idosubaru

i'll admit it's giving me a little jumpstart before as well.

that's a rip. most a/c failures i see are due to leaky schrader valves that cost less than a dollar each. look at your a/c compressor and check out the two fittings with schrader valves in them. just look at the valves and it wouldn't surprise me if you see wetness or even bubbling if the system still has any pressure. seen this plenty of times, the valve stem cores have orings at the base that degrade over time and leak. same thing in a tire valve stem but they typically get changed out with new tires. it does take a special tool to replace them without releasing the refrigerant (though the tool isn't that expensive). or a 2 dollar bike valve tool will work as well. in any event if it's R134a you should just charge it yourself. a can of refrigerant is like 10 dollars. but i'd check those two valves for leakage before charging so you can tell where the leak is for future reference. unless your compressor has failed i would be your a/c system is fine though i can't tell without looking at it. there are diagnostic tests they can do including the leak test they described, but i find that test to be questionable at best. a sniffer is much better as that stuff will definitely show up wherever you put it in the system (which is through a valve that could be the problem to begin with). a sniffer is the way to go and i think they should check for free as if they can tell you the problem and be honest about it they would have had a customer. lots of people drop that 800 everytime though without questioning so they get in the habit of just charging that. i can't tell you how many of those $800 dollar jobs end up being 50 cent schrader valves, but i bet it's a large percentage. you can also buy a gauge from the auto parts store for a 10 or 20 dollars and check how much charge is in their right now. (the gauge is like color coded with directions and all so you know how much should be in there). they work. this will tell you if your system is charged right. if it's not then i would suspect your compressor. but i bet you're just low on refrigerant (happens all the time). and at 10 dollars a can, that will probably last awhile even if you have a slow leak. there's another a/c thread right now as we speak, i just replied to both. check it out as well, may be some good info in there. i'm by no means an expert but never had problems recharging or fixing miine. EDIT - i see the last poster commented on the leak testing too. sniffers are the way to go, that leak test stuff isn't nearly as good. but with a little tiny bit of leg work i bet you can get away with neither one. i think you should just try to charge it with a can and see what happens. but that's just me.

yes you can. i do it. i have a 97 OBS too and though i've never touched the AC i did notice it appeared to be R134 fittings which will be much easier for you to deal with. most likely if this just started you should have a decent charge on the system with minimal if any air entering the lines. so i would just charge. before you go messing with it though, pull the caps off (if there are any) and have a look at the high and low pressure ports. inside you'll see a schrader valve (just like in a tire valve stem), these are the most common leakage points as they have a very tiny oring at their base. a leak will be noticeable by wetness and possibly even bubbling if any oil comes out, typically it's really easy to notice which is why i say to check. even if you don't want to fix it, it would be good to know for future reference as the valves cost like 50 cents and the valve removal tool costs like 2 dollars. problem is you have to discharge the system to replace them...unless you buy a slightly more expensive a/c tool that actually allows you to pull the valve and replace it with a new one without discharging the system. have to look them up, forget what they are called, but it's a smooth little device. of course a shop should do this for you for like 10 bucks since they have the tool and valves sitting around, but they won't. they'll say it needs leak tested, valves replaced, vacuum pulled, recharged and 250 dollars later your a/c works when i would have just replaced the valve for 50 cents. sometimes you can tighten them up to slow the leak (needle nose pliers will even work if yo'ure careful), but that's hit or miss usually the oring is too degraded at that point. soap on the valves will help show a leak if you don't see anything. would be best to buy a hose with a gauge on it if you don't have a manifold set of gauges for doing it "the right way". you don't need these, but they are nice, it's another thing to learn figuring them out. i'm not going to cover that now. anyway, you can get a small hose with a gauge on it and it might even come with directions. get a decent hose with metal fittings and stuff, not the cheap plastic ones as they break and suck. the right hose can serve two purposes - you can attach it to your A/C and close the valve so you just get a pressure reading. and you can attach a can of refrigerant to it and open the valve to charge your system. that's the kind of hose you want. some of the cheap hoses have no valve so when you're done charging the refrigerant just expels into the air. here's the bottom line..finally you say, attach the can to the hose, hose to the car and charge away. it's really that simple. keep it charged so no air gets in the system. air and humidity (water) will cause corrossion internally and eventually your compressor will seize. you can make it complicated by using a vacuum pulley and gauges and all that jazz...depends what you want to do, that's actually easy as well if you have the right tools.

do you have a trip computer and is it working right? on an XT6 trip computer any time power is disconnected the trip computer begins counting down from some random number that you didn't enter and when it reaches zero it will go off. but it should only do it once unless power is disconnected again. i suppose a wiring problem or issue with the computer could cause it to do it more often.

yep, done it before too. (on the XT6 ER27 as well)

best to helicoil them, i just did a bunch on my XT6. pretty straight forward and easy with a drill and helicoil kit as the things are easy to get to, though the exhaust manifold will have to come off as the tap for the helicoil is larger than the holes in the exhaust flange. i've seen some people's work where they will cover up their exhaust manifold with lots of sealant and bolt it back up as best as they can with like half the nuts/studs loose or not existant. i wouldn't do it that way, but seen others that have.

if your lug nuts are covered by a cap, be sure one didn't shear off and is rattling under the cap.

thanks! makes me feel better about the stuff curing. i might stick something to a spare cam carrier and then pull it apart just to check it out.

anyone know what the deal is with this stuff? it's the suggested sealant to use on the cam carrier housings of XT6's and EA82's. i've noticed this stuff doesn't really seem to *dry* like other sealants. like you'll put it on and a few days later the little that seeps out is still wet i think. looked like it anyway. i always use the associated activator spray with it as well. just curious what the deal is behind this stuff. i've never taken any apart yet that i've put this stuff on (guess that's a good sign so far!), so i'm curious if it dries in the normal sense? i wonder if "anaerobic* means it doesn't dry with air or something.

i'd check that clutch cable too. i just learned how to drive without a clutch cable and it sounds simliiar to what yo'ure talking about, very tricky to get into gear. if the clutch cable isn't working right you might only get into gear when the engine/trans mesh together perfectly, which is a tricky thing to do and takes a little practice. go over that clutch cable before you drop the trans/motor.

sometimes FWD and AWD trans use the same TCU (transmission computer), so you may not need that. you should be able to find an AWD trans for it if you look around though. keep trying, replacing with a stock trans would be nice. whatever you get, install an aftermarket trans cooler when you install the next trans.

did you get 'em out?

a new alternator is nice if you can afford it. warranty and new parts so you don't have problems again. if you can't pull that - i probably have a used one i can sell you (but i'm out of state at the moment). email me if you want a used one. there are others like tapper who may have some as well. also - if you find a local rebuild shop they may be able to rebuild it for you cheaper than buying a new one.

here are some ways to get this bolt out. all of these techniques have worked for me on intake manifold bolts and are very easy (easier with two people) : this is the easiest way to get one out, but requires that the bolt did come out a little bit (they often do). use a huge pry bar (i think mine is 8 foot). has a perfect V shape at the end for fitting under the head of the bolt. if you don't have one, use something else long with leverage that you can get under it (even a claw hammer will work okay). tyipcally you'll need some 2x4 pieces or somethign else under the pry bar/hammer to get the right angle for applying pressure. get it under the head of the bolt (that's why you need it to come out a little bit) and pry up on it while simutaneously unscrewing the bolt. you're not trying to pry it out (YET!! ha ha), just putting pressure on it. dont' try to break anything, but don't go easy either, put some stank into it. don't know why, but it works. easier with two people, one to apply upward pressure and you to turn it out. i've had them come right out like this, it's a wonderful feeling to see that thing come right out. i've always at least gotten the bolt to turn. so long as you can turn it, tighten the bolt and then untighten it...do this multiple times. if it comes out at all, spray PB Blaster or Liquid Wrench (not WD40, the others work better) down the hole between motions of screwing/unscrewing. it may work itself out. one time on a very old soob (not mine) i actually had to cut the freaking thing off between the intake and head (seriously annoying) because the head broke off and the rest of the bolt was left in the manifold. doubt you'll have that problem, every bolt on that car was rusted. every single radiator fan bolt sheared off too! got to the point where i was moving really fast because every bolt took 1 turn to get off, snap! good luck,

have it milled only. don't pressure test it. pressure testing is nice, but you should be fine without it. if the car drove fine, the head was fine before and you blew a gasket but didn't abuse the car (like over heat it, blow the gasket and keep adding water and still drive it for 6 months) then i wouldn't get it pressure tested. i've actually replaced a few head gaskets without milling (for friends who wouldn't spend the 50 bucks) without incident so far, but one day it's not going to hold. mill it and clean the head bolts really well (i use a wire brush and drill). then lightly oil the head bolts so they go in smooth and torque accurately. this will keep your head gasket lasting awhile.

i'm with reddevil, i replace every rear main seal i can get to. as long as it's done right then you definitely want it done.

no need to check compression, i was just trying to figure out what you mean by "5 cylinders". i can't tell what that means on the computer....it could mean two things. 1. you have bad compression in one cylinder 2. you don't have spark in one cylinder if you don't have spark in one cyilnder then there's no need to check compression, i was just trying to clarify which of these two options you meant. if it was indeed a spark issue then plugs and wires should fix the problem. there's a chance the distributor cap and rotor could be at fault as well. if money is an issue you swap the spark plug wires around and see if the no spark condition follows a particular wire or stays with one cylinder. if it follows one wire then the wire is to fault. if it stays at one cylinder even while swapping wires then the cap/rotor or spark plug is to fault. this way you can narrow down exactly what the problem is and save $. i would suggest replacing everything at once though - plugs, wires, cap and rotor all at the same time.

different cars could likely see different results. for the ER27 (same motor as EA82 except 2 more cylinder) i saw no decrease in mileage without a cat, with a cat and with a high flow converter, i've had all different combinations. i saw a 2 - 3 mile per gallon increase in highway mileage when i replaced the stock muffler with a dynomax straight through muffler. i drive 30,000 - 40,000 miles per year highway miles. around town driving may not have the same results.

they are different. different bore sizes. XT is 13/16" XT6 is 15/16" i think those numbers are correct.

oh my crap he's got a chopped wagon. how sweet is that. is that legal in the states?

wouldn't surprise me if that was common. doubt i'll notice though, all my other soobs are XT6's so they make any variety of vibrations/noises depending which one i drive.

there are sources to have subaru gaskets mailed to you if you wanted them. subaruparts.com or something maybe. i've called my "local" dealer and had them mail me parts because it's an hour out of my way to get there and back. i would check about retorquing before making your decision. the XT6 does not require it but i believe the EA82 4 cylinders do, so get some feedback from these guys that have done it. i'd try to find a head gasket that doesn't need retorqued. to retorque you tear it down, install head gasket, drive car until it warms up and then tear it all back down again to retorque the bolts. very annoying. there are aftermarket head gaskets that require retorquing for the XT6 but the OEM subaru gasket does not. that's alot of saved effort if time is a concern.

this is a discussion board so if i don't like discussions i should probably leave.

gaskets depend who you ask, some swear by subaru some have done fine with aftermarket. one thing i would look for is a gasket that does not need to be retorqued. not sure on the 4 cylinders but i think subaru recommends retorquing the head bolts.....which is super annoying. some gaskets don't require this. i would have the head milled (might be able to find somewhere for 35 or 40 dollars if you call around). you can try checking it yourself, but they are always off by some amount, so best to get it flat. i can finish one head in a day (if i don't have to take it in to get it milled, i have extra's on hand ready to swap out when i do it). for the first time i'd plan on a couple days (weekend) just in case. this can happen quicker but roughly: timing belts, covers, radiator fans, pulleys can all be off in 2 hours. valve cover, rocker arms, cam housing and head can be off in another hour or two. add an extra hour or two for cleaning up parts, organizing and cleaning the head bolts and head bolt holes. hit the water pump pulley bolts (if it's driven by the serpentine belt) and radiator fan bolts (if they are electric) with pb blaster as well. keep two bolts in the cam carrier (but threaded half way out) and don't remove them until the cam housing is loose as it will be stuck in place on the head due to sealant. keep the rocker arms marked and ready to install in the same spot they were before you removed them. i get the cam carrier loose, then grab each rocker arm by hand and pull it out so they don't drop and fall on the ground. once the cam housing is loose and rocker arms out, take it off. loosen head bolts in the proper order. clean the head bolts and the head bolts holes really well. might take an extra 30 minutes or hour but it's worth it to have it done right. don't want to blow a new head gasket. do not forget to replace the little o-ring between the head and cam carrier. the one by itself in the bottom corner of the cam carrier. do not reuse the old one and do not try to use sealant in there. get a new one, they are 2 dollars and change from subaru. http://www.thepartsbin.com also carries them. when putting it all back together. have thick high grade grease ready to reinstall the rocker arms. they won't stay in place by themself. engine assembly lube is nice and sticky as well if you have that. load them up and let them hang off the lifters and carefully install the cam carrier (with sealant) without knocking the lifters off. i got it just fine first time i tried it. remove anything you can out of the way (battery, distributor cap, auto transmission hoses, a/c compressor), get anything out of the way. this can be tricky and it's annoying to redo it because you knocked a rocker off or rubbed your sealant. just a few tips to help you get started. gotta go.

if you're loosing that much oil - you are positive it's not leaking? no oil under the car anywhere? 2.2 or 2.5 liter? huge difference, 2.2 should not have head gasket problems. did this car ever run hot or overheat? if there are definitely no oil leaks you need to have a compression test done before going any further. quotes of thousands of dollars with no testing come from people hoping to make lots of money and take advantage of someone else. they aren't helping you at all without doing further testing. a compression test takes only a couple minutes and is very easy to do. i would not return to this dealer. have a compression test done and post the results back here. if you can verify the headgaskets are bad i would have them replaced (should not cost over 1,000 dollars). some people have even gotten the 2.5 headgaskets replaced for free or at a very discounted rate since it's a known issue on 2.5 liter motors. but that takes persistence and a little luck from what i hear. if it's not the head gaskets then it may be internal (like piston rings)....but my goodness that would be very strange to have a 2000 subaru with 73,000 miles have a bad piston ring???? if it was the block (pistons or something serious) i'd install a used motor which can be done for under 2,000. (but not by the dealer). just found some used good 2.5's by me for under 1,500.