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A customer of the shop I used to work at had a 10 3.6 Outback with the 5 speed auto. Towed her Horsefloat pretty well from what she said. Had it in the shop cos the electric brakes on the float were screwing up. I'd say you'd be ok with using it as a tow vehicle. But personally, something with a 3L diesel would better - say a Toyota ute/SUV with a 1KD-FTV diesel will be far better.

Update Today... talked to Kelford Sounds like the 220-B are the cams to go for if sub 600hp but bordering on the 220-c. Dual AVCS make them very street friendly. They have valve guides and seals along with spring option all available And Horsepower heads agreed with fully ported heads the 220-B cams will support huge power. The exhaust port will be exiting at 40mm so need to address the headers size as likely only 32 or 36mm this maybe within the ability to stretch the factory headers to smooth the exit. The dog leg port will flow close enough to the straight one to make no practical difference. No change to the intake port outer shape so the TVG and manifold won’t need any work above the deletes and tidy up. the factory valve guides aren’t exactly great. But the ones in the new engine are worn so need replacement anyway. Inconel valves for exhaust are a recommended option to handle the high heat. And an email from PBMS looks like valve springs and billet crank are the best option for striker and keeping the current 8500rpm redline. Need to go have a proper chat about the range of options.

Hi there, I live in Nelson, take a tandem trailer with a 6.2m aluminium hardtop boat (total about 2 tonnes) to Havelock perhaps 5 times / year (it's 80km of winding, hilly road). I swap cars with my brother and use his 3.6l Commodore VE for boat towing (we share a family bach and boat) as my 1995 Legacy 250T would not have been up to the job. However my Legacy got a death sentence at the WOF last week (RIP ) so I'm in the market for a replacement. It would make sense to get a car that can tow the boat. I would like to get a 4th Gen Outback 3.0R (2004 - 2007 or so) and have spent some time trying to work out if it would be up the task of towing 2 tonnes. I've found plenty of information in this forum (thanks!) and elsewhere on towing with 3.0 Outbacks, but nothing definitive. - Tow rating for this car would be 1800kg braked (750kg unbraked). - Some suggest an additional trans oil cooler would be needed (some suggest it would be difficult to fit). I've read a few lists of good towing vehicles on horse float / boating sites and nobody has mentioned any Subaru for towing, not even once. They usually mention the standard big SUVs and also Falcon/Commodore etc. My gutfeel is that 2 tonnes is a little too much for an Outback based on kerb weight etc and the transmission / drivetrain would be worked a bit harder than it should be. So what does everyone think? My guess is if I said Hilux / Commodore everyone would say "yes", if I said 2.5 Legacy everyone would say "no' but if I said 3.0 Outback it's probably in that slightly worrying ground in between.

Windy, hilly roads are the biggest test on towing ability. Even when braked it doesn't take much for a trailer heavier than the car to start determining the direction you take rather than yourself which won't end positively. In the city driving to the local boat ramp we’d probably all say you’ll be right but it’ll be a struggle on narrow winding roads and you'll more than likely piss off everyone else on the road as you cautiously make the trek.

One of my friends brought a 3.0 legacy to tow a horse float and horse, it was just under the limit for weight but wishes she got something with a bit more power. Personally if it's going anywhere near hills don't get it.

Yes, yes it did No idea if it was running like that on the car but that’s what I got.

This is my opinion..... you brought the car, like it but really think you shouldn't of brought it and now looking for an excuse to get rid of it. 5k difference between what you were told and what was written down is nothing to complain about. If you were told it had been done and never had, then you would have an issue I would worry about. I can tell you that the belt can do wayyyyyyy more than a few thousand ks past their replaement date. It sounds like you are still not 100% what car you want, wagon,sedan or coupe.

I would never have thought that a cambelt could taint someone's appreciation of their car. Finding badly repaired crash damage sure... finding rust, finding that the previous owner never changed to oil, finding a used condom down the back of a seat... but a cambelt that might or might not need changing???

I have been told bearings usually first, then rods.

Bearings almost 100% of the time.. Sometimes a broken ringland..

Just be glad you didnt get an RX8.

Surprise 1 So the engine has been torn down. Results are good. Engine looks better than expected No evidence of cracked piston or low compression that resulted in the engine removal and sale. So a set of STi rods and pistons will be for sale soon. Now the hard question Should I sell the mint 2L crank and get a 2.5L crank or not? The idea of a 2.2L has its appeal for obvious reasons GR-22-B

Yep, I have to admit I was very much against them on any of my Legacies but seeing so many people happily slapping spacers on their bimmers all over the world made me to reconsider... Got some extended bolts to match too. Had a quick catch up with @im-a-bus and her gorgeous M3 (fitted with spacers too, obviously...) and she pretty much convinced me that there is nothing wrong with having spacers on ya bimmah