jim22

It seems to make noise only under load, so I can't check under the hood.

With the clutch engaged, I am getting a ticking sound. If I put the slightest pressure on the pedal, the noise goes away. Anyone seen this? Can I put something on the pedal/cable end (grease?) to quiet it down? Thanks.

If you do get it extended, you should be able to disconnect the motor connector so it stays up.

I'm pretty sure you have to pull a vacuum on the system to get all the air and moisture out, then charge with the correct amount of refrigerant. If you force the system to run, you will most certainly damage the compressor. This sounds like a good case for a professional with A/C servicing equipment. Jim

I don't know exactly what was done to the transmission, but I presume something related to the shift rods or forks was broken. The local used subaru specialist pulled the transmission and sent it to a local new subaru dealer for repair. I also presume the transmission was split to make the repair. When we got it back, we had trouble shifting into gear from a dead stop and also between gears. I changed the gear oil and found the oil very dark and loaded with metal particles. After a couple changes, there is still a lot of metal, but the transmission is shifting fine.

I'm chasing a noise that I get on an accelerating or climbing left turn. It's a heavy "clunk, clunk, clunk" that gets faster with car speed. It goes away when the wheel is straightened out, and does not happen on a right turn. The left half-axle is an aftermarket part. The right one is a subaru part, possibly a rebuild. I guess I should add that there may be transmission issues. Recently, the shift lever on this manual transmission car stopped returning to center, just flopped over to the 1st gear side. This led to an internal transmission repair. After the repair, the transmission shifted very poorly. I changed the fluid and found it very dark and contaminated with metal particles. After several changes, it's still kind of dark and still has suspended metal visible, but the transmission is shifting ok. So the question is, if this is a half-axle problem, which one? I'm getting ready to swap out the after-market part on the left side. I'm also getting a shuddering, almost like warped brake rotors, on slowing down for a stop. I'm going to change out the front rotors and pads, but I'm not sure it really is the brakes. This car is a '97 legacy L wagon with 155K miles on it. If we can sort the minor issues, we may put a used transmission in it. suggestions? Thanks! -- Jim

You guys are making me feel good about the new axle. It is an MWE rebuild, and Marshall has been very quick to answer my emails and ship it to me. Thanks very much! -- Jim

I just received a half axle for my 97 Legacy to replace an aftermarket one that I don't trust and might be making noises on turning and contributing to vibrations on braking. I ordered it online from a popular rebuilder. The joint at the transmission stub end moves quite easily. The joint at the wheel hub end, on the other hand, is extremely stiff. It will move in all directions, but it takes a lot of force. Does this sound normal? The rebuilder has assured me it is ok and I won't have any trouble after installation. I just imagined that both joints should be quite flexible. Thanks, Jim