Setright

I would say pull the pistons, fit new rings, and only hone the bad cylinders. The rust shouldn't be very deep.

After flushing, fill as far as possible and idle until the fans come on. Then top off the radiator before installing the cap again. Some of the goop can just be from pro-longed coolant service.

Ditto. Keep it green. Funny though, cause when I pour in the Shell stuff it's actually blue. As time passes and the myriad of chemical reactions take place it starts to turn green... Red/orange stuff is a different base fluid, and they don't mix with blue/green.

Common? Not sure, but I have had to vacuum the top of my engine too! A narrow hose into the cavities and the vacuum cleaner hose over the other end...got some funny looks from passers by and neighbors

Remove the wipers, rubber bung at the base of each is hiding a nut. Then pop out the plastic rivets holding the cowl, and presto: access to everything!

Good thing! Thanks for reporting back.

I'm not entirely sure where we're talking about either. Any pictures? Or reference pictures on the net you could link to? Off hand, welding should be done off the car. Access is far better and there's no risk of fire. Of course, pullin the manifold off can pose new problems. Like bolts and nuts rusted together and pulling the bolts out of the cylinders and stripping the thread..

Nipper, that's not a sure-fire way. If you remove the rad cap, bubbles will come out no matter what. The lack of pressure in the cooling system will allow local boiling and send gas pockets out the rad cap hole. As the car idles coolant will slowly overflow the open hole and when the fans come on and the thermostat opens the coolant level will drop back. Simply because the fans cool the fluid and it contracts a tiny bit. I do however agree fully with your first suggestion : Radiator is not functioning properly anymore. Clogged or missing fins, it needs replacement. (Genuine thermstat is also a good idea).

If as you say there is no knocking noise, but low compression on cylinder #3, perhaps you need to pull the piston out. Could be a cracked ring-land.

Could be one your O2 sensors is complaining about the bombardment it recieved ?? :-)

When you mount the rad cap, there will be a delay before the cooling system builds enough pressure to push expanding fluid past the rad cap. Once it does, it WILL cause bubbles in the tank because the hose connecting them is empty to start with. But why did it happen after you switched off the engine? Fit a new, genuine cap before going further.

I'm with Jamal.

As long as the filter has the anti-drain-back valve in it, it's fine. The surface area in there is not reduced, only the size of the can.

Idle engine with the rad cap off until the fan comes on. Top off, mount cap again.

Low pedal is not related to brake pad wear. The brake fluid needs to be replaced to help that problem. Every 20-30k miles. I am a big Mintex fan when it comes to pads. Try www.mintex.co.uk and use the catalogue to locate the part number. Mintex may go under a different name Stateside. The caliper will swing upward and give you access to the pads. Remove the 14mm bolt at the bottom and you'll see what I mean.

WHEEL ALIGNMENT: Is done with the wheels in contact, car must be resting on it's springs. Tyre pressure plays a big part. The shop I have had align my cars uses a gyroscope on each wheel rim, and little hose connects to the valve to control tyre pressure during the alignment.

Before you throw bundles of money at at, try this: Buy a new radiator cap, genuine part please, and remove the old one. Top off, start the engine and idle it until the thermostat opens - the coolant level in the rad neck will drop as it starts to circulate. Top off again, mount the new rad cap, fill expansion bottle to FULL mark. Keep a watchful eye on it. If it continues to mysteriously overheat, plan on replacing the head gaskets. Don't start going down the same road most of us did: New radiator, new hoses, new thermostat, new waterpump...

Try exercising the calipers. Remove the wheel, g-clamp the brake caliper on the inside and the brake pad on the outside, so you compress the piston back into the caliper. Pump the brake pedal. Repeat a number of times. Helps to have someone doing the pedal pumping for you

If the wires all measure between 7 and 10 K-ohms resistance, and you don't get occasional rough running/bucking then leave the wires in place. And yes, I too vote for Subaru wires.

Not as such. Perhaps you can offer more information?

Setright says: Don't use additives. Get good fluids instead Mobil Delvac 1 in the engine. Valvoline Synpower in the manual transmission. Castrol Syntrax in the rear diff. Castrol Response in the brake lines.

Most likely would be a failing wheel bearing - or two. The rear bearings are the main weak-link on that generation of Forester/Impreza. Apart from needing a hyrdraulic press to remove the bearing from the hub, it's not a complicated job. But whether you DIY it or not, the rear bearings the place to start.

Strakes, you did well ! As long as the grease you used can handle the heat. I solved my squeak this way, on the dealerships advice. Hydraulic or cable, the method is the same.

It might be worth looking into some slightly-better-than-stock pads. This will prevent problems in the future.

5% ethanol is now standard in my neighboring country, Sweden. I recorded my absolute best mileage ever of 14km/l on a long trip over there. Perhaps there's a connection? (They also have SAAB's designed to run on 85% ethanol.) The mileage increase is okay, but I don't like the increase in light-brown ash deposits on my spark plugs :-\