Setright

5W-30 is not almost a 20 oil! Instead of y'all debating here, why not just do as Setright does and read the Spec sheets from the manufacturers?? Look for the Cst at 40 and 100 to decide.

Whoa there! That center nut holds the drive axle into the hub, that DOES NOT need to come off! You need to remove the wheel, then remove the lower caliper sliding bolt, rotate the caliper up and hold it while you remove the pads. Then swing it back down and put the bolt in loosely. Now, at the back of the caliper mount there are two bolts that need to come out and give you clearance to lift the rotor off. The rotor is not bolted in, the wheels hold them in place. I would strongly recommend Mintex brake pads. The standard pad ("Red box") has better performance than Subaru's own pad, and won't dust more. Be sure to refit the black pad shim, that's the one that stops squeal.

To avoid firing up disconnect the CRANK SENSOR!

Paul, how about asking a dealer? 04 STi's have factory fitted water injection. Might not be cheap as nails, but it'l fit and work!

Urabus, eh??? What do you need the sensor for? Are you moving the transmission over too?

Daniel, make sure you check the gearbox for noise. If there is loud rumbling/grinding at idle, that goes away when you press the clutch down, the gearbox bearings are dead. Those bearings are the main weakness on those models. Some noise is normal, but anything that is more than a "hummm" is bad.

WAIT! As suggested above, you need to back of the e-brake. There's an access hole in the backing plate. Small flat blade screwdriver, lots of light in there, and then you should be able to see and turn the adjuster so the brake shoes back off. Yes, the e-brake is an internal drum setup.

Yes, check to make sure you don't just have a leak from the auto trans fluid cooling system. Then, remove and flush the OF tank. Fill it to the FULL mark with fresh coolant and keep a watchful eye on the temp gauge and coolant level. Even if the you-know-what is leaking, keeping the coolant topped up will keep you runnning for a long time!

A new approach for the home mechanic, but if it works for you....:cool:

The main thing to research is the cost of the tyres you intend to run. I run 15 inch rims because the tyres cost HALF the price of 17 inch tyres. You need to correlate that to your expected mileage. 17 inch tyres will also be more susceptible to damage over rough roads - the carcass can easily be deformed by a hole in the road. I would choose 16 inches :-)

I vote for rust/dirt on the slider pins. Take it apart, clean it, lubricate with a high temperature grease and you should be ok. I would strongly recommend doing both sides AND fitting four new pads.

Yes, keeping the coolant in top shape is a good idea, and also replacing tired hoses and the thermostat. MAKE SURE you get all the air out of the cooling system!

It's possible, but depending on the design, the engagement system that slides the pinion gear into mesh with the flywheel may not work.

The ABS pump cycles the fluid. If it decides that you are pressing to hard on the pedal, it will "kick-back" some of the excess pressure and this will cause the pedal to pulse. It can sound and feel very violent - especially if all four wheels need pulsing as on snow.

The temp sensor is a good place to start. (And cheap)

What you need to do is triple-check that everything is mounted correctly. Are any hoses/cables not connected, or connected to the wrong thing?

That's the much talked about "piston slap". The pistons have been shortened to reduce internal friction, and since all pistons are oval in shape until they heat up, this design will slap/tick/rattle. Nothing to worry about. A lot of Honda engines do this too - even at idle! 5W-30 is what I am using for winter, and it's working fine in terms of slap. 0W-30 or 0W-40 is even thinner and the slapping can sound slightly violent with those oil types. For summer I run 5W-50.

Texan, I believe the turbo uses a plain bearing, so wear will see this bearing leaking oil to both sides.

If the Dash is like my 2000 Impreza, I don't think you need to remove the glovebox. Just get under there with a short screwdriver...the motor is not hidden.

What colour is the connector? They revised the design of the sensor and changed the connector to white - old style is gray. Replace it if the connector is gray - nevermind whether it's cracked or not.

Most people on the board have payed around 1200 for HG work.

Have a look in the radiator. Same side as the top hose.

Leave the ignition system, if it ain't broken.... The coolant hoses are a good idea though, including those that feed the cabin heater. These harden and lose their ability to seal and this can lead to overheating and subsequent damage. If you decide to replace the hoses, make sure you search this board for the tips to purging the air from the boxer engine. Most important is filling slowly through the upper hose and then idling with the rad cap off until the fan starts. Top off, close rad cap.

Coolant temperature sensor. ECU thinks the engine is cold and gives a rich mixture to heat it up.