tcspeer

Dont put a lot of tape, you may have trouble opening the hatch if you do, he wrapped it around four times.

I had the same problem on my 98 Legacy Wagon, I removed the metal catch on the cargo area and drilled the holes bigger so I could move it forward, it worked for a few days and then started back, so I ordered a new one from Subaru and replaced it, this also did not fix the problem, so on Christmas day my nephew who is a body man was at our Christmas dinner and he told me it was the latch in the door that needed replacing, he took some black tape and wrapped a little around the metal catch I had replaced and said that would keep the latch in the door from rattleing, it did, but he told me it would only work for a few days. I was going to order the latch for the door but the next day this car was totaled while I was on my mail route, hit head on by a young girl coming around a blind corner on the wrong side of the road. So I can not tell you first hand this would work on yours but I was sure it was going to fix mine.

Was your injury a car wreck? I thought yours was just back operation, guess I should have asked. I think I may have got a little more money on my car due to the right hand drive, My nephew is also a body repair man and the car is at his place and he knows the adj. very well that came and gave the quote, I think he used a few tricks of the trade to help on the adjustment. My job is taking care of the med. bills for me being the wreck happen on the job, however the girl that hit me only had min. ins. so they wont be anything much for me as far as the pain and suffering.

I am, but all of my travel is still with a walker. The Dr. says I can not put any weight on that hip and leg for 12 weeks so I still got 10 weeks to go. Did you ever recoup from your back surgery? The girl that hit me, her ins. has offered me 5,2000.00 for the 98 wagon I had, I had only figured around 4500.00 due to the high miles on it so I am happy about that.

Sorry, I did not reply but I had a wreck the next day and spent about two weeks in Hosp. If you pinch the hose and you have a good pedal then that is the caliper that is bad. If their is no change pinch another caliper line. I tried to solve this same problem and finnaly took it to someone I know at Midas and he taught me this little trick.

Is the bolt turning are the socket turning on the bolt head?

Yes, my mode of trans. is now a walker quite a difference from the way it was just a few weeks back when I traveled over 100 miles each day. You spent many hours driving around the airport if I remember correct I am glad one of the large planes didnt get you, because this was a small Toyoto pickup that got me and it was enough damage. Thanks for the thoughts and concern. T.C.

Thanks for the kind words from each of you, This was my first broken bones so it was something very strange for me. I guess we all take our health to much for granted.

Dec. 26 the day after Christmas I was hit head on by a young girl coming around blind corner on the wrong side of road. I was on my mail route and was between boxes. The whole front of car was smashed, and I received a broken hip. She got a broke wrist. The air bag deployed and I had no damages to my face. I spent nearly two weeks in Hosp. and have now been home for one week. I am getting around some with my walker. The Dr. says I will most likey need a hip replacement in about one year after the bones heal because of the damaged done to the joint. If I can get my son to post pictures I will try to get some here. My computer skills are very limited. This happened in my 98 Legacy wagon, that I had spent the summer redoing, I had bought it for 100.00 dollars and had turned it into a fine car with around 3,000 dollars worth of new and used parts and a summer worth of work, but it has turned out to worthless cause.

My 97 Legacy wagon has 330,000 miles, and these are working miles as it is used to del. mail. I replaced the engine at 288,000 miles due to one of the idle pulleys coming apart and the valves and pistons hitting. I replaced the transmission at around 320,000 miles.

The 97.00 dollar one that is sold at Wal Mart works really well on my 97 Subaru, I never tried the one you show from Harbor Freight however I did try the one they used to sell for around 49.00 dollars and it would not work on my Subaru.

Have you changed the plug wires?

I think you might have a bad caliper, you can get brake line pinchers from Snap On for around 7.00 dollars, you then pinch the rubber line then remove it from the caliper, or maybe leave it on if you have room, if your pedal stays good then that will be the caliper that is bad.

You can remove the two plactic outer covers without much work, and then you can bump the engine to see the part of the belt that is behind the center cover.

My 2.2 run hot, and the cause was the radiator was dirty, I had taken it out to have it rodded and it only needed the outer fins washed out. You might check that if you travel on unpaved roads.

Why torque bind with a clunking sound? I just replaced my over 300,000 mile transmission because of torque bind, but it never clunked from that. It was like the wheels in the rear was not turning at the same speed as the front. I have had clunking from strut mounts being bad, and clunking from bad ball joints, and clunking from bushing in the supenison being bad. I not saying it cant happen but I did not see it when I had that problem.

Also check the large bushing at the back of the front control arms, when they go out it will be leaking grease and it will also cause the clunking sound.

I just replaced my wiper arm a few weeks back the motor was turning but the arm was stripped out. You need to pry the plactic cover off at the base of the arm to get to the nut.

I have replaced a few control arms, as for as what will fit most junk yards will have that information. I do have some advice, Do Not remove the two large bolts on the rear bushing with impact wrench, use a small rachet after you use a large breaker to break them loose. You may need to wiggle the arm around a little as you are taking it off to keep the bolts coming out clean and straight. I used an impact one time and the bolt came out with no threads as the hole in the bushing just cleaned them off as I was removing it. I was worried that I might have ruined the threads in the mounting hole but I was lucky and just ruined the bolt.

I have the 97 wagon and mine is right behind the rear seat on the right side there is a metal plate covering it.

Did you check to make sure some of the hose connections at the fuel pump are not leaking?

I use the jacking points on the back, and on the front I use the frame rails (not the ones under the door but the ones under the car)just a little forward and in about six inches of the front jacking points. I cannot get the swing arms to line up on all four jacking points if you can that is the correct way to lift. Always check and make sure you dont get on any lines or cables.

These sounds like reasons to try and justify the foolisness of a timing belt, now let me tell you why the chain is better, as you may know I use my car for my job and sometimes its nearly 150 miles a day six days a week. My car before my Subaru was a 1983 Malibu 305 engine I keep it on the road for around 450,000 miles never not even one time did I have to do one thing to the chain, and never heard any noise. With my Subaru now I have to change the belt around every 60,000 miles and also worry about the idler and other pullys that keep it moving. My wife is doing the same work as me and she drives a right hand drive Saturn with a chain, never not one time have we had to stop this car for the foolisness of changing a timing belt, because it also has a timing chain. I have never heard the timing chain in any engine as you know they run in oil. And how would one know they have stretched when I have never seen one off of any of the cars I have owned?

The axle is very easy to change, I done my first one by the instructions in the Haynes manuel. Just make sure to looosen the axle nut (very little) before jacking car up.

Open your gas cap and put your ear there while someone turns the key on, and listen to see if the fuel pump runs for just a few seconds. I just take the line off at the filter and turn the engine over but this can be dangerous, the other way is safer.