zstalker

just for kicks and giggles, go ask the Subaru dealer to do a nation-wide search for replacement body panels that you need. There are still a few panels floating around the US. ~Erik~

it's a really good thing you've got the extended warranty...those radios are not cheap. with the non-climate-control setup, the radio is about $600...I don't want to know how much the climate control version costs...sheesh. ~Erik~

wow, this car came into our dealership a couple days ago on trade-in and was headed directly for wholesale (high-milage, older model year...automatic wholesale), so I decided I'd snag this one and give it a little lovin' before returning it to the wild. It's a 1991 Legacy LS, 2.2L, Manual trans, AWD. A/C, power windows, even a sunroof...I'm very proud of myself! it's in really great condition inside and out, considering it's got 175,000 miles, I ran an emissions test on it and it came up with 0.00 for CO% at 2500RPM and Idle, and for HC's it ran 13ppm at 2500RPM and 8ppm at idle. For anyone who knows emissions numbers, that's screaming good...like new-car good. Trans shifts pretty well, but it's hemorrhaging oil from all over the motor, so I'm going to give it some head-gaskets and every other seal I can get my paws on. I'm not going to spill what I got it for (might re-sell after a re-seal and tune-up), but let's say it was a steal... *wink*. ~Erik~ ...sorry so blurry, my camera doesn't do very well in the dark without a tripod...

odd that the MIL (OBD-II technical name for the "check engine" light, whatever shape or abbreviation it is) is required to function for a bulb check for a non-OBDII car. I'm just guessing that CA requires that, as UT does not. That test is required for all 1996-and-up (OBD-II) cars, but if it's 1995 and older, nothing matters except the presence of the proper emissions equipment and a clean tailpipe reading. UT's pretty leniant, but I really feel like it's much more fair... c'mon CA, give a 22-year-old car a break! if it passes the tailpipe test, what's the big deal? ok, I'm done... ~Erik~

I change oil on tons of EZ30's (and even the new 3.6L in the Tribeca), and occasionally in the lack of oil pressure the timing chain tensioner does make clattering noise for a brief second. As long as the noise goes away pretty quickly and doesn't come back at all except for when you've drained the oil, you're ok. adding as much oil as the filter will hold while horizontal certainly isn't a bad idea (I like to), but like stated, it only takes a split second to fill it anyways. when you first start the motor, just don't rev it up...let it idle for about 10 seconds, then check the oil at least 30 seconds (or more) after shut-off, since the boxer layout of the motor takes longer to drain into the sump than a taller motor. One more thing: forget fishing through the little swing-away access door and hoping all the oil makes it out past the poorly-placed hole for the drainplug... the oil change makes WAY less mess on the inside of the splashguard if you just take it off entirely for the service (probably easier if you've got the car in the air a little bit), plus this gives you a chance to inspect the rest of the motor, which can be hard to see with it on. You seem like someone who cares about your cars (a rarity in this world), I'm sure you'll do fine... ~Erik~

yeah, I'm kicking around the idea of using a large-diameter pipe (like 4 or 5 inches)...cap at both ends. drill the caps in a few places and thread in some pipe fittings. doesn't have to be pretty, just has to keep air out of the EFI pump (and seal tight) , right? ~Erik~

actually this is already a possibility. any vehicle equipped with a communication system like onstar is considered by the US government to be an off-limits place for a classified (government) discussion. going back to the original idea: if you have a wagon with a rear wiper and washer nozzle, take the nozzle off the wash hose, and now you've got a rear-facing water cannon. this wouild be fairly easy to rig for any car, since a wash tank and pump would be a pretty easy thing to get from a junkyard and rig to a new switch...hehe ~Erik~

ok cool, I guess my mind is still calibrated for feeding fuel to a significantly larger and more powerful engine. The return line just looked too small...but if it works, then sweet! Thanks... ~Erik~

ok, small snag: I'm getting the finishing touches on my SPFI build of an EA81 in my Brat. I've got the fuel supply line plumbed, but now I'm looking at the return that the old Hitachi carb used, and it's really tiny. Has everyone else who's done this swap just gone ahead and used the tiny return, or what? I was also thinking of maybe seeing if the Brat original vent line is a little close to the size of my high-pressure fuel hose I have, and just switching the vent and return lines at both ends to utilize that size difference. Worst case scenario, I would get some tubing and make a new return line at the supply line size. Also, if people have just used the original return, did you make an adapter like the one for the huge fuel pump inlet, just smaller? ~Erik~

I really hope the windshield isn't cracked...they're about $1,200, and not easy to come by... ~Erik~

my brat has the same camper shell on it...badging suggests a dealer accessory option? ~Erik~

both sides have normal, right-hand threads. They're very tight because they're holding the bearing preload inside the differential, so if you can't get them loose through normal means, you'll need a tool. ~Erik~

+1 for the short somewhere. best case scenario, a bulb has burned and shorted itself inside. Try this: with the lights all off, put the car in reverse. any lights other than the reverse lights come on? Just an idea to track down the short. ~Erik~

no, no...the pic of the inside of a combustion chamber is of a 4.7L SOHC in a Dodge Dakota. Totally different motor, just posted to show another instance. The EJ25 is indeed a DOHC with 4 valves per cylinder. ~Erik~

yeah...my teacher at school (automotive technology degree) made a car for bonneville (only an hour and a half away here). it was running a 800HP chevy 502 engine. As it turns out, his oil sump was too small, and at about 170mph the engine had used all the oil, and had no time to return it to the pan. needless to say, that was his last run. Only the heads (amazingly) and the intake survived that, the rest was totally mangled. He's going back with a 20-Quart dry-sump system this year...hehe. ~Erik~

Ok, boys and girls, here is why you change your oil. This is a story about a 2005 Legacy Outback XT with the turbo 2.5 Liter motor. About 3000 miles ago this car comes into our shop with a check engine light. The code was for the cam timing actuators not performing properly. A check of the dipstick reavealed the oil was almost empty, and the oil that it did have was pitch black and as thick as tar...hence, the cam timing didn't operate properly (being oil driven). We gave the motor a flush, changed the oil, ran it, then changed it again, cleared the codes, and sent them on their way. This was at more than 30,000 miles, and, I have to add, the filter that was on the car was the FACTORY, ASSEMBLY LINE filter; meaning the car had NEVER had an oil change. Fast-forward to recently. The same car shows up on our lot after being driven about 20 miles with a nasty clunking noise. We push it into the shop and try to start it, only to hear the same horrible clunking noise ourselves. It sounded like rolling a steel box full of pool balls down a hill. We turned it off, and then tried to restart it....nothing. Just a click, no movement at all. Looked around with a flashlight, and found the culprit: a connectig rod (well, part of it) was sticking out the top of the block. Being 600 miles outside the warranty, we called the Subaru representative and he said that he would gladly good-will warranty the whole engine if......wait for it...... IF they could provide oil change reciepts. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. A month and a half later, the owner returns with reciepts that I'm told look pretty blatantly faked...like prited at home faked. Anyways, the rep eventually agrees to warranty just the short block, and the owner pays fro the rest, which includes heads (not terribly cheap), cams, valves, oil and water pump, intercooler and turbo (more than $2,000 for the turbo alone). The owner is still whining and moaning about it, demanding full warranty, but I just thought you all would like to see what came of it. Also, the front tires are worn down past the steel belts with the rears looking almost new, so apparently this guy's idea of proper maintenance is filling the tank when the light tells him to...lol. The block: a closer shot of the block (everything inside is totally F-ed): part of a connecting rod that was loose inside the crankcase: a piston crown that was still sitting in the bore, held together by its rings: and on a totally seperate note, this is what heppens when your 2003 Dodge Dakota is overheating and you just keep driving 'till it actually stops running: warped both heads bad enougn to open both headgaskets, had 0 compression, the oil and coolant both looked like a frothy chocolate milk. This cylinder, the head got so hot and warped bad enough a valve seat fell out, got caught in the valve and cracked the top of the piston:

yeah...loud bang when revving it after an oil change means you're looking at a car without a motor. if you buy it make sure you adjust the price to account for that fact. at least the whole short block is garbage, maybe the heads too. ~Erik~

there's a factory tool for it, but I bet a spanner wranch could be employed for the job. Trick for it: to make sure you have the correct preload on the differential bearings, mark one of the teeth on the retainer (or knick one of them with a tool of some sort, since most paint or marker comes off really easily when working with gear lube) to know which part was in the lock (I find that's an easy tooth position to keep track of), then count how many whole turns it takes to remove the retainer, bringing the marked tooth back to the start position each turn. You'll only need a tool for the first turn or so, then it'll be loose enough to turn by hand. I've usually gotten bnetween 5 and 7 whole turns, depending. Replace the seal and O-ring, then, start with the marked tooth in the start position, turn it in the same number of turns, line it up with the start position, lock it, and you're all done. oh, also only do one side at a time, or you'll have to re-set up the differential bearing preload and gear lash from the beginning. I would definately replace the seal and the O-ring at the same time, since you're in there. be very careful when installing that seal, very gently tap the outside rim of the seal, working around the circumfrence till it's seated in the retainer...or use a seal installer (usually a socket exactly the size of the outer rim of the seal...NOT down inside the lip of the seal) ~Erik~ (a quick drawing of the factory tool)

no, it's not a return, it's a vapor vent line from the fuel tank to the charcoal canister. ~Erik~

thanks suberdave ~Erik~ (stubble?)

hey, a very quick and sloppy 'chop of what I interpreted your idea as... stolen pic? yeah, but whatever, I don't claim anything but the 'chop work. ~Erik~

ok, just looked it up...there is NO tensioner, and you do not move the A/C compressor. The official instructions for taking the belt off are Step 1: cut it off. There is a set of dealer tools for installing a new one, there's a belt-holder-dealy that holds it, you loop it over the compressor, pinch it in the holder, then rotate the crank pulley around and it flips the belt up onto the pulley grooves. No tensioner, no adjustments. wow...that's really a first, distinct step AWAY from user-servicability for Subaru... *sigh* ~Erik~

Subaru does not offer or really condone any suspension modifications, except what is available through SPT (Subaru-apporved mods), including springs, struts, suspension parts, etc designed for handling, but nothing for lifting...sorry. That, and by lifting your new car you'd be risking voiding any warranty on suspension and maybe even some driveline parts. Wait till the warranty is over, then go have fun...just be aware of the stresses on your car, and it's you who pays for fixes. ~Erik~

disclaimer: sorry, this is really intended for other Subaru dealer techs, and anyone else who's gotten up close and personal with the '08's ok, so we're doing pre-delivery inspections on all the '08 Impreza's, and we start to notice: the alternator/power steering belt uses the alternator as the tensioner, but the A/C belt doesn't have one. not at all. it goes from the crank pulley, up around the A/C pulley (compressor bolted solidly to the block), and back to the crank. how the %#*@ do you replace it? not a huge issue now, and I'm sure there is a way, but we haven't found it...lol. anybody else noticed this or know the solution? ~Erik~

how much drop are we talking about here? like just a little dip in the idle, or is it dropping the idle way down? if it's the latter, you've got issues, maybe the voltage regulator (alternator), or excessive resistance in the headlight circuit or something, even a dieing battery. ~Erik~