blitz

Well, a part of it is gonna depend on how much money you want to spend and how uncomfortable of a ride quality you can deal with. If it's a daily driver, you'll get tired of a rock-hard ride in a hurry. For the most part, a tire upgrade, and a stiffer than stock adjustable rear sway bar is all that you'll need to bring street performance up to a "crisp" level. Making the rear bar stiffer lessens the understeer, while going stiffer yet will actually make it oversteer. Ideally you want to get it to feel "balanced" to your taste. The problem with going to a stiffer front bar is that you'll have to go stiffer yet on the rear bar to get it feeling neutral again. Bars too stiff can overpower the rebound damping of the stock struts and cause jumpy handling characteristics at the limit especially on bumpy pavement. The solution would be to fit struts with a higher rebound damping rate. You'd run into the same problem by fitting springs that have a higher rate than stock.

Subyluvr2212, There's no doubt that conventional oils have gotten a lot better over the last ten years. There seems to be a fair amount of anecdotal evidence (basically opinion) suggesting that conventional oils have a greater lubricity and better cushioning effect than PAO-based synths, which under normal operation could allow a group II or II+ oil to show lower wear numbers and give quieter operation. Synths do have some clearly-defined advantages. They have a low-temp flow advantage, they have an extreme high-temp stability advantage (such as a total coolant-loss situation), and they hold up better over extended drain intervals. Also keep in mind is that there isn't as clear a distinction between oil types as a finished product anymore. It's becoming blurred due to the formulation of hydrocracked group III base stocks, "synth blends", and newer/better VII additives that oil blenders tend to want to call "synthetic components". The important thing is to find the oil that works for your situation, which may not be the best oil for someone else's situation. Specific engines, different driving styles/distances, seasonal ambient temperature, and engine condition all play a role.

I'll second the recommendation for the adjustable rear bar. I've got a Whiteline 20-22-24 on my '02 OBS and have it set to 20mm on one side and 22mm on the other. Why? One side needed more than the other to achieve the same neutrality in a left or right corner. Also the biggest PITA about a performance sway bar are the urethane bushings that reqire constant greasing (especially in a wet and/or salt-laden environment), so get greasable bushings with zerk fittings. Energy Suspension sells them. On my vehicle I experimented with different combinations until I found what I liked. In the FRONT I ended up with stock bar & bushings, but changed to stiffer urethane endlinks. In the REAR, I've got stiffer bar & bushings, but kept the stock soft rubber endlinks. (I did try stiff endlinks, but removed 'em). It deals with the ability to recover from the slip angle in a turn. The problem I found is that when the entire rear is bushed with urethane and the entire front is bushed with rubber, it tends to make the vehicle more prone to a dangerous snap-oversteer at the exit of a turn. IMO, if the front and rear are bushed more evenly, the vehicle will "hook back up" more gracefully at the exit.

I'm seriously wondering whether or not to take the vaccine. As far as I know, the warranty extension does not cover the heater core. I'd like to hear some advice from the experts regarding the tradoff: e.g. paying out of pocket for headgaskets later v.s. paying out of pocket for a heater core R&R later.

Got the recall notice in the mail yesterday. Called the dealer today and was informed that they haven't got the sealant in yet. Was also told that the recall proceedure includes a system pressure check. I guess I'll be callin 'em back the middle of next week.

Maybe just a tad too much oil on the filter and some of it has gotten onto your MAF? Just a thought.

I'm not knocking the Auto-Rx product, I ran a cycle through my vehicle last summer with Delvac 1300, and on the phone I found Frank to be genuinely caring about answering questions. Next summer I'll probably be using the product again. It's just that as an individualist, I hate the whiffs of cult mentality that creep up from time to time on BITOG. 'Kule is one of the UNselfish individuals that gives freely of his knowledge without the side-order of cheeze & WHINE. FWIW, I enjoy your posts on BITOG.

Yeah, I'm up in the air about K&N filters. From what I've seen, the filtration efficiency is variable depending on application. e.g. There was a WRX UOA within the last month showing low silicon & iron with a K&N drop-in panel filter. Yet in other UOA's of various vehicles, a switch from K&N back to stock paper has occasionally shown a marked decrease in silicon and iron. Maybe it's a fitment issue. Lastly, I have my doubts as to whether or not a switch in filter type is gonna add any power to a stock engine for any amount of money.

Setright, I agree 100%. We both know that the trick to using the net is to be able to glean the gems from the rocks. Bob's comparison tests typically change more than one variable, making it impossible to draw any conclusion from the "inevitable" different result. I'm annoyed by the over-hype of Auto-Rx. I'm annoyed by an certain analysis guru who constantly feels the need to remind the group about how painful it is to give out free info, yet continues to do so anyway. None the less, as a long-time lurker, I've learned a lot about base-stocks, additives, etc. The timken and four-ball wear test, would be a good indicator of heavily-loaded gear-oil performance, but like you, I see no benefit for using them to test motor oil. They've become a bit of a "huckster" tool IMO.

Yeah, the WRX had a TSB regarding fuel smell in freezing temperatures, but I'll be damned if i can remember what the cause/fix was.

You're doing everything good. The only thing is that many have commented on the M1 5W-30 & 10W-30 being kinda noisey in Sube motors. My 2.5 made a slight rod noise in the summer using M1 10W-30, even with only 10K miles on it. Substituting in 1 qt. of 15W-50 quelled it. Visit bobistheoilguy forum for some of the best oil disscussion you'll find anywhere.

The cruise on my '02 OBS sucks. It's got a mind of it's own. Sometimes it takes three tries to get it to catch, other times just once. Sometimes a stab at the accelerate function gives 2 mph, other times .5 mph. Totally inconsistant.

Cool info, thanks for posting. It looks like the ECU's are not radically different with regards to fuel delivery. I'd imagine that the spark curve differs between them to some degree as well, but you got no data to indicate those differences. That would be good info to know on account of the spark map being 3-dimensional, meaning it's controlled by (all) throttle openings as well as RPM (not only WOT open-loop as is fuel mapping). It looks like you've got a couple ECU choices to swap-in as you add airflow to the 4k-and-up range via cam/headwork, etc. You may already know this: a simplistic but totally effective way of controlling A/F ratio & spark lead is by manually adjusting the resistance in the IAT circuit.

I'll second the dealer ECU reflash fix for this. The only thing I'm aware that would cause this would be oil seeping into the combustion chambers overnight via the valve guides. Didn't think this was a problem on subes however. I used to have a late 70's GM that did this. After some spirited snowbank slalom work, I get a burning smell like this on my '02 OBS. It's the front transaxle seals leaking onto the cat converter.

Wow. Damn, my first impression is that it gives 6 inch better "approach angle" to the rear bumpers of other bohemoth vehicles.

Yeah, I'd been curious about that too. Based on what I've observed when I hang my head out the door, it appears to be a full rear clutch engagement just like the 1 (low) position. Good news, considering the ease at which AWD will propel you forward into deep trouble.

Also, the wheel bearing problems on the Forester were worked out (supposedly) in '03 by the switch to the Legacy roller bearing. Impreza switched a year earlier ('02). My bet is something in the transaxle or rear diff producing the noise. Only time'll tell.

The Motor Vac subject came up again this weekend on their show. They said they have a Motor Vac machine in their shop and claimed that it works fantastic on applications that warrant it. As mechanics themselves, they're sensitive to other, unscrupulous mechanics selling unneccesary proceedures to unwitting customers. That might have been their beef in the previous example.

Well, my noise was pretty loud when the temp was close to 0*F, but when the temp rose to 10*F it diminished and now that the temp has been hovering around 20*F or so, it's gone. Obviously I'd prefer to drive a car that didn't freak me out with noises, but it is what it is. So far this has been the noisest car I've ever owned. A veritable smorgasboard of audio. Piston slap, brake pad thunk, suspension squeaks, brake squeal, dash rattles, exhaust heat shield rattles, steering "bonngle" ...and now driveline howl. As far as a potential wheel bearing problem goes, I'd think that if a bearing was on it's way out, the noise would be influenced somewhat by by steering input. Steering left or right while driving is gonna change the lateral load on the affected bearing, so the noise would change too. Steering had no affect on the noise in my case. You might wanna try that test.

The 15W-40 Rotella is being referred to as "diesel oil" when it's actually a "mixed-fleet" oil. Same for Chevron Delo 400, Mobil Delvac 1300, Pennzoil Long-Life, etc. They're certified for both diesel and gas engines. Look closely at the jug, you'll see an SL approval. It's unlikely that a better warm-weather dino oil can be found, especially for a well-worn sube that appreciates a mid-15cst. viscosity. Great detergency, high shear resistance, nice chunky 4.4 cps. HTHS rating.

Several weeks back when the cold snaps were blowing across Michigan, I was getting a very similar howling noise from the driveline on my '02 OBS, but it was constant rather than pulsating. It was strongest (loudest) at about 35 mph, and also seemed to be biased slightly toward the passenger side. Also like you, I could not place the origin as front or rear. It tended to resonate the entire chassis structure to such a degree that it blurred the distinction of it's origin. Now that it's warmed up a bit, the noise has vanished.

It's a bugger to get a reading at all, let alone an accurate one. I check it with the car parked in the same spot I where I've refilled it after an oil change, so at least I have a baseline as to any consumption. After I shut it off and pull the stick, I have to wait about a half hour before I can actually go back and check the level without getting a big oil smear on the dipstick.

I hear ya. I don't even understand how they get the oil to drain back from the heads during operation. But the Subaru/Purolator part DOES have an ADBV. It's the aftermarket Purolator that doesn't. This bugs me everytime I save a couple bucks by using one.

I've seen this topic bantered around a bit, and there's a convincing argument suggesting that the ADBV is as much about keeping oil up in the block galleries as it is about keeping it in the filter. Apparently the oil in the galleries is capable of siphoning back to the pan via the same path it was pumped up through, actually working it's way back through the pump clearances (albeit slowly). The presence of an ADBV acts like your thumb over the end of the hose when you're siphoning gas. The dealer part (the Subaru-branded/Purolator-made filter) for the four-banger DOES have an ADBV, so I'm not sure if the engineering dept. saw clear benefit for including it for a vertical-mount filter, or it's inclusion is a carry-over from a previous design mounting-configuration. FWIW, I've been using the parts-store 14460 without the valve, and haven't had any catastrophe, yet I'm concerned by the possibility of some small x-tra percentage of wear at startup.

I'm not 100% on this but I thought there was also another difference between them regarding the 14459 having an anti-drainback valve, and the 14460 not having one, or something like that? If someone knows different, feel free to correct me.