alias20035

If you can come up with some new material that has low heat conductivity, that will not rust when exposed to road salt, that can handle instant temperature changes (like when extremely hot and then splashed with cold water), and happens to be inexpensive, be sure to give Subaru a call. Metal is one of the few substances that can handle the extreme temperature change, and even stainless steel will rust due to the high temperatures and road salt exposure. Subaru uses a very high quality exhaust system that does rattle a lot less often than most other vehicles except large trucks which usually have no heat shields, but trucks are also not required to have long life exhaust systems (10yr/150,000 mile) either. The usual rattle culprit are the interior clamps that are underneath the heat shield, and usually when they are rusted out you will not be able to get the heat shield bolts off without causing more damage to the heat shield. Which is why the hose clamp and/or aluminum foil wedges trick is recommended.

Or jam folded aluminum foil wedges in between the exhaust and offending heat shield. Since aluminum foil has low heat conduction, will not rust, and is flexible it is suitable material to use. I have used this trick on many early Legacy's with rattling catalytic convertor and resonator heat shields.

If you want problem free brakes I would remove the caliper each year to relubricate the sliders and pad guides. The rear brakes will often seize after a few years exposure to road salt if this is not done. It is also a good idea to clean off the old anti-squeal compound from the pad shims and apply new stuff. Subaru's new design (used from 1995 onward?) with the dual caliper bolt and sealed sliders is much better than their old design where the single caliper bolt is the lower slider and the caliper pivots and pulls off the upper fixed slider. The new slider design should not require relubrication if the rubber seal is intact and the slider action is smooth. With the new design is also easier to replace the slider, the old design often required a replacement caliper as the parts are rusted together. You have the new design if there are two bolts to undo to remove the caliper from the pad guide.

The Subaru hitch is made by Draw Tite or Hidden Hitch. Hidden Hitch is used by Subaru Canada, and I think Subaru USA uses Draw-Tite (which is the same company as Reese?). My dealer wanted $486 CDN for the hitch and wiring harness, I got the identical Hidden hitch model including drawbar, ball and wiring unit for $240 CDN installed. I guess it costs about $240 to ship from Hidden Hitch to Subaru Canada to have the Subaru sticker applied over the Hidden Hitch one and then send it on to the dealer.

The best method for pulling out a ball joint from the knuckle is to fabricate a puller for it. Remove the ball joint from the control arm (with the proper ball joint puller). Then remove the ball joint retention bolt from the knuckle. Place a large socket over the ball joint (which clears the large top of the ball joint), place a washer on the ball joint, and then use the ball joint nut to pull the ball joint out of the knuckle. I use an old Legacy rear bearing race, it works perfectly. You should spray the ball joint and knuckle with Liquid Wrench beforehand too. Never use heat or pry on the knuckle to remove a ball joint, as the lower end on the knuckle where the ball joint is inserted is very weak. I have seen many knuckles that are cracked in this area, and all of the cracks are related to the use of heat or improper tools to remove the ball joint. I have even seen Legacy's loose the front wheel/knuckle/strut assembly due to these cracks.

If you get grinding brakes only for the first few brake applications, and then the brakes are fine it is likely just rust on the rotors. Each brake application scratches the rotor surface and leaves a fine coat of iron dust from both the rotor and pad on the rotor surface. This fine dust and the small scratches rust very quickly (a matter of hours) when the car is parked in humid weather. If your brakes are fine after a few brake applications, don't do anything, nothing is wrong. There is no solution to this problem, because it is not really a problem. If it is a continous grinding or squeal, it is possible that the pads have reached their wear indicators and you should have new pads installed as soon as possible.

The 96 EJ25 engine only had 155 HP, the 97-99 models had 165 HP and got better fuel economy. The 97 added solid valve lifters, and has completely different internals for less friction. On the upside the 96 is less prone to piston slap. Head gaskets still blow on the 96 EJ25, just like the 97-99 Phase 1 EJ25's. I am not sure what we would call the 96 EJ25, a Phase 0.1? Avoid the 96 5MT Outback, it has the smaller but very reliable EJ22 engine, but it really struggles with the heavier and less aerodynamic Outback. The EJ22 can get worse fuel economy than the EJ25 in some cases in the 96 Outback because it is often forced to work at its limit. The 5MT was only available on the EJ25 starting in 97.

As far as I know all Legacy L models had ABS from the 1995 model year onward, including the front wheel drive models. On the 90-94 Legacy there were three different "L" types though, and only one had ABS: Base L: no power accessories, but a little nicer trim than the non-L Legacy (which I don't think was available in the US) L - type PW - includes power windows and locks with an optional package to include air conditioning and cruise control, both of which can also be dealer installed extra's L - type RW - includes power windows and locks, cruise control, A/C, ABS, and rear sway bar. Also adds a cassette player. Only the RW type L-series had ABS, and the rear stabilizer bar, these are the only two items that were too difficult to retrofit to the lesser L models. "RW" or "PW" will be indicated on the vehicle ID plate on the left front shock tower. All three types were available with or without AWD.

If there is no ABS indicator light when the key is in the "On" position with the engine not started yet, you either have no ABS, or the ABS light is burnt out. You can also note the ABS pump (collection of brake lines into a small metal box) behind the right headlight under the hood. The low end Legacy Brighton did not have ABS in the early years. ABS is standard on the Legacy 95+ L, LS, GT, etc, just the Brighton does not have ABS. The low end Legacy L's from 1990-94 also had no ABS, ABS was on the RW and higher models. One very hard brake application can confirm whether you have ABS or not as well.

Likely the common leak on the left rear head gasket, the coolant runs down the back and under the engine onto the exhaust where it boils and creates the smell. You don't usually get a puddle. When the car is up on a lift you should be able to note signs of coolant residue on the engine block near the left rear part of the head gasket and above the exhaust collector. This is a very common problem, everyone that I know with the Phase II EJ25 SOHC here in Canada has had this problem, no exceptions. It usually starts to occur in -30C weather, and gradually the point at which this problem occurs starts at warmer temperatures as well (like -15C). Some dealers change both gaskets, but others just replace the failed left one (it always seems to be the left gasket that leaks). It's a toss up as to whether it is best to change the good right side gasket as well, if the dealer is experienced and can do the gasket properly then it too should be changed. Head gaskets are under the 5/100 warranty, and I think Subaru has a hidden extended warrenty for this particular gasket leak, I have two friends that have complimentary repairs for this outside of warranty.

I would change the internal transmission bearings even if they appear good. Noisy 5MT bearings are a fairly common occurance, usually starting to appear at around 200,000 km or so, but highly variable on how the transmission is treated by the owner, and whether the synchros have failed or not. You don't want to skip changing any potentially worn parts that you pull out and then have to pull the tranny apart again in a year or so. Gears and synchros are somewhat easy to inspect and keep, but the bearings often give no indication of an upcoming failure. BTW: most bearings start to get noisy not all that long after the synchros start to misbehave. Shavings from the synchros get into the bearings accelerating wear, and the additional vibration and stress of a "synchro-less" shift can also harm them. Two Subaru transmissions have done this to me, the 5-4 synchro stops working, and about a year later the middle bearings get noisy. In both cases I ran the noisy, grinding transmissions for another 200,000 km or more, I had easy access to spare transmissions at the time. I was trying to get as much life out of the clutch as possible, but the clutch kept going and going. When I looked at rebuilding the transmission it was going to be an expensive and tedious process, as all of the parts are not avaible and you don't know what you need until you pull the tranmission apart. I managed to secure a used 5mt with only 40,000 km on it for less than $500 CAD including shipping. I have noted that the 5MT prices have shot up quite a bit recently though, it is now hard to find one for under $1000CAD.

Well the old Turbo Legacy is some 230lbs lighter than the Outback (3261lbs vs 3490lbs?) and it does produce a bit more torque a lot lower in the rev range which really aids acceleration. The Turbo Legacy's 181 lb/ft at 2800rpm, with 80% of peak torqe at a low 1800rpm is a LOT better than the EJ25's 166 lb/ft at 4,000rpm with 80% at somewhat high 2500rpm. But the stock Turbo Legacy wagon only does 0-60 in 8.2 seconds according to both Car and Driver and my readings with the G-Tech Accelerometer. The Outback is 0-60 in 9.5-10 seconds with 5MT and 10.5 seconds with 4EAT and with the H6-3.0 0-60 is 8.5 seconds. The Legacy Turbo just seems a lot faster than it actually is. Up to 30mph the Turbo Legacy is very fast, actually faster than a the early 90's Porsche 911 and Ferrari Testarosa, but from 30mph onward it is easily overtaken. With the quick 0-30 time you gain a large lead which the Outback simply can not take back. The following page has a lot of Turbo Legacy information including updates such as intercoolers and swapping to a 5MT transmission. I wish this information existed 6-7 years ago when I first started playing with the Turbo Legacy's. http://www.legacycentral.org/index.shtml Emily, much thanks for the posts you have made, it is great to have some unassociated Subaru experts on this board to provide unbiased information! Especially since you provide the truth on head gasket and timing belt tensioner problems, that dealers seem to dismiss by order of Subaru of America and Subaru Canada.

The warning in the owners manual (it was in my 93 Legacy's owner's manual, I'll check my 2001 Outback manual, but the 4EAT's are not any different now than then). There was both a speed and distance limit, something like 30MPH for a max of 30 miles or something like that. Maybe it was 50MPH, I have only owned 5MT Subaru's, so I don't have the fuse. But it is definitely not a good idea to use the FWD fuse to delay a repair to the AWD system, it is intended for short term emergency use only, such as when using the spare tire. The FWD fuse holds the transmission in a full front wheel drive mode, which never occurs otherwise (there should always be a minimum of 10% rear power).

Well then the only thing I would check is the actual temperature of the coolant in the radiator, perhaps your temperature sensor/gauge reading is wrong and the coolant flowing into the lower part of the rad is much hotter than it is supposed to be. It might be possible to do this with a high temperature thermostat against the lower rad hose. This would be a double failure though, the temperature sensor/gauge would have to read cold, and the thermostat would have to have failed and not be fully opening (or be too hot of a model), for this problem to occur. Subaru's flow the coolant in the reverse of most other cars, cold coolant is pumped out of the top of the radiator into the top of the engine, the thermostat is on the bottom of the engine, and the hot coolant leaves the bottom of the engine to the bottom of the rad. Most other cars have the thermostat up top and flow hot coolant into the top of the rad where it would be possible to check its temperature through the rad cap in most cases. As a reference, my 2001 Outback will steam for a good 20 minutes after a car wash on a colder day. But steam during rain is not a normal occurance that I have noted. The rad should not normally get wet when the car is sitting in the rain, is it getting wet because of rain deflected off something or does it only get wet when you drive? Just thought of something, your 98 has the hood scoop which was recalled to install a water deflector. Water was entering through the hood scoop and onto the engine causing steam and electrical problems. Check with your local dealer, they should be aware of the recall and can confirm if the part was installed on the hood.

Two ways to remove the screws in above the ashtray: a very short (called a stubby) #2 philips screwdriver or the trick I use: Use a 1/4 drive rachet with a 1/4" socket and use a #2 philips screw bit which happens to be 1/4" and will fit the socket. This method allows you to get a lot of torque on these hard to reach screws. See my radio/speaker installation guide which applies to the 2000-2004 Legacy/Outback, most of whats in it does apply to earlier models as well. My guide

Some steam from water on the radiator is normal, but the amount you describe does not sound normal. First of all the 98 Subaru's have solid valve lifters that should not click like the older hydraulic valves. Perhaps a valve adjustment is needed? Or is it piston slap? Piston slap occurs when the engine is cold and the piston has some play in the cylinder, until warm the piston will slap the cylinder wall causing a tapping sound. After a few minutes the engine warms up, the piston expands and the piston slap stops. If your "piston slap" does not stop it is not "piston slap" and could be incorrectly adjusted valve lifters, or even worse a failed timing belt tensioner. Noisy lifters you can drive with (you should fix it though), but a failed timing belt tensioner can easily cause the timing belt to slip or break which will destroy the engine. So please have a mechanic confirm that the timing belt tensioner is not the cause of the tapping sound. You 98 Outback has the Phase 1 EJ25 engine which does have the tendency to blow headgaskets. Look for or note the following symptoms of a head gasket failure: * overheating * loss of coolant (boilover from coolant overflow, or possible internal consumption of coolant) * oil like residue in coolant overflow bottle * rough running * loss of cylinder compression (requires a cylinder compression test, although this is not always revealing) * hydrocarbons in coolant (the coolant is test for exhaust gases, if found the head gasket is leaking) * sweet smelling coolant exhaust smell Since you didn't not any of the above, perhaps the problem is elsewhere or there is no problem, but always keep an eye out for the above symptons because head gaskets are such a routine item on this car. One thing to note, where are you checking the coolant level, just the overflow bottle? The overflow bottle will only provide the correct coolant level if the radiator is full of coolant. When the car is cold, remove the radiator cap and confirm that the rad is full right up to the underside of the cap. If you are not loosing coolant, a coolant leak is out of the question, but it still could be a blown head gasket but you would normally get overheating on long high speed drives in this case. The temp gauge is just below half, which is about where it should be. Does the car warm up quickly? If not the thermostat could be stuck open which can cause steam from the rad as it will be hotter than it is supposed to be (too much hot coolant running through it). How much interior heat do you have? When the engine is fully warmed up and with the climate controls on vent, hot air and fan speed 1 (low) the heat output should be painful to the hand after about 10-30 seconds (varies with pain tolerance, but it should be HOT). If "cold" heat, you likely have a stuck open thermostat or air trapped in the cooling system. To remove trapped air, I would raise the front end a bit with the engine cold. Remove the rad cap and open the rad bleeder valve and run the engine. Keep adding a 50/50 mix of water and coolant until no more can be added. After a while the thermostat should open and some coolant will start to overflow from the open bleeder and rad cap, at this point any trapped air might be purged. Stop the engine, top up the coolant in the radiator, and replace the rad cap and close the bleeder. Add coolant to replace any that has overflowed. On Subaru 4EAT models the lower part of the radiator contains an automatic transmission heat exhanger which exhanges the heat from the transmission fluid to the coolant. If the transmission has a problem it may overheat and cause steam from the lower part of the rad because in colder weather there is very little coolant flow to absorb this heat. You would normally get an "AT Temp" light or other transmission problem indicator. Does your "AT Temp" come on before the engine is started? All dash indicator lights are supposed to come on when the key is in the "On" position with the engine not running as this is how you are supposed to note blown warning indicator bulbs. Smell the automatic tranmission fluid on the ATF dipstick, does it smell burnt? If so this is bad. FYI: When wet air moves through the radiator it should not be hot enough to cause steam. But when you stop, water is trapped and heats up causing some steam. Steam may also appear if you spray a hot dry radiator with water. Hope this helps.

And since its safety related the fix should be free even though TSB's are normally only paid for during the warranty period. Argue this point with the dealer if they refuse to cover it. Some TSB's such as this one should have been a recall.

The ECU is supposed to be able to fire the spark plugs with either the cam or crank sensor not working, but not both. This is according to the Subaru technical manual. I can confirm that a failed cam sensor will not prevent starting, but I never been able to start a Subaru engine with the crank sensor disconnected, so perhaps the technical manual is incorrect, or perhaps the engine will simply continue to run with a failed crank sensor, but not restart. However, if the ECU detects incorrect timing between crank and cam, it will not fire or inject fuel as a safety precaution. I think the threshold for misalignment is about 2 or 3 cam belt teeth, but on the DOHC models it could be even lower. Timing belts do not slip on their own, so you have to look for the cause if it turns out that you were reading the timing marks correctly and it has in fact slipped. Not sure why the belt would pick this particular time to slip though, as your work was unrelated. There are usually two marks on the crank timing belt pulley, if that is where you are verifying the timing, the mark to use is a small arrow on one of the crank angle sensor teeth, not the one on the front of the pulley which is 90 degrees out from the tooth mark. Also check alignment between the exhaust and intake cam pulley, usually these are properly aligned until the cam belt tensioner fails. Inspect the cam belt tensioner, idler pulleys, cam and crank pulleys, water pump, etc. The cam belt tensioner can be tested with a hydraulic press and a pressure sensor, I don't have the readings for the compression pressure required, and the return speed of the piston though, the newer ones are 66PSI, but I think the old style tensioners are much higher. The older Subaru turbo's are known to eat a few tensioners, so I would go on the asumption that it has failed. Idler pulleys should have no play and spin smooth and quiet, as should the water pump. I would replace the cam and crank oil seals when doing a timing belt as well as the water pump if it has 80,000km or more on it. Even if you find no obvious signs of belt damage, change it with a new one, it is not worth the risk. Your engine is an interference type and will be killed by a broken timing belt. In order to check for internal engine damage you need to either take the heads off for inspection, or install a new timing belt, tensioner and whatever else is needed and do the standard cylinder compression test. It might be possible to do a leak down test with the timing belt off, but you will have to align and lock each pistion and its associated intake/exhaust valve in the closed position. This would check the cylinders ability to hold pressure (all cylinders leak, but should leak slowly). A leak would likely indicate a damaged valve in your particular case. This method is a pain in the @ss to do and too dangerous to attempt with the DOHC heads, but it is the only method that can avoid an outlay of cash. With the timing belt off you have to be extremely careful to keep both camshafts on each head properly aligned. Subaru sells a special tool to lock the camshafts, and there are many aftermarket tools as well. If the two cams are allow to spin free, the intake and exhaust valves can strike each other and cause damage. On Subaru DOHC's the intake and exhaust valves interfere with each other, and this is referred to as an "interference" engine. The SOHC models are "non-interference" or "free-running". In Canada, Subaru timing belts vary from $80-$140 depending on model, and the tensioner is between $80 and $220, again depending on model. The water pump is $70-90, idler pulleys are $40-60 and the cam and crank seals are $4-10 each. But Subaru parts costs seem to be highly variable based on things like the weather or some other unexplainable reason.

Snow chains can NOT be used on the Outback. See the tire notes near the rear of the owner's manual where this fact is stated. Chains will strike the front strut causing tire and strut damage. The regular Legacy can use chains, but like all other Subaru's, only on the front wheels. Only the cable type can be used, not the chain type. Winter/snow tires with the Rubber Assocation of Canada (RAC)snowflake/mountain logo are exempt from snow chain requirements everywhere that I have been, and I have been all over. The RAC logo was adopted in the US about 5 years ago. Most US states now recognize high traction snow tires that have this logo as being snow chain exempt. I have been waved through high mountain passes in Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Wyoming in my Michelin Arctic Alpin equipped Outback, even though the "snow chains required" light was flashing. Mounting the snow tires on regular rims without hub caps is a good way for the police to identify snow tires from a distance. Mount snow tires on the alloy wheels and they WILL stop you to check. BTW: You should NOT use snow chains on snow tires, snow tires are soft compound with a very thin and weak sidewall, and the snow chains can easily damage the tire. Studded tires are great on ice, but illegal in most places except Quebec and Alaska. The studs destroy pavement, and good snow/ice radials come reasonably close to matching the performance of studded tires.

I have seen 190HP but not for the EJ22T, 190Hp was the rating of the EJ20 engine that overseas turbo Legacy's had at the time though. Perhaps this is where the 190HP comes from, every publication, Subaru or otherwise that I have seen lists 160HP@5600RPM. But Subaru does list the Forester XT at 210 HP and it is definitely quite a bit more than that, and they list the Impreza 22B at a low legal JDM limit of 280HP, so you never know? But I did help a friend perform a bench dyno on a 1993 Legacy Touring Edition LE EJ22T engine with no exhaust system after the catalytic convertor and we only came up with 178HP@6,000RPM at the flywheel. So I think the 160 HP number is more reasonable than 190. We took parts from a wrecked JDM WRX and a slightly damaged 93 Legacy Touring Edition LE and merged the two to create the ultimate sleeper car. After installation of the WRX 5 speed transmission and differential, high flow fuel injectors and pump, WRX intercooler, larger turbo, WRX mid exhaust, WRX ECU, boost controller, fuel controller and a long list of other parts the car was putting out 256HP at the wheels on a four wheel dyno. If the owner had not wrecked that car back in 2000, I sure the current WRX would eat its dust. It was too fast for the original G-Tech accelerometer to measure 0-60 time, which means it was likely under 5 seconds, all we got was "error". The only thing we did to the brakes of this car was install Mintex pads, the stock turbo brakes (especially with their vented rear rotors) were more than adequate.

To switch between normal and valet mode, open the drivers door and hold the "Unlock" button on the remote for a few seconds. The Security light will begin to flash quickly when it has entered valet mode, and stop flashing when it has returned to normal mode.

I think all possible items have been covered, but I will summarize for informational purposes. I used to say that three things are required for an engine to run, I rethought the process and came up with a fourth item: 1. Air 2. Fuel 3. Spark 4. Ability to eject exhaust You first item to check in all cases should be the timing belt alignment and condition. Remove the left and right timing belt covers, rotate the crank to TDC (notch in crank accesory pulley aligned to the zero mark on the center timing cover), and note the location of the timing marks on the camshaft pulleys. The camshaft pulleys should read 12 o clock on the timing mark, or 6 o clock, 180 degrees out from the timing mark, in which case you need to rotate the crankshaft one complete rotation back the the zero mark and the cam shafts should now be at 12 o clock. I always check the timing belt because it is easy to do (6 or 7 timing cover bolts only), and it eliminates the possibility of doing further damage to the valve train if the belt has in fact slipped or broken. Air: If the Idle Air Bypass (IAC) failed or is not connected properly (both electrical and its air plumbing), the engine will not run. You can try to start the engine with the throttle partially open, if it starts then the IAC is a possible cause. A failed Mass Air Flow (MAF) or Manifold Air Pressure (MAP) sensor can sometimes prevent an engine from running, but the ECU is supposed to enter "Limp Home" mode and fall back on predefined Air/Fuel tables and use the oxygen sensor to compensate. If the ECU does not enter "Limp" mode as it should, you can force it to by simply unplugging the MAF/MAP sensor. Fuel: You have heard the fuel pump prime the lines when the key is turned to "On". This is the first item to note. The pump should prime for between 1-5 seconds and then turn off, and if the key is left in the on position without starting the engine, there should be a slow and continous intermittant pulse from the pump as it is maintaining the fuel pressure (fuel is returning to the tank all the time). Next thing to do is to connect a fuel pressure tester with a T connector in place of the fuel filter. The fuel pressure should be between 30 and 60 PSI (I think 47psi is the official spec?). No pressure = clogged line or incorrectly connected hoses. I have never seen a fuel filter clog completely nor prevent an engine from running. Icing up yes, clogging completely no. Note that the fuel pickup is on the right side of the tank and a venturi pump using the fuel return pressure is used to pump gas from the left side to the right over the axle hump. If something is wrong with the gas tank plumbing this "pump over" may not happen, and there may be no gas on the right side to be picked up, although in this case the fuel pump will usually try to prime the fuel lines for a very long time without stopping. With this condition your fuel gauge will still show some gas in the tank as there are two fuel level floats and the two readings are averaged for the gauge. Does your "Check Engine" light come on when you turn the key to "on"? If not the ECU may not be working. Engines with failed ECU's will crank forever but never start as the fuel injectors are not working. One way to test the ECU is to do the code download process (causing the check engine light to blink the condition codes), if the ECU enters this mode and indicates ok or a problem, the ECU is at least working. Spark: Coilpacks do fail, but usually it is one cylinder bank not both and it is usually a mid to high RPM misfire. If you have a timing light you can connect its "high tension trigger" lead to each spark plug wire to test for spark at each plug (or at least the fact that the coilpack is trying to spark each one). The timing light will flash if the spark plugs are firing. Using a timing light is the safest method, but the screwdriver/thick glove technique will work, although there is enough current to stop your heart and also destroy electronic components, so please be careful. If no spark, check to see if the coil pack is receiving power when the key is in the "on" position. If so, then swap the coil pack temporarily and if the no spark problem still remains, the problem lies with the ECU, the crank position sensor, the cam angle sensor or any associated wiring. This is where it can be a pain in the rump roast if the ECU doesn't tell you what specifically is wrong. Ability to eject exhaust: If the exhaust is plugged (usually a plugged catalytic converter) the engine may run poorly with little power, or may not run at all. Often the engine will loose all power and once the engine is stopped it can not be started again. If you your engine is running badly due to a clogged catalytic converter, the catalytic converter will usually glow red (most noticable in the dark). You can disconnect the Y pipes from the underside of the head and try to start the engine, if it starts shut it off immediately, running an engine without an exhaust system attached will destroy the exhaust valves (but not in the brief 1-3 second long period to test for a clogged exhaust). If the engine can not eject exhaust it can also not pull in the air fuel mixture.

The retightening process was listed in the Subaru service manual for my 85 GL and my 93 Legacy after a head gasket replacement, but it does not seem to be indicated any Subaru newer than 94. If and when my head gaskets ever go I plan to switch to studs which allow far more accurate torquing. Subaru's "tighten to x lb ft and back off 1/2 turn and then another 1/4 turn" torquing instructions are quite bizarre, most other cars are torque to x lbs in sequence and retorque in 1,000 miles. I had to retorque the head bolts on my parent's Chevy Astro van, what a pain that was, absolutely no room to do the work! The issue might be that the head gaskets expand after installation to fill any gap, and retorquing them could cause some problems. I have never seen a loose head bolt on a Subaru, seen them on Fords, GM's and even a brand new Toyota Camry. The Phase 2 EJ25's aren't blowing head gaskets nearly as often as the Phase 1's. I recently saw my first Phase 2 with a blown gasket, the left gasket was leaking coolant (common Phase 2 problem) and the owner drove several hundred KM with low coolant, the result was severe overheating and a failed right head gasket and warped head, so this one can't be blamed on design or manufacture.

Heres an issue: If you installed one of the clutch assemblies that was recalled as original equipment will Subaru replace it for free? I feel they should since it is a defective part. The recently updated clutch assemblies (after May/June 2003) still judder, but not nearly as often.

In that case I would try an oil additive as Northguy suggests to see what happens, it is not going to make things worse. Other that the engine running normally after a few minutes, the loss of power, rough running and pinging are exactely what happens when a catalytic convertor plugs. Eventually the cat completely plugs and the engine will not run. Subaru's are not known for valve problems (lifter problems, yes) which is why I questioned the diagnosis. Could it be the coil pack? I have seen a few coilpacks go haywire and misfire when cold and once they warm up they work fine. The coilpacks can also misfire at about 3000RPM under load causing extreme loss of power and rough running, this would account for your 55MPH problem. It is an occasional problem usually occuring (not not always) in damp weather.