Towel Rail

So it *is* your car! :lol:

Oils need only contain ~30% synthetic to label themselves "synthetic blends". So I doubt any have as much as 50%.

There are four more days this week to pick up the replacement cap from a dealer. It should be tomorrow's priority IMO. Until then, I'd suggest a clean washcloth stretched over the filler and secured with a cable tie.

I'd just keep on using that oil if it's treated you well. If you search USMB long enough, you'll find that pretty much *everything* has been used in these cars. - Scott

Wasn't there just a thread about the '08 Imprezas being ugly, or did it get locked? :-p The new Outbacks don't look terrible -- the main differences seem to be the grill and taillights. - Scott

Just did the deed. I love how easily this pours after it's been in my -6°F freezer for an hour. That was just a test. I didn't put it all in the freezer. ;^) - Scott

I like to use those thin nylon guitar picks as scrapers. They work great on old stickers, Scotch tape, etc. Not sure how they'd work on engines.

1 mile to work?? Hoofing it would do both of you a favor. - Scott

My car is getting German Castrol 0W30 as soon as I get an opportunity to change the oil.

I think it's good enough that a Japanese company decided to pick up a handful of discarded German ideas, and run with it.

This weekend, I made the drive to Minneapolis and back to visit some college friends. I-35 was RED with the blood of dead deer. Dozens and dozens of them. Be careful out there!

Seems backward to me. 5-lug wheels should need a little less torque per lug, and you can just do every other lug until they're tight enough, as opposed to doing one, going across, doing the next, going across, etc. I could be wrong though.

Then why even suggest it?

0-60 in 12 seconds isn't bad. I have slower cars than that.

Iowa deer are no joke. I nearly hit one every time I visit my folks.

Really? I've heard anecdotes of the Exedy's shuddering too. Hmm... - Scott

As far as Ace vs Home Depot vs Lowe's vs Menard's vs Wal-Mart... it really depends on who's working at the particular store. The old guys know what they're doing, but most of the chains are retiring them and hiring up teenagers (cheaper) that can barely help you. Sucks.

Damn that sucks! Deer always seem to do the opposite of what you expect them to. Glad you're okay, though.

My car has the 1st-gear shudders, and after searching the forum for a while, it looks like I'm in good company. The car has already had its clutch replaced at least once in its past. And it would seem that I'd get another unsatisfactory part if I took it to the Subaru dealership for an OEM part. I've heard good things about ACT clutches, but they don't list any clutch disks for the 2.2L. Would their 2.5L parts work? They list the same flywheel for both the 2.2L and 2.5L, after all. Thanks! - Scott

Transaxles generally only need EP additives for the differential. Mercedes-Benz has specified ATF for manual transmissions since the 1950's!

Wasn't that scary?

185/80R14 tires (aka 185R14) *do* exist, but most American companies don't make them anymore, and the kid at the tire store will stare dumbly if you don't give him a middle number. Vredestein has a couple tires in that size. I ran Vredestein Sprint 185R14's on my Beretta for a while; they rode nicely. - Scott

American companies had played around with Hill-Holder technology decades before Subaru, but like the (watercooled) boxer, Subaru really made it their own. BTW, is the idle audible for everyone's cars? Mine idles silently at about 600 and I need to touch the shifter to know it's still running. I'm used to less-refined cars!

By "computerized diff" I meant a computer that was modulating the electricity to each individual motor, rather than any centralized mechanical device. But no matter, it probably will be a long time before we see anything like it on the market.

There's a little company called "Vredestein" near you that makes good 185R14's. - Scott