bakgwailo

So, fix one thing, next thing breaks, right ? I think there was some truth to that not getting a car wash thing This is a 1990 Loyale (OHC EA82 SPFI), and its eating coolant now (again). Over the summer while I was getting it ready for the winter, I replaced the radiator, waterpump, tstat, hoses. However, it seems like that bloody o-ring on the waterpump inlet is bad (who ever thought that one up I hope was fired ). Basically, I could keep fililng the radiator, and it would just keep going down. So, i ripped apart to that o-ring (a/c alternator), pulled it out and it was torn a bit. It also looked like coolant was coming out from there before I removed it. So, I did not have one of those o-rings (8pm at night, 10 degrees out), thus I put some RTV in there after the o-ring hoping for a good seal. Let it sit for over an hour, filled it, and it seemed to not leak. Infact, air bubbles were actually coming out, and eventually it stabalized. So, I started the car up to bleed it, and this seemed to go well, it was burping, tstat opened and shot out coolant etc. Then, it started drinking again... and was dripping on the bottom of the engine by the water pump, again. So I gave up for the night, and want to tackle it again tomorrow (in the snow! fun!), and was wondering if any one had any ideas. I am pretty damn sure now its that outlet, and that the RTV just gave out after a bit of running/heat. Could I bring the o-ring up to advanced/autozone, and just get another matching one ? Is there any better ways to do it ? I am pretty nervous about it, does any one have a better way to connect it more securely? I mean, its not even really bolted in, just the stupid oring and the bolt to the engine which is far away. Or, does any one know a part number/ size of the o-ring ? thanks everyone... I must saying ripping apart engine bays is greeeeeeeeaaat in 10 degree weather Also, is there any easy way to delete my a/c compressor and just keep the alternator ? seems like it would make the whole dissassembly/reassembly easer

So here is an update: This morning reverse did not seem to really want to go (had been playing with the lever last night), so i just kind of ramped it out and went on my way. On the way to work. After I left the spot, I pressed the button a few times, and all the sudden it magically started working again, and now it engages and disengages every time I press the button. So.... , shall I chalk it up to magical gremlins ? LOL! BTW, thanks for the help everyone ! In celebration, I even stopped to get a car wash

It will move into 4WD, but only when the engine is not running. When the engine is running, I can no longer move it by hand. Also, the AWD light does not appear to come on even if I move the lever by hand. I will investigate more tomorrow with that lever. If it is something in the tranny... that sucks ;(

Heh, its ok! thanks for responding ! I thought too it would be a vac issue (seems the most ussual suspect), but, it does seem to be getting vacuum at the switching solenoid (i hear it activate on the switch, and I confirmed that it switchs the vacuum outputs depending on the switch). Also, I tried deleting that hole item and hooking the vac line directly to the 4WD line, and nothing happens Maybe the vacuum is not strong enough ? Would that do it ? I will try to get a hand pump or something tomorrow at the parts store to test if it could be... thanks !

Well, before, it would always come on, IE press button, the dash light comes on saying 4WD (so badass). Now, no more light when I press the button. I had read that the switch for the light is actually on the transmission, so when it engages to 4WD, the circuit is connected, leading my to believe that that it is not activating. Also, when i press the button while driving, I do not feel it come on at all (ie on dry pavement, it does not feel like it is on ie skipping on turns). I know bad test on dry pavement, but I have no other good way to check If it is torque bind, any way to free it ? As I said, the lever on the back of the transmisson move freely unless the car is on. When the car is on, I cannot move it (ie manually put it into 4WD by hand).

Well, its a 5 speed, and has 192k on the odo runs really well for that! The clutch seems to grip fine, not sure if that what you were talking about ? Also, there is no FWD fuse.... its a part time 4WD with the switch button on the shifter. I had thought that it a was basically this : Switch -> vacuum switch -> actuator thing on tranny -> cable -> lever to push rod in to lock front and rear. I am probably wrong, as my crappy Hayes manual mentions none of this *sigh*. So are there really clutches somewhere ? I mean that bar never moves even though the vacuum switch (solenoid) does activate....

Hey Everyone, First time poster, have been searching and reading a lot though My problem is this: My 4WD no longer comes on. I know this has been posted a lot, but none of those things seemed to help me. Here is the deal: I first bought the car middle of last winter from my cousin for 60 bucks (price of the battery he just put in it ). Basically, the exhaust fell off at the cat and muffler, and the quoted price to fix was the same as the 1994 Loyale he eventually bought. I just had my buddy weld the old back on Still need to weld in a muffler though So, I got the car with the idea that it would be my winter driver (Boston, some snow ya know), as my DD is an s13 240sx hatch putting about 300hp down with an SR20DET (yeh... i know... KA is better w/e). Basically a no go in the snow car, esp with the 255 17" summer tires. So I got everything working (turns out the radiator went bad at my cousins, had been sitting for a year before I picked it up), so I replaced the radiator, water pump, t stat, hoses, etc. Full tune up (air/fuel/oil filters, oil change, PCV, plugs, wires, dist cap/rotor, etc), and it seemed to run pretty damn good. So, I left it sitting until this weekend (finally got 4 new tires for it), and finally got it on the road for the snow we got over the winter. HOWEVER the 4WD switch basically stopped working ! Very annoying on my unstoppable winter subaru. So, here it is: It would come on intermediately (once in like 100 pushes) this weekend, and the last time I got it working was Monday morning. Now it just doesnt seem to want to come on at all. My HVAC stuff all works (ie vent controls). I hear the solinoid kick in with the switch. I took off the vac lines and confirmed that there is vacuum on each output depending on the 4WD switch (ie, seems to be working ?). I have tried direct connecting the vac to the 4WD actuator input thing (sorry... not sure the term, its on the transmission, driver's side), and nothing. While the car was off, I got under the car and confirmed the little pivot thing on the back of the transmission (passenger's side) moved freely. While the car is on, it does not move though (I figure that is normal?). So, my question is, is the vacuum actuator thing ? Could I have broken something else ? The rear end was skipping around on sunday, but it was in FWD, and I am pretty sure it was just the drum sticking (went away with 5 minutes of driving), so ionno. The only thing I think it might be is the solenoid thing on the transmission that activates the lever for the 4WD, as it did not move at all when I put the direct vacuum to it. Is there a better way to test it ? Or could it be that the lever wont move while the car is on, so something is wrong with that ? Thanks guys, sorry for the newbie questions, I am new to the Subarus, but I have always loved them (few friends with STis and WRXs, parents have an 05 Legacy GT), and I would love to get this working nicely, as I thinks its a pretty damn cool car. BTW, these forums are freaking awesome ! When I first got the car, I thought I would never find information for it, as I had never even heard of a Loyale Thanks!