[When over miles on a lease, ...]

I could be wrong. But I don't believe you can avoid the penalty by leasing another car.

The only way to avoid it is to buy the car out at the end of the lease.

[Very stuck wheel bearing 2011 Outback]

Sorry, but I would not ever reuse a bolt used to pound out a hub that a 5 lb slide would not remove. It's a bolt, not a punch.

 

I've seen wheels fall off from the bearing retaining bolts snapping. On a jeep, but still, same general design.

 

I could not in good faith reuse those bolts on a customer car.

 

Just get the right tool for the job. Like I said, it works 98 percent of the time.

See, and I've used slide hammers on the hubs before. And not once have I gotten them out that way.

I'm not a 250 lb body builder, so maybe strength plays a role. But I've hurt my arm from using the slide hammer for 15 minutes trying to get it unstuck. And it didn't move the 3 or 4 different times I've tried it.

[Very stuck wheel bearing 2011 Outback]

You don't need to replace the bolts if you use a socket and extension. Grant it, the extension is now messed up a bit. But I have one extension I use for just this situation.

Never hurts the bolt.

[Very stuck wheel bearing 2011 Outback]

You have two options (from my experience)

Get the bolts that hold the hub into the spindle and thread them in about 6 turns or so (leaving a little gap between the head and the spindle)

Put a socket on an extension, and wail on the extension. Using the bolts as a way to force the hub out from the back. Alternating 2 bolts.

 

Number 2. Causing damage to the backing plate and spindle. But will always get the hub out. Once out you can clean up the plate and or spindle.

Take an air hammer (or regular chisel and hammer) and get the chisel between the hub and the spindle (the backing plate probably will be in the of fire) and chisel the hub out. Alternating location.

[96 legacy manual swap]

I'm pretty sure you can grab most manual transmission from the 90s and maybe a few from the 00s.

You need the matching rear diff, and possibly the axles. Drive shaft flywheel clutch etc (or get new)

As for wiring, they're all the same. Reverse lights, and if you want the neutral safety to work correctly. You'll have to wire in a relay for the starter (at least that's what I ended up doing)

[oil leak pressure sending switch?]

24mm! Of course. I remember using a big wrench for something so tiny.

 

Anyways. Only time will tell. Hopefully it be good!

[Replacement High beam bulbs, LED's. Any suggestions]

Agreed with Carfreak here. I (stupidly) installed a set of LED conversion headlights in my 04' Baja. And while the looked super bright up close and near distance. Night vision was horrible.

And I spent 110$ of a set of bulbs. So not cheap.

 

The LED or HID retrofit is your only real option to drastically improve vision without adding more lights. 

[98 Legacy Outback Knock Sensor issue]

Interesting. Well, the only way to know for sure it to open up the harness and inspect what's going on.

You're going to need to open the harness up anyways to install the new knock sensor wires (seeing as there's no connector)

 

Let us know what you find

[EJ25 block is plugged with calcium – should I bother cleaning it?]

First off. All that white stuff is from the Subaru OEM coolant conditioner.

I found this out the hard way on an 09 Subaru Outback that the shop I'm with was adding to the engine after coolant flushes (thinking it was supposed to go in that new of a car) and when I had to pull the heads to do the HGs, all that white build up was in there. Being as we were the only shop that ever touched this 1 owner car. It pointed to the coolant conditioner.

 

As for removal. Honestly, I didn't have a good way to get it out of the block. I ended up getting in with a chisel and slowly got it all out. Taking the cross-over pipe off to allow for flushing of the coolant passages with water. 

I tried brake cleaner, a few different forms of soap, and a few other products. Nothing took it off (at least not in a timely manner)

 

You might be best off just getting as much off as you can, replacing the water pump. And then dealing with the a restricted radiator or heater core when the time comes. 

There's not many small passages for coolant, besides the lines to the throttle body. 

 

IMO, you'll be fine with just getting as much off the block as possible. I didn't do anything about the head ports on the engine I was dealing with, besides the easily accessable spots. 

[98 Legacy Outback Knock Sensor issue]

Sounds like someone cut out the connector.

I bet if you undo the loom and/or tape about 2 inches up, you'll see either butt connectors or a solder joint.

[PLEASE HELP NOT TRYING TO SPEND $1200]

The memory of all keys not present at the time of initializing are deleted. So only the keys present when programming them to the car are then allowed.

All old keys become dead at that point.

 

So if you're having an issue programming and the car still not accepting then. You should probably try the dealer.

[Reman turbo losing shaft nut within first minutes of running]

Ok, so just the solenoids require the removal of the mesh screen. Not the turbo feed.

I guess I just bought the new feed banjo from subaru and didn't even think to look for the screen.

[Reman turbo losing shaft nut within first minutes of running]

I have never heard of that issue before.

And I have taken a turbo off My 04 Baja, and rebuilt it including removing and tightening that nut. And had no issues 10k miles later.

 

Though there is a TSB about removing the screens in all the banjo bolts. Both AVLS solenoids, as well as the turbo one (I think)

 

Though even if they were restricted, hard to make a connection between lack of oil and the nut coming loose. That doesn't make sense.

 

Imo, sounds like the rebuilder screwed up twice.

[oil leak pressure sending switch?]

To be completely honest I'm not sure.

I wanna guess it's a 21 or 22mm but I haven't had one out since the last HG job I did.

[oil leak pressure sending switch?]

In that area there's only 3 possible locations of leaks.

Oil fill o ring.

AVLS solenoid

And the AVLS oil pressure switch.

 

And the pressure switch is the most common.

But as LT1 said. Be careful not to over tighten it. It's a pipe thread that's tapered and can easily crack the casting if really over tightened.

[oil leak pressure sending switch?]

The leak could be from the oil pressure switch.

Though your talking about the side with the oil fill. It's possible someone spilt oil while filling the engine.

 

Id wash the whole area off with degreaser and then hit it with water (on a not freezing day)

 

Then monitor that area closly for the leak.

 

The oil pressure switch your taking about is the oil pressure switch for the AVLS so the ECM knows the solenoid moved and the cam profiles changed.

 

The switch is just a pipe thread.

So you can try tightening it a little, or putting tape on it if that's the leak.

[Crank pulley/harmonic balancer problem?]

Some people don't like used parts. You never know.

 

And labor rate changes depending on location. The rate at the shop I'm at is 115 an hour. And a brand new oem pulley is probably at least 250.

 

So, while I completely understand the amount you charged, you also don't work for a dealer. You have you're own business with people who trust you.

 

Some people just want to go to the dealer and not care (as much) about the cost

[2005 Forester Heating]

Bypass the heater core and test drive it under the same conditions.

[P00300 Indication]

I'm a little confused.

 

In your title, you said P0300 which is for a random/multiple misfire.

Then you mention an O2 sensor circuit code. Which is a different code then P0300.

 

Which code do you have?

[New to me, 08 OBW, timing belt kit?]

"Aisin TKF-007 Engine Timing Belt Kit with New Water Pump"

 

https://www.amazon.com/Aisin-TKF-007-Engine-Timing-Water/dp/B00HFKEL2Q/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Subaru%7C13&Model=Outback%7C66&Year=2008%7C2008&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&newVehicle=1&s=automotive&vehicleId=4&vehicleType=automotive

 

Added a 08 Outback to my garage (Base model 2.5) and it says its compatible. 

[My new outback]

That year is pretty good. No real engine issues, some people report transmission issues, but if you do a transmission flush or service on it when you get it, you'll be fine.

 

These newer Subaru's, especially the outbacks. Seem to be more reliable then most if not all of their predecessors.

 

Sparks plugs are due for maintenance at 60k FYI.

[New to me, 08 OBW, timing belt kit?]

If you plan to replace the water pump as well. Get an Asian kit. All oem (or Japanese) pulleys, belt and pump.

Last time I got one it was around 260 off Amazon.

[2011 Forester recall game.]

Thanks for the advice!

Maybe I'll clean it really well and then take it to another dealer right away for the test. It's only a 2k Mile test so maybe I can avoid all that redundant preliminary work. It's ridiculous really because the leak is only what amounts to oil sweat. Just a film showing. But the tech said Subaru won't honor the test if any leaks.

 

Yeah, because in the TSB they have to make sure there are "no leaks"

 

So just clean it up, and bring it back, or to another dealership.

[2011 Forester recall game.]

What I did on my girlfriends 13 outback. It also had a leak (it was from the valve cover)

But I KNEW the leak was not contributing to the oil loss. She was going through 2 qts if oil in a 5000 mile oil change.

 

I put it on a lift (or you can do it on the ground if necessary) and cleaned the effected area with degreaser. Make it look nice and clean. So when you bring it to the dealership for the test, they don't see any leak. Because you just cleaned it.

 

Then just make sure you clean it a second time before you go back for the end of the test.

 

And if they ask why it's so clean etc. Just say you had it fixed at a different shop and it's still consuming oil.

 

Because if the car fails the test. And you get a new engine. They reseal that surface anyways. So heck with paying for something I'll be free.

[TPMS Problem, Maybe?]

Very possible it uses the ABS system to determine speed difference in each tire, and calculates the tire pressure with that speed difference.

 

Not 100% that they don't have sensor though