GeneralDisorder

The manifold gaskets rarely fail..... at any rate that's largely a myth on modern engines. You won't burn a valve if you run without the exhaust in place let alone a small leak. That's not what causes burnt valves. As I see it there is only three possibilities: 1. Wear. It simply wore out to the point that there wasn't enough contact with the valve face and seat to properly cool it. Overheating and cracking/chipping/flaking of the valve face occurs till the hole opens up more and then the thing just becomes a torch and rapidly declines. 2. Lash adjustment too tight - valve never fully seats - see above. 3. Lean condition - basically running too hot. Retarded ignition timing, lean injector, no EGR on engines that need it's cooling effect (not specifically Subaru's), detonation, preignition, etc. I'm just wondering what people's experience has been with burned valves and if they know for certain what, if anything, made it not return for them..... I've read at least one post where a member had the same valve burn again after only a couple months. I'm leaning toward some kind of lean condition as I have seen plenty examples of EJ's that have run 300k without this happening. Thus it would seem not to be a "normal" wear effect. Tight valve tollerances might do it but I would assume that most of the EJ25D's on the road have never had the valves adjusted.... GD

Generally it's a bad idea to tow anything heavier than the tow vehicle and quite frankly it's safest to stay below 2/3 of the weight of the tow vehicle. My truck weighs about 6500 lbs. I try to stay around 5000 lbs or less for towing (total trailer+load weight). Other than that it's about braking performance (might need trailer brakes), and how much power you have to spare after the vehicle itself takes what it needs to get up to speed. Therin lies the rub - EA81's don't have any spare power . GD

Interesting theory. I haven't got the engine out yet (brought it home today and verified their mechanic's claim of low comp. on #4) but I'll pay attention to that as a possibility when I pull the head off. The EJ22 I worked on recently was a manual adjustment (no bucket/shim stuff) and baring a valve hanging open due to deposits..... well the head guys said it was from a lean condition and likely a bad injector so that's what I went with. The valve looked closed - well as closed as is possible for something with 1/4" hole burned into the side of it . Definitely a possibility worth looking into. If the valve hangs open then it can't dissipate heat from the edge of the valve into the seat and surrounding aluminium of the head (which is primarily how valves are cooled). As soon as you create a gap at that point you generally experience a rapid enlargement of the "hole" location as that spot gets larger and dissipates less heat - hotter and hotter. Eventually it becomes like a cutting torch and just blows away material very quickly. I'm not following how they get too tight as they age though - that's counter-intuitive to what I'm used to. What's the mechanism behind that? GD

Sure can. Just did that for a friend's '98 OBS. Just use the bracket from a '97 or older. Don't know why they went to the new style tensioner. The older style was bulletproof and easier to compress. All the new style's I've seen leak and I wouldn't reuse one nor would I attempt to compress one. I just buy a new one most of the time unless it's a special request to swap back to the older school one. GD

Depends on the size...... and quite frankly do you *want* to tow a trailer that big with a car that has 74 HP and can barely get out of it's own way with a running start? Can you say "death trap"? Seriously - don't consider towing anything larger than a dinghy on rollerskates or a motorcyle/jetski trailer (single, not a double ). You take your life into your hands with that kind of HP and any kind of weight. Mountain passes become 25 MPH affairs with stuff like that and people are rude and make rash descisions when stuck behind you - THEY might kill someone even if you don't manage to off yourself in the process of getting to a campsite. Play it safe and buy a tent - one that you can carry on your back. ..... I never understood the Pontiac Vibe - why would you pay several thousand $$ more for the Pontiac logo slapped on a Toyota Matrix? This was a female purchase wasn't it? :-\ GD

Calipers can pretty easily be rebuilt if it's a seal failure, etc. I think the reason people no longer replace both very often is that failure's are really rather rare with these. It is not uncommon to see a 25 y/o subaru with original calipers and no issues in that respect. Properly maintained they *should* last the life of the car. Accidents happen though...... That said, if it's been sitting and the caliper has failed due to rust (water in the fluid - it's hydroscopic and will absorb water from the atmosphere) I would replace both. I have occasion to work on stuff that's been sitting for years, and most recently I just did the rear brakes on my '69 GMC - one cylinder had failed. I replaced both and bled out the nasty old fluid...... I'm just saying there are circumstances - depending on the nature of the failure - where I would replace all the "good-for-the-moment" parts on the other wheel because I know they are at a higher probability of failure. GD

*edit - pictures on page 4* Just bought a '97 OBW with 169k on it. Pretty ugly misfire on #4. Pulled the plug and she's clean (so it's not oil fouling or ring wear - blow-by isn't indicated by the PCV, etc, nor is it burning any oil). Cylinder shows 60 psi. Looks like another burned exhaust valve.... Just about two months ago I had a customer's '97 Legacy L (2.2) in here with the same issue - except it had REALLY burned a valve and had zero compression on #4. 199k on that one. I did a search of the board here and people mention seeing it. I haven't heard a ton of incidences of this and not much in the way of specific threads talking about it. What's the consensus on the cause? I had figured a lean condition on the EJ22 I just did so as a precaution I installed new injectors, fuel filter, etc. Everything else checked out on it and it's running super smooth now. My plan right now is to tear it down, rebuild the heads, and replace the injectors, fuel filter, and on this car both O2 sensors (the wire to the rear one has been cut off at the sensor - don't know what that's about yet). Any other sensor's that people have found to cause a lean condition or is this just a faulty injector issue? I'm really starting to get paranoid about EJ injectors - this is Honda territory from what my head guy tells me And slightly off-topic, but this EJ25D has near 170k on it and I bought it from the original owner. It's still got the factory head gaskets . It showed no signs of overheating and it was driven here from Bend most recently and before that it was somewhere in Vermont . GD

What's the point of having a shop do it? Then you don't even know what was done, if it was done correctly, or how to troubleshoot it in the future. Plus it's expensive and pointless unless you are doing it as a learning experience. Turbo cars are cheap these days. Find a WRX with a blown engine for $5k or $6k and drop in the built-up engine of your choice. Then not only do you have the power, but also the brakes and suspension to handle it with. Turbo swaps are a nightmare due to the differences in the engine bay - the engine cross member, radiator core support, wireing, etc, etc. Paying someone to do it is just asking for problems down the road. That's a can of worms most people should just never open. GD

I buy all my timing belt/water pump kits (with idlers and tensioners where required) from MizumoAuto or TheImportExperts on ebay. I just bought a 97 2.5 kit with belt, idlers, water pump, cam/crank seals for $158 free shipping and I know the 2.2 kits are around $120 free shipping (shorter belt)..... Those are the most expensive parts from the dealer and as long as you replace them EVERY time the belt is done the aftermarket stuff is fine. Subaru doesn't call out those parts to EVER be replaced which is rediculous IMO. I've done all the shopping around - the ebay guys are by FAR the cheapest around. I've not had a single issue except an incorrect idler pulley on one order and they corrected it within 2 days (MizumoAuto in that case). I have got DOHC belts with improper timing marks on the belt but it was noted on the paperwork I received that the marks should not be used. The belt worked fine and the marks were indeed WAY off. Tis the price you pay to get a hell of a deal. It was worth it and I don't need the marks anyway. Everything else you should get at the dealer and I forgot to add the thermostat+gasket. Also if you get the ebay kits don't forget to buy an OEM water pump gasket from the dealer as the one's included with the aftermarket pumps are paper. After you buy the ebay kit, this will be your new dealer list: Head gaskets Intake/exhaust gaskets cam support o-rings Valve cover gaskets/bolt grommets Thermostat+gasket Water pump gasket GD

I talked with the parts guy at my dealership (he's been there for over 20 years) and he said it's up to the discretion of the mechanic as to if the car needs one or two bottles. I'm sure one is probably fine if it's not leaking yet. My Forester with 240k on it..... I replaced the radiator and didn't add the stop-leak. WOW!!! I've never seen a head gasket pour coolant on the ground like that one did. It was all over the exhaust and you could smell it wherever you parked the car. It would run low in a matter of just a few days of around town driving. I put in two bottles on my parts guy's reccomendation (I was about to buy the head gaskets for it ) and it stopped immediately and hasn't come back nor have I added a drop of coolant. That was over a year ago. I'm sold on that stuff. Yes it's a repair in a bottle which I don't normally condone..... but it's dealer approved and it actually works. Even if it's a temp fix it got the car off my to-do list for over a year now. Totally worth the $1.50 a bottle IMO. When/if the leak comes back I'll deal with it - but with how well the stuff worked in my case the engine might be too high on the mileage end of things to bother repairing by the time the problem returns. Which would be fine by me...... GD

I would be tempted to do the head gaskets as well if you know for a fact they have never been done. When was the timing belt done? Should have been around 100k to 110k typically (called out at 105k on the maintenance schedule). Over $800 for a clutch swap is silly. It's about a 4 hour job.... how much are they charging per hour? Even at $100 per hour the parts are not over $400..... I don't get where they come up with this price unless you are taking it to the dealer? Personally I charge 4 to 5 hours labor plus parts and the clutch kit is around $200. All said and done it's not usually over $400 for a clutch job when I do them for people. The fact that they want to change your rear main is a red flag..... they obviously aren't familair with Subaru's because it's common practice to not touch the rear main if it's not leaking because they have a bad tendancy to leak shortly after being replaced. It's rare for them to leak anyway. GD

I have bought used 2.5 cars with head gaskets already replaced.... something else has often failed and thus why I bought them but I find that it's common to see them already done. Many were done before 100k miles and some before 60k. So as said above - don't limit yourself on the model years - just educate yourself on how to spot a replacement head gasket. They are pretty easy to see because they are an entirely different design than the original gaskets - MLS vs. old-school composite. GD

I use the Harbor Feight 6 ton jack stands and with a block of wood on my jack I can get it high enough to clear the transmission and my transmission jack so I can just roll the transmission out and then roll it back in. Thus I go much higher than 20" - around 28" to 30" I would guess is where I typically put them. GD

Just replace it - good used 5 speed's can be had for relatively cheap - around $200 or less typically. The metal swirling in the oil means it's days are numbered even if you find 1st gear. Just find another. GD

The part blocking access to all the pan bolts is known as the "engine cross-member" - it's what the engine is bolted to and in turn the cross-member is bolted to the frame. Other things call it home as well such as the control arms, steering rack, etc. There are holes in the cross-member for you to use a large phillips screwdriver to access the pan bolts which are not easily accesible with a socket. You will have to unbolt the engine from the cross-member and jack it up a bit to get the pan to clear the pickup tube, etc. For the oil pan gasket - get it from the dealer ONLY and then coat all surfaces in Grey RTV and let it dry before installation. This will keep the cork from absorbing engine oil and turning hard/shrinking with age. And then make sure you torque the pan bolts properly. They are tricky. It's best if you just install them with a screwdriver rather than a ratchet. The torque value is relatively light. Replaceing the bolts with some new black oxide bolts and star washers is never a bad idea but finding one's that have phillips heads can be tricky. Typically I opt to replace the lock washers with new star washers and I keep the original bolts. GD

Does anyone else hear a faint whining sound in the distance? Seriously - that's relatively painless. I just did an oil pan gasket on my 350 SBC. I had to pull the entire exhaust (42 years old and it shows) and jack the engine up off the cross-member..... Now that's a pain in the neck . Whine about something that's hard or messy at least..... GD

Get Swampers - you won't regret it. Anything less you will regret later when they don't perform like a Swamper..... been there. And frankly the Swampers are relatively cheap for what you get. They are unstoppable on a Subaru. Tire *size* is a total crapshoot. My 215/75R15 Chinese mud tires are *supposed* to be 28". They are smaller in diameter than my 27x9.5 Swampers . So really..... you have to actually measure the tire's in real life. This has been shown several times by prominent members here. The sizing is only a guess and could be up to a few inches off. GD

It doesn't sound as if you know much of anything yet - you don't even know which part is for *sure* making this noise. You mention both the front and the rear differential and the transmission yet they are completely distinct items though the transmission and front diff are actually integrated into a single "transaxle" unit. I'll tell you what I tell everone that poses this type of question to me - IE: "what do I do about sound X?"..... Answer: "You wait till it gets loud enough that you can figure out FOR SURE what component is making the noise." Differential failure's on Subaru's are very uncommon. Front diff failure on automatic's is often due to improper fluid changes/filling as noted above. Otherwise they are not known to fail. And no - the check engine light has NOTHING to do with any mechanical whining noises your car is making. The engine computer has no monitoring systems with which to detect that nor would it care. After all - it's a check ENGINE light not a check transmission light now isn't it? If there were a detectable problem with the electronics of the transmission the ATF Temp light would flash to indicate an error code has been set inside the TCU (transmission control unit) - but again it has no way to detect (nor reason to care) about any mechanical noises being made by your drivetrain. GD

What is wrong with it? Chances are it's just some bearings if it's still driving. The cost of the parts is prohibitively expensive unless it's just one or two bearings, the seals, and some RTV/gaskets. Otherwise it's MUCH cheaper just to source a used tranny. As for where to get parts - other than the dealer your choices are very limited. For seals and bearings you can try all the bearing suppliers in town - give them the numbers and any branding on the bearings and see if they can get them. Very likely the dealer will be the only source for most of them. Bearings for this type of application are VERY often custom and built in quantities of thousands and shipped directly to the transmission factory - in the case of the 5MT's Jatco I beleive. All you can do is call around and see what can be had on the open market. Or just pay the dealer as you are sure to get the right thing. Bearing houses might lead you astray - bearing numbering and specifications can be very tricky and tough to match. GD

Axle "rebuilding" entails replacing everything but the shaft itself. Mostly not worth the cost of the parts. Dissasemble, regrease, reboot. If they are too badly worn to consider this then toss them. Hope you marked the position of the upper bolt - it's a special cam bolt that adjusts the camber. If you didn't then you may need an alignment. Generally speaking the easiest method is to remove the pinch bolt from the ball joint and use a large pry-bar to push down on the control arm and pull the ball joint free of the knuckle. Unless that interface is too rusty and then you mark and remove the strut clamp bolts as you have done. That is not the best way unless it's neccesary due to corrosion. EJ axle swaps generally take me about 20 minutes per side. It's just the wheel, ball joint, roll pin, and then the 32mm axle nut. Very, very, very simple. GD

EJ engines come out really easily. Transmissions are a pain by comparison and I don't pull them except when I need to work on/replace one or for clutch's on turbo's. Easier than messing with turbo flange nuts . N/A EJ engine pull = 1 hour. GD

Just leave them off. You won't have any problems. Lifted = capability = pounding through brush and weeds, etc. GD

You should have pulled the engine. Much easier. Seperator plate replacement is 4 hours tops. The pin is a 6mm roll pin. All the dealers should stock dozens of them for only a few $. GD

Large cap is for 80 to 82. Small cap is 83+. Doesn't affect fitment. All the aftermarket rads have the atf lines and you don't have to cap them (it's just a tube that runs in and back out of the end tank). http://www.rockauto.com is a great resource I use them all the time. Don't forget to google up a discount code - should cover some of the shipping. They give everyone 5% all the time pretty much. GD

The difference is in the location of the timing window on the bell-housing. I can't recall how different they are but if your information is correct about where it's pointing at TDC then you should be fine with putting it to 30. GD