idosubaru

nay. chinese. probably a new name for an old, cheap product that's got bad reviews. purely conjecture on my part but i'm not sure what the allure is for using no-name, aftermarket axles when they are rife with issues. over and over and over again people keep returning to the vomit, very strange. why not reboot yours or just get an OEM used axle from www.car-part.com? cheaper, 100% repeatable solution, it will last longer. seems odd to even consider anything else.

That's what i'd do (and actually what i did just a couple months ago) - pocket the cash and fix it yourself to your own standards. Body shop standards and showroom paint/finish/clear is not necessary on a 15 year old car that's going to blow it's headgasket sometime soon. that's a joke, sort of. Swap body panels - just get one that matches already painted - www.car-part.com Properly address exposed areas so they don't rust (if rust is a possibility in the PNW anyway).

yes too much grease will cause more expansion than normal. but a little more won't be a big deal obviously. some aftermarket boots don't last as long as Subaru boots so be wary of cheaper unless you don't mind replacing them every couple years.

check engine light? have the code read and tell us what it is. no spark on one plug or all of them? no spark: 1. igniter 2. coil pack 3. wires 4. plugs 5. cam or crank sensor 1 & 2 don't fail that often and new prices are atrocious - replace with used 3 & 4 should be NGK OEM plugs and OEM or high quality wires, that engine isn't very forgiving otherwise. maybe crank and cam sensors can cause a no spark condition as well - replace with used as they rarely fail. i'd mail you both for $10.

reboot your old axles. aftermarket sucks. www.car-part.com if you don't have any locally. it's worth the little extra effort - you've already wasted hours replacing a bunk axle.

it's worth whatever someoen is willing to pay which can sometimes be little or sometimes surprisingly high - but in general: $500, a tiny bit more if the right person sees it and it's in great condition or someone thinks it can be resurrected - which will be tough to determine if you don't know what's wrong with it, so probably on the lower end - like $400. list it in the "For Sale" section of this forum and over at subaruxt.com if it's up and running and in good condition then very roughly $1,500 give or take depending on condition, needs, person buying it etc.

looks decent, i've used them before mutliple times without issue. brown oil seal and green bearing seals look like OEM. reuse the bolts in the car for the tensioner, i don't like the supplied bolts in the kits. i generally lean towards the Gates kits. theimportexpert kits (on ebay) are excellent quality but price has gone up substantially over the years, they used to be well priced, around the lowest.

it needs a new timing belt kit immediately. $130 on amazon/rockauto for Gates kits. the tensioner itself is suspect, they aren't all that reliable, and the timing pulleys are likely all devoid of grease now and spin nothing like a new pulley does. if the pulleys seize the timing belt won't survive if it's got zero miles on it. ideally cam seals, crank seal, oil pump resealed (oring and tighten backing plate screws with locktite), cam orings (if quipped), water pump are replaced while the timing belt is off. that would give you 100,000 miles out of the major engine components, which can also cause extensive engine damage if they fail since it's an interference engine. change the transmission fluid.

used engine would be worth looking into. you can even use an EJ18, they're a dime a dozen. your EJ22 intake manifold will bolt right up to it. i've picked up EJ18's and EJ22's for $150 - $300 tested, low mileage, with a warranty. every one has been excellent. but engine prices may suck in the PNW around you. www.car-part.com but - those engines are really easy to do headgaskets on too, and would be the easiest of all EJ's to do in the car. remove two lower 14mm engine mount nuts, pitch stopper bolt - and jack the engine up a few minutes. those heads come off with 6 external bolts - real simple. so to that end, it wouldn't take long to try. so you can save an engine pull as well, which is beneficial to some people. i wouldn't use cheap ebay special headgaskets, Subaru or maybe Fel Pro (Fel Pro's later EJ gaskets are excellent). +1 to the head resurfacing posted above, that's how i do mine. VERY easy to do. source the glass and it's a breeze. so nice not taking them into a machine shop, waiting, driving back.

EJ22. as preventative maintenance: install a new timing kit, water pump, cam seals, cam cap oring, metal rear separator plate, reseal the oil pump, stock NGK spark plugs, valve cover gaskets, adjust the valves. awesome engines. you'll loose 20 hp but gain massive longevity and reliability. easy 300,000 miles if you get a good engine and don't run it hot or out of oil. 1995 - 1996 are non interference if your'e a purist or don't maintain your cars well. 1997-1998 are interference and excellent too - just replace all the timing components. 1995 is direct swap 1996-1998 direct swap, requires EJ22 exhaust manifold.

yes. pull out the stub, get the bits out, pop the stub back in. it's easy, two simple notes: it'll have a circlip dangling off the transmission end of it that holds it in place. there is a seal here so be careful and don't hack it up.

may want to replace the springs while you're at it. the springs take more load and get compromised when the struts do no work. i had one like this last year or two years ago. replaced the struts and had sagging/rubbing/handling issues in about a month. the spring was compromised, replacing it solved the issues. it physically looked the same as the replacement spring but with all the driving on tire struts i'm told that probably strained it too much. or at least do the job sooner rather than later to save the existing springs.

It's interference. Replace all the timing components. Get the $125 Gates kits on rockauto and amazon. Double check this fits your 99 Phase II EJ22, that's a rare engine, only available in 99 legacys and 99-01 imprezas. http://www.amazon.com/Gates-TCK304-Timing-Belt-Component/dp/B002R8HMAY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392032315&sr=8-1&keywords=2000+subaru+gates+timing+belt Replacing the water pump, cam seals, crank seal, and oil pump oring/resealing the oil plate would be wise while the timing belt is off. All that stuff resides behind the timing belt so twice the labor if you're back in there again. Do all this and you're done for 100,000 miles. Subaru also says "California Emissions EJ22 belts are 105,000 miles". so it's left up for you to decide which camp you fall into: 1. Subaru makes a "California belt" 2. They're all the same 3. Something else Phase II EJ22 and EJ25 water pumps, crank sprockets, oil pumps, timing tensioners, timing pulleys - are all identical - so the timing gear and routing is exactly the same. Phase II timing kits are said to fit EJ22 and EJ25 engines. Strong implication is that they are 105,000 mile belts, but I'm not guaranteeing that or saying they are/should be.

what a debacle. the other mechanic pay? you have really ran into some speed bumps here. you deserve a cookie for your resolve and good attitude through it all. well done and way to be not letting it dig you!

aftermarket axle. classic. get a used Subaru axle and reboot it. avoid aftermarket axles, they have gobs of issues. Subaru axles will last the life of the vehicle, just reboot them. subaru boots seem to last longer than most aftermarkets. i get axles for $25-$33 each routinely, so aftermarkets offer no reliability or economic advantage: www.car-part.com FWE has excellent quality Subaru rebuilt axles, and has for decades, out of Denver CO but cost goes up due to shipping and core return.

check in at subaruxt.com if you get it. price seems high, but NW does have higher subaru prices. generally have to be in really good shape to get $2,000. power steering is easy to fix and simply the brushes in the electric motor for the pump. very rarely the power controller is the issue but even that is cheap used, there's little demand for them so parts are cheap if you can find one. and it's staring you in the face, easy to replace, in the engine bay, very easy to replace as well. excellent engines that easily see 200,000 miles. like most subaru engines - easy to work on and no big issues at all - the engine blocks and heads rarely have issues, so getting to 200,000 miles is easy for anyone that can do a little work or pay attention to some preventative maintenance. timing belts may be awkward for a first timer, but aren't hard at all and can be done in an hour or two. most time will be spent on timing pulleys, water pump, cam/crank seals/orings while the belts are off. i want to avoid coolant and oil leaks/loss. those lead to overheating and oil loss which will ruin any engine ever made. if you can do some of the maintenance on it, they're really a great economical fit - $2,000 - $2,500 for a reliable 100,000 miles is not a bad deal at all. the air suspension is a big concern/issue for some people. they ride awesome, but can be a pain to source parts for and diagnose and they bounce dangerously hard when driving if one doesn't air up. your head can hit the ceiling. it is usually best to convert to conventional coil over springs unless you have some compelling reason to keep the air. for the XT6 you convert to conventional struts with: 1. EJ strut assemblies up front 2. EA strut assembling in the rear Timing pulleys. the kits are $400 on ebay (as compared to like $60-$100 for EA and EJ vehicles). the only other option is to press in your own pulley bearings or regrease them with a needle fitting. the pulleys are old, devoid of grease, and will seize and break the belt - regardless of it being brand new or old. Two simple fixes that are common issues: 1. coolant temperature sensor and connector. if the connections are corroded or green at all from corrossion, cut off the connector and install a brand new one. strip back wiring and cut it out if it's green as well. there's a fuel injector connector that's identical, i've got a bunch of them brand new with pigtails. it's really easy, no parts to remove to get to it, and takes a matter of minutes - snip wires, reconnect. clean sensor contacts or replace. 2. alternator connector is brittle and causes charging issues. also easily replaced with new. Ideally you take care of oil seals/gaskets: new valve covers, cam seals, cam cap orings, crank seal, and reseal the oil pump. all of those except the valve covers are typically done with the timing belt. i'd be replacing the timing belt immediately due to the timing pulley bearings mentioned above, not the belt itself.

welcome to USMB, i'm in morgantown. Buy two used heads and install them on the 2000. if the timing belt broke it doesn't need a new engine block - it just has bent valves and replacing heads will do that. Used heads are cheap and easy, no point in cobbling together something wonky. Ask in the parts forum here or www.car-part.com *** 2000-2004 Legacy, Outback, Forester EJ25 as well as 1999 Forester heads will work. *** 1999-2001 EJ22 heads will also directly swap if you get the single port exhaust manifold to go with them. If you have ANY questions which heads will work - JUST REREAD THE LAST 2 SENTENCES, you do not need to ask again. If you find some other heads not listed above - they won't work. 95 swap requires intake wiring harness swapping and it won't idle/run properly due throttle body and idle control differences. it'll be "drivable" but not without starting and idling issues, making it not a good daily driver.

VDC equipped vehicles don't have a FWD fuse functionality. it may have a labelled fuse holder as an artifact from using the H4 platform/parts for the H6 vehicles. but it would do nothing or disable VDC, not put it in FWD. or i think that's how they work. 2001 was a bit of an oddball being the first year H6 and VDC - it was the only one of that generation with a VDC off switch in the US.

seems the difference is so small i'd just run whichever is the best fit and convenience regarding your particular use of the parts available.

maybe this would be a method of using water with less risk, not that i'm recommending it but if people are going to do it multiple times: 1. fill up water jugs and keep them with you (inside/unfrozen) 2. drain water when you park it - work those block plugs 3. fill engine when you need to leave 3. repeat it sounds odd to replace an engine but not a leaking radiator?

i wouldn't strike the tie rod nut - the ones that are really tight will ruin the threads every time. and the threads are really difficult to chase with a tap/die set as the stud just turns in the joint and there's no way to hold it.

don't really need a VIN: all 2000-2004 EJ25 engines swap easily taking notes already mentioned in this thread. if it's a 1999 Outback the body style is completely different and will not work. or if it's just the engine , a 99 will be a DOHC engine and the timing covers are compleely different with two huge indents for the 4 cam pulleys as opposed to 2 on all 2000+ EJ25's.

and you should post threads about this car in the "Newer GEneration" area of this forum here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/forum/44-1990-to-present-legacy-impreza-outback-forester-baja-wrxwrxsti-svx/

give us the codes - the actual numbers. if it's the knock sensor, those are easily replaced in a matter of minutes, cost $15 on ebay, and fail due to age so no big surprise there. they also can cause severe performance issues.

it is not the pump, Subaru pumps very rarely fail. air is getting into the fluid - via a hose or oring. i would look into the oring john mentioned above. you bled it correctly, subaru power steering pumps bleed so easily i don't really do anything but turn the wheel lock to lock a few times, very easy. don't replace that pump!