hawksoob

FWIW, The Boys of Pep did mine a few years ago for about $600, including flywheel.

Go to http://www.carfax.com. Enter your VIN. Although it won't give you the vehicle history without you paying the 20 bucks, it will give you a few lines of basic info about the vehicle ... year, make, model, and body style.

Wrap the line in a rag to prevent the pliers from cutting into it. I've had luck with doing it in the morning after not having driven it overnight. No problems with pressurized fuel line or fuel sprayage. In fact, I just realized that when I did mine last week, I forgot to open the gas cap before I did it (usually recommended to relieve pressure). All was fine.

I worked with a pathy for a couple of years. It was funny. ANYWHERE you say you've been, he'd been there, too....GREW UP there, actually. Any activity you could mention that you have partaken in, he'd been doing all his life. Or his mom used to do it. I think it was a salesman thing. He could make a connection with his mark ...er... customer by having something in common: "You breed marmots for their spleens in Waukesha? I've been doing that all my life. Family's big on marmot breeding. I grew up in Waukesha." "Oh yeah? What part?" "Uh ... oh ... uh ... we lived on ... uh ...." riiiiiiiiiight:lol: So, as mentioned above ... ask specific questions that should have unequivocal answers. He should know where he had it done, how much it cost, etc., without having to stop and think. This would also avoid making yourself look like you're trying to catch him in a lie. You're just making conversation.

Got a Bosch online a couple of years ago from thepartsbin.com. $40. No issues.

No problem. My understanding .... someone correct me if I'm wrong.... PureOne: Better filtration, anti-drainback valve. Premium Plus: No ADBV. Some say this is fine since the filter sits upright and there's no chance of oil flowing out of the filter to prevent dry start up. According to that website, they both sport 20-25 psi flow rate, unless I'm reading things wrong. I say that because I've read many places that there is a trade off ... PureOne better filtration/less flow rate, but it looks like flow is the same on both.

PL 14460 for Pure One L 14460 for Premium Plus http://www.pureoil.com/ProductFinder.aspx?action=AS

For a "generic" Purolator filter, the ProLine brand from Pep Boys is a Purolator Premium Plus rebadged. Same numbering system, too, unlike other generics that emulate the Fram numbers. Save a whopping 50 cents over the Purolator. I've used them a couple of times with good results. Supposedly, the Total Grip brand from Advance Auto is Purolator too, but I looked at some the other day and the one that was supposedly a match for the L14460 Purolator was about an inch longer and the hole size, shape, number, and configuration was very different. It was also very different from the Fram, so who knows? PureOne vs. Premium Plus: I've read many places that the P-1 filters more, but has less flow than the P+. However, according to Purolator's website, they both have a flow rate of 20-25 psi. So, I guess the extra $3 is worth it to get more filtration? According to BITOG, the Wally World Supertech brand is made by Champion Labs and is the same as the STP filter.

While under the car doing the oil change I noticed a torn CV boot on the right and a torn steering boot on the left. Both Pep Boys and the dealer want close to $500 to do both. I know I can get a new CV axle installed for around $125, but, from the looks of it, the steering boot looks fairly simple DIY. Am I missing something? Their estimates include an alignment. Will that be absolutely necessary? Could I do the boot and wait a few months for when I get new tires to do the alignment? Am I correct in assuming the DIYness of the steering boot? Remove inner tie rod, remove boot, replace boot, replace tie rod? Should the wheel be taken off? (I'll likely do brakes soon, so if the wheel does need to come off, I'll just do it then.) Thanks, Hawk

Thanks. Would you recommend one of those chemical flush/cleaners? Or would just a clean water flush do the trick?

Was checking some things here and there the other day while replacing fuel filter, PCV valve and air filter. Noticed the coolant had a sort of glazed doughnut look ... a sort of shiny, almost crystalline film on top. What's up with that? It doesn't look oily or lumpy. Aside from the glaze, it's a nice new, pretty (for coolant) green. Normal? Silicate deposit? Nothing to be concerned about? Bad? VERY Bad? :-\ Thanks, in advance, for any ideas. P.S. I drained and filled the coolant about 8 months ago. First with Genuine Subaru coolant. Two days later, my mecahnic did the timing belt and oil pump seals and had to remove the rad to get to everything and he replaced the coolant yet again. (2 hours on a Saturday wasted ... ) Not sure what he used. I would have made him replace it with the Subie stuff I'd put in there the first place, but I was moving out of town and had way too many other things on my mind, so there it still sits today.

The first time I did mine, it was a real bee-atch to get off ... I used cup adapter dealier on the socket wrench. Since then, I've been careful not to tighten it so much that I can't get it off by hand the next time. Subsequently, I just wrap a wrag around it and turn it with my hand. Tighten by hand, loosen by hand.

I've heard many things about "Just Brakes" ... all bad. Basically, the $99 deal is to get you in. Then, they call you and tell you that your calipers are all screwed up, your rotors are completely warped, and you need new brake lines and what not. "This car is just not safe to drive as it is. You need at least $800 worth of work before this thing can even be considered safe." http://www.ripoffreport.com Search "Just Brakes"

Might do a web search. There are places around the country that import "young" engines from Japan (Japanese don't like to keep cars for too long and they don't buy used ones. Plus, they often get rid of older cars in order to prevent from having to spend loads of money on making emissions type repairs. They're quite strict about that, being a small crowded island. So, there are lots of 50K to 60K engines being exported at cheap prices ... or so I understand). They rebuild them and clean them up really nice and sell them for, typically, under a grand. Shipping is surprisingly low.

I tried it with one of those adapter dealies. Couldn't really make it happen. (Maybe because I didn't have the vehicle raised. Tried to do it flat on the ground). I went to the 22mm open-end wrench from above the engine compartment route. After a little PB Blaster for a few minutes, it came right out. Trouble is that it should be done when the engine is relatively warm, so the sensor can come out without damaging the opening. This made for a few ouches reaching down to make the last few turns of the sensor and especially when putting the new one in.

check out my.subaru.com May be able to download one or order direct. You can be sure you get the exact right one.

If you haven't done it in a couple of years, might be a good idea to go ahead and replace the coolant, anyway. Removing the lower hose, revealing the t-stat is a good way to get a good drain, anyway (in addition to the petcock). That's how I did mine. Check out: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/ Lots of info over there. There's even a really well laid out FAQ about coolant and all things related to the cooling system.

FWIW: In my manual, it gives the shift points based on speed, not RPM. Something to the effect that "for maximum fuel efficiency": 1st to 2nd at 15mph 2nd to 3rd at 25mph 3rd to 4th at 40mph 4th to 5th at 45mph

Facing towards the front of the engine: bottom of the radiator, on the right. There is a petcock. Basically, place one end of a piece of 1/4 inch rubber tubing around the nipple at the bottom and the other end into some sort of catch container (very clean and dry if you're planning to put the stuff back in when you're done). Turn the wing nut looking thing to the left to loosen. Coolant will flow freely. When enough coolant has flowed out, righty tighty the wing nut thingy. Oh...there should be a splash guard underneath that side of the radiator to be removed. Should be 3? or 4? screws. As always, be sure engine is cold. But I'd say if youll be messing with the manifold, that would go without saying.

This may be apropos of nothing: My regular independent mechanic was informed by the local (apparent) idiot Subaru dealer that the cure for my differetial binding was to put in a quart of GM Synchromesh into my tranny, along with 3 quarts of regular 80w90. "That'll fix it." Yeah.... Anyhoo, after about 3 months of driving with this concoction (which did make the shifting smooth as butter for that period of time) it started to grind, as you describe, going from 1st to 2nd (actually, only after driving for 20+ minutes). Last month, the correct fix for my binding (new viscous unit) was performed. I am assuming that to do the job, it was necessary to drain the tranny? Basically since then, no more 1st to 2nd grind. I'm assuming that the dealer at my new location used just plain old OEM 80w90. The shifting isn't quite as smooth in all the other gears like it was with the mesh, but it doesn't grind in any gear anymore.

From my limited knowledge, the only seal I know of that may require the dropping of the engine is the rear main seal. The others - cam, crankshaft, oil pump seals (most common leak points, from my understanding), are accessible through the front of the engine ... remove the timing cover and associated belts thereabout and you're there. I had those done a few months ago for a little over $300, and that included the timing belt (a "since we're there" sort of thing more than anything). When I first bought my car and took it to my mechanic, he mentioned at some point I may get a leak from the rear main seal, at which point, we could wait until it was time to do the clutch, since it's all in the same area. The labor involved in doing a clutch is about $300. I can't really see where they get $4000, unless they are adding up each individual repair from the Mitchell Guide, failing to incorporate the fact that there are many redundancies (Example: You have to remove the timing belt to get to the oil pump seal. No reason to charge for a timing belt R/R AND a oil pump seal R/R. No extra labor is involved because you have to put the timing belt back on, anyway, whether it's the old one or a new one).

Mine does the same thing, so I'd be interested in the repair procedure, for sure. What is the part number on that relay? Although, I've always wondered about safety issues with unlocking ALL the doors when unlocking the driver's door. If someone were trying to get away from someone, be best to only have one door accessible and unlocked.

Anyone had this done? The manual says to have the airbag system checked after 10 years. Wondering what's involved and a general cost.

Wonder if any of that "bad gas" from Shell and others that was causing everyone's gas gauges to go kaflooey made its way beyond just the Gulf states? Scary thought.

I have a Rhodes (I think they are no more ... bought out by Yakima) that fits on the hatch part via six straps connecting to strategic points on the door. (2 straight down, each parallel starddling the license plate, 2 to the lower side, 2 up top). When I was biking a lot, I usually just kept it on all the time. On a very few occasions, a strap would fall out of its fitting when I opened the hatch, but not usually. If I was careful and opened the hatch slowly, the thing would stay firmly affixed (of course, not with the bike on there. Although I tried that a time or two. The weight of the bike made it difficult for the liftgate struts to keep the door open). Go to http://www.rei.com and check out the slection of bike racks. They have a fitting guide and everything.