hardtail_pride Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I have just about had it with vacuum leaks. my motor shakes, my 4wd wont work, i replaced most all of the hoses but the Loyale is just pissing me off more. I throw money at it and nothing got better. I decided the next step will be clamping the hoses or something. Or selling the car. Anyone in Utah want it? I tried to use the clamps that you tighten with a screw driver, but that actually made my 4wd go out completely. Is there better clamps out there that wont crush/ ovalize when tightened smaller? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 What exactly are you trying to clamp? Vacuum is messy thing to work with. Remember you are not trying to keep vacuum in, you are trying to keep the atmosphere OUT. Any place you have a leak, atmosphere is leaking INTO the system. You can trace those leaks using carb cleaner, brake cleaner, or other evaporating, flammable, aerosol product. Spray around and when the engine changes pitch you will have found a leak. Shaking at idle could be many things. Bad valve timing, faulty ignition components, poor idle mixture settings.... etc. Vacuum leaks may have nothing to do with it. Start at the beginning. Put a vacuum gauge on the manifold and see what the needle does (both it's motions, and it's readings are important). Pull each plug wire one at a time and check that each cylinder is firing - it will run worse when you pull a wire for a cylinder that is working. If you replaced any of the vacuum hoses, make sure you chop the old ones into 1/4" pieces to verify that you didn't miss any "orifice" plugs. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail_pride Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 I will check on the ignition tips you gave me. When i say clamping i meant like hose clamps that ensure that no air is leaking in. Dunno if im making my self clear. Not to completely clamp off a hose but to secure it. I will try the carb cleaner idea too sounds like i have some experimenting to do! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I get the nice German hose clamps from my local VW speed shop (Discount Import Parts). They have rolled edges so they won't cut into the hose, and their mehcanism is much more rugged and will not go "off track" like the cheapies. Marine supply places are good too - they usually sell a variety of heavy duty stainless hose clamps that are of superior quality. Home Cheapo has some of these too in the plumbing department. And actually, the tiny wire hose clamps originally installed by Subaru are quite good. They are difficult to work with but if you clean up the threads and are careful about how you install them they actually can put down some serious clamping force without causing damage to the hose. They will start to distort if you get them too tight which is not a problem for the German one's I use. You can't easily make them tight enough to break. I need to find a bulk supplier of them so I can stock up my garage. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I have just about had it with vacuum leaks. my motor shakes, my 4wd wont work, i replaced most all of the hoses but the Loyale is just pissing me off more. Have you tried moving the 4wd cable/lever on the side of the transmission by hand? lubricated it? vacuum may not be the issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 I am willing to bet you have a push button style 4WD and with my understanding of the Loyale is that it utilizes a vacuum actuator to engage the 4WD and that you have inadvertently removed the ability for it to do so. Just to bring the thought to the table. Maybe it is best to determine what you are tightening instead of throwing clamps at the problem. What messed up in the first place? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail_pride Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 Ok here is a rundown of past events with the 4wd system. I replaced the sensor/solenoid from another Subaru that actuates the 4wd pressure system on or off. The sensor under the hood by drivers strut tower. That got it half way working. Now the 4wd light just flickered on the dash, even thought the system was engaged. so i wanted to be sure i wouldn't get stuck and not have the 4wd (and it happened) so i replaced all the hoses coming off the solenoid that looked important to making the magic happen. That helped a little more but the light was still flickering, so i decided to try and make a more solid connection from the hoses by installing clamps. Thats where the problem is now. No 4wd, even after i removed all the clamps. And my afore mentioned rough idle shaky motor problem. (could be something else though) I had not had the idea to try out the lever its self on the side of the tranny like GLOYALE stated so i will give that a try Monday. That may very well be the problem. While im looking at it maybe there is a way to make it engage independent of the vacuum system by a cable? Just a thought. Anyone else tried it. Hope this info helps in helping you help me haha :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Might want to check some of them clamps you put on. Might have put one on too tight and caused it to rip a hole in the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail_pride Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 Might want to check some of them clamps you put on. Might have put one on too tight and caused it to rip a hole in the line. Ok i will check, I was more worried about crushing what the hose was connecting to than i was about tearing hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 Have your heater vent controls been doing anything funny? The vacuum source for the 4wd shifting and the heater vent control come from the white plastic cylinder on the shelf behind the pass. side strut tower. Might want to look there first if the heater outputs are stuck in defrost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 the switch is single throw double pole. there is no off position on the button when the button is pressed, it turns on the solenoid that actuates a vacuum diaphragm on the transmission in one direction. when you unpress the button, it turns on the other solenoid drawing vacuum on the other side of the diaphragm and disengaging it. so suppose the button on the shifter is bad? if so, you can engage 4wd simply by reversing the vacuum lines at the solenoids, essentially making the switch work backwards.(off is on and on is off for 4wd) but you will have to switch them again to disengage the 4wd(with the same bad switch) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 the switch is single throw double pole. there is no off position on the button Actually it's a Single Pole/ Double throw. Meaning there is one source voltage(single pole), routed to one of two ways(double throw), depending on the switch position. Double pole/single throw would have 2 seperated circuits(double pole) that are both connected or disconnected at the same time(single throw) Hardtail, Do you have a hand held vacuum pump? You should test the Cable diaphrahm to make sure it holds vacuum. Also, you're light flickering could be a result of the switch on the very rear end of the transmission. If it's on the fritz, the light will flicker or not work, even if you are actually engaged in 4wd. It i esentially as button screwed into the rear of the trans. When the 4wd collar moves to engage gears inside, it pushe the plunger on the button, to indicate 4wd on the dash. You can remove it by simply unscrewing it. should have continuity when it's button is pushed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail_pride Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 Ok this is to SKIP my heater does only work in the higher 2 speeds, so sounds like you know whats going on. It isnt stuck switching from vent to heat etc but it is very slow. So i might just get another one of those plastic cylinders. I will check the shift linkage on the outside of the tranny also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hardtail_pride Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 OH and G loyale i don't have a vacuum pump hand held device, im actually not even sure what that is or where you connect it to. any links to a product anyone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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