Kmenex

Thanks a lot guys...

Greeting! ​So if anyone remembers i replace the HG on my legacy and the timing pulleys and belts and all that jazzz... All those repairs went well. ​I knew the tranny would be going soon but did not replace it yet... However now I am encountering the problems. ​I have come to the forums to help narrow down the potential problem before decided to swap a new tranny. ​NOTE THIS IS A MANUAL 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION ​Detail of the problems: First gear works fine... ​in second gear onwards if there is any type of extra load on the car (going up hill) or if you put too much gas then the RPM shoot up but the car does not accelerate. It feels like the power of the engine is just not transferring to the drive assembly. ​So the RPM go up and if you let off the gas they will drop down very quickly to "where they should be" relative to the speed and current gear the car is in. If you try to add more gas often the RPM will just increase without actually accelerating the car.... So In essence I have to go up every hill in first or second gear... ​To me this reminds me of when my "Tranny went out" (whatever that means) on my first car, a Toyota truck. Feels similar. ​However I am wondering if it might be the clutch instead? or maybe something related to the transmission that does not warrant a swap? ​Additional details: there is no grinding or whirling noises or anything like that... and no burning smell... 180k miles ​Anyone want to help me get to the source of the problem? ​Thanks! -k

Speedo cable won't press back together, maybe I'm doing it wrong.. So I reset the ECU and fans worked properly, still rough idle.. however the next day fans started coming in again as soon as car was started... So thinking the CTS... Not sure if this will effect the idle though. I am aware that some ECU systems use coolant temp to adjust fuel air ratios but not sure about this one... Other culprit could be the original spark plug wires are still on there ( how much of a difference does this really make ? ), Problems with the intake system or throttle body: head gasket was failed for a while before replacing, giving ample time for all types of cruddy mixing to take place in various recesses... Pcv valve less than a month old... Perhaps throttle cables are not at correct tension ( doesn't explain the perfect smooth idling right after the hg fix )... Maybe the head gasket is failing again after a few weeks?

Greetings, So car has been running fine but now that I've done work on it I've started to notice every little thing and can't rest until it's back to normal. Maybe this is a good thing? Anyways there have been a few changes since everything got up and running and the overheating issue solved.. details as follows: The cooling fans constantly run now. I suspect the coolant temp sensor but wanted to pick the forums brain in regards to a few things. Also the manual transmission cable linked speedometer cable broke off at the point where it connects to the sensor inside the transmission. My bad probably when putting the engine back in. When I first changed the timing and head gasket, before fixing the over heat problem, and before the speedometer sensor broke, the idle rpm was dead still and the engine ran without any hiccups. Smooth, not even a slight wobbling jitter, just clean even running. However now it idles a bit rough, RPM at initial start is a bit higher than normal but then settles down after heating up, yet still has that little hiccup thing going on about every 3 - 5 seconds, and idle rpm doesn't stay still.. moves around maybe by 100 RPM fluctuation. Also engine gets up to temp very quickly, in 3 min as opposed to 10 or so, however that could be due to it being July...? Would this type of behavior be produced from a faulty coolant temperature sensor? Also could have the 20+ year old sensor been driven to failure after the one time the car was driven before the over heat problem was fixed? Maybe it got too hot and ruined the electronics. Any input welcome. Other than that car is running fine.

Test drive success! Stable temp, no check engine light... Strong running, great sounding timing.. Two New hg and resurfaced heads, water pump, timing belt and all pulleys, new CV joints.... Next up replace steering line boots and front brake... Then clutch and new tranny some day when they start acting up. Thank you all for providing such wonderful information and guidance.

Yes I noticed a slight residue under the dash looking like slow long term leaking. Test drive time! Thank you all so much for helping me understand. I love this car and have plans for it ( lift few inches, new wheels, make it a mnt vehicle )... Thanks! P.s: Arco gas sucks and makes you idle rough!

Bypass the heater core let it idle for a long time temperature stable increased RPMs temperature started to rise Reservoir is full turned it off let it sit for a couple minutes something happened I heard a gurgling noise all of the coolant reservoir got sucked up into into the radiator and cooling system I'm thinking there was a large air bubble around the water pump area and it prevented thermostat from opening but now it's somehow opened and sucked everything up into the block hoping it'll stay stable on my test drive also there's water in the upper rad hose where's before there was not good sign right

Thanks so much for input. I'm going to bypass the heater core first because it started having light coolant vapor and sweet smell prior to massive repairs, and the day I shut it down and opened it up it was having temp spikes and vapor... Highly suspect heater core is clogged due to erratic nature of temp motion... as well as staying stable temp at idling rpm... Until you apply increase rpm then maybe becomes too much pressure to flow normally through clogged core... When I took off the old head gaskets they were very wet and deteriorating with gummy reddish substance. Could easily see this, along with general coolant debris and erosion, to clog heater core... After i bypass I'm gonna idle it while facing up hill on incline and start trying to burp. Ah one last thing.... When I filled coolant initially I filled until it started coming out the bleeder hole.... And left the resivour empty... After few miles and starts now overflow is way over the full line and i notice the levels in the radiator have dropped. Suspecting large air hole.

Another interesting note: when I took for small test drive and it was showing high temperature... After I got back I let it idle and took off radiator cap ( i has gloves and face sheild on) and it sprayed out but was cool to the touch? Seems like there is a clog somewhere in the coolant system... Worked last night when I test drove it but not this morning... Maybe thermostat failed on the cool down? Maybe air trapped in there? Maybe heater core clogged?

Just went on quick test drive... Temp shot up but was no leaking coolant... Vapor did start to form wind sheild but not like before.... Possible I have air bubbles in there I need to get out? Also no more bubbles appearing in resivour.. thinking clamping that hose fixed it.

Been idling steady twenty minuets, no smoke, no temp increase ( dead center ) no leaking

Alright... I've given the beast a look over, pretty little thing... Poor cobber deserves a good looking after I suppose... Had to drive about 40 miles today, had 4 starting and the issue evolved... Started staying at high temp, not coming down and smoke was limited ( sweet smelling by the way ) and coming right under the steering wheel ( heater core connection )... Literally having a panic attack all day as I just did the light surgery and girl had to use car while I'm in the city... So looking over noticed both of the hoses on the water pipe at the top of the block ( to and out of heater core ) were not clamped down!! One had peeled back and was sputtering out coolant in small little droplets.. the other was just lose and wet around the edges... Checked in the overflow coolant tank and saw one bubble medium size ( roughly .75 cm diameter ) coming up every ten seconds or so... Looked at the rate of sputtering and seemed like to be connected.... Clamped those sons of bitches down! Now my theory about the high temp is related to what bratman said: the water temp sensor is high up in the coolant system and the potential for air bubbles to enter through proximal lose hose leads to air bubbles getting trapped near sensor position, giving a false high engine temp.. Thanks all for input and being willing to read my rants!!

it seems to do it consistently at a specific time during warm up, around 7-10 min, then it stops and goes back down ( temp ) and smoke disappears.

Did not install new thermostat, still using original oem

Sorry thought I posted info in original post. 170k miles 1992 legacy.

Greetings, Anyone out there maybe help me figure out what's going on? Just replaced left and right head gasket and timing belt and water pump. After putting engine back in I added oil and coolant by slowly filling radiator with air bleed line open… then I started car, ran very smoothly, let it idle for 30 minuets. Ran very well, got to temp, very steady rpm, no hiccups… let it rest twenty 20 min then checked coolant and oil and added more. Next I took it for a test drive, 30 miles… ran perfect, like a new car. I was having power issues prior to repair now no power issues.. strong runner. Let it sit over night then started it up this morning… ran fine but 10 minuets in I noticed the temp gauge was sky rocketing… pulled over instantly let it idle. I noticed smoke was entering the cabin, maybe coolant vapor. Turned on the fan and smoke poured out… then the fans kicked on and I'm guessing the thermostat opened up and it went right back down to temp and stayed steady both while in gear and coasting.. no more smoke coming into cabin… Can anyone help me understand what's going on? I dont think it's the head gasket leaking as there was no power disruption at all and when was neutral coasting down hill no temp changes. Maybe a leaky hose? Heater core clog? I'm open to suggestions.

Greetings, Anyone out there maybe help me figure out what's going on? Just replaced left and right head gasket and timing belt and water pump. After putting engine back in I added oil and coolant by slowly filling radiator with air bleed line open… then I started car, ran very smoothly, let it idle for 30 minuets. Ran very well, got to temp, very steady rpm, no hiccups… let it rest twenty 20 min then checked coolant and oil and added more. Next I took it for a test drive, 30 miles… ran perfect, like a new car. I was having power issues prior to repair now no power issues.. strong runner. Let it sit over night then started it up this morning… ran fine but 10 minuets in I noticed the temp gauge was sky rocketing… pulled over instantly let it idle. I noticed smoke was entering the cabin, maybe coolant vapor. Turned on the fan and smoke poured out… then the fans kicked on and I'm guessing the thermostat opened up and it went right back down to temp and stayed steady both while in gear and coasting.. no more smoke coming into cabin… Can anyone help me understand what's going on? I dont think it's the head gasket leaking as there was no power disruption at all and when was neutral coasting down hill no temp changes. Maybe a leaky hose? Heater core clog? I'm open to suggestions.

Well after two weeks it's been quite the Journey... This should have taken two days but after all the time waiting for parts and then finding out i needed new ones.... it has ended up taken this long! So sad i could CRY... However it has been highly educational and there are quite a few things i have learned. Firstly: Chinese steel is NOT FORGIVING... whoever replaced the "timing belt" at 140000 miles on this only changed the belt.. and when they torqued down idler pulley #2 type they must have over torqued because when i took it out and then put it back it in just spun and spun and i pulled out a sheet of threads from the barrel. Now i had to rush a new water pump to arrive Saturday. I know the water pump is new because it looks newer and the original owner told me they got a new water and oil pump. It's aftermarket Chinese steel and it's damn weak! Secondly: When doing the timing check and cranking over the engine by hand you only need to line up the marks on the crankshaft sproket and the cam pullies as you rotate... The initial white marks on the belt will not return to the exact position until you turn the engine like 100 times. I spent 5 hours codswalloping with this as i logically looked at it after each full rotation thinking to my self how it seemed to be reasonable that the white marks would be off for a large number of turns... even still i struggled thinking i needed to check for those white marks on the belt to realign perfectly with the sproket and pulley marks... WRONG! Sprockets and pulleys only.

got the engine out today. Here is a walk around video. interested in any comments for more repairs to be done.

Noted... I will do a video once the motor is out.

I also have early signs of crank shaft pully wobble, no failures yet but wondering if anyone can suggest anything to correct this... Will check deeper once engine is out and timing is taken off and checked.

I'm pulling the engine to do head gasket and other maintenance and clean up but I'm stuck here with this AC unit and what to do during engine clearing. Any tips? See attached photos

I'm pulling the engine to do head gasket and other maintenance and clean up but I'm stuck here with this AC unit and what to do during engine clearing. Any tips? See attached photos

Thank you all so much for the advice and input, very appreciated. Currently up on jacks with axles out, waiting for new the ones to arrive. - NOT OEM CV joints, alas. I noticed that the boots to the rack and pinion are .... torn in half... However i have had no issues with steering, but also i realize that eventually some grit will get into the shaft and start causing some seal drama. Half way tempted to pull the set, refinish the shaft and re-grease / re-seal / re-boot the component... However.... God awful amount of grimy grease coated all over the bottom half of engine and under body... REALLY Wanted to pressure blast all this spoob off and clean this mess before i even do any more work. Working on grimy parts is damn annoying. Also anyone know a good method of reapplying that "rubbish" type layer on top of the body paint on the bottom sheet metal of the car?

Greetings. Bought 1992 legacy wagon with 150k miles on it last year (2016 march). Was in good condition and timing belt had been changed at 140k. Minor exterior issues (driver door lock not working) and some electrical problem (brake light never turning off).. Runs smooth, clutch a little loose at purchase (adjusted now & good)... Clutch had been replaced around 100k miles owner said. I Replaced spark plugs and coil pack at 168k miles. New tires and rotors at 160k miles. Now at 172k miles and it's time for repairs. Should have done this, of course, right after purchase... Took into japanese mechanics shop with 30+ years family owned small business, japanese family, for a quick 100$ dollar diagnosis. Engine: We are still running good aside from slight intermittent power stalls, especially when up hill at high speeds (low speed uphill fine). Head gasket appears to have oil leaking on both sides in small volumes, however i have read that often it can appear the HG is leaking but the source is elsewhere... and even if they do leak they still have a lot of integrity before they totally blow and fail... Idles low but perks up for 100-300 rpm jitters occasionally. Timing: Tag on radiator says replaced at 140k miles, however it seems one or two of the idler pulleys are starting to squeak (has been doing this less than a month intermittent, last week starting to get constant). Cooling system: Radiator good, fans running, however cooling needs a flush through and i have a hunch something in the cooling is hampered because car gets to halfway on the onboard temp display very quickly but never goes beyond that even after 5 hour drives in summer arid heat. Exhaust: Pinhole has been found in the front end of the exhaust pipe closer to the C. Converter than to the exhaust manifold section. Also hole near the muffler. Oil seepage on the intake manifold near where it attaches to engine. Transmission: all clear sounds, seems good, no grinding or audible noises. Holds all gears well and shifts smoothly. Axle / Suspension: Both front CV joints need replaced, they are both torn and creating noise. Driver side sway bar linkage broken in half. Other: Windshield cracked and needs replacing. Headlights kind of dim and need adjustment and cleaning, front brake pads at 10%, ignition wires and air filter should be replaced. So now the time has come to replace the CV joints but my i am coming here to the forum to ask for opinions on what else might be recommended to be done on this car’s journey to 300k miles … I have some good block of time right now to work on it and i'm willing to pull the engine regarding other people's opinion. Right now i'm leaning on pulling it if i do the HGs but since i'm not fully knowledgeable on subaru i am seeking some advice as to what other things should be done while motor is out (theoretically) and front axles are off. For example, any sensors that i should replace? Any pumps that i could inspect and perhaps replace. Since i am doing a repair and not a rebuild i am trying to only repair things that might fail in the next 30k miles, but if something is already going south due to mileage i'm willing to replace it now while subi is opened up (eg. sensors). Transmission lines, steering wheel fluids, hell of course if it comes out it’s getting all new fluids.. Just looking for some chat about suggested additional repairs consider. And of course if anyone is interested i can document the process ... Will post pics of course...