idosubaru

very high for around here, CA might be a different market. doesn't sound like something to jump on. if it has the 2.5 liter motor i personally wouldn't get it unless it was a a really great deal (like thousands less than others). the only way i'd pay close to full price is if the head gasket can be verified to have been replaced. that mileage is no big deal for a subaru, but it is on the early 2.5 motors.

if everything seems to be working fine now then i'd say go for it. drain all your fluid (trans, diff, ATF, rear diff) and inspect the fluid as it comes out, inspect the drain plug and see if you find anything out of the ordinary coming out. at this mileage though i'd expect wheel bearings, diff, u-joints...something to eventually become an issue. i replaced my wheel bearings at 200,000 as preventative maintenance. i look at preventative maintenance as much cheaper than a new car payment and i get a reliable car out of the deal. depends on overall condition, how reliable you need this thing to be and how much you're willing to put into it after the rebuild. might be better to find a low mileage EA82 for a hundred or two instead of going through an entire rebuild (very expensive). have your good head rebuilt and install them on a low mileage block. i would personally rather do that and spend the money saved on a full out rebuild on wheel bearings, ujoints, tie rod ends...other leave-you-sit or safety items.

pretty sure the FSM for the XT6 details changes that occur based on driving conditions/speed. surely very minor, but it does something. certainly not performance enhancing.

sounds like your HG's are fine. you would definitely have experienced some kind of coolant loss by now if you had a leak. if you're not adding coolant weekly you're fine. headgaskets don't leak and then stop.

i've reversed cables in the past on an older late 80's/early 90's soob. no serious damage done. burnt fusible link is the only damage i've incurred. done it once or twice. i definitely don't recommend it. suppose i was lucky. if you're big on reliability then i'd look into another battery as well. it's fine now and will likely test fine, but like they said you likely shortended it's life and i for one wouldn't want to find out by how much!

interval is a generic number, there's really no "one-size-fits-all" mileage. person, car, age, mileage, condition of motor, usage of vehicle all make a difference. if the vehicle has any mileage on it then the only way to know is the have the oil analyzed professionally. also depends how long you plan on keeping the car or how honest you want to be on the resale of it. the easy way is to pick a conservative number between 3,000-5,000 that you can live with and do that. the less i know about a motor the more i change the oil, that's my philosophy. i wouldn't go over 5,000 miles...can you do it, yes. is it worth it... i have friends that have gone 10,000 on regular oil with no issues..yet. (oh, how nice not to have hydraulic valve lash adjusters..but i'm the one laughing when they need an adjustment). but that's a terrible idea. it does the engine no favors in terms of bearing, rings, valve train, cams...etc.

good maintenance would be to replace all the o-rings at each strut and the compressor. the orings are nearly 20 years old and they basically crack when you remove them because they are old and brittle...doesn't make for a good seal. good luck finding a mechanic that knows what they are doing, these air suspensions are not very common and most people swap if they can to coil overs. i also posted a thread about conditioning your struts so they last. on the XT6 new air struts run $400 from subaru...a little cheaper with some on line searching and are hard to come by at times. here's a write up i did on keeping your struts from wearing out: http://xt6.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4173&highlight=air+strut i have found that letting an air suspension vehicle sit without running for a week or more does not do it any favors...i think the valve in the compressor builds corrosion or already existing corrosion gets worse. i've had a number of XT6's that had perfectly working air suspensions turn flaky after taking them off the road for a week to a couple months for timing belts or engine replacement. if it's lowering at all then yes it's loosing air somewhere. i parked an XT Turbo a month or two ago and it's still riding high and i haven't turned it on...actually it doesn't even have a battery yet.

it will be sold at some point...preferrably as is, but if it's a big loss i'll fix it and sell it. there is some interest as it is and i hope to work something out.

so i can have a three tone OBS. just kidding....hail damage - dimples all over it. found a wrecked OBS 8 miles from me, same color and bought it. easiest way as i know nothing about body work and don't have the time to learn.

Got a 97 and 98 OBS, i'll be swapping front and rear doors. Any special tools or tricks for this? Didn't know if there's an alignment issue here or just a basic bolt on project. how about the rear hatch as well?

will this work for an XT6 (or EA82)? http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=92900

you didn't stick anything in the flywheel to keep it from moving at some point prior? very strange indeed. if you try the soak method definitely use liquid wrench or pb blaster, that shnit is AWESOME. way better than WD40.

your sure it's coming from the engine, front of the car? does it do anything while sitting in neutral but reving the motor up to 3,100 rpms'? get a helper and try it with the hood open and listen/look around. or just open the throttle by hand if you know how to do that, then you can do it yourself.

im going to repeat what was just said basically. check cv boots, if they are broke grease gets on the exhaust. no big deal, they won't fail anytime soon. i've gone 50,000+ miles on broken front boots. keep your eye on the temp gauge and coolant level. easiest way to notice coolant loss is by frequently checking the level. if it's going down, it's loosing coolant. do not let the car overheat if you want to keep that motor running. exhaust leaks can definitely create smell in the cabin, so that could be the culprit as well. since you have a known leak, i'd address that first and move on from there.

correct.

i second the motion for a picture. we may be more help if you can post a picture. i've dealt with a number of timing related bolt issues as i'm sure others on the board have. each case can be slightly different...

i can't stress enough that i would not use an easy out here....someone in another thread (the one about the ball joint i think)...just broke one. they break all the time and don't work for crap when i've used them. a bolt that an easy out works on will come out via other methods...like subylvr just mentioned. you do not want an easy out to shear off in your engine. they do all the time, i can take a picture of one that's been hanging for 2 years from my fuel pump bracket under my car that i can't get out after it sheared off in the rusted bolt i was trying to remove. everyone that i've bought has broken...like 6 and finally decided never to use one again, though i have one "just in case" and hope i never use it. i have a really cheap drill with little power and the clutches in it slip too so it's not like i'm overpowering them with the drill that's for sure. i think he said it didn't break flush with the block...i assume he means the only part left is inside the block? i would try loads of penetrating oil (liquid wrench or PB blaster, don't bother using WD40 in place of these). if you have any access to it at all, try to cut a slot in the end to use a flat bladed screwdriver to back it out. if that doesn't work i'd try a left handed drill bit to back it out with the assumption that i might have to helicoil it. in which case you'd need a right angle drill to drill it out, tap and insert the helicoils. i have helicoiled timing belt bolts before. it's annoying, but possible. i rented a right angle drill the one time i had to do it in the car. i've heard and know of instances where people have JB welded or locktighted bolts in place, so i'd be suspicious of that if it's really hard to get out. if it's a bolt that screws into the head another horrible option i hate to mention is replacing that head. but might be easier than taking it to a shop if you can't get it out.

as long as you didn't crank anything down or force anything you should be fine. last 1/4" of the TC seating is tricky and will break the oil pump inside the trans if not done correctly.

wouldn't be terribly difficult to figure something out on your own... takes someone diving into it. if i ever get the time i'll do it, but won't be soon as i have too many project and mine if off the road at the moment anyway....

i have a 97 and 98 OBS (Outback Sport) and really dig the car. picked it up for my wife (i drive all older subaru's) and love it. they both have the 2.2 liter motor, so it's available at least up until 98 i suppose. it's not the fastest thing on the block, but a great car. definitely get AWD. in general manual trans vehicles are capable of more miles and fewer problems. but you can also go 200,000 + on an auto and never need to touch it...a manual will likely need a clutch unless you're very good to it. but that's not a big deal, not something that will leave you stranded, just maintenance if you wear it out. the auto trans are quite reliable, not really a bad point for the newer subaru's. be careful with towing and tire size to protect the trans. install a transmission cooler if you get an automatic, that's always good insurance.

someone posted earlier this week that it was 2001 that they started using the new and improved gaskets. but this being hearsay, i'd hold off for verification. the 2.2's are bullet proof any years, only the 2.5 has issues.

found some stuff on the internet regarding what you're talking about, changing the speedo gears and it appears doable with minor tools and the trans in the car for some vehicles. some manufacturers even supply the replacement gears and have part numbers and all associated with different setups. but i did find this as well, which is kind of what i'd like, though i don't know how legit this is. but something easily adjustable would be nice: http://www.dragonaero.com/SpeedChan...hanicalPage.htm EDIT - AH!!!!! you're right $130-$150. wow. guess i'll keep calculating. you're probably right...way expensive. but i think for what you want, just swap in the right size gear. saw some calculating stuff on the internet. wonder if any other makes would swap those little nylon gears to get the ratio you want..unless you know for sure which one you need and can get it from subaru?

wrong thread....

good idea, for a turbo the OEM is proven and reliable. i have a carbed block with turbo heads on it....what's the advantage of that anyway? i doubt i'll even use it, i want higher compression.

same here...i'll be going with larger tires and would like to compensate. i've read before about "boxes" that can adjust the ratio somehow. so you plug your speedo cable (that would normally come from the trans and go to the speedo) into this box....then it has an output (the ratior you want) and a cable from the output of the box to the actual speedometer in the instrument cluster. seems the lifted rig truck/jeep guys should know how to do this...i can't imagine it's always internal since they adjust tire sizes frequently...gotta be an easier solution.