aircraft engineer

Since I'm used to "buying to spec" (since I used to be on some of the committees that WRITE the specs) I DO trust the spec. Now assuming I can trust the manufacturer...

$3/qt I think about what to expect right now. Of course, it's possible to get Mobil 1 on sale on a rebate for about that much Extreme wear studies (lab tests) have shown essentially no difference between motor oils in overall performance

just start soaking it in penetrating oil now get it ready for "later" _____ Salt season is finished

so now you know what it's supposed to "feel like", huh?

depends on your point of view - the cost difference is mostly "advertising", not "product quality differences" Oil is made to a specification and that sets the "minimum" is must meet. SE SH SJ, whatever. Remember that the STORES don't REFINE anything (they just BUY packed product from someone else). You are likely buying a "major manufacturer" anyway. Oil doesn't lose the lubricity, but the additives can and do "wear out" (the part of the oil that makes the viscosity change when the oil gets hot - the "-30" part of the "SAE 5-30".) So - "store" brand versus "name" brand - depends on what's on sale (to ME anyway). Given the identical spec - they will all claim they "meet or exceed" - and that's the advertising hype - the "exceed" part. As with anything, you have to TRUST the label, though. Out here Schucks (Checker, Kragen) has a special this week for SHELL (name brand enough?) for $1.49 with a $1 rebate for 12 qts. So .67 per quart net (yeah, I can subtract - I just add in the TAX - which in on the $1.49)

1. disconnect all suspension linkage to the housing and other "stuff" 2. pull axles out 3. disconnect brake lines at the tube to flex hose junction 4. disconnect struts at the top remove housing - strut assembly with brakes "intact" you wind up with a strut/housing/brake assembly. On the Forester I was pulling some parts from last time, the backing plate was "removable" (bolted to the housing) I haven't looked at these much yet (not the IMP I have - I KNOW what I'm getting into there since I just did a rear wheel bearing by swapping the housing off the JY Forester) My concern is mostly whether or not I need the ABS with disc rears (because this one doesn't HAVE ABS)

well, for the oil - just dump in 4.5 quarts and forget it (4-cyl). the oil level does move around a little bit particularly depending on angle of the car (but not 1/2 quart though) Sump is 4, filter is 1/2.

if you do your own work, repair it. One thing, after you get done with it, you will know exactly what you have. (2 day job with the right equipment... maybe... otherwise more time) Unless you use a rebuilt engine - then it's "new" (sort of) At 128 you probably won't need the bearings/rings stuff unless the car hasn't seen "regular" maint. You wind up doing the valves anyway, so you top end OH'ed it if you keep it

So what you have either has a ONE bolt attachment (normal - phase 2 tensioner - same as 2.2) or a TWO bolt attachment (Phase 1) which shouldn't have been in the 98 unless the motor was swapped. The Phase 2 tensioner has ONE bolt to hold it in, it goes to the right of the crank pulley and takes a bit of effort to compress the hydraulic "spring" without damaging the unit it just takes a bit of special attention. there are ONLY 2 - and the ONE bolt unit is the later one. This has pictures of BOTH systems http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/TBeltEWWin05.pdf the one with the "bolted on" pulley and the ONE bolt is "phase 2" which is probably your engine. The "long shaft" with the pulley bolted to the engine is phase 1 (the earlier version) Page "8" picture is PHASE 1; page "12" picture is PHASE 2 IF it's a phase 1 unit, it will NOT fit (no way, no how) and you have to get the phase 2 tensioner (it has the pulley attached to it - for the phase 1, it's a separable unit - pulley separated from the hydraulic "spring" tensioner.) The phase 2 tensioner costs more because you can't buy the tensioner pulley separate (not yet, anyway)

NJ - do the jug handle shuffle... 2 wrongs don't make a right but 2 rights make a left

97 IMP Wagon. With drums - but I have access to a set of rear discs on a JY 94/95 IMP. Not ABS (I think the JY IMP isn't anyway) - Anybody try just a straight installation of discs for drums? Pitfalls? (I know the hubs/struts fit and will need to swap everything from the flex hose connection "out") If anything, I'm expecting that IF there is a "problem" it will be with the parking brake. I'd do the entire rears including struts (just to save time) because I'm pretty sure I'm losing a rear wheel bearing (I have another wheel bearing, but prefer the discs even without ABS IF it will work - it will be "easier" to just swap them out and not have to deal with switching bearings - which I can also do - I have all the equipment)

Hmmm... all in the passing lane huh? (yeah - I know - drive on the wrong side of the road ) One of the reasons I haven't driven in Thailand yet is because I'm not sure I can trust myself to drive on the left side. Supposedly 90% of head-ons in Britain involve Americans.

simple - he installed it, say, a full turn "out", adjusted the tie rods to fit and then wonders why the rack turns more in one direction than the other. Like I said - that's why I MATCH THEM UP BEFORE INSTALLING. Of course, in the Tempo there's that steering U-joint to cause a few bad words to be said because of the lack of clearance...

hmmm - turn a "non-replaceable" into a "conventional" how novel. I noticed that on their "how to" part they didn't mention using a dremel to grind off the tabs on the first and third caps to make it easier to press them out. (second and fourth can push "in" for removal)

Yah gots a STOOOPID mechanic (if he did the installation) Now, remember, I'm no SUB expert, but I have experience in other rack/pinion steering gear replacement. The Tempo I have - the book said to crank the steering all the way to the left before pulling it out (thru the fender well BTW) and then set the "new" gear to about the same tie rod extensions on each side before installation. The way one went out is th way the new one goes in (lengths and all) So - if you are 5 turns lock to lock in the steering and it takes 3 in one direction, it has to take 2 in the other (and the tires will probably rub against something, too, somewhere) I suppose that with the SUB, you might set them center and make up the offset little bit in the alignment (usually in the alignment they will measure the tie rod lengths to get them about the same at the "middle" - that's the center of the gear.) I'm going to need to do one later to the IMP I just bought but not right now - it just drips a bit. There IS a "brute force" way to fix it without pulling the steering back out but it isn't "elegant" - drop the tie rod ends and determine the lock to lock and the canter of the movement, then reconnect the tie rod ends and have it aligned (again)

Doing rears can be a chore because of the need to remove the parking brake (small drum brake - or at least it was on the 98 Forester I was taking apart) Fronts are "simple" - take off the caliper and hang it from the spring with a piece of wire. Take off the rotor and either turn it or replace it (or re-use it if the rotor checks out). Compress the caliper. Put in the new pads and put it back together. rear discs are the same except for dealing with the parking brake. get a book like a Haynes or a Chilton and a digital camera. take pictures as you tear it down for reference when you put it back together. Pretty much a matter of matching the old parts up against the new parts and putting them in. Depends on whether there are any "brake specials" available where you are, too. just use "semi-met" or "ceramic" pads (organics won't last)

I don't think it's 2.5% - but the calculation is backwards - you will SAY you are doing 58 and you are actually going 60 bigger tires turning less RPM = lower indicated speed (higher real speed) I've been toying with the idea of 195-65/15

It would take a LOT of input to justify $170 for another techtoy system. Even if it gets you 1 mpg, that's 4% or roughly .8 gallons per 20 gallon tank - run dry at $3/gallon it's $2.50 (round number to keep the math simple) so that's 68 tanks to pay it off - at 400 miles/tank, that's 40,000 miles more or less. Of course, it will payoff faster if the price of gas goes above $5. Trouble is - it just TELLS YOU STUFF - IT DOESN'T DO ANYTHING "ACTIVE". I'll wait for the cheap Chinese copy. Lighter cars (like the IMP) get better mileage simply because they don't haul the extra weight around. The 24.5 is about right, actually. Any calcs on what you see on long distance driving (hiway)? I'd guess 27 or so, maybe 27.5 Not that it would help you much, but I used to have a "can" that had a heater hose attachment in/out and a fuel line that passed thru the can in a coil. When the engine heated up, the fuel going into the engine was warmer and expanded. Since the injectors (old carb system in this case) work on volume, the amount of "energy content" going in was "less" so the mileage went "up" as well. The prime problem was "vapor lock" (usually at idle). Injector systems with a fuel return line might take care of that issue by keeping the fuel "liquid" at all times.

I can tell you that based on several Brit and a couple of Thai cars, a 4 speed H with reverse off to one side or the other (or reverse/fifth in 5 speed) is identical to US transmissions. The forks don't change and it shifts the same way (but with the LEFT hand)

timing belt/ seal kit was about $200, though w/ water pump + tax (if from WA distrib) + shipping (with idler pulleys)

About all Jiffy is good for is oil changes (and they manage to even screw that up at times)

Missed that point - but I loctite everything except the crank bolt anyway If it has threads, it gets at least blue (since I don't have a tube of red handy) When I put them in, I expect them to STAY IN

Think about it - IF you have metal to metal contact in a bolt/hole you don't need "sealant" (sure, it stops leaks if something comes loose, but as a matter of course - this stuff is 100PSI max.) I suspect they must feel that one screw will hold the pump together. I still did them all Might just as well loctitie them all, though, so that they STAY THERE. I used "blue" but "red" has higher holding power The only reason ANY engine is a throw away is that the supply exceeds the demand (even from JY engines) and the price is cheap. You don't choose to rebuild a motor based on ONLY the motor cost.

the woosh as the sound of the obvious goes flying right over my head... So if there's spark, then a quick way to check if it's doing anything at all is to squirt a bit of gas into the intake and crank away. If it fires, then the issue is fuel

The reason it is BLUE is because it thinks it's a LINK (I clicked on it and it tried to open a window)