nipper

If you were my cutomer (i am sooooooooooo tired of the 2.2L swap), I would have recomended an replacement engine. Here is the reason (and any GOOD mechanic would do the same). AS the engine ages, it all ages and wears equally as a unit. ON a extreemly high mileage unit (which this is) the rings are used to a slightly lower compression (which happens as an engine ages). NOw to doa valve job, you are restoring the sealing of the valves, back to brand new, and you also have to machine the heads slightly, which also raises compression. The rings having this many miles on them usualy are not up to the job of the restored and higher compression. Then you get blow by in the rings. The first thing that should have been done was a wet/dry compression test to see how good the rings were. Even if they came out with good numbers, I would still have recomended a replacement/rebuilt engine. Nopw that you have rebuilt heads, the only saving grace is to get a rebuilt block from CCR. Swapping to a 2.2 now would be throwing good money after worse (we already surpassed bad). Just as a longshot, change your PCV valve and see if that helps at all. Good luck. nipper

They better say subaru on them..... nipper

It's final, i am not going. nipper too much to do before i head to chicago next week.

http://www.wisegeek.com/how-does-air-conditioning-work.htm Best explination i can find. i always assume the basics, but the mechainc did have the car running and the ac compressor engaged when he checked the system? nipper

Its the wires. It happens, so dont blame the idiot. Get OE wired. nipper

Then its not leaking, its the valve thats bad (and forgive me im drawing a blank on it). The valve is stuck wide open. Without that valve you valve (eureka, expansion valve) the coolnat wont change state and you wont have AC. nipper

You see, there you go, reading .... that will get you in trouble every time.

hrmmmmmmm

If i knew i could get a windsheild for 350 i'ld buy one myself, i've seen and heard prices of 750.00 and up. nipper

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO and NO NEVER EVER use an impact wrench on head bolts, or any engine bolt for that matter. There is a specific pattern that must be done for head bolts, and torque steps. Using a impact wrench on a head bolts is like playing the piano with a sledge hammer. Too much force is applied too fast, and you can not feel the bolt as it tightens. The only two bolts that you could use an impact wrnech on an engine is to remove the crank pulley, or remove the flywheel. Anything else you can get yourself in serious trouble. and did i say no? nipper nipper

I wouldnt call it failure at 150,000 miles, i would call it way overdue for replacement (tired is a much better term). Struts are usually tired at 100K, and while they can last way beyond that, your over due to struts. You have a blown strut, replace all 4. nipper

Known issues: The Lock up torque converter sheds material. To resolve this you intsall a tranny fluid filter and a large tranny cooler. If the tranny does fail there are several fixes available. 1- Convert to a 5 speed 2- Install a legacy tranny and diff 3- Have the SVX transmission professionally rebuilt by someone who knows of the fixes for the issues (the most expensive option). Windshield glass is scarily expensive Rear wheel bearings fail, there is a solution for this. Rear differential is weak. It is a beutiful car, that seems to be aging well. Gas mileage about the same of any 2.5L sooby. nipper

WHats your email?

i SAID it was unbelivable ..... For the record, i have never gotten good life out of michelins on any car. nipper

People need to stop thinking about MEMEMEMEMEME and start thinking about US. i have said this once, and i will keep saying it. Completly free markets dont work, completly regulated markets dont work, but a mix someplace inbetween do. Enron was based on free market. The Present mortgage meltdown, and its fall out is based on free market (let derritives police themselves). Most bank credit cards are in states with almost no regulations, and they are doing a good job of robbing us blind (how many acually read the fine print, i just started and found out ive been getting ripped off letf and right). Emissions and polution were a total failure in the free market. Look at china, any third world country, or even the US in the 1970's. Greed will always rule what some people call the free market. Technically drug dealers can be called free market, and i dont want them around either. (monopolies are part of a free market in theory, if you have no goverment regulation to control them). Please, we need to start realize we are all living under one very large roof, with a lot of spoiled brats with the power trying to hog the remote control to get what they want. Also remeber without the goverment, we wouldnt have highways, dams, electric grids, indoor plumbing, public works, beaches, parks, law enforcement, communictaions, i can go on. We need to think differntly if we wisht to survive. The me generation gave birth to the "all about me" generation, and now we really need to get into the "we're all in this together" generation. It wont be easy, but we really have no choice. nipper

They were clean running for the standards set at that time. They wouldnt be considered clean by todays standards. The true tests is not the annual test, but the EPA test, which is far more complicated then what you get at inspection. Now add in the extra material required for crash protection, all the widgets and gizmos that todays drivers demand (and are going to have to sacrifice), sound insulation, heated seats, leather, dual clkimate control, i can go on. Sorry but its an unfair comparison. nipper

Thats because more effecient means more expensive, and people never thing of the long term, they only think of the short term. Look at all the stupid people who bought Hummers then complained about the really poor gas mileage. Market economics dont work all the time, and needs nudging along. If it did , we wouldnt have had the mess we are in now. The big three said that it was because americans wanted trucks that they built them, but they never mention they high profit margin on them that drove them to make them. nipper

WRX is a sports car, the corvette has the same issue, the challanger, the new camaro, i can go on. Personally i have no problem with them having to raise thier gas mileage, as everyone has to do it. The public will have to make some compromises too, on what they want in a car, the same way they had to in the 1970's. Newsweek had the 10 most fuel effeicnt cars, and it was a bit of a shock to see how crappy the "effecient" mileage was. They called 26 mpg highway effecient. Blu does better then that most the time. nipper

Can be a stretched cable. I usually replace them every time i replace the clutch. nipper

Spray water from a spray bottle on the individual parts. If its a bearing it should change pitch. Whistling noise usually is an alt. nipper

In theory (this is only on our engineering paper) if you properly rotate the tires on a FWD car the tires supposedly will last the life of the car. Now i have never seen this, and have disputed it whenever i saw it. I think those suspension engineers have been hitting the old silicon fluid too hard.... That being said, being religous about tire rotation, infaltion, and maintanence will maximize the life of tires (dont look at me as i can never get more then 45,000 miles out of a set). nipper

Would that be an outback with 4wd and a v-4 or v-6 (I've seen all listed). Most people are clueless as to what is under thier hood. Its AWD. nipper

Replace the front O2 sensor only first. Its a simple enough job, get the OE sensor from an on line supllier. See if that clears it up, as it usually does 98% of the time. You may be that 2% with a bad cat, but either way youll need a new O2 sensor, so no risk. nipper

i can look at the FSM and see what i can find, to email you how to take the motor out if that helps. nipper