davebugs

Batt and brake light alone means alternator to me based on experience. Sometimes ABS light comes on as well. No matter what the test says. I'd probably be carrying an extra alternator. Unless someone has a better idea I still think that's your issue. Unless it's plain old loose connections, grounds, etc.

As Nipper said impact is probably not necessary. I just use my deep impacts on sizes this large. Infact I use a deep impact and breaker bar to break the bolt using the starter every so often. Don't forget cardboard on the radiator area! I have had tools made for both sizes (2.2's and early 2.5's like 95 maybe 96) and 2.5 97 and up it seems to hold the harmonic balancer. I may be offering some for sale. He's making me prototypes now. The current ones have long handles. If he makes them for a breaker bar shipping in much less. The originals are getting beat up (especially the 2.2 one) so I'm having a different machine shop make me a different design. I worry more about installing them tight since that is more difficult. The fallout can be bad. I recently had a thread about a car I had purchased that had a loose harmonic balancer and other damage with pics. Looking like I gotta decide whether to go the Patent or Copyright route on a tool I had designed for VW's. Anyone here an expert on this? Or anyone ever partner with Lisle? Come to think of it I may start a thread in off topic. Hope it all works out well and nothing was damaged.

Breaker bar to over by the battery tray to use the starter to loosen crank bolt. You wouldn't be the first to put a belt on wrong. What sucks is that it's interference so you could have more damage.

Old stuff mostly SAE (American stuff of course). New and foreign stuff Metric. In hand sockets, wrenches and stuff I have both but use metric much more often. In impact I only have Metric stuff. Other than old American cars and trucks muffler clamps, perhaps some hose clamps, everything really is Metric it seems - and often with an equivalent.

I LOVE my carts. I have 2 Craftsman toolboxes. A larger pretty good one (holds most tools not in the cart) and a cheapie that I viewed as cheaper than a cart if I remove the top box. But I have 2 carts that I use all the time. One holds my former JY Craftsman socket set with a bunch of other stuff in it like expensions, razor knife, pics 14mm 12 point for heads, 14mm flex for eng/trans bolts and nuts, stuff like that. I have a few bags as well. But I'm getting to the point where a JY run is rare. So most of that is in my main cart. The other cart is usually full of crap. But I like to put the stuff I've removed in it when working on a car and the currently being used air tools, pry bars, breaker bars, etc. And I have a small collection of magnetic ash tray gizmo's. I find them handy - I loose less stuff which saves time looking for what I lost or looking for a replacement. I also find it real handy to put engines on furniture dollies with a cement mixing tub on them. Much more portable and they don't leak everywhere. I probably have 6-8 Suby engines on furniture dollies, more on industrial shelving units, on a wagon, etc. So in addition to boxes I'd recommend carts and furniture dollies(for junk/engines and such). Oh - and I LOVE my lift. Best 2k I ever spent. Too bad the garage isn't quite tall enough! 10' isn't truely enough - atleast when I'm 6'2". If I were 5' I'd be o.k. It'll fill up in no time. Garages and sheds are never big enough.

Lucas PS additive has served me very well - especially on Subaru's. But not the the pump leak that I described - the gasket - not the reservoir Oring. Wouldn't hurt anything. But I wouldn't have high expectations.

A lot of the ones I get are the rubber coated metal gasket which requires dis-assembly. A used on eis about the price of the rebuild parts at the dealer(about 20 bucks). I just install a used one. I have torn apart a few to see what the issue was.

I always do them off the car as well. I clean the covers in the parts washer, look things over a bit. I use Fel-Pro valve cover gasket sets due to cost and availibility. I haven't really seen the benefit of OEM for these myself yet. Others may have a comment about the brand. I forget - is that a year where the spark plugs go through the VC? If so the gaskets fit in the cover rather easily. Make sure you get the Orings for the plugs installed properly. Not difficult but pay attention. The bolts are kinda shoulder bolts. You'll find them start to get tight then "bottom out".

Part of the beauty of an OEM thermostat is that I don't think you can install it backwards. Of atleast is should be really, really obvious that it didn't go that way. Did you follow the burping instructions here? Including filling through the top hose?

Usually I use hose pliers when they are that tough. I believe they were discussed in the favorite tool thread around here somewhere. Note that the "good" Sunax ones have a bit more of a bend than the generic ones at Hardbor freight. But both have their uses. And you may find part of the boot permanently married to the plug. So as pointed out wires will probbaly be needed. Also use anti-seize on the threads and dielectirc lube on the plugs and wires for next time.

wow - worth mixing a batch to try

You should start by posting this question in the new generation forum. You should have better visibility there.

What - no mental telepathy this morning?

For what it's worth the alternator is what my bet is as well.

I get concerned about folks who never make mistakes. Kinda makes you wonder what else they aren't forthcoming about. We all just hope they are recoverable mistakes and to not make the same exact mistake too many times.

Hey Gary. They opened a store near me a year or so ago. 20-30? miles away in a bunch of annoying traffic behind a mall in a strip mall. I go every 6 months it seems. Have a front bearing service kit to return this week or loose 100 bucks. If you currently need anything (that they may actually have in stock) I'd be willing to pick it up and ship it to you. Don't get it confused with quality(but we all knew that) but it is affordable. For occasional use stuff and expendables it's not bad.

Please update your location to something meaningful. And let us know if you find simple bolt on performance mods. I don't do that to Suby's but might consider it. I don't know of any "chip" for the Suby either.

I believe if you want the parafanelia you gotta go pay big bucks at the dealer. I don't do that new of cars, or Oreily's or ceramic. But the Wagners and Bendix and in an absolute jamb Advance's Godl and Silvers(limited knowledge) all come with just the pads. Usually the old stuff cleans up well though. I remove them to file behind them anyways. Usually some scotch brite, brake clean, and sometimes a file or screw driver to remove old anti-seize is all it takes.

Dots and hash marks. Ignore all else. Amazing how many cars I've bought because folks have used the wrong marks.

Air tools just because you're talking a lot of threads on ths spring compressors. Air tools for removal of strut should be self explanatory. Use a paint stick for the orientation. I use the rattle can to mark the bolts that hold the strut to the car (alignment). Someitmes the lower rubber mount for the coil spring will be swelled from oil from the strut. These can be a bit difficult to hold in place while loosening the compressors. I'd evaluate yours before teardown and perhaps teardown others to get this rubber piece if needed. Don't know if the dealer or a parts store sells them. When I have needed them I've had other struts to steal the part from. But yea - one of those wall mount gizmos are really nice for work like this. Very pricey. But may be worth the few bucks to have someone with the correct tools to replace the mounts.

I paint with a ralltle can and white paint everywhere that you'll want to pay attention to alignment on re-assembly. When you're done if the white bothers you - paint it Black - no biggie. I do this often. Just did it on rear bumper alignment on my 71 VW bus.

Very easy. It's on the drivers side between the timing belt cover and beside the oil filler tube and the dipstick tube. Right there on top. Disconnect the connector and one bolt (8 or 10mm - I forget). Make sure they didn't say Crank shaft sensor. I little more difficult and sometimes they get corrosion in there pretty good.

2.2 HG's. I'd leave them alone. One note would be when these do rarely fail typically they create white smoke out the exhaust like most cars. Not like the 2.5 failure's that cause the coolant to be blown out the overflow bottle (95-99) or leak coolant when parked (2000 and up - but I've only worked on HG's as new as 2000).

Wires, plugs, coil pack ever replaced? And if so with what brands of stuff? Assume regular maintenance (air and fuel filters). How long have you had the car (to help establish the maintenance that's been done). The timing belt was recently due - was it done? And if so what else was done?

Yep from the bottom.