Phillip

I'm replacing the front wheel bearings on my '99 OBW this weekend. The new bearings (Timkin) have a light film of grease; should this be cleaned and the new bearings repacked? If so, what is the best grease to use?

The front windshield wipers on my '99 Outback Wagon hit the wiper stop on the bottom and the windshield trim on the side of the glass - the arc of travel is too great. Does anyone know if this is adjustable?

I need to replace the rear wheel bearings on my '99 OBW and have access to a Hub Tamer. Has anyone on this board used one, and if so, do you have any advice for me before start? Second question, my parts book shows 3 seals, one of which is $52. Is there a better (cheaper) place to buy them? Sure appreciate any advice! Thanks

I'm getting some rumbling noise from the back of my '99OBW and suspect a bad wheel bearing. I tried jacking up all 4 wheels in an attempt to listen to the rear wheel bearings with a stethascope, but the rear wheels won't spin (only the front). If I accellerate hard on gravel, both front and rear wheels spin, but not with the car jacked up. Question? how can I check the rear wheel bearings?

My 1999 OBW is making a rumbling sound that I suspect is a bad wheel bearing, but I can't locate where the sound is comming from. The sound is constant with the steering wheel in the straight position or when turning right. If I move the steering wheel slightly to the left, the noise nearly disappears. Thinking I could find the noise with a stethascope, I put the car on jackstands and had an assistant accelerate to 40 mph. Unfortunately, only the right front wheel spun. I know I've got power to all wheels as I can spin both front and back wheels on gravel. Is there a way to 'fool' the AWD system and make front and rear wheels spin when jacked up?

You can toss the gasket and just use RTV. Clean the pan and the transmission surface real well and dry both surfaces. Put a 1/4" bead on the pan - be sure to go around all bolt holes, and bolt it back on. Unless you've got another leak, that should seal it up.

Great suggestion about the spring paper clips! I think you're right about AllData, I've heard the do-it-yourself version is pretty lacking - the professional version is top notch. Thanks to everyone for the advice.

The short block was replaced and the valves resurfaced about 25k ago, so all should be okay. Unfortunately, I didn't have a new belt the weekend I assembled it and now get to spend a weekend doing it! Thaks for the tip about re-torquing the oil pump. Phillip

Why AllData? I manage a large commercial fleet vehicle & equipment repair facility and we subscribe to AllData. For a commercial shop, it is an essential tool! We don't do any import work, so when I work on my wife's Outback, I use it and this board as a reference. Thanks for the response regarding the water pump - from the photo I looked at, the pump seemed clear of the pulleys.

I'm planning to replace the timing belt on my 1999 Outback 2.5 engine this weekend and have a few questions about special tools I hope someone can help me with. (1) AllData shows a special cranksahft holding tool used when removing and reinstalling the crank pulley. Can I hold the flywheel through the ignition timing view port at the rear of the engine, or is the holding tool required? (2) I also plan to replace the water pump - AllData says to remove both camshaft pulleys for access; after looking at a photograph of the engine, I question if that is necessary. If required, how do I hold the cam from turning when removing the bolt? (3) I understand the tensioner must be compressed in an upright position with a hydraulic press using not more than 66 psi. Could I use a large 'C' clamp to slowly compress the piston? Thanks in advance for any advice!

If I understand correctly, assuming I have the engine at TDC with the crank timing mark lined up, only the left side (drivers side) cams will rotate? In addition to being no stranger to OHC engines, with years of experience changing timing belts, I've got the factory manual and the End Wrench article. Both describe a procedure for recompressing the tensioner using a press and not exceeding 66psi to compress the piston. Did you bend the rod in your tensioner using this procedure? I appreciate you taking the time to explain this process I'd hate to pull the heads to replace valves (or worse!) Thanks again.

It's time to replace the timing belt on my '99 Outback Wagon. I've changed dozens of timing belts in my career, but never one on this type engine. How important are the cam holding tools? If essential, can a suitable tool be fabricated? How about the crank holding tool? Can the engine be held by the flywheel thorough the ignition timing visability port at the rear of the engine? I've got the factory manual, but any tips would sure be appreciated. Thanks!

Time to replace the front struts on my '99 Legacy Outback. Can anyone recommend a brand or best place to buy? Thanks

Coat the inside of your plug wire boots with diletric grease (both ends) and they won't break next time you have to remove them. You'll find it at any auto parts store. Don't use any other kind or lubricant!

Was it tight getting the head off, or just removing the cam housing? I had the cam housing off a few years ago for another oil leak. It wasn't a piece of cake, but not that difficult. ;

Thanks for the quick response.

I need to replace the drivers side headgasket on my son's 1987 GL10 Wagon and would prefer not to pull the engine if possible. Has anyone done this repair in the car? I resealed the camshaft housing on that side of the car a few years ago and had no problem tearing in down that far. It wouldn't appear to be much more work to pull the head (sure wish I'd done it then!), but I'm not sure if there is a clearance problem getting the head off the engine. I'd sure appreciate hearing from anyone with first-hand experience. Thanks

Have you considered a new shortblock? My '99 OBW spun two rod bearings, destroying the crank last year and I found the cheapest route was new. I paid $1250 for a new shortblock from Subaru. With an oil pump and gasket set, I had about $1700 in the engine. We've got valve grinding equipment in the shop I manage, so the valve grind didn't cost me anything, but even if you have a machine shop rebuild your heads, you'll likely have less than $2,000 innvested.

One advantage to removing the pan is you can see if there are any metal shavings or other debris, indicating future trouble. Sucking it out of the fill tube is faster though.

I manage a large vehicle & equipment fleet (1000+ units) and have done business with this trans shop for many years. I trust their work and am sure they will take care of me if the unit fails. I just don't like strange noises in vehicles. Since it hasn't gotten worse and works fine, I guess I'll just ignore it. Thanks for the reply.

My '99 Outback Wagon has a definate snap or click as it upshifts from second to third. You don't hear it unless the window is down. I didn't notice it prior to the trans rebuild about 5,000 miles ago. The shop that overhauled my transmission thinks it's a solnoid making the noise and said not to worry about it. The noise hasn't gotten any worse in 5,000 miles, the trans works fine, and the fluid isn't burnt, however, I don't like strange sounds. Has anyone experienced a problem such as this?

How's the keyway in the crankshaft look? If you're lucky, it's okay and you can replace the pulley, woodriff key, and bolt (yep, change all three!). If the keyway in the crank is damaged, I'd try the JB weld trick someone else mentioned and lock-tite the bolt. If you're lucky, it will hold. Cheap to try. Good luck.

To determine how far to go, I'd ask myself how much longer I planned to keep the car, and what kind of shape the rest of it is in. If the car is pretty well used up and you don't care how much longer it will last, I'd just fix the bad valve and when something else fails, junk the car. If I planned on keeping it more than another 10,000 miles, I'd have both heads reconditioned. You've already done the hard work - the engine is out and the heads are comming off; no sense in doing it again later in my opinion. Regarding the valve guides, the machine shop cannot grind the seats unless the valve guides are within spec. Rather than replace the guides, you could have them knurled (expanded with a knurling tool then reamed to size). While it's not as good as replacing the guides, I've had good experience with many OHV engines - your machine shop can advise you best on knurling and on your cylinder head reconditioning questions. If the guides are badly worn, the valve stems may also be worn. Perhaps a used set of heads from a wrecking yard may be a cheaper option (have them inspected by a qualified machinest before installing them). Regarding reusing head-bolts, you'll likely get a variety of opinions. I typically reuse them, and have never had a failure. Bottom line, cheap fixes are generally cheap only in the short-run. That said, I've made lots of cheap fixes when I had little money - not many of those fixes worked out in the long-run. Let us know what you decide to do.

My 1999 Outback Wagon required a transmission overhaul at 96,000. The trans shop said I got off cheap at $2,000. Additionally, the engine spun 2-rod bearings at 91,000 miles, resulting in a new short-block. My wife loves the car...too bad, it will be my last Subaru.

How do I find the archive with this project?