MorganM

They don't.... it's more like rock kamakazie than a 'crawl'. Gots to have real gearing to crawl ============ Fun pics! Thanks for posting them.

Finally got the one ball joint out. Here's what I did. Put the stud back through the control arm and threaded on the castle nut again. Just enough so it wont rip off the threads. Stuck a 3' crowbar upto the radius rod support bracket, on top of the control arm, and along side the ball joint. Put my right foot on the crow bar to hold the control arm down tight against the ball joints. Wailed with 4lb hammer on crow bar as close to the ball joint / control arm as possible w/o hitting anything else. About every 20 hits I'd check and it would be 1mm down. After 30 min of hammering it finally came out. Unscrewed the castle nut from the ball joint stud and it was free! Onto the next problem. One of the ball joints I bought was fully assembled and ready to go in. THe other one doesnt have the boot on it. I slip on the boot but it's not flush against the ball joint stud. So I guess it just seals against the control arm and that's all that matters? Also do I pack this boot with grease? Thx

Northwet already spoke the truth on this. Either the machine shop honed them properly or they didnt. You said you talked to the machinist that did it and mentioned he has lots of experience with Subaru engines. If he is satisfied with the hone on the cylinder walls then it's go time. If you are not satisfied with his hone job then you need to take out the pistons and do it to your satisfaction.

After looking over my spare knuckles I'm just going to swap it out. I'm guestimating less time involved and I dont feel like dropping money on expensive drill bits. Already got the spare one torn apart from the suspension assembly; seems to be coming apart alot better than the one I currently have on. Now I'm rather stuck on the bottom pinch bolt holding the ball joint in. Can't seem to get the knuckle to spread far enough to drop the ball joint out. I'll do some searching on the board here and see what others ended up doing. Thx for listening to my ranting fruastration

Yep; had that all wrong. Just went out to the garage and checked. Had a spare bottle and it was 75w90 Mobile gear oil.

Once again a simple 'maintanace' item turns into a *insert every swear word I want to say* two week marathon test of my patience and will to live. Trying to do ball joints; finally got the stud end poped out of the control arm. Time to take out the pinch bolt holding the ball joint into the bottom of the knuckle. Ive hit it for days with PB Blaster. Impact wrench at 100psi and it strips the hexhead of the bolt. Since this happens all the damn time I whip out my snaggers and put the right size one on the head and chuck upto the impact wrench again.... spins the head right off the bolt flush with the knuckle. Welp time to drill it out right? Yep so I center punch the bolt to gimme a good start. Chuck up a small drill bit to do a pilot hole, oil it up, and have at it. Not even 5mm in the damn drill bit explodes. That was about 20 min of drilling to get 3-4mm into a 3cm bolt!!!!!! What drill bits should I use on this hardend steel bolt? Should I just surpass hours of drilling and pull the whole dang knuckle off, throw it in the garbage, and put on another rusted junk knuckle? I swear this is the last rusted out piece of garbage I buy#)($*&

3AT: Sounds like it's had better days. Check the fluid and hope she holds CV: Clicking is fine. Don't crank the wheel all the way and go easy on the throttle if you do have to make a very sharp turn. Otherwise it will be fine till you get around to changing the axle. Timing bet: I'd be more worried about the tranny Again get to it when you have time and have read up on how to change them (yes, them, two the suckers!) Rough idle: Hopefully just needs a tune up. Spark plugs and an air filter can do wonders. Might be something you could do before you go; plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, PCV valve... that would be a full afternoon of fun in the sun. Check Engine Light (CEL): http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/USRM2/mick-usrm/electrical/ecucodes.html Good luck and welcome

Glad you found the culprit. Electronic devices do that.... work fine then out of no where they fail

Your cams are housed in their own case. SOme call it the cam tower or cam case. Then this case bolts to your heads. So if you are looking up at your engine like you say; it goes: valve cover gasket, cam case gasket, head gasket. More involved than your valve cover gaskets as you will have to take off the timing belts. It can be done inside the vehicle however and removing the engine is not required. Good luck

I think I run 90w50 gear oil. Hopefully someone can verify that; been a while since I had to buy any.

Big tires = less milage and trimming; that's the trade off. The Super Sport radial MTs are nice tires but you could get bials ply Super Swampers or Kumho Venture MTs cheaper. Now if you insist on a radial MT the Super Sport is a good price but if you can live with bias ply you can go cheaper. The other ones you linked are pretty wussed out all seasons. It honestly sounds like you want an AT (which is what a 'mild MT' is) Check out the Librator AT at Wal-Mart; great tread pattern and deapth plus can't beat the price. Yokohama Geolandar is another great AT tire thats under $100/tire. Really have to ask yourself what you need the tires for. All season traction and the ocasional off highway adventure or mostly off road trails and mud.

It's not just the O2 sensor; O2 sensor isnt even recognized untill closed loop is initiated. It's a compilation of data from the MAF, TPS, O2 sensor, and water temp sensor that tells the ECU how much fuel to add. To answer your question; yes the SPFI system will compensate for the added air of a turbo. Upto a point however. As TurboSPFI has noted; thats about ... what... 10psi ? Since you got pinging at 11psi? 8psi sounds like a resonable way to keep reliable boost on an EA82 SPFI engine.

They are both EA82 SPFI; same dizzy. Swap away! Does it stay running if you get on the throttle?

Seems to me you need a reliable one; not a performance one. I base this on your need to fit momy and the kids in on a regular basis. Buy the one that is in the best condition and has been maintained the best.

Wire up a DVD player in your lifted wagon and call it Done

All jumpy tachs ive seen settled down with new alternators. Welp the tach is wired directly into your ignition circut; so we kinda have it narrowed down. Got another ignition amp thingamajig to swap on? Its the dealybob on the coil bracket there that makes you go "huh?" when you look at it I know... I'm very technical

You do not need to disconnect the driveshaft on an old 4WD Subaru. Make sure its in 2WD (which is front wheel drive on these vehicles) and you are fine.

hail and well met

This was the "Bonus Feature" on the Subarus on Mars CD. Explains how to change a front CV axle. This is what you'd call a trail fix; do it anywhere at anytime. As long as you have the tools you are set. http://www.mnchopshop.org/images/offroad/apr05_gilbert/Axle/

Here's the 'special tool' for the front struts

Yeah I bent up mine sliding over big rocks Good to know they can be retrofitted onto the Legacy though.

Don't drive it around too much.... or you'll end up selling all your Hondas! Welcome aboard; I think you'll find the engines to be rather easy to work on. Once you get some junk out of the way that is.

Get them from the junkyard. I doubt they will even charge you; and if they do it will be for 'misc. items'. Local U Pull yard I go to won't even waste the time to ring up something that trivial.

Where did you get that quote? All the $200 to $300 heads I found were remands. I paid about $400 for a brand new one from SOA.

the biggest ones you can make fit with the most aggresive tread pattern you can afford