blitz

That sounds about right. I was thinking that it might have something to do with passing air through through the injector along with the fuel in order to get a better atomization spray-pattern, but I'm not sure. I did a search, but I can't find crap. I think there's something wrong with my search technique.

LOL, that's what I was afraid would happen. Some of the items that get onto my "chit-list" that I scribble onto throughout the day are things to learn. I'm such a nerd.

The only two areas that have ever leaked on my car are the axle seals and the drain plug itself.

Anyone? I see this from time to time with regard to descriptions of newer Subie EFI systems. I also see it used with regards to gasoline direct injection, but I'm assuming that's a different thing ...maybe not.

I had some pinging issues with my 2.5, but it was more of a hot weather, high gear, part-throttle between 2,500-3,000 RPM type thing. I'd typically notice it when trying to pick up 5 MPH on the freeway, or with the cruise control trying to maintain 65 MPH on a moderate uphill grade.

With very few exceptions, manufacturer recommended OCI's are 7,500-10,000 miles. Dealer recomendations are 3,000 miles (and performed by them).

It was pretty straightforward really. I used a piece of expanded aluminum that I had laying around (expanded metal has the diamond-shaped openings formed by first slitting, then stretching the piece). The stuff I used had holes that were small enough to keep out insects, rocks, or other potentially damaging detritus, but large enough to maintain adequate air flow. It may also have had a clear anodization on account of salt having not affected it. I cut it to shape, then fastened it with some nuts & bolts that I passed through holes I drilled in the lower facia below the bumper. It looks really similar to Subie Gal's photo except I did only the lower section, and I mounted mine behind the plastic body work rather than in front of it. Functionally it won't matter either way, it'll just look different. Any bug-screen will restrict air-flow to some degree, but I 'spose it's better to restrict flow by 10% with a guard than by 25% (or worse) from long-term damage and dried bugs. Most of the damage occurs when driving high-speed in the wee hours of the morning and those big friggin' bugs hit so hard you feel 'em vibrate the car. Home-improvment places have sections of expanded aluminum and enameled steel.

I fabbed and installed one on the lower section of my Impreza. I just wish that I'd've done it before all the evaporator fins got bent shut.

IIRC, most of Asia and parts of Europe use that motor in the current Impreza. 1.6 liters powering a 3100 lb. vehicle with an auto-trans has got to be a dog.

As I watched the bubbles in my overflow today, I realized that the trip to the dealer for the HC sniff-check is finally upon me. This is occurring on a phase II 2.5 which isn't supposed to have this problem. Anyway as I played out the scenario in my head where the dealer's first move will most likely be to try to put stop-leak in my system, the absurdity of where we as sheeple (ouch) have collectively arrived, dawned on me ...accompanied by a Roger Waters manic chortle. I grew up in the southwest corner of Warren, Michigan ...an area where "hillbilly" mechanic technique is pretty much a state-of-the-art affair. Bondo, hose clamps, coat hangers, duct tape and STOP LEAK are de facto mainstays of every buttcrack oil-stain fix it right in the Pep Boyz parking lot technician. It didn't seem all that long ago (to me anyway) when legislation was pased in an effort to crack down on used car lots that used band-aids to mask serious problems. Shyster practices were being labeled for what they were. Folks, after I graduated high-school I attended a vocational auto-repair course and became ASE certified. The entire course was pretty clear insomuch as that it taught the proper procedure for diagnosing defective parts followed by the replacement of those parts (in contrast to the "motor honey & cardboard in the radiator" method I learned in the 'hood). Now a bizzare Orwellian twist brings us full circle to where we're being fed the line that stop-leak is in fact an acceptable repair method for a blown head gasket. Guess what? It aint. Anyway, that's my little rantobservation, you fill in the blanks.

Word also has it that the 2.5 pistons were changed in '02 to a more fragile alloy/construction than previous. The earlier pistons could tolerate a small amount of incidental detonation, but the new part number will blow the top edge and ring land off with the slightest amount of det under boost.

I. These will be accompanied by a change in exhaust note and a drop in power. A. Really late timing (make sure your knock sensor isn't telling the ECU to yank timing under load). B. Lean fuel (check your fuel pressure & TPS). C. Restricted exhaust. II. The only other thing that comes to mind would be a reduction of coolant flow. A. Restriction/blockage. B. Water pump impeller erosion. I don't see what else could possibly be causing it. You are getting adequate air-flow through the radiator? Fans?

Tranny: Redline MT-90 Rear diff: Redline Shockproof Ultralight -

In the northwest, Subies precipitate from the sky into into salvage yards, but in Michigan they're far and few between. $79 for a brand-new FHI bar (W/fresh factory rubber bushings) is more than equivalent to two hours of wasted time searching for a rusted-out bargain. (time is worth more than inflated fiat paper). Plus, Subie Gal is a babe ...wow, I'm in love! XOXOXO

Thanks Subie Gal. You da man!

Y'know, I actually planned trying that this summer to see what effect it had on the incessant bubbling in my 'o-flow. I'll report back.

Way to go Subie Gal! Nice price too. Seems like the Outback Sport combination of jacked-up ride height & added wagon rear inertia makes for more "tail-out" attitude with a given size rear bar than with the equivalent mounted to an RS chassis. Ironically this thing is almost neutral at speed with the 13mm, but it plows at lower speeds. One question: What bushing material is included with the kit?

It's bored & stroked (both). The consensus is that the bores ARE weak from overbore in combination with open-deck design. FHI has never admitted to it. IMO, the fact that the displacement ended up at 2.457 in order to market it as a 2.5 gives reason to believe that a quest (greed) for displacement resulted in a bad gamble. e.g. "Can we safely squeak 2.457 out of it it?, and 'no' is not an acceptable answer." FWIW, I believe that improper bleeding DOES exacerbate (compound) the problem.

Thanks everyone. I did a little poking around and it turns out that the WRX wagon (GG) comes with a 17mm rear bar (I knew there was one Impreza model that had a rear bar in that size range). Anyone have a favorite place to pick up a new part for like ...not too expensive?

Thanks Kevin ...I don't know why, but I thought the RS was larger than 13mm. Maybe you can help steer me in the right direction. I'd like to increase the stock 13mm stock rear bar on my '00 OBS to something just a little meatier, but all the aftermarket solutions are 19mm and larger with the urethane bushings. That would end up being way too much "emergency handling fun" for this particular car. I also want to retain the stock squishy bushing and end-link setup. I've been through the hard, sqeaky, perpetually-greaseable, bushing/endlink thing before on my other Impreza and it's not the pothole panacea it's made out to be. Any idea what stock bar in the 15-17mm size range would swap onto to my car? It's not a cost-savings issue, but rather a specific handling goal.

Does anyone know the diameter of the first-gen Impreza RS (GC8) rear swaybar? 15mm or something like that?

Thanks all!

Am I correct that "negative camber" means that the top of the wheel is tilted inward towards the center of the vehicle?

Thank you Gnuman. Also thank you for serving. I'll be honest and admit that I never have served. My father did, and my brother did. War is a profitable enterprise played out by rich men, therefore scrutinizing the motives for war becomes paramount, actually OBLIGITORY (for those that understand the workings of a constitutional republic). The ribbon magnets are blind secondary propaganda designed to draw a ficticious corollary between questioning the legitimacy of the conflict and being a "hater of the troops". Absurd. I LOVE the troops. I wish to prevent them from being permanently maimed or killed, after all; they're my friends, family, and neighbors. Oddly, it's a tough concept for some to grasp. At first I didn't believe that flouride had neuro-toxic effects similar to lithium (a paralysis of introspection, e.g.; dumbness), but the evidence is overwhelming. I have a feeling that this thread is gonna hit a hot button and should probably get moved.

It's kinda hard to bust a stock subie motor just by working it hard. 4000 RPM seems to be a sweet spot for both mechanical balance and volumetric efficiency on these things. Your motor could have a long life operating consistently in that range with shift points at 5000-5500 as long as you don't overheat it or run it out of oil. There's no power advantage to revving higher than 5750. You can put some nasty shock loads on the drive train via the combo of manual trans & AWD if you're being really reckless. That's a definite potential breakage point.