mattski

I think that there are bolt gaskets as well. Matt

I would disagree on the antiseize on the plugs. I think that NGK has something related to this on their website. Matt

I had a 96 OB with the 2.2. Matt

Another method of getting the seal out is to drill a small hole into it using a dremmel or smiliar short drill, thread a small machine screw into the hole and pull on it. Any shavings should come out towards you, and you can wipe anything out once you have the seal out. The oil pump is on the crank shaft so you have to get to it with the center cover off. There is a small o-ring behind it. Also check that the screws on the back of the oil pump are tight. Matt

I would definitely recommend getting OEM Subaru bearings, with the latest upgrades. There are procedures that Subaru followed initially, which involved a press. They later changed them in favor of the puller. I would really suggest getting a Factory Service Manual. You can download one at http://techinfo.subaru.com/html/index.jsp for $20 if you have high speed internet access. If they are really bad, I would think that you could feel the roughness while spinning the hub with your hand. Matt

Subaru wheel bearings are difficult to replace. The manufacturer recommends the use of a special tool like a Hub Tamer to extract the bearing while on the vehicle to eliminate the stresses normally occurring while using a press. It probably can be done, but care must be excercised. Perhaps someone who has done this can suggest the right method. To confirm which bearing, you should be able to feel a difference once the brake pads are taken out and the wheels can spin freely. Or drive past someone who could listen from the outside. Or just do both of them, since once one fails, it is likely that the other one will fail soon. Matt

How many miles on the car? Do you know what a failing wheel bearing sounds like? Did you check the surface of the tires on all sides. If something is rubbing against them, you would see it. Are all your wheel lugs torqued properly? Remove the wheels and check around the calipers. A stone wedged between the disk and caliper makes noise. Matt

Bump. Does anyone have a Factory Service Manual for this car which shows the location of the Thermo Control unit? I have gotten two different opinions: On top of the box behind the glove box Inside the box. Thanks. Matt

Theotherskip, I believe that is exactly what I found on my 2.2 L engine as well. Ratty2Austin, seach for my post around December 20, 2002 under my previous name of 97svx. I believe that I had included a lot of info on my timing belt change experience. In the future, I will be marking the old belt and reference points before I take it off. Lastly, once you install it correctly, when you crank the engine, the timing marks will not line up again until a certain number of revolutions, so do not drive yourself crazy. Matt

I had done my 95 Legacy (no longer have it) a few months ago and also remember scratching my head on the alignment. The cam sprockets are easy as they have a mark on them and also on the back covers. These should align. The confusing part was the crank sprocket. I believe that the timing mark lines up with one of the teeth on the plate behind the sprocket. Endwrench.com has a great article with pictures on the 2.2 L engine timing belt process. I highly recommend checking it out. Did you also change the water pump and thermostat. If not, I would highly recommend it. Mine failed at 110k. Matt

I think it is ~ 6 quarts. That is how much my SVX takes and it is a 4EAT transmission as well. Matt

Thanks very much. I was not aware that it might be in the duct work. I thought that it was somewhere on top of the box, but not inside it. I will have to dig deeper into the system. Thanks again, Matt

My 93 Legacy AWD 5spd Wagon is having issues with the compressor cycling on and off rapidly. I was advised by a couple of members that it is mostl likely a bad Thermo Control located "behind the glove box". However, I removed the glove box, but cannot find the old unit. Does anyone either remember the exact location or have a shop manual which would show it? Thanks in advance. Matt

Impreza is pronounced like "bread" as in "it does not cost a lot of bread to maintain or repair". If maintained, Subarus are great cars. Other than some early 2.5 liter engines with head gasket problems, they are very reliable. Check the sticker on the underside of the hood for the engine size. The 2.2 L engines are excellent. Yours may be an 1.8 L. The engines suffer from some minor oil seepage which is best cured during a timing belt change. Parts can be expensive but there are many on line sources which help in this regard. But since they seldom break down, the overall cost is much lower than US made cars, in my opinion. The All Wheel Drive is great if you need it but there is a small penalty on the Miles Per Gallon. The handling is wonderful in snow, rain, wind, etc. Many members own multiple Subies (I have 3) which says a lot. Check out NASIOC.com which is mostly for Imprezas. Matt

Subaru engines last way longer than 100k unless you fall victim to the dreaded head gasket problem plaguing some of the 2.5 L engines. The Imprezza probably has a 2.2 L engine but check on the sticker on the underside of the hood. The 2.2 is very tough and should last ~250k miles. Also, Subarus do not rust and their exhaust systems last a very long time. Some surface corrosion may be visible but will have little effect on the integrity of the system. The only weak spot on the exhausts are the heat shields which get loose and start to rattle and buzz. They are easily repaired with large hose clamps. Was the water pump replaced with the timing belt? Were the cam and crank seals replaced also? My water pump failed at ~110k on my 95 Legacy 2.2 L and the seals were leaking, especially when I decided to switch to synthetic oil. Do not repeat my mistake. Use regular oil to minimize this problem. And the next time the timing belt is off, replace the seals and water pump and thermostat. Have your mechanic look at the bottom edge of the timing belt cover. If he sees any oil drops, either the seals have started to leak, or the oil pump O-ring. These are simple repairs but require that the timing belt is removed, which does take some labor. Matt