Olnick

'Scuse me but I got lost after this post. Did you get the crank pulley bolt tightened?

Try the Kartboys and the TiC bushings--I think you'll get a more pleasant feel from your shifter. Since your car is so new your linkage bushings should still be okay. Good luck and let us know how it goes.

This is from memory so someone please correct me if I'm wrong--there are basically 3 "sets" of bushings in the shifter "system": 1) Front and rear bushings for the stabilizer bar--round one in front that attaches to the tranny, rectangular one in rear that attaches to the car body (hidden under the storage box in the center console). These are what Kartboys replace. 2) The linkage bushings in the "universal joint" that connects your shifter mechanism to the rod protruding from the tranny. Pretty much stuck with Subaru OEM here since no one makes upgraded ones (except Legacy777 who made his own out of nylon!) 3) The pivot bushing--what you refered to above as 5" below the shift knob. This is where I recommended the TiC product. There . . . clear as mud now?!!

Agree with Legacy777, shifter feel is probably the most important factor. When I was "rebuilding" my shifter system I had to wait for the linkage bushings to arrive, so I put the TiC pivot bushings in before the Kartboy and Subaru bushings. I was very pleasantly surprised at the difference the TiCs alone made! How are your custom nylon bushings doing, Legacy777?

If you're going with Kartboys you might also consider Turn in Concept (TiC) "pivot bushings" for the shift lever to control rod joint. Reasonably priced and made a tremendous difference in feel. Recommend highly!

Oh, by the way I'm not a big fan of gold wheels but your photoshop looks fantastic--good job!

Durania, I suspect no one is answering because there are as many approaches to this as there are USMB members! But . . . I'll stick my neck out and say how I'd tackle it. I'd do all of this with the old tires still on the rims: 1. Take the wheel off and clean all dirt and grease off with detergent or Simple Green. 2. Remove the old finish (paint, clearcoat) with paint stripper. May take a couple of goes. 3. Wet sand thoroughly with progressive grades (400/600/1000?) of wet-and-dry sandpaper. Then have the new tires mounted and balanced, and: 4. Wash thoroughly again, wipe down with degreaser. 5. Mask and spray. Hope this helps. Good luck.

It's not necessary to put cylinder #1 at TDC. I don't know why Haynes says that--and yes, it confused the heck outa' me when I did my first timing belt change too. Use this as a guide: http://endwrench.com/images/pdfs/2.2SingleOverWin01.pdf Good luck.

More power to you my friend! Your pix are great--hope you can keep up the visual documentation as you progress. I'm looking forward to that.

Check the wiring/soldering on the back of the lighter. I think it was talked about a long time ago. Might want to try a search.

Welcome aboard, Kris. You certainly found the right place to talk about Subarus. Just be aware that our feelings won't be unbiased!!! From what I envision as your geography, climate and lifestyle I think an Outback would be an excellent choice. They're rugged, dependable and fun to drive. Relatively easy to work on too. The only drawback is the HG weakness, but you say you are aware of that. Some questions: When you say "pulling my car" do you mean towing another vehicle? That's something we don't do much here. Are Subarus very common in your area? You might want to check on parts availability and service--and the expense involved. Are you mechanically inclined? Can you do basic (or advanced) work on a car yourself? With good maintenance a Subaru should last you a long time. Good luck with your decision--and feel free to ask questions. Aloha!

That puzzles me too. If the center of the harmonic balancer is turning, then the crank is also turning. Maybe the OP can clarify.

Funny, I'd never heard of sealant being used there before. What kind does the manual specify? What have people used?

Now that's my kinda' woman. Get that lady an Impreza!

Ah, the beautiful land of the long white cloud. Welcome! Your experience/input/logic/diagnostic skills will certainly be appreciated here. Might be a good idea to put New Zealand in your identification--could help those reading your posts to understand "where you're coming from." I know it helps me to know someones geographic location. Aloha!

The A/F sensor is a term sometimes used for the front O2 sensor. I think it stands for "Air/Fuel".

I feel your pain, outdoor. If I were you I would contact SOA (Subaru Of America) and ask to talk to the regional rep. But before that I'd call the dealership and ask for a face-to-face meeting with the highest person there--the General Manager or, preferably, the owner. Explain the situation as you did for us in your first post. Ask him point blank why the actual problem was not discovered and fixed. Let him/her know you intend to contact SOA but that you'd like to give them a chance to correct the situation first. You'll never get your money back on the work they did for you (or to you!) but at the very least they need to help get your car back on the road. Then, if/when the problem gets solved avoid that dealership like the plague--sounds like they are either totally incompetent or totally scam-artists or both, Good luck to you. Keep us posted.

Might want to check the tensioner while you're in there.

What kind of transmission do you have? If it's an automatic I believe you can use the trick mentioned in this writeup: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=21715&highlight=automatic+timing+belt If it's a manual you can leave the transmission in 5th gear. As added insurance when I did it, my son sat in the car and applied the brakes while I torqued the crank pully nut. There is no seal per se on the oil pump (or has it changed since my '95?!!). It is a good idea to take the oil pump off to check the screws holding the backing plate to the pump body--use loctite and re-tighten them if loose. Then re-install with a new o-ring and the proper sealant. The main crank seal is right there in the middle of the oil pump. If you need to replace it I believe they recommend doing it after the pump has been reinstalled. Good luck!

Congratulations! Ought to be a nice ride--enjoy!

Hey, guyz! Did something to the old Suby last week that really made it run better! Seems to have fixed that terrible scraping sound coming from deep down in the engine (anybody else heard that--kinda scratchy metallic sound? Is this a common flaw in Subies or something?) I changed the oil! Boy does my car run better now. Would I do this again? You bet I would! Really, really suggest you consider doing it to your Sub. Used full synthetic, got it in a group buy (at least there were a heckuva lot of people in line at the WalMart.) I can do a technical writeup on the procedure if anyone's interested. Sorry I didn't take any pics though. Ooops, gotta' go now--wife is making her special BBQ chicken for dinner. Mmmm! (Hope it doesn't cause constipation this time.) Anyway, just wanted to share my good news with you. Squeak, squeak!

Sorry 'bout that. But any Legacy wagon thru '96 can be a good drive!

Interesting dilemma! Can't help you make the decision--I've been driving my '95 Legacy Wagon for nine years and absolutely love the EJ22 AWD with 5-speed manual. But I still miss my '85 GL wagon, FWD, 5-speed! Never thought of it as underpowered ('course I had just stepped up from a VW diesel Rabbit!) just that the 1.8L required a bit of driving skill and the 5-speed allowed it to sparkle. It made driving fun. So the '98 may be your logical choice . . . but the GL could easily be my emotional choice. Good luck with your decision.