fishhead

The thermostat is a $5 part, and the gasket is $2. These are very easily accessable, so labor should be 1 hour max. The water PUMP, on the other hand, is difficult to get to. This part can also wear out, and also has a gasket that can develop a leak. This part is closer to $50, with labor of several hours. And changing the thermostat with it is wise. Is that what you mean?

Thank you for that good information. I can visualize what is happening now. Now that I have the belt off, I found the cams to behave exactly as you describe. Fishhead

GroosGary, Thank you for the reply. The T belt was and is still installed. It is not the variation in resistance while turning. I know what you mean and that is not it. It is an actual boing sound. I have not had an engine apart in about ten years - but do you think it could be a sticking valve that sort of "lets go" - gets unstuck, and snaps down when I back off the cam? I'm really guessing here. thanks again, FishHead

Hi I was lining up the timing marks on the crankshaft to prepare to change the timing belt. I was using a socket and breaker bar to turn the crank bolt clockwise. I went about 1 degree past TDC, so I turned the crankshaft back just the tiniest little bit. Something went "BOING" in the area of the driver side camshaft. Then when I was loosening the cam pulley bolt it was turning a bit either way as I struggled to break it loose, it was at TDC, and again I heard that "BOING" sound. Like if you take a little metal ruler and hold it on the edge of a desk and "twang" it. So - what is that?? Any ideas? thanks FishHead ej22e 96 legacy ob

this gives detailed instructions with great pics: http://www.scoobymods.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=91 good luck

i went through a similar scenario with my nissan pathfinder. i bought it used and didn't check carfax. it had a damaged upper control arm and pulled hard to the left. the dealer and 2 "alignment specialists" raped me and didn't fix the problem. they only adjusted the "toe in" because that's easy, and not the caster or camber, which require some effort. this link explains the theory pretty well: http://www.ozebiz.com.au/racetech/theory/align.html i found the specs in the chilton's manual and aligned it myself. i basically took the measurements off the good side (the side that had nice even tire wear) and made the tweaked side match. as for the "only during acceleration" hmmm i'd guess something is loose, a ball joint or bushing is bad, and the torque of acceleration causes the geometry to change and it misaligns itself. do you also hear a clunk when you let off the gas? good luck to both of you there! if i see this message again: Hello fishhead, Our records indicate that you have never posted to our site before! Why not make your first post today by saying hello to our community in one of our forums. With over 3,300 users and more than a 110,000 posts across many categories, the USMB is a great place to find tons of information about your Subaru!. i'll be really mad