idosubaru

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?

buy one immediately (used should be fine, i'm going for a single piece after market so it never happens). if it starts slipping a little you won't notice it but it will slowly drain your battery and work your alternator over time to compensate for the reduction in rotation of the belt. if for any reason you have to wait, paint a white stripe across it or use a sharpie across the outer and inner ring and rubber portion. check it every now and again to see if the lines don't match up - indicating slippage. that will definitively tell you it needs replacing. but i'd do it now anyway. also - if it does fail at 4,000 rpm's and high speeds you can damage lots of other things, the crank shaft itself being one of the worst...but more likely timing covers, a/c, power steering pump.....depends how it happens, what those belts wrap around and what the pulley wobbles/slams into. at least carry some sheet metal screws in the car, if it does fail or gets really loose you can use those between the rubber and metal ring to hold it in place. or weld a piece of steel across it. yes yes i know those will argue the balancing will be off, but it works and you won't notice anything. again i think this is a terrible idea and replacement is much better, but it will work. actually welding sounds good to me, i HATE that rubber ring idea out of principle. let's design something that will fail eventhough it's not needed.

as a matter of fact a friend showed up at my house in maryland one day with a box of front pads and said he was leaving from my house to go to alabama (never called ahead of time??). pulled the calipers and one side had nothing in it but metal shards and what some might call a rotor and the other side basically had a backing plate left. the rotors were torn to bits, shreds, shavings and grooves everywhere. he essentially made me slap the pads on it and left for alabama and drove the truck like that from then on. i guess the pads eventually wore into the rotor grooves just fine, he said they worked great.

install and ride on. you will experience no issues if everything else is up to par. did you clean up/grease the slides? if so then your braking system is likely more adequate than half the 98's on the road today in terms of pad wear and rotors. look at it this way....did you have any issues the last 10,000 miles or 5,000? the caliper and rotor really doesn't "know" how thick the pad is, so long as pressure is evenly applied. if it did make a difference you (and i in the past) would notice it in the braking. no dice though. works fine. that being said, be sure to check them often (when you rotate tires on your awesome locking transfer clutch machine) to be sure you're missing one wearing down faster than the others (since it started with less).

does anyone know what happened to the picture of this retorque tool mentioned above? dimensions, instructions, etc?

maybe it wasn't enough slush for the tires to slip and you were feeling the transmission bind. if that were true, it would feel bogged down the more you turned the steering wheel, but should be fine driving straight as an arrow. was it all the time? agree on tire check too.

try the off road forum for technical advice, alot of those guys might not be looking here but they can help you with advice.

i have an extra auto trans. try banging out the dent in the pan first.

if this is for off roading and serious trail riding that may limit your horsepower options. cams may provide more horsepower, but it's usually up in the higher RPM range which might not be helpful in some kinds of offroading.

i have an XT6 5speed 4WD i'm getting rid of. if you're interested in it - it has the FT4WD 5 speed with center differential. you could have the whole thing, trans, pedal assembly, vacuum lines, center diff, diff lock button, actuator, drive shaft, rear diff, etc. i'd pull the engine and some other random things out first and the rest is yours. i'm in maryland, so i could possibly tow it to you depending where in VA you are.

nice, that's tricy. well assuming the engine is layed out the same, your drivers side is much easier. but no matter, your TOD is fixed. valve covers are the easiest oil loss culprit, might want to check those out. easy and inexpensive to replace. 10mm wrench and some time is all that's needed. they will leak at the far back, bottom corner.

thanks emily and 99OBW! funny noone mentioned that?