idosubaru

If you suspect the brake switch - is just disconnect that and see if anything changes - like the cruise or taillights start working....

As a simple check Id check: fuses - is there one fuse that shares the cruise and brake circuit? Check all the bulbs and bulb sockets in the rear tailgate. It’s very common for those to be problematic with age. Rust, corrosion, small cracks in lens allowing moisture/condensation, bulb base warn to snot, bulb fixtures brittle and shorted....et.al. Wire issues are “common” at the rear tailgate too - right where the wire passes from the body through the flexible rubber conduit you can see when the hatch it helped, and into the rear tailgate. I can’t envision lights impacting cruise control but I don’t have the wiring diagrams memorized and maybe they are two separate issues. did these issues both start at the exact same time or is there a chance they started at different times?

Right, all of that is very well known and nothing we need to rehash here. That has nothing to do with the points posted here. Reread my posts here, that has everything you need for your current questions. If mr Subaru-monetizing-YouTube guy didn’t say any of that, then it’s unhelpful to you’re current question or he doesn’t know. i totally get your concerns, they’re warranted to an extent, but not blindly in a vaccuum. EJ25 failure modes are specific to each variant and well known in how they occur and how to address them. what I’ve already written earlier is specific to your engine and situation. Chemical testing is pointless. The coolant conditioner only helps with external leaks, not internal leaks. all that’s needed is to look for external leaks at the mating surfaces. It’s either leaking or it’s not. In my experience the 2010s seem to more often have internal leaks. In which case, like has already been said, Chemical testing is pointless. Nothing is needed, but if you want to test, a gas analyzer is the only trust worthy test for asymptomatic EJ25 head gasket testing.

Good way to put it. engine was apart, unknown cam history/orientation and engine, and he isn’t familiar with these engines, so the risk of valve issues exists and worth being clear about.

Oh yeah I thought you meant drain. bleed screws are on top, usually passengers side, if equipped. Not all subarus have them.

Usually it's on the lower passengers side of the radiator, inside the engine bay. I wouldn't touch it though.

Nah, air bubble isn't a concern. You won't remove enough coolant to worry about. remove coolant, keep the nose of the car higher than the rear, and top it off when you're done. drive it and check the coolant level and top it off again as needed. watch the temp gauge carefully on the first drive. if it wavers or rises, it has air. but all of this is rather overstated, it's not a big deal. But it's a waste of time. That engine will never fail that test if you don't currently have any symptoms because of their well known failure mode. you have more risk of screwing something up than that test telling you anything meaningful. Also if you truly are worried and wanted to test for hydrocarbons in the exhaust, use a gas analyzer, not those kits. those chemical kits routinely give false negatives, which is 100% the only possible result on your asymptomatic EJ253. The false-negative chemical tests and positive gas anazlyer scenarios happen when testing without symptoms and/or very early headgasket failure signs, which is the territory you'd be in with no symptoms. So you're using a failure prone test in the exact scenario where it's prone to not work. if it doesn't have a new timing belt and pulleys then it has far larger statistically relevant mechanical issue than the self fulfilling prophecy of a negative test result for that EJ253 asymptomatic headgasket. i wouldn't sell that car without a complete timing belt kit installed. i've bought and sold many dozens of Subarus and many EJ25s, that, i would feel bad about. those components are a decade old and it's an interference engine which means larger repair expense than headgaskets if the timing pulleys seize. it's usually the lower cogged idler on that engine, but replace them all while you're in there. at a bare minimum i'll replace just that cogged idler and install a new Subaru belt, but that's usually on older rusty cars which likely isn't yours.

The serpentine belts aren’t the issue - it’s the serpentine belt idler puller and tensioner *bearings* specifically. Replace at 60k. The belts are fine. Can’t use EJ25 alt in stock H6 vehicle, stock H6s have a connection between the ECU and Alt the EJ25s don’t have. Youre right that H6s don’t have “the same” headgaskets issues, but they still have “a headgasket” issue, even if it’s different. They fail at a lower rates so they’re more palatable in that way, but they’re more difficult to repair if they do have issues so that’s a turn off for some people. Again it’s a low rate so if you haven’t owned or maintained dozens of them you won’t see it . If you do, you will and it’ll be a higher rate than other Subaru engines with no headgasket issue. H6 headgasket issues are not from cooling system issues. Of course cooking system issues can cause headgasket failure but that’s true of every car ever made. H6s have a known small percentage possibility of random headgasket failure. It’s a misappropriation if experience or correlation and causation to ignore that. The H6s are great and that’s why I favored them for a decade. I’m not knocking them, but detailing their known areas of concern so someone can make an informed decision rather than an anecdotal one.

They can be notoriously difficult to bleed. Search for “burping” if you have more issues. Generally refilling nose up and topping off after a drive or two is good to go.

It does matter if it’s interference and the cams/crank are clocked in a position to damage valves.

What Imdew said: They aren’t 1990s 2.2’s, which are by far the best for practical, reliable and easy high mileage. plan on crap gas mileage. If babied they can do well but if you have traffic, towing, mountains, drive with a moderate foot, etc - the H6 mileage drops quick. They can get 27, but easily drop to 20 with any of the above. Otherwise H6s definitely have a place in the some stables. I preferred them for 10 years. 02-04 vehicles being the best overall for simplicity and reliability. That’s what I was leaning too locally since rust free 90s don’t exist. alas 00-04 are too old and rusty for me to deal with consistently now. they occasionally have headgasket failures very similar to the infamous 90s DOHC Phase EJ25. Except with the timing chains these are significantly more costly and problematic to repair. Since they can be intermittent they are prone to being sold with headgaskets issues but no possibility for the buyer to detect them. Theyre old enough now that I think the used car lot market is a little better. When they were still worth a lot, the H6s and VDCs were hard to find. with such low volume, a higher percent of cars people were getting rid of were there for very specific and costly reasons (aka HGs). I preferred private sales (I’m often helped people buy Subaru’s) on these as I can mitigate that risk. I’ve seen zero H6 headgasket failures within a year on private purchased cars and a handful of HG failures on lot bought ones. Ive spotted a couple failed H6 headgaskets on lots, none during private sales - including one salesmen probing me hard what I was investigating and offering it to me for $900 when I told him (I passed). sorry for the long windedness - but bottom line, the H6 is not a car to jump quick on just because of price. “I got a smoking deal on an H6!” Could easily be no deal at all within a few months. two very common weak spots - the serpentine bearings fail all the time. They aren’t listed as replacement items but I replace them on every H6 i come across and every 60k there after. And the in-tank fuel pump cap tabs can crack and the oring pops out and you’re stranded. Technically you can reinstall the oring and cap to get it drivable usually - I’ve done it. Stock Caps aren’t available so you’re into $$$$ OEM pumps, have to avoid aftermarket unless you want that to fail too, or get a used one or adapt the newer style cap which used to be available for purchase but then disappeared? Alternator availability isn’t great.OEM $$$$ if even available and some aftermarket won’t even work or suck at best, though some people claim reasonable luck with a supplier in TN I think. 05-09 have garbage power steering pumps that fail all the time, aftermarkets suck and OEM is $400 a pop and suck too. Struts are weak and prone to wear earlier. Wheel bearings fail more often. 05-09 don’t really have a redeeming quality IMO. If Practical and reliable is your flavor and 2.2s are out, get an 02-04 H6. If you want newer/gadgets/tech - skip 05-09 and get 2010+ Unless you come across an impeccable 05-09. Though most of that stuff is easy to deal with. They have variable valve stuff, which is generally reliable and not a stranding event if problematic but still more parts and potential for failure with limited return.

You use the wide band O2 just for measuring and then later adjusting the carb mixture? If carfreaks center diff failed and is locked, causing torque bind, it could be used for a RWD conversion, LOL.

Does pushing the brakes or letting off completely change the noise? Straight or turning the steering wheel change it? Is it electrical (some device buzzing) or mechanical in nature?

i'm guessing you're seeing VDC codes. double check what codes you're getting and ready, or maybe they cross over? I've read ABS and VDC codes before but it's been awhile and i'm not recalling the differences or if there's overlap.

Hmmm. Double check the code reading and interpreting. didn’t you say you had a single flash at the beginning too? Maybe I said it backwards and these could be a 17, instead of a 71...that doesn’t track exactly, it something like that. would indicate 10,11, or teen number . Is this a VDC, maybe those are VDC codes?

At least he didn’t recommend changing the master cylinder which is what most people pointlessly do. But goodness - works at a Subaru dealer and doesn’t know how to bleed Subaru brakes or diagnose this in person? Dont crack the ABS lines unless wasting time sounds fun. 1. There is no special process needed for bleeding those breaks. Follow the order but there’s no additional work needed with the ABS pump, lines or fuse. The “cycling of the ABS” is entirely unnecessary on that vehicle. Maybe it cuts down the bleeding time by 15%, if it all. but it’s not needed unless you’re designing a vehicle assembly line and need to save 7 seconds and 8 ounces of fluid per unit. 2. If you lost significant fluid there’s a ton of air in the line and they take forever to bleed. I’ve needed 64 ounces to bleed a thoroughly drained system. It simply probably wasn’t enough. Bleed until it seems like way too much and do it two more times. 3. Fix the bleeding issue first, get the car back to working properly before chasing all of those electrical gremlins. 4. Maybe there’s an off chance it won’t bleed properly if something else is amiss mechanically. But that seems unlikely if the car was working and driving fine before the brake job which seems to be the implied story line from what you wrote. First flashes are 10s digits and second set of flashes is ones digits. 7 long then 1 short is 71. 7 long 4 short is 74. A. Look up each code and post them here. B. ideally, clear the code and see which one comes back first. One may be contributing to the others. C. check the ABS wiring by the pump for rodent damage or wire abrasion in case the car has ever been in an accident/incident.

Yes it’s a non-interference engine. If you surface the heads within Subarus prescribed head thickness limits then it seems like it would have to retain non interference. Are you planning on going beyond the factory limits? I’ve gone beyond the limits on Subaru EJ heads without intake bolt issues, so I doubt that’s a concern. Those bolt holes aren’t super tight/fitted, seems to me there’s plenty of room for thousandths of an inch. the OP I don’t think is active anymore, and hasn’t been for ages, if not a decade. I doubt you’ll get a response.

I haven’t seen enough install-to-leaking lifespans to say with certainty. anecdotally OEM seem less likely to leak years later. I think some high volume Subaru independents say that’s the case. I don’t have enough sample size to say correlation or causation, and maybe the differences are really small, but I favor OEM.

No, but it doesn’t matter. It has a chain which never needs maintenance. Those engines are awesome, that’s why there’s 3 in my driveway now - 265k, 205k, 180k (though one isn’t mine but I helped them get it). Easy to drive 100,000 miles without ever thinking about them and very few issues. No timing belt. no distributor cap and rotor. No plug wires. The stock plugs commonly can last 100k and look good when you pull them.

Woah! That’s surprising to me. Did you look into wether or not this is part of Subarus methods? I wonder if the dealer would know.

one cam is always harder to turn than another due to the cam lobes being oriented differently. what year and engine? cam sprockets have notches/markings on their outer circumference. line that up with the 12 noon notch in the rear timing covers.

You'll only need engine parts so that's an advantage over those driving XT6's. As long as you know what you're getting into you'll be fine. That's Eric I think. I know of that guy, I helped him with ER27 stuff and shipped him some parts back then. Unless it was a different 914 conversion guy I sent parts too, but either way I've talked to that guy while he was doing that build. That's probably the sound of a mid-engined, custom intake, custom exhaust, light weight matchbox car with limited sound insulation properties, more than the engine choice. But doesn't matter, you don't seem surprised or worried about hard to find parts and using archaic technology, so you'll be good to go!

without reading through this entire thread - if you mean the valve cover and spark plug tube gaskets, yes. i prefer OEM but i've used fel pro in the past on these EJ tube gaskets without any major issues.

I’ve been driving XTs since 1993 and have owned a couple dozen ER27s as daily drivers and worked on others. 250,000 mile engines, and more, if well taken care of. The blocks and heads are non issues. Though splitting and assembling one yourself is not ideal. Those heads (and other old generation Subaru heads) get superficial, benign cracks between the valve seats. very well known amongst old school Subaru folks but not anyone else. Ignore them and carry on, but they’ll freak you or a shop out if they’re not familiar with old school subarus. High mileage ones can get warn HLA seats. headgaskets no big deal. I don’t know if headgaskets are still available OEM but those would be best. Oil pumps don’t “fail” but can often cause incessant ticking by introducing air into the oil. (It’s often called TOD or Tick is Death, although it’s a misnomer since it doesn’t cause any problems). Engine runs fine and it’s benign but engine sounds like a diesel. Oil pumps are NLA and one of the most common needs that would be nice to have available. New OEM timing belts, pulleys and tensioners are good for the factory recommended 60k change interval. Some of those pulleys are no longer available and old pulleys are devoid of grease and will seize and break the belt if not addressed. how you address those timing pulleys and if you use nonOEM parts will dictate change interval. I regrease the bearings, use after market timing belts, and check the belt and bearings around 30k. The passenger side belt had an adjustment routine that’s suggested to do at routine intervals and there’s an access point through the belt cover for that process. A well maintained OEM water pump is good for the 60k timing belt interval. But you may not get OEM and the long shafts and general design lend themselves to replacing with every timing belt change. They don’t have any ominous or outlandish failure modes, just wear and age. Electrical issues - these are only an issue now with age and brittle/corroded connectors. The CTS wiring is so common I have no idea how many of those I’ve fixed and I’ve done them Preventatively before. There’s an injector harness thats the same and can be bought new and sometimes the wire a few inches back needs replaced. Very easy, you would just address it as soon as you were building the engine. Plastic alternator connector - same thing. Brittle, but they’re obvious and easy to diagnose because you’ll loose charging. There’s a new connector available, easy and you’ll do this from the beginning unless you get a rare perfect connector. IAC - idle control sticks very commonly. Clean them out liberally internally, preferably while activating the valve so it’s cleaning through the whole range of motion and getting all parts. They can also fail and need replaced. knock sensors don’t fail often during nominal use but are so fragile with age they can break during removal or work. convert to an EJ alternator so you have more modern availability. that’s it - lots of parts are NLA and not a huge supply and it’s only going to get worse. Why not use an EJ22 engine?

You say MAF so it’s a GL Wagon, not a GL (which is a hatch, EA81 and carbureted), is that right? Any Check engine light? Either the exhaust is clogged or as you said it’s very rich. Drop exhaust at engine to check that, though that doesn’t seem like it would be intermittent and plugs suggest running rich.