idosubaru

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.

i don't know turbo motors well. be careful with the rattle in the tin can, if it's pinging it could be very bad for the motor. ill let someone else that knows better explain. the HLA's are the "lifters". hydraulic valve lash adjusters. i'm wondering if the cam is problematic. what happened to this motor in the past? the cam lobes can get worn down...maybe something happened to the cam on that side. pull the valve cover and have a look at it. rotate it by hand and see if you can tell the valves are opening and closing properly/all the way. compare to the opposite side (good compresssion). valve covers are easy to remove, just a few 10mm bolts. don't start the car with the covers off oil will spray everywhere. i've done it for a few seconds before....not recommended unless you really want to.

stay newer than 2001, i believe that's when the phase I 2.5's ended. if you go older get a 2.2 liter, those motors are awesome. i personally don't like the newer ones because they don't have a center locking differential like the old ones have. they should have kept that option in my oppinion. locking the diff is so much better than any LSD variant. but they are nice and do drive very well in the snow. i did my cousin's timing belt on her new subaru at 100,000 miles of trouble free driving. one cracked cv boot, that's annoying but no cause for alarm. you'll find subaru motors quite robust and the blocks will run longer than most people care to give them good maintenane for.

they suck, they always fall off. look at all the 90's subaru's running around with steel wheels, most are missing hubcaps in my area. including mine before i installed wrx wheels.

sure thing, i've learned alot from this board as well. one of the best groups i've seen. glad you scored a set of OEM wires. remember to pat yourself on the back in 3 years when you've forgotten about them and realized you haven't had any issues since.

NICE! can't beat that. glad it worked out for you. if they did a drain and refill then i'd have it done again as draining only gets a small amount of the old fluid out....maybe %50 at the most. i usually do 2 or 3 drain and refills on mine to get it all out. drain, refill, drive a little then repeat. an aftermarket cooler is a great idea as well. they are $30 from the store and are far more effective than the stock radiator mounted lines...those aren't even true coolers in my oppinion. trans are expensive, the effort now is worth it.

http://www.1stsubaruparts.com great prices subaruparts@johnphils.com a board member, also great prices and quick i've had great service from both.

do the bearing and spacers come "attached" or completely seperate? i only recall one "piece" but memory is probably to blame.

i don't think 2.5 liter owners happen to be more likely to maintain their car any less than any other car purchaser so the HG failures can't be blamed on habits of owners. you're unlucky. you accumulated all the possible failures. while not likely, they are small percentages after all. most people (not every car, still small percentage) have just the head gasket or just the wheel bearings, seems you've gotten them all. or you have a bad/dishonest mechanic. knock sensors and master cylinders do not typically go bad. i've got many 100's of thousands of miles on subaru snad the only failure i've ever seen is a dirty connector for the knock sensor. nice guy charges nothing to fix it, bad guy charges lots, replaces sensor and makes a big deal out if. i've never had a failed master cylinder or knock sensor on the dozen or so subaru's i've owned (and they are mostly really old high mileage ones). not sure why all this cost $1,000, but maybe you need a new mechanic if it didnt' all happen at the same time, right after the warranty ran out. your personal experience, while regrettable, is one of millions. one car does not make a majority or by any means indicate a "trend". your luck ran out, 174,000 on an american car? if it's all stock that is quite remarkable, i'm sure there are a few disappointed cougar owners out there, i highly doubt (read, i know for a fact!!) they've all made it to 174,000 miles without incident. you feel it's rediculous and you should, you've gotten a worse car than most. not sure what to do in situations like that, you're kind of hosed. i'd be pissed too, but i refuse to buy new cars to avoid the bad attitude i'd know i'd get if i were in your shoes. i put 125,000 miles on a subaru XT6 i bought with 75,000 already on it. awesome freaking car, i treated it like dirt while in college (used tires, whatever i could get away with cheap) and never an issue. had a clutch go out, but that's acceptable with 200,000 miles and off road playing. i love the old soobs, thousands of trouble free miles for the cost of two car payments! woo hoo!

im still not positive on this but i think the bearings are really two bearings held together by a sleeve (second hand information). so it's kind of like a set, which may have look like one in my faded memory. i'm emailed someone about this. if they relpy i'll post.

i was confused by the "inner" designation as well, i just recall buying one bearing for the front and it came with the right bearings and seals. didn't have to buy "two parts" for one hub. one box did it, had the bearing and seals in it. there's an inner and outer seal but only one bearing as far as i know. again 2 years ago so my memory is vague. i know someone who did this more recently, maybe i can get info from him.

if you want to remain that optimistic, don't get an XT6! they never have jack and are usually wrong. ordered a distributor and they handed me one for a 4 cylinder, checked the part number and it was "right". ha. i avoid that place like chicken flu.