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schspeedster

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Posts posted by schspeedster

  1. One feature that many don't know, and should know, is that on auto trans Subies to get the best hill climbing power and traction you have to manually shift the trans into first gear. This locks the torque split 50/50 and prevents the trans from shifting through gears in response to wheel spin. If you just leave it in Drive when the wheels start spinning, the trans will shift from 1st through 4th because it simply thinks you are accelerating.

     

    When is the MANUAL button best used on the first gen Legacy? If I understand the owners manual, all the button does is allow starting in 2nd.

  2. The Impreza costs and weighs less than the Legacy. Any big tradeoffs besides back seat room, like ride comfort, noise, vibration? I am over 6'2" and the Impreza wagon drivers seat actually seems roomier than the Legacy. And how about resale value?

     

    2005 Impreza 2.5 RS Sport

    2976 lbs / 165HP@5600RPM / power-to-weight ratio 18.3

    Front headroom 38.6 in / Front legroom 42.9 in.

    Dlr invoice approx $16862

     

    2005 Legacy L

    3200 lbs / 168HP@5600RPM / power-to-weight ratio 19.4

    Front headroom 39.5 in / Front legroom 44.1 in.

    Dlr invoice approx $19678

     

    stats from http://theautochannel.com/

  3. Huck369 had an Outback I think that he ran the FWD fuse in for a whole year or something like that, just for the sake of experimentation. He said it worked fine the whole time, even after he took it out.

     

    My guess is running in FWD would unevenly wear the tires unless they were rotated frequently, this would be a problem when returning to AWD. Rain & gravel don't go away in summer, still worth having traction when needed.

  4. The big bolt at the top keeps the spring down! Do not remove this until you have got the spring compressor in place and compressing.

     

    For what it's worth, Chilton's Subaru manual does have a decent step by step on doing this.

     

    Any list of items to check / replace with strut, so as to have new parts on hand ?

     

    For example:

    Strut mount

    Boot

    Spring (is there a dimensional check to see if originals OK?)

     

    Related parts

    Sway bar links & bushings

    Brake lines

    Drive axles

    Ball joints

    Tie rods

     

    Any grinding of the mounting holes needed to give room for alignment shop adjustment?

  5. Today while I was driving my 2000 legacy gt I noticed that the wheels are not recovering to straight after making a right hand turn. It just stays turning to the right when i take my hands off the wheel. It mkes left turns just fine and returns straight. Is this an alignment problem or something to do with the universal joint on the right. An help would be appreciated.

     

    Thanks in advance

     

    Ben

     

    1st, check tire pressure. Had this symptom, front right tire had a slow leak at valvestem.

  6. I want one!

     

    Have an unused ruggedized aluminum suitcase, and tools scattered around the garage, need some foam rubber that can be cut out, so every tool has its place.

     

    Subaru Tool-kit Secrets

     

    Letter from SWRT

    6 September 2003

     

    With 555 SWRT technicians able to complete a full damper (strut) change in five minutes and a gearbox change in nine, they're among the best in the world. But, they couldn't do it without their trusty Snap-on tools, so we took a look inside a 555 Subaru World Rally Team tool kit to find out just what they use.

     

    Each technician has his/her own hand tool kit which is named, and all their tools are individually numbered.

     

    Each kit includes 100 items and is worth more than $3,500 US (excluding the case)

     

    Each technician works with matching sets of tools, apart from the gearbox, electrical and engine technicians who require extra, specific items.

     

    According to Tommi Mäkinen's crew, the tools that are used most are the 19mm impact socket, which is used to remove the wheels during service; the flush pliers, which are used for cutting tie wraps that secure the wiring loom and anything loose in the car; and the 17mm/14mm combination ring spanner, which is used for attaching or removing the components that make up the car's main suspension.

     

    The 17mm socket is also vital. Used with the nut gun, the socket is required for suspension changes, gearbox changes, upright changes, traction control arm changes, lateral link changes, sump guard changes, and for changing the front bumper - so it's pretty important!

     

    The largest and most expensive item in the toolbox is the torque wrench, which is used to ensure that all the nuts and bolts on the car are set to the correct torque setting (16/ft). The least expensive is the scriber, which is used for marking metal.

     

    The most unusual object is the telescopic mirror. Looking more like something owned by a dentist, the extending instrument is used to check for any damage in awkward sections of the car.

     

    Each toolbox includes 4 different ratchets, 24 different sockets and 25 different size spanners. And With the exception of the torque wrench, all the team's hand tools are made and supplied by Snap-On, and have a lifetime guarantee.

     

     

     

     

    http://www.subaru-msm.com/global/feature/letterSWRT/15.html

     

    http://www.swrt.com/440096.html

     

     

    And the Ultimate Subaru Portable Garage

     

    Maybe Rally is one reason why most everything on a Subaru seems designed for ease of service. Some of their engineers could have had to actually lie on the ground and use a wrench out in the snow, to get the car back in a rally.

     

    http://www.swrt.com/cpimages/671924.jpg

     

    http://www.swrt.com/cpimages/678316.jpg

  7. How to determine engine & drivetrain condition by inspecting a non-running car? Any external signs of destruction besides a big hole in block? Spark plug condition or soot inside exhaust a good clue? Do crash impacts kill the motor from mechanical shock, even if the engine compartment is intact? I assume an experienced tranny tech could drop the pan and make a decision based on debris in pan.

     

    Next question, how many men and what tools to bring to pull a motor at the U-Pull-It junkyard?

  8. After subjecting my legacy to a high-pressure hose blasting in the wheel wells, I found a cornucopia of crud coming loose as well. If I had my own washer, I'd remove the front wheels and spray from the inside of the wells out. I definitely think this contributes to the rust, and plan to remove the splash guards and wash again soon. Then, I intend to pull the front fenders off this summer, wash them, refinish them, and put undercoating along the backside. I will put some anti-rust coating around the edge of the wheel wells too before repainting the panel. The front fenders appear relatively easy to remove.

     

    On the '93 I can see electrical wires & stuff that run alongside the engine compartment, viewed thru the door hinges, so I would NOT recommend blasting hi-pressure water inside the fender. Maybes the wiring's waterproof in that space but I wouldnt bet on it. Compressed air & piece of coathanger wire gets rid of most debris before washing. I would prefer to repair with fender off car if its not too difficult to remove.

     

    I wonder what Subaru dealers or indepent detailers & bodyshops call this service, taking an older car and cleaning inside body panel voids & drain holes, partial disassembly, rust treatment?

  9. I got a cheap 93 Legacy L 25th Anniversary edition sedan. Overall it looks like it was kept clean, garaged, well cared for, except rust-thru is beginning at the driver's side wheel well arches. The front rustout is at the bottom of the fender, back rustout where quarter panel meets bumper. The inside of the front fender was packed full of debris: leaves, seeds, and crud. This space can be seen by the door hinges. I removed at least a pound or two, using a hooked wire, shopvac, and compressed air, (yuk). Can't say for sure this caused the outside to rust, but keeping a damp organic mixture in contact with metal can't be too good.

     

    In the rear, there was some dirt packed inside the lip of the wheel well. Removed with hooked wire and shop air.

     

    BTW, while on the Legacy you can see all the way inside the front fender, on my Baja most of the void is sealed top-to-bottom with some kind of foam, there is still a space for debris to collect. This will be an easy job, just use a vacuum cleaner with crevice tool or compressed air.

     

    Any other voids or drainage holes to inspect? Recommendations on rust preventative sprays that won't seal moisture into existing rust?

  10. Just got a 93 Legacy 25th Anniversary sedan and rust-thru is starting at the usual spots, wheel wells at front fender & quarter panel. I was thinking use my air tools, angle grinder, and Dremel to wire brush, grind, or cut away all rusty metal, treat with something like http://www.por15.com/, then Bondo. What is "The Right Way" to fix?

     

    Are replacement fenders and quarter panels available at cost appropriate for a car with 200K miles, or does someone make wheel well sections that can be welded in place of the damaged areas?

     

    What treatment for underbody components like suspension parts, besides disassemble/ wire brush/ prime & repaint/reassemble? I was thinking of an oil that's sprayed on periodically, isnt there a special oil for this purpose? I would expect paint on rusty metal to be worse than useless.

     

    BTW I think I saw the inside of the front fender packed with leaves and gunk behind the rust out area. I would recommend to everyone that they clean this area out, the crud acts like a sponge that'll hold moisture in contact with metal. Spray wax wouldnt hurt.

  11. My guess as to why there isn't a FWD/AWD switch on the dash: Uneven tire wear.

     

    If AWD was enabled only for snow, and tires were not rotated, the tires would then differ in size. Subaru AWD would get an undeserved reputation as unreliable junk that binds up and needs expensive repairs. This would explain why the owner's manual doesn't encourage leaving the fuse installed.

     

    Got my Legacy with front tires more worn than rears. Felt something binding up, which went away with FWD fuse installed. Is it possible to measure a pair of replacement tires in the tire shop to match, or will I be buying a set of 4?

     

    I can now appreciate AWD isn't just for snow, after installing the fuse, pulling out of a parking lot with loose gravel onto a main road into traffic, and spinning the front tires.

  12. We talked about 'Do not tow this vehicle' decals on the board before, maybe we should really do it? I'm a graphic designer, I'll do up the art free if someone can print the decals. Maybe the board could sell them.

     

    check with mcbrat,he does great work

     

    Good idea, especially if on the windows and by the tow hook attachment points, and with notice that towing company will be held responsible for damage caused by improper towing.

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