Bill90Loyale

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=75179

Dump a can of Seafoam "Transtune" in it. Works miracles for some. http://www.automotionparts.ca/TRANS-TUNE.pdf

Greetings- My mechanic is hiring. Good guy, curmudgeon. Old school owner, been in business 25 years. Plenty of hard work available for a guy who can work for an "old schooler". Blue collar town in SW Vermont. Has three bay shop with a lift - mostly subies, hondas, toyotas. PM me if you would like contact info.

Keep focusing on the engine performance issues. No need to run that expensive high test gasoline. Does fine on 87. When you resolve the performance issues, you can turn your attention to the gaskets. Replacing both valve cover gaskets and the oil pan gasket will get things cleaned up nicely. I bought mine with 98K on the clock. Now it has 224K. I put on a new cap and rotor (disributor), plug and high tension wires (magencor), and I'm running an Accel coil (some have had bad luck with these - I haven't). Do new timing belts unless you know the milage on your current ones (a TB break will leave you at the side of the road). When you're doing that, you might consider a new water pump. Oil pumps don't generally fail, but the o'rings get crunchy and lead to ticking of the lash adjusters. Keep at it. The first couple years are all about getting it back to reliable. Then, with a little luck, you're good for another 100K.

I don't have any reason to question the torque spec in the neighborhood of 55 foot lbs. All I know is I needed a breaker bar and a length of steel pipe on the big 14 mm allen wrench to remove mine. I would recommend the following if you want to do it right: 1. Use new washers if the plugs had washers to begin with (another dealer item) 2. Wrap the threads of the plugs with teflon plumbers tape. Best is to use an allen socket with torque wrench. What you want is tight enough not to leak, but not so tight that you strip the plug or tear a hole in your block. The above worked for me. For anyone who wants to know how tense this can get: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=39838&highlight=coolant+drain+plugs

Good decision. I paid $1500 for my two wheel drive 90 loyale about 8 years ago. Been running strong ever since. And with a paint job done by the local Vo-Tech school boys, she even looks good still - with 224K miles on her. They're out there. Keep lookin'.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=71362&highlight=gasket+problem+years

Quoting Torxxx from the archives: you wont be able to pry it off.. You need to remove the plastic trim on the A-pillar (same spot as antenna but on the inside or the car). On my GL wagon, it had little plastic tabs that pryed right off. I dont remember the size of the bolt/screw offhand, but there will be two of them holding the antenna on. And I'm not sure if the wire comes off at the oh assembly or not. But either way you can take it out of the car. If the wire has to be pulled out of the dash, black tape a long piece of wire onto the end that goes into the stereo so you have a pull line for runnning the new antenna wire back to where it goes. *note* I removed my old one but cutting both ends and just pulling the wire out. If you have any lights up on top of your car and need somewhere to run the power wires through the cab, that is the place to do it. Wire will sandwich in between the antenna assembly and the pillar and seal with silicone.

Yup. I vote struts. Meanwhile Gloyale, relax. GD only takes on those he loves.

+1

Windex is mostly water, not alcohol. Water bad. Get back in there with some electronic connector cleaner spray. 5 short flashes good, that's normal for your engine type. Solenoid clicking normal. Prime suspect remains MAF.

The boys are steering you in the right direction IMO. The Mass Airflow Sensor is the next suspect. See this thread. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=71025&highlight=starts+dies You might start with checking the hose connection at the MAF. Then pull the airbox cover and check your air filter. If no joy, let us know.

Check the vacuum hose connected to the firewall side of the airfilter box. Disconnected? Loose?

The thread is 12x1.25. My brother (a sculptor) made a custom knob for me. Epoxied a 12 mm nut (1.25 thread) inside the knob. Perfect. I'd post a photo but I don't have a digital camera.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Ignorance. Nobody can take it away from me.

So far anyway, my old girl is screaming all the way to the bank. My oil pressure at hot idle is maybe 5-10. I said 5 above because it's not exactly scientific when you have a pressure guage replete with three numbers: 0, 45, and 90. If I'm on the brink of disaster, I've been living there for 122,000 miles - so far. And that's just the miles I've personally put on. The old geezer who owned the car before me logged an additional 98K.

90 Loyale Spfi EA 82, non-turbo. 5 at idle hot. 45 running. 85 at cold start, cold temp. Pump replaced at about 150K miles. Sending unit replaced. Doesn't leak.

Wuodabiero- Are you sure you're not in Nigeria? Your mechanic appears to be maximizing the billable hours and minimizing the fix. If you are unable to open the hood and start looking for disconnected hoses yourself, I recommend that you find a new mechanic. Experienced and honest. Surely Kenya has one for you. All the best, and keep at it-

Excellent idea. Good pm. The peace-of-mind payback is high. When you pull the old cap and rotor, you'll see what I mean (pitting and wear). Meanwhile, after you get that new windshield and tires, you might want to continue with the pm. I recommend new plug and ht wire (coil to disty). Magnecor is my recommendation.

Keep runnin her with that bad alternator and the good battery will be toast too.

Mikeshoup is right. On the standard tranny, it's lefty loosy (simply unscrew and remove the knob, pulling it away from the rubberized boot top). On the pushbuttons, there is apparently a pin that must be removed with a punch.

Loose intake boot at filter box or at throttle body?

GD- You're really being too kind to young Jacobs - who needs, while he's in the Wiki, to look up "ad hominem" also. This, as the Disorder (at least) would know, is when someone with a lame argument seeks to divert attention from the factual defects by waging a personal and unrelated attack on their adversary. For example: "2 + 2 is indeed 5, and, while we're at it, you have a big nose." Jacobs, stand down. You've got to learn not to start fights that you cannot win. The answer: about 22 mpg when it's really cold, and 36 in ideal conditions on the freeway with a tailwind. 40? Not.

Was the air filter changed recently? Check the black vacuum hose connection to the airbox (air filter). The 1" diameter hose on the engine side of the box might be disconnected. That can cause these symptoms.