revtim

Is replacing the o-rings a DIY kind of job or one I should leave to my mechanic?

1006 Legacy 2.2 Wagon I tried the A/C for the first time today and noticed that the pump does not engage. I do not hear a click or anything but if I try to spin it, it spins freely. Don't know if ti's a bad solenoid or so low on freon it has cut out. Checked the 10 AMP fuse and it's good but don't know how to check those big black relay fuses so i'm stuck Where do I go from here? thanks,

Ok... sounds good. Will just change the full synthetic oil in it every 6000 miles adding MotorKote for good measure and run it till the wheels fall off.... then buy another. Thanks for all the input.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I am a bit confused by them however... if it was improper adjustment of the valves why would it only do it when cold and how would throttle position change the loudness? Piston slap is an interesting idea. Still, if it was piston slap, why did the MotorKote really lessen the noise? I wouldn't have thought it would do that. Naked Bull, I have always chosen MotorKote over Dura-Lub but am open to changing my mind if you can convince me why it's better. I am wondering if it would be due to wear or gummed up rings. I am trying to do what i can to clean up the internal workings. I bought the car with 162K on it and immediately did the valve job since it had a miss when I bought it. I don't know but I am thinking the car may have sat for a while in more recent times prior to my buying it. I switched to full synthetic oil and plan on changing the oil more frequently than I might normally.. like every 5k or so for a while and wanted something that might help free up things like rings and lifters etc by cleaning out the gunk. After reading what I could on the subject, I went with Rislone. Always open to other ideas. I really appreciate all the input. I am trying to learn all I can about this cause I really love Subarus and have since the mid and late 70's. I used to sell them back then and loved showing people under the hood how much more robust the construction was than the Toyotas and Datsuns. They were also way ahead of the industry back then with the SEEC-T engine. Anyway.. enough nostalgia. Please keep giving my your opinion on my tapping issue and ideas as to how to correct if possible. I want to drive this car until the wheels fall off or the body completely rusts away and a healthy/happy engine is the key to getting there.

1999 Legacy Wagon 2.2 L 172K AT Did a valve job and car runs fine except when I first start it... especially on cold mornings. Then there is a tapping sound that resolves after a couple of minutes when engine warms up. It's louder the colder it is (air temperature). Also, it's louder under load then when idling or when I come off the gas. I added MotorKote and it quieted considerably. I just added some Rislone too and it may have helped a little too but not a lot. Once warm, it runs quietly and when restarting at the end of the day to go home.. it's much quieter than in the AM when it's sat longer and is much colder. When it's under freezing, it's most prominent when first started. Any ideas what this might be and if there is a way to remedy it? Trying to figure out if it's something stuck cause it's gunked up inside (just got the car a couple of months ago).. or if something needs adjusting or what. Thanks for your opinions and suggestions.

Well.. I've already started down the road using the Valvoline MaxLife synthetic ATF so I might just keep going with it so I don't have to do extra changes... They're not too hard as I do them from the dipstick with my pela 6000 but still..... Thanks for the tip about manually shifting... I'll do that. Never would power flush as I am a cheap-rump roast DIY'er all the way... (when I have the skills anyway)

UGH.. what a horrible thought... Perhaps I should do a 4th or even 5th change to make sure I get everything changed...????

I will try the Lucas once finished the change out.... but am wondering if you know anything about the Seafoam Trans Tune vs Lucas.. and which Lucas... I notice there are two... a revitalizer and a stop slipping one

I am doing the three change plan. How many miles between changes would you suggest? I notice that the oil is quite a bit thicker when cool then when hot yet new in bottle is quite thin. Does this suggest it's really old? It looked great and smelled great on the dipstick... but since the only real problem in shifting is when it's first started up... I am beginning to think this thickness could be the issue. Haven't driven cold with second change (5 quarts) so I have no idea if it's helping yet.

I sure hope that's not true as I don't know if I am up to that task and I hate to have to take it to the UHaul folks to do the installation for me.. takes the cost way up.

1999 Legacy L Wagon. I want to install a trailer hitch but am having trouble locating the pigtail or even the wiring harness to connect the trailer wiring components to. Searching youtube and internet have shown the plug in various places from the driver's tail light port to the inside the passenger side cover but most videos are for outbacks and the more I look the more differences I discover between the two. Can anyone help me determine if there is a preexisting pigtail I can plug into and where I can find it or the wiring I would need to tap into if not. thanks

1999 Legacy L 2.2 liter engine A/T 165K on Odo. Car runs great but shifts a little slow sometimes allowing a small rev increase during shift. (I drive with a very light touch) Trans fluid is clean and no burnt smell. Had filter cleaned. Just got the car but believe it was stored or at least not driven for a while. Looking for the best possible tonic to add to the trans fluid to help restore it if that's what it needs or any other suggestions to help restore it to maximum functioning. Thanks

PLASTIC!!! I thought it felt strange for metal. OK.. I want to make sure I purchase the right radiator since the engine is currently a 2.2 and I know it originally came with a 2.5 in that year so I checked the tag on the radiator. Now I am really confused. First, it says "Made in USA" which I think is unusual. And the model number shows as 45111 AC100 which is not the normal one for a 97. In fact, I can't find this particular model number anywhere for a subaru. Any suggestions how I can make sure I get one that will fit the existing brackets or what to do about ordering correctly. Also, anyone know if plastic epoxy will work to shore up the leak on a temporary basis anyway? it is not yet leaking over the entire crack... just one place I know of

1997 Subaru Legacy Outback. Manual transmission. My radiator has sprung a leak and sealant has failed. I think I am facing replacement at this point but just want to clear something up. The leak is on the front-right (passenger) side of the radiator on the "tank" portion of the radiator. It's leaking from either a seam or a crack.. I don't know which it is. I have attached a photo. Hopefully one of you can confirm that it's a crack. Also, is this a common failure in a Subaru radiator? I've never seen such a thing before in any car. Also, can I just replace the tank or do I have to replace the entire radiator.? Thanks

Had it done and forgot to ask for them back. Not the sharpest knife in the drawer sometimes. But, like I said.... now it's running fine. Just can't figure out what I might have done bymoving around the coil wire to fix it.

My 97 Outback at some point before I got it had a 2.0 engine installed in it. With 260K on the odometer, that's no surprise. What is strange is the following set of circumstances. First the car would have one of the cylinder's stop firing from time to time. If I shut off the engine.. waited a moment then restarted, it would be OK again. So, I replaced the plugs, plug wires and the coil but it persisted. Then, all of a sudden, it started idling some times fast, sometimes slow and often really missing badly when idling but would run ok once I was driving. I was sure I was losing a cylinder at this point but went under the hood after about a week of this and was looking at the connection of the coil. It seemed fine but in the process I also was moving around the wires that go from the coil to somewhere I cannot easily see. When I restarted the car, all of a sudden it no longer misses on idle and the problem with the cylinder dropping out also seems to have disappeared. And the idle has become very consistent at around 500 - 750 rpm when warm. I can only imagine there is a loose wire somewhere between the coil and where ever it goes and would be a lot more comfortable if I could figure out what is up so I can make sure it doesn't return when I am out on the road.. perhaps even worse. Any idea on what the issue might have been and what i could do now to make sure this fix becomes solid? Thanks

My 1997 Outback 5 speed has about 270K miles. It's got the 2.2L engine so I've learned it is a replacement for the original 2.5L engine. I just bought a year ago so I have no idea how many miles on this engine. It's starting to run rough.. sometimes one cylinder goes dead till I restart it and now the idle is very rough. Once running (down the freeway) it's ok though. Only error code is for the occasional misfire and the fact I have no big catalytic converter so the second O2 sensor is not hooked up. My mechanic said it's probably in need of a valve job and that the cost of that would be $1500. I'm wondering if it might make more sense to purchase one of those used 2.2 engines offered online with around 60K miles on them. There seems to be quite a few offered by various vendors. A company called SW engines is one that I saw. I don't know what the labor would be but I imagine you have to pull the engine to do a valve job.. is this correct? Wouldn't it make more sense to replace the engine with something with a lot less miles so that I would be getting everything else in the engine with a lot fewer miles? I would hate to invest the $1500 only to discover in a very short while that I need new timing chain or rod bearings etc etc etc. Aside from a little rust (Michigan) the car will serve me for several years to come if I can get the engine running well and reliably and a couple of thousand to make that happen will be a lot cheaper than scrapping it and buying another.... with it's own set of problems. At least... aside from the engine, this is a known commodity. Anyone have experience with these used engines? At $1000-$1500 they look like a reasonable alternative since a rebuilt is in the range of $2500+.

I pulled the trouble codes on the car. It showed one O2 sensor failing. That would be the rear one as the small cat converter is still in place. Only the big cat convertor was gone when I bought the car. The codes also showed random misfires but nothing on vacuum leaks or the idle control valve. is it possible there are vacuum leaks or that the idle control valve could be causing the problem even though there are no codes indicating such?

I didn't know there were two sensors. Can you tell me where the front and rear sensors are located and attached? Also, is the idle control valve something one replaces or cleans when it is sticking?

Vehicle: 1997 Legacy Outback with 260k with manual transmission... but it has a replacement 2.2L engine so actual mileage on engine is unknown. Sometimes when I am in traffic and come to a stop suddenly, the engine stalls. When I restart it only is firing on 3 cylinders. If I drive it for a little then turn off the engine.. and wait a minute then restart, it is back to firing on all 4 cylinders. So far, I have replaced plugs, plug wires and ignition coil and I have regularly added SeaFoam gas treatment to the tank when filling up. Driving it does not clear up the misfire but stopping it and restarting seems to do the trick. I should add that when I bought the car in September, it had no exhaust system... it has separated in front of the cat-converter. It's not required in a car of that age in Michigan so I had the exhaust system fixed absent the catalytic converter and just let the O2 sensor hang there... (I guess). Also, I just noticed that if I drive the car hard (which I never do) and floor the gas going through the gears, before I hit full revs, the car cuts out. I have only done this twice as I am afraid I might make something worse... or permanent. I would like to have some idea of what is wrong before I take to a mechanic.. in case I can't fix it myself so I am not victimized. Thanks in advance for any suggestions as to what might be going on here. I've been around cars and tinkered with them for years but this is a first for me. Thanks

I appreciate the conversation about replacement engines and I do have a question based upon what has bee proffered here but my question related more to when/if the 2.5 SOHC or DOHC engine was ever brought up to the reliability standards we have come to expect from a Subaru. This would matter when I decide to replace my current 97 Legacy Outback with a used later model Subaru. Just trying to figure out, were that the case, what year models I should limit my search to. As to the subject of replacement engines I see lots of used 2.2L engines with around 80k miles on them and wondered how they have such low miles given when Subaru stopped selling them in the US. I gather from what I've read here that these are used engines imported from the Japanese market? Also, am I correct in assuming that the term JDM refers to "Japanese Domestic Market"? If I am correct in my assumptions, can anyone comment on the maintenance habits of the average Japanese Subaru owner? I have learned over the years that different cultures maintain their cars quite differently. Thanks for any input on both these subjects.

I have been learning about how the 2.5 DOHC engine had (has?) problems with rods and other dependability issues. That's why the swap to a EJ2.2 engine is found so frequently in late 90's Subarus like mine. Now I am wondering if improvements have been made to restore reliability to the product line? If so, when did they get the 2.5 engine working like it should? If not, is there another engine now that is worth owning. Thanks

I have now tried pulling up gently and by inserting a flat blade screwdriver under it to be more forceful. Likewise in the downward direction. The connection does move a little in there so I know it's not frozen stiff but I'll be darned if I can get it loose. I don't mind breaking the connector if it's only on the coil side since I am replacing it anyway.. if you can be more specific as to how to go about doing that. I am getting to my wits end but shudder at the thought of paying someone $100 just because he can open it and I can't. Thanks for continued help.

I tried the pushing down and that didn't seem to do the trick so now I will try the pulling it up. Hopefully that will work. I must say, pushing down seemed to be more natural and intuitive based upon past experience.

My 97 Legacy Outback has a EJ2.2 engine and I am trying to replace the ignition coil. I can't figure out the trick to unplugging the pigtail connection. It doesn't want to just pull apart. Do I just need to use more force or is there some trick. I notice there is something on top that I can push down and on the sides of the plug is are more things that might need to have something done to them. Anyway, I don't want to force it ... or cut the wire on the coil side of the connection and remove the coil then try again. I have not tried spraying it with WD40 or anything else to try to loosen it up choosing instead to come here and ask someone who knows. Thanks in advance for any help.