Phillip

New foam seat buns are available from Subaru for about $110 (lower cushion only). I haven't changed mine yet, but did verify they are available.

Actually, I thought it was the drivers side cam tower leaking and resealed both sides without removing the engine a few months ago. I also replaced all the front seals and timing belts while I was there. I didn't pull the heads beacuse the exhaust pipe and turbo attachment nuts were badly frozen and I was out of actelyene to heat the nuts. Perhaps I dislodged the cam tower 'O' ring when I reassembled the engine? It's really difficult to see exactly where the leak is comming from, but it really leaks! I get a burnt oil residue buildup on the drivers side exhaust pipe flange where it bolts to the head that smells awful. FYI, pulling the cam towers in the car wasn't that hard to do. If I understand you correctly, the head is a piece of cake once the cam tower is removed. Thanks for the reply; I'll post again when I tear it apart, but that won't happen for another month (when it's warmer).

No question about it being a head gasket. I'm not set up to pull the engine; what was so difficult about pulling the right head?

I need to replace the left head gasket in an '86 Turbo Wagon - bad oil leak. Has anyone done it without removing the engine? Any advise will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks for the quick response Skip. It was my son who posted the question. We picked up a used hill holder at a wrecking yard for $12 and he's back in business. Thanks again. Phillip

no, not that it is the whole cylender, at the top of it when i took the seal off i could see an abundance of brake fluid. my car has been using brake fluid at an alarming rate for a while now and after i cleaned it up it began leaking agian. i will post a website with the part(except for being off a 2003).http://websearch.cs.com/cs/boomframe.jsp?query=%22pressure+hold+valve%22+subaru&page=1&offset=0&result_url=redir%3Fsrc%3Dwebsearch%26requestId%3D880650274f639a35%26clickedItemRank%3D1%26userQuery%3D%2522pressure%2Bhold%2Bvalve%2522%2Bsubaru%26clickedItemURN%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.drive.subaru.com%252FSpr03_HillHolder.htm%26invocationType%3D-%26fromPage%3DCSResults%26amp%3BampTest%3D1&remove_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.drive.subaru.com%2FSpr03_HillHolder.htm Thank you for you help

I have a 1987 subaru GL-10 and recently my PHV (Pressure hold valve) has begun to leak on me. I discovered this on a weekend so i have not had a chance to call subaru to see if i have to sell my kidneys to get the part. does anyone know if there is a rebuild kit or a way to bypass this system and still have the brakes function properly. If not does anyone have an idea what it will put me out for.

I'm assuming you've already tested or replaced the radiator cap? Have you checked the coolant overflow tank hose for an air leak? The engine coolant expands when warm, forcing coolant into the overflow tank. When it cools (ie parked overnight), the coolant contracts causing coolant from the reservoir tank to be drawn back into the radiator. If the hose connecting the radiator to the coolant tanks has even a small hole, air will be drawn back into the radiator. Check it out and let us know what you find. Phillip

105,000 is the recommended service interval - I've yet to see one on the later model engines break. If you stick to the manufacturer's recommended service intervals, you'll be fine.

The seat foam (lower cushion) in my '99 Outback Legacy Wagon has worn flat from entering/exiting the car. Does anyone know of an aftermarket fix? The dealer wants over $100 just for the foam, and every used seat I've found has the same problem.

I installed a set of Goodyear Triple Treds on my '99 Legacy Outback 6,000 miles ago. Living in Oregon, I do more than my share of driving in the rain and snow. These directional tires are the absolute best tire I've ever owned. They stick to the road like glue in the rain, and do quite well in snow too!

AS a professional mechanic, I always recommend any shadetree mechanic purchase a good service manual! The Subaru factory service manuals are quite expensive and contain much more information than a do-it-yourselfer would normally use. Haynes manuals, while not adequate for a professional, are a great reference for most anything you'd probably do at home. It will give you service intervals and service points. Your owners manual will likely also provide this data.

Great question. Most of the labor required to replace an oil pump has already been done when replacing the timing belt. People who plan to drive their Subaru 200,000+ miles often like the 'insurance' of replacing everything on the front of the engine when the belt is replaced (oil & water pumps, idlers, tensioners, oil seals). I keep my cars about 175,000 miles and know the oil pump should easily last that long; when I replaced my timing belt at 105,000 miles, I resealed the oil pump, replaced the water pump, inspected the tensioner and idlers. Sure, there is a possiblilty I may have it apart again to replace the oil pump or tensioner, but since it's not very likely, and I'm a professional mechanic who doesn't pay for labor, it's a small risk that I'm willing to take.

With 30+years in the business as a professional mechanic (not Subaru), I'm amazed at the number of times I'm asked 'how to break in a new engine' or 'what oil or fuel additives should I be using'. In my humble opinion, the best answer you will find is in your OWNERS MANUAL. Yep, the folks who designed the products I beleive will give you the BEST ANSWER. If typical, you'll be advised to drive it normally, avoiding sustained high speed operation or towing for the first XXX miles. Same answer for oil or fuel additives - if the manual doesn't call for a product, I wouldn't use it, period. I've made many repairs to customers cars over the years that followed advice given by friends who were dead wrong.

If you decide to crank the engine with the plug wires off, be sure to ground them. In addition to the danger of fire, high voltage arcing can damage electronic components. Personally, On a fresh engine, I'd fill the oil filter and engine with oil, and start it. I'm not saying immediate oil pressure is not a good thing, but assuming everything was lubricated properly during the assembly process, critical load components (crank shaft bearing, valve train, etc) have sufficient protection to run until long after oil pressure builds (a few seconds).

Like you, I think the 2.2 is a stronger engine; if you can find a good one in that price range you'll have a reasonably economical fix. Consider listing your 2.5 core on ebay as good cores are desireable and hard to find. I spun two rod bearings in my 2.5 last year; after an exhaustive search for used engines or rebuildable cores I ended up purchasing a new shortblock from subaru. I'd gladly given $300+ for a complete rebuildable engine. Good luck with the engine swap - let us know how it works out.

Have you considered repairing your 2.5? Unless the engine is smoking BADLY, the low compression you're experiencing is likely a burned valve or flat camshaft; both are repairable without removing the engine from the vehicle. At 189,000 miles, you've gotten most of the goodie out of the car; repairing the compression problem could extend the life to 225-250,000 miles. With the exception of head gasket problems, the 2.5 is a pretty strong engine.

If hydrocarbons are detected in the cooling system, exhaust gasses are present. A bad water pump or thermostat may cause overheating, but not hydrocarbons. If the car were mine, and I liked the car, I'd have the engine removed, replacing both headgaskets, all oil seals, the timing belt, and the clutch (if manual trans). The 2.5 is not a bad engine, it just has head gasket issues. I think it's reasonable to expect 175,000+ miles out of the vehicle and replacement of the listed items will likely do the trick. BTW, I've got a '99 OBW that I've replaced the engine (NEW short-block) and had the trans overhauled, both at less than 100,000 miles. While I feel I made an expensive mistake purchasing this vehicle (and will never again own a Subaru), I like the car and expect it will give me reasonable service for the remainder of it's life. Please let us know what you decide to do.

The cost of bearing failure will likely be catistrophic! If the bearing locks up, you'll immediately shear the timing belt and will likely destroy the engine. You could have a machine shop press in a 'will-fit' bearing, but I sure wouldn't recommend it - the cost of failure is too great. Napa or CarQuest sells a replacement for about $60.

You referred to 'associated parts'; What else was replaced? Generally speaking, my shop replaces the timing belt and frequently an idler and perhaps the cam & crank seals when replacing the water pump on this style engine. The labor to replace these other items in minor if you're replacing the pump. If nothing else, it's cheap insurance.

If you can't find someone to pull the code, you can disconnect the battery cable for 10-minutes; that will usually turn off the check engine light. If your problem was a one-time misfire or some unusual one-time-only event, the light will probably not come back on. The code will still be stored in your computer and can be accessed with a scan tool at a later date. If the light illuminates again, you've got a problem that needs to be addressed. Often the problem is not expensive, so don't get scared yet (a loose fuel cap will trigger the light).

Were your hands greasy, or could you have spilled any lubricant on the belts?

I neglected to address your question about the oil pump seals. If memory serves me correctly (don't bet on that!), they are referring to the two 'o' rings that sandwich between the block and the oil pump.

Install your head gaskets DRY! Carefully clean both surfaces, but do not scratch the aluminum and follow the torque-to-yield specifications in your manual EXACTLY and you'll have good results. We use a spray-on gasket remover on all aluminum surfaces with excellent results. I've always sealed the oil pump with Permatex Anaerobic sealer (Permatex part #51813) - never had one leak yet!

No, don't try to remove the face. You'd likely break the indicator needle. The odometer is serviced from the back side of the faceplate. Remove the 5 screws that secure the speedo head to the instrument cluster housing and the head will come right out. Clean your hands to avoid fingerprints on the faceplate. Directly above the odometer are 6 small plastic gears, secured by a pin. Slide the pin out to release the 6 plastic gears. Now set the odometer to the correct mileage and re-install the gears and pin. The speedo is fragile; be careful not to break the indicator needle.