idosubaru

yes the 02 Forester clutch will be the same as your 2000 OBW. same EJ25 engine and same transmission case/design, essentially the same trans really. you should be able to order a clutch kit from Subaru. be sure to replace the pilot bearing, throw out bearing and two clutch clips while yo'ure in there, assuming this is a cable clutch - in 2000 some had cable, some had hydraulic. +1 aftermarket clutch kits are fine. if you haven't gotten the timing pulleys yet, ebay has aftermarket kits for around $200 i think for all the pulleys and tensioner. get the kits for the pulleys/tensioner and use a Subaru belt. some friends of mine in MD have a power wagon - owned since new even. i forget the year, but the thing is a beast of a machine.

hmm, sounds like a pilot or throw out bearing i guess. replace clutch, pressure plate, pilot bearing, throw out bearing, and two throw out bearing clips. clips are same EJ and EA, so dealers usually have many on hand. good time to do the valve cover gaskets, they're easy and cheap. since the engine has to be lifted to replace the oil pan, now's a good time to do that if it's needed. although it's an annoying job so don't do it if you don't have to.

have you tried the Subaru dealer? the one here in town charges $1,500 for a head gasket job. add a couple hundred for a new timing belt and pulleys. you are much more likely to have timing component failure than any sort of valve or head problems in the future so i'd put the money there instead of in rebuilding and testing the heads. i wouldn't put $2,500 in that vehicle. these engines easily make 200,000 miles. that being said, i wouldn't do a complete head rebuild on them. most shops don't, just replace the head gaskets. whoever does it, i'd go for an ebay kit if they allow you to supply the parts, $200 for all new timing pulleys and tensioners, you can let them use a Subaru belt. pointless to spend all of this money and leave the timing pulleys and tensioner in there. the belt isn't due again until 185,000 miles, you don't want to depend on all the pulleys/tensioner to last that long. get the ebay kits (subaru is waaay too expensive to replace them all). as to the list above - you don't replace the head bolts on this motor.

i did the procedures on cars101.com and the car won't go into programming mode. When it says "turn car On", does it mean between ACC and ON or OFF and On? I searched, there's tons of earlier Legacy stuff, but found nothing for a 2002 OBW. It has this comment at the end: Open/close the door, lock/unlock etc, wait 10 minutes, then try again. What does that mean? Open/close door (which door), lock/unlock, wait 10 minutes, what?

yeah i think it's a low percentage thing, so take your pick/personal preference. if it was a significant issue and cause of failure then the "engine side" of the head gasket would have problems sealing i would think as well. no one on here is resurfacing blocks when they do head gasket jobs. i typically resurface them, almost always. but the few i haven't have never had issues either.

i would buy the right thing, i wouldn't try to match this part. i'm sure Subaru can get it did you try rockauto.com or thepartsbin.com, those usually have stuff too. i've never had a problem getting these parts.

sounds like you got it about figured out dave. the headgasket issue is really a toss and noone knows. folks will say "it was solved 20XX", but there have been recent failures too, you can find instances on the board here. time will tell, no one really knows. although it seems to me you don't see nearly the number of early low mileage failures that the older EJ25's had - like 40,000 miles. and these newer ones leak externally and don't overheat, so you don't get stranded. much more desirable. yes, it's due for a timing belt change. i'd change the ATF as well and do general tune up stuff - PCV, plugs, wires, etc.

this doesn't sound like typical EJ25 head gasket failure. they normally overheat and peg straight to red, nothing you can do about it. they don't typically waver at all or only do it under load. you could have some other problem like a clogged radiator or bad thermostat or just air in the system. replace the radiator cap?

sounds like you have nothing to worry about. 1/2 quart in 2,500 miles, that's almost normal. there's new subaru's that do that. engine doesn't have to be pulled for seals. valve cover gaskets and grommets often leak. easily fixed. the rest will likely be taken care of at the next timing belt change. reseal the oil pump and replace the cam and crank seals and cam orings. all of that resides behind the timing belt, easy. engine doesnt' have to come out.

I'm all about the F series, but I'd never own a Ranger. if they aren't holding their value (highly doubt it), there's a reason. My guess is they're priced under comparable nissan's/toyota's - again, there's a reason. there are some great nissan and toyota trucks of that vintage in terms of reliability but i don't know much about the engines available. i wouldn't consider anything else if you can find the towing capacity you need from them.

yes, avoid that stuff. there's no need to look for mystical magical hogwartz cure for something there's already a cure for!!!! leaking engines need the leaks repaired. new seals/gaskets will do it for you unless you have a very rare and odd condition. first thing you can do is replace the PCV valve, it'll reduce the crankcase pressure and may slow the bleeding. they're $7 from subaru (you should get a Subaru one for this part) and easy to replace. takes one wrench and 4 minutes.

while you're in there, you might want to consider the $60 ebay kits to replace all the pulleys and tensioners. it's really easy and yours are likely old...original? if that's the case there's a really good chance of those pulleys seizing or failing completely. either way it'll break or throw your new timing belt. most likely yours free wheel and whir like crazy when you spin them? that's not good. go check out a brand new pulley (any kind) at an auto parts store to see what a new one should feel like, they are very tight and don't spin at all by hand because they actually have grease in them! once the belts are installed, just rotate the engine a time or two and make sure the marks are still on. if they're still lined up, buckle up all the bolts and install everything. you're golden. or you can even start the car, briefly of course since the water pump isn't hooked up. and there's no need for belt covers, a bunch of us on here don't reinstall the belt covers. makes the job take 15 minutes next time and it's easy to check things out. i've seen timing covers CAUSE timing belt damage, so anecdotal thoughts don't matter. you can read all the "hot debates" about that. the general idea is the armchair folks that have never done it say not too...while the rest of us are motoring around with easier to work on vehicles!

i'd hate to see how many A/C bills for hundreds/thousands of dollars really just a 50 cent o-ring or schrader valve. i've fixed a number of A/C systems just by replacing the orings, schrader valves, and recharging it. i've even done the ghetto charge of just blowing refrigerant in without pulling a vacuum. my buddy still drives that car and it's been quite a few years...4 at least. sounds to me like yours is an oring issue. replace the oring and properly tighten the bolt. i would replace all of the easy ones while the system is open. there's a few that can be replaced in a matter of minutes, it'll all be under an hour so essentially it shouldn't cost you anything else except the 50 cent part. replacing one oring takes 4 minutes - replacing 4 takes 15...either way you're getting billed an hour probably. have them replace all the easily accessible ones.

woah, that almost looks personal:lol:? most technology does improve in 20 years. apples to apples - even today there aren't too many 4WD 6 cylinder vehicles getting 30mpg.

for the CV axle, replace it. either with a used one with good boots or get one from MWE. you can search here for reasons why, but in general aftermarket axles suck really bad. they plain are terrible. they make noise, loose grease, click, explode after 30 miles (yes, seen it). a friend didnt listen and i even bought him the car and gave it all new timing belt, water pump..etc. anyway, his "new" axle is making noise after a few months. i'm not a parts dealer or business so i don't really spend much time pricing shipping and stuff. I could ship you an axle and the steering rack for $200. Post in the parts wanted thread if you want cheaper.

everyone has different views/opinions. if everyone did the same thing there would either be: 1. no rebuild kits to buy 2. no used racks to buy 3. no new racks to buy. of course there are options. no need to get a new rack. get a used rack for $50-$75. if yours wasn't failing you wouldn't even think about it. Subaru racks very rarely fail, most subaru's are motoring around with their original steering racks.

if it looks easy, repair it with screws, bolts, a tack weld - but it's aluminum. if they're bad, which they usually are, rip them off. i always do. i drive off road, through fields, tall grass....etc, and aint started any fires yet. but of course if you start one, that's your decisions (disclaimer, thank you!)

Definitely do not rebuild the rack or buy an aftermarket one, or a new one. Get a used one. I don't know much about other makes, but Subaru steering racks are very durable and there's hardly any use in paying the high price for new ones. Used ones are cheap because there's no market for them - no one needs them, because they rarely fail. Yours has had 220,000 miles of great service, probably with never having the fluid changed. that's good! I even have a 96 legacy steering rack i'd sell you that's known good, i drove the car. PM or email me and i'll save you a few hundred dollars. There's a good chance of getting some more service out of this car. I'd only keep it if you plan on installing an ebay timing belt kit. Those exising timing components (pulleys and tensioners) are too old to expect to last to 300,000 miles. The ebay kits are only $80 for your car, great deal and they come with all new pulleys, tensioner and belt. If you like using Subaru belts, just buy a Subaru belt and use everything else from the kit. With the timing belt off - access to reseal the oil pump, cam seal and cam oring, and water pump is right there. Best to do it with all of that off. If you can do all of that and you don't have any trans/clutch issues you likely have a low cost vehicle for another few years.

sounds like a good idea, certainly won't hurt to try it out.

nothing substantial, just passing along thoughts. i was looking for a wagon and seeing heavily positive reviews for the H6, having a distaste for the EJ25, so we got an OBW with the H6. No gas mileage pluses to it though, *takes* high octane, and it's not very easy to get in manual. There's a thread about H6 gas mileages, i haven't kept really good track of mine yet in the H6. The old XT6 can get good gas mileage...for a 6 cylinder 4WD car anyway.

not wanting to spend the time, i'd replace it. your transmission is easy to find cheap and they are robust enough that used ones are typically in great shape. and it's not hard to find a known good one.

get something with the H6 motor. definitely test drive them. and consider the fact that being new you'll probably own this thing for a few years. think ahead and make sure it fits not just now, but later. we ditched our impreza OBS (the hatch back style) for a newer OBW for space because we travel to visit family often. our child seat in the back of the impreza doesn't give enough room for me to sit back comfortably on long trips and the wagon provides more capacity for traveling with a kid. the OBW's sit much higher too, some folks love that. more visibility, less down and up motion getting in and out...etc. i personally like sitting closer to the ground, but other folks i know like being up higher. the impreza platform is great, handles fantastic. that's why test driving is key. see what fits you, like bucky said.

tensioning the timing belts is actually unnecessary. i've never even seen folks ask about it ever, until twice in the past month- odd. i would expect something else is causing the problem. the oil pump doesn't have bearings in it, the shaft just rotates inside the housing/seal. there's no bearing there. are you positive the whine is due to the oil pump? if it is indeed from the oil pump i would guess the outer thin metal ring around the oil pump got bent while you were working on it. it's a very thin lip that extends just a 1/4-1/8" past the sprocket teeth, hardly noticeable unless you look at the pump. that ring can separate and rub against the belt or something else. i would check that first. and also check the timing pulleys, if you didn't repalce those there's a good chance one of those is noisy.

I was looking at 15 passenger vans for sale and it would be nice to have one for a few activities we do a year. I've driven a ton of rented ones but otherwise dont' know much about them. Anyone know much about working on them, how reliable they are, what to look for, etc?

they come out from the front, just go look at them and you'll see how easy it is. if you can seal and stamp and envelope you can do this. it's really that simple.