Moodybluesr

www.rockauto.com was listing a genuine Subaru pump for my 97 OBS 2.2 for $78.00. You may want to check it out.

www.rockauto.com I have been using them for years... have had a couple problems which they fixed very efficiently and to my satisfaction. A typical order will be delivered within two days of the online purchase; I have never paid for anything except standard ground shipping. I give them an A+.

The u-joints in your driveshaft are the "non-replacable" type... Here is where you can get some so you don't have to buy a whole new shaft: http://www.rockforddriveline.com/replacem.htm The clutch noise you are describing sounds like a throwout bearing to me, but I would really have to hear it in person to diagnose it for sure.

My OBS gets about the same... a tuneup, valve adjustment, and maybe even a new O2 sensor seem to be in order if your gas mileage is that low.

Don't want to be insulting here, but any chance you put it in backwards? I've done dumber things than that myself before.

www.tirerack.com www.eBay.com I would suggest some KYB GR2's, wherever you can find them cheapest. They are good shocks at a good price.

http://www.rockforddriveline.com/replacem.htm Found these thanks to Gary.

That's not realistic... a Subaru wouldn't need a rocket to climb that little hill.

Mine gets about 20mpg in town and 30-32 on the highway. It is an all wheel drive 5 speed.

Ruby Sue had about that many miles on her when I bought her two years ago. Now she is consistantly taking first place in STS class at the local autox. If you were nearer to me, I would tell you not to buy it and then buy it myself; this is one of my favorite cars I have owned (and I have owned over 40 now). My 88 XT6 AWD 5 speed is the car that switched me from buying Honda after Honda to being the all-Subaru guy I am right now (if you don't count my Virago).

27 drivers so far and the SECOND oldest car is a 1997 OBS. Come on, guys... help me represent the old school Subbies!

Call Subaru and ask... I was looking for a trim piece for my dash for a while on the OBS, and ended up asking at Subaru and it was only $30. Couldn't hurt to check it out, anyway.

Neat... I liked the 35 degree dirt hill climb part the best.

So far I am the only old school Subaru to sign up for this thing; help me represent! http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1088050 Also, since this thing starts early I will be driving up Friday and staying at a hotel, so if anyone in the area wnats to do a little impromptu mini-meet Friday night, let me know.

The most important thing to remember when tightening your lugnuts is to use the same torque on all four (or five, six, whatever) on any given wheel, especially if that wheel uses a disc brake. Uneven torque will cause rotor runout due to the disc itself being slightly cocked from the uneven pressure on the surface of the hub mating surface. Tightening by feel is not good for your rotors; always use a torque wrench. Even if it is a crappy torque wrench that is off by n% it will still get all the nuts to the same torque. That said, Subaru recommends 58-72 ft-lbs for all of their cars except the SVS (90 I think) and the newer STi's with the 5x114.3 (can't remember).

58-72 lb-ft. according to Subaru. I always err on the high side and torque mine to 72. This is for all Subarus except the SVX and some of the newer STI's I believe, wether steel or alloy.

I put ES poly bushings on the front sway bar of my XT6 a couple of months ago, and they made a hell of a difference! All the sudden my rear end swings out in the hairpins. I did a write-up of what was involved, including part numbers, on xt6.net. You would probably have to order different bushins, though, if your bar isn't 20mm.

Exedy doesn't make a racing clutch for my XT6, so I used the OEM clutch with a heavy duty pressure plate. All you need is the OEM kit, though, as that is all I have used in the past on my clutch replacements, with nothing but good results. If the clutch starts going south anytime soon in my '97 OBS, it will definately be replaced with an exedy OEM kit. Here's one on the bay of ee for even cheaper: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/EXEDY-SUBARU-IMPREZA-LEGACY-OUTBACK-NEW-JDM-Clutch-Kit_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ33730QQihZ005QQitemZ150033798959QQrdZ1QQsspagenameZWDVW

I hate to say it dude, but if all you are going to post in a thread asking for specific advice on a specific topic is a vague suggestion that should be obvious to anyone like "you get what you pay for," you are probably better off just not posting at all. The whole patronizing attitude thing can be pretty off-putting.

www.clutchcityonline.com sells an Exedy clutch for your application for $165. I have used Exedy clutches several times in the past (including on my current XT6 autoxer) and have had nothing but good results. I have also heard not but good about them from just about everyone I've talked to.

I agree; and make sure you have new clamps to put the inner boot back on after you have put the new boot on the outer joint, as the boot kit for the outer joint will only come with one set of clamps. You will also need a clamp tool, which can be had for about $10 at the auto parts store.

Just cheap replacement parts? www.rockauto.com I highly recommend these guys; I have been using them for a couple of years and they are always cheap, fast, and can occasionally get genuine Subaru parts.

Um... install the nice deck and buy a cheap weatherband radio at Radioshack?

There are actually two gaskets that you buy to reseal the pump... the shaft seal, and the "mickey mouse" (named for its shape) gasket that goes between the pump and the motor; I think I paid about $20 for both of them.

Do the water pump and oil pump at the same time; while you're in there replace the timing belts, cam seals, and front main seal. The oil pump most likely just need to be resealed, though you can buy a brand new one if it makes you feel more comfortable. $600 sounds like a good deal, and the jobs I mentioned above are about $150-$200 in parts, more if you need to have the work done for you. All I can tell you is that I love my XT6, which is the same year and drivetrain as the one you are looking at, and wouldn't hesitate to buy her twin for $600 if the opportunity came up in my area. Also, check out www.xt6.net for more precise info on this car.