NorthWet

May I point out that parts that are 6-8 months old and 15k miles neither constitutes "new" nor eliminates them as possibilities? I have had name brand (but not NGKs) sparkplugs fail in as little as 1k miles, and wire sets not much longer. As one tuning manual I read said, "If your car isn't worth a new set of plugs for tuning use, then it isn't worth tuning." Even a set of V-Powers would probably work just fine for a few pulls. (I personally haven't found a use for the more pricey ones yet, but then I am frugal. ) BTW, if I read WJMs response properly (and I apologize in advance if I didn't ), he implied/stated that preignition and detonation are the same thing. It is not, though both forms of abnormal combustion can exacerbate the other.

Did the timing look fairly steady (given any rpm fluctuation caused by your surge problem), or did it wander around? Might be worth checking at medium rpm (2k-3k). Usually surging is a lean fuel/air ratio thing, not really a timing thing. What do the plugs look like for color? This should really be done after a run under power, (or at conditions where surge occurs), with the ignition then turned off before idle or slow-run mixture muddies the plug color. Or you could check for vacuum leaks, whether the float is set corectly; stuff like that. * edit - Oh, and you did check the timing with the vacuum advance hose(s) removed and plugged, right??? - end edit*

For those metrically-challenged in the USA , that equates to about 145 ft-lbs of torque. Is this the correct figure? (I seem to remember that at least one manual gave an incorrect torque value, but I believe that value was around 105 ft-lbs.) How difficult is it to extract the axle shaft from the bearing housing? If it is very easy (it slides out without much force) then the axle or the bearing housing or both may be worn beyond limits. If the bearings press out with very little force then the bearing housing is worn beyond limits. I am assuming that you completely clean the bearing housing before installing the new bearings, and use an approved grease. I this correct? Do you retighten (re-torque, re-moment) the axle nut after you have driven 10-50km? Sometimes the axle will not completely seat into the bearing until after you have driven for some distance. If your axle nut is loose (removable with unaided hands) when you remove it, then this could be one of the causes of your problem. Is the washer directly beneath the axle nut facing the proper direction? it is slightly "dished" (concave/convex) and needs to be put on so that it is convex towards the axle nut.

Brat with EA81. Ed, what is the status of the radiator cap? If it is all the way down he might want to consider half-way, or even off, if the temp and altitude allows it .

I was hoping I could get an XT running for the drive, but instead was doing its HGs... Darn stuck EGR pipe!!! How long did you have to wait to get blue sky in the background??? It was broken overcast with sprinkles in my part of doG's Country. Wonderful picture. Almost a postcard except for the people in it.

Well, if the ignition timing is/can be set correctly, then your distributor is unlikely to be one tooth off. It can be 180 degrees off, and as long as you route the plug wires right you wouldn't know the difference. If your timing light is broken and you don't have a replacement, I certainly would NOT be pulling the distributor and resetting it. You would have no clue where your timing was.

Possibly an "air lock" in the cooling system? I am replacing HGs in an XT that had absolutely no water circulation when the radiator cap was tightened, but loosen it or leave it off and voila! circulation! I have never seen anything like it. :-\ My best guess is combustion leak into cooling.

Speaking of website critique, after you restored my sight and pointed me to the site , I found that although I was asked for specific Year/Make/Model info, the results pretty much disregarded the model info (87 wagon returned Justy parts also). (I was a programmer for 20+ years, so I understand the complexities of such things. )

This is merely my OPINION, so listen to anyone that has the proper link to Subaru's info, etc. It is not so much the miles as the difference in circumference, and I would expect an acceptable variance of 2-5%. (WAG!!!) One thing to consider is that tires that have the same nominal size (e.g. 195/70-14) might actually be a different height (and circumference) than the same size tire by a different maker or even the a different model in the same maker's line. Simple English: Try to make sure that you get the same exact tire as the ones that you are trying to match. It is (was???) possible to get the tread trimmed so it matches the older tires. I would expect that the acceptable variance in circumference would be greater with the auromatic transmission than with the manual due to the different ways they accomplish AWD. The manual uses gears and such to send power to the rear tires, whereas the Auto uses a clutch-set (similar to what it uses internally to engage gears) and modulates whether or not this clutchset is engaged or not. Since the Auto's engagement cycles on and off, it SHOULD tolerate tire circumference differences better. My answer to your question: Find 2 matching tires (maker/model/size) and you should be OK. I would have the store check the difference in tread depth just to be sure.

That will change when you get closer to doG's Country. And I no what you mean about be tailgated by a soob for hundreds of miles.

My belief/opinion about trade-ins is that you will get a better overall deal by selling the car(s) privately and working out the best straight deal with the dealer. Any "great" trade-in price they give you will be added on to the final price of the car.

My understanding is that it was after the first O2 sensor change (for emissions passing), but also immediately after he was driving downhill and put his foot(feet) on brake, clutch, or both (I forget, and he told me AGAIN just a couple of hours ago ). I had him check to see if there were any wires/connectors that he might have jiggled with his feet, but apparently not.

No problem. I should have addressed your "squiggly" question, and that is it is mostly caused by instantaneous variations in power output and measuring equipment variations. Stuff like that sometimes add, sometimes cancel, but all is pretty much ignorable. Published curves usually smooth out the curves to rid them of that "noise".

A lot of "Lifetime" stuff is just playing the odds. What are the chances that the average person will still own their car in another 50-60k miles? And even if they did, could they find the warranty paper work. Not usually. SubieGal, am I blind too? Do you have any "Old Gen" (EA82 and older) parts?

This has been a multi-month, ongoing problem that started shortly after an O2 sensor change to pass emissions. He has changed O2 sensors, unplugged them, all sorts of stuff. Several threads contain all of his travails.

The line on the dyno that starts out higher at low RPM is for torque (relatively RPM independent) and the lower one at lower RPM is HP (by definition, RPM dependent). The torque curve should have a relatively gentle arch from around 2k to just before redline, with a drop off expected towards redline as the engine's ability to "breath" becomes a factor. HP should climb steadily (assuming said flat torque curve) until it peaks at some RPM higher than peak torque RPM, and then fall off as torque falls off. That horrible fast drop in the 2 curves in the middle of the RPM range is very abnormal, indicating something has disrupted combustion, and not just a little bit. We are assuming it is abnormal combustion (detonation/preignition) because of what WJM has told us earlier. WJM's last post hints at something else, though, since he says that he doesn't hear detonation on the dyno or at WOT. It may just be that something is causing misfire, either a lean mixture or an ignition fault.

The intake was checked for leaks with the personal assistance of qman (per what I was told by starkiller). IMHO, the only way to be more sure than that is to replace all of the gaskets.

I am trying to upload some pics now, although they do not show much. The t-wagon's engine compartment is pretty crowded, especially after working on an XT for a few days. No worries about the socket set. I thought that it was still buried; just waiting for you to say it was in hand and how much it would cost to ship it back. It is safe and recoverable, which is all that matters. before you found it, I had thought it was scattered across a sub-division in Orem.

I can get NGK V-Power at a local store for US$1.99 each, and they are probably available for less money at other stores. The cost to ship from the West Coast of the USA to Israel using the US Postal Service is US$13.30-$15.00 for a 2 pound package, 4-7 days shipping time. If you can not locate an online source for the NGKs, then somebody over here might be willing to ship them to you.

Bump for USA Saturday folk.

For decals/stickers, you might want to contact Board Member "McBrat". He has a variety of decals that he sells, though it does not look like he has any GL-10 decals listed at this time. If we can get him a picture or some artwork, he might be able to make decals for you. Please look at his decal link: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/80s/mick/decals/decals.html

Me thinks it might have been a typo: "1/3 off" became "1/3 of"

The ring-and-pinion that GLCraigGT was probably refering to is the front diff. The ring (aka "crown gear") is supported by the same bearings that support the front stub axles.

To restate starkiller's question: What would make an SPFI run MUCH better with the MAF disconnected than when it is connected (other than the obvious of a bad MAF)??? I have suggested ECU and/or connector issues (connector to ECU, the ECU's grounding, the connectors between engine harness and chassis harness).