Setright

Pressure testing the cooling system wouldn't be such a hassle, but testing a cap is more tricky. You need a fitting that will accept that exact size of cap.

Agree with Nomad. That would be the other possibility. Air in the system could still cause a low "first pedal". Once you have compressed the air bubble, it will take a while for it to expand again. Get someone you trust to help you out. Have them press the brake pedal, and tell them not to bottom it out! Open the screw and watch the fluid on the lines.

Knock sensor is on top the engine, between the driver side intake manifold tubes. Black, circular, with a bolt through the center. Search this site and I sure you will find lots of pictures.

Where I am gonna find a shop that will pressure test. I find that every time I want something specific done, no-one can, knows how, or even cares :-(

Hi everyone, ever the worrier I am now concerned for the health of my brand new STi rad cap. Graham Goode Racing sent me the cap in an ENVELOPE! I expected them to pack into a sturdy box. The blister pack the contains the cap itself has obviously been crushed a number of times, meaning that the spring has been compressed to the maximum. Can it handle this? Can I trust the pressure rating now?

Damn straight! I wish it were different, I could really have used a 2.5 in my Impreza!

Pretty simple really, the only problem is the tight space between the cam covers and the chassis. Depeding on the age of your engine there are either 3 or 4 bolts holding the covers on. Let the engine cool before your work on it and clean the area around the covers before opening them, this stops dirt getting inside the engine!

Sounds like you have done everything by the book. You'll be fine to replace just the one tyre.

Synth is ok. The grinding into third is a Subaru trait. Some oils may mask this better than others. Make sure your clutch linkage is tensioned correctly. Too loose and it will cause hard shifting since the clutch plate never really releases if there is too much slack. (Too tight and the clutch will slip as you release the pedal in higher gears) I prefer Mobil1 tranny oil over Redline. And I prefer Castrol over Mobil, but apparently TAF-X or "Syntorq" is very expensive stateside. Rear diff doesn't need added friction, only lubrication, so an oil that is optimised for "transaxles" like your manual Sube tranny, will not be optimal for the rear diff. (That's where Castrol Syntrax comes in handy)

Oil level: Park the car on level ground and wait at least thirty minutes for an accurate reading. Mobil 1 5W-40 is my favourite. Coolant: 50/50 ethyl-glycol based mixed will ensure good corrosion protection over two years and up to 30k miles. Weaker mixes, ie' more water will provide better temperature stability owing to water having a specific heat capacity double that of the glycol. The trade off is less corrosion protection. I wouldn't go lower than 30/70.

Yep, those lights mean a bad alternator. Some kind of oddity in the wiring, but it's nice because it's a sure sign.

And I am so JEALOUS! Enjoy !

Squirrel, before you do anything else, please check you have a brain somewhere in that hot head.

Okay, it wont collapse. Only risk left is that it might not be able to handle the oil and gas fumes. Leave it in, and check it for cracks along the way.

Mainshaft bearings could be the problem, though I would it expect it to jump out of first rather than fifth. And it would cause a significant increase in metal shavings in the oil. STi tranny mounts will increase noise in the cabin quite a bit. You could just install stock new mounts, these will control movement better than those five-year old parts you have now. Maybe you also need to replace the shifter bushings? Which oil are you using? I am a big fan of Castrol TAF-X or "Syntorq".

Thanks :-) Not to dis Edrach: Wouldn't it be prudent to lift the entire car...think AWD!

My advice would be to always refill coolant through the upper hose, and replace the rad cap at every other coolant change. Might even want to consider a higher pressure rad cap.

Hi all! I have just been on a one-day driving course on the world (in)famous Nürburgring. Since I am so very careful in terms of preventative maintenance I kept an extra watchful eye on all the car's fluids. I thought the cooling system overflow tank level was a little higher than usual after the first lap. However, this is normal for my car on trackdays. Rest of the day, I ran cabin heat to be on the safe side. Within the next few days I discovered that the car was pumping out coolant through the vent hole in the top of the overflow tank. YIKES! Sounds like head gasket failure, right? Squeezing the upper radiator hose revealed it to be soft, meaning no pressure in the cooling system. This thankfully, is not typical og HG leaks. A new radiator cap seems to have cured the problem. There is pressure again and the overflow isn't overflowing :-) So, during the atmospheric pressure only period the car has chucked up about half a litre of coolant. HOWEVER, there were no symptoms to be noticed from the drivers seat. Temp fine, fuel economy fine, no rough running or anything. A tired rad cap is therefore a tricky fault to notice and yet it is potentially fatal for HG's. Running at atmospheric pressure there is the possibility of local boiling due to the lowered boiling point and this must cause some serious stress around cylinders as temperature gradients grow. I bring you all this news because I think the rad cap should be considered a "regular" maintance item. I know lots of you already change it along with the coolant, but some of us need to learn ;-) I have noticed something: Normally if I switch off my engine at full operating temp, flipping the key back to "ON" immediately afterward the temp needle comes up just below the normal op temp. While the cap was failing, the temp needle would rise to full op temp. Subtle clue indeed!

May I add something to Gnumans plan: If the wheel can move, get someone to apply the brake firmly. If the movement stops, then the bearing is worn. If a ball joint is worn, braking won't control the movement.

Well done! Glad you found the culprit. It's always better when you have a problem and solve it with full knowledge of the source. Having the sound just dissappear by itself wouldn't have been quite as satisfying.

Sounds there is still air in the brake lines. This is DANGEROUS! Bleed them again, run at least one litre of fresh fluid though the pipes. The order I have learned is FR, RL, FL, RR. There could be air in the master cylinder, but start by bleeding the pipes as normal. If the seal is worn in the master cylinder piston then the pedal will be hard initially, but slowly fall to the floor under constant pressure.

On the oil change: Tell the dealer to fill the new oil filter before installing it. Shortens the time that the engine is without oil pressure.

The risk is that the hose collapses when the engine pulls a vacuum through it. The heater hose can handle only positive pressure, not suction. Replace the hose as soon as possible, but don't have sleepness nights over it.

Nink, you will need a new flywheel. The clutch design was changed and the replacement parts are all of the new type, and these require the new style flywheel. Unfortunately. Best performance upgrade would be a Scoobysport exhaust. How much of the system you replace depends on the size of your wallet. A K&N panel filter will also sharpen throttle response.

Please stop quoting entire posts. Especially if they are only two posts up! Replacing just the faulty HG is okay. No need to disturb the balance on the other side of the engine. I would replace the head bolts too, since they will have been stretched.