SchwarzeEwigkt

Many people, me included, have anecdotal evidence that say certain additives help. I've used Techron, Castle Fireball (local stuff), Seafoam and Lucas stuff all with the same results. Not running so hot Fill up and throw in a can of cleaner Starts running better after a little while Keeps running better It's not a placebo effect and it's worked on every car I've owned and on many I've worked on. You ask me, at least those ones make a difference.

Wasn't there a guy who adjusted his valves with a stubby flathead screwdriver or something recently? I'll see if I can find it... EDIT: Found it. Also... (from later in the thread) Funny, you even said it, GD.

Make sure you get a set of those ratcheting box wrenches. They'll save you at least a couple hours taking the valve covers off and on.

The design has worked well for BMW for decades. The only difference with their system is they use a filter cartridge, essentially just the filter medium a normal filter has, rather than a whole filter can. Besides, just like on pretty much any other engine, if you don't like how they have the filter, you can get a remote oil filter system that'll relocate it.

It's like duct tape, only it comes in a tube!

As long as it's not prone to cracking.

Now if they'd only upgrade the manual transmissions so they can offer a 6MT on the H6 models...

It keeps the timing belt from popping off the crank when the cars roll around on the trucks from the factory. They're shipped in gear and, since the engine isn't running, the timing belt tensioner backs off and the belt can jump when they roll around. This leads to either the cars running like hell immediately when they get delivered or worse...the engine blows at first crank. Solution? $0.32 metal plate to keep it from jumping off. Voila! Fixed.

I did this too with a chain-wrench when I did my timing belt. Worked like a charm.

Good work. Timing belts are terrifying the first time, then you finish and are like "Oh. That wasn't so bad." Nice job to keep you busy for a few hours, feed your confidence as a home mechanic and keep the motor healthy. Good way to save yourself like $600 too.

I don't know why any mechanic would freak out when someone brought them a Subaru. They're not that off the wall. Just like any other machine. Read the instructions before trying to fix it.

Brake cleaner is enormously flammable too. Make for damn sure it's all dried up before starting the car or you'll have much more than a smell... Maybe take the affected shield off and clean it away from the car so you can be sure it's clean and dry?

Good idea. Thanks for aligning with me on that one. So, yeah. Here's the plan: I'll consider disabling the ABS with a blown fuse, but I'll have to think about that one. My ABF works just fine considering my experiences with my first car and fiancé's car and their lack of ABS. I'll get a set of snows when finances allow. I wholeheartedly support the idea of dedicated snows and have a set for my other car from back when it was my only car. 200% better that way. Thanks for the input, everyone!

There's a huge bit getting missed here, so I'll say it again. I can stop just fine when the ABS pump isn't running. While it runs, I can't stop. Once it stops, I can stop again as long as I don't trip the pump again. So, to be clear: the pump running is the problem. My point is reinforced by the fact that using the e-brake would help. Since it's independent of the ABS controlled main brakes, it's not fettered by them and will provide more (read: "any") braking force than the ABS pump will allow.

I don't expect that at all. What I do expect is that it doesn't make it worse. What I keep saying is that once the pump cuts in, you can't stop at all until it gives up. Once it's no longer running, I can stop fine. This says to me two things: The tires are fine. Yes, snows would be better, but that's not the problem, The ABS system is overreacting.

Oi. Somebody close this thread.

Never thought of that. Much of the benefit with none of the drawbacks. Plus, it justifies me rebuilding the parking brake recently. You make a good point. That would be...awkward. When I said "not awesome," I meant "not snows." They're decent all-seasons with plenty of wear left. This is how I feel right now. As soon as the pump kicks in, it's all over. Once the pump stops helping, everything is fine. For now, I'll probably not do anything. Snow tires don't really fit in the budget at the moment.

Statement of Fact: mid-90's ABS implementations suck. I don't like the fact that if I manage to trip the ABS on my Outback that during the 3-5s while the ABS pump is in freakout mode, I effectively can't stop. I've been dealing by doing on of three things: Given enough room, letting off the brakes until the pump lays off and braking again, being careful not to trip the pump Given luck, aiming for a dry spot where I know the tires will grab if I'm going sideways All else failing, praying that the road will be clear when I sail through the stop sign so I don't get dead and make others the same. I've read that many people have the same problem with cars of similar vintages. Now, I can mitigate this problem a bit by installing better tires, but it's still a huge issue. I freely admit that my tires aren't awesome, but they aren't horrific. Since I can convince the car to stop normally once the pump shuts up, I'd just assume disable the ABS pump. I would, of course, test this rigorously in an empty parking lot or something before disabling a safety system to make sure that my theory that no ABS is better than ABS is sound. I feel, though, since the damned thing does exactly the opposite of ensuring safety, that it's a better way to be. I find it simply unacceptable that it's possible to more or less disable the braking system for 3-5s while you wait for the pump to cycle. The surefire way to do this would be to just pull the fuse for the ABS pump (or it's relay, whichever powers it). That leaves it on old-fashioned, un-festooned brakes. I do, however, like the idea of being able to turn it off at will via a suitably interlocked switch. I propose inserting a normally closed relay into the ABS power circuit that will open when you activate a series of controls, like, say a keyswitch or maybe one of those toggle switches with the big red cover on it. What I don't know is how the ABS pump feels about being rebooted while the car is already on. Does it freak out if, say, I'm driving along at 45mph and decide "I think I'd rather turn the ABS back on now." I doubt it talks to the ECU other than to report "I'm fine, so you can turn the idiot light off," but I wonder if someone has already explored that. I suppose I could put the switch in the engine compartment to you'd have to stop, shut the car down and open the hood to toggle it. Dunno. Just musing, triggered by yet another almost-couldn't-stop-for-an-intersection-despite-driving-appropriately-moment that I've had periodically with this car ever since I got it in 2004. What do you guys think?

Might want to make sure you double check the procedure for installing studs in the heads if you don't already. I forget what you've got to do, but I run into people who think you just stick them in and wang on them with pliers to "make them tight." You don't want to strip the stud holes and ruin your day. IIRC you just tighten them hand tight and snug them with a pair of pliers. Maybe someone can chime in to confirm?

I just use my transmission jack. *shrug*

That stuff is meant for the newer EJ25's that leak externally, right? Not the Phase I's that blow internally? I haven't been running anything but 50% mixed green stuff in my '97.

Make sure you bring some good tape to cover up any holes you poke in the vapor barrier or to stick it back down in case the adhesive doesn't stick again like mine didn't.

Shims often serve an anti-rattle or anti-squeal role. My BMW came with shims and no anti-squeal compound and if you take them shims off and don't put some of that goop on, they'll sing. I ruined the shims on my 97 OBW during a brake job long ago and haven't replaced them, though I always put anti-squeal compound on when I replace the pads. It's done me fine through three sets of brakes with no issues I've noticed.

This happened to me and it turned out to be that I forgot to plug the crankshaft position sensor on top of the oil pump back in. Maybe that's it for you too?

A good point made. I would say, though, that for 90% of the work you'd do at home, the cheap one is probably fine. It doesn't need to be perfect for, say, suspension work. To be honest, I feel that a torque wrench is the best tool you can buy to act as a safety valve. If you use it semi-properly, you can't possibly wang something down way too tight and break it. Also, in that you have to look up the specs and set it, I think it reinforces careful and methodical behavior in doing repairs. For precision work like heads, yeah it's probably better to get a "real one."