idosubaru

you're also way over do for a timing belt. Run a bottle or two of marvel mystery oil through the gas to help clean the injectors. I usually use one of the huge bottles per gas tank and ignore the directions on the can (8oz per tank full or something). Is your engine making any noise - like tapping?

What exactly do you mean by "not running as well as it used to be". Any check engine light? On an EJ engine (which yours is), the wires are almost as important as the plugs. I'd only use Subaru or Magnecor wires for the car, avoid eveything else. Search or read more here about it if you're wondering why. Other things that may help and should be done by now - air filter, PCV valve, and clean the EGR valve. All very simple things to do, very cheap, and don't take long at all to do. The PCV valve should probably be a Subaru only item. Something else that should be done by now but probably won't help your current situation is the fuel filter. Something that i've seen cause poor shifting - but not really bad engine running is the pressure sensor filter (if it has it - it's a small roundish thing on a vaccuum hose on the passengers side of the engine bay and costs $7-ish).

some suggested the 1987.5 XT distributor is causing my drivability issues. i'm wondering if i could disassemble the distributor and just replace the crank angle sensor in it with a known good one from one of my XT6's. i'm thinking the sensors should be identical? anyone know or have tips for doing this? never done it before, but beats trying to source a part i might not need. or does anyone have any hints for testing the distributor? last one i had fail in my XT6 passed all the FSM testing procedures but the no-start went away when i replaced it. spark was even good on that one, never figured out why it wouldn't work.

good point - giving us the code is much better. don't listen to what the counter guys *think* or suggests needs replaced, post the codes here. once you have the code you can also do a search for that code number and probably pull up some directly related threads.

have you tried using your cruise control? if it works - use it. if not, then you can't. O2 sensor shouldn't affect that. best to replace the O2 sensor if it's the front (which it usually is). they're very easy to replace - only takes one tool, a wrench. and the part is roughly $100, no big deal, particularly with such a new car. in general yes you can run it without the O2 sensor just fine. but there's really no way to clear the code...without building some electrical circuit anyway but i don't think that's what you're after.

car will run without TPS hooked up? didn't know that. sweet, i'm about to leave work, so that will give me something to play with on the way home!

thanks MDave. yeah, no codes, idles smooth as silk at 700 rpm all day long without a blip. the FPR is a pimple on my back to get to, but i'll give it a whirl, i was hoping for a simpler way to test it without needing to get right to it. but it won't be that bad. distributors are annoying, i've seen a few fail but test fine in every way. so maybe it's not sparking during those times. fuel, spark and compression - and i know compression is perfect, so one of the others is missing, there's obviously no combustion happening when it does it.

i see people suggesting to clamp or partially clamp (i've read the dangers) the fuel return hose to isolate the FPR as bad. this presummably would point to a ruptured fuel pressure regulator. since the EA82 MPFI XT FPR is burried i'd like to try this test. for clamping the hose, could i pinch it shut and then drive 1/2 to one mile like that to see if the problem is fixed? car idles and rev's fine so it'll have to be a drive. does the hose need to be completely clamped or half way or what? has anyone done this or had FPR issues before? i'd be curious to know how the car drove...so i know if maybe that's similar to what mine is doing.

mine's a 87.5 so you're dead on. it's got to be a very specific one for sure. good point, probably not a bad idea to just have one on hand anyway since i don't have any.

New fuel pump - same thing. I'm going to try and look into the FPR next....as soon as I find one.

roll the fender liner? not that i'll ever need to know how to do that to install my lift kit, but what is it?

wow an EA63, no joke. have no idea what they even look like. on EA82's and ER27's the fel pro permatorque gasket is preferred over anything else. good quality, used by tons of people here, and don't need to retorque them like the factory service manual needs to. i don't know anything about the EA63 but i'd consider these head gaskets as well for that engine.

if they're replacing your converter too - make sure you keep it. they go for about $120 at the scrap yards. i wonder how many shops are keeping old converters and selling them to yards. they could make serious bank doing that.

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i knew someone was going to mention the "EA82" being the problem! thanks for the tips. i just drove it again. it's not just at full throttle and doesn't get better necessarily if i let off the pedal. same car that had bad fuel and a non working fuel pump, i put another one in. it'll do it any time...at take off or at highway speeds. it'll be very rythmic sometimes...accelerate for 2 seconds, decelearate 2 seconds (no power, no exhaust sound), accel 2 second, decel 2 seconds... no particular RPM, speed or gear. it's obviously much more noticeable on inclines but that might not mean much.

1987.5 XT MPFI (non turbo) timing is 20 degrees, no check engine light occasionally the engine will not produce any power, like the fuel is being cut. goes from driving to nothing - just coasting. i can make it happen more by flooring it = %100 throttle, it'll happen more often. the exhaust is really loud (needs doughnut gasket), so it's easy to tell. as soon as it happens the exhaust goes from loud to non-existent, so the engine is obviously not doing anything. i guess it's either not getting fuel or spark? as soon as it "cuts out", if i ease up on the throttle a bit it will correct itself? could the FPR cause this? fuel pump shouldn't....that should either work or not right?

without adding any actual cost increase...one extra bolt, they could remove an SPF which is a good thing from an engineering stand point. it's annoying when the threads strip in that lone hole. probably only a northeast thing as usual?!

that's not a good idea. after it's all said and done and a lawyer tells you it's time to settle on the car - then sign and ask them to buy back. don't go do that on your own, you've already waited too long. need to quit spending money out of pocket as well and have a lawyer handle this....let him tell you what to do. that they are being tough about it would make me want to stick it to them considering your situation and wife and kid involved. don't mess with family freaking pricks.

get a lawyer, period. it's obvious already you're not equipped to handle this nor do you probably want to (it's a headache and you need to be persistent and play the game), nor have the time. let a lawyer do it. that's total crap that they won't reimburse you for the maintenance you put into it. actually if this wasn't your wife's fault the insurance company could easily be forced into fixing the car back to new. don't listen to "market value" or what ever their pricing or books say, that doesnt' mean ANYTHING if the accident wasn't your fault. that's just their way of trying to low ball you. right now they're trying to work you over. pay just enough to keep you happy and not make you think you're getting hosed. a friend of mine had a POS VW rabbit that he had personally rebuilt the engine in. car was wrecked and of course totalled, but not his fault. he demanded the insurance company rebuild his car totally, including a brand new engine. and after some talk, they did. they would much rather do that than have $50,000 lawsuit on their hands. also keep in mind your wife could very easily have complications down the road, very common with whiplash. yes "neck" injuries are over used and bogus...but they are actually common in wrecks too. do not trust the insurance company, get a lawyer right now. do not settle, do not accept any money or sign any papers until you get lawyer. very few people know how to play this system on their own, it sounds like you're in that boat. you're going up to bat against Greg Maddux, you'd rather have a professional there than yourself, trust me. and it doesn't matter to the other guy - his insurance is going up no matter what, you're not hurting him in any way unless he's uninsured or you max out his coverage (which won't be necessary).

96 or 98 won't matter, the swap will be the same. 95-98 EJ22's easily swap. there's tons of information on here already, a search should give you plenty to read about...you'll have some decisions to make based on: for 96-98 you'll need the first exhaust manifold piece as well since those years are single port exhausts. 97-98 is interference. all EJ25's i've seen have EGR, so getting an EJ22 with EGR helps if you have emissions and don't want to work around that. i actually prefer non-EGR EJ22's since they're more reliable. i have no desire to intentionally add unnecessary unreliability to my vehicles. 1995 - only automatic EJ22's have EGR 1996-1998 - most all have EGR, but you'll have to ask to be sure, there are a few rare non-EGR models and i'm not sure why but there's no model/trim that confirms it so you have to ask to be sure.

i've removed them to reboot before as well and never used any special tools. been fairly straight forward for me. just count the threads on the outer one so it's installed the same and doesn't mess with your alignment. or have an alignment done afterwards. how do you guys know the inner tie rod needs replaced, i've never replaced one except in friends vehicles where they actually broke.

i have no idea if it's the speed sensor or not but you should be able to find one in the parts wanted forum here. probably commanding a high price from Subaru. should be really easy to replace. accessed through the engine compartment, on top, passengers side i believe. hopefully it's not the dash that's the problem, 1999 was a strange year for Subaru. there are a couple of issues that are basically isolated to that year and the dash crapping out is one of them.

sweet drew, i didn't even think about it, but you're scoring this engine for the XT? i've seen some that are actually really tight to get into, but i can't recall which motors that is or if it's even old or new gen? have a good set of tools (6 point) and such ready for those bolts, they're going to be a bear if they get rounded.

obviously i was in a rush earlier, i didn't take this opportunity to mention what an interesting design that is for Subaru to come up with. one tiny bolt holding that entire, long, pipe in place? still scratching my head on that one.

there is a bellhousing access hole underneath but ive always done it up top where rob said. the starter hole won't work as the heads will be too far forward, they face the front of the car. another reason to make sure the TC stays with the trans is to make sure the input shafts don't get bent.