BigMattyD

Oh, Yeah, It looks easy to me. Only 50 steps and 15 special tools required... ! It doesn't look technically challenging, but requires a lot of patience and discipline, as well as some special tools. I think this is more of a job for somebody that wants an excuse to buy some more tools... (I'm that kind of guy.) Actually, I think I would pay someone to do it, unless I thought I would have to replace more than one or two. Matt

I tried Yokohama Avid Touring on my car. I got them in 2001, and just replaced them a month ago. I was looking for a good quality for a good value. The Avid tourings held up well over 55000 miles. I had good traction and handling. For the price, I think they were excellent. I run on the stock 14 inch wheels. I am not a racer, but I have been known to exceed the speed limit once or twice. My latest tire purchase was the Kumho All season 795. They have been excellent so far, but only a few thousand miles on them. Again, I was looking for a cheap tire that wasn't a piece of crap. I like the fact that on tirerack.com you can compare ratings and read reviews of all the different tires. It really gives you some perspective on the tire industry. You can see that having a big-name tire is not always the best choice. P.S. For winter tires I've been using Kumho I'zen Stud (without studs) for two winters. They provide excellent snow traction. I can drive at almost normal speeds on 6inch snowfalls. Braking and accelerating are no problem. I bought these for a low price on tire rack.com, and I got my wife the more expensive Blizzaks for her front wheel drive car. I found the Kumho's to work extremely well. Matt

I have driven around for a short time with 4 out of 5 lug nuts. One of the lug studs broke in a fashion similar to yours. It happened on my wife's buick with rear drum brakes, and I couldn't get the rear drum off, so I eventually took it to a shop with better tools, they fixed it in a jiffy. It shouldn't be too expensive to fix if you want to let someone else do it. matt

Yeah, quit being a wuss! Just kidding, I think I would be pretty pissed too, if my engine were leaking oil like that at only 60000 miles. I changed my timing belt, cam and crank seals, water pump, thermostat, and radiator hoses all at about 115,000 miles, but there was no sign of leakage or failure of any of those parts at that time. I just did it as preventive maintenance. Matt Edit: Yeah, I did the oil pump o-ring and seal, as well as checking the screws on the back plate of the oil pump.

Yes, the crank bolt is 22mm. Red loctite is a stronger bond (you need heat and more force to break it loose.) Blue is a bit weaker, easier to break with hand tools.. That is my understanding of the loctite mystery. Matt

Consider the Exhaust heat shields. It is a very common source of rattle. Matt

No, the timing belt does not have to be removed as far as I remember. The crankshaft sensor mounts to the top of the oil pump with a single bolt. It should be accessible when you remove the alternator. Matt

What I did was started on top, and then went underneath. First I removed the center console and trim pieces, (just a few screws) then I removed the six screws that hold the metal plate that secures the rubber shift boot to the floor of the car. I also removed the 12 mm bolt that holds the shifter to the shift rod. Then I went underneath, and removed the 12mm nut from the lower shifter support arm. It is not very tight, and came off easily. Then I slid the lower arm off the stud, and pulled the arm forward to disengage the rear of the support from its bushing. Then with a little twisting and turning, I was able to position the lower shift arm out of the way, on the opposite side of the driveshaft, so there was more room to work. The heat shield on my car was already loose, which made it easier to reach around under there. If yours is still attached, you're going to want to remove the bolts that hold it down so you can get the heat shield out of your way. Next, I removed the 12 mm bolt that holds the shift rod to the linkage on the transmission. You need to reach a wrench of some kind (like a small box-end wrench) over the top of the linkage to secure the 12mm nut, then loosen the bolt from underneath. I used a u-joint and a 12mm socket and long extension to gain better access to the bolt head. When that bolt is removed, the whole shifter assembly can be removed from inside the vehicle. You can inspect it and clean it up if you like. The last, and most difficult step is removing the pin that secures the linkage to the transmission stub. I used a 1/4 inch pin punch, a hammer, and a lot of penetrating oil. It was frustrating, but it eventually came out. I was using a wimpy hammer, though. It helped me to use a 1/4 inch drill to drill a recess into the end of the pin to help the punch sit still instead of bounce off. I also would use a small sledge hammer, like 4 lbs or so, to get more force. Then the linkage can be removed from its connection to the transmission. It will be rusted on, so use more penetrating fluid and a hammer to help loosen it. Putting it back together is the reverse of removal. And, much quicker. The replacement linkage comes as a complete assembly, it cost me about 58 dollars (rip-off). You can also order any other bushings, pins, spacers, that you might need. I am temporarily using that bolt instead of the pin to hold it onto the transmission shaft, because the dealer forgot to order the pin that's supposed to go in there. In a day or two, that will be replaced with the proper hardware. For even more info, check out this link: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=742063 Matt

Hey, Dude.. I say, do what works best for you. I like my subaru and would definitely purchase one again, but I live in snow country. It makes a huge difference. Matt

Here are some pics of a manual transmission shift linkage and assembly from underneath the car. The pics are captioned for easier comprehension. I recently had to replace worn out bushings, so I got some pics to share. check them out if you like. Matt D

No, I don't think they can make them any cheaper. They seem to be designed to fail prematurely... You can buy new exhaust shields and replace them, or try welds, screws, hose clamps, etc, or combinations of different tactics to hold them in place. The problem is the shield itself usually isn't damaged, it is the attachment points that wear out and disintegrate. At least on my car, most of the metal is intact, just not the parts that secure it. Matt

Here are my thoughts: 1. If you have been driving on these tires for a while, and if the 'cuts' are not that big, or deep, I would just go... Tires are pretty sturdy, and if you haven't had a problem yet, and you go easy on them, you will probably be ok. Don't drive 85 mph. Make sure they are inflated properly, don't overload your car, etc. 2. You should replace them as soon as you can, I know from experience that the Kumhos you speak of are good. I put a set on about a few months ago, and they are terrific, esp. for the low price. Have a small, independent shop in your area that you trust mount and balance them. It shouldn't be too expensive. Have a safe trip!! Matt D

Actually, I have to admit that I kind of like the unusual smell of the gear oil. I caught myself sniffing the rag I used to clean it up yesterday. Don't worry, I wasn't "huffing" the fumes. I think it just reminded me of a fun day working on the car.... Matt

I was just wondering what "DOJ" means? Big D

I got a chance to change the oil in the transmission and diff. this weekend. My question is: Why does the gear oil smell so bad? It is way worse than regular oil. I am thinking that it must have sulfur or something like that in it, or maybe other smelly anti-wear additives. My wife wouldn't even let me back in the house because I spilled some on my hands and shirt... Eventually, I convinced her to let me in. Matt D

I was under the 10 year old legacy last night, and didn't see much rust at all, but I did find some in the area you were talking about. There is a crossmember (which is what the differential and rear suspension arms bolt to) that is starting to rust. Has anyone heard of or tried POR-15 paint? I read on another website that it works great to preserve and protect rusty frame and suspension components. It is supposed to be painted over rust, to form a bond with and protect the surface. Check it out... http://www.por15.com/ Matt D

I had a feeling you were using the wrong timing marks either on the crankshaft or camshaft pulleys... I am glad you got the problem straightened out. Matt

I had this problem a year or two ago, it turned out to be the heat shields around the exhaust pipe and catalytic converters. There are several exhaust shields, the first being on the y-pipe (header). Those make a terrible rattling sound when loose. There are also shields on the catalytic converters, and heat shields bolted to the floor of the body that can rattle. I would jack up the car and check all those pieces for looseness before I do anything too crazy. I, too, originally thought it was transmission noise because of its relationship to certain rpm's when shifting. But alas, it was not... There are several solutions to fixing a loose heat shield. Do a search under exhaust rattle or heat shield, and you'll find a lot of useful info. Matt

Jamie (Subie Gal): You might want to give a suggestion to your website person that they should make the OEM parts catalog easier to find. The first few times I went to your site, I couldn't find it. Then, by chance I clicked on Tune up Parts, and that was the link to the OEM Parts catalog. I think they could do a better job at placing the button or explaining that it is for the OEM parts, or put a link on the top of the site, I know a lot of people have had trouble finding it. I think it's because it says "Tune up Parts." People probably think it is spark plugs, filters, etc. You don't think of a water pump or alternator or suspension part as a "tune-up." You would probably get a lot more online business. Now that I know where to find it, I'll be sure to order some stuff in the future, the only bad part for me is that you are on the directly opposite end of the country. Shipping takes a long time... Matt D

It is most definitely the alternator. The exact same problem happened to me a month ago. Battery and Brake light simultaneously. Someone explained to me that the ABS system requires a certain voltage to function properly, and that's why you get the brake light along with the battery light. Alternators are expensive, but I got a rebuilt one from 1stsubaruparts.com for a good deal. After I replaced the alternator, no problems. Matt

Subie Gal.. That's more like 2/3 the retail price... But it's still a great deal!! Plus, the oem pads come with the shims and clips, etc. don't they? Matt

I would think that you could just turn the camshaft sprockets by hand until the timing mark (the small radial hash mark on the edge of the sprocket, not the arrow) lines up with the timing mark on the belt cover (12 o'clock). When I changed my belt, I had to rotate them by hand a bit because one of them moved out of place while I was working. I just kept turning it in the same direction till it lined up again. I think the crankshaft is the only thing you have to be worried about. I may be wrong, but I think it is possible to have the timing mark in the right position, but for the crankshaft to be a full rotation off. That is, at the bottom of the stroke for cyl.1 vs. TDC? I am sure someone smarter than me can verify or dispute this. matt

That is a nice set of pics, and it looks like you got some new tools, too! I'd like to put a turbo into my 96 legacy, but now that I see how big a job it is, I guess I'll stick to my wimpy 135 hp engine. Matt

Check out this link: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/TBeltEWWin05.pdf That should answer a lot of your questions. Matt

I used an inexpensive craftsman rubber strap wrench to hold the pulley tight as I loosened the camshaft sprocket bolt. It worked just fine. MattD