AdventureSubaru

And it never ceases to amaze me how much "family" as a whole, who generally have no real knowledge or understanding about cars still try to give advice about cars. If it's a trusted family member who's been in the business 10-20 years and trying to help someone with less knowledge than themsef it's one thing. But saying "get rid of that clunker and buy something newer and (assumed) more reliable" is just ignorant. These are often the same folks who buy a Kia because they "got a great deal" and :"look how cute it is!" 3-5 years they'll be singing different tunes when the engines and transmission take dives at random inside of 100k and these 90s Subarus will still be going strong so long as people are caring for them. I see them in junkyards all the time with over 300k - some with 400 and 500. Last week I helped a buddy out on an outback with 365k that had issue due to improper timing belt change interval. So it was operator error. Worth sticking with it and getting a lot of mileage out of these cars.

If spark plug wires have not been replaced, I would look no further until you replace them. No need for a mechanic to install. Just pop them off and replace one at a time and pop them in. Failing plug wires will do exactly what you described and are to be replaced every 30-60,000 miles on these cars. Put new plug wires on there and then post back.Less expensive and easier than almost every other option. Needs to be done anyway if they have not been replaced, and will very likely solve your issue.

pm me your address and I can put some rust free california ones in the mail to you tomorrow. How many do you want?

Buddy, I've pulled dozens of these motors over the years. Oil leaking from that plastic seperator plate works it's way down, between the motor and bellhousing and if bad enough will drip onto the Y pipe and give you some fun white smoke from under the hood. But never, NEVER has the oil made it's way to the clutch. There would have to be a water tight seal across the bottom of the motor to trans for the oil to collect and run against gravity to get that far up and mess with the clutch. And this simply isn't so. Speculation is fine, but don't be a know-it-all. Learn from those of us who have a ton of know-how and history with these cars before trying to tell us we're wrong about something. I'm not making this stuff up. I speak from experience to try and save a fellow member the wasted time of seeing if a seperator plate leak would cause a clutch to slip. Or look at it this way - If a clutch were so coated with oil as to slip across the flywheel, it would not be isolated to those times in which the car is driving up hills. Something is clearly causing the engine to hesitate under load and cause a lot of vibration - dying fuel pump, blockage in the lines, plugs, wires etc. or something like a failing inner CV is making things run wonky.

4th gear goes first. This seems typical of how a 5mt dies. I'd find a good used one as well. OBS should be same final drive as most legacies. As I recall just about anything that came with a EJ18 or EJ22 had the same final drive. There's a chart for 5MTs somewhere that's handy to print and take to the junkyard to confirm the trans code and final drive.

Separator plate is behind the flywheel. Can't get oil on the clutch that way. I would suspect fuel delivery, spark or CV joint. How old are the plug wires?

Unless it sat with no oil or open to the elements in some way, you're probably fine. Yeah, I'd just do an oil change like it's any other car and crank it over by hand a few times.

plugs or wires usually. Bogs down at low RPMs especially going up hills - but smooths right out around 2500-3000 rpm? Worse on cold/damp days?

I got an old EA81 wagon out of the woods in vermont about a decade ago. Had been sitting 14 years I think. Fresh gas and battery and it started after about 30 seconds of cranking Expect that the carb will need a lot of cleaning or a rebuild to run right. brakes as mentioned. Drain the fuel and you'll want to use seafoam once the motor is running again to clear stuff out. Mostly though, if there's still oil in it, I'd turn it over by hand to be sure it isn't seized, put new spark plugs, oil change and fresh gas and battery in there and see what happens. texas is a pretty good climate for cars to last. Got my grandfathers 59 Edsel from houston - sat in a barn for decades and was actually a pretty simple project to get going.

It will be tight trying to do wiring through the fender well. Worth a shot maybe but it would at least get you access to the stinky stowaway. If wiring work is called for, probably best to remove the fender. 10mm bolts all around. A row on top. Usually two on the bottom rocker panel of the car. One between the door and fender (An extension helps a lot.) and usually 2-3 behind the marker lamp/headlight. Remove the bolts, flex the fender a bit and pull it off. Just lay it back on and bolt it together to reinstall.

no need to remove the whole fender. Jack the car up, pull the wheel and then there are a couple 10mm bolt/screws that hold the splash guard in place. Pull those, and with a flat screwdriver, carefully pry the plastic splash guard open and remove your rodent. I'd take a flashlight and get a visual on the wiring. Is there currently an issue with the functionality of the lights?

This information could not be more false. The 96-99 dual overhead cam motor was the most notorious motor for head gasket failures. Make sure your daughter is in the habit of watching her temperature gauge regularly when driving and will pull over if it acts up. Also check oil and coolant levels rather regularly. If the head gaskets have not been done yet, they will go at some time. If the motor is not run out of oil/coolant and not overheated/cooked the head gasket job can be done right and made better than factory. That job will be more in the $1500- $2000. range depending on who you go to. Hopefully it's a long way off and if she is careful with it, and checks fluids regularly will prolong life/catch it before it's too bad.

There is a lot of practical know-how on this board. Ignore that estimate and look only to pay for labor. Use our knowledge to save $$$ on the parts as well. 1. Knock sensor - this is a 10 minute job with a 12mm socket and a long extension. http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Front-Knock-Sensor-For-Subaru-Legacy-Forester-Impreza-22060-AA061-/181193382187?fits=Year%3A1998|Make%3ASubaru|Model%3AForester&hash=item2a2ff7992b&vxp=mtr Buy that part. These cheap ones actually last almost as long as the OEM parts. 2. Valve cover gaskets. - http://www.autozone.com/external-engine/valve-cover-gasket/felpro-valve-cover-gasket/subaru/forester-awd/1998/4-cylinders-6-2-5l-mfi/23426_57143_0_90284/ There is nothing special or fancy about valve cover gaskets. Find a new set through an auto parts chain. Cheap is ok. 3. Crank seals - http://www.ebay.com/itm/GENUINE-SUBARU-2-Camshaft-Cam-1-Crankshaft-Crank-Seal-timing-belt-service-kit-/271532582802?fits=Year%3A1998|Make%3ASubaru|Model%3AForester&hash=item3f389a6792&vxp=mtr or write those part numbers down and pick them up at any subaru dealership parts department. 4. Timing kit -http://www.amazon.com/Gates-TCKWP277A-Engine-Timing-Water/dp/B0033DMFI6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432751936&sr=8-1&keywords=1998+subaru+forester+timing+kit Gates kits are well documented to last 80k and more and are far cheaper than Subaru OEM. This kit replaces all idlers and water pump that will likely fail before the belt itself does. That $100. belt they were going to put on would do nothing to extend life of the motor. 5. If the axle is not clicking on turns, reboot it. http://www.ebay.com/itm/CV-Axle-Joint-Inner-Boot-BT53-Subaru-Impreza-Legacy-Outback-/161688744652?hash=item25a56672cc&vxp=mtr All told in parts, you are under $300. and just shopping for someone who knows subarus and wont charge you ridiculously high prices in labor. Going rates should have you at $500-$900 in labor for the list of work performed here. (Which is still high to me. Whole thing is about 4 hours labor if the car isn't very rusted. The more shopping you do, the better your chances. Find a place that has good reviews. Yelp etc. Be willing to drive a distance for a good shop. I agree that you should have all this done - with new timing components and not just the belt. for around $1000.

That looks great! Didn't know rears would swap that easy. Good to know.

I just did this 2 hours ago from the top. Use the closed wrench and you have to lay across or crouch on top of the motor. (Assuming starter and heater core hoses are already removed) if you know the trick to link two wrenches for extra leverage, that's how to crack it loose. Then just get a progressively more uncomfortable as you get 1/4 turn at a time until you can loosen it with your fingers. It's one of the harder ones to get at but far from impossible.

Should be plug and play. I'm not sure if the wiring was a little different for the Impreza - mass air flow vs. MAP sensors and such. But I believe the manifold itself is the same. Sounds like you got a great deal!

1. Pretty normal. You can do a bleed on it to see if it stiffens up but each car is different. 2. if it's a tap and not a true knock, this is common. Especially on cold starts. Usually is lessened by a fresh oil change and be sure fluids are topped off. The longer the oil change interval or the lower the oil level, the more tappy these motors get. 3. Put that out of your head. The Ej22 does not have a history of head gasket issues. They don't happen often at all. A maintained EJ22 will last 300,000 miles and beyond on original head gaskets. It's the larger EJ25 motor that had those issues and the 2000+ generation that Subaru became known for having head gasket failures. 4. usual check of fluid levels and quality. Check CV boots that may be torn and replace if need be. Usually better to reboot a subaru axle than to replace with aftermarket. Plugs and wires, and air, fuel filter as well as PCV valve are all inexpensive and easy routine maintenance items to keep it running well. A little seafoam in the gas tank also helps keep things clean. Timing belt should have been done by now. If you don't have knowledge on when it was done by the previous owner, do it now as your motor is an interference and can be damaged by a jumped or failed belt. Factory belt is due at 110k so iif it hasn't been done - it is overdue. Do the full kit with idlers, sprocket and tensioner. Water pump is reccomended too but not as essential. Gates kits are reccommended and readily available on Amazon. There's a write up i can share with you. Takes about 2 hours your first time and only requires fairly basic tools. Otherwise, drive and enjoy! You've got a very reliable year and model. I drove a 97 OBS until last summer. Parted ways with it at 272,000 miles and still going strong.

Didn't see it specified. Is it an EJ25 or EZ30 in there?

Nice wagon. I'm about an hour south of San Francisco so if you run into any trouble while in my neck of the woods, let me know. Keeping open options - remember that a lot of EA82 stuff will be compatible with yours. Used fuel pumps, exhaust stuff etc. in the past.

When I did the forester lift on my impreza, I had to wedge a scissor jack and a chunk of a 4x4 under there to push everything down far enough to insert the first bolt, then loosen the jack and pound with a hammer to get the second one lined up.

Both the same solution. Pull the starter and move it out of the way. Also move the heater core lines etc. I lay a chunk of carpet or something over the motor and lay across it. Reach down over the bellhousing with a 14mm socket and crank it out. My hip will be sore but otherwise not difficult to remove. It's just one of the most acrobatic parts of pulling a motor.

No need to even look for replacement parts. Trans X fixes this issue. 72k is extremely unlikely that anything has gone "wrong" with the trans. It's the typical weakening of the seal that trans X seals up. One of the rare times that a fix in a bottle is the actual solution.

Another route for an inexpensive but reliable sub $1000 car is to pursue one that already has an EJ25 motor that has failed or is failing and replace it with the more reliable Ej22. The EJ22s can readily be had for $200-$500 and are a direct bolt in. Very often you can get these well maintained and well taken care of cars that have simply run out their time for that EJ25. I bought a nice 99 outback the other day for $500. cushy an perfect leather interior, lots of options, everything clean and working, but head gaskets had failed and a rod was beginning to knock. I sourced a good 1995 Impreza motor from pick n pull for $169. + fees/tax and put it all together in an evening in the garage. Add some $$$ for fresh oil change, coolant, exhaust gaskets etc. (Did not do the timing job since the motor had a gates sticker listing it as done last spring) and I have a needs-nothing comfortable driver for about $800. Deals like that come along every week in my area. (which has a high population density) but with some searching, patience and willingness to travel a bit and jump all over the right deal when it comes along, this can be done anywhere in the country. Motor swaps on these cars are really simple. Leave a weekend for it your first time, but I have it down to about 5-6 hours for a remove and reinstall. A "cherry picker" can be built out of $16 worth of metal castor wheels and a few 2x4s with a come along. Basic tools really. 8mm 10mm, 12mm, 14mm and 17mm sockets/wrenches with a few extensions, screw drivers and either a big screwdriver or a pry bar.

That version of the 2.2 is not compatible as a whole motor. The short block is. You could take the heads off the forester motor and with fresh head gaskets, bolt them to the 2.2 short block for a "frankenmotor" do a search with that keyword and you'll get plenty of info for all the ins and outs of it. Otherwise you are looking for any late 99 single ovehead cam EJ25s and any ej25 or Ej22 from the years 2000-2003 (And probably 04 as well) Legacy, Impreza, forester and outback - all the same motor and compatible with yours. Keep the crank and drivers side cam sprockets from the old motor as these may need to be swapped onto the new one to match the engine computer and run.

Nah. He'd have no reason to access any of the timing stuff for that job. Power steering pump sits on top of the block. All the timing stuff is down in front.