jsavrtka

That's exactly what I used to hear. Before that, I swapped my winter and summer tires and didn't notice any difference in the sound. Even when cornering, the sound wouldn't change appreciably. I was just hoping that it wasn't something in the rear end or a driveshaft bearing somewhere. The noise progressively got louder over the months, but still sounded just like tire noise. Also, there was no play when trying to wiggle the wheel by the top and bottom. The only other symptom I had was found after I removed the rear drive axle--the hub would feel like a digital volume control knob being rotated (very tiny detents). After tearing apart the bearing, one of the conical rollers had a small flat spot. That's what was causing all that noise. jim

Hey there. I didn't bother with a slide hammer and just used the hub tamer. There is an issue when doing the rear wheels as the tamer pushes against the backing plate for the drum brake (emergency brake) assembly. I just took a BFH and bent it back to where it should be before reassembly. Here's a free tip--don't try to remove the brake rotor (drum) with the emergency brake still on. The bigger problem was with the bushings in the trailing arm. Man were they ever seized to that bolt. I never did get one side apart. As for the bearings, I found only one potentially bad roller, but replaced both sides anyway. I was really wondering if the issue was in fact the wheel bearings, as it sounded just like road noise. The noise was gone afterwards, however. One more tip--the hub tamer was intended primarily for servicing the front wheels. The instructions may tell you how to position the tamer for bearing removal; however front and rears are removed in opposite directions (at least in my Legacy). Make sure you're applying pressure in the proper direction and not trying to press the wheel bearing further into the hub. A good write-up can be found here: http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=787070&page=1 It's really just a simple tool that works really well. jim

Sorry for the delay. I think it's 13068AA051, tensioner adjuster. jim

I had the plastic one in mine. It could be called the rear main seal retainer. Anyway, the metal one I received was 11831AA150. jim

I just replaced mine. Cost would have worked out to be around $120 CDN including shipping (from Jason at Auburn). I wasn't about to take chances with the wife and kids. I could not believe how much crud was wedged between the shield and the filler pipe. From dirt to course gravel. I guess that's what happens when you pass the pipe through the wheel well. I put the shield back on, but will make an effort to clean it better in the car wash. Even if I don't, it should outlast the rest of the car. jim

You mentioned tightening the camshaft sprockets. Did you somehow switch the two or otherwise disconnect the camshaft or crankshaft sensor?

I managed to get the axle out with the bolt end of the lateral link bolt still seized to the bushing. The nut end wasn't seized, and by sliding the front lateral link off of the bolt (along with disconnecting the trailing link and sway bar), was able to twist the hub just enough for the axle to clear. Getting it back in was just as fun. At least my axle wasn't frozen like yours. jim

Other than making sure the parking brake is off, the drums may have a couple of threaded holes in them. Find a bolt that matches the size and threads, then tighten them to pop off the drum. The hammer is good, but hit the drum inward toward the differential. This may break the drum free of any rust holding it on. jim

Here's a pic of my 2.2's keyway with balancer. As for torque value, Emily from CCR says 125 ft-lb; that's what I used (with blue threadlock). A lower value probably caused this issue to begin with. jim

I don't know if all subies are the same, but my Legacy is 32 mm. A 1 1/4" socket should also work as it equals 31.75 mm.

I'm not sure about other years, but in my 95 Legacy I noticed the temp gauge never going above the mid-mark, even when I heard the cooling fans kick in. After some research, I found that the gauge does not accurately reflect the temperature of the engine. It is more like an idiot light. The only time it will rise above the mid-mark is when the engine is reallly hot. I can't remember if it is the gauge or the sending unit that creates this 'feature'. You could use an OBDII reader to grab the accurate temp reading (from the other temp sensor IIRC). Anyway, if the gauge hits H, the engine is hot! That much is true. How much cooler it is once it drops from the H will require some investigation. Hopefully that will help you figure out the cause. jim

: : Does anybody got a rear wheel bearing at hand that can be measured? Either used or new? critical dimensions are: internal diameter, outer diameter and length (of the outer case). : : Tnxs TG Well, I have yet to install the ones for my Legacy, part no. 28016AA030. Here are some readings (taken at 25 C -- it's been warm here lately): interal diam: 32.98 mm ext diam: 65.00 mm length (outer): 47.97 mm length (inner): 52.24 mm I still have yet to find a definitive answer in regard to the grease. The grease on this one is definitely more than shipping grease. Others have said that tapered bearings shouldn't be packed more than 30% full (IIRC). Anyway, those are the numbers I got. Have fun with them. jim

Thanks for the notes, avk, as I am doing the same on my '95 (only at 117000 miles). I noticed tonight the that cam retainer o-ring on the passenger side is different from the driver's side. The original one was conical (or triangular), whereas the new one is simply an o-ring. Was yours the same? Same situation here with the camshaft seals. I drove one in too far and decided to back it out to the edge of the chamfer. Your trick of using the old one would have come in handy if I hadn't destroyed the old ones getting them out (no special tool here). I would have gotten the heads completely re-assembled tonight, except those hydraulic lash adjusters caught my eye as I was aligning the rocker arms. At least one of those puppies has had a nasty tick in the past, so I'm gonna pull them all and bleed 'em. I have a new adjuster sitting here, from when the ticking was almost unbearable. Of course it got quiet right before the part came in. jim

Hey! I thought that there was something going on. Now what would aliens want with rear headrests? Bizarre rituals? Maybe they make good anal probes? [no, no rear headrests on my '95 Legacy L wagon] Are they the holes for the knobs used when folding the rear seat? jim

Hi all, While waiting in my '95 Legacy last week while the wife took forever to return to the car, I noticed a notice on the driver's visor indicating that after 10 years, the air bag system must be inspected by Subaru. Is this something the manufacturer is required to do? Would I have to pay for the inspection? Usually, my local dealer is pretty quick about sending me reminders when maintenance intervals are approaching--nothing about this. jim