Fairtax4me

You line up the cams and crank at their proper timing positions first. I've always made marks on the sprockets and covers before removing the old belt. That way you know where they should be when the new belt is on, rather than guessing on which scribe mark in the face of the sprocket is the right mark for timing. If the old belt broke, you just get to guess. :-p When the engine turns over a few times, the marks on the belt won't line up anymore anyway, so you need a solid reference point to verify timing. But all the good timing belt info out there for Subaru TB jobs takes out the guess work. You have the right sprocket marks lined up pretty much where they should be, just be sure to keep all the slack in the belt where the tensioner is in the area between the drivers side cam sprocket and the crank sprocket. If it's not the tooth count between the sprockets will be wrong and the timing will be off when you pull the pin on the tensioner.

I don't even use belt markings when I do a timing job. Some people think they help though. Place the belt on the crank sprocket first, then use a wrench to turn the cam clockwise a tooth-width or so when you place the belt on the cam sprockets. Once it's on, turn the cam back to it's original position to pull the slack out of the belt.

Dave, I ordered that puller from ToolTopia.com and it worked like a charm. Good, solid construction, and the hook provides a very positive grip on the seal when pulling. Best $13 I've spent in a long time! Redhat, How did your seal job go?

Handbrake it. That handle between the seats has saved my rump roast more than once on ice, and even a few times on completely dry pavement. You can disable the ABS if you wan't, but when you do get in an accident and your insurance finds out you disabled a safety system in the car they won't cover a penny of it.

Really?!?! I mean... Really!?!?!

If the alternator checks out, this could be a mechanical issue. Cold idle fuel mixtures are important. If the mixture is off the engine will not be able to handle even a minor load. Even something as seemingly insignificant as taking your foot off the clutch pedal can stall the engine. Turning the lights on makes the alternator work harder creating a load on the engine. This can be caused by anything from something like a vacuum leak, to a slow/sticky idle control valve, or a bad temperature sensor. When was the last time you gave this car a tune-up?

Yep. Wheels from either will fit just the same.

With no anti-seize they can become "sticky" after they've been in there long enough. Kinda like an old rusty bolt. They're probably fine. If you really want, you can shoot a quick shot of WD or PB on the plug after loosening it a turn or two.

Junkyard to the rescue! :-p Glad it worked out cheap. If my door is locked and I close it, it pops the lock lever back which unlocks the whole car. I have to hold the handle up while closing in order to lock the door.

Make sure the valve stem core is tight. Have you mounted tires before? If not done properly you can cut the bead which will create a leak where it seals against the wheel.

X2. Check the fusible link in the main fuse panel. What year and model?

Just list it as pickup only, unless someone is really willing to pay for freight to get it. Shipping engines/transmissions is more of a PITA than it's worth in the end. But there are plenty of members here in the New England region. Someone may happen to need one with that FDR and be willing to come get it.

Try Napa or Federated Auto Parts. They usually have lots of random small parts like that.

Ultra grey. But if there is one available I will use a formed gasket before sealer. Sealer is just such a PITA on a trans pan.

Did you check Car-part.com? You might be able to sell it here. Try putting it in the classified section.

That's interesting. That could mean the ECU is already in "limp mode" where it doesn't pay attention to certain sensors because of a problem related to one of them. Any OBD2 vehicle would have a CEL because of this though. Also unplugging the TPS would set a code, and illuminate the CEL. When you cycle the key ON to start the car, does the CEL illuminate for a few seconds then go out?

If rats want to get in (and they will) they'll chew right through any cover you put over the car to try and keep them out. If you must store the car, your best bet is to seal off any areas where mice/rats can enter the storage room. Thoroughly clean the entire room to remove any traces of food that might attract rodents. Do not put poison in the room since that may attract them. I'm with rooster. A much as you don't want to, you wold be better served to sell the car and buy another when you return.

Yeah the Final Drive Ratio is more important than if it has the filter. You can add a filter inline with the trans cooler if you want to. The FDR needs to match what your rear differential has or it will tear up the clutches in the transfer unit. From what I can find, your Forester S should have the 4.44 FDR. The trans you bought has 4.11. If that's the case it won't work. If you can, post the trans number from your Forester.

A little of both, but mostly heat. See this kind of thing on 04 - 08 Saab 9-3s. The coolant reservoir is plastic, and is very close to the turbo. To add to that the turbo coolant outlet drains directly to the reservoir. With regular use the heat causes the plastic to brittle and pretty much fall apart, leading to a substantial leak. Under heavy driving the hoses will blow off of the reservoir and spray coolant all over the engine bay. Saab recalled them and replaces them with brass reservoirs. If the engine got cooked that bad, I'd expect there to be other problems soon. Excessive ring/cylinder wear causing low compression. Bearing wear would mean certain death. The block or heads could be cracked or on the verge of cracking.

The radiator should not be secured straight to the chassis as this will cause it to flex WITH the chassis, which will eventually cause it to crack. There is a reason the stock mounting system uses rubber bushings.

Strip the clearcoat. Polish them with metal polish. (more difficult than it sounds) Then re-clear them. Much easier to strip the clear, sand them down, and paint or powder-coat them.

40 mpg Impreza? Now that would be something. An AWD gas sipper would sell like bottled water around here. Just hope Subaru doesn't overdo the lineup with the CVT though. The guinea pigs don't have that many miles on them yet, and there have been some issues.

Donna knows her stuff. If she can't figure it out, she'll figure it out. It essentially creates a big vacuum leak, which could lead to idle problems, and crappy fuel mileage.

NO they should be disassembled, cleaned, and re-greased whenever the caliper is removed to prevent them from seizing. If they seize the pads will not wear correctly, the rotor will glaze and can become warped. If left that way long enough it can cause damage to the caliper piston, resulting in a seized piston. This will cause the pad to drag on the rotor at all times, which will warp the rotor, cause a drop in gas mileage, boil the brake fluid, and even lead to fire in extreme cases.

It's not the actual bolts that slide. People often call them "slide bolts", but it's just a phrase. The bolt just locks the slider to the caliper bracket. It's the surface of the slide inside the rubber boot that contacts the caliper that needs the grease. And yes you should use a special grease. The boots get water in them or the old grease hardens and the slide gets jammed/stuck/seized/rusted to the caliper. Petroleum based grease causes the rubber boots to deteriorate. They expand and can jam up the slide, they also eventually dry out and crack. Then water gets in and rusts the slide. Tuns-a-fun to try and get that rusted up slide out. It's usually easier to just replace the caliper and get new slides if that happens.