idosubaru

You removed and reinstalled the same headgasket? It sounds like headgaskets. If it's not leaking coolant anywhere - then it's likely the headgaskets. You can just remove the tstat if you want to rule that out - you'll have to cut it (hopefully an old one if you have it) though as you'll need the extenral ring to hold the oring that seals the thermostat housing. Someone here can probably mail you an old one for cutting.

yep, headgaskets. or probably...we can hope I'm wrong. they're consuming coolant internally and eventually the system level gets too low, coolant flow gets compromised more and more, until the car will start to overheat and push coolant out. they pretty regularly pass those block tests, so i wouldn't consider that very telling. resurfacing heads is wise just to get a proper finish on the metal, not just for "warping" or flatness. i don't even check for that because they're problematic heads to begin with so i might as well make sure i get a proper finish if easily possible. OEM Tstat, Rad cap, check fans, radiator....but i doubt it'll be those things.

okay i more fully ready your post - it looks like you've tried quite a bit. hopefully fairtax chimes in i know he's seen the readiness monitors more than I. you've either gone through this before (having owned it since new) or you're in a new area or it's a new inspection program for your area - which is it? have you talked to any of the places about the exemption list and why yours doesn't qualify for an exemption? (like EXACTLY why)?

*** Who did your last inspection - can you take it back to them? no 1996 Subaru's will ever set the readiness monitors, it's impossible so don't even try. your inspection station doesn't know what they're doing. 1996 Subaru's all are exempt of the readiness monitor issue. various vehicles are exempt from the readiness monitor requirements of the EPA - particularly all 1996 Subaru's (as the OBDII systems were starting to roll out). just call around until you find a place that understands the 1996 exemption lists. you can google "1996 readiness monitor exemption list" or someting like that and read all about it and get EPA documents and find other states with the lists printed online. an alternate, cheap, and easy solution would be to just install a later ECU that does set the readiness monitors. like a 1997 - 1998 (and some 1999's would work too) ECU. they're cheap, readily available, and take minutes to install. www.car-part.com

sounds like headgasket but let's get some more information. replaced headgaskets tend to differ slighly in their failure modes from OEM installed. how did you test for exhaust gas in the coolant? when the temp starts to tick up - does it do it for extended periods of time or is it an instantaneous thing - quickly then subsides? or is it slowly creeping up over a long period of time? how many times did it do this and was this the first time it ever happened? did it only overheat on steep mountains grades or randomly? when the headgaskets were replaced were the heads resurfaced and which headgasket did you use?

That's my vote too.

I have seen multiple mechanics fail Subarus with perfectly good tie rods, twice last year. They say it needs replaced and a friend comes and asks me first if they're really bad or hopes I repair it. They've never been bad. But since it's for inspection they either have to replace or go get another inspection somewhere else. The reason I share that is I think something causes or contributed to that ....like other manufacturers fail more often or subarus have a more pronounced play or the AWD adds something a FWD car doesn't have or something. And I see it online all the time too, there's a disparity between how often they actually fail (not counting torn boots which are obvious) and how frequently they get diagnosed and replaced.

If expensive, for a part that's a rare failure and easy to replace just install a used one. Put that cash into significant failure items like timing pulleys, new brake clips, new Subaru fuel pump and alternator.

With bad bearings, if they're not trashed you can also use a grease gun needle fitting and add more grease. I think there's also special grease that can be sprayed in which coagulates over time, would work here but the needle fitting is so easy I've never bothered. Every front bearing I've ever seen has responded well to that. If they're sealed or no access then you may not be able to but I haven't seen those be problematic yet.

as he said 2004 and earlier getting TCU codes is not normal via OBDII. with exception of select monitors or snap on I guess? 2005+ I think you can actually get those to flash the codes on the instrument cluster without any scanner.

Grab tie rods and yank with your hands. Probably normal if both sides do the same thing, I guess I can't see it but it seems the rack/steering wheel and axles have small amount of movement with car off the ground and usually hAve some movement. I think you'd have to lock everything solid to isolate just a tie rod. Just grab the tie rod by hand, even try it while replicating the play you mentioned? Subaru tie rod failure is rare. All or all but one of mine are original at 250,000 miles of nasty roads.

98 & earlier EJ22s run forever. 98 Impreza outback sport is EJ22. The gaskets are the easiest Subaru head gasket to repair if it ever comes to it, I'd leave them. Amazon has Gayes timing kits for cheap, all new pulleys and tensioner. It's an interference engine so if one of the pulleys fail you'll have bent valves. I'd replace timing component set and be done for another 100,000 miles (though technically I ghink Subaru calls those 60k belts in this case

That engine is rather optimized, and it's NA any gains will be negligible at best. That's not a reason to avoid doing it of course.

That engine is rather optimized, and it's NA any gains will be negligible at best. That's not a reason to avoid doing it of course.

Not sure what you're asking. Yes I have or had lots of unused gaskets. Kits and gasket packages often have gaskets for multiple engine variants. Very common.

Follow the owners manual. It will roll 300,000 miles all day long on whatever oil is on sale. That's why there are so many various opinions - it doesn't matter. Forced induction racing or severe towing may change the discussion.

wagons are great, easily carry gear and travel for breaks, summer, internships, etc, particularly if you have any hobbies. one down side is urban environments where break-ins are common - everything is easilyl accessible.

when it starts overheating - if you turn the cabin heat on high and leave it on a few minutes - is it blazing hot or will it eventually cool down? also - are there bubbles in the overflow tank when it's overheating and you let it idle? is it loosing coolant over a period of time - like over 100 miles or a week does it loose any coolant? tricky - a more solid diagnosis and repair in the beginning would have been helpful. ideally: 1. the heads need resurfaced (easily done by yourself) 2. use new Subaru OEM EJ25 turbo headgaskets

no need to drain the system, you're fine to burp without completely draining the system. i've never filled via the upper radiator hose, definitely not necessary. replace tstat, rad cap, and heck while it's apart i might even test the radiator for flow just to make sure it's not clogged internally due to some rodent or bugs while it was on the shelf or something weird if you're symtpoms are that confusing. so far the 3/4 on the guage has me pausing any diagnosis and i don't think it's the headgaskets - but i wouldnt' completely rule them out either. exhaust gases pushing into coolant wont' cause an overflow/bubbling - that's only on really bad ones. it can be very tiny sporadic bubbles and on initial onset may even be hard to spot or only happen ocassionally, not continuously. i've seen them only do it at highway speeds, only with the A/C on, or only every few months be symptomatic. they often slowly get worse over time. but again - the 3/4 of the way up the gauge makes me hesitate on any diagnosis without testing the tstat and radiator flow (in general - i realize yours is new/presumably good)

i would do a google search - this is a common issue on the first era FB engines. Subaru has a specific oil consumption test for that engine and that exact issue - sounds like you're not loosing enough but get one done before you're out of warranty just in case.

resurface your heads

Replace tstat and radiator cap with Subaru OEM. we can't conclusively determine what happened yet: 1. if it was the radiator - and no additiona damage. then it needs burped, keep trying. 2. if it was something else that caused it to overheat - which compromised the radiator - then that opens up a few other possibilites. 3. it was the radiator but the overheating damaged something else then there could be a bad radiator and an additional failure that's unlikely but if other things aren't adding up then we can't consider the "radiator" diagnosis foolproof. hopefully it's burping or the tstat but it does sound close to a headgasket failure. i've yet to see an actual failed EJ Subaru thermostat (though i've seen them mis-identified as the culprit many times). a lot of thermostat "fixes" woudl end up being some other issue if people/posters woudl follow up with threads more often. they do fail so certainly test it but i've seen far more blown headgaskets than bad tstats - like an order of magnitude diffrenence. they fail so rarely i'm not in the habit of changing them preemptively like i used to years ago. all of my 250k and 200k Subaru's have the original Tstat as far as i know. not worried about them one bit. your two observations are not failure modes of the engine in question: EJ engines do not mix oil and coolant (in the rare cases they do - they're abused to that point - it's already known/obvious the HG's are bad) when those gaskets fail internally they don't show external leak signs - they push exhaust gases into the coolant and cavitate the flow. the typical diagnosis of this type of Subaru headgasket failure - is that about a minute or two after it starts overheating your cabin heat will grow cold. if you're not seeing this, you may not be letting it overheat enough for it to blow the latent heat out and start to cool down in the cabin.

fip it at will - don't even think about it. what you may need to think about is not ever driving on pavement/dry pavement with the 4WD "on". don't forget it and leave it on or have the switch somewhere where a pet or person can accidentally bump it (both of which i've seen happen) i've wired them before such that they will also light a light in the cabin so you're reminded that it's on. as for when to flip the switch, it doesn't matter. when the car is running and driving essentially the TCU is constantly adjusting the application of it as well. one could argue that the switch is safer for the transmission than the TCU control - which would allow more slip so to speak - kind of like riding a clutch. the switch will be instantaneous loading of the clutches and never using the clutches for large amounts of mileage (when it's off). a pointless point - except to say that overtly granular technical banter can sound good but not really add up to anything practical. the best data point is that people have been doing this for decades now, i've done it a bunch of times. if this is the initial onset of torque bind you might even repair the vehicle with a fluid flush or 3 drain and refills. that's freed almost every one i've encountered so far when they initially start failing, car sat for awhile, or were moderately binding. the fresh fluid aids the clutches.

i've never seen TCU codes in an OBII scan - i've done 2004 and earlier routinely. so maybe that's a 2005+ thing. you can fix it by removing the rear half of the driveshaft and installing the FWD fuse. then you'll have time to plan your repair or drive it indefinitely and get studded snow tires for winter.

if you don't understand then ignore the second sentence - first sentence tells everything you need to know: remove the lower engine mount nuts - 14mm each. that's what holds the engine to the crossmember - just above the exhaust. unbolt the pitch stopper - located at back of engine in the engine bay. if you're unfamiliar with those terms google them or get a Subaru FSM - if you don't know those terms then you should definitely get a SUbaru FSM for the job. they're readily avialable online for free.