idosubaru

is it agreeable that the statistics are so small that this isn't really a big deal? it's going to be hard to convince those of us that have done this for years and on many soobs with never an issue..except issues where the covers caused a problem. rather than take this discussion to mean everyone should do it, make your decision based on your situation. if you have snow packed up in your engine bay...then the real issue is something more than timing belt covers. underneath protection or a different vehicle are likely needed if you're getting all of that kind of snow packed up in there. one anecodotal incident does not make a trend. two issues without covers, and i've seen two with covers myself. and i know it's nice to have perfect covers, but that's not realistic....go bend one when it's 10 degrees outside, they break very easily. having snow packed up in your engine isn't a typical driving situation and likely doesn't apply to many people. i drive an XT6, maybe my skid plates or ground clearance help but i've never had that problem in all of the XT6's i've driven.

you don't have to worry, that's your choice. you assume this state of worry is necessary based on a biased oppinion, what you want and choose to do and zero personal experience. that the plastic is 20 years old, brittle and can fall apart isn't debatable. that's great that yours are in great shape and don't have any issues, i've worked on dozens of soobs and that is not the norm. i'm not about to replace them on every EA/ER vehicle i work on or drive. if they are in good shape and it's not my car i put them back, but that's not often the case. but i don't really care about this though either, there's really no way to statitistically quantify every possible failure mode and say one is more probable than another. stating the risks is one thing but assuming snow is going to blow your timing belt is a far stretch and seems misleading to people wanting good information.

if i wanted to make a hitch for my XT6, where would i get the 2" hitch part? like the 2" channel piece, is that a specific towing type, hitch part, or just any old generic 2" channel?

the bad catalytic converters i've seen ran like crap, but certainly worth a try. how about just disconnecting the cat for a week and see if your mileage goes up and that 4,000 RPM glitch goes away rather than spend a ton of money to replace the converter. how are the brakes? the last time i replaced my XT6 front pads and my OBS front pads, both got about 4 mpg after replacing the front pads and rotors. maybe they were dragging too much, i don't know.

turbone - i probably should check the fins in the condensor. i did a quick peak and nothing appeared out of the ordinary up front, but i never really looked in the fins. i have the ATF cooler in the way, but i've done that on numerous XT6's without issue. the radiator is definitely not the problem. same symptoms with two different radiators and this new radiator worked fine in my previous daily driver.

i'm with nipper, almost every XT6 i see with the original radiator needs a new one. of course start with the simple stuff - replace the thermostat with a subaru only thermostat, replace the radiator caps, and make sure you're not loosing coolant anywhere.

half way is not normal. 1/3 is about normal for an XT6. our overheating is not likely to be related since i've replaced everything in the cooling system that normally causes issue. if you're getting close to the red, you want to get on this fast. it will get worse before it gets better.

they should replace the water pump and timing belt as well since it's all apart any way, there's no extra work involved really. a new thermostat and radiator caps to complete the cooling system service. check all your fluids and drive away.

not knowing the history, i always put a new timing belt on a soob. if that's anywhere in the future for you then i'd plan on a new belt and you can reseal the oil pump then as well. be sure to do it right, replace all 3 items in the pump and use the right sealant in the right place. in my experience with these things, a reseal of the oil pump is more likely to cure your ticking than playing with your oil supply. even if additives/oil did help, it will most likely return in the near future. so if the mmo, seafoam, oil thing doesn't help just plan on addressing it with the next timing belt.

new water pump, hoses, Subaru OEM radiator, Subaru thermostat, radiator caps and no coolant loss. the thermostat and radiator caps have been replaced multiple times with no change in symptoms. both fans work and turn on, heater blows hot. did this last summer, but being winter it never got hot enough to matter. now that it's warming up the symptoms are back - the temp gauge drifts more than normal and will get high when climbing steep grades (interstates through the mountains) or when it's really hot and using the A/C. i occassionally find the radiator hose collapsed, but i've replaced the radiator caps multiple times, which is the typical cure for that. maybe i need a different hose? it has an XT bumper instead of an XT6 bumper, that wouldn't cause anything right?

i've never changed the oil immediately after adding MMO. but if it goes away after warming up, i wouldn't expect any oil treatments or additives to fix it. i agree with nipper and would add, change your oil frequently and don't run the car hot. has the oil pump ever been resealed?

i've never heard of less than 60,000 miles on any subaru...though what nipper said trumps the US folks that don't know much about over sea markets.

i vote for zipties as well. i'm doubtful of the plastic bag story, but it doesn't matter, there's no need to agree. there is no right or wrong answer. oppinions have been layed out, let people make up their own mind, there's no need to convince everyone to do the same thing. i've seen a D/S cover come loose and slice a hole in the ATF line (want to replace a transmission with a timing belt?), and wear the timing belt (though worn severly, the belt did not break). two first hand instances where the covers induced damage to the vehicles. would i call someone stupid for leaving the covers on...no, do it however you want it. covers can hurt the vehicle...AH! running without covers can hurt it....AH!! what to do? drive one month with, one month without? drive with one side on, one side without..which side??...what to do, what to do.... if one bad experience dictates your decision making process, then you wouldn't be able to drive any vehicle ever made.

right on. welcome to Xt6.net and usmb, too of the finest on-line communities out there.

someone deleted your account, they incorrectly thought it was a bogus account. i restored your user name and approved your account so you're ready to go. thanks for letting me know the date, that made it easy to thumb through the database.

ah..if it's making grinding noises, yeah that doesn't sound good. but i still wouldn't condemn the engine, you'll need to look into it more. if you tell me your username and try to register right now at xt6.net i'll approve your account right now. do it quick.

if the car was loosing significant amounts of oil between oil changes, then definitely replace what you can. seapage is common and i'd replace it, the issue is more about getting on and degrading the timing belt or dripping al under the car and smoking after hitting the exhaust. if it's completely dry i would feel confident it's going to treat you right for the next 60,000 miles until the next timing belt change with little chance for any problems. but it also only takes a few minutes, so take your pick. the rear is an o-ring only, not the seal. the cam has an o-ring behind the cam cap housing as well as the seal. these o-rings are more prone to leakage than the seals in the EJ's i've worked on , so replace the o-rings if they're wet at all. the rear should not have any sealant on it, o-ring only. it's the same part number (same part) as the front cam o-rings. definitely no sealant on seals. a coat of grease on any surface that will contact the engine...outer engine and inner edge. install and you're golden.

2 quarts low is no big deal. i don't recommend it, it's not great, but you still had 3 quarts, that's plenty to circulate and keep your engine in fine shape. those pressure gauges in the dash are junk, they often show 0 oil pressure. the gauge and the sending unit are 20 years old and not accurate. the owners manual will tell you that reading near zero is typical...and it is. it still has plenty of volume at idle even if the pressure reads zero. soo....you're car is fine, there is likely no need to tow it. fill it up with oil and drive it home unless oil is pouring out at amazing speeds...i doubt it, if there were still 3 quarts left. don't tow it with a dolly unless you disconnect the driveshaft. and you likely have lots of rust in Alaska, so removing those 4 12mm bolts will be really annoying probably. get a very good crescent wrench and spray them down with PB Blaster or they will likely strip. remember the rear diff will still turn, so don't disconnect a part that will slop around underneath.

contact CCR for engine prices. there are likely different options and they probably don't want to be miss quoted. long block, short block, intake manifold or not...etc. i'd suggest contacting them over posting their prices or at least do it via PM. someone just did a BBB check on them, zero complaints in 3 months..or 6 months or something. another company had like 60 or something insane.

subarubrat put a WRX drivetrain and built engine in an XT6. that's not an EA, but very close since since EA and ER trans and engines are interchangeable in terms of bolting up. so the work would be nearly identical in nature. i believe he was pushing 400 or more reliable HP in that. don't know if he ever posted info on that swap or not.

good year in terms of what? the 2.5's are real nice, got nice power. i would not pay full price for one personally. i'd buy an inexpensive one with a blown motor (easy to find) and put a new motor in it if i wanted one with a 2.5. the 2.2's are solid for reliability. non-interference 2.2's are nice for reliability and no chance of engine damage with timing belt, pulley or water pump related timing belt failure (1996 or earlier) non interference 2.2's with hydraulic lifters are nice, they have all of the above and no valve adjustments are needed.

yes, all new subaru's come with new engines and warranties, that should take care of your problems for awhile! you said you replaced the plugs and wires. with what? OEM or non OEM parts? the EJ series engines are very sensitive to ignition components, non OEM (NGK plugs and Subaru wires) are very likely to cause mis-fire readings. i've seen brand new ones out of the box do it. the engine had to come out for flywheel work, which means the wires were likely touched at least. i'd swap wires and ignition coil pack right away and see what happens.

it's not about being bright or not, you've obviously never done it. Subaru's are staked in u-joints as nipper mentioned. they have to be cut out. get a sawzall or dremel, some gloves and eye protection and go to town. be careful not to cut the yoke, there isn't much room to work with cutting the old one out. the old joint needs to be cut out, then the yoke needs to be prepared to accept the rockford u-joints you're talking about. they have end caps and clips that need to fit propertly in yokes that weren't originally intended to accept them. then the yokes have to be aligned properly, otherwise the driveshaft will be very lumpy and your new ujoints won't last very long. i have them on my driveshaft. it is not a straightforward press out and press in like a truck or jeep, they weren't intended to be replaced that way. it can be done, but is better left to a shop unless you have a good assortment of tools, experience and determination. they aren't cheap, $30 each. you can buy a used driveshaft for that much and not have to worry about all that work and whether or not you get it right. also be very careful with the ujoints, the needle bearings under the caps are very fine and easily fall out or come out of alignment while you're doing this job.

i would test or replace the blower fan. very easy and common for them to fail or get insulation and crap mangled in the cages. pull it and at least have a look. you do have a strange failure mode, but swapping a blower fan is easy, i'd start there or test it. they can be had for next to nothing, someone will probably send you one if you post in the "parts wanted forum". if it was an XT6 and i was in the state where all my parts were i'd send you one for shipping costs.

sounds strange to me as well. there have been no previous indications of headgasket troubles? no leakage, loss of water, bubbling in the overflow, overheating, running hot?