idosubaru

i don't see mileage or date posted, i'd replace the trans fluid. otherwise start sourcing a new extension housing (used possibly) or clutch pack.

use anaerobic sealant, ask for it at the parts store, they'll know what it is if you don't. it's pricey but it's your oil pump, don't go cheap there. gasket makers will work but are sub-par for that application.

i agree, something doesn't look rigth. great idea with the pictures, i would have never gotten that in my head with words. i'm not sure what to say, but looks like something is wrong. did you ever remove the brake caliper completely? i think on some the mounting holes of the brake caliper can line up to the inside or the outside of the backing plate (the two bolts that hold the caliper assembly to the hub). make sure it's bolted up to the right side of the backing plate...inner or outer as that would cause an issue somewhat similar to what you have here. might want to doubt check on the rotors too, see if there are difference between AWD, FWD, ABS and NON-ABS...might be slightly different rotors. or take them into the store and compare to the same set (i've seen the part in the box not be what the box says it is).

it's hard to detect, often undetectable, that's the scarry part. but a trained person will pick up anything obvious. you're aware of the issue so you should be fine, you can make your decision based on that info. it only sucks when people don't know then end up here and find out the issue later. nice to know ahead of time. there's no telling what the actual failure rate is of the head gaskets. it's more than any other subaru motor, but still probably not that bad. a site like this will get all the complaints and issues while the cars rolling around with 100,000, 200,000 miles never ask any questions or go poking around for solutions to issues. if it's 10 percent...that might be a high rate compared to most soobs, but still only a 1 in 10 chance for not a *huge* issue. and it's not a "blown" gasket type of failure in the typical sense, it'll run for a very long time with minor internal/external leaks. so you're not going to get stranded and have plenty of time to organize/plan for the repair if you do see symptoms. i actually had good luck calling a dealer once and they went through the service records with me, a Subaru dealer even. it was a 10 plus year old car, one owner and he went through all the records detailing the major maintenance done to it. worth a phone call at least. you'd have the mechanic install the motor. a motor swap only takes a few hours, much less time than a head gasket job. head gaskets are cheap, labor to install them alot because it's a long job. yes a motor swap can be cheaper if you get a good deal on a motor. motor for 200-500 and 200 to install you're looking at 400-700 price tag, half of what a head gasket job costs. with overheating/head gaskets you have the possibility of head damage, even block damage or heads needing resurfaced/machine shop work, so installing another motor removes those possibly very expensive risks and reduces time as well. installing another 2.5 is a horrible idea unless it has new head gaskets. i didn't mention ebay or look there, but i've bought a few that way. only really good deals as i plan on them needing *something*. i wouldn't buy a 2.5 that way unless it was a smoking deal. good luck with the search.

what he said - oil coolant mixing most likely. check under oil cap too for unusually colored mixing in the oil as well.

i have never seen any information posted on this board about a 1.6 liter subaru motor, you might be hard pressed to get much information about it. didn't they make 1.6 liter motors in the 1970's or something? i'm confused.

without tools, time, money i think EA82T is your only option. with some inexpensive mods you can get alot of power out of the EA82T. people are running much better quarter mile time with that than the 6 cylinder XT6. the EA82T is easy to modify. exhaust, turbo upgrade and intercooler on stock everything else can get you serious increases. check WJM's dyno thread, he's got some great numbers on a bone stock long block. somewhere around 150 hp AT THE WHEELS. you can't beat that for the price you can get an EA82T for. that's a straight drop in. anything else will require serious wiring modifications, computer replacement and/or fitment issues. which means time, money and more parts. the EJ22T is probably the way to go for serious horsepower. they can make alot of reliable power. the price different is a completely different category from an EA82T swap.

1998 Legacy GT 1998 Impreza Outback Sport are these automatic AWD transmissions interchangeable? (swapping rear diffs is an option, not a big deal) on a larger scale.....any info on a wider range of what swaps are possible for AWD manual and auto trans?

i would be sure it's a head gasket leak before going futher. can you post pictures of where you see it leaking? could be other things....water pump maybe? drivers side just about the driveshaft (that's a crankshaft right)...sounds like water pump area. i'm not saying it's the water pump, but i'd sure inspect this closely before assuming it's a huge repair. can you post a picture of where it's leaking?

look at your axles, a broken CV boot will spray oil on the exhaust and it burns off and smells like burning something...oil you might say. pop the hood and look down where the axle (only shaft that goes from the tire to the transmission), there's a rubber boot on each end of the axle. inspect it to see if it's broken. note, the broken or cracked portion could be on the side you can't see by looking under the hood, inspect all the way around. usually it'll be obvious by grease spattering and coming out of it. it'll be wet. the grease gets on the exhaust and smokes off. this isn't a huge deal. $150-$200 to replace but it's not urgent...except the smell. you can wait a looooong time to replace axles. any oil spots on the driveway, in the garage. that would point to an oil leak. small leaks are not the end of the world, nice to know where they are coming from though. i would not suspect a rear seal leakage though unless someone had the motor out previously (unlikely with low mileage). do you know why it was salvaged? that might help to know.

all 98 era 2.5's are phase I and are prone to the head gasket issue. hit or miss and can happen at absolutely any time to any phase I 2.5. i'm mostly leary of these motors for people like you that have to buy one...because the head gasket issue is so hard to spot at first that it's a very easy car to sell when the issue first comes up. (someone on the board just bought one and had the head gasket issue shortly afterwards, look up the post if you're interested). my guess is the head gasket issue was there before he bought it and that's what motivated the seller. that's what i'm leary of. the new OEM Subaru headgasket does fix the problem, so if you do have to get them replaced (there are two head gaskets), they should not give you any more issues if installed properly. $1,000 - $1,500 dealer installed, independent shop might do it a little less (be nice if they're familiar with subaru's though!) be sure they install the Subaru gasket only. make SURE it's timing belts that were replaced. alot of people confuse accessory/drive belts with timing belts. by "all belts" replaced that could easily mean just the drive belt(s) and the unknowledgable owner assumes that also means timing belts but really he doesn't know. and maybe he did have the belts done early, but kind of weird to do a $500+ job earlier than it's needed. that being said someone may have incorrectly informed him or he may be accustomed to older cars where the belts are changed at 60-70,000. that used to be the norm and maybe he or the mechanic assumed it best to do it then on this one. best to clarify and be positive it was replace. these are interference motors, if the belt breaks other items could be damaged...valve/pistons. i've heard people refer to transmissions as "transaxles" before, so clarify that as well. maybe the transmission or the transfer clutches were replaced and he's misquoting? if something was replaced, i wouldn't consider that an issue. check the tires, if they are matching or not. if they are grossly different in tread that's not good for the trans. not gauranteed problems, but not preferrable either. i'd shop around a bit and see what prices you can come up with. another option is to swap a 2.2 liter motor in place of the 2.5. you can pick up a 2.2 liter motor for a couple hundred and end up well under $1,000 (the head gasket price) and you don't have to worry about damaged heads, blown gaskets, etc. a little less power, but an excellent motor. the 2.2 is very robust. EDIT - in less than one minute i just found a 1997 Outback with 82,000 miles for $5,000 and all service records over the past 4 years (and they would likely come down lower than that, private seller). so i'd look around and see if you can get a slightly better deal. Double EDIT - i found the one you're looking at, looks nice! if you do test drive it, drive it for an extended period at highway speed and watch that temp gauge. if it moves or wavers at all i'd pass on it. may want to read past threads, these things run a little hot in weird circumstances, like at highway speeds or something.

tapper, i'd replace all the spark plug wires. i would not use one from the auto parts stores on the newer subaru's. i've had bad luck with them on my OBS. bought one to use while i waited for mine to come in the mail. ran like crap and didn't clear the code even with a new generic one from the store! i'd use OEM Subaru wires or magnecor (that's what i have). newer subaru engine wires are tricky and have issues seating properly. they are not as forgiving as the older soobs. you might want to start checking all your spark plug boot connections and look for anywhere the boot may be compromised. the plug itself could be to blame as well.

i assume you're talking about a new vehicle? if so then you're fine, get what you want. if it's 10 or 20 years old then yes, there are a few extra cooling hoses and oil return lines that should be checked or replaced. playing with a turbo can destroy a motor if you don't know what you're doing, but i don't think your wife plans on crawling under the hood with tools in hand.

if it's any consolation i've driven 2 years and 50,000 miles on broken front cv boots and 100,000 on broken rear boots (they never even click). made it about 50,000 miles until i drove off road in some sand...that tore the crap out of them. they were clicking while driving straight at that point. made it 800 miles from GA to MD. squirted grease in there and they actually quieted up and went back to clicking mostly while turning. but i replaced it right after that anyway. clicking while going straight is a little unnerving! anyway, i have broken boots on my XT6 i'm daily driving right now and they've been like that awhile, no big deal. i'll wait 'til summer and a tire rotation or brake job to worry about it. i even have extra axles on hand, not worth my time though until it's warm i'm in in there for something else. hopefully yours is not the one that sprays on the exhaust and smokes off.

i'm guessing they would have to look up "off road" in the dictionary, i don't think they're too concerned with that. HA HA HAAA!!!!!! nice one!! i agree with shawn on the 4-runner, those things are rediculous. my best friend has one and i'm thankful for it...unbelievable vehicle (i never have to work on it!!!!!). 190,000 and it's like new and has never had a thing replaced....one power steering pump, that's it. no alternator, no pulleys, no water pump, nothing. i'd go 4runner in a second if they still have the same SR5 motor in them that his has.

search the forum for "torque bind". that's what nipper is referring to about the FWD fuse, that's a way to test for it. if it's while you're turning it may be torque bind, i have some other things in mind as possibilities but if it only does it while turning that rules out alot of these other possibilities. do your tires all match? are any different sizes or haven't been rotated?

it wouldn't be the crankcase vent seal. i've seen a leak caused by high pressured crankcase and while it does spurt out alot of oil i wouldn't call it "pouring out", it'll drip out of any weak spot in the PCV hoses, valve covers or the rear oil seperator (the cork gasket you're talking about). but i don't think it could pour out oil. the oil dipstick would likely be found pushed out as well. glad you made it back with no problems, that is awesome! really curious to see what could leak that bad then stop? so weird. glad you're back,

snowman, i dug up a really old thread so response may be sparse.

i got this but the thread never says EA81 or 82 or other: Subaru Part Number: 499987200 i think that's an EA82, it doesn't say but i found an EA81 with a different part number, so i think it would have to be for an EA82. did you ever get one will?

hhhmmmm, i stopped in the local dealer and they couldn't locate it. said they'd try and call me back. been about a month, nothing. got the part number? i saw it posted in a thread before but can't find it right now.

ha ha. amen to the roll overs, a couple just died in MD this summer when their hummer rolled over on the interstate. i HATE driving SUV's and my big a## truck (SUV's feel worse than my truck), they sway and handle horribly. they feel safe. if yo'ure a terrible driver and plan on running into things an H3 might offer something. if you're a good driver soobs are the way to go in my oppinion. i've put 45,000 miles in a year on a car before, i drive alot and i've had to swerve out of the way of some random things before...animals, idiots, drunk drivers, people going the wrong way, crazy heads. i've spun out and done near 720's before and feel in those situations an SUV could have easily rolled. i like knowing i won't roll in an emergency situation...unless of course you go off road anything rolls, but you see my point. i feel your pain. but if they own a jaguar then my guess is functionality, reliabilty, cost effectiveness, ease of maintenance and all other things practical and logical go out the door. i don't think your chances are too good, but do your best to steer them in the right direction.

maybe you can use the lack of what you want as a selling tool. get them to commit to installing the leather seats or nav system for a good price once you sit down to the table.

if it makes you feel any better the new OEM subaru head gasket is updated and alleviates the issues of the old design. i would think a machine shop or you can check for flatness of the cylider side of the head without removing the valves, but i'm not sure since i don't know what they use to measure it. i've read on here about people doing it before, i would let a shop check mine out (and did last week). not a bad idea to replace the thermostat first but on these motors you just never know. it would be so much easier to do the job with the motor out anyway.

it's also a good idea to check your battery terminals. corrossion or a loose connection can prevent the starter from drawing enough amps to turn over. starter needs alot of amps, that's why successive attempts to start kill the battery quickly. also - is the battery good? a weak battery can do the same.

i dont' know anything about carbs unless they go in my mouth, but how old is yours? any adjustments/cleaning help it out?