idosubaru

yah..indeed...Subaru wheel bearings never fail the "typical" tests i see and read about, i don't even check for play to determine wheel bearing issues, it rarely works on Subarus...at least not the ones i've done.

did you replace the fuel filter? doubt a fuel pressure regulator could affect the pump. aftermarket pumps are not that stellar...i'd get a used low mileage OEM unit, they easily make 200,000 miles and are more reliable than an aftermarket probably. www.car-part.com if it's sputtering - check the fuel pressure at the engine...that will ***immediately*** tell you if it's fuel delivery related or not. would be nice to know after all this time/work.

excellent, good job! that's what I meant about those 10 mm ratcheting wrenches, those lower bolts are difficult without one. on some Subaru engines they're even worse, like 6 cylinders.

bad bushings somewhere? are they aftermarket axles? those suck and have lots of issues. hard to proceed if you have aftermarket axles....it'll just be a guess....

headgasket. that engine eats them like candy. they don't mix oil/coolant and compression and leak down tests are pointless on this engine as well, they usually pass all those tests so don't waste your time or let a mechanic waste his doing those tests. the best test for that particular motor is exhaust gases in the coolant. there are kits to test it yourself or a mechanic can do it. swap in a $300 EJ22 and be done with it and get another 100,000 reliable/cheap miles.

tigthen nut connecting steering wheel to steering column?

welcome! it's due for a timing belt kit and be advised of headgasket issues on that motor.

sure thing. i dislike those spark plug tube grommets, extra failure/leakage point, but not hard to replace at all. very helpful to have a 10mm ratcheting wrench for the lower drivers side bolt...but not that hard of a job at all.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/98-12-Subaru-Impreza-Legacy-Outback-Forester-2-2L-2-5L-Valve-Cover-Set-EJ22-EJ25-/281098480635?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3ASubaru&hash=item4172c66bfb&vxp=mtr the gasket on the left side of the photo shows the spark plug tube grommets "inside" of it - that's just for reference - verify the part numbers you need, though i think that may be the right one.

spark plug tube grommets are leaking oil. see how the spark plugs go through the valve covers - there are gaskets there to prevent the exact issue you're having. very common. replace the valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube gaskets at the same time. i've seen some Fel Pro kits have both of those included.

Check headgasket condition underneath, good to know right now if they're seeping externally or not. I hate to suggest driving it if it's going to break, the chance does exist, but these belts are robust and we can imply low grade use and mileage - so it's unlikely to break the next time you drive it. Don't pay for a dealer mileage service like "60k service" or "100k service"....they are way overinflated. Just tell them what you want - look at their service intervals or your owners manual maintenance intervals and tell them what you want. They include things like "100 point inspection" which is marketing inflated nonsense that means nothing. every time they change your oil they're looking at 4 axle boots, 2 ball joints, 2 struts, 4 tie rods, exhaust, dozens of hoses, gaskets...etc - within 15 seconds any competent mechanic is casually looking at that stuff while they're under the vehicle changing fluids/parts. They're essentially making these packages sound like good deals when they are not - they're well marketed. I would change, in this order if you can't do it all at once: Engine oil, coolant, transmission, front diff oil, spark plugs, air filter at some point in the next year. Air filter requires no tools and takes 45 seconds if you want to do that yourself. Review your owners manual to see if there's anything else you'd add. Replace the timing belt, pulleys, and tensioner. Subaru charges $450 - $700 just for the belt alone...I'd avoid them not just because of price but because of the low quality of parts that will be installed - they're going to reuse all the 10+ year old pulleys/tensioner. That's not the best repair in this case where you're the new owner and the car is otherwise good for another reliable 100k. Get a complete timing belt kit: you want to get one of the Ebay or Gates kits off amazon (someone just posted a smoking deal - $100 for new Gates kits on Amazon recently). That includes the timing belt, all the pulleys, and the tensioner. Way too expensive to do all that at the dealer but should be done. Subaru timing belts are actually really easy, don't need a Subaru specialist for that.

if yo'ure tracking an overheating issue you may want to look into headgaskets before you throw parts at it and waste your time. if you're sure it's the water pump: Use Subaru only on the water pump gasket. the aftermarket ones are cheap cardboard and suck. subaru's are stamped metal, much better. subaru thermostats are also much better too - though the new XACTA thermostats look like the robust Subaru OEM ones and are probably good. fairly easy: remove radiator fans and coolant overflow tank (10mm bolts and two electrical connectors), remove serpentine belts and a/c tensioner. remove 22mm crank bolt, timing covers (10mm bolts), align timing marks on crank sprocket and cams. pull timing belt (all timing pulleys/tensioner are 14mm bolts) remove and replace water pump (10 mm bolts). install new timing belt pulleys and tensioner or reuse the old tensioner by compressing it very slowly and pinning it in place with an allen wrench or similar (take note the tensioner is installed only one way so the pin has to be pulled out "forward" - insert it accordingly) install timing belt, don't install the lower timing belt idler (drivers side) until the timing belt is installed. too tight otherwise. pull the timing belt pin. install covers, crank, fans, etc. crank the crank pulley on really tight. automatics - insert a stout screw driver or socket extension through access plate under throttle body at rear of engine to keep engine from rotating to facillitate crank pulley removal and installation. make it TIGHT when installing. i use a 3 foot pipe over the handle - it's not aluminum threads like the rest of the motor and needs to be tight. in manuals put the car in gear and ebrake or better yet stomp on the brakes. can also use the bump-the-starter-method to remove the bolt. if crank pulley is tight just keep wiggling it over and over - very light taps with a hammer to get it started. even a small amount of wiggling that feels like it's doing nothing will eventually come loose. a new timing kit should be installed for long term reliability. they're $100 - $170 via ebay, amazon - gates kits, etc. if you must reuse the tensioner, which i don't recommend, slowly compress timing belt tensioner mechanism so as not to ruin the internal seals.

it's definitely not that, looks like miles has it covered, it's normal.

i'd look at the front control arm rear transverse link bushings. those bushings fail and will give vibrations under certain conditions. they fail far more often than pumps, racks, and ball joints on Subarus. item circled in this image (i know nothing of this website, just found the pic): http://images04.olx.co.ke/ui/18/34/55/1374463812_503692955_1-Pictures-of--Subaru-bushing-transverse-linkS-spare-parts.jpg you didn't say mileage or condition but steering pump and rack failures are very rare in Subarus. they sometimes leak, mechanical failure is rare and they're rarely replaced even at 200,000 miles. ball joints, unless the boots are ripped, are also robust though they're usually breaking boots particularly in the rust belt. i'll be in Canton over thanksgiving and could possibly help take a look at it if it would be of any help but you'll have it figured out by then i imagine.

nice hit cracksmoker!!!! is that an EA81?!?!?!

I'd put some weights towards the one with the least amount of rust if they have any significant amount at all on fuel, brake lines, rear cross member, and exhaust. Exhaust is extremely expensive and annoying to maintain. Cheaper stuff isn't nearly as robust and Subaru parts are nutty expensive. they are both due for a timing belt (if the acura is equipped, it may have a chain, i only know Subarus) which is $450 - $750 at a shop. to be done right a timing belt kit should be installed - all new tensioner and idlers. ebay, amazing, gates kits are the way to go and standard for Subaru folks that know what they're doing to get another 10 reliable years. That subaru belt is 105,000 or 10 years and you're way past due for 10 years, rubber degrades and that rubber has obviously sat for extended periods of time which if you've ever seen interiors of vehicles or tires that sat for awhile...it doesn't do them any good. in my experience lower mileage cars can have more odd-ball issues - like switches failing, cables failing, electric motors an relays failing...stuff that normally doesn't happen, they have more of it than the "average" car. just my experience but i think it might make sense just from lack of use too. i wouldn't rule it out or anything and i still like the idea of lower miles of course, it's cool and novetly-ish, but i just wouldn't let it make you drool all over yourself either. I'm all for Subaru's and particularly fond of the SUS - it's one of my favorite looks ever from Subaru and I have owned them, excellent vehicles! they drive great. excellent ground clearance like outbacks, but drive much nicer due to being a sedan. and look sharp. that being said - it comes with the worst engine Subaru ever made...particularly for buying used. google "EJ25 headgasket" on google and you'll see why. of all the variety of Ej25 headgasket issues that motor in the 99 SUS is the more egregious by far. it will randomly overheat with no warning, at any mileage, any condition, and there's no way to verify if any particular one is good or not. and if it overheats there's no easy way to "limp" it home...no filling it up, no waiting...just random chance. which also means many have been previously overheated really bad - and they also have a propensity to loose rod bearings...probably due to that series of events. if you're paying top dollar and want reliability...i'd research the headgasket issue and see how it compares to any issues with the Acura. you basically want to know how reliable and maintenance prone the engine and transmission are - and possibly any really wonky items - poor wiring, etc...but you're not looking at a german car so probably not much else to look at. you can easily mitigate snow driving, particularly if it's in flatland with high quality snow tires. a 4WD with average all seasons isn't really that spectacular in the snow...i mean it's nice but...meh. i like both...but snow tires are the bees knees.

presurrized the cooling system? what they just said - it's likely the intake manifold, mechanic probably doesn't know there's a share coolant port between the intake runners and coolant - it gets breeched and bleeds coolant into the combustion chamber just like a headgasket. i'd verify it's not a $3 gasket that's easily replaced before attempting anything else.

that's about normal. wire wheel them, parts cleaner, give them to a machine shop for their parts cleaner. annoying.

the steering rack has a ujoint right where the steering column meets the steering rack input shaft - it's about a foot or so underneath the master cylinder. i have tried spraying bad joints like nipper said with no effect but that was on a vehicle that had sat for some period of time.

i just fixed my 1996 legacy with the same issue less than a week ago. was cutting off...restarting. MAF code. wonder what years legacy777 and the other guy had? more common on 96's?

assuming you mean the 2004 mentioned in the title - then yes it will physically bolt up to the transmission unless there's something quite different about foreign market EJ vehicles. in the US market anyway ever EJ/EG/EZ series vehicle since 1989 until like 2010 (and probably later) can be physically bolted up together. turbos require a turbo crossmember or fabricating your current one or fabricating custom exhaust to clear the non-turbo crossmember.

wheel out of balance? the steering rack ujoints can fail, making the steering feel lumpy - maybe inducing some slop? may be particularly likely if it's rusted. Subaru racks and pumps almost never fail. Racks sometimes leak externally but other than that issues with those two components are rare. So far every time I replaced a power steering pump thinking that was the issue - it was something else - like the ujoint i just mentioned.

yeah man, LSD increases traction 50% from 2 to 3 wheels.

are you positive it's a headgasket leak? maybe it's something else?

we don't get those turbo engines here, completely different in the US so you'll need some NZ informed folks for true interchangeability options. JCE - good call, that is in regards to the evap stuff moving from the font of the car to the rear i would presume.