lstevens76

If you don't have water flowing through the the heater core then you have a lot of air in the system. Are you 100% sure the system was fully bled of all air? And the head gasket fixes seldom work on any vehicle with a compression gas into coolant problem. The issue is that the head gasket fixes need to be able to access the problem and if the compression gases are going outwards than the coolant never flows over that point with the fix in it. If the system is burning coolant then you have a better chance of fixing it or if it's mixing w/ oil since the fluids will get to the point where the leak is at.

Thosl I thought you had replaced your radiator? Symptoms would be getting warm/potentially overheating at an idle or stop and go traffic. You will also typically run higher than normal temps, since water isn't flowing correctly. The symptoms will be very close to both the common 2.2L head gasket symptoms, faulty thermostat symptoms, and faulty water pump symptoms. The only way to be 100% sure that is the problem is to have the radiator flow tested. Here it can be done for around $20, but it varies by area. Now: Ok, let's correct something here. The HG Repair products are commonly a form of liquid glass. They don't act like glue, they coat the entire inside of the engine, radiator, etc... And in our cars, as most people on here already know, a leaky head gasket can be a simple drip on the floor of coolant or oil or it can be compression gasses (bubbles) into the radiator. It's a lot rarer for a Subaru to change the color of the oil or coolant.

You don't need a "Subaru only mechanic", but a good mechanic who knows Subarus. It's a lot tougher in smaller areas to find a specialized mechanic and in some areas the specialized mechanics aren't as good as the all makes/models ones who know Subaru's. As far as your noise, you need a second opinion. Before even contemplating the repair you need to know what the noise is and how it affects the car. One thing that can sound a like lifter noise at times is the timing belt tensioner, and if it's nearing 100k since it was last done it could likely be it. But anything we tell you on here is a guessing game, which is why I'm saying go find out what it is. As for Lucas, I've never seen it gum up an engine but if your over 100k a high mileage oil should have the same effect w/ no extra additive.

I wouldn't even remove the head yet. Pull the valve covers, pull the rocker arms, and retest. If your unsure of timing this eliminates that entirely. Besides it never hurts to adjust the valves and put new spark plug grommets/valve cover gaskets on. And if it fails your probably going to want to pull the heads anyways. As for used vrs rebuilt heads it comes down to your area and what you can find.

Ok, so you don't spend hours reading I'll give you a little help. Did you check to make sure the crank sprocket is properly aligned, not just the cams? The Cams and Crank have to be aligned together. Have you experienced the lack of power yourself or is it just what you were told? And yes if the woodruff key blew out the crank sprocket could have turned to the wrong spot on the crank. Have you pulled the crank pulley and sprocket to inspect the crank itself (post pictures up here).

I don't know where your loan is coming from, but if your budget is $5k and your not limited specifically on mileage I would look around and not just blow off 200k cars. A quick search of the New Haven CL (this was the closest guess I had) between 50 and 5,000 revealed one like this: http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/5237276749.html or this one: http://newhaven.craigslist.org/cto/5207058347.html Yes, I posted two foresters (unintentionally) just trying to show that if you look around there are quite a few nice cars under that $5,000 limit. With any car that you can't work on yourself look for "ANY" obvious problems. If there are any, with your budget, etc... I would walk away. If you don't see any then it's time to find a mechanic to do a good inspection. Might run you $100 but also might save you a lot of heartache in the future.

Most newer cars will throw a code when the gas cap fails open but rarely if ever throw a code if the gas cap fails closed. What surprises me is this is a warm start issue on a fuel injected car and no one has thought to mention the engine coolant temperature sensor........

Give http://www.simtek.co.uk/ an email and see what they say. If they can't produce a programmable US ECU for you then they might be able to point you in the right direction. But your looking at a grand+ for an aftermarket ECU and realistically it will need tuned as well to your setup.

Running a car out of oil and it still runs means the bearings are roasted and the crank will need turned or replaced. It does not mean it's not repairable. Even a seized engine can be repaired, just a lot more difficult. As for what people are saying is that it is going to be difficult and improbable to get that engine to work, but not impossible. Basically it's going to be easier to fix this engine or find a replacement short block.

Someone beat me to it. lol

Check and make sure the crank sensor is plugged in and is tight. Have you pulled codes to see if there is a code relating to no spark?

Ok, why were you using a screw driver? If you leave the lower right (left if facing the engine) idler off you can put the belt on, tighten the tensioner, then put the last idler on. It's a whole lot easier than using a screw driver to pop the belt over the idler.

An '01 should be an SOHC engine unless. The only foresters to come with a DOHC were the '98.

Not going to argue, but personally I wouldn't ok a shop to replace a radiator that flow tests and pressure tests fine unless I've overheated the vehicle or don't know the history on the cooling system and I'm in excess of 150k+ miles. Especially when most shops I know charge in excess of $200 for a new radiator.

Valve cover gaskets are tight, but easy to do. The front seals (camshaft/crankshaft) require pulling the timing belt. The rear main and separator plate require pulling the engine. Another thing to check would be the crankcase hoses that run off the valve covers for cracks. You might also replace your PCV as it could be causing pressure build up and subsequently causing seals to leak.

After you do that oil change go to a coin car wash and hose down the underside of that engine really good. There's enough oil that in the picture you can't tell where it's coming from. Common leaks: Valve Cover Gaskets Spark Plug Grommets (under the valve cover) camshaft seals (front much more common than rear) Front Crank Seal/Oil Pump (if you do the front crank seal you need to pull the oil pump and tighten up the backing plate screws and reseal it.) Separator Plate in the rear of the engine The rear main can leak as it is a seal around a rotating part, but it tends to take abuse or very high mileage before it does.

You want to grease both pins on both sides. Then monitor that passenger side and make sure it doesn't start happening again. I would also bleed the brakes all the way around and get any old fluid out of the system.

A good shop is going to test the radiator, not replace it. They aren't going to replace anything that isn't damaged or worn out. That's literally a waste of money. And depending on when the timing belt/water pump were last done they may not be replaced either by a "good shop".

An Aisin or Gates water pump is fine and used by many other people on here. Just avoid the cheap aftermarket ones as they tend to leak. Copper flecks sounds like someone added stop leak to the system, specifically bars leak. It wouldn't hurt to flush the system to get any remnants of that out. Another possibility (Although not as likely as things mentioned above) is the temperature sensor. It can go wonky as well, but it's less common than the problems listed above. And if the head gasket is "Seeping" is it seeping coolant or oil? If it's coolant you could just have air in the system and be low on coolant. Make sure when you check the coolant you take the cap off the radiator. The reservoir is just that, a reservoir. It doesn't show you the proper coolant level that is in the system, only in the overflow.

You need to remove the pins (they will come out of the rubber boot) and grease them every time you replace the pads. This is where people make a mistake and damage calipers and pads. The condition of the boot makes very little difference in whether or not the grease dries out, wears out, etc.... You have to also realize there is a lot of heat around the brakes when braking that accelerates this.

Go to a junkyard and get a new cam pulley. They only go on one way as they have a keyway just like a crank pulley. I'm just trying to figure out how you managed that considering this is an early 90's EJ22 and those should be metal camshaft pulleys. lol

Did you grease the pins? Again, did you grease the pins? I said it twice because anytime those pins are not greased one side may not slide correctly causing exactly what your seeing. And the fact that it seems a lot of people (shops included) don't grease the pins when replacing pads.

Why are you undoing the upper? Pull the lower, slip the caliper up, then pull the pin out. You need to grease the pins anyways. If it's the bracket are you replacing rotors as well?

IME I've learned that if I'm buying an older car, regardless of where, to look up all the common problems. Then I "PLAN" for those problems and deduct from the price a reasonable amount if they haven't been repaired recently. i.e. if I'm buying an older subaru w/ a 2.5l I would plan to replace the head gaskets unless it's been done by a professional (or the owner can tell me enough to make me comfortable it was done right). I also automatically plan for brakes, bulbs, battery, etc... as these are common points most people don't check regularly (you would be surprised at the amount of cars around here driving with at least one bulb burnt out). On top of that I always plan on catching up all the routine maintenance. I.E. timing belt, plugs, wires, etc.....

Actually, Idaho only has a 3 day law on used cars. Lemon Laws tend to apply to "NEW CARS" not used cars. http://law.freeadvice.com/general_practice/lemon_law/lemon_law_used_car.htm The problem with states going after flippers (Other than those who don't transfer titles) is it would affect normal people selling cars they are just upgrading out of or don't use. I.E. I purchase a new vehicle but the dealer only wants to give me "xxx" trade in and I know it would sell for that so I sell it on my own. But it's also why anyone with experience buying used cars is going to say to get a used vehicle inspection first before you purchase. A good used vehicle inspection for around $100 would have probably caught some of the problems you are experiencing. Basically you purchased a used car. You could have bought it from anyone and had major issues within 100 miles that the previous owner didn't know about. Some people are also really car dumb and have no clue about issues even if another person can walk up and hear it. You could have purchased that same car for that same price from anyone without the other person knowing there was a problem that you found later.