idosubaru

i pulled a head off a 196,000 mile motor i had that ran awesome, pulled it out of a rusted to death XT6. the head was spotless, not a speck of black build up inside (plenty of leaking on the outside). head gaskets were never replaced.

i'm with all those guys...reuse the bolts and fel pro no retorque gaskets. if you're going with highcompression turbo, maybe you want to check our ram performance - they sell custom high performance EA82 headgaskets.

light weight custom pistons might help a tiny bit but engine mods probably won't make a huge difference. remove drag from your motor, remove A/C, remove power steering (install electric XT6 power steering pump), remove clutch fan and install an electric fan. lightweight stuff....pistons, pulley, flywheel may help a tiny bit. big help is FWD manual trans. an 88+ XT can pull 40+ highway mileage.

take a look at the rubber boot (CV boot) behind the front wheels. it's the boot at the end of the axle. see if it's ripped, just look behind the wheel, it's really easy to see. might need to look closely as the rubber boot is "ribbed" and sometimes hard to tell if it's cracked depending where/how it cracks. and noise while making a turn is typically CV related. if it's clicking you'll want a new axle installed. if the boot is busted, then it's not a big deal. i rountinely put 50,000 miles on front clicking joints and 100,000 miles on rears (i have at least 2 broken boots now). they will not fail. i do my own work so wait until i do some other work in the area...brakes, bushings..etc before messing with the axle. it's a waste of time to do that work just for an axle that's not going to break anyway. the only thing you need to worry about is when you do go to replace it (next week or 50,000 miles from now)...make sure you get a Subaru axle or get one from MWE. aftermarket axles at autoparts stores suck. the broken boot you have now is more reliable than an aftermarket, i've seen them (and others on this board have too) explode not long after installing. this is the older generation forum, if yours is a 1998 then you would want to post in the newer generation forum, but CV's are common to all subaru's so you're in good hands over here.

i'd run a carfax on it if that's applicable in canada? probably is. just tells you if the car was ever in an accident. it's not completely unusual for a car to be repainted but it's not normal. most that i run into that are painted are either covering rust (usually poorly) or have been in an accident. you might want to read alittle about how to look for a car that was in an accident. easiest way is to check the hood and how it lines up with the fenders, same with doors and all other body parts. every line should be straight and even. a repaired vehicle typically has gaps between body parts that are skinny, then get wider at the other end so to speak. also look underneath, around wheels wells, in front of and behind wheels for signs of previous or existing rust. most likely the steering pump and rack were replaced isn't a big deal. there is some possibility that the tie rods and rack could have been damaged in an accident but that's not likely. most likely something simple and relatively common started leaking (an oring or hose/fitting on the pump). they probably didn't really need replaced. the "shop" or "mechanic" probably gave them some story about needing both when really the steering pump needed a 50 cent o-ring which is very typical of the older subaru models. it's not normal but not unheard of for a power steering pump to go bad or start leaking. usually doesn't need replaced (just a leaky line, fitting or o-ring) but shops often replace parts not o-rings on something like that. and they very typically replace other related components. i have friends and family that all the time go to get a brake job and end up needing new rotors, pads, calipers, master cylinder....i'm sure ALL of those things didn't go bad as soon as they pulled in the shop! bottom line - power steering stuff i wouldn't be concerned about at all. the paint i'd want to check into previous accident or rust.

i don't know the canadian market or exchange rate but if the rust isn't terrible that sounds like a fair deal. whatever car you buy change the ATF immediately and on an older car change the coolant as most people do not. i'd replace anything coolant related to protect the engine - thermostat, radiator hoses and hose clamps. i personally replace the timing belt, water pump, oil pump seal and cam seals when i first get a vehicle to make sure it is reliable and it's all new down there. all that stuff is together so best to change it all at the same time. i can do it myself easily so it's easy. a pre-1997 the motor will not be an interference engine so you don't have to worry about any internal engine damage if the belt breaks. might want to try to make it a year if the expense is a hinderance....but i wouldn't do that on a 97 or newer interference engine. a broken belt, water pump, or pulley bearing means possibility of major internal engine damage on 97 and newer 2.2's and all 2.5's.

what he said - horsepower is engine horsepower, not wheel horsepower. your auto and AWD system will have higher losses to the wheels than a FWD manual. and more weight than a manual/FWD as well.

if you want power, why not upgrade the block? there are forged, lighter weight and oversized pistons available that offer more performance.

mileage begins to drop around 50/55 mph. threads like this are common, do a search and read oppinions all day long.

get on craigslist and find a subaru much cheaper with a 2.2 in it. you daily find great cars in the $1,000 - $3,000 range for sale. also try autotrader.com, punch in your zipcode and look for a private sale subaru. you're likely to find a much better deal and hopefully someone with some service records or knowledge of the vehicle. that legacy has a 2.5. i would worry less about a 2.5 that i know more about. but one that's being traded in, sold on a lot, at a tow station....those are suspect. if YOU had a 2.5 to sell with a bad headgasket what would you do, sell it privately yourself or trade it in and sell it to a lot to deal with? others on this group have bought a 2.5 and shortly after found head gasket symptoms. all i'm sayhing is don't pay top dollar for a 2.5 you do'nt know much about (i don't pay top dollar for anything). $7,500 is horse************. see how this editing software does.....

is yours AWD? that doesn't help.

in maryland the airbag light can be on and the system non-functioning in order to pass safety inspection. but i think PA is much more annoying. one state has that stupid rule "anything that came on the car must be functioning"...that would seriously PMO.

i don't think that's the case either. i made that same remark within the past year on another thread and someone pointed out that is incorrect. they went through the math and the actual overall gear ratio changes that occur between changing final drives from 3.7 to 3.9 (that's the differences in the old transmissions 4EAT is 3.7, manuals are 3.9...and the 4EAT's run way lower RPM's at same speed). anyway....someone calculated the difference the final drive made and it was very tiny. i think it does have something to do with the trans.

do a search on here or the internet for 2.5 headgasket and you'll find what is probably his problem, though i'm just guessing. that or he's upgrading to a turbo engine.

there's a search function which will address questions like this. your service manual is a good source as well. i believe your transmission has a screw on external filter, replace that. don't bother replacing the internal "filter", it's just a screen and doesn't do much of anything. you didn't mention how many miles? replace the diff oils with synthetic gear oil. big deal in what way? it's very simple to do, remove drain plug, drain and refill.

you could inspect the valves, probably not a bad idea at 100k. the automatic transmissions have a screen, not really a filter in the pan. do not mess with it. it's not worth the trouble. i've pulled out pans with far more miles than you have and the *filters* (screens) never have anything in them. anything they "stop" should drain out with a fluid change. the 98 and up 4EAT transmissions should have a screw on external filter. replace that, it's very similar to an engine oil filter, screw off, srew on the old one and it's an actual filter, not a screen.

2.2's were available in some models (i think LSi wagon or something) until 1999 at least.

excellent price for an all metal radiator. wow.

HA HA!!!!! nice one! took me a minute to figure out what it was a picture of. still not sure exactly, except that it's a wheel well..or part of one. i'd probably can that unless the body was fine, cut out all that rust, it's just a wheel well and who needs those!

i'd' certainly look into the alt/voltage regulator right away. as well as battery and cables. swap alt and regulator with new or have them tested. all the stores now are doing free electrical system testing if you can get it there.

another option is to keep that $100 and don't touch the engine. keep your eyes out for a lower mile 2.2 and put that money towards it. in the next year i doubt you'd have a problem finding a 100,000 mile 2.2 for $100-$250. but of course who wants to pull the engine again!

how long are you keeping it? if not long, then why bother? otherwise i'd replace it. if the rear main seal is perfectly clean you may want to leave it. normally i'd say replace it since you'd have to pull the motor out again and heck...260,000 miles is steep for a seal. but i've seen alot of replaced seals leak, so if you replace it make sure it's in there perfectly. for some reason the original rear main seals rarely leak (i've never seen one myself)...but, i've seen a few threads on here and XT6.net that had rear mains start leaking soon after replacing them. not sure why they're problematic like that.

i say listen to rweddy..... whatever you buy make sure it barely puts a dent in your disposable income. pay cash, don't make payments. you'll thank yourself in the future. cars are fun, they're great i like playing with mine...but they aren't worth what most americans are paying for them either. i'd get a 2.2 (i did a year and a half ago for my wife when we got married), those things are rock solid. if you want something to last a really long time and have cash, but something with a blown motor and have a CCR 2.2 installed. brand new 2.2 and you're set. hey we're all different, so whatever you want. spend some time looking you can get great deal on whatever you want...high dollar new turbo or older 2.2...either way keep driving your current ride and look for a great deal. if you wait until you have car troubles then you're pushed into buying whatever you can find at higher prices.

RAM does some awesome work and would have tested various intake designs. i am sure they chose the path they did for a reason. they have custom pistons. last i stopped by and talked to them they said they would rebuild EA82's and even the XT6 ER27 with your choice of cast or forged high compression (higher than stock) pistons or cast or forged low compression turbo pistons. and i believe they can machine the piston head to be non-interference if i'm not mistaken. Mr. Radon over at http://www.xt6.net rebuilt his XT6 ER27 engine with these pistons, check out his thread for pictures, details, weights of the pistons, etc.

an option....steering racks are a dime a dozen as well, might want to play with a used one and install new tie rods and then install it to the car (easier to work on and less down time). or just install a new steering rack, they're easy and cheap.