man on the moon

Trying to change my transmission to a 5 speed dr. made good time until it was time to punch the roll pins first one got stuck part way out, as did the little phillips screwdriver I was punching it with. Second pin won't budge, but that's a moot point as long as the first is jammed. Pulled pushed whacked oiled. Moved the motor for more working room (jack under the transmission). Short of a hacksaw which I will do, anyone have a better plan? Can't drive it as is with a screwdriver banging around. Can't get it out to fix/trash it and cut my losses...

When you are trying to turn it by hand...it's not in gear, is it? Stupid question, I know, but I've made that mistake more than once--and sometimes even scratch my head at it for a while.

I thought I might get two replies, and here are two pages . I'll put ATF in first since that's what I have on hand, and poke around for something heavier weight to put in after a week or two.

I should add: Personally I think you'll have a way worse time cleaning all the old gasket sh*t off the heads/manifold than you will re-doing the vacuum lines. Get it as close as you can and slather the gasket with gray goop and put it together (no leaks yet for me, knock on wood).

The vacuum lines look worse than they are. Most are bent into shape and will fit only one spot unless you force them. Well, assuming you only disconnect one end--if you take them all the way off I make no promises. That said, my preferred method is to use masking tape and a #2 pencil or maybe an ink pen. Wrap a spot with a strip of tape and give it a number, wrap it's mate and give it the same number. Way easier than 100 different sharpies! Pull the tape off when you're done.

Yes, manual. Every parts store and junkyard person I've asked has recommended something different (and I forgot to list heavy duty gear oil, dag-nab-it!).

I'm changing the clutch and transmission fluid this weekend (and the transmission, but it's still a 5-speed). Not sure what fluid to use. Any recommended fluids for a Loyale? Motor Oil? ATF? Brake Fluid? I've heard a lot of things and not sure which I should go after. It does get cold here, but stiffness isn't a total dealbreaker (though it will be nice if it doesn't gum up in the mornings). I'm prone to ATF but not dead set. I also don't want to put something bad in there and find out the hard way I shouldn't have listened to so-and-so (and yeah, you guys are 'the internet', but don't count as such in this case).

I should clarify so I don't sound completely incompetent (just forgetful). I didn't want to mess with the power steering and A/C compressor, I just wanted to get home, being tired and having worked 60 hours on top of doing the heads that same week. I *forgot* these things hold the belt for the water pump (the water pump was already on). This is as opposed to intentionally *skipping* the water pump. Ok, my hole is probably no shallower, but I feel better about it. (I still haven't found any of those damn bolts btw, I think I'm taking the bus to the junkyard this weekend). And I'll see if I can get pictures to explain the dumb thing the PO did.

I remembered another stpodtys, but it requires pictures for full effect. I will try to take some in the next couple days. In the meanwhile, I had a hell of a moment today that was a stupid thing *I* did to my Subaru. And felt like an rump roast, too. I spent the weekend at a friend's apartment doing my headgaskets (EA82). It went as well as can be expected all things considered, minus two thunderstorms and police with guns and dogs in the parking lot...they screeched in and yelled "away from the car! AWAY FROM THE CAR!". I was very confused for a minute until I realized they were after someone about four cars down from me. That was an adrenaline rush. But that wasn't the stupid thing I did. The stupid thing I did was get lazy and, once I got the car running, decided not to put the power steering pump on--I was only going a couple miles on surface streets, and a straight shot at that (no turns). I also didn't put the A/C compressor on, or the alternator...or the water pump pulley. D'oh. Got about a mile and thought "man the motor is warming up quick!", pulled over...yeah. The rainstorm melted the box I had the bolts in, and I haven't found the a/c ones yet (part of the motivation to not put the top bits on). Well, I found one in the dark at the gas station in the bad part of town that is between our apartments. And I discovered the small bolt that holds the bottom of the alt to its swing arm fits in one of the small a/c compressor holes, so I strung it together (did I mention it was pitch black except for my phone? and a streetlight?) and got home on three bolts between the a/c and alternator without further incident, though it was a real nailbiter. I don't *think* I overheated (I was watching the gauge the whole time), but might have--or may have come close. I didn't hear any noises typical of overheating, didn't have any problems, and the engine cooled down to the point I could handle it bare handed in very short order, though the hoses did not--I am hoping the water absorbed enough heat (and I noticed in time) to mitigate any real damage, but only time will tell, I guess. Maybe I will use this as an excuse to get rid of the motor in six months or a year and put in something a little better???

I have gotten the valves out in the past without a puller by (roughly) the following: 1--Put the head 'block side' down on some sort of frame; two boards, a couple wrenches, some stacked cardboard, etc (you need the small lift to keep the valves from accidentally smacking the floor if you push too much) 2--Stand on the edges of the spring, or use a ginormous pliery type tool of some sort (protect the metal of the head if you use a mickey mouse tool). 3--The little clip thingys that hold the valves and springs in place should now be accessible for removal. The valves can also be removed at this point. --- As for the lifters...good luck, you'll need it. As for cleaning, brake fluid and a wire brush or fine grain sand paper does well (800ish).

When I've done it I did it from the engine side, way less lying on my back that way. I didn't pull it out of the engine bay, just undo the motor mount bolts on each side--if you undo only the one you have to lift the motor as well. Slide it forward and rolled it a few degrees so the clutch area was exposed. (Put a piece of plywood against the radiator so you don't smash it in). If you undo the crossmember mount bolt you have to lift the motor as well. Easier to undo the pair of bolts holding the mount to the motor and just slide it (but it's up to you--works either way).

Replace the radiator cap, too! The little bugger has cost a lot of people a lot of problems. Doubly true if it's the original (as the radiator might be if your check is correct). If it's not holding pressure...that's bad.

I got one with a pretty damn good body and low miles (later figured out the odometer is broken, but that's another story). I didn't want to wait around for 'the one' so I got one and am swapping in bits and pieces as I go along. Soon it will be perfect . And by soon I mean someday before the next century dawns. Or just a lot of work and a bit of money (I posses the proper dr/ 5sp, and have a list of easier, less expensive projects to pursue after that--seats, 2nd battery/inverter, CB, etc).

On my Loyale, and I think most, the stock default is for it to turn on at a certain engine temperature. For whatever reason mine didn't turn on until I was approaching the red (that's how I knew when I was too close to overheating, it would squeal at me). As for testing it, there is a coupler thingy a few inches from the fan body that plugs the fan into the wiring harness. Unplug this and run a pair of wires from the battery to the fan. Touch one wire to each pole in the thingy, doesn't matter which (the fan direction will reverse depending which way you wire it). I've wired mine to a switch inside the cabin so I can turn it on whenever I want/need as it was waiting too long the way it was set up when I bought the car.

A super easy check/repair: make sure all the wiring harnesses are connected! There are two or three couplers on the transmission harness and one could have popped loose or become corroded. This is a way easier check than tearing apart...everything. And if it ISN'T that, then you can move on to the next hardest check/test.

Did you mean you turned the CAM 180? If you only turn the crank 180...actually, I have no idea what would happen. Turn the CRANK 360, which will spin the first cam (assuming it started with the mark pointing up/lined up with the valve cover seam/timing belt cover notch) so it is pointing down, 180 degrees from where it was.

I wired my electric fan to a switch inside the cabin. The wiring goes battery-->fan-->switch-->battery/ground. I just crimped a donut wire connector thing onto the wire and slid that over the tightening screw on the battery terminal so it stays permanently. You could probably wire it to a timer pretty easily, too. But like the others said, once the car is off it isn't producing any more heat, and the water pump isn't running so whatever water movement is happening is due to the heat gradient and not the water pump.

This almost qualifies as murder! But a gold mine for the rest of us. Our local yards here "have no idea" on any car, so it's a crapshoot for the most part.

I think I might cry. Also: how do you know the transmission is bad? Does your yard list the problem/s the car was brought in for?

I'm interested in whether this is as good a deal as the guy says, and what it might be worth iyho. Link: http://tucson.craigslist.org/cto/2585082239.html If it runs I would consider flying down and driving it home, assuming no one grabs it before I do . Yes, I know it is Tucson's Craigslist, but Mesa (the town in the ad) is a Phoenix suburb.

My five speed Loyale does this sometimes if I forget to downshift and the RPMs get too low...load/hill, stomping on the gas does nothing until I say "oh, the shifter is in the wrong spot!". Not sure from your description, but it's not just 'lugging' a wee bit, is it?

I think the lowest I've ever gotten is 21mpg going through the mountains having left a vacuum line undone, resulting in a super rich mix in the intake manifold. Oops. My current commute is about 50/50 city/highway (25 miles total) and I am getting just over 27mpg per tank, so I figure about 24/31 or so???

Undoing the lines will release a lot of gas under a lot of pressure and give you a high you won't forget (if you can even remember it). Way easier to put a 22mm ratchet head on a breaker bar, put the bar in a pipe, rest the pipe oh the previous post explains it well enough :-p . Just don't undo the condenser without at least bleeding the system (there is a relief valve on one of the A/C lines, look near the radiator overflow tank). And I recommend not doing it at all unless you want to then recharge the system. Or do like I did and just take the A/C out alltogether (I left the compressor in for belt routing).

I am only 5' 3". I am...or rather, let me try it another way. I am more than comfortable in the back of my Loyale, a 360 van would be luxury, almost as big as my studio apartment!

Any chance your alignment is tweaked and the tire is starting to sing?