idosubaru

like he said it's more likely that something sounded like piston slap and doing the work you did corrected it. COOL!!!!!! WILL YOU WORK ON MY CAR!!!!

you'll like this one nipper.....WHAT CAR!!!! yours is a later year 2.5 whatever it is i think, but i have a 1998 impreza. if it's not too hard i can pull it for you. but i'm moving like this weekend and the car is getting scrapped so i don't know if i'll have time.

spray and torch, i like that idea! actually i like the idea of pounding the end of the control arm inwards. at this point i have the hub removed so i really don't need to remove it, but it's stuck so bad i wouldn't mind freeing it up and anti-seizing it right now. that bolt is likely toasted on the end, i'll have to hit it with a die i'm sure before it's usable again. i hope it is, cause if it's not and it doesn't come out i'm really hosed. i'll be welding the nut back on!

actually i might even be able to cut the wires out of the dash...can't recall how it plugs in but i could snag the plugs for you.

anthony, i'll donate an XT6 dash cluster to you if that helps you at all. doubt it fits but an XT is EA82 and an XT and XT6 cluster will swap....so maybe?

the strut, hub and sway bars and rear trailing arm thingy are all disconnected. it's just hanging there. no way to get anything under the head and pry, i WAILED on the end of it and it didn't come out a nanometer. it doesn't move at all.

yep do a search for subaru online dealers, i don't know them off the top of my head. but they've been posted and talked about numerous times on here, should come right up.

hoses are brand new and radiator is brand new as well. radiator came off my previous daily driver which had no issues at all. water pump, thermostat are all new. from searching it looks like radiator cap or coolant return hose are most likely culprits of this.

Removed the nut from the bolt that holds the control arm to the frame of an XT6. On every other one i've ever worked on you tap the bolt and it slides out because the control arm isn't threaded. I pounded this one with a rather large hammer and it does not come out. doesn't move, doesn't turn, nothing. Someone welded this thing or what? not much rust issue on this vehicle either.

i did that too with an 8 foot digging bar and standing/jumping on the end of it. nothing. i did not remove the pinch bolt all the way, someone just mentioned that the pinch bolt needs to be all the way removed as the threads actually catch part of the ball joints.

1991 XT6. Tried replacing my ball joint last night. Got it out of the control arm but it refuses to come out of the hub. pinch bolt is loosened, chiseled it all the way open. sprayed liberally with Liquid Wrench. wailed on the ball joint with a chisel many dozens of times. any ideas? i also have another hub that has new bearings in it, i should install that one but it has an axle nut that won't come off (and the axle is bad). grrrr....

wow....quoted $2,700 for headgasket? good thing you checked around because that's an outrageous price. you buy a rebuilt motor for that from CCR probably. $1,000 - $1,500 is about the normal rate, sounds like you got it done right. typically the newer headgaskets are better and mitigate the problem. the only failure i recall seeing of a replaced headgasket (someone on the board here) was due to something else....like overheating due to bad radiator/thermostat/water pump which blew the headgasket. you should be golden, thanks for the update and resolution.

i'm having the same issue with my XT6. the gauge will show hotter than normal only on very humid and hot days with the a/c running and at highway speeds. radiator hoses, radiator, thermostat and water pump are all new. fans all come on properly, nothing blocking the front of the radiator. except the aftermarket ATF cooler i have mounted in front of the condensor/radiator but i've had those installed the exact same way on the exact same cars before with no issues. i popped the hood once and saw the top radiator hose collapsed. should i replace that with another? what causes the collapsing?

your transmission will hold the EA82T power just fine. EA82T's don't put out all that much anyway.

i'd buy an older subaru with the EJ22 engine in the $1,000 - $2,000 range. then when you get home spend the money on new timing belts, water pump, oil pump seals, crank seal and cam seals. the EJ22 is your best bet in terms of reliability and not very expensive. don't spend significant amounts of your disposable income on a car at this point, that's a bad financial/long term decision. i can easily score EJ22 subaru's around the maryland area in the sub $2,000 range. 2.5RS are nice, but you don't want that 2.5 motor. when the headgasket goes out you're looking at another 1,000 - 1,500 to fix that. good luck and keep your head up...

if the accident wasn't your fault they will give you far more than that. you need a lawyer unless you're really good at dealing with this kind of situation. if the accident was your fault then you're more at the mercy of your insurance company. i'm not surprised at all at $2,600 figure. i'm not saying they don't cost more, only that i'm not surprised. take the money and buy this one for half the $1,300 (or talk him down): http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/185618511.html then you'll have $1,300 in your pocket minus flight and gas or shipping ($500-$800).

i'd check the wiring in the drivers side door. has it ever been in an accident around that door area or the door been removed? where the wiring passes through the door and into the car it could be cut/shorted/exposed due to the tight bend and possible sharp metal curves around the door jamb. or replace the drivers side switch, it may be bad. could probably test the wires with a voltmeter for a short/continuity.

what do you mean by "car feels like it's moving side to side"? i'd look into the axle and wheel lug nuts immediately. one may have come loose or the studs can shear off leaving fewer to hold the wheel in place. jack each front tire up and check for play as you push and pull on the tops and sides of the tire. ball joints and tie rods should be inspected very soon since they are a safety concern. otherwise, whole car body vibrations can also be driveshaft ujoints. they can be difficult to check though visually and usually need to remove the driveshaft to check for sure.

there are no hard and fast facts about the head gasket issues. you can hear lots of oppinions and experiences but they are individual experiences and oppinions, none of which provide the quantitative answers you're looking for. Subaru did change the headgasket and that's the major modification that i'm aware of. i have not heard of other changes. i was under the impression that the "issues" ceased in 2000 or 2001, earlier than the info you provided suggests. it is said that installing the new headgasket nearly permanently solves the head gasket issues by itself. reoccurrence with the new headgasket is very rare and when it does happen can probably be attributed to something else (installation, old stock gasket, over heating due to failed water pump/radiator.etc).

describe wobble a little more. make sure axle nut and tire lugs are all tight. driveshaft ujoints and ball joints come to mind as well as alot of other things. the more descript you can be the better.

a place in cleveland, OH. don't recall the name.

i had an older generation JDM motor come with a bad headgasket. "good running condition" was the prepurchase claim. after installing and finding the head gasket leak their warranty consisted of offering two head gaskets which i have yet to see either. yes it's only one experience but i'll never buy one again. easier to find, rebuild or reseal as i see fit.

fan is either on or off.

sounds like it's binding. make sure all your tires are the same size and the tread is similar. change your ATF. after that you're looking at replacing the clutch packs or rear extension housings or entire transmission. look up "torque bind" on the forums here, TONS of information on this.

are you sure they don't come with grease in them? i've never heard of packing grease into a ball joint, but i haven't done that many either. i have a new set i just bought and looked at, they appear ready to go out of the box to me. i wouldn't pull it apart just to oil the top of the ball joints.