now) that these tires are fine. I got a lot more ground clearance, and it does seem to be geared better. I was a little worried because mine were new, but no rubbing issues whatsoever. Anybody that's wanting new tires for their OBW, i'd say go ahead with this size, GREAT investment!

10-4 on that. Always good to clarify. Knowledge is power! Thanks

Not really, fluid goes black from being used. It does mean that it's time to change the fluid, but the colour of the fluid has nothing to do with the health of the differential. I agree with Nickolai, U-Joints make the whole car feel like it's about to explode. The only way to tell for sure if your differential is good is to open it up and have a poke around in there. Even then you need a pretty good idea of what you're looking for. IMHO, I think you should change the u-joints and do an oil change on your diffs. If you still have problems then you can start worrying. But unless it's howling extremely loud or making a loud whining noise, I would suggest its good for a lest the foreseeable future.

So would it be safe to say that a failed coolant temperature sensor can be diagnosed with the temperature gauge?

Lol, a bad pump will sometimes still pump fuel, but lose pressure. Fuel pump problems are usually diagnosed audibly. I'd still try the lucas fuel treatment and see if it fixes the problem. If you're good for a month or two, look into a new fuel pump/filter.

If u have an extended powertrain warranty, then just tell the dealership and let them do whatever they figure they have to (for free of course). If not, I would wait and see if it happens again. Another remedy that is free is to do 5 tight circles to the right, and five tight circles to the left immediately afterward (on dry pavement). That flushes the fluid between the clutch packs. If it happens again, I would suggest a tranny service from the dealer. The duty C is in the rear of the transmission, and is accessible without removing the entire trans, but still a pretty lengthy job as the tail has to be disassembled. The good news is it's a known issue, and it won't kill the vehicle. Absolute worst case scenario the Duty C is an easier and cheaper job than a tranny, but I'd say you have at least another 200,000 before you have trouble as long as the tires are the same size. ALWAYS make sure the tires are the same, that's what causes this problem.

Haha agreed there. Our 2010 Impreza 2.5i is Auto trans. My 96 Legacy and 99 Forester (winter beater and bush buggy) are quite fun manual tho. I like the older MT's, I don't have any experience with the new ones other than a test drive. I liked it, but we decided on the auto for comfort, and like you said, lack of clutch changes since its primarily an in-town car.

Good to know, next time I need one I'll be going with ebay. They're only 100-150$ on there, not a bad deal.

Hey, i've got almost 400,000km on my outback, which is about the same mileage as yours. The things I would check for are the same as above (timing belt, clutch, etc). Check for overheating and make sure the heater transfers heat (not for your pleasure but thats a test for the water pump and head gasket). My bet is that there are a lot more sensors throwing codes than the exhaust. When you're shifting the tranny make sure the synchros aren't worn (that you can pull it into gear quick enough without completely grinding it.) But a small *Click* or *Clunk* is normal. Listen to the rear end at highway speed and make sure there's no howls (either diff or wheel bearing). Bottom line is this: If you want to buy a high-mileage car, plan on buying parts. You can plan on doing the rear wheel bearings, the gas tank (especially if they salt your roads), differential and transmission oil changes, and exhaust work. Listen to the engine and make sure there's no knocking or very loud clicking (a little tick is ok). I would suggest fixing your exhaust, as it's a pretty simple pipe repair, not worth waiting for it to get worse. I wouldn't invest in it if you don't want to do some maintenance. Mine is in very good condition, but all the wheel bearings, struts, brakes, stabilizer links and bushings, and front end has all been changed. That's an easy 3,000$ right there at a shop, and that's if you dont have any engine troubles. I did all my own work, and I just rung in at a little over 1000$ for a full maintenance. Also, i'm running an auto in my OBW, the manual trannys usually go before 300,000 miles so I would ask if it's been changed, and if not ask yourself if you're willing to change it. A test drive should tell you, make sure theres' no clunks or bangs and the steering doesn't shake. As long as it takes the bumps ok, and the underbody isn't completely rusted, and the engine and tranny run smooth, I would say 1300$ if adequate, maybe 1800 in good shape. Then i would plan on doing all fluids for about another 100$ on your own or 200$ at a shop.

Torque bind it the result of duty C solenoid failure. Doing the drain and fill essentially cleans out the duty C. So yes not too far out, in fact I was right on.

Sorry, its not miles its kilometers, im in Canada up here. That's 300,000 miles. And the trans never came out in that time. It needs its first clutch right now, and like I said, its first bottle of synchro additive.

First of all, I drift in the snow up here, you can't drift on pavement with an N/A Forester. Second, I got the tranny (99 Forester) up to 475,000 before I had to put a Smurfs Blood concoction to stop a synchro grind (and change the OEM clutch). I don't care if you believe me or not, some people know how to allow the synchros to do their job completely before they smash it into gear. Also, the highway provides hundreds of thousands of un-shifted miles. The 5MT can handle 500,000 no problem. Third, you don't have to shift the trans to do a drift, you synchronize it into second and because it's a manual it goes as soon as you hit the gas. Finally, the manual provides a million times better control over power delivery, AND the 50/50 is available immediately. Again, i LOVE my auto it's great for driving to work, and on the highway, and bringing my mother out to lunch, but when I wanna go drifting on the back roads, my Forester with 475,000 on the original 5MT and LSD doesn't even compare to an auto. I even love ripping my 96 Lego wagon 5MT AWD. Also, the reason for not using synthetic gear oil is the synchros slip too much and you wear the edges of the gear down. I've had a couple cars that would grind with synthetic and work like new with conventional. The Redline Shockproof is the best, but that's because it's designed to flow like a heavier oil than it is. This is right from redline's shockproof webpage: - Appropriate coefficient of friction for most manual transmission synchronizers (other's synthetic gear oils are often too slippery for proper synchro engagement) It all comes down to preference (control over power distribution or comfort). One thing is for darn sure, the Subaru 5MT is NOT by any means a bad transmission. If you said it's a bad transmission for people that don't know how to drive them, then MAYBE.

Yah, i think it's narrowed down to either a sensor or loss of fuel pressure. Best way to check is with code reader. Lots of places do that for free.

Perfect, thanks

Everybody has their own preference, but I completely disagree that the 5mt is a bad transmission. IMHO I think it's the best transmission. You only get full 50/50 with the 5MT, and my last 5MT went 440,000 before it needed to be replaced. 99% of the time transmission failure is due to misuse or bad maintenance (as in your case). Your best bet is to go with your swap, unless you're an old man like Suba9792 and like to go for sunday drives. I have an OBW with auto tranny and I do really like it, but if you want the full AWD control experience, and the best reliability, go with the MT, and get some really good conventional gear oil (don't use synthetic). The autos are also very reliable, but if you don't want to wait 25 minutes between gear changes then go with the MT, and like i said, the AT is 90/10 until it slips, it doesn't help you much when your doing drifts.

Good information to know to help diagnose this problem would be whether or not it turn over when it doesn't start, and whether the engine sputters, tries to start, or makes no effort to start (turns over but doesn't fire). Unless it's a night and day problem where it either works perfect or not at all, i would change the plugs and wires (use NGK only). Also run injector cleaner, I would suggest the lucas fuel tretment (as it will lube the fuel-pump (which can also be a factor). Finally i would get her to listen for vacuum leaks (hissing noises) under the hood, it may just be a bad or disconnected vacuum hose. If it just doesn't turn over, my money is on a sticky starter solenoid.

If your tires are good that leaves your front end. I don't think the rack would have that much play, if it did you would be pissing fluid by now. The other steering problems it could be is your half-shaft (from the steering spline to the rack), i've had those go before but they didn't vibrate, just loose steering. Other problem I had was in the steering column, I never diagnosed or fixed it, but something had play between the shaft stub in the engine bay and the steering wheel. I'm not sure what that could have been (wasn't the u-joint), but my guess would be that the fix is to change the steering column. If you can feel that the vibe is in the driveline i'd check your hanger bearing. That will vibe for a long time before you hear it. All u have to do to check the hanger bearing is grab the driveshaft near the middle and pull up and down quick, if it moves more than 1/4" or so I'd say its bad. Mine didn't give any noticeable vibration until the play in the driveshaft was very noticeable. Finally check the u-joints, to check those just put the trans in neutral and the e-brake on, grab the driveshaft by the transmission and turn it back and forth. Any play between the front of the driveshaft and the back would indicated a failing u-joint. Unfotunatly the only remedy I know for those two problems is to change the driveshaft. I know places on ebay sell driveshafts for a reasonable price with a warranty. I've heard of shops that will rebuild Subaru driveshafts (since the u-joints are not serviceable, and i'm not sure but I don't think the hanger hearing is either) but I wouldn't be able to direct you to one. Hopefully you can narrow down your vibe. Good Luck!

Lots of info on here about trans swaps but i can confirm that you will certainly need the driveshaft and diff from the donor car. I'm pretty sure you need the crossmember to mount the trans as well.

Well you're quite the poet, but if its auto tranny first thing i would check is Duty C solenoid. In the main fuse box under the hood, put a 15A fuse in the slot labeled FWD, then repeat your test (tight turns). If the problem is fixed, drain and fill the transmission 3 times and change the external filter. You should probably have that done around that mileage anyways. You may also get it flushed at the dealership. If you get the service done at the dealership, don't let them tell you that you need differentials and clutch packs and transmission work, as there's a 99% chance doing the service mentioned above will fix it. Worst case scenario, the duty C solenoid may have to be changed (and/or clutch packs), but it's VERY unlikely at that low mileage. Don't let the dealership take advantage of granny, go with her and tell them that the Duty C solenoid is sticking and you need a flush.