bearbalu

I did both heads, both were resurfaced - I know that blows a hole in my theory since right marks aligned, but left didn't. I did adjust valve clearances by replacing shims. Machine shop replaced valve seals while heads were being resurfaced.

Subaru service manual calls for 130 +-7 ft-lb for my 98 outback EJ25 DOHC engine - must be same for yours...As for the new tensioner - the type where they recommend vertical press to press the rod, the local dealership mechanic uses horizontal vice - just make sure the rod is straight.

Search for overheat articles and they will give you lots of info. A few things to check starting with cheapest: Check radiator cap - make sure it is okay visually. Make sure coolant is burped and no air. If lower hose is much cooler than as upper hose when overheat occurs = stuck thermostat OR blown head gasket. Bubbles in coolant and lots of coolant in overflow reservior call for a sniffer test - 25 bucks. If head gasket, replacing on your own is time consuming but worthwile - check other posts. If no bubbles, replacing thermostat isn't big deal - drain coolant, remove the thermostat housing at the other end of lower hose and replace it...you should also confirm that old thermostat is stuck by using a pot of water on stove. Other places including radiator clog (easy to replace on your own)

Yes, I did put back pressure plate in same orientation with flywheel - no clutch shudder that I can feel - depressing clutch pedal makes no difference. Timing - I doubt it though it is not impossible. Why I think timing is right - First, the car runs great. Second, I counted the teeth on timing belt(from crank sprocket mark to cam sprocket mark, and intake to exhaust cam sprocket marks) and they were exactly as per spec. As I understand it, only reliable way is counting teeth. The Right cam marks aligned perfectly with inside right timing cover.... The "not impossible part" - The marks on left intake cam sprocket did not align perfectly with left inner timing cover - seemed off by less than 1/2 tooth. If I had tried moving to next teeth, I would be off by more than 1/2 tooth and more importantly, the teeth count would have been off. Mark on left exhuast cam sprocket was off by even less - perhaps 1/4 tooth. The left intake and exhaust alignment with respect to each other (the double etched marks on sprockets) seemed off by 1/2 tooth in relation to each other but the factory paint mark(not sprocket marks) going across left intake and exhaust were in perfect alignment. I also suspect that a resurfaced head and an updated head gasket (Subaru redesigned them) with different thickness can make material difference to alignment with relation to inner mark, since they impact the distance between the crank and cam sprockets.

Thanks. They aren't hydraulic....

I removed the engine and replaced HG/Clutch/Timing belt on my 98 outback. I am experiencing some engine shudder/shake - feel it when I am stopped. Car runs great otherwise. Idle rpm is fine too. Any ideas where to start?

"Liquid packing" is the sealant - Permatex Ultra-Grey recommended by Subaru. In some places manual calls for just oil lube, in other places like cam journals, engine assembly lube as 990bw pointed out.

Folks tend to reseal the oil pump instead of replacing it.

Doesn't removing head require removing camshafts to access head bolts. When I did mine, that seemed the only way. So as far as I can tell, you have to put head back in, then lifters and shims and put the camshafts in place. When I did mine engine was out... Valve shims - they come in .01 increments, you can read the shim sizes on back sometimes. You should measure your valve clearances before you remove camshafts if you want to readjust them...

Return - exiting heater core and feeding into water pump.

See http://mysite.verizon.net/vze730qe/guestlog.html

When I had head gasket trouble, symptoms were exactly same. I don't recollect lack of cabin heat though. I thought it was a stuck closed thermostat with upper hose hot and lower hose cold. But there was lots of exhaust in expansion tank and bubbles. I don't still fully understand the physics behind it. DOES ANYONE UNDERSTAND THE FULL PHYSICS OF THIS OR POINT TO AN ARTICLE ON INTERNET - I COULDN'T FIND IT. My hypothesis: Coolant thrown out into expansion tank by bubbles keeping the coolant cool near the radiator cap/lower radiator hose and preventing the thermostat from opening. The coolant in engine is still hot and so is the it near the upper radiator hose. Another possibility is that bubbles around thermostat also preventing it from opening. I am also not sure where thermostat is on modern cars - waterpump side (Subaru) or upper radiator hose/engine. It would seem to me that if thermostat was mounted on upper radiator hose/engine, it would open.

I took my idlers to the mechanic at dealership and asked him for his opinion. As setright said, he suggested replacing the toothed idler. Everything else he said was okay. One idea I toyed with was to buy the idler at local dealership, use it and order a replacement from 1stsubaru. Restock it to dealer....Never implemented it!

As I understand it, replace only if they are noisy by listening against your ear. As for the tensioner, look at the tip of the rod - if there is no big wear and tear from loose tensioner, it is okay. See July 2001 issue of Motor magazine at www.motor.com (and following issues for more tips on t-belt job) - it says they rarely fail...

If you recently added some coolant and didn't burp it fully, you could still get bubbles with air just working it's way out of the system. However, if you have bubbles all the time due to head gasket problem, the coolant level in expansion tank would keep rising. Another thing to worry about is whether head gasket is the chicken or the egg - what lead to overheating the first time and whether blown head gasket was a result of repeated overheating. You don't want it to happen again! In my case, I suspect it was a clogged radiator that lead to overheating climbing a steep grade (grapevine to LA) which lead to blown head gasket. Since you have replaced thermostat and radiator, you might want to still double check the fan, radiator cap and waterpump. While you are at head gasket, consider doing the following based on condition: waterpump, timing belt, resealing oil pump, new cam/crank seals, valve clearances. None of these should require engine removal, unless you include do clutch-if you have one. See the following for additional info and links. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27848

Steve D, do the sniffer test. Kidwon, I would wait to do head gasket... I think infrared is sniffer test, but you might want to double check with mechanic. What about bubbles in expansion tank? You might want to do the test one more time with a really warm engine before you embark on head gasket. Radiator fan is supposed to come on when coolant is close to operating temp. On highways it would usually be off since relative speed with air provides cooling. When you are at stop or driving at low speeds, it should come on. Since you mention the symptom being slowing down after highway driving, I suspected that fan is not coming on. You might want to hotwire the fan or change the fan relay, given you have seen the p1520 error. Your car might be running at 9pm because the new thermostat might have different properties (if it isn't OEM). Or radiator might be slightly different since you replaced it.

I certainly hope it is something else, and one has to give credit to mechanic who won't just do head gasket - stick with him! I am not convinced of it either, but fewer options remain once you replace thermostat and radiator! Does the car still run at 9pm after you changed the thermo/radiator? Waterpump, erratic fan which doesn't turn on for some reason when you slow down after highway driving...Any coolant loss ? Did you look for symptoms of bubbles/coolant pushing into exhaust? Did you ask the mechanic what he did to validate no exhaust in coolant? I hope he did sniffer test is more accurate than block test. If negative sniffer test was done and you don't see bubbles, there is good reason to look somewhere else. Read the link I sent and you can gather more info to trouble shoot the problem.

See thread http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27848

Just use the scan tool to erase it.

I used a 17mm flare nut wrench - couldn't get the sucker out and ended up rounding the nut. If you are planning reusing the heads and resurfacing them, the machine shop will remove it for you - they did it for me!

Some cars have a feature where a heater valve cuts off coolant flow to heater core if car overheats (either for safety or to force more coolant through radiator)- that would explain cold air blowing just before overheat. Exhaust bubbles could also push excessive coolant out to expansion tank and eventually lead to overheat. Note your coolant level before you start a drive (hopefully between min and max, but it might already be high from previous drives - it it is pour it back into cool radiator) and monitor it. If it keeps rising, another sign of head gasket terror. Normal cars have some coolant (qty no more than between min and max) pushed into expansion tank since it expands with heat. Ask mechanic if he did the sniffer test. Sniffing with your own nose and smelling gas/exhaust in expansion tank is another sign. I found this article very informative though it is long! http://www.troubleshooters.com/tpromag/200204/200204.htm

You can try to get rid of it - but the car is trying to tell you something - better listen to it. I get rid of it AFTER first reading what it is trying to tell me. If it comes back again, you know you need to do something.

Gasket remover helps to loosen some stuff up, but you still need a scraper/sand paper. I generally found Autozone to be cheapest for everything - Permatex Gasket remover is 2.99 out there, 3.99 at Pep Boys and I think even 4.99 at Kragen. BTW, I think I spent at least 25% of entire "touch time" cleaning parts, bolts and surfaces. Not sure if mechanics/dealers do that when they open up engines. For instance I cleaned up top of pistons, cylinder bore, degreased the engine, injectors, intake/exhaust/waterpump/oil pump/head gasket surfaces, throttle body, inside of oil pump, timing covers, sprockets, transmission bell housing (real dirty!), rear main seal and oil separator cover area...

I had a similar problem. Mine went away and I am not sure why! Starting point is read the codes using OBD II scanner from Autozone... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27635

You are welcome. The project was mostly straight forward but time consuming, specially if you have never done it before like me.