uniberp

Totally caked up PCV. Had been burning oil. Now doesn't. I seemed to notice the cruise control working better (more precise and responsive, old style dash button with stem controls 1999 Forester), and that it is not shifting as hard 2-3. Does the 4EAT have a "vacuum modulator" that might account for that? The cruise thing is more obvious. high speed + low vacuum minus additional loss through PCV = poor response. On the bright side, I burned about 5 (additional) quarts of high quality oil through the engine since March, so now those new valve seats are nice and hardened Maybe.

On autos, the pointy end of a tire iron through the inspection hole works perfectly well.

All these are good options, but what I really want is an engine that is as quiet at startup as my 2008 Forester with 60k miles. This rattling smoking stuff is tiresome. There is one last chance that the oil rings (or other rings) are sticking, causing all this ruckus, and I may fog it with seafoam to try to clear that up.

The 99 has the smaller journals, I think, so I'm further disinclined to rebuild it. Both engines run, but this imminent "ticking" which I optimistically called "piston slap", I know recognize is rod knock. I found this company locally, I can drive up and back in a few hours: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1990-2010-Subaru-2-2-2-5-Engine-Short-Block-Legacy-Outback-Forester-Impreza-/320981186335?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3ASubaru&hash=item4abbf8371f&vxp=mtr Anyone dealt with SSI? I don't want to make a prolonged ordeal out of this. Iput this engine in in one day, I'm figuring I can pull it, pull heads, put new HG's and the heads belts, pump, pulleys on the shortblock and have it back in in a weekend.

Nuts. Put an engine with a rebuilt top end, 3 months ago and now it's getting rod knock. Burned a little oil all along too, so I think the shortblock was worn out. I shoulda known. 1999 forester L auto SOHC NA I'm thinking of this shortblock... http://www.ebay.com/itm/06-07-08-09-Subaru-Legacy-Engine-Shortblock-2-5L-4-CYL-Non-Turbo-/221000965791 Since it seems the 1999 was a 253 and the 08 Forester I have is a 253 also. I got the old original 253 in my garage with a rod knock which I could rebuild if I had the time and patience, but I doubt my skills in that area. Bolting on heads and torquing them correctly I think I could handle. I never hear much about building bottom ends here.

Ball joints first. There are tricks to getting the pinch bolt out without snapping it off, which is VERY common, and a pain to work past if you do. I drill the center of the thread end with a 1/8" which seems to allow the the threads to loosen enough. the heat of the drilling may also allow the PBlaster lubricant to penetrate further into the joint.

It prolly is still the clockspring. Watch for airbag light too.

I found a good home for it, with a tech devotee

That's a CAT.... clutch alignment tool.. .splined thingee that keeps the disc centered as you tighten the plate, lets you push it around a bit. "Hold the crank pulley" ...? everyone i knows sticks a tire iron in the inspection hole.

Yes, it's easy, you don't need to be under the car. 14mm socket. From passenger side remove heat shield bolts and drop that side. Remove center support bolts and rear flange bolts. Whole thing drops out easily. Should take ten minutes or less. Then you can tell what ELSE is broke.

No amount of running is going to evaporate the water in the spark plug tubes. Stop running it until you pull all electrical connections and clean and reattach. Do it soon before the water in the oil rusts your crank.

^this. Or just inspect them for inside/outside wear.

or air filter? Can no longer actually cause a rich condition, but can starve it altogether.

So it was the fuel filter?

You guys do a lot of engine braking up there in the mountains. Altitude may also be a factor. Plus the possibly weird gas and humidity. maybe?

I have not seen mention of thermostat. many claim only OEM thermostats are worthwhile.

See other threads for clutch judder possibly caused by a NOT having the flywheel refaced. Pressure plate, IDK? I wouldn't skip those unless I was willing to live with a grabby clutch or redo the job later.

F-S-H-I-T-B "Fist-Sized-Hole-In-The-Block" It's 500 miles away and I got a weekday job.

My niece smoked the Legato (1997 Legacy Auto wagon, 2.2 4EAT) up near Minneapolis. Good KYB struts, decent tires, new wheel bearings, new front brakes, all timing stuff. Remote starter, aftermarket sunroof, pretty clean overall. I think she ran it out of oil. Inquiries invited for any parts or whole thing.

How big a coolant leak, from where? If it's from the HG, bad. I recently read a thread very closely, about proper torque-detorque-retorque sequence for headgaskets. It is involved. Plugs and plugwires, you changed, of course? Std. maintenance.

Are you sure the CEL works? It shoudl be on when you firs turn the key to "ON". I have seen cars where the bulb was simply removed. Symptoms like this should be throwing codes. Fuel pressure?

I just put in a top-end rebuilt, and after switching to Kendall GT1 20-50 because I think some of the standard "piston-slap" noise is rod bearings, I wanted to quiet it down a bit. It worked, but now it smokes a little. I hope it's from being slightly overfilled, about an 1/8" above full mark. Maybe you are overfull?

Techron.

More than likely it will fit, but if it's wobbling it's most likely the pulley has gotten loose. Lotsa threads here about fixing loose pulleys. Basically cranking it down 130 lb/ft.

ball joiint? wheel bearings? Both can be subtle asymptomatic.