1st Gen Lunchtable Thread - General Discussion

One of the guys I paddle with has one of these, it’s a fun little car and very practical. Manual transmission too.

 

Is he looking to sell it by chance?

Haha they’re also by far the most reliable car Subaru ever made. The EJ22 lacks the head gasket and rod knock issues that plagued the EJ25, and the electronics are simple enough not to cause too many headaches like on the newer ones.

 

You’d probably have to murder him.

 

Yea there’s something about those older Subarus that create a strong bond. They have a really scrappy personality, like a loyal hound.

 

Most reliable Subaru is a pretty low bar to meet.

 

I think they’re really overhated in that regard. The Hg thing was just on the NA2.5 from 98-03 mostly and most of the engines blowing up are from ill-advised power mods. If anything my Subarus have been more reliable than my Tacomas honestly. Not much or go wrong if you put on the MLS head gaskets.

 

Speaking of reliable, need to top off my power steering in the LC again

"If it's leaking oil, it's got oil" ~ shitbox proverb

 

Is it really an 80 series if it’s not leaking power steering fluid? Lol, I’ve heard a lot of the time it’s just the reservoir.

I’ve heard Lucas stop leak can be helpful.

 

Most commonly leaks from the cap, but mine is actually from the hose below the reservoir.

Problem is, that hose is damn stiff as hell.

I'd need to find the time to turkey baster out what's in the reservoir and cut the thick line (with minimal room) to yank it off and put in the replacement.

I've got a quality line to go in place -



As far as stop leaks go, I won't use any in any of my vehicles.

 

That’s the low pressure hose right? Sounds like a messy job, bring lots of cardboard lol. Are you gonna do the HP one too? The OEM price is crazy for that one.

 

So the main reason why I won't replace it yet and prefer to top off for the meanwhile is because I have a lot ot ATF left from my Tacoma and 4R.

I figured I'd gather some more parts and replace it all in one go.

I need an OEM power steering pump but I also want to upgrade to the 105 sector shaft as well -

 

Are you gonna rebuild your steering box also? It’s insane how pricy all those componentes are.

 

I heard from a respected LC mechanic that Lucas stop-leak is the one liquid mechanic he’s ok with using. I guess it just thickens it up a bit, kinda like 15W-40.

 

My wife and her entire family are die hard subaru fans. I can tell you that from what I've seen over the course of the last 20 years (15+ cars from 1995-current) that they aren't as "reliable" as cracked up to be. Multiple cars with various issues. We've had to do 10 or 15 HG jobs and replace 5 engines due to loss of oil. My wife's current car (2009 Forester) had a complete engine rebuild 3 years ago because it was eating oil and she never checked it.

Still eats a quart of oil between fill ups after the complete rebuild, and yes, it was done at a reputable shop. After 20+ years of subaru loyalty, she is starting to envy how little maintenance I do on my Toyota and Lexus rigs.

 

I'd like to say this was from something cool. But no... Slammed the 4runner door on it last night.

 

The FelPro head gaskets were definitely junk on the earlier 2.5s, but that can usually be fixed with the MLS gaskets. The earlier engines and the H6 didn’t suffer from those HG failures usually.

I think the newer ones burn oil because of lighter piston rings and looser tolerances IIRC.

 

When I was ~3 I got my head shut in a car door while climbing out of it, lots of blood and stitches. Might be my earliest vivid memory, thanks mom

 

That's sounds traumatic. I understand why you are a goalie now.

 

I was going to mow the lawn half hour ago...

 

YMMV but Subaru is not a reliable brand. If you have to change a head gasket to make the car usable, it's not a good sign. That said, I do understand that while the majority of people want reliable cars, I and plenty of others don't have it as a priority. Not even in the top 5 for me. So saying something is unreliable doesn't make it bad.