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Setright

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Posts posted by Setright

  1. Hmm...Brat...I am not sure how much is adjustable on the rear. Toe should be, and you probably have too much toe-out, causing the inner side to be "dragged". Aim for 0.0 if you get an alignment.

     

    It's also possible that a bushing is worn out or a suspension arm is bent. Get the car in for an alignment, the numbers usually help explain the problems.

  2. Fairfax!

     

    Synpower cured the 2nd and 3rd gear crunch in my Alcyone Tubro..from 1988! Previous owner had tried ATF...drain, replace with SYnpower...drive 50 or so miles...plain sailing :)

     

    1st gear still a notchiness, but no crunch.

     

     

    It has also kepy my 1999 Impreza shifting smooth...and fast!

     

    Synpower is in ALL the Danish Subaru's these days...word spreads fast in the local club ;-)

  3. I agree with Gross that cap failure at that age is unusual. However, cap failure isn't that seldom...from 5 years onward, it's something to keep an eye on, or just replace before failure.

     

    Anyway, if the cap seal leaked, that would be consistent with your symptoms. Not only the lost fluid, but also a smell that doesn't go away overnight.

     

    The leaking seal means no pressure in the cooling system, and the coolant expands and overflows in the reservoir, which has a small weep hole, that faces the radiator: That's the source of the smell. It will fade.

     

    I would say, take it easy, don't worry about it, enjoy the ride, and in a week or two, pop the hood again. If the coolant level is normal, all is well :-)

  4. Ouch, this is an old thread.

     

    Knowing my own attention to detail, I cannot imagine that I overlooked the 40C rating on 5W-50. Perhaps the specs have changed through the years.

     

    Delvac is still a good oil, but in more recent years, I have switched over to Valvoline products.

     

    MaxLife 5W-40 keeps the piston slapping down, AND stops those annoying weeping seals. So for winter, this is what goes in.

     

    Summer is VR-5W-50, also Valvoline.

     

     

    Anyone who has not yet tried Valvoline Synpower TDL 75W-90 in their manual gearbox, has something to look forward to!

  5. Accelerate using roughly 50% throttle, and get to the intended speed quickly. Miss a gear shift too. And then run at a constant speed as far as possible, in the highest gear that keeps you over 1500-2000rpm.

     

    From standstill...1st gear until 2500-3000rpm, then 2nd all the way up to 60km/h...and straight into 4th.

     

     

    Yes, it really does work.

     

     

    Slow acceleration, and too much throttle feathering is old-style, for carburator engines, with acceleration pumps. Multi-point electronic injection requires new thinking and driving styles.

     

     

    Also, coupled with the shorter stroke, compared to older engines, there just isn't the torque needed to pull high gear/low rpm. That's why it is wrong to only use first gear to the get the car moving, and then shift into 2nd as soon as you can. You need to accelerate enough to make 2nd pull cleanly from no less than 1500-2000rpm.

     

    High rpm's, during acceleration aren't the killer of good economy. Steady speed cruising with high rpms will often be less economic. But look also the amount of throttle opening...sometimes, higher rpm, with the engine breathing optimally, with give the best economy.

     

    I am NOT saying you should drive around in 2nd gear, with 5500rpms :rolleyes: Just consider if maybe 3rd gear is the best for city traffic, where I expect your speed swings from 40-60km/h. Don't worry about 4th gear, stick with 3rd, this will also keep the rpms high enough to allow fuel cut-off when you release the throttle. And 3rd should still pull well at 40km/h.

     

     

    ( I am European too, and have owned and driven many manual Subarus)

  6. Well, if the above aren't the causes, then I expect you may have damaged the seals on the piston in the brake master cylinder.

     

    It went to the floor, right? Meaning the piston sweeped an area it doesn't normally contact, and the cylinder could be rough or corroded and therefore ripped a piston seal.

     

    Master cylinder rebuild....it's not rocket science :)

  7. I can see what is in the picutures!! Maybe my tender 35 years gives me good eyesight :rolleyes:

     

     

    Anyway, nothing is broken, those two things just need to be pressed together again. The part on top has been off, in order to fill power steering fluid into the reservoir below it.

     

    Sqeaking is likely to be belts. IF they have been tensioned too hard, the bearing in the pump might be worn out, and it can be quite noisy too.

  8. We have progressed into a theory/practice conflict, like so many internet discussions :)

     

    I wouldn't panic about fitting my space-saver spare wheel, with stock diameter, along with my too-large winter tyres. Sure, I would't run this setup for years, but honestly, real-world driving is nothing like the theoretical operation of the AWD system.

     

    Motorways here in Denmark are never perfectly straight. Someone (a smart person, in my opinion) decided that by having the motorways curve slightly, drivers tend to stay awake because the have to steer the car. Obviously, very large radius bends, where 80mph(130km/h) doesn't push the limits of cornering grip.

     

    Why do I share this information? Because driving on these sweeping motorways doesn't cook the center diff, just like MilesFox says it won't :)

  9. Well, if you run the odd-size tyres on the front axle, you shouldn't worry.

     

    The diff in the front is open, allowing different wheel rotational speeds without frying anyything.

     

    Sure, the open diff will be working constantly, and might just heat the diff oil up a little, but not enough to kill anything anytime soon.

     

     

    The rear axle has a limited slip, which well get hot and bothered pretty quickly.

     

     

     

     

    (The center diff won't notice anything. That's only if you fit two larger tyres on one axle alone.)

  10. Four years? On brakes that been in use....time for new calipers, or a serious refurbish. The piston seals will have seized up the pistons, even if the glider pins are stille moving.

     

    You can do it yourself, but you have to know what you are doing. It's not rocket science, at all, but they are your brakes so need to be confident in them.

     

    For a refurb, you will need new pistons and a seal kit...probably for all four brakes. Gliders are a maybe.

  11. Well, I guess I did overlook that :eek::)

     

     

    Still...what was your reaction to the pedal pulsing? You really have to stomp on the pedal, and keep the pressure up.

     

    I know that a locked wheel, that can dig into the snow is very effective at stopping the car, but it is almost useless on ice or compacted snow. You need studs for that to work.

     

     

    If you do keep the pressure on the brake pedal, you will find that the ABS allows momentary lock-up, before releasing the wheel again. Lots of pulses, lots of little lock-ups. Ultimately, its the period JUST before the wheel locks that will yield the best braking. You only get this ONCE without ABS, but you get it many times when the ABS is pulsing.

     

    I understand that you can pulse the pedal yourself...ABS wasn't common when I took my license. However, even the 4 pulses per second that first-gen ABS pumps are capable of....to each wheel individually....you can't compete with that.

     

     

    Still...this is all internet discussion....it would be cool to test it together, with a host of different tyres, both in type, brand, and age....and a sheet-ice covered run-way :banana:

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