idosubaru

the new FB engine (if that's what you're getting - the 4 cylinder) hasn't been around long enough to determine longevity and long term issues. it's fairing well so far, but the first first years are really hard to tell as stuff just get fixed under warranty and lacks public domain exposure. there's at least one report of an FB head gasket failure - claimed external oil leak on a Subaru forum - but i didn't see it. there's a pretty insignificant chance of anything happening between 36,000 and 60,000 miles, heck i'd rack that up in one year. that being said - that's the whole point of insurance - you pay a little bit to mitigate the chance you might pay a lot. how do you view that risk and insurance? i think everyone views that differently. "Paying for nothing" drives people nuts. "having one issue" drives other people nuts. if you're the type of person to go ballistic, flame Subaru if you have an issue - you should probably opt for the few extra mile warranty.

was it in a significant incident? ever had an alignment? have the tires warn evenly?

+1 is the transmission part number on the case?

intermittent is odd, but it won't be with a new spring. i pulled out a failed spring last year - the car was slammed on that corner and unstable at highway speeds. very odd feeling, on bumps the back end would just "randomly" fishtail. i was surprised to find no discernable difference between the failed spring and the new one. every characteristic lying on the floor it was identical. while different than yours, i'd view the failure modes/symptoms of springs as gray rather than black and white.

wow. i've disliked the bugs nests in my stock/new automotive hose in my garage. but on the vehicle, AH!

opposed forces? do you know what other vehicles might be the same or if it has to be exact for your purposes? might 2010+ legacy's be similar enough?

fronts yes, rears no.

i'm always thinking it's off when it's up in the air - hard to imagine it setting properly, then it does actually go back to normal once loaded and on the ground. but yeah - yours is way off, that's crazy!

pulling the trans requires the least amount of work - not really much to get the trans out. so it *can* be the easiest way to remove the transmission...particularly out west where you have no rust so you're exhaust won't fall to pieces if you remove it. LOL but working under the vehicle is challenging and terribly annoying and requires extra time...crawling under, crawling out...every time you need a tool, etc. and you get lots of debris in your eyes and lighting is a challenge. small points but they add up on a big job or depending on your personality. so yes, pulling the trans alone can be quick, but lots of people don't like it. if you have a lift - snake chains down through the engine bay to attach to the trans and you can use your engine lift to help with the weight/control of the trans.

Nice write up and approach, good job! pull out the HVAC motor (very easy) and clean that out. i've found one nest in there before. an OZONE generation works wonders too if there's smell/contamination that is unreachable/impractical/within materials. it's the only way to actually remove/neutralize odors. every cleaner/spray/cover up solution is bogus. rent one from places that rent tools (mowers, lifts, back hoe's, etc), they always have them. hotels have them too as they work for smoke as well. you have a serious mouse problem!

if you're loosing 2 quarts of oil it's simply external or internal. 1. inspect carefully - it should be leaking it externally somewhere. *** Have you checked EVERYWHERE - removed any undercovers if it has one - to check? 2. it's leaking internally - in that case you need to do a leak down test, pressurize the cylinders and finding out where it's going. fairly rare for this engine to do this so hard to say what would be likely. piston rings or valve stem seals are "standard" internal oil loss areas. the dipstick doesn't go to the bottom of the pan, so when there's no oil on the dipstick there's still tons of oil in the pan. when the oil is not showing on the dipstick - you can add oil and see how many quarts it takes to get back to full - that's how much it's low.

P0420 is benign or simply and artifact of the poor running engine. definitely ignore that for now, you can drive a car for 100,000 miles with that code, no big deal. oil loss and P0026/P0028 could be serious issues - you may have oiling issues which can essentially render an engine useless very quickly. i would look into this quick. all we have is words, choose them carefully as we aren't as fortunate as a local shop to see the vehicle. describe exactly what's happening: 1. you say "disappearing", this would mean no oil at all, that's impossible as the engine would lock up, so let's guess what you mean... 2. i assume you mean it is exactly up the full line at 1,999 miles and then doesn't register on the dipstick at 2,000 miles? this also sounds nearly impossible. (when there's no oil on the dipstick, that is alarming but there's still oil in the engine). if it literally goes from ***completely full*** on the top mark of the dipstick to not registering at all between 1,999 and 2,000 miles then you have a very sick person who doesn't like you that's tampering with your engine. lol, just kidding. that is alarming and needs to get diagnosed immediately. 3. if you're loosing a lot of oil - quarts at a time, multiple times - then it has to be going somewhere noticeable. A. look under the vehicle for oil leaks. if the undercover is on - it needs to come off. B. look at the rear of the engine - back where it mates to the transmission. C. pull the spark plugs and check condition - for severe fouling or oil in the spark plug tubes (caused by spark plug tube gasket leak).

ha ha, what's up subarubrat, good to see you still in a Subaru. what keeps you into them?

Fel Pro PT "permatorque" headgaskets are supposed to not require a retorque for EA82 engines. If you are going to retorque - don't seal the cam carrier if you're going to remove it again. That's a lot of re-cleaning all that sealant.

we digitized my parts catalog for an XT EA82: http://www.subaruxt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=12803

cheap tires generally don't do great in the snow and you shouldn't run snow tires in the winter, so i don't see how you could fit snow tires in your equation even though i highly recommend them depending on circumstances.

find out what Subaru wheels fit your vehicle (15" and 16" or just 16") and look for a set of Subaru take-offs on craigslists. All Subaru's have the same bolt pattern except SVX and certain STI's, which won't be priced in this range anyway. So as long as you buy a diameter/wheel big enough to clear your front calipers you can use any Subaru wheel. make sure the tires aren't old - the rubber degrades significantly with time, partiuclarly depending how they're stored.

Outbacks got an updated MLS headgasket in 2010 so your 2011 has one as well. Of the EJ25's this would be the best one available from Subaru regarding headgasket issues, so you have a good chance of not having any issues.

yes - ask the boat/marina/outdoor power equipment people, they always know where it is. it depends - some places it's readily available and others it is not. it's nearly non-existent state wide in WV. there are pockets here and there and lake side marinas...but you're generally paying a serious premium for it at those seasonal type places. i don't think it will or does affect headgaskets. fuel never touches them directly.

1. what kind of driving are you doing? are you doing long 60 mph stints? if you're doing lots of city driving or highspeed interstate the mileage will suffer. fuel injectors, valve clearance? compression and leak down test it. removing the roof rack and lowering it will help.

doesn't matter for Subarus, just drive it like the 10's of thousands of others that have been for decades. i have 180,000 mile 1988 XT6 as a daily driver, and have had an XT (or more) since 1993. no big deal. my experience is the same as your dads though. chain saws, boats, tractors and other equipment - same experience. lesser grade materials. and carbs sucks. as an example, if you buy aftermarket CV boots - they only last 2-4 years. Subaru boots last much longer, Subaru uses better materials. if you're going to let it sit for awhile then i'm less familiar with the intricacies of ethanol, but you'd want to probably take some precautions.

you realize that thousands and thousands of people have driven old Subaru's as daily drivers for decades? if you have a carb - that's the problem, not the gas. carbs have always been problematic, high maintenance junk. you can't let them sit for long periods of time. if your car or saw ran every day you'd have very few issues. to ethanol problems - if the car is going to sit for any length of time then buy non-ethanol gas the last tank, fill it up, treat the gas, empty the carb. same goes for equipment - most people don't do it though because it's awfully annoying to go into all the detail for...a lawn tractor, weed eater, chains saws, generator...every other piece of carbureted junk in the garage.

if one outlet/inlet is smaller you can cut a section of the smaller hose and use it as an adapter for the larger hose.

The misfire may also be caused by oil in the spark plug tube. In that case replace the spark plug tube gaskets (and valve cover gaskets since it has to come off to do it. In that case you don't need any spark plugs/wires/coils. Otherwise, about the coils. used, they don't fail often enough to warrant new prices. use the OEM NGK plugs Subaru or high quality wires (these engines aren't very forgiving of lower grade ignition stuffs. In general it would be good to verify what engine you have - year/model EJ25.

Check the fuel pressure and maybe that fuel pump cap is bleeding off fuel pressure. I've never seen one consistently/for a long time make the car hard to start, it seems once they start to fail, they're done and the car won't start at all. You can check the timing in a few minutes: pull the drivers side timing belt cover only to check the cam mark and then you should be able to check the crank position mark...hmmmm...i've never actually done it on one this new. older Subaru's had a crank position mark on the flexplate/flywheel and you could verify it throught he bellhousing cover (rubber plug just under the throttle body to the passengers side). or pull the crank sensor to peer in there with a flashlight - though that's likely not enough room. Even if you just pulled the accessory belts and timing cover, that doesn't take terribly long, i just did one this morning. you don't have to pull the belt, just the covers to check marks. The caps are fairly easy to check - pull the rear seat bottom and fuel tank access cover.