idosubaru

check the motor. the cage is likely stuffed with trash or the motor needs replaced. clean out any and all lines/ducts you can access while the motor is out. the motor on XT's is really really easy to remove. takes not time at all.

hard to tell from the pick, but doesn't look that worrying to me. there is typically some white flaky residue on any vehicle. the concern is with milkshake looking fluid which i don't see in the pic. yours looks fine. sometimes depending on driving conditions and such a little even milky looking stuff isn't a sign of serious issues. i think you're okay. watch the temp gauge, that will definitely show any cooling system issues. if it's holding steady then you're fine.

you haven't mentioned mileage on the engine or last time ignition stuff was replaced. plugs, wires, cap and rotor are good to replace regularly.

2 pound sledge should have certainly done the trick! i think northwet has you covered, i'd bet you're missing a bolt.

calirfy for us if it's an H6, EJ25, automatic AWD, FWD. check all the fluid levels (transmission fluid, front differential fluid) and check them a few times in the coming days/miles/months. any loss of fluid is a concern, i wouldn't worry about minor wet-spots like those. that differential side oil seal is a PITA and it's highly unlikely that's the culprit of those wet spots. different soobs read differently on the temp scale at operating temp, so i wouldn't let that concern you. key is that it gets to the same exact position and stays there every time, it should never waver or move, or go up/down besides normal cooling and heating up from starting/shutting off obviously.

this is a wild a$$ guess but maybe it'll seal when the engine is put together and ran/heated/expanded? can you see around the head enough to see if the gasket got cock-eyed or anything? the 2.5 is not a great option for using non-Subaru headgaskets but i realize we're past that point now.

make sure you have all the bolts out, there should be bolts even inside the valve covers i believe. put two bolts back in, one on each side of the cam case but just turn them a few turns, just enough to keep them from falling out. then take a piece of wood and a hammer or a rubber mallet and bust it loose from the head. i've seen them stuck on there quite well before as well. but have those two bolts in that way it doesn't fly off when it finally breaks loose. so yeah, they stick sometimes. tap on both sides, if you missed a bolt you'll notice one side trying to bust free and the other sticking tight.

vehicle? awd or fwd? year? mileage? any previous transmission issues? has the fluid ever been changed? any recent work on the vehicle? does the vehicle drive, any issues at all driving/shifting? torque converter bolt loose?

check out the other thread just started titled something like "impreza $4,000...." he's going to look at it tomorrow and people are posting what to look for. read through that thread, they covered the basics well.

car-fax for sure. make sure all the gaps between panels and sections are identical. any wavering will indicate prior body damage. when checking oil, look under the oil cap for signs of white stuff.

i've seen faulty sensors (bad connections/wiring actually) cause a no-start but not give an engine code before as well. i have little to add that hasn't been mentioned but i would look at: crank/cam sensors coolant temp sensor coil pack (unlikely though if it's running with supp gas). where are you adding the gas anyway?

i guess used isn't an option either, the most recent model that fits what you want?

how many miles? how long has it been doing this? it sounds to me like a CV joint but you shouldn't be able to "feel" them until they get really bad. look at the axle where it attaches behind the wheel. it has a rubber boot on each end. the one right behind the tire is only visible by getting on the ground and looking behind the wheel. the inner boot is more centrally located and can be seen by popping the hood as well. i'd suspect the one behind the wheel though. you're looking for a crack in the boot and there should be grease everywhere too. if it just started doing this - then it's not likely to be the CV axle. if it's been doing it for awhile and getting worse then maybe. do you feel it when turning both directions (right and left)? ball joints will also cause bad vibrations and noises going around turns. since the axles are easy to make a visual check on, do that first and post back. to check wheel bearings though you can jack the car up and see if the wheel has much play in it by grabbing it and trying to "shake" it so to speak.

hey, feels good to finally have it kicked though! remember this if you ever get an EJ vehicle (legacy/impreza/etc), they are 20 times worse in the ignition wire department, those motors hate hate hate aftermarket wires.

if you're down there with the resistors pull out the blower fan squirrel cage and make sure it's all cleaned out. they often have bits of insulation or other unwelcome pieces of junk in them. makes it quieter and will work better. of course if yours is perfect that no need.

already answered earlier, one big positive about this motor: no damage will occur, that's the beauty of pre-1997 2.2's, there's no damage when the timing belt breaks. if they don't know, maybe you can talk them into replacing it and the water pump if you buy it? timing belt should have been replaced twice by this mileage, if you have no idea when it was replaced i would do it and the water pump right after buying it. about $150 in parts. $400 - $600 to pay a shop to do it. if you're happy with the price then get it.

in general there shouldn't be a need to replace the headgaskets pre-emptively. they typically give you signs and shouldn't leave you stranded, so shouldn't be a huge concern. of course if you plan on keeping the car for 250,000....300,000 miles or you travel long distances in this vehicle often then it might be worth it to you. if the motor was already coming out or coming apart for something else - clutch work or major engine work then sure the headgasket might be worth addressing while it's out.

that circlip should tap back inside like you said. will require some force to get it to clip in place. it's been awhile and i haven't done it often, but it should go in with some help. if it's an AWD i'd wonder if one of the ujoints in the driveshaft are going bad if everything else seems to be good and tight. or i'd suspect the aftermarket axle, i've had very bad luck (exploding to pieces) with brand new ones from the parts stores. i only use Subaru or MWE rebuilt ones now.

that's a good car, if you need one now then go for it. a little higher mileage than i'd like for someone not doing their own work, but these things typically soar past 200,000. you will want to know when the timing belts were done last unless you don't mind them breaking and leaving you stranded somewhere. they are 60,000 mile belts on this engine...so who knows how old they are if there's no record. check KBB and comparable prices. i would not pay that much for it, but you can't take oppinions like that on the internet. my area subaru's are a dime a dozen. you can score awesome deals around here. if time isn't in your favor then you're forced to make a quick buy as well (another reason i always have more than one vehicle at my disposal). i picked up my current daily driver for $450 this summer. 110,000 miles, i installed new timing belts, water pump, oil pump and 200,000+ here i come. i like buying cars from someone that knows something about it rather than a salesman. did you search craigslist at all in your area? i've bought awesome soobs for dirt cheap and flown to pick them up before, then drive back. another way to get a great deal....just depends how flexible you are and how willing you are to pay top dollar for something. it's partly a game to me....

that clip should be on the trans axle stub. it's not a big deal that the stub came out, that's how they come out assuming you have an automatic transmission. i can't say the possibility or probability of what may happen without that clip in place, but i'd rather it be there myself. unfortunately for whatever reason aftermarket, rebuilt, remann'ed, auto parts store Subaru axles suck really really bad. you're better off installing an original Subaru axle than the "new" ones. or have MWE from colorado send you one of there's. how many miles are on this vehicle? does it ever feel loose or slow to respond when you steer? if so, then it is probably your steering rack bushings. older roos drive so much nicer with new rack bushings installed (very easy to do). if it wobbles more through turns than driving straight and worse when turning one way than another, i'd suspect a bad ball joint. otherwise tie rod ends may be to blame. make sure your axle nut is torqued tight and not backing off.

just look the name up and call them. don't bother with mail and waiting and wondering. most people will gladly talk for 3 minutes about the vehicle, if not then so what, they're the freaks not you! ultimate white pages, i use it all the time to look people up. it gives addresses to so if you have that you can verify for sure the person you need to contact if it gives multiple people with the same name.

oh yeah? when is my best friends 4 runner going to finally break something? 1997 SR5 with 250,000 miles and the ONLY thing he's done to it is a new power steering pump. he hasn't even done the timing belt! i need to plug around some 4 runner information and try to do that timing belt for him.

reseal the oil pump is the one missing item i would certainly address. and check the screws on the back to make sure they are tight. typical advice here is to locktite those screws, but i've yet to encounter loose ones. having extra t-belt pulleys on hand and replacing any that are bad saves down time. return the ones you don't need. this will also allow you to see how tight and smooth a brand new pulley feels so you can compare it to your old ones. tpyically the toothed sprocket (mentioned earlier) is the one to have the most noise from the few that i've seen. i'd at least have one of these available. this may seem like over kill but times have changed. in the past these bearings weren't an issue since timing belt intervals were every 60,000 miles, so you'd have 60,000 - 120,000 and 180,000 to address them. with 100,000 mile timing belts you're expecting the pulley bearings to last 200,000 miles if you skip the first timing belt change. and with the 2.5's all being interference design a failed pulley will eat even a brand new timing belt and cause major internal engine damage (pistons will collide with valves). the bearings can be replaced usually (and even repacked), but that will take some research. the pulleys are quite expensive from Subaru, so it's one very annoying part of the process for someone trying to save some cash. Subaru doesn't replace them all that often so it's not a big deal, but they're not responsible for anything if you're tbelt blows at 170,000 either.

No oil leak issues. sorry, i didn't mean to confuse you. i wanted to say "it's bullet proof". but even the best engine needs proper oil changes and maintenance...or it won't last. basic maintenance stuff. so yeah...the 2.2 liter is an awesome motor that is quite capable of a few hundred thousand miles no problem (assuming proper maintenance required by any engine).

control switch...the XT's have a strange sliding mechanism, i was sure other EA82 stuff would be different so i wasn't sure what to call it since i didn't know exactly how it works. but he's right...whatever you use to vary the speeds. that actual button/switch you touch to change it. the contacts in it could be bad. depending on how yours is constructed (again i'm an XT nut), you can test it or look for bad contacts inside it.