idosubaru

What?! Sloooow down (pun intended)....6 people think this is normal to gain thirty miles per hour down a hill? Am I misreading this? Sounds way off to me, none of my automatic Subarus do that and I live in the mountains. 2002 H6 automatic, it holds fine down mountains at interstate speed....is it maybe slower speeds that don't cooperate? How steep? How fast?

Get the gaskets from Subaru when you're getting the water pump? Onlline dealers are like 20% cheaper than locally. Or get them from any auto parts store, buy online and use a discount code. You can pick up common parts locally. Rock Auto isn't nearly as good as it used to be and is more expensive in this case, as it usually is. $23.79 + shipping $25.99 @ Advance Auto Parts Advance Auto gets way cheaper if you shop smart: $20.79 with 20% off (P20 code) online code (which advance always has available - Rockauto only ever has 5% discount codes) $18.19 with 30% off (TRT30) - minimum 50$ order which two headgaskets meets $15.59 with $40 off $100 (TRT41 code) (which is almost always available) and creative buying Huge difference - Rock Auto is $53 and advance is only $36...or less if you buy other stuff. And you can pick up the advance auto part stuff locally, select that option online. I generally add a few things I know I'll need like antifreeze (you'll need for a headgasket job), sealant for oil pump, shop towels, head lights, wipers I'll need later to get to get the higher discounts. $100 of stuff for $60, I do it all the time. Rockauto has great prices so it's worth checking. And some things like wipers, caps, rotors, brake clips, pins, boots can be dirt cheap - i look there for those odd ball parts or when local looks really high. I wouldn't use their cheap "service grade" no name brand stuff for important things like pads, caps, and rotors. They're notably cheap grade. Some cheap pads work fine, but can last like 1 year.

the hydraulic tensioner gets weak - it's basically like a strut right - so leakage and/or wear over time?

code is usually the sensor - they often crack at the base, but can still look fine and be bad. it's the most common sensor failure on Subaru's by a long shot. $10 or less on ebay. it's one 12mm bolt to remove it - you hardly need instructions, but use this as a chance to get a free FSM availble all over the internet. the directions are posted online in various places too. same basic procedure for like 20 years on legacy/impreza/outback/foresters.

Yes - lots of times. In an otherwise pristine vehicle it's usually the clock spring but guessing isn't a good idea. 1. Read the codes 2. Replace the part that's bad. Don't let airbags scare you, in Subaru world they're actually really easy. As long as it's not caused by a rodent chewing through wiring...i fixed one like that earlier this year. Wiring under passengers footwell was chewed up.

yes. and i've seen it be loud at start up and then mitigate. pull drivers side timing cover and have a good flashlight handy, see if you can see it flopping around due to loss of hydraulic pressure.

EJ22's - no headgasket issues at all. If they've never been overheated or abused the HG won't fail. EJ22's and EJ18's are awesome engines - basically run forever without any major issues. www.car-part.com i have a write up on EJ22-EJ25-Ej18 swapping. it's really simple, just a few details to know and look for. I don't know if you're options may be limited somewhat by the quackjob state of CA.

don't some people spray underneath the car with used engine oil?

my internet cracked up or are those pictures not loading? i want to see them!

Mechanically it installs and runs and drives perfectly. That EJ22 with exhaust manifold bolts up and plugs in to that EJ25 vehicle. If the EJ22 has no EGR and the vehicle it's going into does have EGR: then you'll get a check engine light. If that's a problem for you or you can't work around it then no it won't work. Options: 1. ignore the check engine light 2. install the EGR equipped Ej25 manifold onto the EJ22 and play with vacuum hoses to get the check engine light to disappear. 3. bolt the EJ25 heads to the Ej22 block to retain fully functioning EGR.

nice hit! doesn't he need to be certain the washer is installed correctly (they only go one way - concave or something)? or get a new one? EA's have a funky axle nut situation but it's been a long time for me.....?

1996 EJ22's are non-interference. I've seen one report of an interference 1996 EJ22 - but I don't put 100% faith in that unless it's the original owner (how many original owner 1996 Subaru's are there - not many), can verify the engine was never replaced (with a later year interference EJ22), and knows enough about mechanics to be certain of that. If you do a complete timing belt job - in a sense it doesn't matter. Belt, pulleys, and tensioner all replaced. If the valves ever were bent - the heads on those engines are unbelievably easy to replace compared to later years - one of the easiest Subaru headgasket jobs ever.

does the noise change based on steering or accelerating or braking? brakes need inspected: pins sticking rust or black brake build up on metal pad clips hanging a pad pads too tight and hanging - some need filed down on the ears to fit snug brake dust shield is bent axles - are they aftermarket? if you're time rich you can swap axles from one side to another - if the issue moves with the axle it's axle related.

If you've got time and don't mind some risk of engine issues down the road - then doing the headgaskets now can be a good fit. you can check timing covers and knock sensors for signs of melting - that would indicate severe overheating. I installed an EJ18 in place of an EJ25 and I live in the mountains where there's steep grades. just rev it, mine has 100,000 miles since swapping it. 1,000 pounds in passenger sand using 16" rims slowed it down significantly on the steep grades.

i'd stick with Phase I 1998 and earlier - 99+ Phase II EJ22's have more headgasket and lower end issues than older EJ22's. Not worth the meager HP bump IMO. more power EZ30 or turbo.

the only thing i can think of that may quantify this is to call a UOA company and ask them if particulates might show that indicate the lower end bearings were compromised. otherwise it's a roll of the dice, just guessing how long it was run hot. if it was pegged for 5 minutes, that's atrocious for an ICE. if it happened 5 seconds before, no big deal.

1. I'm kind of the oddball here - i've never heard of anyone rebooting noisy/vibrating axles - but I've done it before with success. so you wont' here this anywhere else, but I've got first hand success doing it, so it's worth a shot. i've rebooted inner joints that were noisy as crazy while going straight and turning and they're quiet as a whistle aftewards, i just drove that car today and it's been like 5 years since that happened. I would do that again myself depending on the vehicle/history/situation - which I know nothing about on yours. I probably wouldnt' do it on an unknown vehicle. the one i did i had driven it for years and knew the general condition and that the axles weren't terrible abused - they saw about 1,000 miles of vibration/noise/issues. You could try and pack some fresh grease in the inner joint as a test - if the symptoms subside with fresh grease, that's a good indication they'll fair well if you clean and repack them. but it's like american marriages - messy - working with all that old nasty grease (runny and watery if the boot is still intact - or dry and caked up if it's busted open)...and then all your fresh grease slings out if the boot is cracked in like 10 miles... 2. it is generally the practice to get another axle if one is noisy. an axle with good boots and grease is unlikely to be noisy. i've seen them as cheap as $15 www.car-part.com 3. do not get aftermarket axles - get a Subaru axle with a green inner cup. they're 100X better and nearly a 100% success rate - definitely not the case with new axles.

4 failures is insane. ***** Replace the hub ***** IMO that is the first step if you're having repeat failures. Well the first step is knowing a little bit about the vehicle/situation: Does the vehicle have any accident history? Have you owned it since new? If not, have you done a carfax on it? Sure I'd go for a high quality bearing, but I would guess if you look at the reviews of whatever bearing you used - they're not likely having bazillions of failures. They'd need to have a huge failure rate to conceivably have 4 in a row. Is the mating surface for the wheel perfectly flat? I've seen sheared off brake retaining screw nubs sticking out of the rotor cause wheel bearing failure and lug nuts to shear off.

Oh - and do all your tire match? They need to be the same SIZE and TREAD DEPTH. Check those and let us know.

have you driven this vehicle before without issues or did you buy it this way and it's always done this or almost always done this? drain the front differential oil and look for metal/bits. it's easier than an oil change and only takes like 7 minutes, so it's easy and cheap. if the noise is that bad and caused by the front differential - there will be metal bits and metallic swirling of the oil. 1. it's either mismatched final driver ratios in the front and rear differentials or 2. the front differential is failing. Answering my first question will help distinguish which one it is.

Ideally you replace the knock sensor and then see if the P0420 goes away. The sensors are like $10 on ebay and requires removing ONE BOLT to replace, super easy, anyone can do it. This code is really tough to diagnose and most people (even mechanics) don't know how to diagnosis it or it's not very efficient time wise. It's nice to verify for certain the converter is bad - if something caused it to fail, that might cause the next one to fail. Unlikely on a car we know something about but if you just bought this one there's a lot unknown. Catalytic converters generally last the life of the vehicle on Subarus, they are robust and failure is far less common than you would guess by the way people throw around the phrase "clogged converter" - i've never even seen that happen on an OEM converter in 20+ years of working on Subarus. A tune up would be wise - but if you have no cash you're not going to want to do that. Install a rear O2 spacer for $5 and see if it goes away. It doesn't always work but it works often enough it's definitely worth $5 and 15 minutes to install. these are just examples, there's probably cheaper ones: http://www.amazon.com/O2-Sensor-Spacer-Adapter-Extender/dp/B00CZFCPQU http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/261582980274?ul_noapp=true&chn=ps&lpid=82

All 95-99 legacy/outback rear struts are interchangeable. You might want to consider new rear struts - i just bought a set of brand new KYB rear struts for a FWD legacy on ebay or amazon this summer and they were dirty cheap, like pennies on the dollar. I installed FWD rear struts in my AWD legacy sedan, worked just fine. Struts are a wear item and sometimes it's a lot of effort to swap used struts...then they go bad...but i get that free is free.

A collapsed internal rubber brake hose can cause fluid to not be able to move and the piston can't retract. But - this is more common on american and other cars, i've never heard of seen of it in a Subaru. if this was a Ford Escape, I'd say replace the hose. But being a Subaru I'm hesitant. Here's how you test these: 1. step on brake - get brakes to "stick". 2. loosen bleeder screw to let pressure off 3. note they are now unstuck 4. press brakes a few times while turning wheel and BAM it sticks again. 5. release pressure again. the brake hose is collapsing internally and not releasing. Besides repeating the steps - you essentially did that exact test. Maybe the hose is collapsing only at certain times or only under load?

reboot the axle - i'd lean towards Subaru boots, they last longer than the Beck Arnleys (traditionally a decent brand) I've used. if it's making noise now - more than likely the noise will go away once you reboot and get some fresh grease in there. the stuff in there now is watery and terrible condition before it failed...now it's all slung out, dried up and not even doing anything. i've rebooted noisy inner joints and they quieted right down on my daily driver XT6, no noise now for a few years. keep the coolant topped off and check for leaks. you can pressure test the cooling system. i have seen H6's slowly loose coolant for years and not get worse and i have no clue why/where yet because i haven't seen them become symptomatic in anyway. it hasn't caused any issues and i'm very aware of and have diagnosed/repair multiple H6 headgaskets. oil loss isn't uncommon. replace the PCV and just keep topping it off. mine consumers a quart every 2,000 miles or something.

1. make sure the leak is current and not residual? 2. the Subaru Coolant Conditioner works nearly every time on initial external leaks of Phase II OEM installed headgaskets. (every word in that sentence is carefully chosen for a reason). so yes - your engine likely fits all of those requirements. drain and add coolant conditioner (or just add conditioner if you're really cheap). yes, ask the dealer. i have asked dealers about prior maintenance on Subaru's I've bought and known they were maintained at a dealer. they've always been helpful...three different dealers I believe, one over the phone, in telling me prior maintenance history. nonetheless if you have an existing leak - i'd add conditioner. i'd probably add two bottles if the engine is in otherwise excellent condition. 3. there's nothing you can do about the oil leak. theses leaks typically get worse faster than other engines, but you should have lots of time to plan the repair, they get worse rather slowly. thicker oil might help, make sure the PCV valve isn't clogged.