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Thanks, everybody, all great advice. My car repair friend did manage to fine a 22mm socket, so that's great. He's resuming work on it in a few days.

Thanks, you're obviously right. Hey, should I take the tensioner into town when I go tomorrow and ask an auto parts person if it should be replaced? Is there a way to tell by looking at it? Mary

now the cr.shaft pully bolt won't come off While taking things apart in order to get at the broken bolt holing the tensioner on we got stuck because the cranshaft pully bolt won't come off. There must be some creative solution - we don't have a 21mm socket and don't have an impact wrench. We have tried open-ended wrenches, pipe wrenches, and even found a lug wrench that fit, but even with the radiator off there's just no room for turn or torque. None of the wrenches we have will fit down in there so that the tool is able to slide over the nut. Is THIS something I should consider drilling out too? My friend thinks not, but we're many many miles from stores and if there's some oddball way to make it work I would love to hear of one. Thanks in advance, Mary

There must be some creative solution - we don't have a 21mm socket and don't have an impact wrench. We have tried open-ended wrenches, pipe wrenches, and even found a lug wrench that fit, but even with the radiator off there's just no room for turn or torque. None of the wrenches we have will fit down in there so that the tool is able to slide over the nut. Is THIS something I should consider drilling out too? My friend thinks not, but we're many many miles from stores and if there's some oddball way to make it work I would love to hear of one. Thanks in advance, Mary

Oh, thank you thank you SO much. It's a bit recessed. I wondered why we weren't removing the radiator in the first place, cuz it sure does seem to be in the way. I am happy for the information you gave. I'll be very careful with the drilling. Thanks again. Mary

I have a guy over working on my '87 GL. We thought that it needed a driver's side belt. He just found that the bolt holding the tensioner on had broken. We wonder if maybe that's why the belt had a problem in the first place (the belt's not broken, but is worn). He's not a Suburu expert and is reluctant to continue. When I asked him if the end of the bolt could be drilled out he said that he's worried that it might strip the thread or that the bolt end might fall into the block. It's a big deal that after many months I finally found someone to come up here and work on my car, but I don't want to proceed if it's dangerous to do so. We decided to ask you experts about this. My options are to find a way to proceed or leave the car sitting for an indefinite period of time. I really need the car but my remote location and finances prohibit me from calling a master mechanic in to do the job. Should we proceed? If so, how can we do that safely? Any help greatly appreciated. Mary

Yes, whoopee, it sure is! Thanks, Dave. Mary

Hi, All, I was last here in November when my '87 timing belt broke. At that time I got lots of wonderful help from you folks, including a link that showed great photos of an engine like mine getting a belt replaced. I saved the link in a folder on my computer but now find that the link isn't good any longer. I finally have someone coming up to replace the belt tomorrow, but since he's not a Sub. guy I want to be able to provide him with anything helpful so I am eager to find that photo set again. Any ideas? Mary

Well, I'm delighted that no one shrieked when I said I was going to take i on myself. That gives me great hope. Mary

Ok, thanks again to all of you. After reading more of what you wrote I was able to figure out my problem. I removed the "oval" on the passenger's side first, and couldn't feel any belt, but since there was so little space for my hand between the cover and the fan I wasn't sure if I didn't just feel around incorrectly. So I put the oval back on then took off the one on the driver's side. This time I definitely felt the belt and it was not at all taut. I pulled on it just a little, thinking that if it was broken it might pull out, but it didn't seem to budge so I figured it was best to leave it alone. Before posting I decided to do some searching on this site. The first bunch of stuff I read had me horrified - it sounded like a very expensive proposition and definitely for professionals only. Then I read Miles Fox's instructions for replacing the belt and now it actually seems like something reasonable for me to take on myself. I don't kid myself that it will be easy - just doing what I've done so far made me totally understand why mechanics cuss all the time (like how do you guys with big man hands feel around for the belt behind the fan? and I got out a 10mm but after I found what contortions would be needed to remove those cover bolts I felt sure that if got the thing off I'd have a heck of a time getting it back on, and it didn't seem worth it just to check something), but it seems like the right thing to do to try it myself. I'm really not sure just how many things I intend to replace, though, and from some things I read it's almost a given that when replacing that belt that you also replace tons of other things. We'll see, I only just now found out what was wrong and I need to think about it. I really can't tell all of you how much I appreciate your patience with me. It's obvious that you took a great deal of time and care to help me with this. Thanks again. Mary

\ Wow, I'm totally excited after reading this - I actually know where the green things are, where the fuses are (and just bought some last month!) and even where the fuel pump is. I also have one of those tester things but need to look for it. I'm writing first before I go look just in case you see this and can describe what it sounds like where it's running on two cylinders. There is one other thing - when the key is in the on position I do hear a sound (without the green guys hooked together) that's kind of like a hum, in case that means anything. Thanks a whole lot for all these suggestions. I'll get right on it. Mary

shoot, I don't know why it didn't appear attached. By the way, I love your name! Mary

When it broke down I was travelling very slowly in 2nd gear, in low 4WD, maybe 7 mph. There was a slower car in front of me so I had to brake slightly. It died when I took my foot off the gas. I just went down and tried to start it again and it tries but just won't turn over. I did get it started numerous times yesterday by spraying ether in near the carb, but each time no matter what I did to the accellerator it seemed not to have any effect whatsoever, it would run a bit, I presume just long enough to burn up the starting fluid, then would die again. I am out of fluid and in a remote location, so I won't be using more of that for now. I finally got a great picture of the parts in question but so far haven't been able to get them in a reply. I'll try once more before submitting this. Thank you very much for taking the time and guiding me with your questions. Oh, I found out that I almost certainly have an EA82 engine. It's definitely not a turbo, in case I need to add that. In case the image does show in this reply, I propped the white unattached connection so it was visible, but it was down under the green connector. The two pieces I have shown off to the right are flexible rubber and were sitting on top of the white connector. Mary

Thank you very much! Mary

Oh boy, I didn't know that and don't know how to tell. This manual I have came with the car, it's just that little blue one. I'll look for numbers on the engine. I am aware that some information is printed on the doors but in my car those plates are all worn down. I will see what I can find out. Thanks very much for pointing out this specific aspect. Mary

Thanks, I can't take a picture. I haven't been here for a very long time and I've forgotten some of the etiquette - is it acceptable to thank each person who replies even though I have the same thing to say to each? (No camera.) I don't like to take up the time and space but wish to thank. I appreciate your reply. Mary

Sorry! It's a 5-speed 4WD, and some paperwork from a shop says fuel-injected. That's all I know. Great picture, and thanks for the speedy reply. I've spent the last hour trying to install a camera with no luck, writing the manufacturer next. I forgot to say that I was hoping to find a picture that had text and arrows also, because I don't know the names of the parts. Next time I go down to where my car is parked I'll take notes so that I won't come here with half-baked questions. Thanks again. Mary

I hope it's ok to post this since it's not Sub-specific (and so incredibly simple a question. I feel kind of dumb.). I want to charge my battery with a trickle charger I was given. I did not recieve a box or manual. I really only need one very simple question answered - it's red on postive, right? If so, please let me know and you have my thanks. Everything below would be superflluous but I'm typing it all out just in case it's not as simple as I think it is or should be. I've only charged batteries with jumper cables and know that it really doesn't matter with those as long as both cars are attached similarly to the jumper cables, but since this is new to me I read the back of the charger. The instructions read: 1.) connect or disconnect battery clips only when supply cord is disconnected or arcing or burning may result. 2.) for a battery installed in a vehicle, first connect charger output lead to ungrounded battery post-not connected to automobile chassis - in accordance with polarity identification (nowhere on the clips or the charger were + or - signs!) and then opposite polarity lead to chassis away from battery: do not connect to carburetor or fuel lines. Disconnect chassis lead first. Etc. The way it was written seemed very complicated to me and I had no idea what it even meant. I looked on the manufacturer's site but no instructions were available. I decided to just do it, so I attached the the black alligator clip to the the negative post and plugged in the charger. Then I touched the red clip to the positive post to make sure there was a spark and there was, so I attached it. Nothing sputtered or blew up so I thought I had done it properly. Then I became a bit uncertain because of the lights on the charger - the red light indicating "power on" was lit and stable, but the yellow indicating "charging" and the green indicating "charged" both kept flashing. Is that how it's supposed to be? I disconnected it all, thinking I should make absolutely sure before I continue. Red on positve or not? And who the heck WRITES those product instructions??? Much thanks for help. Mary

Today my car broke down a very short time after I left home, and it was a real surprise. I'm interested in finding a diagram that clearly shows what is what under there - it appears that I may have a part missing because there's a rubber housing thing but nothing being housed. It located right by those two green things and those two amber-colored things that you hook together for something diagnostic. There is a single round (larger) white connector right there next to those and the rubber thing. If something IS missing it's round and I think the size of the fuel filter, if I know what that is. The pictures that came with my Sub in the manual don't make any sense to me at all, when there is text next to a picture the picture angle generally seems to be such that I can't find the part they mean - when I look under my hood to compare I see nothing similar. Thanks for any help, I hope to be able to rule out a missing part as the problem (especially as the car started up and ran for a brief time!) and look into other causes. Mary

Yes, sorry, it was a mouthful. I think that it might always be for a Virgo with ADD. I spend a great deal of my life apologizing for this. It's why I live in the woods. It's a GL, a 4x4 wagon, '87. Thank you so much for all your helpful input. I did neglect one potentially important aspect - the radiator water, when I checked it today, was full. We didn't want to pull that cap off when hot. But, I forgot to put the cap back on that water resevore... how the heck to you spell that?? thing right next to the battery recently when filling it, and have left a plastic bag in to plug the hole. The bag was totally intact and that thing was not full, the water level is way down. Unless that's for winshield fluid it could matter. Darnit, as usual I am having problems here. This time I am unable to bring up your letter to refer to it. I see why you commented as you did, aside from the obvious. Now I can't remember all the stuff, so I will submit this in case it has something important in it then will go back to your letter. I do remember you said something about pulling codes, and I know my guy has access to total repair manuals online, but in case that's extraordinarily unlikely to find do you have the info or a link to it on this site? I'm going to send him your post and tell him there might be more forthcoming. You were really great, thanks for taking the time! Mary

I can put in a digital phote here if anyone needs me to take a shot of something I described or perhaps suggests a problem in my car. I'm fairly desperate and SOL if I can't figure this out and FAST. Mary

I apologize to you all for putting this in the wrong forum first. You guys were so helpful before that I am here again to get your impressions. My distributor was replaced a few days ago. Since then I have noticed some things that are different and one of them is serious enough that I am afraid to drive it like this. 1) the "check engine" light comes on now and I do not notice that it happens with any predictability. It flashes on and off a lot on the dirt road here that is the first mile of my journey to anywhere. The way this happens I thought it must be some loose wire. It does the same on the paved road beyond that, just not as often. I told the mechanic about that one right away and he said that 9 times out of 10 that's smog stuff, and he said it like it isn't important. Ok, if that was the only thing, or maybe the only thing aside from: 2) when I first pressed the button on the dash to put my side mirrors back to my height there was a sound so distinctly like a duck quacking that I stopped the car and turned down the radio so I could hear it more clearly. I mean, I could have sworn it was a duck but I didn't know where one could be, and after all it had come from that button being pushed. 3) I noticed after the repair that it had a new putt putt sound, like a VW, coming from the engine area. I figured that since Subs. are so connected to VW's that that wasn't a problem necessarily, but on any other car I would have reported it as something that sounded like a hole in the exhaust symptom somewhere. Since I used to own and operate a taxi and my living depended on that being right I got pretty good at reporting things so that our maintenance mechanic would get a clue to what was wrong and fix it pronto. It was identical to sounds I had heard in other vehicle, sounds that were helpful to my mechanics then that turned out to be exhaust things (these were about the American cabs I had). It really does sound like that in my Suburu. 4) on the way to the grocery store in town last night I saw that the temp. gauge wasn't working at all, so I called the mechanic, my neighbor, and said I was coming back and that I needed this looked into and fixed before I could go anywhere, it was that serious to me. My deceased partner was a master mechanic, and he told me that he got really fed up with fixing the cars of acquaintences and friends because regardless of the cause they would pester him with everything that went awry after that, even things that he knew were clearly not related. It put him in a very bad position, so he would help people on the side of the road but beyond that he did everything possible to stick to only working in his shop. So I need to say here that I definitely do NOT suspect that these things were created by the mechanic, at least not out of any possible error he made, thoughI really hope that some inadvertent bump might have been responsible. I totally trust him and at the same time I need this rectified, for that 3-hour round trip to town to get food and also for a funeral that will require about a 300-mile round trip. When the mechanic looked at things last night I very much assumed that he would find some dumb little thing, like wires loose or not connected (the check engine light had come on only once before, about 6 weeks ago coming out of my smog guy's repair lot, and he apologized as he reconnected two green wires with translucent green ends and said he'd neglected to reconnect the timing. I am 99% sure that that was what he did, but he did reconnect something and say that, and after that there was no light on.). Then I hoped it was a fuse thing, since the cover to that compartment had been removed during the repair or diagnostic process, which I knew because it hadn't been replaced. He looked at those and said that nothing was wrong. I looked at stuff today so I could report more accurately, and in the fuse compartment all had regular-looking clear middles except 3, which were yellow. These were translucent. There were two that were recessed, one of which was yellow, and those were just to the left of a square thing, also yellow, but opaque and like the yellow of the happy face icon below. It had a place on top where it kind of looked like the female end of a phone cord, empty. It was square and larger than the regular fuses. Anyway, he'd said that those were all good, so I expect that these empty and yellow fuses are like they should be???? I then asked him if it could be the thermostat, and he showed me a flap/lever-type thing, just to the left of a housing, where he said that the thermostat is. I guess that the impression I got was that it was a pretty big thing to check that, with much to remove. I'm willing if that's needed, but of course would like to check every simple thing first. The trip to get food is also very important because there have been a weird number of deaths lately, and one is my father's sister-in-law, and I have to get down for that funeral and to also take food. I also have to get food for a local pastor here, who has been so inundated with other people's needs due to a fatal crash here of an 18-year-old that he's not getting what he and his family need, due to his own lack of resources and death of his cousin, another minister, in an accident on that same night. Worst of all, I had already told people I would bring things, and I sure don't want to not do that. I'm committed. I would greatly appreciated any help with this. Mary

Well, I am stumped here. After losing my whole message one due to some key I hit I copied it in sections then pasted it when it happened two other times. Then I put it in the wrong forum, I put it in new generation before I noticed it, after I submitted it. Now I can't find a way to copy and paste the thing here in the correct forum. It's definitely long enough that it would be a bear to retype, but I need it in here. If anyone knows how to place that post here instead I would love to hear about it. Meanwhile, while I begin typing it again I hope that anyone who is interested in this thread will check the posting with the same title in the new generation section. Mary

oops, wrong forum, I will go to the right one and submit it there. Sorry