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Last week I was looking for idlers and water pump for my son's 97 Lego. Mizumoauto on ebay had a kit that was supposed to come with NTN or GMB idlers and tensioner roller. I got the kit today and it was all "Kabuki" Never heard of them, and suspect they are some no name Chinese rebrand. Anyone had any experience with these or the ebay seller Mizumoauto?

Thanks for the offer. I am going to replace everything and it is not economical for me to order a kit without that idler. I already have a belt.

Thanks, I have only worked on the new style.

Looking at the kits online, I cannot tell which tension idler it is in any of the kits. Anyone have a photo of the old style tension idler? The build date on this car is 12/96, so it should be the old one.

If that is the original engine, it is most definitely a phase II motor. I had one identical that went at 108,000miles while running 40mph. Had to replace every valve and get the heads done. Don't mess with half measures on that engine. Replace everything under there. That's belt, water pump, all idlers and tensioner. You can find good parts online far less expensive than Subaru. Do the V belts while you are at it and also; Check the AC belt tensioner pulley. That is what broke on mine and sent the AC belt cutting through the timing belt cover and knocked the timing belt off.

My son's 97 2.2 wagon is due for a timing belt change. Does anyone know which tensioner the 97 came with? If it is the old style, is the tensioner idler pulley the same as the new style? We will only have a few hours to do the job, and don't want to leave it open waiting for the right part to arrive. While I am at it, the records show the water pump changed last time @103k miles- now has 177K. I don't mind spending the extra for a pump, but I have not had good luck with the pump bolts. Last one I did on a 2000 Impreza, 5 of the bolts pulled out before I got 9 pounds of torque on them and had to helicoil them. If the pump idler is good and the pump not leaking, should it last another 60K?

+1 for the hose. Happened to me.

so how do you get them out of the crossmember already installed in the car? Changing the crossmember is not an option, the bolts for the diff are too rusted. Could they be cut out with a sawzall?

Will they press out, without damaging the arm. Then I have to think about the one that is currently on the car. How did you cut them out, with a sawzall?

I had the same thing on the Impreza. It was a bad wheel bearing. Not a do-it yourself job for the average guy. You need a press.

Got a used suspension from a yard. The monkey that pulled the parts cut the rear lateral link off the crossmember with a torch, because he couldn't get the bolt out. Any suggestions for getting that bolt out of the frame side of the rear lateral link?

Yep, I can see that happening.. as hard as mine was to come off. I went slow, quarter turn of bolt, then tapping drum, another quarter turn, more tapping, etc.. It came slowly but surely.

I'm dealing with a similar issue. Son hit a curb with rear wheel. Wheel is shot. Forward lateral link bent/ twisted and the ear on the subframe or cross-member where the link bolts on was bent aft, so the bolt head was rubbing on the axle boot clamp. The strut was bowed also. Had a frame shop straighten the cross member and bolted on a new lateral link and trailing arm. and strut. Replaced rim and drove it. I think it must have damaged the bearings. There is a growl and when I turn the spindle by hand I feel a little roughness and a little bump, once each revolution. I just gotta figure how to get that long bolt free from the knuckle that the two lateral links bolt to, so I can replace the hub and knuckle. Any tips?

Two bolts, and a hammer, it came off okay.

Thanks, that makes it easy. No extra trip to town needed.

I need to pull the rear drums, to replace shoes. What size/pitch bolt is needed to screw into holes to back the drum off? Mine are pretty rusty.

I had a similar issue a while back, but went with a new bearing. Buying used from a junk yard.. what the likelihood of getting one that does not have a bad bearing- if bearing problems on these is common?

The link is bent/twisted. The rear one is not but the bracket for the sway bar bushing is widened out just a bit. He was only doing about 25 when he started the spin before he hit the curb. It was at a sort of oblique angle, pushing in and forward against the wheel. Didn't even deflate the tire.

Tried a pry bar, but not enough purchase to get any real pry on it. Plus, being so close to the ground, there is not enough room for a long bar, even on stands. Think I will have the local body shop/wrecker/ haul it in and put it on a rack to straighten the cross member. He does pull frames. I really don't want to try and replace the cross member. Some of the bolts on the drive shaft housing? are really rusted bad, so dropping the diff would be a major task itself.

I'm thinking of cutting the link off near the knuckle so I can use it to lever the crossmember ear back into postion. Since the hub is probably ruined I may replace the hub and knuckle anyway. What do you think?

I'll try to get the wife's camera later and get photos. Is it necessary to remove the axle to change the forward lateral link? How is removing the rear different from the front?

Thanks very much. How are you able to bend that ear back forward, or hammer it? Maybe if it is up on a lift I could get some leverage, but with what. The bolt that holds the front link on the crossmember is just touching the axle boot clamp, so there is not much room there.

Thanks. He sure went to a lot of work to get the axle off. I didn't even have to remove the brake caliper. Just he tie rod end and separate the ball joint. Maybe next time I will take some pictures and post it. Hopefully not too soon, but I do have 2 subies with high miles.

Our 2000 Impreza OB took a hit to the left rear wheel last week- against a curb. The ear on the cross-member or hangar or whatever the differential is bolted to is bent where the control arm attaches. I think that is what these parts are called. I could really use a rear suspension diagram that shows the parts by name so I can order what I need. I'm hoping that hanger, or crossmember can be heated and pulled back, other wise it is going to be a much bigger/expensive job. Control arm is bent and I think the hub and knuckle is too.

Bad gas and varnish in the injectors. This crappy car gas we have no has a shelf life of about 4 months before it starts to go bad. Nasty stuff. Pull those injectors- be sure to have new seals, and clean the injectors with injector cleaner. There may be a way to do it with them installed, but I've never done it. I had a similar problem with my 2000 impreza, after it sat for about 6 months. Cleaning the injectors did the trick.