Al_SemC

I second this method, but be aware that you may need to replace the valve cover gaskets and spark plug tube seals if you do. They're not supposed to be reusable. Mine were off once and not replaced and now leak a bit, especially now that I'm running synthetic.

And never mind. I was close. This is a crank pulley tool. It's a bit like the cam tool you've got. I've never seen an SOHC cam tool and honestly didn't know there was one, what with the hex shaped part of the cam just screaming to have a wrench put on. I retract my earlier comment. Incidentally, these are the DOHC ones: and EDIT: Seems the link to the image for the first cam hold down tool at SPX broke. Oh well. It looks like this: O=O, where the circular parts have hex shaped holes in them that fit over the hex section on the front of the cam sprockets.

That's the crankshaft pully hold-down tool and has nothing to do with taking off the camshaft sprockets.

I third the "pull the tranny" motion. In addition, I'll add that tranny jacks are much easier to get, deal with and store than engine hoists. If you're creative, you won't even need one. ...but I'd use one if I were you.

As I understand it, the Phase II ones (the SOHC ones) don't have head gasket problems. Also, Subaru has revised the gasket for the DOHC models a few times and made it much better, so if it's been changed since like 2000, it'll probably be just fine.

I've got two of those. Suckers sound like valves when the engine's up to temp. I've tried cleaning them, but it just makes it worse. Since they're just noisey and don't hurt anything I plan to ignore it until they start to go for real start to cause misfires. You can get remans at Advance for like $40, IIRC. You could either get some of those or just ignore it.

How about this one? It's pretty cheap, comparatively, and the software actually gets updated every once in a while. Plus, the whole spec is open, so you can, if you're properly trained/want to learn write your own stuff for it.

The base compression on both those motors is lower than on the 2.5L's. You also have the additional problem that the cam profile on the 2.0L heads is all wrong for NA applications. You could always boost it...

Outbacks were not available with TCS (for whatever reason...). I think only the FWD models had that. This would be why you don't see the light come on. I'm fairly certain that much of the manual for the '97 is cut and pasted from prior models when FWD Subarus still existed. This "indicator light" you're talking about -- is it the little red light in the blank to the left of the foglamp switch? That's for the security system. There's actually a button there that says "TCS" on it on TCS equipped models. Pressing it toggles the system on and off. Furthermore, TCS has absolutely nothing to do with the transmission or torque bind. It's an extra function of the ABS system. When it's on and senses a wheel spinning, it lightly applies the brake on that wheel, transferring some power over to the other, hopefully more grippy wheel.

Isn't there a dealership near you? I could have sworn reading that there's a whole pile in Quebec.

Incidentally, do you smell the clutch lining burning up? Cruising any distance with a slipping clutch is going to heat it up something fearsome. You might not smell it while you're going, but you will when you get off the freeway and sit at a light. That would be an indication of a dying clutch.

My only concern with pulling power from the feed for the original socket is that you're supposed to be able to pull 120W max from one of those. I think it's got a 15A fuse all its own in the panel. I'd have to look in the manual to be sure. Regardless, having three sockets on the same feed means you could easily draw far too much power through the wiring for the original. At best, you'd blow fuses alot. At worst, it could cause a fire. If it were me, I'd be wiring two new feeds up to ignition-hot on the fuseblock and installing either two inlines or an auxilliary fuseblock to support fuses for each socket. Much more work, yes, but it'll be safer, less prone to failure and maybe even work better.

Sarcasm? Perhaps I misworded that. Do you mean in regards to my quip about the 4EAT's near-invincibility? That was sincere. They are nearly invincible. I was merely referring to the fact that the oddball EV33 was only available bolted to a 4EAT. The high rate of failure on the SVX is, as far as I can tell, attributed to four things: first, SVX owners driving like toolbags, second, the motor being too powerful for the four-disc clutchpack version of the 4EAT (they should have used the six-disc turbo version), bad programming on the TCU causing the tranny to shift for too long and thus causing excessive heat buildup, and last, inadequate transmission cooler capacity. People who got shift kits or line pressure regulator resistor modifications and bigger tranny coolers were/are fine. As a testimate to the gearbox's reliabilty there are plenty of people running STi's at 450hp on 4EAT's with nothing more than larger tranny coolers (available from Subaru or SPT) and synthetic ATF perfectly happily. Also, my 4EAT just clicked over 159k and it doesn't complain but for a bit of rough shifting I may be able to fix with some Mobil 1 ATF. My problems with the 4EAT are only in that 4 gears aren't enough, it's a bit heavy for my taste and it's not a manual. Other than those minor gripes, it's a truly great piece of machinery.

Oh yeah...I forgot about that whole thing with Subaru mounting testbed motors only to the near-invincible 4EAT, cite the SVX.

The hydraulic clutch thing started with the 2.5L models. Unless you've got one of the bastard motors from that year (the 155hp one that needs premium gas), you've got a cable clutch and possibly even a hill-holder.

Because you don't just want to get oil oil out; you want to get sludge out too. That stuff basically doesn't flow unless it's hot-ish. While you do have a point about the oil being all stuck up inside the engine after you run it to warm it up, I'd rather have a little old oil kicking around in there then a big glob of sludge that might think it's cool one day to come loose and lodge itself in my oil pickup. If you're really that worried about it, warm the engine up, set it to drain, then go have lunch or something. An hour should be sufficient to get all but the last dregs of old oil and sludge out. I find that I get most of it out each time and I usually let it drain about half an hour.

That's kind of funny in a morbid way.

I'll take you up on that once I'm feeling less broke and a bit rambunctious. There's some stuff up in the front of the engine I may need to look at. Incidentally, do you guys carry the special tools? SPX kind of charges obsurd amounts of money and I'd like me a cam sprocket holder for less than $150.

You know what's annoying? How I paid twice that like three days ago for that same kit. Oh well. It's only $15. I'll get over it.

Hoo! Way to be expensive. It'll save bent valves and make the job hella-easier, though.

Very cool. Seems my car's all up to snuff (yay). Still might need a new battery, though. :-\

What he said -- I can't stress any more that you need to insist on a new gearbox. You're unlikely to get a rebuilt one since the 5EAT hasn't been around very long (this also explains the Federal Government style wait), but be adamant. Don't take any crap from them. There is one thing I can say against Subaru -- they seem to have a higher instance of either trying to pawn off blame for failures on you and call it "abuse" or make with the cheap way out on warranty repairs.

Sorry -- that was directed at sid_vicious. I should have quoted him. I meant to ask what ST499207300 costs. If it's like the valve bucket compressor, it's something stupid like $250.

I've sourced reman, not rebuilt, entire transmission units from dealerships for less than $3000. Take it somewhere else.

Well, gee...why would they ever follow the directions straight from Subaru and install the programming button where it's supposed to go?