tcspeer

Sounds like it is the main bearings to me. Mine does the same thing only it knocks a little longer.

I dont know if Subaru is the same as my Automatic trans. 92 Buick, but when I stopped at a stop sign it would die like it was a standard with the clutch not pushed in. the transmission shop replaced some valve in the transmission that fixed it. I also have a 97 Legacy postal wagon 337,000 miles and yes many many brake pads and I just put my third drive shaft in it last week so that makes four counting the one it came with.

The bolts and head gasket are cheap enough, buy them and rest your mind. Now if you have to take the engine back out to do the job then I can see why you may be asking.

I would think you need to replace the gaskets is you loosen the bolts from a higer torque valve. But someone else may disagree.

Didn't the dealer check to see if there was a code left when the check engine light came on? If not you might have him get that checked.

I have a 97 R.H.D., Subaru used to sell them to rural mail carriers at a good discount, for some reason they stopped offering them to us in 1999 or 2000 I dont remember what year for sure. you should still be able to spot a few around on the back side of most Post Offices. That is very low miles for a mail vehicle that old, mine has 336,000 miles on it and it is a 97.

If you just changed the pads and shoes, there was no need to bleed anything, If you opened one of the calipers lines or wheel cyclinder line then you would need to bleed that one only. What you need to do is put every thing back together and take wheels off one at a time and have someone pump the brakes while you check lines for leaks, you may have caused a leak in one of the lines when you removed caliper. If this dont show anything go to auto parts store and get a set of calipers line pinchers, and pinch one line closed at a time, if your pedal returns to normal then you have damaged the seal in that caliper when you compressed the piston back in. Also you need to address porcupine question, so we can be sure you did not bleed the brakes at master cyclinder.

May already be done, I live in a small town and some lady in a fancy vechicle pulled up where I was getting gas and asked if I knew where she could get air, the tire she was concerned about did not look low so I told her and she said it it showed to be low in her car. I did not ask how she was reading it. But my cars are all old so I dont know what are on the new ones. Sorry Hotshot I missed your post about the system that is used to tell tire pressure, that seems like a great system.

Thanks, I am just kidding with nipper for not taking advanage of my suggestion in post # 6. It seems like the cars you and I grew up were better designed for make shift antenna's, maybe nipper is much younger then us and dont appreciate a good make shift antenna.

Nipper is probably right, most likely it is stripped, get a Haynes manual and see if it gives torque spec. for that bolt. If it is stripped but will tighten some you can put a small amount of J.B. weld on the threads and run it back in snug and it should hold fine. I stripped the threads inside of my steering gear unit where the hose connects and J.B. weld held it fine, and it is under pressure where yours wont be.

That must have been imported here from abroad, some of us (mail carriers) have been trying to get Subaru to make us more right hand drive cars since they quit making them for us in 1999.

Yes I have seen coat hangers used also, but that is mostly by the rich, the rest of us use bailing wire. Dont forget to give us insights on replacing that antenna, Iam sure it would be a easy job the second time we have to do it.

We are not as picky here, I seen alot of antenna's with bailing wire for a mast growing up, but I have no place to hook the wire on the Subaru.

If you are not as picky as nipper, the solution in post # 6 of this thread worked for years for me, however now the mask it self is broke so I need a new one also.

Thanks nipper, that is cheap enough.

on problem # 2, I would check each tire all of the way around for a nail or screw that may be imbedded but not far enough for the tire to go flat.

Nipper, I still need one, did you buy yours new? or out of the junk yard? If you bought it new I would like the details if you have time.

I have not seen this, maybe for a shop this might be worthwhile, being time is money and the ways most of us have found to get the job done is time consuming. I think you need to try the one you have assembled and if it works you could share the ideal with the rest of us.

After rereading your post that is a very good explaination of why the air trap happens, and it is easy to see why your way also would work well, I just never figured out why the trap was happening. I was sure it had something to do with the thermostat on the bottom but did not relate it to the little seep holes.

My 97 is not an OB it is the Legacy L. wagon, I guess that is why one instead of two. But they should have put the ring on the boot.

Growing up with the old ford and chev's from the past with the thermostat near the top of the engine has spoiled me, I have never had trouble filling any car I have owned with coolant until I came across Subura. I think the reason is because the thermostat is near the bottom of engine, but I dont know that for a fact. I think we all find our ways of getting this job done, I just dont like the ideal of removing hoses to put coolant in.

Thanks I guess that is why mine dont have one.

Max, when you say rings are you talking about the the little wire circles? Because the ones on my 97 does not have them. Do you have two pistons or one? Mine only has one.

I have tried many times to rebuild the calipers on my 97 Legacy wagon, I have never been able to get the rubber boots to stay on. However mine does not have a metal ring. I let Midas rebuild my calipers about eight years back, maybe they left them off. I have rebuild the calipers on our Saturn wagon and they have the metal rings and are easy.

It has always worked for me, even when taking the radiator out. Which I always do when going into the front of the engine. If you prefer to remove your hoses and fill yours that way then that's fine. I was just offering an easily way then some have been doing it. Please explain how you get more coolant into block by taking hose loose rather then letting it run into the block from the hose that is connected to the radiator.