lostinthe202

The way I figure it, your socket has to be long enough for your handle to clear the plane of the holder, so there's no real need for that press brake u-shape in the holder other than to allow the two lugs to be short so as not to twist or deform while torquing the bolt down. I'm not sure what the torque rating is for those bolts or how thick in the OD those lugs are, but just guessing form the pic, it looks like I could use 3/8 rod or better which should handle that fine. As for construction, I figured to leave the bar flat and put two holes in it, put the rods in the holes, weld it up. As for making the bar... that's what the laser cutter is for:grin:

I second njdrsubarus request for pics of homemade ones. Or failing that, anyone have one of these they'd be willing to post some measurements of? I'm about to tackle this job too and I've already spent a small fortune on parts and supplies, so if I could make one of these instead of buying that would peachy! Thanks!! Will-

Looks like 3/4 NPT is your animal. The tap drill size for that is 59/64 Again, a good hardware store should have both the taps and the drill, but you may be stuck buying a set. MSC carries the tap and the drill individually for not too much. They carry both import stuff and USA made, so it's up to you how much you want to spend on the stuff, their website - http://www.mscdirect.com Tap - $16.29 http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMAKA=04350070 Drill - $19.91 http://www1.mscdirect.com/CGI/NNSRIT?PMPXNO=1682675&PMT4NO=37018041 Grizzly Tool is another discount tool dealer like harbor freight. they've got an NPT set for about twice the price as the single tap from MSC. It's total junk I'm sure, but if you only need to do the occasional NPT tapping... http://www.grizzly.com/products/6-pc-NPT-Tap-Set/H0465 The 59/64 is not a commonly used size so most places may not carry it as an individual bit, so you may be stuck buying it singly on line. When you do the tapping, most taps have a center drilled hole in the back of them. Since this is a pretty big tap and it's gonna take some meat to move it, you might have a buddy help hold things straight. If you have a center punch and hand drill, put the center drill in the chuck of the drill and have your buddy hold it against the back of the tap. That way he/she can hold the tap straight while you crank that bad boy around with a wrench. Also, use some sort of cutting oil. The hardware store should have something available with their taps. Also, don't drive the tap too far in, like only about 1/2 way up or else the threads will get too big and the plug won't seal. anyway, ramble ramble... My comments aren't meant to demean your tapping abilities, you could very well be a tapping ninja. But in case you aren't... Good Luck! Will-

Yes, a good hardware store would have the plugs, they usually either have a square head or an allen head. Not sure if they would have the tap outside of buying a set. You can order the tap (and drill if necessary) from McMaster.com which has pretty fast shipping. if the hole is around a 1/2 inch, that means you'll 'prolly use a 1/4 or 3/8 NPT. The tap drill size for 1/4" NPT is 7/16 so you might check the hole with a 7/16 drill bit if you have one around. The next common size up is the 3/8 NPT which has a tap drill size of 37/64 (one size above 9/16). Doubtful you'd have that size kicking around so you'd need to pick that up with the tap. Will-

Just remember when you're tapping, not to drive the tap in too far, like only go about half way up the tap in or you will make them to big and the tapers won't seal against each other Will-

I'd stay away from the heating or welding method in this case, brake fluid burns at like 500 or so degrees F so that might get a little.... hot. Left twist drill bits are great as stated by others. If you can't find them at the places others mentioned, these guys carry them (and just about everything else) and you will get your stuff usually the next day if you live in a big city. Good Luck! EDIT forgot the link!! http://www.mcmaster.com/

My '96 Leg. OB does this too, has since I got it (2 years ago). I also never use the rear wiper or washer. I wasn't as creative as Skip tho, I just crimped it at the tank and forgot all about it.... but I really like Skip's idea 'cause their is no shortage of people trying to count the hairs on the back of my head! When I rode a motorcycle daily I used to push the centerstand down when I got tailgated at night, sent a show of sparks which got 'em backing off real fast. Haven't thought of a way to get my roo to do it... Will-

my vote... http://www.vw-store.com/Buggy%20Frames-%20Chassis.htm

Thanks, I will Will-

Good idea gents. I just happen to have a baster sitting around... thanks Will-

Yes, '96 Legacy OB, 1 gallon of washer fluid was what I was expecting, thus my faint surprise at filling it so quickly.. Thanks for the tip on the coolant over flow bolts, i'll be careful. Will-

Just thought I'd share... 4:30am, 20ish degrees, frosty windshield on the wagon, can't find scrapper no juice in the washer. Turn car on, blast heater, go retrieve washer fluid from garage, fumble with container flashlight and hood, drop flashlight on foot, curse my slippery fingers and bleary eyes, flip open lid and fill.... the COOLANT OVERFLOW!! dang... I wondered why it took like a third of the bottle of washer fluid:dead: at least it was still cold, no chance it got into the rad. who says only monday mornings suck? thanks for visually listening Will-

My hatch had the same problem of a finicky key cylinder. I first tried buying one and got one for an '89 3-door instead of an '89 hatch (ea81, which requires I ask for parts from an '84, thanks GD). I wired in a momentary switch rated for more volts and amps then the car is capable of producing and used the same gauge wire as what was on the key cylinder and after confirming with a MM that voltage was getting as far as the cylinder, I cut and soldered into the battery and starter lines at the junction plug for the key cylinder and added a switch which I put into a hole in the dash that is plugged by the factory for some option I don't have, it's silver and looks quite spiffy and only gets used when the key doesn't want to work. I'm no wiring genius by any means, but I don't see the problem with doing this as long as you're using wire and switches that are as good or better then the stock stuff, right? Will-

Well I guess since nobody can say for sure, I'll just go trial by But, I would say that GD is p'rolly right. I called a bunch of different dealers in Cali and they all said that as long as the stuff that came with the car is doing it's job it should pass without a problem... ...kinda made me wonder what's the point of making a distinction between a 50 state and a 49 state if they both pass the same standard:-\ ah well, I suppose there is some other reason, i'dno...

Yep, called three Cali dealers and each said that it should pass smog fine as long as all the original equipment is working properly. Soooooooo, That being the case, anyone wanna buy a hatch? I'll post in the "for sale" this weekend when I can take some pics. Thanks ya'll!! Will-

yeah, I posted about towing before I searched, then I searched and found that, oops!

Nice score! I had a similar experience when I did the belt on my 2.2. the book (crapodelic Haynes p.o.s.) said to have all three marks line up with the marks on the covers, and that the cam pulley marks should be in the 12 o'clock position (or something like that, the details are a bit fuzzy now). Anyway, before I took the old belt off, I rotated and rotated and rotated, but there was just no place that the all the marks lined up to where they were supposed to be. So I got it as close as I could and just made sure the pulleys stayed where they were when I took the old belt off. I figured if it ran fine before, it should run fine after... and it did:grin: ... now if only I had had the correct water pump, I wouldn't be changing my t-belt again 20k miles later:mad: That being said, I should mention that I knew my engine is non-interference (96 or before) so if I did get it wrong, nothing bad would've happened;) Will-

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=83596&highlight=towing

Yeah... I'm not sure which it is. I kick myself for not changing it, but I live 50 miles from work with no public transit option and this happened before I had the hatch and my bike was still in boxes, so it HAD to be back on the road, I couldn't wait for the correct pump. But since I'll be keeping the OB, as it looks like the OB is the obvious favorite and I promised myself (and my wife) that I would abide by the popular vote, I'm going to suck it up and replace the t-belt (again, already did the pullys/tensioner tho), t-stat, water pump, rad, and whatever parts I find out about for the Cali emissions thing. I need to do whatever work I'm going to do now before I loose my shop space. Not looking forward as it was a PITA to do. Anything else in the preventative maint. dept.? Yeah the "fee calculator" has me paying about $75 Your books have anything interesting to say about the emissions gear? (edit, sorry just saw your response about the books on the other thread, thanks anyway!!) Will-

Thanks. Today when the sleepy west coast wakes up I'm gonna try and call a few more Cali dealers and see if I can get a consensus. Will-

Already did. No break for out-of-towners unless I want to "retire" my gross polluter for some laughable amount of money.

Hiya, I've got a '96 Legacy OB wagon that I bought in Pa. I'm going to be moving to Ca in July and I'm trying to figure out the whole smog thing. Here's the scoop: I was in an accident a few months ago that necessitated the replacement of my hood which has the emissions sticker on it telling me whether or not my car is a Cali model. At a Cali dealer's bidding, I contacted Subaru-America who looked up my Vin# and confirmed that it is indeed NOT a Cali model car. The fella I was speaking with said that it could be converted to Cali model for around 4-500 (not including labor) but couldn't tell me which parts needed to be changed(??). I called up the Cali dealer I spoke with before and he (a different guy) told me that my car should have no problems passing even though it's 49 state as long as my equipment is operating properly. It was suggested to me by a forum member that I may want a second opinion and that I might find a qualified answer from you fine people. So how 'bout it, any ideas? Thanks!! Will-

It's had some odd behavior in the cooling department for a bit now. One day on the freeway in traffic it started to overheat, got a bit above .5 on the dial then dropped really suddenly (coinciding with the acceleration following the ease in traffic), back to normal which for this car has always been just covering the little water lines on the gauge. When I got to work I checked the coolant level and it was low so I added and it was fine for the next few months. Then sometime after the afore mentioned bumper sandwich it started to run hot on a regular basis (about .5 up the dial) but only when I was pointed even just slightly uphill and only at low rpm (2k or less). If I down shift it usually will return to normal. The rad wasn't damaged in the accident as far as I can tell. If it wasn't for the overheating incident before the accident I would've suspected either a kink in the hose letting some air in or some of the rad's tubes getting blocked. My other thought was a thermostat not opening all the way. Also, as I mentioned earlier, I didn't change the water pump when I did the timing belt. I was given the wrong pump and the right one was not to be had for a several days and at the time the legy was my only way to get to work. But the water pump isn't making any noise I can hear and no leaks, so I dunno. Yes please:) Will-

Hmm... I sense an ulterior motive behind your answer, You and Skip will have to duke it out... But if you (or skip) are serious I'll take and send some pics when I get home Will-

explain please...