montana105

Does compressor cycle if you put heater on defrost?If so it may indicate either low (freon) or that the A/C won't work below a certain outside temperature

Have you tried negotiating with the dealer on price,as was mentioned KBB is alot lower and the dealer probably didn't give even that,walk in with 1000.00 cash and see what they say,never hurts to try but don't expect them to fix anything for you.

As mentioned before you have to clear coat them for any kind of lasting results,did mine two years ago with a kit from Permatex(6.00) and a can of clear from Wally world for a buck,they still look good and the clear that i oversprayed on the car paint didn't even show.Did a friends Voyager with Meguires and looks just as good as the kit results,gonna do my Jeep this weekend with Meguires and the left over clear.

Let us know how things go! I was gonna suggest replacing rdiator and hoses,but you got there before.I am curious though-what do you consider spiking on temp,and when that happens do you notice any difference in engine performance or heat output?Do you have past maintenance records?

I would definitely recomend a haynes or FSM as it sounds you are more familiar with American cars and may need to study the workings of the Subaru engine. It will also help you see how things are laid out with steering and suspension.Sounds like you've got some major issues,pictures would help if you can figure that out,can't help you there sorry.

Ruge,I wouldn't assume you need a new engine or to have your heads reworked.You don't mention any overheating problems,you seem to check your fluids regularly and with that you may have avoided disaster. I wouldn't hesitate replacing the head gaskets and timing components (since it's out) and be worry free for another 150000 miles,that's pretty cheap compared to a rebuild or getting your heads magnafluxed etc...The fact that you found the problem early is gonna save you some serious $$$.From the posts I've read I'd say you are at the high end of the spectrum as far as mileage goes if you're gonna experience the annoyance of the 2.5 gasket issue. Seems to me most gasket issues happen between 80000 and 100000 miles and they seem to be more problematic with later year models.For the masters out there is this engine involved with the fluid additive recall?

Emergency/parking brake worn down?Try driving forward at about 5 mph and pull up e-brake handle hard enough to slow car down.Does sound get worse or did it go away? I know yours isn't a chrysler but Chrysler products are known for this and we used to take especially Neons and PT cruisers out in the back lot get going about 15 mph ,pull up e-brake to the point where it almost locks the wheel,go about another 50 feet,and sound would be gone.Nothing wrong withthe e-brake or pads,just crappy pads and design.Instruct the customer and they usually didn't return. John

The last time I took one of my cars to a instant 100.00 bill place I made the decision to just do it myself again from then on after spending all the time rechecking their work.I second or fifth the idea of checking to make sure they didn't drain the wrong fluids and then refilled the wrong part of the power train. Curiously I was just on the general forum and there is a thread about Jiffy lube not changing stuff they charged for,raises a big question about their competence and negligence.My dad has been taking his cars still under warranty to these places for numerous years just to prove his maintenance records if the need ever arises,needless to say i just sent him the link to youtube. John

hehe Nipper-in case you didn't notice on your cross country journey there isn't much rot in No Dak,now for those of you wanting free sandblasting that's the place to go. John

I've been watching this thread for awhile now and decided to add something. When my engine gave it up I had an eerily same sounding noise from the engine compartment,kind of self diagnosed it as piston slap on # 3.Coming home from Missoula one day the car lost a bunch of power and I could see lots of dark colored smoke behind me when in the throttle,almost like a very rich situation,and the car idled very rough at all RPMs,and proceeded to turn the smoke to a bluish white tinge.It gave up the bucket,had only enough power to drive it up on the trailer. After a couple of months I was able to get a jy engine with low miles,compared to 182000 miles anyways.It started right up after a couple of cycles of the fuel pump,smoked like hell for an hour and been great since. We've been tearing the old engine apart now since,when we have time anyways,and lo and behold # 3 exhaust valve had a hole burned through it.At this time we are trying to figure this out relating to the noises I diagnosed earlier.To make it straight tothe point I'd check your compression,and wish I'd known more about pulling plug wires and the different symptoms that this can diagnose. John

Smitty,Carla just told me you were in and what happened. That sucks. I hope this is a wake up call to those of us who drive in adverse conditions,slow down. If I can do anything for the two of you let me know. John

I don't know,sounds like the old brats and wagons,not that it sounds bad,something to look at next year when i do exhaust on mine if it lasts that long.Weather looks similar to us up north of you,just warm enough to melt any new falling snow.

Sad to say it but I don't think residue would last that long passing through the cat. When we replaced my engine from burnt valve it smoked like crazy for about an hour as the oil inside the exhaust burned off,but nothing since. I'm no expert though. John

Probably why most cars have drain holes in the bottom of the doors also.Did you check for rust in the bottom of your door?

The outerspace reference was referring to the location you put in for your city. John

I guess I should have said I was thinking more along the lines of not actually buying from one of the shops but getting ideas for design. My car isn't home right now but I would venture to say that the entire system is built of aluminum as it only weighs maybe 20 pounds with all the accesories attached, I take the attachments off when I'm not using them because they cause annoying noises when not loaded.If you are comfortable welding aluminum this may be an option to build your own,I'm not a welder so couldn't tell you if your mig would work on aluminum.Junkyard is a really good option but you'll still have to craft a basket most likely. I'll have to look at the rear of my wagon to see if there is even room to mount a rear tire mount much less structural integrity. John

Hope I'm not beside you when your car decides to fishtail and you try to correct it. I think what Nipper is trying to say and I agree is that people believe ABs is a cure all and gives people a false sense of control,which causes people to drive beyond the conditions.It amazes me the amount of yahoos I see driving 35-40 in a 25 mph zone on ice and then wonder why their car wouldn't stop on a dime or had to use the aid of a curb or railing to keep them on the road,or worse yet use the aid of another vehicle to slow them down with a collision. Again ABS does not make you stop quicker,it helps you retain steering control in a panic situation and is not anymore dependable on ice or gravel then standard brakes in quick stop situations.I don't mean any disrespect to anyone here,I don't know your driving habits,but for those of you who still drive at or above the speed limit on ice or on gravel blame yourselves.Remember that speed limits are designed around optimal road conditions and here in Montana you can be fined for not driving to the conditions of the road. John

As I see you are from outerspace I might recommend finding a auto accessory store or a place that sells skis or even bikes,you may not find your exact idea but it would give you a starting point to modify or weld a basket onto it. My rack fastens over that rail you are talking about,actually fits over it then slides underneath it on the bottom,plus it locks on. Mine is designed more like a ladder rack with the ski rack and bike mounts being removable.Just gonna have to look around,I think building one would be to heavy for the available fastening spots unless you weld it directly to the car.

Ford falcon-early 60's to 70 model Ford,believe the Mustang was built on it's chassis.Basically smaller version of the Galaxies and 500"s. Not a bad car,and actually underrated for drag cars for the person with the money.Basically the size of the Chevy II or Nova of the age. John

Well with your experience I'd say you could easily do this in a day.Good sources of trannies include junkyards,find a low mileage wreck,you'll still be ahead if you have to have it shipped to you from elsewhere.There is a reliable outfit in Billings,Montana called Hansers transmission that does a good job on rebuilding,that's all they do,might look em up and give them a call see what it would cost for a rebuild and shippng.They actually own a junkyard or two and specialize in pulling trannies and rebuilding them,wouldn't use them to do the actual R&R as they only have one master tech and have been known to gouge customers(yes i speak from experience) but their trannies and engines are top rate. John

which causes that Ford Falcon driver to instantly set his brakes and try to pump them to control his brake lock up not seeing he is headed right into you. I use the Falcon as reference only to symbolize people that don't have ABS or understand it. John

Update.... Got it off. All of the nut breakers I could find wouldn't have fit into the hub to allow me to break the nut,so I cold chiseled for about a 1/2 hour, then one time as I hit the nut I could see the hub assembly moving,so I gave it a good whack from the back side and the hub fell off and the axle with fried cv stayed put but easily slid out after I got over my amazement. About another 1/2 hour with the chisel and BFH and got the hub separated from the rest of the old axle.I did check around for a jy hub but none of them had one they were willing to part with cheaply. I did try the jack stand idea by resting the new extension on the stand to keep it level and stood on the breaker bar with cheater,I'm 225 pounds and it wouldn't move,so out came the chisel. FWIW- I worked in a Chrysler shop for 2 years and I have never seen a axle nut be so stubborn.I've got a pretty nice Snap on impact and this is the first time it wouldn't do the job. Thanks everyone for the ideas and the help even on a non subie issue. John

Well,heck I was using a 4' cheater big enough to fit my 2' pipe wrench into the end,so guess that cuts some of the cost.Think I have to go with some kind of cut off or break the nut off some how,seeing as how my tools are snapping at the bit,I broke my stubby extension from Matco using a cheater,surprised my Craftsman ratchet didn't snap first.No my problem is when I put the socket on then hook up the ratchet with cheater the socket won't stay lined up with nut and I worry about rounding the nut off when it slips off.I can't do this without an extension as I have to have the tire on so I won't lift vehicle off stand or even roll it off as the width of the tire requires the extension. John

Should have just taken it to the shop when it broke for as much as it's gonna cost me to buy everything you two are suggesting,a 6' breaker bar??? Already have a BFH and tried that,gonna try to find a nut breaker in the A.M.,actually should just find my ex girlfriend,she was good at breaking nuts. Small town,can't find any tools now,so enjoying a couple of beers and maybe talk the wife into something before I break my nuts tomorrow.Hahaha Have you guys ever had cv joints just go without any warning,no clicking or anything.Backed out of garage to get kids from school,put it into D and heard the snap,then proceeded to drive 5 miles on icy roads without 4x,changed oil only 200 miles ago and checked boots,no problems and as I said no clackety clack like the Subaru did when they went bad. John

Just reread the past replies-and the threads are not reverse as I took the new one and it spun on righty tighty.I took the car off the jack stand and put the tire back on,knocked the center cap out and then put socket on then stood on cheater with everything I had. Thanks-John