BigMattyD

I was just kidding, I was not really all that disturbed. One thing to remember is that you can always cut a hose a little shorter if at first it is too long, but it's pretty hard to add 1/2 an inch if it's too short. The same goes for wires, etc.. Matt

I get a fair amount of metal particles on the magnet when i remove it. I think it is ok. Matt

As far as I know, my Legacy does not have an LSD, but it still kicks butt in the snow. Last year, I routinely drove in moderate to heavy snows (6 to 10 inches unplowed) with no problems. In fact, I could accelerate, stop, and corner almost as well as during the summer. Well, maybe not quite, but almost. I felt safe driving 50mph on roads covered with 6 inches of snow at about 20 degrees F. Get dedicated winter tires, and you will be all set. Get ready to laugh at the "Tough Guys" in the SUV's that skid off the road!! Matt

The truth of the matter is, that the spark plug must be gapped to the point where you get the most efficient spark. I think those of you that are old-timers will realize that there is a lot of leeway in spark plug gaps. I do believe that .038 to .044 is normal for your application. Matt

Unless you only see out of one eye (amblyopia,) I don't see how you can make such a mess of cutting a piece of hose. It is really not that difficult. As the other guy said, it is much easier to measure the diameter than the circumference of a hose. I hate to say this, but am I the only one who finds the questions from this particular member disturbing.... Just kidding. Everyone has the right to ask questions... I wish you the best of luck in the future. Matt

I get 30 mpg when I drive like an old lady and from 24-27 mpg when I drive semi-aggressively. You should know that I am 32 years old, am married, and have an 8 month old girl. I believe mpg has a lot more to do with driving style than the car. Of course, a '73 Chevy Nova will never get the same mpg as a '03 Dodge Neon, but who gives a crap? Subarus are great all-around cars. They get good gas mileage, have good power and a tad of sportiness, except WRX STI which has kick-a** sportiness, and kick butt in the snow, especially with dedicated winter tires. I love my Legacy sedan, and plan to keep it till they stop making parts for it. My wife's Buick Skylark, same age and mileage, I wouldn't mind getting rid of before it's too late!! Matt

Remember not to drink too much beer when working on your sweet-rump roast Subaru. You might make a mistake and forget to put the drain plug back in before you start to refill it, or you might drop the car on your chest... OUCH!! I love beer, and I love working on cars and motorcycles, but I try not to do too much at the same time. If I am going to drink a little.... I will be ok as a mechanic. If I am going to drink a lot... Well, let's just put those tools away before someone gets hurt. Matt Hee Hee! P.S. I already had 4 beers, so I will not work on the subaru, but I am going outside to work on the 1982 Suzuki GS450.

1/2 inch drive breaker bar, of course, but also remember to jack up the car as high as you can. That way, You can get enough leverage to break the cap loose. It takes a lot of force. Jack stands work, but a real lift would be ideal. I wish I had a lift and a big garage. It would make life so much easier... Matt

If anyone tries the aluminum repair rods, let us know how they work for you. I don't have enough spare cash right now to fool around with it, but it looks pretty fun to play with and a potential godsend for repairing aluminum parts. Matt

http://www.aluminumrepair.com/index.htm Check out this website. Based on their claims, you may be able to repair this type of problem yourself. If I were going to use this material, I would leave that stud in there, then build a little mold around it with a large flat washer and nut on the stud, and a piece of thin steel around the side. Then you could heat the area with a torch and melt the aluminum compound to fill the mold. It would be worth a try for the price. I have never used this product, so I can't say if it lives up to its claims, but if you watch the video an the website, it looks impressive. Matt

Last year when I mistakenly overcharged my system, I found that when I turned on the a/c, the compressor would cycle on and off rapidly, and not provide any cooling. All I had to do was take a screwdriver and let a little r134a out of the low side fitting until the a/c operated normally again. Matt

In the second photo from the top you can see oil drops right next to the timing belt cover esp. on the driver's side edge of the oil pump. From there, you can see oil splashes on the front of the oil pan, and oil trails back on the bottom of the oil pan to the center plate. I would guess that you have a small oil leak around the cam or crank seals, or possibly the oil pump itself. I replaced the timing belt and oil seals this January, and if I can do it, I think you can too. It is really not too difficult a process. There are some great posts on this site that detail it step by step. Matt P.s. In the second set of pics, you are grabbing at the area that is leaking the most, but the oil is actually coming from inside the timing belt cover area. If you take the timing cover off, you should be able to pinpiont the exact area.

My friend, I feel your pain, for at one time, I, too, was limited in my ability to work on cars because of my lack of suitable tools. My advice to you is this: go to Wal-mart and pick up a cheap set of tools, and a set of 3/8 inch drive assorted length socket extensions. It will make your life much easier. If you are only going to do occasional maintenance, cheap tools are the way to go. Matt D

Replacing the belts is extremely simple, and can be done in 10 or 15 minutes with a minumum of tools. all you need is a metric socket set. Remove the belt cover first, I think there are a few bolts holding it down, one of them is on the alternator. Each belt has its own tensioner assembly. There is a long threaded adjustment bolt, and a locking bolt to hold the position. Loosen the locking bolt just enough to allow movement. You don't have to remove it. Next, turn the adjustment bolt in whichever direction loosens the belt. it will take a lot of turns to get the belt loose enough to come off the pulleys. Remove the old belts, and put the new ones on, then tighten the belts using the adjustment bolt, when you are satisfied with the tension, tighten the locking bolt. Then replace the cover on top. You are done. Matt P.S. you don't need to remove the crank pulley to change the drive belts, but you would have to do that to change the timing belt. That is a whole other story.

The crank sensor is a positional sensor. I believe that the computer can detect a misfire because it knows the engine rpm and the time of spark, so it knows when to expect the crank sensor to report its position. If there is a cylinder misfire, the crank will slow down slightly, so there will be a delay in the time it takes for the sensor to report its position. Matt

I have the Equus 3100 and it works great for pulling codes and resetting the computer. it also tells you which internal monitors have run, so you will be ready for your emissions test. It would be nice to have a more full-featured tool, that reads freeze frame data and is capable of reading sensor voltages, etc, but for a basic code reader it is great. matt

I guess one thing to do would be to check that the fuel injector for that cylinder is functioning properly. Matt

I have used alldatadiy.com for my other cars, but not subaru. They have really nice flowcharts for diagnosing trouble codes, but some material is lacking in other areas. I would try subaru's website where you can download Factory manual pages. If you have a hi-speed internet connection, that would be ideal. You could stay up late one night with a 12 pack of beer and download the whole thing for a pretty low price. It hink it is 24.99 or something like that. Matt

Changing the fuel filter is really easy. All you need is a screwdriver, and maybe a pair of pliers. Step 1: Wait a few hours after driving the car (or overnight) to allow the pressure in the fuel system to dissipate before you change the filter. Step 2: Loosen the hose clamps on the fuel filter with your screwdriver and slide them up on the hoses (away from the filter) to get them out of your way. Step 3: Remove the hoses from the old filter. You may need to carefully twist on them with a pair of pliers to get them to come off. Step 4: There is a metal clip that holds the filter in position. Pull the handle to release the grip on the filter, then the filter will be loose, and you can remove it. Save the little rubber ring that fits around the old filter. You will put that back on the new filter. Step 5: Place the rubber ring on the new filter, then clamp the new filter back into position in the filter holder. Make sure the hose fittings on the top of the new filter are pointing in the same direction as the old one. Step 6: Slide the fuel hoses onto the fittings on top of the new filter, then slide the hose clamps back into position and tighten them. Remember there is an "in" and "out" direction to the flow, don't reverse them. That should be all there is to it. Remember, there will be some fuel in the filter and fuel lines when you disconnect them, so have a rag available to catch any spills. (Obviously, you do not want to be playing with fire while you are doing this, so no smoking ) These directions are based on my experience with a 96 Legacy, but I would think your car would be the same. Matt P.S. When you try to start the car after you are done, it may take a little longer than usual to start. Remember the fuel filter has to pressurize and fill with fuel before you will get good fuel pressure to the injectors. Don't be surprised if it takes one or two tries to start.

check out: www.nasioc.com They have much more info in the area of mods/upgrades to the Impreza. Also, I think the Haynes manuals are better than Chilton's, but that's just my opinion. Matt

Maybe part of the ABS system,like a hydraulic pump?

Oh, my good gracious!! Are you a CRAZY PERSON??? Everyone knows you made a big mistake... Luckily, you survived!!! Yeah, I guess you have to do what you have to do. Remember in the early days of motoring, the wheels fell off the car routinely, but they probably only were going 30 mph top speed. My question is how do 4 out of 5 whhel studs break at the same time?? Maybe they were over-torqued? Matt

Often, I diagnose the problem, try to fix it myself, and if it will be too difficult or require special expertise, I find out the cost for parts and have a reputable mechanic fix it. The trick is not getting too far in over your head where you can't put the car back together again if you need to take it to a shop... I really like to do the work myself, too, not just to save money, but because it is a hobby for me. Matt

I found a website that contains all the subaru special tools. There is a camshaft sprocket wrench that will hold the sprocket from turning while you go after the bolt. This way, You won't bend the camshaft. You could try to make a similar tool at home, or you could try a chain wrench wrapped around the sprocket with the belt like you described. Here is a link for the subaru tools web site. In case anyone wanted to see what is available: http://subaru.spx.com/detail.asp?partid=499207100 Matt

I have an idea. Get a new sensor. I think they cost around 60 dollars. Matt