idosubaru

If it's cheap - then it probably has a head gasket leak. Summary - Check headgaskets, rust, and torque bind - drive in tight circles in a dry paved lot (steeering wheel turned to full lock right or left) and see if the car is "slowing down", or binding. And it'll need all new timing components. Details: Unless it's a really obvious situation like they just won a new car on The Price is Right, you should be skeptical of headgaskets on any legacy/outback, particularly if it's cheap and definitely if it's cheap and from a dealer. Rust is also a huge deterrent in your area - check the underneath like the rear suspension, brakes, and exhaust which could look like scrap metal. At 10+ years old and 150k it needs a new timing belt kit. It doesn't matter if the timing belt was replaced, the pulleys and tensioner can fail as well and should be replaced with an AISIN kit for approx. $250 plus labor. I have two 2008 and 2009 legacy's I'm getting rid of but if "value in terms of price" is your goal these won't be your ticket.

That's for factory installed gaskets. Replaced gaskets can additionally fail like the EJ25D's you mentioned. Also significant overheats won't do it any favors, which wouldn't be a huge surprise on a recently purchased craigslist special.

As they said it’s most likely headgaskets. The water pump wasn’t bad and didn’t fix it. It had air in the cooling system and by draining and refilling he temporarily mitigated the air pockets which cause overheating. They will reform from the blown head gaskets and you’ll be in the same situation eventually....but with cheaper aftermarket parts?

hows the title? Propshaft and c/v are two different things but you’re saying both. For cv axles, reboot originals or get used ones. Aftermarket are trash.

Nice work diving into new territory, very very good. Would there have been a stock axle that would have worked if you had wanted ?

Great Aisin Dealer will be way more, like $350 or more. You can price all the parts online to see, no local dealer will be cheaper than discount online pricing. Online pricing is roughly 20% less than local dealers. Check prices online and then you’ll know if you want to get them from a dealer or not without making the trip.

keep in mind 97 is interference so you want Subaru or Aisin parts And the older timing kits can be cheap but don’t include the tensioner like the newer kits do. So you’d have to buy the timing belt kit and also buy the bracket and tensioner which is very roughly $100. So it wouldn’t necessarily save money. Years ago a used one was a good option but they’re so old now....

1997s I’ve done have all, or mostly, been the newer style one piece tensioner with the pulley in a long arm. 1997 is a crossover year and potentially could have either tensioner. The 90-96 or the 97+. If you’re worried or can’t check, call or stop by a dealer parts dept and ask them to look it up by VIN. But that’s only verifiable if the engine was never swapped with a different one The round tensioner with the offset hole is the older style 1990-1996. The one piece pulley on an arm is 1997+. If you buy a 90-96 timing tensioner bracket (cheap) and the timing tensioner, you can use the older style timing belt kit on your 1997. The tensioners don’t mount to the engine, but rather mount to a bracket which is easily swapped. So they aren’t actually “engine dependent”. The older style are more reliable and I used to use them on newer Subarus for that reason.

stellar vehicles. replace all the timing components and water pump, that lower idler in particular fails all the time. 97 is first year for interference engine so best to replace all the timing bits at once.

You're set - those front forester struts will bolt right up to the front of the XT6 without any modifications. 3 12mm nuts up top and 2 17mm bolts on the bottom - that's it. 5 fasteners once the wheel is off. they can be tight squeezing in place though - you may have to disconnect the front sway bar bushing to get the control arm to push down far enough to install the taller strut. but once it's in and compressed it's fine. then reconnect the sway bar.

Give it a try, I've never tried to determine which cylinder. Compression, leak down tests are easy to do on that engine as well. Compression tests aren't often conclusive but worth a try for sure. Some people like to pressurize the coolant to look for headgasket leaks on Subarus. If that works, then maybe there's some way to monitor which cylinder is receiving the pressure loss?

Either way you're looking at some "custom work". Raise the fronts: A. Get a 2" lift for an EJ vehicle from SJR lifts. He's a member here. They will bolt right up to an XT6, same bolt pattern. This is the easiest solution. Just contact him and he'll set you up with the front two components only. B. Install 1996-2004 outback/forester front struts, those should (recognizing we don't know what it currently has) raise the front. The mounting flange on the bottom needs spread out a little bit to fit onto the XT6 knuckle. And the XT6 strut mount bolts will require some help to get through the EJ strut bracket and XT6 knuckle - but they will eventually go in. Grease the threads so they slide and are less likely to get damaged on the way through, I've had to chase the threads with a die to clean them up before as well. C. Get custom length coil springs to lift the front. Numbchux has posted links to where he has bought them from, you can get any rate and length you want....although maybe not knowing what fronts you have will complicate selecting springs. Lower the rear: If you get EA82 or XT6 rear struts you can flip the top mount and that will drop the rear a little bit. This may also be helpful if, after you install front struts it's still not quite level. This is of course assuming the "Truck air bag modification" didn't change the mounting set up and configuration.

Yep sounds typical. Technically the intake manifold gaskets can leak coolant internally as well. they have a shared coolant and intake air port next to each other. But that’s far more rare than Headgaskets and Id expect slightly different symptoms. resurface the heads for sure, they’re pointless to even check. all the EA ER heads I’ve done have obvious high and low spots and fire ring markings EA82 drivers side heads are easily done in the car as well. They’re small and easy enough, that’s how I’d do it if I wasn’t stuck with contemplating high maintenance MT woes. Its exactly the same as the passenegers side - pull valve covers, cam carrier then heads. The valve covers are just a little longer and a couple more bolts than the passenger side. Otherwise its identical. Those few extra valve cover bolts are close to the frame rail and a socket doesn’t fit, A good ratcheting 10mm wrench is the ticket to making those bottom valve cover bolts easy. They’re a time sucking blind hole frustration with a regular wrench. The drivers side looks worse visually with AC hoses and fuel lines and charging cables on that side - but that’s all easy and gotta come off to remove the intake anyway for either side.

I have a one that doesn’t go in or come out nice. chasing helped make it usable though still wonky. Im pulling it again to finish a lift so I’ll be keeping an eye on how you make out. Id toss a helicoil in there and call it a day. While chasing it with a tap I feel like there was no access for a nut behind it. But I hope I’m wrong, that would be a nice fix.

some XTs and all XT6s are AWD with locking center diffs as well, but no dual range.

Weird. Every trans I’ve bought came with the mount except JDMs, and I’m surprised they didn’t notice during dis/assembly? I’ve had them fall to pieces when taken apart. Nice diagnosis by FerGloyale. Can you call the shop and see if they still have your old, paid for, and likely fine transmission?

Sure, any one person can choose to do that but it's incorrect as a statement - it's normative and commonplace to replace one bearing as there's no physical reason to replace a bearing that hasn't failed.

Wheel bearing It’s the other side you haven’t replaced yet. I’d say only 2 out of 10 bad Subaru wheel bearings I’ve ever checked have play even when they’re bad. Play alone is not an accurate diagnosis or it’s a Bad hub on the side you already replaced causing the bearings to fail - I’d replace the entire knuckle assembly or get a new hub.

Of course. Lots of things “can” cause misfires. I only outlined the starting point, not an exhaustive list. check for oil in the spark plug tubes first. If it’s notably better when dry or worse when wet those are tell tale signs of plug/wire related issues.

Agree. Thats correlation not causation. Similarly, the throttle to start the car is common with a poorly running engine and isn’t really indicative of any one system or part. So it doesn’t really tell us much except the engine isn’t running well Misfire = Oil in plug tubes, wires, plugs.

No, not common at this age/mileage. if it’s seen, it’s on 220,000 mile trans that never had the fluid changed. Agree - very odd twice in a row. A couple here, like FerGloyale or GeneralDisorder have disassembled a number of Subaru transmissions and hopefully see this post.

Post exact code(s) or which cylinder(s) misfire Misfires = replace spark plugs and wires with OEM or NGK or equivalent only. You can test them if it’s worth your time. They’re a consumable and cheap and need replaced regularly. Check spark plug tubes for oil. If wet, replace valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube gaskets If you think they’re good and it’s worth your time, you can swap plugs and wires and see if the misfire moves. List age, brand, and mileage if you think they’re fine.

Wheel bearing Front control arm rear transverse bushing transmission mounts? rotate wheels - If the vibration changes you know it’s tires/wheels

I wouldn’t put too much stock in a lawyers mechanical commentary, though mechanically the rings are weak and that light weight watery oil isn’t impressive. Im not convinced it is increasing yet. with driving variations, ambient conditions, and other variables that 0.2 quarts is probably well within the margin of possible error or variation. With that in mind there’s been no appreciable change since 15k. Of course the future prognosis probably isn’t spectacular for them but I don’t knkw that Id be immediately alarmed.

Sometimes it’s worth asking Subaru? While unlikely, out of warranty coverage isn’t unheard of. Good job keeping track so you can see the progression. Now you’ve got good (even if frustrating) data to look at. At least now you’re not guessing. Use heavier oil, you have data to compare against and see if it helps (it probably will). Though a mere reduction in usage probably isn’t your goal If you get a trade in offer I might buy it if you’re interested in a sale over ditching it at the dealer.