ABS doesn't matter, ignore it. You can't bleed the ABS unit itself. Subaru specifies an ABS activation sequence - meaning you do some dance to make the valves actuate internally - for bleeding but I've never needed it. I would not look there for issues.

 

Subaru MC failure is crazy rare, that's not the issue here. I wouldn't waste your time there yet.

 

Keep bleeding. Ideally with a helper or pressure/vaccuum assist. Bleed it like crazy.

Just to share a story about your year and model.. We had the same until our carport caved in on Christmas eve due to rain on 3 feet of snow.  

The Subaru was flattened to 2' and the tires where like the Back to the Future De Lorian when it flies. My 96 explorer fared better as we all know they have to have strong roofs because they spend a lot of time parked that way. They fixed the Explorer which I still use as a snow plow.

The Subaru which we had bought 2 years prior to this for $12,000 they offered us $13,500!! and wrote it off. We bought our 2005 then And my wife was not happy because it had no character compared to the 98. Anyhow much later down the road we run into a local kid who said, hey I think I have your car.. he found a piece of paper with our name.. I couldn't believe they re built it it was a pancake. it's still going strong and looks in mint condition. 

Wow!  That is a great story, thanks for sharing!  I agree, the newer Imprezas and similar models have all seemed to morphed into something indistinct!  I love the looks of my '98 too, now I just need to replace/repair the rear door and clean up and paint the rear panel behind it and it will be really sharp!

ABS doesn't matter, ignore it. You can't bleed the ABS unit itself. Subaru specifies an ABS activation sequence - meaning you do some dance to make the valves actuate internally - for bleeding but I've never needed it. I would not look there for issues.

 

Subaru MC failure is crazy rare, that's not the issue here. I wouldn't waste your time there yet.

 

Keep bleeding. Ideally with a helper or pressure/vaccuum assist. Bleed it like crazy.

 

Yes, this worked out for me, I just started gravity bleeding it, and low and behold, I have perfect pressure now!  The pedal is nice and firm, the real problem was that I had not put the right rear brake shoe assembly on correctly, and it wasn't allowing it to contact the drum, once I fixed that, and bled through entire large (32 oz IIRC) bottle of brake fluid, all is as it should be!

So now I am considering if I should goto Napa once again, to get gaskets for the head covers that are leaking.  I really was impressed by their CV boot replacement, hopefully the gaskets will be as high quality!  A friend made a suggestion for putting on the gaskets, and I wanted input here.

 

I will assume after 193K miles that there is going to be some warping of the head, so my friend says to put some permatex or similar high quality silicone gasket sealer onto the mating surfaces, let them cure 30 min, then apply some to the gasket, again wait, this time only 5 min, and that should help fill any gaps to try and avoid a leak?

 

I have a pretty steady leak, makes about a dime to quarter sized spot depending on the day when parked, but it's so little that it really doesn't show up as the oil being low even after 3 tanks of gas since I noticed the problem.

 

Also, just today, I filled it up, and the millage really took a dump!  It went from a solid 24 MPG the last two times to now 14 MPG?!?!?  I do have "check engine light" but I cannot fathom that this can be, I must have made an error somewhere, if I was truly running so much extra fuel, I would imagine it would effect performance of the car.

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks!