98 outback with 95 2.2 problems

[ryanmiller]

since putting the new timing belt, water pump, and light weight crank pulley on, i noticed that my gas milage and power are way down. i have no power going up hills. the car hesatates under acceleration, and seems to have dead spots during normal driving. it feels restricted and off. i am guessing the thermostat is bad as the temp skyrockets while driving(good thing this car has an amazing heater). i for some reason didnt put a new one in when i did the water pump(rookie mistake). all the fluids are full, and am not seeing any antifreeze in the oil. could i still have a blown head gasket? could the catalytic converter be clogged(does this happen)? the car is going in to the shop on thursday, i'm just trying to get an idea of what could be wrong. my gas mileage dropped from 27 on the highway to 21. i put new plugs and wires in not to long ago also. any ideas from the guru's on the site?

['Buru in the Burgh]

Damn, sounds like last week when one of my cylinders and a piston blew out. My car was having the same problems as you described.

[jey]

Change the thermostat, it's really easy. If your car is not operating at normal temperatures you're going to get poor fuel economy and performance.

[ouch1011]

Are you sure you got the timing marks lined up correctly? Like really sure?

[ryanmiller]

well, it was a bad head gasket. i took it to a subaru only mechanic near cambridge, wi. he has appaerently gotten very good at removing the engines(he owns a subaru only junkyard). he says it is easier to just take the engine out and do the head gaskets. i should have just went to him first. i ended up putting new plugs, wires, coil, timing belt, water pump, fuel filter, o2 sensor, and knock sensor. all before i ended up taking it out there. some of it myself, and some at a local mechanic.

[porcupine73]

Did replacing the HG's fix the problem? It just seems weird that it was working ok until you did those mods and the timing belt. It could just be a coincidence that the HG's decided to rupture at the same time. What you described sounds more like the timing belt being off a tooth.

[harrymaneuvers]

No check engine light???

I have been active on these subaru forums for a good two years and NEVER heard of a 2.2 blowing a headgasket...

Are there any other normal symptoms for a blown headgasket???

[ryanmiller]

we had the front end of that enging tore appart so many times. mike at cindys classics knows these cars and the 2.2 engine better than anyone i have ever met. considering everything that i have done and had done with this car over the last month and a half, the head gasket is the only other thing that is could be. i guess i'll find out when i get the car back in a week.

[ryanmiller]

so, update on my car. the 2.2 had a catastrophic failure, apparently. i took 3 months to get it back. the head bolts some how broke off in the block, and the catalytic converter was clogged preventing the engine from breathing, and causing it to overheat. this is what mike at cindys classics told me. i found countless 2.5's to put in, because i just wanted the car back. at one point i even found a 2.5 with transmission with less than 80k for a grand and free shipping. mike would absolutely not put one in. he kept finding 2.2's with over 200k, which, if i am putting a new engine in, i would be fucking stupid to do that. he finally found one with less than 70k and put it in. he didnt put my lightweight crank pulley, new knock sensor, plugs or wires on the new engine. i am going to stop out to talk with him in person to see about getting these back, since i cant seem to get the shady little bastard on the phone. when the car was finally done, he informed me that it needed tranny work. so it was gone for another 2 months getting the trans fixed. come to find out, mike cut the alignment pins off the back of the engine which offset the torque converter from the input shaft on the trans just enough to fuck everything up. the transmission mechanic gave me the torque converter with the input shaft bearings siezed to it to show me. he turned some new alignment pins and put them in before putting the transmission back in. so, i spent a total of 4 grand on a car that cost me 3 grand. i could have gotten a newer subaru for that much. but at least it will last me for a very long time now. now my cel is back on, and my mileage seems to be not great. though we have had some colder weather and i do need to get a new air filter. i'm just not happy about the cel being on after all this. but, i finally have the damn thing back.

[Huffer]

Man open up a case in small claims court on that engine mechanic, or file a police report for him stealing your parts!