idosubaru

That's and odd situation about oil changes - sometimes a part can look funny, be compromised, dirty and mistaken for something it's not (aftermarket when it's really OEM). Yes they are correct about the head gasket - that particular engine will run 50,000 miles (i'm making that number up but it is 10's of thousands of miles) on externally leaking headgaskets. They begin to slowly seep at first then very gradually get worse over time. In general it would be odd to ignore it, hence your hesitation - but due to the nature of this particular engine, one can say with 100% certainty you have no worries about a 2,000 mile road trip. There is literally zero additional risk (beyond normal risk) of failure that will cause issues while traveling due to that oil leak. Monitoring oil levels would be a good idea just to get an initial bead on how much it's leaking now, since you haven't before. It's such a common issue on that engine that they dealers are generally adept at ignoring it. I wouldn't be immediately alarmed by them not saying much and seeming unalarmed by it. Why would they have to "pay out"? If it's still under warranty then I'd have it repaired. In general dealers don't repair them very well though - they don't resurface the heads and aren't into alternative options for better headgaskets which is silly on an engine with known headgasket issues. And if you combine timing components so you're expensive 105,000 mile maintenance is out of the way - they're timing component pricing is terrible. So that means dealers never replace all the timing components - only the belt or belt/tensioner and not the belt/tensioner/sprocket/2 idlers which many people like me and independent shops will do routinely as a matter of course. Advice: 1. monitor oil levels - when they start leaking it's so small it won't even register between oil changes. get an actual quantitative number on how much it's leaking - like check every 1,000 miles. then every 3,000 if it's insignificant, etc. 2. if it's under warranty then have it repaired. resurface the heads, dealers won't generally do that but it's silly on these heads. it should only cost $50-$75, there's absolutely no need for a full on valve job and pressure testing or even measuring on these heads. they are very robust and never have issue with that. 3. i'd time the repair with a full timing belt job - timing belt, tensioner, 2 idler pulleys, and the sprocket. kits are only $125 on amazon for all of that stuff - but it's like $400 from the dealer + mad labor. then you're basically good to go for another 100,000 miles. the timing belt has to be removed to replace the headgaskets so it's zero additional labor to replace the timing belt with a headgasket job. timing belt is $59 from Subaru so for that they can install a new belt. if you're paying out of pocket i'd aim for doing the headgaskets around 90k-100k and doing the timing belt at the same time. i'd find a good independent that's familiar with Subaru's and will do everything i listed above, giving you a bettter end product than the dealer and also being cheaper. dealer warranties are only 12,000 miles/1 year and the way they get paid, there's not much incentive to do the best job they possibly can.

If the connectors are identical then that's a good sign it'll work. Is the 93 impreza an EJ18 or EJ22? 98 Outback an Impreza (EJ22) or Legacy (EJ25)? Look up a 98 and/or 93 TPS on ebay, amazon, google, subarus opposed forces website, www.car-part.com and you can find out fairly quickly if they interchange. that may verify they're the same, but even if you strike out there, they still may be interchangeable. I would guess they're different. Phase II transmissions I think started in 98 and they went to OBDII between 93 and 98. If you're 93 impreza is an EJ18, much is substantially different from other EJ intake manifolds too and I wouldn't guess the 98 would work. Unsure if it matters but a 98 Outback impreza would be EJ22, Outback legacy would be EJ25.

you got it, commonly make one radiator to fit both, lines are unused. your OEM radiator will not have a cooler in it - it'll be completely void, they make 2 different radiators from the factory.

yes knock sensor will retard timing and acceleration and power will be non-existent. if it's bad enough the car can be almost undrivable. when you remove it - you'll notice significant cracking of the rubber encasement almost every time. Knock sensor won't cause AT flashing or "rpms to risk without increasing speed" as described first post - unless that meant downshifting which might feel odd/different with that sensor cracking out. working on cars with just typed words is tricky business! isn't that series of procedures for reading the AT light a comic sketch!?!?!?!? were you cussing or laughing? lol a 96 impreza has a MAF, not a MAP which comes in 99 impreza's.

Great news. Good work getting that stuff done. It may be that the sensor not plugged in was the issue and it's repaired now. 1996 doesn't have a MAP sensor - so is it a TPS, MAF or something else? Can you post the exact code? EJ22's didn't have MAP sensors until 1999. AT flashing means there's a code. no flashing, no code. you'll strike out if the light isn't flashing. the secret handshake is a debacle, a real quack made that #()!*$!$!! up. i've never gotten it to work, but plenty of others have. Any 1995-1998 procedure will be the same as yours...and probably others. I've never seen a knock sensor or misfire cause trans codes and i've seen gobs of those. I've never seen a MAF cause one either but I've only ever tried to run a car a very few times with a MAF disconnected. *** Find the list of TCU codes for your vehicle. see what engine related sensor/codes are on the list. You may want to chase those spark plug threads with a spark plug thread chaser in the future, that will allow them to turn smooth of butter. Load the chaser up with grease to capture any particulates.

what you're describing sounds like a front differential but you said "center" differential and both are encased within the transmission. are you sure it wasn't a front differential or front ring and pinion gear set? almost positive people have replaced the bearings alone without issue, but it's a rare repair due to the complexity of it. and that may also lend to cautious technicians. can you post the part numbers replaced? probably bearings and ring and pinion set ("gears"). that would have been like a $2,000 job. center diff replacement would have been like $500...plus whatever extras i can't guess. if you're positive it was the center differential....we'll need more info since that sounds odd. there are quite a few "gears" and "bearings" in a manual transmission, can you post the part numbers since none are typical replacements in coordination with a center differential?

knock sensor is also one 12mm bolt and easy to replace. takes 10 minutes. maybe 30 for a first timer reaching down in there. having one of those extendable magnets is nice to have on hand but by no means a requirement or huge set back.

i've bought the cheap ebay cats from canada before. i've never been involved with one long enough to know they're life span after 2 years or so but they rust up quicker than the Subaru original materials...might just be surface rust and not matter for years, hard to say in rust areas. i'd buy one again.

oil pump just has an oring and gasket maker around the mating surface to the block. if it's leaking externally the mating surface needs resealed. can't test the oring. generally a good idea to just reseal the pump at this age though maybe if it's perfect, clean, lightly used, low miles...who knows: 1. pull it (8 bolts or so?) 2. replace oring 3. tighten backing plate screws - locktite any loose ones 4. install crank seal (easier with pump off vehicle!)

Your list looks perfect plus the cam cap orings mentioned by Fairtax. All the OEM stuff you listed get from the dealer. Get the thermostat from the dealer as well. Aftermarkets are cheap toys unless you get XACTA replacement. Adjust the valves depending what year/what valve train it has. Tigthen the backing plate screws in the oil pump. Any loose ones can get a dab of locktite, particularly if you don't have really high quality beefy screw drivers capable of good torque. It matters what year EJ22 though I can guess by the picture of parts that it's a 1996 or earlier? A Phase II 99+ EJ22 you'd also get spark plug tube gaskets, but that's not a 99 kit pictured. Valve cover bolts breaking is very rare, they're like 7 ft/lbs. Timing pulley bolts break more often than valve cover bolts if you're looking to mitigate low percentage failure rates. They'd be more catastrophic and leave you stranded (and bent valves in 97 plus interference EJ22's), valve cover bolts won't. If you're paying attention and feel it get tight when removing, don't continue to remove it. Loosen...thread back in when it gets tight, loosen...thread back in... then go take a break and do something else for the metal to cool down. Repeat 15 minutes later. Repeat 15 minutes later...go as slow as needed, not long for a small bolt like that. Eventually you can work out a tight bolt without snapping it. Then chase the threads with a tap and die before reinstalling. But again, very rare and unlikely anyway, but at least you have options if you do encounter it.

Delete duplicate thread moderators? go here to reply to the duplicate one http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/145533-96-subaru-impreza-lost-power-on-highway-check-engine-light/ no need for two threads for the same thing, it makes things convoluted for everyone, including you, making two trails of questions/responses. if it was a mistake - click EDIT and erase one of them.

The AT flashing is telling you the transmission computer is storing a fault Personally I'd repair the engine issues first as they may affect the trans, though technically those shouldn't cause it to "rev in neutral". But they're cheap and easy at least. But the transmission issues are by far the most troubling in terms of possible expense and issues so I'd dig into those quick: 1. look up the procedure for getting that transmissino light to flash the code. there's a complicated procedure (put key in, turn, open door, shift to drive, shift to park, shift to drive...etc, etc) and when you do that the AT light will blink the code for the issue (3 slow blinks is a 30 and 2 slow blinks is a 2 - so it would be a code 32). you can find it online by searching. 2. fluid is positively good? never hurts to check again to be sure. sounds like it is if 3rd gear works. 3. is the transmission pan dented? 4. do not use the FWD fuse if it drives better without it. for future reference it doesn't help mileage due to the 4WD bearings, suspension, rear axles, rear differential, rear driveshaft, rear clutches, rear extension housing...there's a lot of weight and rotational mass still present. 'FWD' is not some magical elixir - it's a lighter system with fewer components and less weight - but that's not true with a 4WD converted to run in FWD or RWD. Engine Codes: clear engine codes and see which one comes back first. Knock sensor - simply needs replaced. They're like $13 on ebay. Misfire - classic spark plugs and wires - how old and what condition are they? Spark plugs need to be original OEM NGK variety on that engine - start with those, they're cheap. Spark plug wires need to also be SUbaru OEM or at least high quality. Cheap wires can give misfires on that engine. MAP sensor replace with a used one, they rarely fail and new is a pretty idiotic price for something so easy to replace. cheapest way to get parts: post in the parts wanted forum here in the US (though Canadian yards are sometimes on here too): www.car-part.com ebay - used parts

Not the pulley. The oil pump is pulled off the engine, then use the socket on the rotor - the back side, the engine side of the pump, the rotor/shaft side of the pump. "rotor" not pulley:

that's awesome! hers is a really nice vehicle that she just bought so i'm certain she doesn't want to do that, but that's hysterical.

you said 4EAT here - which is an automatic: So it's definitely a manual trans (or talknig about two different cars)? If it's a manual trans then: 1. change the gear oil (not automatic transmission fluid) 2. replace the throw out bearing, you don't regrease Subaru throw out bearings. the amount of labor to get to the throw out bearing is considerable, it requires pulling the transmission or engine to get to it. by the time you go through all that it's best to replace all the clutch components: throw out bearing, pilot bearing, clutch, pressure plate, resurface the flywheel, and the two retaining clips unless there's some compelling reason that you can't.

those slip over flanges are sweet if you can find the right size. they can add up quickly in parts costs but you get to avoid a shop and do it on your own time.

yes - it wraps around the glass. that sounds like a good option but for $65 that would probably take me way too long. thanks, that's a good option for future reference. i'll leave it up to them if they want to source that, i think the $65 option was salivating to them after the $500 quote from the shop. LOL silly not to supply that gasket separate. i searched and couldn't find anything close.

that $65 option, they said "complete assembly"...not sure if they mean glass or complete assembly but either way it'll include the glass (i hope!). you're right, that's probably the way to go. still way better than the $500 for new and install. one u-pull it place here and it's not worth going to, nor does it really carry subaru's, highly unlikely to have anything this new. i also help out a ton of people for free, i never charge to repair a car, so I don't have time to pick and pull for everyone.

are there subaru owners in washington state - this should have been posted one day later! LOL

personally i wouldn't get into welding for a one-off repair. i weld exhaust a couple times a year and i absolutely hate it. it's hard to describe how tricky it can be and how long it can take. i now try everything i can to avoid welding. it's hard to get angles right, line things up, placement, etc. when you've got two pipes to weld together, you can't always properly prep, clean up rust, line up on the car - it has to be done off the car - and how you verify it's all lined up properly matters. you got some flex with the rubber hangers but often angles, flanges aren't quite lined up, etc. cheap welders also are harder to dial in, easily burn through the exhaust, then you gotta build up a weld for it, and can take hours. i'd first see if you can simple expand both ends of a piece of new pipe and reconnect the two that broke. that can be done in like a matter of minutes. cut pipe to length, expand both ends (or one, often times one end you buy can already come expanded), and slip it over each end. yours is at a bend or tricky area so i'm not sure how feasible it is there. shops routinely weld up exhaust for $35 - $75. they're $45 around here. that's well worth it for a quick and done solution. i'd get a used pipe off of this forum, online, craigslist, www.car-part.com, a local yard, etc. many places wont' sell those cat converter or exhaust pipes though so gotta find one that will. and then of course there's the people who love an excuse to buy a new toy and have an extra tool for the house, farm, tractor, building, fixing...in that case, yes definitely get a welder, it's a nice addition to have. then you can get used to slipping a nut over a rounded off bolt or a sheared off bolt, weld it and have a fresh nut to remove rusty fasteners. it's a nice tool for that.

Friends 2003 OB Sedan has a large gap/missing piece in the gasket around the moonroof. What kind of urethane or something could be used to build it up and finish it off? Subaru does not sell the gasket - the moonroof assembly only is like $300 or $400. Crazy train. There are used sunroofs locally for $65 so that's not a bad last resort.

1. EJ timing belts are generally the same (with a few exceptions). over here all EJ18 and EJ22 timing belts are identical so i'd assume EJ20 is as well. Water pumps, timing sprocket, and the two idlers are all identical as well. * in the US there was a timing tensioner change around 1997 - an old style two piece tensioner and a new style one piece tensioner. they are even interchangealbe if you swap the bracket they bolt to. 2. 4EAT - start by flushing the transmission and making sure there are no check engine lights, engine is in tune (plugs, wires, air filter, PCV, knock sensor is not cracked) 3. a 4EAT doesn't have a throw out bearing to regrease - those are in manual transmissions, not 4EAT's.

your 99 may be a special beast - 99 is a transition year with Forester and Impreza going to Phase II engines, Legacy and Outbacks having phase II blocks but Phase I heads, and i think they all get Phase II transmissions....so often 99's i think are listed as "single year" transmissions...prices go up and selection is limited. that being said...i wonder if 99 Outback and Legacy transmissions should be avoided? same engines as the 98 forester electronically so i think it should be fine. otherwise $500 is high end for 98 and earlier non-turbo 4 cylinder automatics. i've gotten those range EJ transmissions for $150 before off of www.car-part.com i would be aiming for like $250 in my area, but some areas like the PNW and Colorado command a premium too.

i don't think that holds any water at all. (LOL). that doesn't have anything to do with it.

i got your PM - in the future post a link to a thread i can post in. First year of the Forester is 1998, so by "1997" do you mean a 1997 Legacy or a foreign market transmission? 1998 forester is 4.44 final drive ratio. The transmissions you can use in a 1998 Forester: 1998 Forester 1996-1999 Outback 1996-1999 Legacy LSi, Legacy GT, and Legacy SUS 1998 Impreza RS search on www.car-part.com Subaru transmissions are robust and therefore it's easy to find a cheap transmission at a yard that's in excellent condition. it's done all the time. There are likely others. If you're wanting the cheapest possible option or to expand your search options you can expand that, with a little extra work swapping the rear differential as well, to include almost any vehicle from 1995-1998.