BigMattyD

Replacing front half-shaft on my 96 Legacy. I ordered a new axle from Napa, and I'm getting it tomorrow. I got a 32mm socket for the nut today. I decided to go outside tonight and see if I could loosen up the axle nut, having heard it is difficult... It took about 10 seconds to loosen the axle nut. It was way too easy. That's when I should have thought to myself....what can go wrong... I tightened the axle nut back to 150 ft lbs, since I'm not ready to remove it yet, and I jacked up the car to give the rest of the bolts I need to loosen a little work. Well, I tried the pinch bolt for the balljoint first. I cleaned it up, and used some PB Blaster, and went at it with a 6pt socket and breaker bar, but could not get it to budge, instead, the socket keeps slipping off of the bolt head. Ok, you son of a b****, I'll work on the strut bolts. They're bigger, and seem less rusty. Those give me the same problem. Well, it doesn't seem like it's going to be easy after all. I sprayed all the bolts with PB Blaster and put the wheel back on. I guess I'll try again later. I don't have an impact wrench, but I want one (and an air compressor, of course...) The bolts aren't all that rusty. I don't see why they're being so difficult. Granted, they haven't been touched in ten years. Anyone have any tricks besides the impact wrench?? More penetrating oil?? Heat?? Foul language?? It is not a rush, so I guess I could go out to the car once a day and douse the bolts with PB for days on end... I was getting to the point where I was afraid I was going to round off the heads of the bolts. matt

I have seen people recommend separating the balljoint, tie rod end, strut bolts, swaybar link or any combination thereof. Which leads me to the impression that anything you can do add some play to the steering knuckle should work ok. Probably some techniques are more efficient than others, but I have a feeling it is more of a personal preference. I will be doing the job sometime in the next week or so, and I plan to remove the balljoint pinch bolt and pop the balljoint out of the steering knuckle. But we will see what happens with my rusty old car, you never know when plan B or C may come into play... Big D

Maybe some enterprising but stupid thief thought they were copper. I just heard a news piece on a rash of copper thefts due to its rising value and relative abundance in statues, plaques, plumbing, etc. matt

I found two interesting websites, one explains the basic operation and has some photos of a typical viscous coupling. The other has technical information regarding the principles behind viscous coupling, which is the study on rheology. The liquid in the VC is probably not water-based, but a similar principle applies. The VC liquid is a relatively thick fluid that can almost immediately thicken even more when a shear force is applied. This is the same principle listed on the second website known as dilatancy. And yes, the classic example is the cornstarch/water mixture that somebody else previously mentioned. It is not due to heating of the fluid, but the actual physical force (sliding, or shear force) applied across a thin film of the fluid that allows it to thicken and "lock-up" the plates of the VC. Anyway, this information was new to me, and I thought it was interesting. matt http://www.answers.com/topic/viscous-coupling-unit http://www.lsbu.ac.uk/water/hyrhe.html

I recently removed the rear drums from my wife's car and it took about 10 solid minutes of hammering with a sledge hammer to get each of them off. It was a real pain in the butt. I also used penetrating oil around the hub and lug studs to help break loose any rust. Of course, I had to replace the drums, but they were very old and in need of replacement anyway. Matt

Yeah, the subarus will allow room for a turbo or supercharger to fit pretty easily. There was a time a few months ago where I couldn't sleep at night, because I was trying to mentally piece together a supercharger setup for my Legacy. Then I decided I didn't want to mess with my reliable ride. I will get a more powerful car next time around... Matt

or a demolition derby....

I don't know whhat hhr's are, but this weekend on Spike TV, I watched a show about a twin turbo bolt-on kit for a corvette that was plumbed into the exhaust back by the mufflers. It came with all the parts necessary, and it was a custom kit, no extreme modifications necessary. There were dual air intakes with custom pipes and cone filters, which ran to the turbos. The turbos were custom designed by Garrett for this application. The compressed intake air ran up to the front of the vehicle through large metal pipes that ran along the underside, i think under the rocker panels. The two pipes merged into a huge intercooler mounted in front of the radiator, and from there the intake air was routed into the throttle body. Oil is supplied from the engine via stainless steel hoses and a dedicated electric oil pump. The setup was pretty cool, and the host of thhe show said there was 1 psi loss in boost by having the turbos mounted in the rear. i found the website www.ststurbo.com matt

I wouldn't buy this car unless I was going to use it for parts, and then I'd pay 100 bucks for it. It looks like it was used by an inexperienced or irresponsible driver. It has high miles and high dents, probably somewhat twisted frame, as previously discussed, trying to hide the resulting poor alignment with new tires. The engine and transmission are probably beat. It looks like my next door neighbor's Impreza which is driven by his teenage son and daughter (and all their friends.) For example, they do donuts in the field behind their house every other day... matt

Yeah, that's pretty lame, but I bet people fall for it everyday!!! Matt

I would consider buying a car with a small engine if the car were also small and lightweight, with an emphasis on mpg over performance and a price tag to match the latest generation of compact cars. I would use it for daily commuting. But putting a 1.5 L engine into a car like the impreza doesn't seem too swift to me. Subaru sells some econo-boxes in Japan, the R1 and R2 I think they are called, that look cool. Matt

I would go with the fluid change first. I have a 2003 OBW that only has 65000 miles on it, and it was shifting a little rough. The fluid was brownish but not burnt. I drained and refilled with fresh Valvoline ATF, and the shifting improved to perfection. I did a second drain and fill a week later because you only change 40% of the total capacity with each drain. I could not believe the difference in performance... Now, I know your symptoms are worse, but changing the fluid is quick, easy, and cheap. Changing a transmission is not quick, easy, or cheap.. Of course do as suggested and check the fluid you drain for gunk, metal shavings, etc. to give you a sense of the overall condition. Matt

This is starting to get really boring now... But I give a hearty thanks to all who posted their comments. It just seems to be going around in circles now.. Big D

How long has it been losing oil at this rate? Previously, was it losing any between oil changes? My 96 Legacy 2.2 with 135000 miles never lost any oil until the last 6 months, and currently uses 1/3 qt every 3 months or 3000 miles. I recently switched to Amsoil 5w30 synthetic, and I am doing an extended drain interval, so I may just be more aware of oil usage, since I am checking more carefully now. It seems that some engines lose more than others, but it sounds like you are using more than you should. I would look for places of leakage or loss. Check the front oil seals, oil pan, oil pump, filter area, etc. Also, the oil may be blowing past piston rings or valve guides. If it were my car, I would look into it closely, but I wouldn't WORRY about it, take your time and look for these problems. Also, don't worry about changing from synthetic to conventional oils. There is really nothing to the myths that switching between them will harm your engine. The only part of the myth that has a grain of truth is that if you switch from conventional to synthetic in a high mileage or poorly maintained engine, you may develop leaks, as the synthetic cleans some of the buildup around seals, etc. matt

I don't think he was trying to start a flame war, and to tell you the truth, I was surprised to see your age at 18, as many 18 year olds would be the crazy- manual shifting type. It seems that you have a better understanding of all things automotive than a lot of people out there. What I think he was saying is that at a younger age, you may not have experienced times when it is desirable to shift into another gear. I rarely need or desire to do it. It depends on the driving conditions and your car's abilities, loading, etc. I don't think it's a good idea to manually shift an automatic all the time or for the "fun" of it, but there are times when its useful, and they have already been stated. If you don't find it necessary or useful, then you won't be doing it. But some people will, and it's ok. Matt D

I don't think anyone would argue with manually downshifting when appropriate, i.e. long upslopes and downslopes, or trailer towing, etc... I do it when necessary. Another time would be when planning to pass a car. Downshifting before you pass can save you a second or two. In some cases, it can be hard to get the tranny to downshift quickly or at all, even with full throttle. Matt

For example, the second post advises you to change your ATF...

What about the lifespan of the physical linkage between the shift lever and the transmission? Any idea if it is designed to tolerate constant "manual" shifting? I would think there would be a big difference between a car that is manually shifted all the time versus one that was operated normally most of the time, and shifted manually on occasion. It seems likely that the shifter was designed to be operated two to four times per driving cycle on average (P to R to D, D to P, etc.) And that is how most people use it. Just another idea to ponder... Matt d Also, I do always set the parking brake when I park, for two reasons. First, my usual car is a MT, so I am accustomed to doing it, but also I have found that the cable is less likely to bind up if it is used regularly.

Now that was some useful information... Anyone else have personal experience?? I am likely looking at a new clutch sometime in the next couple years. matt

I am not sure if the specs are updated or not, maybe someone else knows the torque value. matt

Josh, I agree that the time and effort to remove and replace the backing plate is the main reason I do not want to do it. The pictures you posted look like my car probably did when it was three years old. Now it is 10 years old, and it is very rusty. And yes, the meaty area of the backing plate is intact, just the dust shield disintegrated, as it is made of relatively thin sheet metal. Matt

Here is the relevant info from the FSM. Hope it Helps... Matt 1997camshaft.pdf

Yes, I read some info about removing or bending the backing plates out of the way to allow larger rotors for performance brakes, racing, etc.. When I changed the rear rotors and pads last weekend, the only problem was that as the plate rusted and broke apart, there were some pieces of rusty metal thhat fell between the central part of the backing plate and the rear surface of the brake rotor. Now that is gone... Matt]\

p.s. check diff oil with engine off, i don't think hot or cold matters matt

I guess if putting stuff on the belts helps, it would be likely that chhanging the belt would help. After you put the new belts on, which is easy(and cheap), let us know if it helps. Make sure you don't over tighten the new belts or you may damage the alternator or power steering pump bearings... Matt