idosubaru

Could be an oring or valve - both of which cost like a dollar. The problem is, as often as those need replaced - anyone please chime in if they've ever heard of a non-3 digit a/c repair? The a/c stop leak in a can stuff is worth a try. Or - if you know anyone that can remove 2 bolts - have them replace the two orings at the compressor. Takes about 5 minutes and are the most likely to leak. If a possible $25 repair is worth it to you, go that route. Then add about two cans, get one with the gauge on it. For friends that would like it fixed but don't want to dump money into something I often do that - two orings and stop leak refrigerant. Make some happy friends...but sometimes it doesn't work too. Don't be scared a/c stuff is overrated and actually really easy to work on, replace parts and charge it yourself.

does yours have a sunroof, not sure where those drains are routed but might want to check those too if yours has them.

get new belts. i've seen new belts snap in hundreds of miles when saturated with oil. with overheating, age, and probably oil too who knows what happened to it. someone on here probably has an old set to send you for a few dollars shipping, not like they're expensive though. if the drivers side (side that belt broke) cam is seized then there's a cause of belt failure but i doubt you have that. ebay kits include all new pulleys too and belts and for only $60. good deal if you want to keep this thing awhile.

turbo bearings sound likely, a hint of passengers side might help narrow it down, any indication of left/right? how old is the turbo and how many miles, i bet you're right and it's got some play. pardon hi-jack L.O. does the XT6 need the axles in the trunk? i didn't notice any clicking/noises (yet:lol:)?

just to clarify: driveshaft - shaft from trans to rear diff. cv shaft - front axle shafts from trans to the knuckles. 1. driveshaft ujoints or carrier bearing is hosed or 2. one of your inner CV joints is bad. if you have bad grease smell and it's grease flinging off one of your inner boots then i'd guess it's that axle that's causing the vibration. since the joint is hosed anyway, i'd start by replacing that first before the driveshaft since you know it needs replaced. aftermarkets are terrible for this job, get a used Subaru axle and install it or reboot it first or get one from MWE freshly and properly rebuilt. used subaru axles are only $25-$30 each.

that's interesting. did you replace everything with the clutch - throw out bearing and the two retaining clips that hold it in place?

doesn't get much easier than radiators on a subaru. clutch fan style - remove clutch fan, remove hoses as necessary and remove radiator. twin electric fan styles - remove fans - disconnect plug and remove 4 bolts, takes like 2 minutes. remove necessary hoses and two bolts up top, disconnect temp sensor usually in the lower passengers side corner and out it comes. sometimes, depending on the vehicle you can leave hoses or fans (electric) in place but it's so tight it's usually just as simple to pull them off first. particularly your first time. a few bolts and hoses, really simple.

easy swap. remove engine, install new one. 00 and 03 are the same engine. they should both have the same EGR set up, don't compare it to the earlier Phase I EJ25's like the 1998 you're talking about. of course you should check first, have you looked to see if they have EGR? if you install an EGR engine into a non-EGR car that's fine, just block it off. if you install a non-EGR engine into an originally EGR equipped vehicle then you're likely hosing yourself if check engine lights mean anything in your state. if you can ignore it then you're golden (that's what i did).

doubt it'll see 38 mpg. i'd guess 35 tops consistently, but of course driving style and conditions vary. FWD EA82 XT's can get 40 on *all* highway driving...but those are better aerodynamics and have a better MPFI intake set up....and age doesn't help a motor perform at top notch. if you want high miles and reliability out of it i wouldn't even consider the timing belts done if the pulleys weren't replaced. plan on getting the $60 ebay kits with all new pulleys. well worth the few dollars and hours. belt age doesn't matter when the pulleys seize. it slides over them, glazes, frays, then breaks. as a rule i replace all that stuff on old gens. seems like it'll sell for $1,000 in a subaru desirable area. that rust could escalate quickly though so tread carefully depending how long you're going to keep it. i've had a couple with minor rust that turned nasty in 2 or 3 years. but minor rust here in the rust belt might be worse than down there.

i got one off ebay i think for like $30 or $40....but i think it was the newer style for the SOHC's.

if you listen closely enough you should be able to tell. it will give a hint of favoring one side, that's it. have someone stand outside while you drive past if you have too. even with my bad hearing i've been able to tell which side. it's usually the case in the EJ's i've seen that they have no play at all and don't have any signs until they're removed from the vehicle. quite annoying. you can try turning the wheel by hand and go by feel or listening with a mechanics stethoscope on the hub or coil spring while turning the wheel too. compare sides and one may stand out.

a 1995 EJ22 knock sensor is a 100% fool proof way to make sure it'll work and have the same connector. but i think all the connectors are the same anyway...and probably the knock sensors too for 95 and 96 Ej22 and 25's.

have you tried fixing whatever is causing the CEL instead of trying to clear it every time? it's quite normal for a CEL to be triggered immediately some times and then take awhile other times. so it just sounds like you're clearing the code and it's immediately reappearing again and sometimes it's not. sounds totally normal, they do the exact same thing even with a 4 digit OBDII scan tools.

wow, never seen that one before myself, that sucks. redi-sleeves or something like that are the devices john is talking about for warn cranks. you could also try installing the seal not very deep or deeper such that it is riding on an area of the crank that isn't as warn. this of course only if it's not hosed beyond repair.

i've haven't gotten around to mine yet. they apparently aren't very reliable. i've had two bad ones and seems like no shortage of errors and non working units on the interwebz. they just suck, get another Subaru unit if you don't want to keep buying used ones or pay the $200-$300 to have them fix, they all plug and play. i'll hold onto mine should i ever find time to mess with them. "nothing mcintosh" about them? doesn't really matter as he's just saying that to clarify what stereo he has.

i'm guessing this is either electrical in nature or mechanical (as GD suggested). can you hear any solenoids activating, noises or anything? or it's just locked as soon as you shut it every time? i have a rear drivers side door that does this as well. it's not %100 of the time as you seem to be suggesting but happens a lot. it was just open and now it's locked but the rest are not?

i figured it was all surface rust, nearly impossible to not have that. yep, same as mine, red, leather, etc....hitch too. sounds like it's about to change though, good luck!

$700 sounds more like i'd expect. is it $400 including parts? it can be done in a day, so someone could make $200 doing this job and that doesn't sound terrible on the surface (to me it does but i'm not a fan of pulling engines). but if someone is capable of doing that they're usually capable of having a job or making a lot more money too...so...kind of a tough call. maybe he's new-ish and wants the work? maybe he wants the job before it's 40 below zero outside? make sure the pilot bearing, throw out bearing, and both clips are being replaced while it's apart. nice to go through all this and then a year later have one of them go out.

i'd trust a hitch in good condition. yours seems a little rusty (everything does in the rust belt ) and i could be wrong but that bolt through the tow hook area looks kind of small. we have very similar cars - mine is a 02 OBW VDC...looks like it might even be the same color. i installed a new hitch when i got it. it was only like $100-$150 so if you think yours is old, rusted, or could use better hardware maybe that's another option if you're going to be going that heavy duty and hardcore with it. it mounted through the frame rails like he mentioned, i can't imagine that not holding. upgrading the bolts or making sure they are all properly installed might be a good idea in case the previous owner that installed it (if it wasn't you) didn't follow through with it all, some people just use that stuff for bike racks and small stuff.

nothing that special about a subaru clutch. anyone should be able to do it. if he's not familiar with subaru's just make sure he knows how to bleed the coolant good as EJ engines are prone to bubbles, burping, and overheating if not bled properly. no issues with dolly if the driveshaft is disconnected. if it's not connected then nothing in the trans is turning, it's just sitting there and just as likely to blow up as it is if it's sitting motionless in your driveway. you should be able to get some read from the guy. how's his shop, tools, communication, anyone else go to him, etc? trust your gut. the times i have i've been right, the times i've ignored it i screwed up.

i've been told a digital won't show a signal like that. i'm sure it probably depends on the digital but i'm guessing what most folks have probably won't....if what others have told me holds true.

right on, we're all on the same page there.

nothing yet, i talked to him, something fell through and he's still scratching his head i believe. i think he said he doesn't have internet.

OP and nip - the headgasket is real, no one was bashing, just answering the guys question. but no need to differ - he can verify quantitatively via ebay, craigslist, autotrader if we don't trust guys like me that are looking/buying every week - blown EJ25's are easy to find. i just did a quick 10 second search locally - 98 forester, two 97 legacy OB's, 2001 legacy, and another legacy - all blown EJ25's. not one other blown engine Subaru seen. you can do that every single week (which is what i do) and the results are about the same. the idea that it's only age is a bit of a stretch given the real world facts. it doesn't matter - still a great car and lots of ways to go about purchasing and it won't happen to them all...etc, all of that is true - but in my book that's good information for a first time buyer.

you did it a different way and fixed it, awesome. the rear O2 sensor doesn't affect performance. so there's no issue with tweaking it as it doesn't affect anything. it's output is only compared to the front's, it isn't used by the ECU as such so it doesn't affect performance, gas mileage, etc. while the rear is super easy, i even buy the part off ebay instead of making it myself, who cares. if the code is gone i doubt you'll see any real world significance either way.