idosubaru

unfortunately i think you need to use the same fluid for the drains. the point of doing the multiple drain method is that you can't get all the fluid out with one drain, so you do it a couple of times to get most of the old fluid out. if you use a different fluid for the last drain you'll have partial concentrations of different fluids, not the best idea in my oppinion. the synthetics are nice, but old school ATF works well too. i'd plan on changing at 30,000-60,000 intervals.

i'd check out the control arm. while offroading in some snow i slammed into a curb and severly bent my control arm. used one for $25 dollars and i was on my way. mine was obvious because it was so bad, but a minor bend in it could easily be overlooked and cause symptoms your'e describing.

my 97 OBS is similar to what you're saying in terms of decreased mileage at higher speeds. though i don't see a 5 mpg difference, but that's the wifes car and on highway trips i don't typically stay around 60. my older XT6 models (i have 4 that i drive, all 6 cylinders) get better mileage at highway speed. i drive 120 miles round trip everyday. at 75/80 mph my XT6's get around 27 mpg (6 cylinder, AWD). if i drive 55-60 i will not see any better mileage, it stays about the same. my first XT (4 cylinder FWD) would see top mileage around 70/75 mph as well and not get significantly better at lower speeds. that thing busted out 40 mpg, which is why i just bought one and am rebuilding the motor. the XT had the lowest drag coefficient of any car at it's time of manufacture so that doesn't hurt it. i'm an aerospace engineer and i'm sitting at NASA right now, so i understand all the principles behind aerodynamics. drag is one piece of the puzzle. if drag were the only principle behind gas mileage then driving in the highest gear at 35 mph would offer the best mileage on those principles, but that is not the case. on the highway my Ford F150 gets 15 mpg and deviates little even when i'm towing a car. the drag of another car must be quite large, but my mileage will be hardly different than non-towing highway miles. there are mileage variances between makes of cars. the newer subaru's, including my 97 OBS experience the "better at lower highway speeds" syndrome.

the "idler belt" is likely just a pulley, not the belt. they wouldn't call a belt that name and timing belts don't cost $135 even at a dealer. pull the covers and have a look. pulling the side covers should only take a couple minutes and you'd be done. if you can't see anything, have a 22mm socket (i think) ready to turn the motor over by hand, that way you can turn the belt until you see the writing on it "SUBARU" for instance to tell how warn or not-so-warn it is. you could just bump the key for a second to turn the motor over to a new position a couple of times if you don't have a socket...just wait for the timing belt to stop in different locations until you see the markings on the belt. this will give you an idea of the age of the belt. post a picture of the belt if you're not sure.

i disagree on one can of SEAFOAM doing any engine damage if left in the car or driven for a regular oil change interval. i've added seafoam and ATF (two bottles seafoam or 2 quarts of ATF) in ER27's back in the day with no problems. 200,000 miles later no problems with the blocks. that was years ago, but no problems on those motors. now i typically reseal the oil pump when i get one and don't have issues anymore. i have an OBS, 4 XT6's and no ticking.

no, that was a general comment about using thicker oil before resorting to any additives. it's not important. what makes you think you need duralube? if you're engine is experiencing a problem duralube is not the solution.

get the $3.00 versions, that's what i got for my 1997 outback. dealers are inherently expensive. if you need dealer parts, order them online from 1stsubaruparts.com or liberty subaru in NJ, they typically offer MUCH better prices than local dealer will. air struts locally are $399 but only $250 through one of the online subaru OEM parts suppliers. that's a HUGE difference. i would guess the $3 and $13 plugs are the same part anyway. ask them for the NGK part number and compare them. if the NGK part numbers match then it's the same plug. for spark plugs not a big deal, but for 1997 Outback specific questions the Newer Generation Forum will get you more responses. (this is the Older Generation Forum).

the real question is why are you wanting to add anything but oil? if it's oil loss, then ask about oil loss. if your engine is noisey then ask about a noisey engine. 230,000 km is nothing so i wouldn't concern yourself with it. that's only 150,000 miles, i'd say most subaru's through the early 90's have that many miles on them and don't need anything but regular oil changes. all of mine have 140,000 - 200,000 miles (which is like 360,000 km) and i never use additives. i wouldn't add duralube or any other additive. no need to put anything in your oil except oil. the only thing i might recommend would be thicker oil (20w50) if you're having excessive oil consumption or something to clean the HLA's if you don't feel like (or can't) tearing into the motor to fix noisey HLA's.

that first XT6 is not a lift kit but an XT6 with suspension goodies from other vehicles. there's a thread right now on the marketplace forum with a liftkit offered for what you're looking for, like the second XT pictured.

i don't know much about motors so my statement about increasing horsepower was wrong. but i think it does help somewhere in performance and that's what i was getting at. if you made a 238 pound crank pulley i think that would slow the car down. i don't know where you reach the point of diminishing returns for a car motor but it seems possible that a lighter crank pulley could help things out a bit.

guy that works at the Subaru dealer in PA that i go to has a mint XT6 AWD auto with 27,000 (last i saw). it is perfect.

if you're having this much trouble phil i think it might be easier to remove the axle to get it done and put it back in. it's only one bolt, the axle nut and it'll come out.

he's got it going on, follow his suggestions. i'm sure he assumed this was being done, but in the process of the valve job he described be sure the valve seals are replaced. i think it's best to cool them prior to inserting to help *shrink* them slightly for a tighter fit without gauling/defacing the metal. if you bought the head set gasket set, i think you only need an extra o-ring to rebuild the block. it's only a couple extra seals/gaskets/orings to complete the block. it sure would suck to assume you need a full rebuild if it's just the valve seal leaking oil. it is also possible to remove the piston without pulling the motor apart - so you have the option of pulling one piston, honing that cylinder and just replacing the rings on that one piston. much easier, cheaper and faster than pulling the entire motor apart.

i have WRX rims on mine and they look much better than the stock rims. but before you guys get bent about me saying that....it might be due to the fact that the WRX rims are new and my XT6 rims are 20 years old and not shiney. or maybe because my XT6 looks the way it does.

yours only has two? if it worked with 2 before, it might work with 2 again? i have used one or two less per-side on my XT6 manifolds before with no leakage problems (they have dual ports on each side). anyhow, helicoil and use what you got if it worked before. unless you find an easy source for a manifold...but they you'll need another doughnet gasket at the rear flange too. i think XSNRG (whatever his name is) is selling some y-pipes for EA82's on the for sale forum, go check that out for a replacement (and ask for a 4 hole flange!)

Northwet was posting while i was. we wrote basically the same things on some stuff, regarding anaerobics, head preparation and the oil pan trickery.

the heads and block should be cleaned. i don't know that wire brushing is the best idea, but i have done it in the past. don't do it anymore. the scotch brite kitchen pads work well, but all in all it is certainly a task that sucks. you definitely want it clean because head gaskets are not the kind of job you even want to risk doing twice. the cam carrier doesn't have a formed gasket, it's from a tube like you said. use anaerobic sealant on this thing. anaerobic sealant dries without air (hence the name) and any excess will wash away by the oil, it won't get into anything and clog it. excellent stuff. kind of pricey, but worth it for applications like this. you can also get away with permatex gasket makers but i do not recommend that (but have done it in the past). there is also one metal reinforced o-ring at the lower corner of the cam tower at the oil port (one on each cam), replace this with a new o-ring from Subaru or www.thepartsbin.com is the only non-subaru place i've seen it for sale. do not reuse an old one. and if you use anything other than anaerobic sealant, be sure not to get any in this oil port, i know of one person that had to tear the motor back down and found this port clogged from using the other stuff (not anaerobic sealant). post a picture of the cylinder walls. i've torn down a couple motors with 200,000 miles and they were all in excellent condition with cross-hatching still visible and just a light coat of oil on the cylinder walls....a testimony to the rigidity of these blocks (mine were ER27, same thing as EA82 just 2 more cylinders). in any event, i'd get a picture up here for us to look at, sounds kind of different. might just be dirty or something? oil and water pumps don't need to be torqued that much, follow the specs. but make sure the bolts are all clean and the holes as well. dirty bolts and holes will give lower torque than you're reading. most people just torque these by feel, i've never heard of someone actually reading it that low, though im' sure people do. oil pans suck, they tend not to be flat and won't seal well in my experience. from here on out i put gasket maker on both sides of the gasket so im' not doing it again. the holes where the bolts are for the oil pan are typically indented slightly, giving bad clamping for even a new gasket. use a water pump sealant type stuff (very tacky) on both sides of the water pump gasket as well.

ha ha. no sweat. not familiar with a brat but pretty sure i'd just replace the tie rod ends. just mark it well so you can install the other exactly the same way, i believe it threads on so maybe you can count number of turns or just mark exactly how far it is threaded with something you'll be able to see later. you definitely want to replace these immediately, good items to replace on older cars. if they fail while driving that is a very very dangerous scenario. reminds me, i keep meaning to replace them on my 220,000 mile XT6.

hard is relative but control arms have never been much of an issue for me. again you'll need a big hammer to wail the knuckle off the ball joint though. other than that, just remove bolts (and spray with liquid wrench/pb blaster if necessary).

have a BFH ready to pound away at the lower crossmember to get it to free from the hub. might be a neater way to do it, but that's how i get it. the slot that accepts the ball joint in the hub has a slit in it i believe too and once you get the bolt out you can wedge a chisel in there and tap at it to help free it up as well. other than getting the BJ out of the hub it's straight forward (rust doesn't count!). if you suspect any rust on bolts then spray a day or two before you start with liquid wrench or PB blaster (don't use WD-40, not nearly as good). replacement is up to you. i like doing everything around the same time to keep track, but i keep my vehicles for ever too so i know i'll pat myself on the back for the reliability. if you want to save a couple dollars then don't, if you plan on keeping the car awhile then figure the other will fail at some point, might as well do them both so you don't need to go through the procedures again. it's not a failure threat as there is usually noise or wobbling around turns associated with a bad ball joint so it's not a reliability or safety concern if you don't (so long as you notice when the other starts to go bad). you sure it's the ball joint? mine have never made any noise when they start going bad, but i'm sure there are different failure modes.

first - replace the valve cover gaskets and see how the leaks do. if they just about go away then you just saved yourself alot of time. most of your leaks colud be the valve covers - they leak all the time on older soobs and they tend to drain towards the cam housings/motor mounts so much of what you see there could just be the valve covers. you will not hurt the motor by driving it with oil leaks. most 15 year old cars are leaking oil, no big deal. once you get to more than one quart every 1,000 miles that is significant in my oppinion, but i've had soobs leak more than that before and still drive them. the only bad part is keeping lots of extra oil on hand. if it's a gasket, in my experience it will never "blow" in terms of letting loose massive amounts of oil. if it's a seal (crank/cam), then it could blow and release lots (all) of your oil...but you've replaced all the seals so there's no or little chance you'll spring a leak large enought o blow the motor. i have seen a valve cover crack and leak profusely on start up but that was after i reinstalled a 100,000 plus miles valve cover gasket. i would replace the cam carrier sealant and valve covers with the motor in the car. that's an easy enough job that i couldn't imagine pulling the motor for it. you will need thick/quality grease to get the rocker arms to stay on the lifters when you reinstall the cam carriers. little tricky but compared to pulling a motor it's nothing. there's one reinforced o-ring at the bottom corner of the cam carriers that you will need to replace as well. subaru OEM part or get it at www.thepartsbin.com, that's the only place i've seen that carries it. it's like 2.13 from subaru (you'll need two, one for each side). and use anaerobic sealant on the cam carriers. if you do pull the motor, resealing cam and valve covers and oil pan won't take long at all. the oil pan will be the biggest pain as the old gasket is hard to remove and the pan will likely be uneven and not good for seating on the new gasket. i'd use sealant on both sides of the gasket or look around here for ideas. some people pound the oil pan flat again. i'd definitely work on this motor before putting in another unknown engine from the yard, these EA82's are very durable. cam carriers/valve covers are easy to do if you work on cars. good luck and have fun,

i second checking the alternator. there are only 4 or 5 fusible links you could try pulling each one of those until you locate the circuit it's on. then pull fuses like mentioned earlier as well. the only battery drain i recall anyone having in a soob was the trip computer/clock. is your trunk light off when the trunk is closed? radio?

ha, sorry about the approval process, we just started that not too long ago, a matter of weeks. too many bogus sign ups so there wasn't much choice. give your compressor 12 volts and see if it comes on. that will verify for sure if it works or not. even if it comes on it may not have enough pressure to work properly. or it might work but the computer is turning it off for some reason. i doubt it's "electrical" in the sense that it's a really tricky electrical short or wiring issue. it is most likely just a component of the suspension has failed - compressor, strut (height sensor or leak) or a solenoid or a leak at one of the oring or the computer. that's the list of issues to check. you can also go to the auto parts store and put together some fittings to adapt the top of your front struts to receive air from a regular air compressor. this way you can load the struts and see if they leak. don't really need to do that, but those fittings are really nice if you have an air compressor to work with. you would unscrew the existing fitting at the very top of the strut (either 10 or 12 mm fitting) and screw this adapter in its place. then blow it up at will.

derrick is right on the money. check out that thread if you're into preventative maintenance. i bought my current daily driver 4 years ago at 100,000 miles. i now have 220,000 miles and i've never replaced the air bags on it. they're fine. but the rubber does go bad, that's why i suggest maintaining them a bit if you want to keep them and don't want to buy replacements. the air strut is replaceable, just like any other strut. 3 bolts up top, 2 at the bottom (for the fronts), it comes out really easy. then the electrical and one air fitting. easy to replace. but they are hard to find and run 400+ new from the dealer. you can source them online for about 250 is the lowest you'll find a new one for. or buy used, again slightly tricky to find i like having a set of spares, but mine are all in really good shape. EA82 (XT Turbo and others) air struts will not fit on the XT6. i guess the rears might...but the fronts definitely won't. the air bags wear at the very bottom where they "fold" back on themself. this is where they contact the bottom of the strut. when the bottom of the strut gets a little rust, this rust is rough and gradually wears the air bag away and it will develop holes. i clean the rust up and paint them to keep them from doing that, never had to replace an air bag yet. another common failure point is the air compressor from coming on too often. if you have a leak anywhere and youre compressor is cycling on often then that will eventually burn it up and you'll be looking for a new (used) one. if you can keep your air bags from leaking and replace all your o-rings then you're setting yourself up for a good experience with your air suspension. there's an o-ring at every airline fitting (white caps with 4 prongs). if one prong breaks off it will still hold and seal, but try like the dickens not to break them, they do break rather easily. i think even 2 will hold if they are opposite each other. a thin piece of tubing with a slit along the length of it so it wraps around the air line is the easiest way to remove the lines without breaking the tabs. i've never done that, but it's a good idea, i always just use a screw driver with no problems. but next time i think i'm going the tube route to simplify things. anyway...replace your o-rings...they are 20 years old so it's not IF they will fail but WHICH ONES! just tear into it and replace every single one of them. the one on the rear struts requires removing the solenoid from the strut to replace the o-ring. i dig my air suspension and have had relatively few problems with it myself. regular struts would have fewer problems, but i can diagnose this system and have all the extra parts so no big deal to me. i installed the canadian height switch button too so now i can raise it up and down. like derrick said, go to www.xt6.net for more information, do a search and you'll come up with some stuff. was a guy in canada recently that had a terrible time with his, could not get it to work for anything. i sent him a new compressor and computer and it still wouldn't work?? that's certainly not common, never seen that before.

nothing should be damaged. normally this isn't a big deal at all. like just mentioend those splined stubby shafts just pull in and out. they are typically tough to get out, just require a little yanking. you can probably push it back in without even taking anything apart. just get under there and push it in by hand or use some tools to get some leverage. might get away without requiring any parts removal or anything. if you needed more axle play to get it in you could loosen the axle nut to give you more play. but i can't imagine you'd have to do all that. just get under there and press it back in. i would not keep driving it like this. i wouldn't drive it like this at all. the CV sholudn't have enough room to pull all the way out but at highway speed or torquing around a turn i don't want to know what could happen.