idosubaru

yes you can do it, i don't have time to post but check out http://www.xt6.net

the 2.5 headgaskets are typically done by the dealer for around $1,000 - $1,200. the new updated gasket is not known to fail like the old ones. i'd save a grand and replace the headgasket. if you're going the 2.2 route, you can pick those up for $200-$500, i'd go that route before spending $2,000 on one.

$2,000 is insanely expensive. she should never talk to that dealer or sales person again, he/she is not to be trusted. 2.5's generally run $1,000 from the dealer. i wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't even a head gasket issue, but so hard to say without seeing the car or having any more information. 130,000 is low mileage for a 2.2. 2.2's generally go alot of miles and are regarded as durable motors. If you were to drive up there and do it yourself the easiest solution is to find a used motor for a couple hundred and swap it out. you can find them for 100-500 used. then no worries about how to do the job, needing parts, opening up seals, gaskets, timing belts, heads being warped, needing machine work on the heads/valves...etc. engine swap can easily be done in a day and doesn't require much really. install new timing belt, water pump and oil pump seals while it's out, you'd be best to do that anyway even if you did the head gasket on hers. i'd tell her to ask around for an honest mechanic and have the car tested elsewhere, second and third oppinions are well worth the effort some times.

if you're asking about the XT6 then no the ignitor is where it is on the EA82's, not on the disty.

it's easy. if you're scared then you probably shouldn't attempt it. only tricky part is seating the torque converter of the auto trans. the trick is to make sure it's seated all the way in. pulling the engine - unbolt exhaust. remove intake. disconnector electrical connectors. remove alternator wires. unbolt a/c compressor and swing it to the side (it'll push to the right and allow the engine to be pulled without removing a/c). remove fans, radiator if you'd like. unbolt trans. pull motor. it's straight forward, there's nothing all that big about doing it. if the engine/trans don't want to seperate use a screwdriver or equivalent to start seperating them and work your way around the bellhousing. there really is no "science" or "how to" because each is different. depends what you're doing and why you're pulling. just pull whatever you need to get it out. sometimes you leave the intake and connectors connected if you're just pulling the block (hold them up and out of the way). sometimes you can hack and cut the hoses if it's coming out of a junked car and it's really easy, just cut everything, unbolt and remove.

awesome, that's the exact page i was looking for, you are the man! do we know why it is locked? thanks!

an 03, is it still under warranty? axle (what he said earlier) or ujoints in the rear driveshaft are my guess.

i was looking for actual information on replacing the head gaskets, like how to do it and the torque specs. there's too much information overload to get anywhere by searching but i know i've seen it in the past. any help? do the new updated headgaskets have a different torque specification, has that specification always been the same or did it change since the HG issues crept up?

what car are you looking at? i have three 97 and 98 impreza's with 2.2 liter motors. the 2.5 is the only one with head gasket issues, the 2.2 is a beast of a motor. and "head gasket problem" is vague terminology. toyota's V6 may have had a much larger percentage problem or design flaw than the subaru 2.5 liter. really no way to compare without seeing numbers/statistics.

i disagree about the head gasket being a pain in the car. it is nice to have the engine out of the car, so if you like doing that and have the means then tear it up. i normally work on the 6 cylinder XT6's which are trickier and have less room to work with and more bolts. done a number of head gaskets and the first time i did an EA82 was a breeze. the biggest hinderance is rusted or stuck bolts (read...intake manifold bolts). otherwise i had no problem. $1,000 seems high. i did head gaskets, ported and polished cylinder heads, valve job, heads resurfaced, reground aggressive cams and all new engine seals, timing belts and new timing pulleys for about that for someone else. i've swapped one cam and two HLA's in 2 hours (granted it was the easier p/s side). just the head bolts after that to get the heads off. if you have an air compressor it's SUPER quick. have a wobble socket ready to get to all the head bolts and zip-zip you're on it like a hornet. good luck and have fun,

i agree these things *should* happen this way. but, i've had two failed distributors (still have them) that produced no CEL and i got spark and fuel. i've heard others say it's not supposed to happen like that and agree it shouldn't (would have saved me ALOT of time diagnosing) and i don't know what the exact problem is, but swapping the dist made the engine start, that's what i know (and i previously had fuel, spark). the second time i kept telling myself no way it was the distributor and i tested everything....then when i finally sucked it up and swapped, it started. i'll need to do swap them again since i have 4 dist and don't know which two are bad. 'im curious to see if they'll do it again and i can test for differences.

don't know anyone by that name. relation to the gross side of the family is in paper only and even that is minimal at best.

those sides seem low, that would effect drivability some. did you check the timing belt tensioner and the belt? maybe that side is lined up slightly off? did you test both sides the same, intake propped open and all the spark plugs out? starter turns the motor over smoothly? can you do a leak down test to see where (if) you're loosing it? i would call the company now and see what their policy is so you know how long you have to diagnose the problem.

out of time? are the cams 180 degrees off, did you line them up right with the crank? distributor gone bad. spark plug wires on wrong? compression test? flooded? your title should be more desciptive than "help". it will "help" you and others in the future find information.

i think i replied to your previous post. you need to swap in a known good ditributor or replace the sensor (i've never heard of anyone doing it, but you can if you find a source for the sensor). i have had two distributors fail after a motor tear down. mine tested fine, had no CEL, had FUEL, had SPARK and the pinouts tested fine, i unplugged and replugged the connector....nothing still. swapped it out and both times the car started after much testing of other things. i don't know why, i can't explain, yes it's annoying, yes i wish there was a specific way to test it. BUT - spark and fuel are NOT efficient in ruling it out, i know that for sure. maybe they should be, but they are not. find a way to accurately test the distributor, focusing on fuel and spark are not ways to "rule it out". good luck and let us know what you find.

has anyone had a "cheap set" break? i'm not starting a debate, i'm curious since i've never rebuilt a block before. advanced auto parts has piston ring sets for abut $68. and i can get a discount on that. not saying i'm going that route, it'll be couple months before i get that far.

RAM performance as well. i have been to their shop, spoke with them and know someone that used their pistons in an ER27 (pistons are interchangeable with EA82. that have cast pistons for cheap (turbo and non turbo and standard/oversized). they also have lightweight forged pistons in all varietys as well.

XT but i'm biased. i've only had 12 or more XT models, so i'm a bit of a freak.

seen an XT6 owner do this. tried reusing the cam carrier o-ring (the bottom corner one) with excessive sealant. it sucked up the sealant and caused same issues. anaerobic sealant all the way, this wouldn't have happened. i also took apart an ER27 tha ti picked up from someone and they installed a regular oring instead of the metal ring reinforced oring, glad i caught that ahead of time!

a cheaper alternative is to buy a complete rear hub assembly and you can do it yourself. buy a used unit (from a legacy if it'll bolt up and has better bearings) for $35 and install it yourself. newest/lowest miles you can find. this lets you do the job yourself and super cheap. another alternative is buy the bearings and take the hub/bearings to a machine shop. they'll press them in for $50 tops. remove/install the hub yousrelf. but i like doing things myself.

nope. go buck wild on those.

leave it to john to make a good call. the torque converter shaft seal is right on the outside (think of it as the crankshaft seal of the trans). with engine or trans removed, it's sitting right there. remove and replace. that's the only way for ATF to come out of the front of trans unless somethign REALLY crazy is going on. was the engine/trans ever removed? if so i bet the old seal just didn't sit right on reinstallation.

my wife drives the OBS, so it won't see any action like yours does man!! but i hope to post back if i can find this thread again after it's done. should have the K&N by this weekend.

i've only done XT6's, but all you need to do on them is loosen the top strut bolts, remove the two bottom strut bolts and that's it. remove axle, put the other one in. i hear XT6 people talk about tie rods and ball joints too, i don't know why they remove all that. it's a little tight getting the axle out, but beats fighting rust and stubborn bolts. again XT6 specific, but always remember less is more.

check ebay they usually list the trans applications on those trans, i think it's normally 90-96 on a legacy, but best to check. i'd verify diff ratio too before proceeding. look at yours then look at the one in the yard to make sure same ratio. or count revolutions. spin 10 times and count.