idosubaru

'mythical' replies about paint chips and cam pulleys falling apart is humerous, i agree with you 100%, but no one said those things but you. you're the one blowing "surface rust" out of proportion...i've got some that have rust and are pitted, i can post pictures if you'd like to turn this into a pissing match. if you don't drive much they will rust. i don't care, i run without covers just like you. i'm just passing information along, make decisions accordingly.

i mentioned that earlier: you don't want to overheat the items you are working, otherwise it doesn't help you. this is a very good example of "more is not better". the right amount works perfectly, more or less does you no good. i think it often comes down to rust and the elements. the north east frequently turns quick jobs into really, really long jobs just from corrosion/rust. if you have many to do or have rust to contend with the tool is probably a good idea. i recommend what i did...BUY IT NOW, before you need, then you'll never have to use it! i haven't even pulled it from the package since i bought, don't even remember when.

well your previous diagnosis you reported was that it was a the timing belt tensioner. this has happened before and is a possibility, so i suppose they need to verify that this is the problem. if that is the case - this is not major internal engine problems. not sure what you're asking, but i can't think of anything else that could help you besides going and listening to it to determine what the noise is. anyone familiar with subarus, including many on this board, would not have a problem determining what this sound is i don't believe. not if it's that loud and noticeable as a "rod knock". good luck!

if you insist on running covers, just use zip-ties instead of the bolts at least.

who did she cut off? assuming you mean the door window, then no problem just replace it. you'll have the other side to compare to if something doesn't look obvious to you. the glued in side/back windows...i'd leave those to professionals, that adhesive they use is no joke and thick.

the dealer should do something to even this up, this is definitely not normal and not expected. that being said....they do not make it easy to "replace engines" and do things on their own time. if they did, everyone would be doing it. it's going to take some effort, phone calls, and persistence. i hope you end up with a good car out of this. and i agree...i'd hate the thought of having that dealer work on it any more, but they are certainly responsible.

WHAT CAR!!!?!?!????? if it's another loyale - then just make sure it's the same FWD or 4WD and it'll swap out, year doesn't matter for the loyale.

if you're wondering what to do with $50, don't fix something unless it's broke. as a matter of fact - don't fix either axle unless it's starting to vibrate or it's really, really bad. i've put 50,000+ miles on front axles that were clicking (and 100,000 on rears with busted boots). depends what they put on your roads how long they will last. WV where they dump coal on the roads...about 1 month. down south where they put nothing...they'll last years if you keep them out of the sand (off the beach). had good luck in MD too. clicking - no big deal, stuff 34 cents worth of grease up there every now and again. vibrating - that's bad, fix it tomorrow. make good financial decisions now, particularly with cars, you'll thank yourself later. there's hundreds of people on this board that wish they would have taken that advice at some time in their past, here's your chance!

i wouldn't blame the 2.2...if the same baboon installed an EJ25 they could have done the same thing. the EJ22 should hook up exactly like the EJ25, there's very little difference. what year was the EJ22 and how was the swap done? does the engine have an EGR valve? there's a lot of information...like i always tell everyone, diagnosing and helping over the internet is tough. mechanics get things wrong...imagine taking away their site, touch, smell......and then expecting them to get it right!!!! do you know anyone with a late 90's Subaru...they should be nearly identical. The 99 had some changes, not sure if there's any vaccuum changes or not though. Heck - you could probably look at the many pictures of cars for sale on ebay and look at the engine shots and get a basic idea. Also - the older gen subaru's had vaccuum routing diagrams posted under the hood of the vehice, not sure if the olders ones have this. you could also check the owners manual or FSM if you have one. or...someone hear can post a picture for you. i'm on dial up or i'd consider taking a picture or looking for an engine bay photo. and yes this is affecting your automatic transmission shift points - it uses that pressure sensor on the strut tower, those vaccuum hoses need to be hooked up.

i know someone who had a cluster replaced and they actually set the new cluster at the pre-existing mileage on the vehicle. i do not know how common that is, but was surprised they did that or that it's even possible?! i have never heard of any way the ECU records that type of information. if it did then who's to say the ECU wasn't swapped, they're a dime a dozen in low mileage units for cars this new. i guess it's another level of protection but i still wouldn't considered it verified. you can usually read how honest or not they could be. i know that doesn't sound very quantitative but it's really the best indicator you have in my opinion, but i'm comfortable doing that, some aren't. call the local dealer and see if they've ever had that vehicle there...or possibly the previous owner will tell you where they went....if you trust them. either way, shops typically keep mileage records.

right on, i've heard of that stuff. hopefully you have something to heat it up with. i've had them come loose with very little effort after heating before, it's almost uncanny sometimes. can't guarantee anything but don't want to miss this trick either.

he's got you above

i think you're close to Harry's - they have hubs for probably $15 or something, they are super cheap and loaded with subaru's. hard to believe they wouldn't have an EA82 rear hub.

even a light duty propane torch will help, you can pick those up for $10-$20 even. heat it for about a minute or 90 seconds if you're not familiar with that technique. if it doesn't work, let it cool back down before trying again. two reasons - the heating/cooling could break the rust and if both are hot it could make it harder. there's also a "freezing" product that works under the same concept..but in reverse so to speak. that in combination with heat may help too. hey GD, is PB Blaster, Liquid Wrench or Deep Creep being used? is that okay around bearings if you're replacing them? that stuff is awesome at helping with rust (do not use WD40). installing a used hub isn't a bad idea if you think you can get yours off. rust is such a nuissance around here, it's really the thorn of all older subaru's around here. you should be able to find a used hub for $25-$35 easily if they're as available around you as they are around here. you could even buy one, install your new bearings, then install the hub to the car. more money out of pocket, but could reduce down time if you can't get that nut loose. if you were close to morgantown, you could borrow my tool, i have one.

and that includes getting the tools and clean up. i'm at about 40,000 miles on my current XT6 belts and i've run open covers since I got it. they appear in great shape and i drive in craptastic winter roads...salt, coal, you name it...and off road, high RPM mountain driving, and the car was overheating, and i tow....been beating this one up the past year and the belt is hanging tough so far. interesting discussion i hadn't thought that i'm getting close to tbelt replacement time for the XT6. guess next summer will be a good time.

if you need POR15 that probably doesn't do timing belts any good. the cams rust, they get pitted and can probably wear the belt quicker. but i still run without them, mine just get rusted on the face. if it's sitting very long like that in this kind of weather and driving that's probably not a good idea, the surface the timing belt rides on will probably start to rust. just a hunch....based on what i've seen. i still run with no covers, but this isn't a "everyone has to do it the same way thing". if you drive a normal amount it won't be an issue. if not, then i guess make your decision accordingly. the EA82 and ER27 engines can all be done without removing the radiator. the XT6 ER27 is far easier to do than the EA82. the clutch fan is the big turd of the EA82. install some electric fans and timing belts are a walk in the park. no covers, no clutch fan....timing belts are like a 10 minute job, no need to pull the radiator. they are amazingly easy.

that sucks. a 98 OBW should have the EJ25 which is an interference engine. it is most likely that you have at the very least - minor valve damage. probably more likely that it's significant damage. of course i hope i'm wrong. mental note, at that kind of mileage and age it's good to replace or repack all the timing pulleys. the toothed idlers are the ones that seem to fail first.

the cam sprockets and bolts are iron and are rust-happy critters. i can only speak from the MD, WV area, but they rust up very quickly around here when driving with open covers. painting them or driving them often is necessary, mine is a daily driver that gets lots of use so no worries here.

he's talking about the timing tensioner rod, nothing internal. an easy fix...but still expensive. i agree it would suck major back side to spend $1,000 now only to find out in 6 months you have a $1,500 head gasket job needed to, but you certainly wouldn't trash a good engine for a $100 noisey tensioner.

it's a risk, but typically external leaks can be small and be driven quite a while. if it gets worse and it's a supply line (say to the cams) then you could have an oil starved valve train. so even if it was "okay" when he had it replaced it's only a matter of time before it gets to the point where it could cause problems. there is where the risk comes into play....may have taken 300,000 miles...might have taken 3,000.

no, i'm not suggesting anything right now. i agree it could be the ignitor but don't know how to test them. others should be able to help, you gave some good info so far.

get it replaced soon...broken timing stuff is bad. $1,000 is steep, might want to shop around if you want to save a few hundred. that's not abnormal for dealer pricing though. if it's a place you trust and like then go for it, if you don't really know then you may want to get another quote from elsewhere.

that is crazy about the 14" and 15" wheels...nuts, i wanted 16's on my Legacy with an EJ18! i guess that's not going to go over so well. i meant there weren't any comments favoring autos, not that there werent' any auto trans! ha ha, that is awesome.

mods - delete????

i think that stuff may be there already if your model came with it. might be mostly plug and play though.