idosubaru

replace the knock sensor. it doesn't require removing all that stuff - takes 15 minutes. yours is even easier than some. $15, 15 minutes, done. this issue is so common you're best off just replacing it with new now and being done with it.

thanks for the offer crazy head! if it's simple, awesome, but don't go out of your way - i'll figure it out next Monday, in one week. 03 Outback - passengers side, outer most (closest to the passengers side door), transverse mount bolt. the way the floor slopes up it appears as if it would need a longer than standard drill bit, but dunno. another issue is scale. largest city in the state is 50k people and 2.5 hours away. "cities" are rural towns or suburbs in most states, so there's less of everything. but i'm sure you know that/or have heard me say it before.

i would just have the rotors turned and let us know what happens. $15 each and you're done. if it's still present you know you have another issue. while doing that, check the calipers and make sure they're sliding properly. as long as the rotor is true and the calipers are sliding - you won't have any thump thump. the aftermarket rotors or pads may have been cheap quality? a loose transverse mount causes mostly knocking on braking in mine, but also when hitting certain bumps.

if by "performance" you mean actually fast - a Subaru won't fit the bill, it'll be slow no matter what upgrades you throw at it. if by 'performance" you mean you enjoy tinkering and playing around and adding parts, then tear it up. unless of course you get into turbo Subaru and upgrades - but that is a completely different order of magnitude in terms cost and effort - and the vehicles you're discussing never had turbo engines anyway. the 2.2 liter motor is much more reliable than the 2.5. 2.5's have lots of head gasket issues...which means most cheap ones have already been through that debacle and may have questionable longevity.

well J, don't get too excited, as much as i wish this was for fun....the captive nut for the transverse link broke it's welds and is free spinning inside...no access and requires cutting to get to it. i gave it a go from the cabin and to no avail. i'm going from the outside now. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/142509-who-has-done-this-repair-captive-nut-broken-loose-front-transverse-bushing-link/

Copy, good to know. thanks.

wrong link posted, i posted a link to this current thread. here is the new one: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/142509-who-has-done-this-repair-captive-nut-broken-loose-front-transverse-bushing-link/?do=findComment&comment=1197532

that's a good call but doesn't work well here. no pull it yourself yards and most places don't want you in their yards. last time i asked, they wouldn't let me power up a 2003 to see how many miles were on the electronic odometer...on a vehicle i ended up buying the transmission from, $900 cash in hand....and that one was in the parking lot where customers parked, not even in the yard yet.

same problem - what do you mean? from the outside frame rails too, they are layered as well?

sounds like you got it narrowed down to the igniter. post in the parts wanted forum here or subaruxt.com ryan (rpholz) has one available here: http://www.subaruxt.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13566 distributor is a likely culprit too, i've seen a couple cause no spark conditions in vehicles that sat for along time. again - find a used one. i've got igniters and distributors for XT6's too.

snake all the junk outta there. ozone generators are great. i use them on vehicles that have been smoked in - neutralizes the odors you can't get too - in empty spaces, etc. seal the door up, open up as much as you can, leave the ozone generator running in it 24 hours. i'll even run the vehicle with the vents/HVAC on to circulate air while the generator is on as well.

i'm cutting an access hole/door which i'll then weld back in place so accuracy is nice, probably go with angle grinder. up or down side to a torch for this? probably won't use it for this but have one and you guys know better than i. dremel is off the list, thanks. i would have easily tried it though i was thinking it kind of small.

I need to cut into the frame rail of my 03 - how thick are they in terms of cutting through them? Dremel? Angle grinder? My air tool die grinder rotary tool or whatever it's called?

Never mind, unless there's some very compelling suggestions or pictures, I'm going to do this from the outside.

never replace EJ22 headgaskets unless they are blown. they don't blow unless they've been overheated. yes get one of the gates kits on amazon now for like $130, great deal with new tensioner, pulleys, and belt. the pulleys are generally not in good shape by now. reseal the oil pump, tigthen the backing plate screws on the oil pump, use a SUbaru water pump gasket (the aftermarkets are flimsy cardboard). don't get a much simpler 100,000 miles.

i started a new topic with updated title to grab anyone else that's seen this before: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/142509-who-has-done-this-repair-captive-nut-broken-loose-front-transverse-bushing-link/?do=findComment&comment=1197532

2003 Outback The captive nut for the front transverse link bushing on the passengers side is broken and free-spinning inside the chassis. This nut is inaccessible. It's the rear-most nut. 1. Do you have to drill the floor pan directly above the nut from inside the cabin? (doesn't seem possible with firewall in the way). 2. Once the initial 5 layers of metal are drilled through that your feet sit on - do you keep drilling? I drilled/cut through 5 interconnected metal layers all adjacent to each other, where your feet immediately rest and I only see empty space and additional folds of metal 1 - 3 inches (roughly) down in the empty space. It seems like I'm in a hollow space - an interior side of the chassis (floor pan that i drilled through) filled with additional folds and metal. Do I continue cutting into one of those folds/metal areas too? had a thread but wanted an accurate title since few have repaired or seen this and i thought it was simply a stripped bolt at first. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/141241-stripped-19mm-front-control-arm-rear-transfer-link-bushing-bolt/?do=findComment&comment=1187964

bump - anyone else?

for those that have done this - you've done this on a Subaru before, what year/models? mine is a 2003 Outback Sedan H6 i've drilled multiple holes and I've cut a huge swath out - like 5 inches or more with a sawzall and i see nothing - zilch just empty cavernous space and metal folds. i can't imagine drilling or going through those folds....not without making a 8"x8" hole to work through but you haven't mentioned that. truthfully it doesn't seem like what i'm doing is possible and this seems like the worst possible way to attack this. it seems from the underside cutting a notch is the only way to do this?

it does seem statistically more likely that it's something invasive that you worked on - which would be valves. But I've always wondered so now is a good time to ask - being horizontal, do Subaru valves pool oil like other vehicles? It seems like they wouldn't. Oil would pool in the bottom of the cylinders behind the rings though...?

in the rust belt we only have to worry about busting the ball joint in the process! but having been recently apart you should be golden!

i would guess it's easy for one of those seals to not seat properly, i know it's happened to others on the forum. rings would also be a concern - i'd do a leak down test to confirm where the breach is. i haven't seen it myself, so i don't know the validity of such statements, maybe they're just an artifact of old, but folks often say "fresh heads result in more compression and blow by/oil loss from rings".

awesome, good luck diving into it, you can do it!

no, nothing special about it. i've never noticed a bleeder screw on the H6's but i generally don't look either - i've just timed coolant changes with replacing the oil cooler gasket since those are leaking on all the ones i've done so far.

yes, interchangeable, just bolt all your existing hardware to it. if you can ask them to leave the ABS sensor installed that would be nice since that bolt often rusts and shears off. they're worthless anyway and there's no market for them so they shouldn't care or charge any more.