SVX_commuter

Thanks for your reply. I have been interested in this lower control movement to see how it affects the tire wear. I have measured the toe when I rolled the front wheels onto a block of wood. I used a 2x4. I rolled backward so the 2x4 displaced the lower control arm forward. Then I measured the toe. I am surprised at how much the toe changed. I got 1/4 of inch diference from the front to the back of the rim. So I am thinking that if I am always on the throttle the tires will be running with toe way over the limit. I want to put a shim in between the control arm and frame to keep it from moving. Would the STI have this same problem since it is horse power related? Any comments are welcomed.

Thanks for the reply. By "offsetting forces" do you mean the wheel torque and force through the bushing to frame?

Thank you for the tips ! So the Meguiars PlastX cleans off the yellow too?

I replaced the caliphers with rebuilt Subaru and made sure the pads were free to move. They have been working fine for the longest time ever

The wax sounds like a good move. I heard something about 3M making a film that can be used for UV and rock protection.

Thanks for the posts I filled it up with one sealer/R134a and one just R134a last Thursday and so far evrything is okay. That was 24oz total. It's running cold and the pressure is okay. No big obvious leaks anywhere. Take care of that Subaru, John

Hello, I was looking for some assistance. I have noticed that the lower control arm on my SVX moves FORWARD and BACKWARD when I pry on it with a crow bar. It doesn't move side to side or up and down just forward and backward. It moves less backward and more forward. Both side do the same movement. So then I checked the lower arm on the Impreza and it does basically the same thing. It moves forwards and backwards. On both cars it does not take much force to move the lower arm so I am thinking it was designed to move this way. I think it must have something to do with a smoother ride. So now I am concerned about wheel alignment during heavy braking and heavy acceleration. During heavy braking and acceleration the lower control arms will move backwards andforwards. I check the alignment with the lower moved backward as when the car brakes and there isn't much of a change but when the lower arm is moved forward it makes a very big change in the toe. This would be the case for heavy acceleration. More of an issue on the SVX then the Impreza or any higher horsepower Subaru if the arms are all made this way. So I just wanted to know if anybody else know if this is normal motion for the lower control arms. Thanks ! Take care of that Subaru, John

This for the SVX. Part of the problem is that I haven't looked for cold AC in the winter. Now I am looking for it and I have no idea how long the pressure has been down. Zero psi is low and I think it might have a hole somewhere. So from what you are telling me if there is a hole then air and moisture might have gotten pulled into the AC system and this is not good. What happens to the compressor if it is run with air and moisture in the system?

Hello, My ac isn't working. No compressor spinning and the low pressure side checked with a gauge has no pressure. Does anybody know if I fill the system with a few cans will I be damaging anything? I do not know long the pressure has been down. I am concerned that it is so low. Not even a few psi so it had to leak out somewhere. Thanks, John

LoL

I would like to get one when the price of a used one is reasonable. so maybe in ten yeasr or so....

I had a problem with my ASTRO van that sort of relates to this. First the fuel gauge was gone for about 2 years and then the fuel pump died. I learned that when the tank was below 1/3 full the contacts for the level indicator was out the gas. The gas lubricates the little copper contacts that wipe across the winding. Well the fuel pump is often out of the gas when the level gets low too. So I thinkthat is why it wore out. Gas level too low. The worse case is running the fuel pump with no gas in the tank, no lubrication for the pump. Well anyway I replaced everything and I was told to replace the connectors and splice the wires since these are often damage after the fuel pump goes. I was advised to do this this even if everything looked fine. It did not look like your pictures but I didn't want to drop the tank again. So far so good now we keep the tank above 1/2 full. Take care of that Subaru, John

That works and you know that it works cause you used it over a year ago and your headlights are still clear after sanding and polishing.......and then applying the UV protector. Anybody got any experience with a product that works? I know now that the plastic gets yellow from the UV sun rays and that the yellow is in the plastic. I have been using NOVUS plastic polish but that doesn't prevent the yellow from coming back. Take care of that Subaru, John

It ws just real hard pulling the broken shaft out. Yeah I got the new sensor and put it in. The small shaft in the old sensor had broken off and I thought everything would be okay. It worked for a day and then gave errors. I think the gear inside the trans is slipping. I took the old sensor apart and it was all gummed up and seized inside.

I had one break on the front wheel of Legacy once, disk brake. I was able to get it out by using a big C clamp as a press and some key stock to give the stud room to move. It works okay, there was a local slot on the inner hub that allows space for the stud to move out. I didn't want to beat on the wheel hub with the bearings inside so I used this press. They sell a tool that does the same thing. Clamps behind the plate part of the hub that holds the studs.

That's a smile becasue it is NOT the gear inside the differential housing. That would be a major pulling the tranny........... So the the little square shaft that connects the sensor to the big shaft in the tranny broke right inside the sensor. The square hole inside the sensor is locked up and does not move. Whatever rotates inside the sensor has seized up. Pretty good that it lasted this long 15 years of highway driving. Lots of revs on that sensor. I Know from another post that the shaft can be pulled out and is part of the new sensor. How hard is it to pull the that small connecting shaft out? Mine is sort of stuck and I can't pull it just with my hands. Will it cut that oil seal that is around the slot in the big shaft? The gear in the tranny is OKAY. I checked by holding the small shaft that is still in the big shaft that goes to the gear and it rotates when the car rolls. So I know that is good. Any help would be appreciated Take care of that Subaru, John

Heck I had my SVX changed over to 134A 6 years and 220k miles ago. As far as I know they drained and filled the system and changed the connection fitting. It’s been working fine.

Welcome to the world of SVX ownership!!!! I have the same SVX model with 312k miles on it:) Love my SVX and take care of everything I can myself. I got mine at 90k miles 6 years ago. Yours looks so much better than mine!!! I am jealous It is a great highway car. Transmission problems? I drop the pan and drain, flush the screen filter and change the external filter and clean that magnet off every year, about 30k miles. I have an external cooler that I use in the summer. No problems with the 4EAT other then the rear transfer solenoid valve. The rear wheels were not working. Rear Bearings? I haven’t touched them. I think the problem is that when a press is used to assembly the pre-load is too high and bearings fail early from this. Similar to the problem on newer Subies and the change to doing the bearing on the car in my opinion. Can’t preload the bearing too much with a power screw press. Take care, John

This is what I have been thinking. The pads fit too tight in the calipher springs and cannot slide properly. The AA pads have been real bad in this regard. Even the Suby pads are hanging up pretty good. They will require belt sander to get them to move better. Why is the "size quality" so poor on these pads? This kind of metal removal should not be required. The pads should drop right in there and move freely. Thanks

Yup I lube all those pad sliding edges with copper anti-seize. I have used that silicon grease on the pins in the past but no more. I find it bakes or something and gets stiff and sticky. Now I just use the copper anit-seize on the pins and guides too. It's the best anti-seize I have found. So maybe this Forester with 61k miles has worn out the guide pins for the calipher because there is no lube from the factory? Huh, I almost think the clearnce between the pin and guides was too big from the factory. There does seem to be a lot of slop in these parts and the claipher does not seem to be guided well. So what is the clearance between the pin and guide supposed to be? It is easy to measure and check the actual with a dial indicator. Take out the pads and install the calipher with no pads. Set up the indicator to measure the travel and move the calipher back and forth. Just from the feel I think it is about .040 inches or so.

Yeah I agree with that and it was my first thought too. The piston in the Impreza were a little stiff to push back in. I couldn't do it with the usual leverage of flat bladed screw driver. I had to use a C-clamp. That is one of the reasons I replaced them re-maned

What is up with rear brake pads in the Impreza and Forester???? I have a 93 LS Impreza that seems to eat rear brake pads. I just changed both the rear caliper assembly and waiting to see if that fixes the problem. The best pads from Advanced Auto were only lasting about 10,000 miles and Suby pads maybe about 20,000. Two years ago I did the rear pads in my sister 2001 Forester. Does the Forester have the same pads as the Impreza? Last night on this Forester I was cleaning and re-lubing the contact points last night on all four wheels. The brakes were squeaking. I am surprised at how much the rear pads have worn in 36,000 miles. The pads are also not wearing uniformly across the thickness. The side of the pad that gets jammed into the bracket when braking has more wear. I am thinking that the metal backing on the pads doesn’t have enough support to the bracket when the pads get about 60% wear on them. The metal backing plate for the pad has moved off the bracket but I am not sure. Has anybody else noticed this excessive wear on the rear pads for the Impreza and Forester? The front pads on this Forester were squeaking which I know is due to lack of pad lubrication on the contact points to the bracket and shims. So I popped off the stainless shim and there was no lube on either shim. The carbon steel shim was held in with RTV to the back of the pad. These pads were dealer installed last year. Is this RTV always used? There is no lube between the pad and slotted carbon steel shim so this isn’t great for squeaking brakes BUT It will hold the shim in place after it starts to rust away. The front brake pads look brand new with no wear at all after 18k miles. They will way out last the rear pads and I think the carbon steel shim will rust away before the front pads wear to the point of replacement. A nice slotted Stainless Shim would be great. Any thoughts on this?

I just saw a what looked like a "mint condition" Brat a few weeks ago at a dealer. Nice looking classy piece of machinery. So how common are TB failures in the 2.5L engines? Can I get 105k miles out of the belt or have some broken before then? Thanks

This is great thanks for your comments. I am thinking that if I get an older Legacy I could do something similar. The Dynamat material is the best I think for dropping the noise. I understand doing the floor and the firewall as that is all inside but I am not sure what you did to the "panels" Is this the door panels? My only concern here is if the Dynamat absorbs water or moisture. I would really like to a ride in your ""quiet"" Forester!!!!!

What did you use to "sound insulate" I am interested in this. How did you do it? Cost? Time ? Thanks much ! John