idosubaru

sounds normal to me, they tend to have some play in them by design, but you might want to explain a little more..it could mean something is wrong depending what kind of play you're talking about (what direction is the play in). specific details help A LOT when we can't see, hear, or touch it. how exactly are you checking? rotating it by hand or shaft play forward-to-rear, or side-to-side? and more importantly, why are you checking it - sounds like you're looking for something? why are you looking for something, are their symptoms you're trying to track down? those would be good for us to know.

well we use a 4 bike hitch rack rather than roof type so i can't really help. but here's some experiences... i had two OBS parts cars and couldn't get any of the screws out on any of the roof rack/cross bars. those screws seemed welded in place, i would have had to drill them out to remove the bars as far as i know. but i just left them, didn't need them anyway. we easily fit two bikes in the rear hatch of our OBS, is that a last resort for you if you're at the end of your rope? or remove the pedals and just ratchet the dang things to the roof rack and figure it out later when you're not as pressured?

what brand are you using? what does the owners manual call for? if you stick with the stock OEM NGK's you shouldn't have a problem. should be an EJ25 (2.5 liter) - are you running premium fuel? how many miles? have the wires ever been replaced?

you posted while i was posting...sounds like a work in progress. have you had it long enough to run through a full tank of gas? is the motor noisy at all - like valves tapping? sounds like maybe it sat for awhile, definitely check things out on the motor and i'd check brakes.

AWESOME!!!!!!! with ignition cable PLEASE!! what kind of mileage should he expect? what kind of driving are you doing. if you're doing heavy footed stop and go driving in town and short trips all the time you're probably getting about right. check your brakes. even on cars without any brake issues (mine) i've seen mileage go up 3mpg after a brake job. make sure caliper slides are no only greased but greased with brake caliper lube only - not just any old grease.

i'm the idiot for posting twice too - ha ha!

i would at least price them. +1 on the oil pumps being problem items on justy's - that's mentioned quite often. and it requires yanking the motor? that sucks - i'd want to replace it if possible. if the water pump is easy to replace in the car then you have the option of not replacing it. you're so close to 40 mpg, woo! depending how much you drive you might be saving $30 - $100/month. it'll pay for itself quick!

can't hurt. did the fluid come out dark when draining the second time? i like the idea.

should be able to get it started with a punch type of tool. have fun!

here i is again since i replied to the same thing in your "new generation" thread: What I would add: Camshaft seals - you'll want a camshaft seal kit (thepartsbin.com has them) - they come with the shaft seal and the oring behind the cam cap (that holds the seal). do not replace just the seal, replace both. Valve cover gaskets and grommets Replace or regrease the timing belt pulleys (there's a thread on how to regrease them in the USRM, but EA82's are cheap - ebay all the way for the timing kits with all new pulleys) Intake manifold gaskets (just the ones on top of the heads - i just posted a thread with the part numbers). They leak coolant into the cylinders frequently and my personal opinion is it happens more often to motors that have been pulled. Either way, they fail enough that doing them while the motor is out is a good idea. If you do these i'd sick with Subaru gaskets for these. Optional: With the engine out i'd consider resealing the cam carriers. That will require one metal reinforced oring per side at the bottom of the cam towers. The partsbin.com has them for around $2.19 each and subaru usually has them in stock for the same price as well. That's all you need, the perimeter is sealed with tube sealant - Anaerobic is the proper stuff but many people use RTV. If you don't have any oil leakage here then you may be fine. The next step would be head gaskets...but that's a large can of worms (resurface, valve job, etc) that you might not need. Edit/Delete Message

more worry on my end, i'm no front diff expert!

What I would add: Camshaft seals - you'll want a camshaft seal kit (thepartsbin.com has them) - they come with the shaft seal and the oring behind the cam cap (that holds the seal). do not replace just the seal, replace both. Valve cover gaskets and grommets Replace or regrease the timing belt pulleys (there's a thread on how to regrease them in the USRM, but EA82's are cheap - ebay all the way for the timing kits with all new pulleys) Intake manifold gaskets (just the ones on top of the heads - i just posted a thread with the part numbers). They leak coolant into the cylinders frequently and my personal opinion is it happens more often to motors that have been pulled. Either way, they fail enough that doing them while the motor is out is a good idea. If you do these i'd sick with Subaru gaskets for these. Optional: With the engine out i'd consider resealing the cam carriers. That will require one metal reinforced oring per side at the bottom of the cam towers. The partsbin.com has them for around $2.19 each and subaru usually has them in stock for the same price as well. That's all you need, the perimeter is sealed with tube sealant - Anaerobic is the proper stuff but many people use RTV. If you don't have any oil leakage here then you may be fine. The next step would be head gaskets...but that's a large can of worms (resurface, valve job, etc) that you might not need.

thanks for verifying, it's better to hear from more people than just me that's for sure! i was hoping that point wasn't missed. i mentioned the teeth contact too - there's 1+ pages of instructions and diagrams for that.

I skimmed my FSM and there is an oring under that retaining plate. if you end up at the same place, what's the point of adding the extra step? i don't believe it should hand tigthen though, the ones i've messed with were rather tight. don't know if that's age related or what though. the FSM is what you want then. the problem is this procedure i don't think is meant to be done on the car. once it's set, it should stay there barring disassembly. if there are issues, it's probably caused by something and not a situation that just requires an adjustment. whatever caused it will create problems, front diff issues i've seen get worse. maybe what you're feeling is caused by something else? here's what the FSM says for the EA82/4EAT front diff which i imagine to be the same or similar to the 3AT. (5) Tighten the LH retainer until contactd is felt while rotating the shaft. Then loosen the RH retainer. Keep tightening the LH retainer and loosening the RH retainer until the pinion shaft can no longer be turned. This is the "zero" state. (6) After the "zero" state is established, back off the LH retainer 3 notches and secure it with the locking tab. Then back off the RH retainer and retighten until it stops. Repeat this procedure several times. Tighten the RH retainer 1 3/4 notches further. This sets the preload. Finally secure the retainer with its locking tab. Turning the retainer by one tooth changes the backlash about 0.05mm (0.0020 inches) (7) Turn the drive pinion several rotations and check to see if the backlash is within standard value. Backlash: 0.13 - 0.18 mm (0.0051 - 0.0071 inches) After confirming that the backlash is correct, check the tooth contact. Then it goes into an elaborate break down including pictures of teeth contact.

are you sure this is differential gear oil leaking out? you should notice a loss of gear oil and need to replace it if it's that bad? i do not recall an o-ring there, just the seal. i think since that retaining plate is smaller than the seal so maybe you're just seeing oil seeping out from behind the retaining plate that is originating from the seal. if the oil seal holds, no oil should get to the retaining plate. YES - this does set the ring gear backlash, proceed cautiously. that retaining plate unscrews. rather than setting the backlash you will want to remove and replace the retaining plate into the exact same position that it is in right now. mark it and then count how many revolutions it takes to remove it. stay as exact as you can. reinstall the same number of revolutions and end at the mark. good luck!

yep all EA rear axles are the same.

you need a new axle. do yourself a favor and get an actual new or used Subaru axle, nothing rebuilt. i'd install a good used unit before any after market junk (because problems like yours are VERY common). MWE is the only reliable aftermarket source for subaru axles IMO. if you want to constantly play "as the axle turns" and roll the dice the rest of your vehicle ownership then stick with after market axles. if you want to fix this and never think about it again (highly recommended), then just suck it up and do it right and be done with it.

49 degrees sounds nice....i guess what you meant to say is that it's blowing hot air when it gets warmer outside, you never really said that? shouldn't a leased 2008 be under warranty? make them fix it. having one issue like this shouldn't make you disappointed in Subaru. you should be disappointed with that one particular dealer and their lack of attention to fixing this properly. demand service, you're paying for it. in general dealers suck...hopefully yours is good but i wouldn't keep my fingers crossed. this isn't a "subaru" thing it's all of them. finding a good dealer is hit-or-miss across all the major manufacturers.

they aren't crap, they do have a lot higher failure rate than the EJ22. but...the EJ22 has very low failure rates...so higher is relative. a properly maintained EJ22 will not blow a head gasket (or has a really low chance). a properly maintained EJ25 has a significant chance of blowing at any time. i suggest searching this forum and google for: "EJ25" "EJ25 headgasket" "subaru headgasket" and see what you come up with. there's a lot of information and stuff out there, but it will help you make the decision rather than listen to a few opinions. this has been talked about so many times you'll only get a few anecdotal words, an argument, or very differing opinions. just depends what you want and what you care about. MOST people don't really give a flip about reliability or there's a lot of american manufacturers that wouldn't be in business any more. if reliability is a big deal to you (it is for me), then an EJ22 is a great bet. if you like reliability but aren't that worried, then get the car you want. personally i'd never pay top dollar for an EJ25 vehicle, not when it's so easy to just get one really cheap with a blown motor and fix it right. i've done that a number of times. i see a few a month for chump change, no point in paying a lot for one. the EJ25 head gasket issue was not resolved with round two. the second phase EJ25 (SOHC) still has head gasket issues - they just leak externally instead of internally. they are much better though as they aren't likely to leave you stranded like the DOHC variety (1996-1999/2000 depending on vehicle).

DOHC (your EJ25) 1996-1999. SOHC are 1999 and up. yes both SOHC and DOHC were available in 1999. what you are describing is typical EJ25 head gasket symptoms. it's good to check out smaller items, but do not replace your radiator if that's the next suggestion you hear. you might want to ask them not to replace it, because often they do thinking it *has* to be that. it's probably not. EJ25's can test fine even with a bad head gasket. most mechanics aren't familiar with that and might inadvertently replace things that are not the cause of the symptoms. that might be why you have new water pump, thermostat, and radiator caps now. the EJ25 may pass typical head gasket tests. the best test is to sniff the coolant for exhaust gasses. that's not fool-proof but is more accurate than the others in this case. a positive is a positive. but a negative might still be a positive. make sense?

replace your radiator cap first. how many miles and has the water pump/thermostat/coolant ever been replaced? if it is indeed a head gasket you should have seen signs of overheating or wavering of the temp gauge. these things fail in very similar ways usually and the first symptom is overheating or unstable temps. i'd keep an eye on your temp gauge...if it has overheated much you'll want to know as that might make a difference in how you attempt to repair it. significant overheating may make the engine not worth repairing. first note - do not buy a used EJ25 - that is a very bad idea. as for cost if yo'ure paying a mechanic to do it you're looking at $1,000 - $1,500 and up if you get additional work done. the local dealer here charges $1,500 to ONLY replace the head gaskets. anything else is additional (timing belt, clutch, water pump, etc). personally if i was going through all of this i'd look into having the valves adjusted and a new water pump/timing belt/timing components as well. basically a thorough going over. it would suck to spend that much money on something only to have it need something else in a year or two that could be addressed now. but then again i don't have to pay those high repair bills so that's easy for me to say. another option is CCR - THE subaru engine rebuilder. they're great and you get a 3 year 36,000 mile warranty on a brand new engine. no worries about spending $1,000-$2,000 and still having aged parts in there. another option that can be cheaper is to do an EJ22 swap. they don't have the issues the EJ25 does - head gaskets, piston slap (happen but rare in the EJ22), and bearing failure. EJ22's can be had cheap around here (because of how reliable they are demand is low and supplies are high) - $150 with a 6 month warranty and only 100,000 miles. EJ25's blow up enough that the market for selling them is really good - you can get $500 for one with a blown head gasket if you don't cook it. so you can essentially sell the EJ25 for more than or close to the cost of an EJ22. it's a trade off.....you loose 20 horsepower but get a more reliable engine and it's cheap...actually free if you sell the EJ25 to recoupe costs! you'll just need to pay someone to install it. lots of information on the board here about the EJ22 swap.

what vehicle did the transmission come out of? swapping TCU's may help...maybe a 1998...were they both out of EJ25 vehicles? i had some shifting issues after a trans swap and it's almost normal after trying a different TCU or two. maybe a 98 TCU out of the same vehicle?

no, because there isn't one. there definitely is not "more than one application" of a 2000 EJ25 SOHC. with the exception of CA spec's but we'll just ignore those hosers. one possibility is that "california spec"....CA is always screwing things up with cars, but that shouldn't matter for you. you can call subaru and ask if they have cal spec timing belts or not during that year just for giggles. my guess is that comment is directed at DOHC/SOHC or EJ22/EJ25. in 1999 some subaru's had the DOHC EJ25 and some had SOHC EJ25. december of 1999 is really close to January of 2000 so i'm guessing that's just a blanket statement that probably doesn't apply to you. the easy way to check is to make sure yours is SOHC, stop in at an auto parts store and compare the one you just got.

hmmm, you'll need to clarify something that doesn't make sense. the 1995 EJ22 heads have dual port exhaust and the 1998 has a single port exhaust head. so from that stand point it shouldn't work.....actually it's kind of funny, to get that to work you'd have to take a dual port exhaust header and a single port exhaust header, cut them both, weld them together in order to bolt an exhaust up to the engine. if it's in the car and running though i wouldn't worry about it. EJ22's are very similar in a number of ways and the heads are interchangeable. it should bolt up and run just fine. now a 1999 would have some issues, but the 98 will be fine...minus the exhaust thing i mentioned already which somehow the mechanic didn't seem to have a problem with!? now...wether or not your car is an interference engine or not now i don't know. i would imagine the interference designation comes from the pistons, not the heads in this case. so i would think you still have a non-interference engine all the way around. what in world did you do to this poor thing to warp the head that bad....overheat, radiator, hoses, thermo??

hmmm, isn't that interesting. maybe they just mean the EJ22 and EJ25 or DOCH verses SOHC? either way yours will be the more popular and common SOHC so it should be right. to actually check it, stop at an autoparts store and comparing it to one they have in stock. not sure about the flanged thing but more than likely it should be interchangeable - attach old flange to new pulley. and if it's not the old pulley might be fine, the mechanic will be able to check. being young you have a good chance of this car not *needing* all new pulleys....keeping in mind the new one may fit anyway.