JT95

I was able to hear the noise. Sounds sort of like a power steering whine/noise. Only way I know to describe it. He said it didn't sound as loud after he took it for a drive around the block and drove it a little, whatever that's worth to add. I'm just going to have to pay this guy to redo the job, which sucks because the engine was just out of the car. What he's charging is cheaper than going somewhere else and trying to prove that he caused the damage in small claims court, if that'swhat the dealership would have decided the problem was. He said if he tears into it and finds out he caused the issue that he would obviously not charge me anything to get it right again, but I think I have a better chance running over a unicorn on my way home than that happening. At this point it feels like my car is a hostage in the shop. And there's a dent in my hood that they didn't want to take responsibility for. I told himI was going to check some pics I had of the car when I dropped it off. Really annoyed because this was a shop that several WRX and XT people in the area recommended and does a decent amount of engine builds. I thought I was going to be in good hands. We'll see how it plays out in the next couple days.

Yeah, in hindsight that was stupid, being that this is not an easy part to get to. The tech at Exedy actually called me on the phone, which was impressive that they took the time to do that. He said he was a Subaru technician before changing jobs to work for them. He was able to talk to the mechanic on the phone and he told me that the guy was not following procedure of installation of the Subaru shop manual. And the shop hung up on him when he told them that. The Exedy tech said that it can be done this guy's method but that you run the risk of bending the release bearing, which is what he suspects the issue is. Unless the guy digs into the car and admits that something goofed on the install, then I'm going to just have to pay him to do it with his own parts and hopefully get reimbursed for the parts I bought. He is offering to do labor for about half, so at this point I'm kind of stuck with him because it would cost several hundred more to go elsewhere.

I bought a new Exedy OEM clutch kit for my 03 WRX and had an independent shop install it since they were already doing other work on my car. Shop owner calls and says there is a problem with the clutch, making a noise, and so he investigated and looks like a broken spring on the pressure plate. Sounds fishy to me. Brand new OEM kit in the box. The car hadn't been driven any. This is a shop that works on a lot of Subartu cars, WRX specifically, so I assumed they knew their stuff, but this sounds like an issue that's the resultof install and not manufacturer defect. Any input from those of you who have experience with Subaru cluth installation? Shop owner said since I broght the part to him that I have to pay for the labor cost to tear into the car again and replace the issue. Needless to say I am pissed about the whole deal.

A couple questions regarding this issue and having a bad cam or crank sensor. > Is it possible to have a bad crank or cam sensor and there be no codes thrown? > Is it possible to have a bad cam or crank sensor and an engine start on occasion after much cranking?

Thanks. Yeah, in my mind a blown head gasket wouldn't keep a car from starting, but I've never dealt with one, so I don't know what's possible with one. To be fair to the shop, he hadn't had time to pull the car into the bay and look at it. He said it'd be next week before he could do that, and if it looked like head gasket then he'd have to pull the heads before he could know the severity of damage. I will certainly make sure he does a leakdown test before pulling the engine apart. He did say he was going to pull timing cover and check to see if the belt had slipped. The car sat for about a month with a dead battery. The guys who hauled it to me had trouble jumping it and getting it started to load on the hauler. I put a new battery in it when it arrived, but car still wouldn't start. Transport guy was pumping the gas pedal like it was a cold morning in a carburetor car, so plugs are probably fouled too. Work is crazy busy right now, and I have no free time, so I thought I'd let a shop see if they could diagnose the issue, since I was planning to have a timing belt kit done anyway.

I just picked up a 2003 WRX as a project car. It has been in CA its whole life, so I was drawn to it because I figured it would be pretty rust free. Picked it up at auction, as-is, so I knew the drivetrain was a gamble. When I got possession of the car, it would not start. Would crank/turn over, but not start. Finally got it to fire up twice, and while it would sputter and die at idle, keeping the RPMs up kept it running and seemed normal sounding/feeling. Took it for a little test spin and after 10 minutes the temp gauge started to shoot up, so I shut the engine off immediately. The next day it would not start again. No codes. Fuel was pumping. MAF sensor ruled out. Checked all fuses. Reset ECU. Nothing. Hauled to a shop that was recommended to let them look at it. They aren't Subaru only, but he does a lot of WRX/STI work. He called today and said he's pretty sure the car has a blown head gasket. Said he would need to get the engine apart to know what actual damage there was and what my repair options were at that point. Will a bad head gasket alone result in a car not starting like this? I've got no personal experience with HG issues. The shop seems legit thus far, but I just like having a better understanding of what's going on with the situation. Thanks for any input.

Can anyone tell me the actual name of the fender support part of the front clip? My brain wants to refer to it as the inner fender, but that's what many call the black plastic wheel well "cover"...which is also called the fender liner. I circled in red. What is the technical name a shop would refer to this as? Thanks.

Ahhhh...wheel bearings. The hub could be damaged. The replacement bearings could have been on the crappy side. I think 1 yr tops any warranty from shops or parts stores. Subaru dealership warranties bearings for 1 year. I have replaced my own wheel bearings before, had a local shop do it, and had dealership do it. Longevity was hit and miss all around. That's with a '95 Legacy and a '99 Impreza. I think I'd rather give birth to a buffalo than replace my own wheel bearings again--I hate that job. I think I will always go to a Subaru dealership, as I know they will stand behind it hassle free if they crap out within warranty period. SOA even was sweet once and covered a free replacement just past my warranty period.

http://www.revworksinc.com/Innovate-Twin-Screw-Supercharger-Kit-BRZ-FR-S_p_1055.html Would love to pick up a used XV and add a little oomph to it without going STi overboard. Wish Subaru would offer a turbo version of the XV,

Thanks for the info! Knowing "woodruff key" is a big help for looking up info. I hate having to pull the timing belt off. I'll google a how-to, but am I going to need a special too to remove that crank sprocket? Wish I could just jimmy rig something less invasive...lol. I hate digging into a big job when I'm just going to park the car in August anyway. I'm also trying to finish drywalling a room that has to be finished this week, so I'm short on time to work on a car. You all helped me out, though. See what I can dig into soon as I get this house project finished.

What I thought was going to be a simple snapped or thrown accessory belt ended up beiing a bigger issue when I popped the hood and took off some bolts. Forgive me for not know the proper terminology for the part I'm referring to, but long story short the notch on my EJ22 crankshaft that holds the crank pulley has been ground off. This is what it should look like (EJ25 in my garage): And, just the reference, here's the inside of the crank pulley: Anyway, is my engine toast now or is there a way to get a crank pulley working on this shaft again? (Without replacing the crank or doing an engine swap, obviously.) I have a couple spare crank pulleys, but what can be done about the notch that is now no longer on the crank? I just need to drive this car around town for a few more months until parking it. A frankenmotor project is in the garage that will be going in the car next spring, but I'm nowhere near being close to doing the swap now. Thanks for any help. info: 99 OBS EJ22

Is it possible to use a universal trailer hitch on my Impreza wagon? I need to pull a light trailer this weekend and no place in town can get a receiver hitch until next week.

I may take you up on that offer in a couple weeks if these other used springs don't look good, depending on what it would end up costing to ship them. I have wheel bearings to replace that I'm hoping won't cost me much, a CV shaft to replace, and a new paint job all coming at me in June. Thankfully, I picked up a couple new KYB rear struts for super cheap. My OBS looks just like yours, btw. Somewhere a guy has a thread w/ strut spring comparo photos. If memory isn't failing me, the OBS springs were actually shorter than the sedan Impreza springs...which I would have expected the opposite. I would assume they would be a beefier spring--otherwise I suppose Impreza sedan springs might be worth trying. My car looks okay sitting unloaded, but put someone in the back or some heavy gear in the hatch and it is sag-rump roast time. That's a pretty cool idea, actually, though I don't think any Loyales are around me.

My 99 OBS has a saggy rear. I picked up a couple new rear struts for a good price, as they need replaced too. If I spend the money for some saggy butt spacers, I want them to give me a little actual lift and not get me back to factory ride height. Nowhere aftermarket seems to sell coil springs for the car. Online Subaru parts place had some for $68 apiece, but they were listed for coupe/sedan and no mention of wagon. (If I'm not mistaken, aren't the OBS springs a little different than the non-wagon springs?) Do you have to replace saggy springs with new ones? Are used ones likely to be saggy too? I can get some off a 2000 OBS that is parked on blocks, but am wondering if they will be just as saggy. The car is stripped and therefore not heavy like stock and I can't just put wheels on there and see how it sits. I obviously want to remedy my car's situation but I also am tight on cash for awhile.

It does very little or nothing for your stock EJ22 car. It will probably fry your MAF sensor at some point. I did this when I first got my 99 OBS. MAF sensor is a replacement expense you will kick yourself for having to make...and then you will return all the intake back to stock.

on the EJ25. Picking up a car with a 2.2 in it won't have the HG issue. My '99 OBS is at 160k and still rolling strong. Well, the engine is. Wheel bearings go bad like college girls on crack...

Phase I or Phase II? I could use one for a PHASE II...

I like the car. If I were buying a new car, this is one I would look at if I couldn't afford a WRX. Still, I'm not too fond of the grille styling Subaru uses these days...and I wish they would have kept it named an Outback Sport. With the MPG these things are supposed to get, and the good reviews on the ride/handling of the new Impreza, I think this car should sell really well for Subaru. I'm hoping to buy one used in 5 years...lol.

I am hoping to get into my frankenmotor build this summer. Will be watching this thread with interest. I pulled a EJ25 DOHC motor out of a 99 OBW and will be putting it in my 99 OBS. I am using phase II EJ22 heads. The EJ25 head gasket lines up pretty dang close to the phase II EJ22 heads. I'm curious about the one mentioned by the OP, though. Is it offered just for phase I?

If they indeed are compatible, would WRX lower my ride height? I don't pretend I'm a Jeep or anything, but I do hit dirt roads and the occasional creek crossing in my OBS. PM me a price, please.

Thanks for all the feedback. I already have a pair of new KYB struts, but they did not come with the springs, which is why I was asking. I will look into finding some replacement springs. Since my Impreza is the Outback Sport option, are these still the same springs as other Impreza wagons? I also had looked at the saggy butt spacers and will probably add some all around the car for a 1/2" lift. But, if I'm messing with the struts in the back, I might as well do the job right and replace them.

I'm familiar with the strut assembly setup, but I find struts without springs sold in auto parts stores. I didn't know if the strut or the spring was responsible for sag. It wouldn't make sense to put old springs on new struts if the springs were causing the saggy butt.

I have a 99 Impreza wagon with a saggy rear, more noticeable with passengers or gear in the back. It doesn't bottom out with any tire rub, but just looks bad. Is this due to bad struts, bad springs, or both? The struts are sold without springs, so that's why I was wanting to figure it out. Obviously I don't want to buy more than I need to.

An odd thing happened this afternoon after leaving work. This is the second time. The first time was a couple weeks ago. Both times lasted just a short while and were shortly after starting my car after sitting all day. 99 EJ22 OBS w/ auto, btw. I would give the car gas, but there was no response, just like I wasn't really pushing down the gas pedal. The engine wasn't making any noise like it was being starved of either gas or air. There was no jerkiness. No sucking, no backfire, no anything like that. It was just like I only had the pedal pushed 10% down instead of the 50-100% pushed that it was. What could be causing this? It soon quit and may not do it again for days or weeks or months. (Or, I fear, it may become more frequent.) I thought with a fuel filter that needed replaced the engine would cut out some, but I guess I could replace this one anyway, as they aren't expensive, just to eliminate any possible issues there. I'm pushing 130k. Both times the A/C was on. Not sure if compressor issues could contribute? Other than the brief period it was doing this, my car is running fine. I would think a throttle cable/TB problem would not be temporary and disappear as quickly as it happened. I wouldn't think fuel pump would act that way either, but I've only dealt with them on other cars when they just up and die w/ no warning. The first time it did this was after a huge rain. Is it possible the MAF got wet??? Just looking for some direction/feedback. Thannks!

I've got the infamous 420 CEL code. I've read enough posts of people spending much money to replace O2s and cats and still get the code returning. I've replaced front O2 and going to do the back one. This guy is selling some OEM stuff he has had, one of which is the cats for my car. Same as mine physically, but I'm wondering if it might be a Cali spec...and if that even matters if they turn out to be. For the price, I guess it's worth the risk. I can always eBay it and get all/most of the cash back with no problem. I plan to just do the anti-fouler trick if needed, but this cat setup is a good deal, so I figured I might as well give that a shot. I'm wantingg new exhaust from heads to bumper by spring, so at the least this would help do that.