nvrsadie

Very true! I would say about a third of a teaspoon of powder was on the magnet, actually. I have never taken one of these units apart, so it is all speculation for me.

I should have included that in the post, sorry about that! There was a fair amount of steel powder on it, biggest pieces (4 or 5) probably the size of a grain of salt. I think most of that probably came from the dipstick being rubbed by whatever is/was rubbing it.

Hello, I haven't posted anything for a while, because my subies have been running good, and I have been able to successfully (with the help of the USMB) address repair issues as they occurred. I have a problem with my 98 Forester (5 speed manual, 200,000+ miles) now that looks like a major issue. It is making a low whining/rumbleing sound, almost like road noise, from the front differential area. The noise stays the same, whether you are in gear or coasting in neutral. It does change somewhat in turns, but not a lot. I replaced both front wheel bearings with the hub tamer type tool, and changed the differential/transmission oil, replacing it with GL-5 spec 85-145W to see if that would help. It didn't. The strange thing is that the dipstick for the differential oil has a half-moon shaped shiny spot worn on the end of it from rubbing on something. Could it be that a retaining ring or snap ring has broken, allowing something to move enough to hit the dipstick and rub it? Any thoughts/ideas are greatly appreciated! This vehicle has had a long run, and it is kind of a classic, so if I can get some more out of it, it would be great. Changing out a complete trasmission/differential assembley is probably not an option here, so if it comes to that I probably will start looking for another vehicle.

Thanks so much for the input. It makes me feel a lot better to know that if I put all the effort into fixing this thing up that I will get several years of good service out of it. I really like the way the car handles and drives, and I plan to keep it until the wheels fall off. Thanks again...

Definitely a golden opportunity to replace the headgaskets. I will replace them when I do the other work. The main question is how much work to do to the cylinder heads themselves. I can check them for flatness with a good straightedge and feeler guage. By the way, I have a 1983 GL Wagon with 202,000 miles on it that my wife bought brand new.The engine is good but it has chronic right front wheel bearing problems, and the body is shot again since I completely re-did it in 95'. When the Pennsylvania state inspection runs out in November of 2006 it will be retired with full military honors (if it is still running!). I just put a brand new factory gas tank in it last summer (very hard to find!) If you know of anyone who is looking for one, let me know.

Thanks for the advice, I will try the thermostat first but am not too hopeful... I will replace the headgaskets with the upgraded version when I do the rest of the work. I will check the cylinder head surface for flatness with a straight-edge and feeler guage before reassembling anything.

Hi all, I haven't posted anything for a long time.... Since last post have acquired a 98' forester with the 2.5L DOHC engine, 146,000 miles. Bought it on e-bay. Car looks great, nice interior, excellent body condition. Drove it back from Ohio to our place near Altoona PA. Ran good. At the time of purchase I knew I was looking at a clutch replacement and since the timing belt condition was unknown I planned on replacing that too. For what I paid for it, even with this work needing done, and since I would be doing the work myself, it was still a bargain. So much for the knowns. From reading posts on this message board, I know that head gasket problems are notorious on these engines, and as I was coming back from Altoona one day, the temperature gauge pegged on hot and I pulled off the road right away. I was only a couple of miles from home, so I figured I would leave the key on (engine off) and let the radiator fans and the heater blower run to cool things down enough to drive home the rest of the way. I popped the hood and noticed that the top radiator hose was sucked completely shut (the hose was cool, by the way). I squeezed it back into shape, and a few seconds later all of the antifreeze from the overflow tank (which had been completely full), was sucked back into the radiator. I waited a few minutes, and drove home. As I reached home, the temperature gauge pegged hot again. I popped the hood, and gingerly took the radiator cap off with a rag, and the fluid that pushed out was COLD. Normally I would have thought stuck thermostat, but with the reputation these motors have for head gasket problems, it seems that is more likely to be the culprit. Is it worth the time to try a new thermostat, and if so can I use a Stant? Some say OEM is the only way to go. I am definitely going to pull the motor to replace the clutch and timing belt. The car seems to have plenty of power, it is a manual transmission. I don't have a problem with replacing the head gaskets, but is it necessary to dissasemble the head completely to have it milled flat to insure good gasket seal? Can the head be milled without disassembling it (assuming it checks out as crack-free)? If the valves are good it seems like a waste of time to tear everything down and re-shim valve clearances and all that stuff... Give me some ideas out there. Thanks a bunch!

Cougar, This is good commonsense advice for sure. I never thought of the warped hub possibility. I guess a dial indicator with a magnetic base would check that one out pretty quick. I will be working on the car in the next couple of months, and I will post my results and/or conclusions. Thanks again! Nvrsadie

Thanks for the advice on the motor mounts/alignment. As the wheel bearings begin to fail, the car does start pulling to the right when you take your hands off of the wheel, and there is a pronounced vibration in the steering wheel at certain speeds. I have suspected for a while that this was a major contributor to the problem, but could never figure out a good way to check the mounts. I have both the Haynes manual and the Subaru factory repair manual to refer to, but they dont say much about the mounts. How much play are they supposed to have? I replaced one side of the transmission mount about 5 years ago, and I think there may be a problem in that area again. They are a major pain to change without a lift. Perhaps I should just replace all the mounts, and eliminate that as a possibility? The next question then becomes, can all of the mounts be replaced with the engine in the car? Are used mounts O.K. to put in? How much of a pain in the butt will this be for a guy without a lift. I am restricted to a floor jack, jackstands and blocks, and a come-along I can hang from a hook in the garage ceiling (strong enough to lift a V-8 engine however). Thanks again for the advice, and keep drivin' those subies!

Hello all... I am new to the message board, but an old subaru enthusiat. My wife got me started on them with her 1983 GL 4wd wagon. It is still on the road with 197,000 miles and counting. Also just sold a 1991 Loyale wagon with 128,000 miles, and bought a 1999 forester with 25,000 miles. They are great cars. The main reason for the chat is the 1983 GL 4wd wagon. I love the car, it is an automatic with the 1.8 L carbureted engine. The problem is rust, and frequent, actually very frequent, right front wheel bearing and axle dust boot and CV joint failure. I spent 10 months worth of evenings and weekends repairing the rusted body in 1995, but since then our Pennsylvania winters have taken their toll again. I just refuse to stop driving it until I get 200,000 miles on it. The wheel bearing problem has me stumped, and I pride myself on being a decent mechanic. I have replaced the right front wheel bearings and seals no less than 3 times in the last 50,000 miles, and they need replacing again (yes, I am using good quality high temperature grease). Likewise with the axle assembly (CV joint). The balljoint was replaced also and needs it again. I have even changed the knuckle housing thinking it could have an unseen defect. I have used both a punch and a bearing press to install the wheel bearings. Bearing life was no different for either method. There has to be some kind of allignment and or structural problem with the car. I am open to any and all suggestions. Keep in mind that the left front wheel bearings and axle assembly have been relatively trouble free, requireing replacement only once so far in the life of the car. After you figure that one out, how about my no-crank problem? Occasionally, the car will not turn over at all, but if you hold the key in the crank position for 20 seconds or more sometimes the engine will turn over. It does not do this all the time, only occasionally, but always at the worst possible moment (Murphy's law). It seems to occur more frequently in the cold weather months. I have tried all the usual fixes, cleaned all terminals, replaced battery cable, replaced battery, changed starter, etc. Old vehicles are always fun. Hope I wasn't too long winded. Thanks for listening. I will try to take a picture of the car and post it in the forum.