idosubaru
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Everything posted by idosubaru
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properly diagnose it first to be sure. 99's are odd vehicles in that they have a delayed engagement into drive issue that's very common and speedometer doesn't work, other than rarely happening a year or so before and after 99, it's basically a 1999 issue. both are very simple fixes and cost $0-$30 to repair. for the same reason you might even want to avoid 99 transmissions if you can get a year or two away from there and avoid that issue...but 99's are odd transmissions, i think they're Phase II so you might have to get a newer one to swap? you'll need a 2.5 liter Legacy or Outback 1999 transmission or any 99 forester so it has the same 4.44 final drive. you should be able to use other years (i think 99+) but let others confirm that. there's no reason you shouldn't find one for relatively cheap and have it running in no time. rebuild isn't worth the time, energy, and probably even cost...and if you burnt it up without fluid. MT is too much work, more cost, for a terrible downgrade anyway. but the easiest way to do that is to get a parts car off craiglist for cheap, which is easy to do in the rust belt and i think other areas as well.
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it likely wasn't the thermostat. I've seen thermostats stuck in motors I've received that ran perfect with no headgasket or other issues. I guess that just sitting for extended periods removed from a vehicle can cause failure - build up, corrosion, materials degradation..?. Also with significant overheating and all the white residual material I've seen inside overheated engines I wouldnt be surprised if a severely overheated engine could compromise a thermostat, particularly if it's overheated then sits a long time. If they can fail it only stands to reason that significant overheating could escalate the failure mode. Other than that I've never seen a legitimate Subaru thermostat failure, i know it happens, but it's blamed and talked about far more often than it actually happens. I wouldnt want that engine. 10years ago I would have given it a chance though! Someone clearly limped and abused it and didn't want to repair it.
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+1 start a new thread. Describe what the transmission is doing. Used is easy and cheap and they're very reliable so it's a great option. JDM is great too.
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. Great thanks. That's what I thought as I researched for mine (also a totaled salvage 02 I rebuilt like 8 years ago) but I wasn't sure why any more. Recently I was looking again to confirm but didn't think to look up parts though now that you say that I think that's what I did years ago when I rebuilt mine.
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Looks like OP never came back. Maybe he'll return to this thread in the fall when cold weather starts creeping back in. Blower motor resistor is common in other Subarus - how about 91 legacys?
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+1 id replace the belt and bearings/tensioner and verify you have no other symptoms.
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The crank pulley bolt ca be the trickiest part of the job. It's about the only part that isn't simple and straight forward. 22mm socket. If it's an automatic use a socket extension in the bellhousing access hole at the back of the engine on top. Insert stout screw driver or extension into the bellhousing and into an opening in the flexplate, then loosen the crank bolt as your screw driver will now keep the engine from turning over. Radiator should be removed for a first timer. It's very tight otherwise and easy to damage the radiator. If you leave it at least try to put a piece of cardboard over it for every time you bump the fins. Rear Timing belt cover inserts that the bolts thread into routinely break free inside the cover and prevent the bolt from coming out. You'll have to remove those. If you're trying to retain the covers condition then carefully try to pull the inserts out of the co we still attached to the bolt. Or carefully make a small crack with a screw driver so they'll come out. You can use zip ties to reassemble the covers, making them much simpler to remove next time.
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Hmmm. I've never seen the piston push a valve like I think you are thinking. But I've always diagnosed bent valves without doing much extra diagnosis to know if that would happen. +1 to guides, I'm always worried whether their damaged or if a valve can bend a little bit that I can't tell. Use excellent gaskets and resurface the heads no matter what.
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It's easy. Have metric tools and get a free FSM online to look at the process. Replace the pulleys/tensioner, they're even more prone to failure by this age.
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Have you verified that? That's been my thought as well, but I'm not really positive about it. I've seen some confusing information. Like Subaru saying "VDC model adds XYZ to the base model" - in which case the base model has VLSD rear. A few years ago I saw 2002's and 2003's listed differently - both confusing, though I can't recall where.
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Is it a manual transmission? Is the belt guide installed above the crank sprocket (that's a part that's only on manual transmissions)? Doesn't seem like it actually got wet but I've seen belts saturated with oil break in very short time - like a month or three.
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What he said - that engine doesn't have a timing belt, it has a timing chain which doesn't require replacement. To answer your question "this" engine in this thread requires timing belt replacement every 105k,105months Guys, so how often should this fiber belt be replaced? My H-6 '03 has 151,000 and has never been touched. Guys, so how often should this fiber belt be replaced? My H-6 '03 has 151,000 and has never been touched. Guys, so how often should this fiber belt be replaced? My H-6 '03 has 151,000 and has never been touched.
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on later Subaru's you don't need to touch the steering shaft for a 2" lift. for small lifts you can find a Subaru with a longer steering rack ujoint assembly and swap it out. not sure what's compatible with a brat though. someone will surely know.
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You're assumptions are wrong and your engine is fine. Make sure you're using the correct crank mark, some people use the wrong mark on the crank sprocket, dot instead of the pulley I guess? either way - you seem new to this so you could easily be using the wrong mark. It is normal for the drivers side cam to be under tension and want to spring out of the 12 noon position because it's compressing the valves at that time. Totally normal. Just carefully move it into position and it will stay there.
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Never seen that one before. Of course it'll eventually shut off - it runs out of gas, lol
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the few i've seen were lots of bent valves and one friend got lucky with no damage, still driving car now many years since i repaired it.
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Excellent. Good job sticking it through. Unfortunately the dealer can be in a tight spot too. Consumers can be insanely demanding, illogical, abrasive and not at all mechanically inclined. That's a tough mix particularly when dollars are involved. As someone who helps people for free nearly weekly I hear all sorts of stories, interpretations, misdiagnosis and mis-assumptions all day long from people and shops. I would not want to be a mechanic or dealer. So while they were not right to dismiss the consumption issue verbally - clearly they didn't dismiss it entirely as they did the proper test for you - if actions speak louder than words they did you well. But they were right that consumer hysteria exists. For proof you can scour most popular auto forums (this one about the most practical and least like that which is why I like it here) and read oil threads. LOL
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It's not the seat - it's the seat belt. remove the entire seat belt with it's retraction assembly at the base. You may need to remove the side center plastic trim between the two front doors to access it. Pull trim and remove entire seat belt assembly. The SRS yellow line under the seat may be for a seat sensor (passengers side has those, i guess drivers side does as well), or side airbag embedded in the seat (if equipped).
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typically going to be a clutch and as GD said a great mechanic is a better resource than a trans shop. I would trust a well sourced used transmission more than a reman/rebuilt by a random shop. go with GD, you're right there!
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I mentioned that in reference to moving one of those two tires to the front. So one warn and one new tire up front and one warn and one new tire in the back. Just to drive it those 10 miles if he's really worried about it.
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- transfer clutch
- 2003 Outback
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1. check fluid level 2. make sure the flexplate is still spinning? 3. Early legacy's had a recall that I think involved too much debris clogging up the lines. Subaru offered an inline filter kit I think was their solution to that issue. I would make sure you're getting adequate fluid flow through those ATF lines. You're in solid hands if you end up needing that trans, John is the man. You could even partly blame him for me knowing how to do anything more than change my oil since I met him like 20 years ago. I'm daily driving one of his previous vehicles as of last fall ironically!
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That's what I though, just drive it, it doesn't matter. Keep in mind there are three differentials in your vehicle - front, rear, and a "center diff", seems like you may be confusing some of them. VTD is only on VDC vehicles of this era and is your "center differential", it's a planetary gear set that allows for a differential without using clutches. It's very slick. It takes the place of the MPT clutch assembly in every other Subaru of that era and ealier, and is what the FWD would control so there's no clutches to control or wear. By LSD I would referring to the rear differential, which wouldn't be what the dealer was quoting regarding a rebuild. I don't think VDC's in that year got a rear limited slip differential, but I could be wrong and it doesn't matter anywyay since you have VDC. By this age and miles those rear LSD's suck anyway and probably just operate like an open diff.
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I'm with Gloyale - except I thought Subaru doesn't have those remotes any more - but yeah used ones are cheap. Keep two properly working used ones, replace if one fails and you'll never have to worry about it again and you're talking $30 in cost. I only disconnected mine because it was causing a drain and eventually started going off randomly.
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VDC models don't have a FWD fuse because they don't really need it. I don't think they can even get torque bind and i've never heard of one failing by itself (i've seen them fail from other internal transmission issues beating them to (!)$*%). VDC's have a VTD and I wouldn't worry and just drive it 10 miles to the shop. Alternately, if you don't have a rear LSD you can put one new tire on the front, and the other new tire on the rear. Since each open differential is actually only driving one wheel, this works and would certainly do for a one way 10 mile trip. If you have a spare - use that and you'll have three matching tires - have two spares? Or use your spare and you'll only have one more grueling trip. If yours isn't a VDC then it should have a fuse unless H6's got the VTD in 2003 but I don't think they did? For liability reasons and illogical consumers the dealer has to say not to do it. I wouldn't fault them for dealing with the public for that one comment. If you don't have a rear LSD you can put one new tire on the front, and the other new tire on the opposite side rear.
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And dude what a mess - breaking in 50 miles multiple times would be so frustrating. You're keeping a good attitude about it! Well done!