idosubaru

i already answered that question: these engines do not cause cylinder/piston damage. if you're mechanic doesn't know that then they don't know these engines. which is fine, but no reason to scrap a good motor. those of us on here have fixed a ton of these. rely on us for Subaru specific information and let him know how you'd like to proceed mechanically. it just needs valves, no reason to scrap a block. *** also due to the fact that the engine is fine it still has value, i would pay a couple hundred for it (because it's easily fixable and useable or saleable for $1,000). so if you trash the motor, sell it on here or craigslist, someone will buy it. i already answered that too. take home to remember: mileage is meaningless on this motor. look up EJ25 headgaskets, bearing, and piston slap issues on google, or here, or craigslists (they're not hard to find). mileage is meaningless when it comes to the weaknesses of the EJ25's. normally that's a solid approach - but not for this motor. More issues = higher demand = higher prices. EJ22's are dirt cheap because they're reliable and lower demand....although they're in higher demand for EJ25 swaps which drives prices up in the past few years. don't let mileage fool you, there's no mileage at which EJ25's start having issues - it was totally random when they are new and now they're 15 years old, not a good gamble.

if that's what it's doing then yes that's fine. i don't know what my auto trans fluid temps are but whatever they are i'd expect that's what they're supposed to be because it's running fine. why would you think what it is doing is *not* what it's supposed to do?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_EJ_engine

that's going to be the issue. annoying to replace though. not overly time consuming or hard...just tight spaces and not obvious how to get it out. there's a decent thread where folks that have done it comment on replacing it.

vacuum leaks will cause similar symptoms - won't idle on their own, can get it to rev high by pounding and feathering the gas. you probably know but just in case, standard vacuum leak testing is carb or starting spray around the hoses, engine, intake runners while trying to start. twice i've seen distributors (the ones with the crank angle sensor embedded in them) cause this issue too. no check engine codes, it tested fine and sparked fine but swapping in another disty fixed it. both of those vehicles had sat for a long time (maybe just coincidence but i've never had to replace a disty other than those two). you checked for spark at every cylinder? you've got good fuel pressure (that doesn't sound like it's it though)?

gah, what a rip when they pull that impound charge business. you could try and negotiate with them, the car isn't worth anything to them anyway, they'd probably rather just have the scrap price for it and give it back to you. but at that mileage why not just get another. issues were probably suspected by the previous owner, likely dumped some additives or something in there to quiet it up before selling it. way too coincidental. after 350,000 miles and 20+ years it *just* happens to blow up *immediately after an oil change*, right after you get it for $300? it's possible....but the writing is on the wall is my guess. highly unlikely (even for an EA82T ).

if you blew a timing belt those are easily fixable. yours is an interference motor but your mechanic might not know that you'll only have bent valves and no damage to the block. bent valves is just a basic head gasket job. you're much better off with a known good motor than an unknown. if it's never been overheated and well maintained i'd send the heads to a machine shop and just do a proper headgasket and timing belt job on the motor you got. there's no reason to toss a perfectly good engine block, we can help with specifics on the best way to proceed. suppliers for used motors are everywhere with two sources, JDM and USDM, no need to compare those. you're getting an old head gasket issue and other issues prone motor, i'd avoid those unless it's really cheap. for $975 i'll send you a better EJ25. no comment on the rebuilds, only option i'd consider for such a costly solution is CCR. another option is a used EJ22 completely resealed, that will surely last the life of the vehicle. they're much cheaper and more reliable, you loose a few horsepower but have far less worries about reliability.

really? the early EA stuff is that hard to lift? on the XT6 a 2" lift is just a matter of installing top strut extenders and 4WD XT6's already sit really high. i had no issues with doing that to mine. so maybe just think about doing a strut lift like that?

it's great in the mud and snow offroad for what i do, i can tell it helps on occasion. easier to pull another vehicle out when on slick surfaces, easier to start in really sloppy stuff without starting a rut, etc. as for normal driving and performance i've never noticed any difference at all. but i don't push the limits when it comes to handling, performance, and suspension so i wouldn't know what to tell anyone about that. i think i've *heard* folks say clutch type LSD is bad for certain kinds of driving because it increases "pushing" or something, but again that's just from memory and not something i'm familiar with.

if it did it after the axle swap, then you can be almost positive it's the axle that is the problem. when you don't have any issues....then do some work...and then there's issues - it's akin to winning the lottery for it to be something other than the work that was just done. i'm not saying it can't be something else but the best starting point is to verify the work was done right and it's not the axles which are a known gamble. i've seen so many bad axles (i don't care where it's bought, brand, miles, anything) that it's a waste of time not to verify that. subaru or MWE will save you a lot of headaches in the future. if you don't think it's axle related - where is the sound coming from - noticeably front/rear or left/right or can't tell? driveshafts definitely get noisy when the ujoints start to fail or the carrier bearing goes bad.

as you know, the 99 odometer is known problem area. wouldn't surprise me if there's some 98 or 2000's bleed over years too. they do seem less reliable than the old school speedo set ups.

i've owned like 2 dozen XT6's and seen lots more, never seen one with LSD. but supposedly they were an option. yours won't be LSD unless you're insanely lucky. but any EA series LSD isa direct swap, i've got like 3 of them. and they are always the 3.7 gear ratio variety which means it matches the 3.7 final drive of your XT6. they are a clutch type LSD and take a special fluid (or additive). they are locked up until a certain point and allow give. they're my favorite style of the easily avialable subaru LSD's. check out subaruxt.com, most folks are members there and here, but we're all XT owners. let me know if you have any registering issues.

no. yes those are available. yes, higher compression.

might get lucky, might not. yes the old style and new style tensioners are interchangeable - you have to swap the bracket that the tensioners bolt to though, not just the pulley/assembly. get the bracket too. of the old style tensioners there are two different styles, EJ25 and EJ22 are not the same, so be aware of that as well. someone just posted this info in a parts for sale thread.

How many parts could be lying in the tank somewhere? Haven't seen an EJ pump before so not sure what all to look for when I take it apart. Just the mesh box thing or is there a separate hose/clamps too? So do this with a low gas tank!?

If it's just not blowing heat - I've always just removed both hoses to the heater core and put a garden hose right up to one side to blow it out, bunch of brownish nastiness comes out and the heat works after that. Cool to see the few options there are rather than the traditional yank the dash.

right, that is vague abe, that was more of a CYA than anything else. some folks frown upon people doing their own a/c work, those folks would probably also frown upon using a compressor from a different vehicle and different refrigerants, and they probably are spec'd differently. i do not know if it matters or not. i would assume it doesn't and try it. you being an a/c guy might be able to shed light on that?

if that mesh "bag" fell off then maybe it's worth fixing it so it's not sucking up unrestricted stuff from the tank? so all that stuff comes as an assembly if you buy a fuel pump? you get those new or used? i think they're really steep from subaru aren't they - someone just said $800 or something in another thread recently, unless that was labor too?

whoops: http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/97-offroad-tech/12428-light-bars.html?postid=121987 given the limited production run and efforts in that thread i think it's obvious they don't "make one" for the 98. give them a call and see.

with some fabrication you could get the EA82 compressor attached to the EJ22 engine. work with the brackets and make something fit then route a belt to it. or the improper thing if you wanted to try it would be to include the EJ22 compressor in the swap and have some a/c lines fabricated at a shop. there are shops that make custom brake, compression, hydraulic...etc, i'd imagine someone can make these too if you take in what you need. you'lll have to convert to R134a which isn't a big deal since the system is going to be emptied anyway. or if you're lucky the fittings are the same and the routing is close? but i doubt it since it's R12 and R134a.

here's a thread about their production and limited quantities sales, including the same picture that you posted somewhere in the thread. you can google "subaru outback light bar"

make sure you don't have any leaks first. i would do them both now. wouldn't be worth my time to only do one. this issue is such an annoyance i would consider it value added to do both. if you were bent on only replacing one you could install it on one side....if that doesn't clear the code, then swap it or install one on the other side. the fronts have bank 1 and bank 2 codes right - left and right, the rear doesn't have that distinction huh? i didn't realize newer ones had two rear sensors, interesting.

20 minutes, that's it? interesting, maybe it's worth a look some day. "filter" - is there a filter on it - like a sock of some sort like the older gen fuel pumps have? okay, i will pull it.

oh yeah, good call. 5 speed also means it's not an H6 then too, has to be a 4 cylinder. the TPS issue is an H6 thing, don't think it's an H4 issue. so - back to plugs, wires, and any engine light or work in the past year?

EJ25 or H6? H6 had some TPS issues around 02 I believe that might cause some funky shifting like this. otherwise i'd agree about tune up: how old are the plugs and wires? are they subaru wires? any check engine lights or work at all in the past year or so? if they've never been replaced i'd consider new Subaru wires and NGK plugs in the near future. the ignition is not very forgiving of aftermarket parts, i'd stick with OEM on those two items.