idosubaru

i'd check the MAF sensor and TPS sensors. does this have a hotwire type MAF sensor? i'd pull the sensor and check the very very thin wires to see if any are broken. a broken strand can give very similar problems and not throw any CEL codes. not likely but it is possible the timing tensioners are weak or the bolts holding them are stripped and not holding tight enough. under light load there is no problem, at higher RPM's the tensioner gives away under the higher load, temporarily *changing* your timing. this problem will also get worse as the tensioner or bolts get worse. more likely for the item to just fail, this scenario is very rare but possible if you're striking out everywhere else.

like mr. radon said, just install and go. assuming your oil supply is in good condition (which should be addressed while it's all apart anyway), then the HLA's will function just fine if you install them. be sure to lube all of the valve train up real good with assembly lube or oil. HLA's, valve tops/springs and rocker arms.

problems per vehicle is useless information. i'd say the average porsche driver is not pumping out 30,000 miles per year. how about problems per 100,000 miles....er we better make it per 40,000 for the lesser makes to even make the chart.....

no worries.

petersubaru - your problem was indicative of an oil pump issue as it affected multiple lifters. a stuck HLA will be obvious by it's noise from one side of the motor and one particular cylinder and possibly even bad compression readings. a bad cam carrier to head o-ring would only show itself on one side of the motor as well. oil pump seals affect all HLA's. oil pump reseal - new seals and gaskets. replace or fix fauly HLA and finally replace oil pump. those are the fixing options. band-aid options including changing oil viscosity, additives, sea foam, ATF, MMO...etc.

most people say pull the motor if you can. really depends on how you like to work and what tools/space you have available. i work on XT6's so the motor and trans are both very heavy. it's really nice to pull the motor and work above the car. it's clean and easy that way. easier to replace the rear main seal and any other items while the motor is out too. like the oil pan gasket or motor mounts if needed. but i can have the trans out quicker than the motor so if time was critical i might think about just dropping the trans. fewer things to disconnect and no messing with an engine lift (though the engine lift makes it easier because it does all the work). so if you're creative and ambitious getting the trans out and back in would be quicker in my oppinion. but it is annoying working under the car. sure feels nice to have the trans on the floor in a few minutes as opposed to taking pulling the motor. but then the end sucks because you have to install from underneath balancing the trans on a jack.

problem solved already. clogged radiator. put in another radiator that turned out to be clogged as well even though it ran fine in my old XT6 that i parted out.

i found that post: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=39847&page=2&pp=10&highlight=pilot+bearing

never replaced one myself so i can't help you with that. very bad idea to use the old one. i just read a post..can't recall which board this was on, of a guy who had his clutch replaced and the pilot bearing failed not too long after that. i think it might have been in the New Generation forum but could have been another board all together. he was quite irritated that the shop didn't replace this 12 dollar part in order to avoid another couple hundred dollars of labor charges.

depends how far "a block" is, all farmland to the side of me....but 7 subarus on my land. 6 XT6's and 1 OBS.

i just did my 97 OBS the other week, super easy! didn't do the rotors though. i pad slapped mine and they work dandy. basic tools do you just fine for the pads and man they are cake. don't forget to open the brake master cylinder up to relieve the pressure as you press the pistons in.

NAPA sells anaerobic sealant, that's where i get mine. be advised it is very expensive for what it is. but i figure for oil pumps it's like a tiny bit of sealant and for the cam carriers i trust it more and don't want to do it again. one nice *feature* is that it doesn't dry out like the grey stuff, so no poking holes or cutting the side of the tube to get stuff out of it! but it is expensive...like 10 bucks a bottle or a little more. the grey stuff will work, stricktly oppinion really - i think the anaerobic sealant is better, less likely to leak and no chance of getting into anywhere it shouldn't. if i only had the other stuff i'd feel confident using it without issue and i'm sure you can as well. i used to use the grey stuff and i thought it leaked easier but that could have been my fault. i never had any major issues with the grey stuff when i used it, it did work fine.

a bad alternator typically causes this. you will start to burn fusible links, maybe fuses and maybe computers if you drive it like this. autozone or advanced auto parts (and other parts stores) will test alternators for free (though it may not show it's ugly problems when you're there). make sure the connections at the alternator and battery are good as well. there's a plastic plug on the alternator, check it's condition and that it's not shorting out in some way. my guess is the alternator though.

it's worth whatever someone will pay for it. old vehicles like this can command a good price but the demand is also very small so you wouldn't expect a quick sell like you would with other makes/models of more mainstream popularity. it's all about timing really. if the right buyer is in the market they would pay alot for it, but few people will do that for older model soobs.

different vehicles respond better than others. Kevin (myphalyx, active on this board) did some extensive testing of differnt intake set ups. on the XT6 model he experienced gains with the K&N cone style filter exposed to the engine air over the more isolated stock set up. you could search the older model forums or http://www.xt6.net for his testing and dyno plots for the proof. that was debated for quite some time and his testing pretty much shows what works best. he tried a couple different set ups but my memory won't allow me to comment at the moment...can't recall the exact differences and results.

ha, i'll fire everyone up. i've driven on TWO on the front. and three for 240 miles from Charlotte, NC to Atlanta, GA. i've also driven with 4 for YEARS including off roading, 4 wheeling, towing, snow, mud...you name it. i don't recommend it, but i never had a problem with it. 4 studs sheared off on I85 in charlotte NC all at the same time. hmmm bad luck. so i wobbled to a closed gas station at 1am. i knew i couldn't make it to atlanta on one lug nut going 70/80 mph. so i searched and searched for a bolt that would work...bingo the brake caliper mounting bolts on an XT6 are the same thread and pitch as the wheel studs. so i cranked the remaining caliper mounting bolt nice and tight after scaveging one from each side to use on the wheel. they are very short compared to the studs and don't have to be pressed in as the shaft isn't fat at the head. so i had to hold the bolt in place with one hand to get the nut started and pull the wheel tight to the hub. continued on my way to atlanta and replaced them with new studs the next day. worked perfectly. banged all those studs out with a hammer and still drive that car to this day. rebuilt the entire front suspension and replaced the front bearings while i had it all apart they were good and tight. that's with lots of off road miles and such as well. all this to say knocking the studs out did'nt damage my bearings.

the cap does come off. slides out. if it doesn't want to come out, just twist it gently back and forth and it'll eventually come out. i believe the seal is retained in the cap as well. replace both the seal and the o-ring if it has both.

i've "heard" they can run hotter if too much grease is packed into them. doesn't dissipate heat as well i believe is the theory. i have no proof or claim to know that as fact.

dont run long without an exhaust, it's not good for your valves. i meant to run it without the bolt in there to see if it drips from the bolt. without the exhaust on is an option, just don't run it long and drive it around that way, but good to test.

and travel light. i think the forrester is heavy, not a good thing for what you're trying to do. wider tires would definitley be a plus. you can buy one size wider tires and they will fit your stock rims if you're really into doing this. less psi per contact area of tire helps plane the car out over the sand. but it does the same on water too so you'd loose a little bit of wet road performance..mostly on standing water and snow.

there's some confusion becuase he mentioned that he used RTV for water pumps before, but that was just commentary. his real question refers to the oil pump.

i'm confused as i definitely just replaced the crank seal and an oring on my 2.2 liter oil pump. i still have the parts receipt from the dealer. i'm not sure which is which as i purchased crank, cam and oil pump seals. i can rule out the cam seals by quantity number, the rest just say "oil seal or o-ring" here are the part numbers and descriptions: 806742110 Oil Seal 806733030 Oil Seal 10991AA000 O-Ring one of those could be an XT6 part as well.... do not use RTV to seal the oil pump. use anaerobic sealant only. oil supply is not something to mess with, it's not worth it. yes RTV can work, but it's not the best choice. anaeorbic sealant will not dry so long as it's exposed to air. when you put it on, only the sealant that is clamped between the block and pump will dry. the rest remaining internally that gets squised out will remain solvent and wash away with any oil. RTV dries and becomes hazardous to the engine, but it will work.

i see hundreds of posts...but i think it was paul, user name kacerdias at www.xt6.net that had clutch issues like this and it turned out to be bushings. i'd at least post there if you don't want to search.

this is really crazy because there are chevy cavalier rotors that will work on an XT6!!!! that's nuts if it's true on another soob.

i'd take a picture of your seat from the 1993 subaru you bought and show the perfectly good drivers seat after 11 years of ownership if they question anything.