subyboy

Just a quick one. I need to replace the power steering rack bushings on my '91 Liberty. Is it as easy as loosening the bolts, replacing the bushing and re-tightening? What is the tightening torque, pretty bloody tight I presume? Anything I should know about (like supporting the rack so it doesn't weigh down/lever anything out of place)? Cheers, Jean

Hey, Thought I'd let you all know of how I cured my clutch shudder issue. The clutch (or so I thought) used to shudder quite badly whenever I downshifted into 2nd gear. No matter what speed, revs. etc... Anyhow, what fixed it was changing the rear diff oil with Redline 75w90. The shudder from 2nd to 3rd was gone instantly Obviously won't cure every clutch shudder issue but could be worth trying before you start throwing money at it. Cheers, Jean

Hey all! Well, my left front air strut gave up over the weekend. I managed to make the 5-hour trip home by patching it up with a tyre patch and lots of electrical tape. Now I'm thinking of swapping over to conventional coilover struts. I'd like to keep the self-leveling suspension in the rear, since that's where most of the weight difference happens. Also, money is very tight at the moment so my question is: Does anyone know if it's ok to swap the front suspension only (from air to conventional)? Would there be any issues, handling or otherwise? Thanks, Jean

Sweet, good to know it worked. Will have to try it on mine when I get time. Thanks for the write up Neo! Cheers, Jean

Cool, let us know how it goes...

Hey all, The rubbery/foamy stuff that covers the steering wheel of my Legacy is getting loose, ie the outside spins around the core. This results in an ugly and loose steering response. In short, I don't like it much. Is there any way to fix this, like injecting some glue so that the covers sticks back to the core? Any idea welcome, thanks. Jean

You bastards! Here in Australia, the opportunities for using your Subie in the snow are few and far between to say the least... Going home to Switzerland soon, though, so will probably get a chance to play in the snow there, although not in a Subie

Hey all, just a quick one. How important is it to use thread selant/Teflon tape when re-installing the rear diff plugs? Is it absoltulety essential or will I be OK without it? I've already done the oil change and drove the car a few miles and couldn't see any leaks. Will it be OK after a longer drive with the diff warming up? Cheers, Jean PS: What's stopping the plugs to screw all the way in when they look straight, ie without a head to stop them going all the way in?

Thanks for all the advice guys! Gee, how did we manage before the internet, I wonder...

Well, now that my post is up, I've actually found some really good write-ups from the links at the bottom. Weird how a search didn't yield anything though...

OK, first of all let me say that yes, I did a search but couldn't find anything relevant. I know this is pretty basic stuff but thought I'd check anyway. I'm looking at replacing the fuel filter on my '91 Legacy 2.2 and was just wondering if I need to release the pressure in the fuel system first. The End Wrench recommends to depressurize the system before doing anything to the fuel PUMP. Do I need to do the same as described here for the actual filter: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/FeedNov06EW.pdf Or is it enough to just unscrew the fuel tank cap? Anything else I should know? Cheers, Jean

Like I said, difference in circumference should be less than 6mm. If you're at all worried, buy 4 new tyres, it's a lot cheaper than replacing a differential or Viscous Coupler. You can always keep the 'old' tyres as spares, or sell them to another Subaru owner in the same situation as you...

I don't really get it, but it doesn't matter. What matters is that the difference between the almost new tyres, and the brand new ones is no more than 6mm (1/4inch) circumference. They also need to be same construction and load range. Have you tried calling the manufacturer to check with them directly?

OK, I did the slow circle test and didn't notice anything wrong. This is kind of a relief, although I realize it doesn't mean I won't have torque bind problems in the future... Silly question: I use Redline MT-90 in the transmission, could it make any difference as to wether or not you get torque bind problems??? Can't see how it would since the problem is the CV, which is a sealed unit and doesn't 'use' trans oil, but anyway...

I sure will!

Thanks Nipper. I have actually measured the tires circumference, and the differnce was indeed 3/4 inch I've now put one new tyres at the front left, and one on back right. Is that OK or is it important to have them on the same SIDE?

Man, that's all really worrying. Just for info, since I got the two new tires, I drove about 2,000 miles on sealed roads, including stretches of about 200 miles without stopping once. More than enough to cook the fluid to death. Knowing that the difference in circumference between new and used tires was 3/4" (Subaru recommends no more than 1/4"), looks like my VC should be dead. I haven't felt anyhting as yet, but will do the slow circling test to be sure. And to think I bought 2 new tires instead of one thinking it'd be better for the car :-\ I guess what they say is true, you learn from your mistakes...

Thanks Gnuman, that makes a lot of sense. Not really good news, I'm afraid, but at least now I know. And since it's better to prevent than to cure, I reckon I might put the new tyres on the same side rather than both at the front. Lets hope it's not too late...

Thanks guys but I think that applies to automatics and mine's manual (and dual range, too) Also, I've done some more research and it appears the center diff could actually be viscous LOCKING. Found a few articles (inc. this one http://www.autozine.org/technical_school/traction/tech_traction_4wd_2.htm#VC ) but it doesn't really explain how the viscous coupler actually LOCKS the diff. Anyone know?

'91 Liberty (Legacy) manual AWD 2.2lt Hey all, Been reading a lot on this forum about how it's important to have all 4 tyres the same or you'll stuff up the AWD system. I had a tyre blow out recently and could only afford to buy 2 new tyres (exact same models as old ones), which were put on the front wheels. Could this really damage the AWD sytem (centre diff) and the viscous coupling? My Subaru manual only says to use tyres of the same size, construction and load range, nothing about new/used. I don't really understand how the VC could get damaged as it is just fluid spinning in between plates. Is it an overheating issue with the fluid if forced to shear all the time? I drove 500mi on a freeway without issues... Some people recommend putting the two new tyres on same side of the car to avoid front and rear wheels spinning at different speeds. How would that affect handling? Cheers,

OK, definitely not worth opening above-mentioned can of worm then... :-\

Hmm, interesting to know there's some sort of height sensor inside the strut. Any idea how to get to it? According to the mechanic's bill, the strut was a new one. Then again, he might have put on a used one and charged the price of a new one, who knows. Unless they come from the factory with different height setups depending on year of production??? (Same part but different preset height) Barely noticeable anyway, so I'm not too keen on opening a can of worm just to fix a small problem like this one, for fear of what I might discover...

Actually yes, firstwagon. That same strut was replaced 4 years ago, before I bought the car. Checked the part number and it is the correct part, covering Legacy 90-94, so should be the correct one. Doesn't seem to be any change in ride height from what I can gather from the catalogue...

Thanks for the input crazyhorse. But if the strut is really flat, how come it goes up when I set the suspension on high?

Hey all! Got a small problem with my adjustable air suspension ('91 Legacy AWD). For some reason, the front left is always 1/2" lower than the right one. Doesn't matter if it's up or down, running or not. Thought it was a leak but it doesn't get any lower, even after days of sitting in the driveway. Any ideas what it could be and how to fix it? Is there a height sensor that could be tuned up so left and right sides are even? Cheers