BigMattyD

I replaced mine without sealant as well. However, it was difficult to get the pump and gasket lined up with the bolt holes at the same time, so maybe that's why they recommend it, more for its sticky effect. matt

Yes, you need to leave that disconnected for normal driving, it is only connected when doing certain diagnostics. Legacy 777 has written a lot about it. matt

There is a normal amount of corrosion that occurs out here due to all the salt on the roads in winter, but it may be hard to tell if it is excessive or not unless you post some pics. There is probably a big difference between what a Californian or Arizonan would call excessive corrsion, compared to a Minnesotan or New Yorker. Matt

I had to get mine replaced last year, it was leaking, but I had a shop do it, only because I am not familiar with those types of repairs, I think I paid around 100 bucks to have it replaced. matt

My guess is that they probably are the same, the reason being that when I cracked the center timing cover for my 2.2, I went to a local Subaru junkyard, and found a 1.8L Impreza engine that had the exact same center timing belt cover. The gasket, then, must be the same? Am I wrong?? Big D

Spark plugs make sparks. If the Bosch plugs make good sparks and are the right heat range and length for the car, your car will work just fine. A "Master of all Subarus" may insist on 19.99 a plug "NGK Super-Duper Iridium-platinum plugs with high-tech molecular bonding." However, for normal people, ant plugs that are the right match for your engine should work fine. I have used NGK, Autolite, Champion, and Bosch, and never had any problems with any. Also, I don't fall for the "Split-fire or multiple-electrode" plugs. I am sure that doesn't make any difference, either. If the plugs were not OK for your vehicle, the shop would have called you and advised you that they were incorrect, and charged you extra for the right plugs. Some plugs may last longer than others, ie. platinum plugs, but any will work as long as you change them and inspect them at the proper intervals. Leave them in there until it is time to change the plugs again, and if you want to try something different, do it then. Matt

No wonder the belt was tight. It would be a good idea to go back inside, compress the belt tensioner, and reinstall the timing belt the right way. I don't know how you got the belt back on without compressing the tensioner, but it seems to me you would have to pry on the pulley with a bar or something to get enough slack to get the belt on. That might damage the bearings in the idler pulley, causing the squeal? Just a thought??? Matt D

I think it is best to remove the radiator. It is very easy to remove, and gives you a lot of extra space. Additionally, if you are a smart cookie and are replacing the radiator hoses at the same time you are replacing the water pump and thermostat, it is no big deal. As for the cam bolts, I did not have any trouble removing mine with a socket, breaker bar, and rubber strap wrench around the sprocket. I am sure there is a possibility that yours will be stuck in place, but might as well try the easy option first. If you don't have a strap wrench, go ahead and buy the (overpriced) special tool if you want. I'm sure it will work great. Matt

I think it is best to stay in the range recommended by the car manufacturer when it comes to tire pressure, as long as you are using stock size tires and running the car on normal, paved roads. The max. pressure listed on the sidewall of the tire is just that: the max. pressure the tire is rated for. Depending on the amount of weight that is being put on each tire, the optimum inflation will vary. If the weight is heavier, you will need more pressure to maintain the desired shape and profile of the tire. If the car is lighter, you will need less pressure to achieve the same result. On my motorcycle that only has two, relatively narrow, tires, the placard has a table of different tire pressures to use for front and back depending on the amount of weight on the bike, and the type of driving (constant high-speed vs. city driving.) The faster and heavier you are, the higher the pressures. Makes sense. Matt

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=43378 Read this thread, at the bottom, I explained how I fixed mine. I would think if you went to your Subaru dealer, you could get a new bushing, but you probably just need to clean it up. Mine had a healthy dose of rust on it, so that it was literally frozen in position, but once I got it out (I had to drive it out with a hammer,) I could lightly sand it and clean the hole in the caliper where it mounts, and even though there is some minor corrosion damage on the bushing, it slides nicely now, with the application of some brake caliper lubricant. Matt

I just had a similar problem with the bushing rusting into place. It was a pain in the butt. Matt D

After several hours in the driveway in the dark, I solved the problem. Actually, there were two problems. Problem 1: The outboard brake pad was sticking in place, instead of being loose enough to slide back and forth on the mounts. I cleaned the two anti-rattle clips, and it still wouldn't fit right. It was not a problem with the pad, because when I switched the inboard and outboard pads, the inner one fit, but the outer one still did not. I had to take some sandpaper and sand the mounting surfaces a little bit at a time (they were rusty) until there was enough clearance to allow the pad to fit properly. Problem 2: The lower caliper pin bushing was rusted and stuck in the caliper. I loosened it with some penetrating oil, removed it, cleaned it and buffed it with steel wool, and replaced it. Now it moves freely again, and the caliper fit back together properly even with the thick, new pads and rotor. I greased the pins, bushings, and pad mounting surfaces with disc brake caliper lubricant. Now the brakes are working normally. I wish I would have known that the bushing was supposed to be movable last night. I just assumed that it was supposed to be stationary, as I didn't notice any movement on the left side. As it turned out, the left side bushing was able to move, but just barely, so I disassembled and re-lubricated that one too. Tell all your friends to check the bushing on the caliper, and remove, clean, and lubricate it if you have to. If I would have paid attention to that area in the past when I have checked the brakes or changed the pads, it never would have gotten the chance to seize up. It is tricky becaue the caliper still slid on the pin just fine, since I had always lubricated the pin, but never knew about the bushing... Matt

I do not think you need the camshaft cover o-rings. If I recall properly, those are for the back end of the engine where there is a cover over the back end of the camshaft. You just need the oil seals. You also may not need the timing belt cover gaskets. Mine were in good shape, I just cleaned them up. I did the same job in January, any Q's, feel free to send a private message. Matt

The caliper slid smoothly on the pin when I reinstalled it. I did not remove the top from the master cylinder, but I never do.

I lubricated the pins with caliper grease. The pads that I removed were in pretty good condition, they were only 50% worn, and were worn evenly on both sides of the rotor. My original problem was vibration when braking, which has gone away. I remember when I put the right side back together the outer pad was really tight and difficult to slide into place. I will take it back apart tomorrow, and clean it up again, making sure the pad fits better on the "rail." I still can't understand why I was unable to get the caliper into position. The piston was fully compressed, the rotor was held firmly on the hub with a few lug nuts, the pads were seated firmly on the rotor. The area that was making contact and preventing the caliper from going into position was at the bottom of the caliper. There is a metal bushing that the bottom pin slides thru. There are dust boots on both sides of this bushing. There is also a bushing on the caliper bracket, and a threaded hole that the pin threads into. The face of the bushing on the bracket was hitting the bushing on the caliper. There was some overlap. When I removed the pads, I could easily put it into position, of course. I am wondering if the bushing on the caliper bracket is supposed to be flush with the surface. it was definitely protruding, maybe 1 or 2 mm. If I have to, I will take the left side apart again tomorrow to compare.. Matt

To all: I just replaced the front rotors and pads on my trusty Subaru. Here's the problem: The left side installation went perfectly, no hitches, everything fit the way it was supposed to. When I got to putting the right side back together, after I put the pads on the holder and rotated the caliper down into position, it would not slide all the way into position. It was getting hung up on the bottom caliper pin bushing. I was desperate to put the darn thing back together, so I removed one of the new pads and replaced it with a thinner worn pad that had prevoiusly been on there. The caliper would go down into position, but it was a bit tight. I got it reassembled and took it out for a test drive. I was cruising down the road, and I made a few high-performance braking runs, like you are supposed to when wearing in new pads. I noticed a burning pad smell that I thought was a bit strong for the braking I was doing. It was a short ride. When I got back, I found that the right brake was smoking, but the left only seemed hot, like usual. The question is, why doesn't my right brake caliper want to go into position? What is causing the interference on the bottom pin bushing? Are these bushings adjustable? could one of them be protruding too far ? Any help is appreciated. P.S. I have replaced pads only many times before, and never had any problems. I think it is the combined thickness of the new rotor and pads is what is exacerbating this problem. The pads and rotors are from Advance, the relatively cheap ones, but the right ones for my car. Matt

For future reference: If you are going to be working in the under-dash area, do yourself a favor and rmove the front seats. There are only a few bolts to remove, and the seat just pulls out of the car. You will have a lot more room to work, and there will be much less back pain and swearing than when you are trying to turn yourself upside down and slide under the dash with your feet up on the top of the seat.... Matt

If Subaru could produce a minivan that could compete with the chrysler minivans, I would get one... You need a lot more room when you have kids than anything Subaru currently offers. It's too bad, because I think Subaru could do well in that market segment if they stick to the basics and provide a solid AWD drivetrain. Matt

When I bought my car used, it did not have a washer on the oil drain plug. I have never used a washer on it and there have been no leaks or ill effects since 2001, and probably 10 oil changes. If I had known about the washer before, I probably would have used one, but since I never had one, well, I just kept on without it. matt

Definitely check out the thread listed in the previous reply. I posted some of the pics I took when I repaired my shifter on my website. The address is listed within the thread. If you have specific questions, let me know. I just did it a month or two ago. Matt

I'm not so sure that the grill resembles a vagina, but looking at the dashboard certainly reminds me of the internal female anatomy.. That is, the fallopian tubes and uterus.. Matt

I have used the technique of putting the transmission in gear, and applying the parking brake. The car also should be on all 4 wheels. With a 22mm socket and breaker bar, the bolt wasn't too hard to remove. The pulley, however, was bonded to the crankshaft. It took a lot of PB Blaster, prying, and swearing to get it off. Before I renstalled it, I gave it a quick polish with some steel wool and a little anti-sieze compound. Matt

32 mm for the axle nut, as far as I remember.. Have fun.. Matt

Try a rubber belt wrench instead. You can lock it around the toothed portion of the pulley without risk of any damage. I think another name is a strap wrench. I got a set of two different sizes of craftsman strap wrenches from my Mom and Dad for Christmas a few years ago.. I have only used them a few times. The most valuable use was to hold the cam sprockets on my 2.2 while doing the timing belt. matt

I sometimes get a whistle from around my driver's side mirror, but it goes away. Usually I notice it most when there is ice buildup on the mirror. I think it is just turbulent air, because it seems to go away spontaneously. Also, I notice that if I am driving, and I get a cross wind, I will occasionally get a whistling from the windows, I believe they don't always seal correctly, because they are not held in a channel like they are on other cars. Matt