Wayne Boncyk

True! In all honesty, it doesn't seem to matter what fluid is in there, as long as it's fresh. That's as close as I'll come to agreeing with you, nip, on this one!!

Well, all I can vouch for is my '96 Outback, but the ABS on that car doesn't take any special precautions other than pumping the pedal a couple of times to equalize pressure (with the engine off) before you start to take the system apart. I understand that some ABS systems have special requirements, but the Subies don't seem to need any special treatment -- just bleed from alternate sides as you go around to make sure that you get all the old stuff out of the system.

Ahhh -- a man after my own heart! Nice to see another endorsement of a synth ATF!!

I Jerry rigged mine usinbg two old 17mm sockets that I strapped together with bolts, lockwashers, and a piece of steel bar. Worked well enough, but I late3r found out that although the cams on the driver's side want to snap out of the spec alignment position when you've pulled off the old belt, if you watch which way that they turn when they snap, and you rotate them back into the correct position in the opposite direction that they snapped out, you will not do any damage. The piston heads are all in a "safe" position at that point, and the intake and exhaust are both prone to snap closed from that position -- where they won't interfere with each other. Bottom line -- be careful to watch what happens when you take the old belt off -- make sure you line up the CORRECT mark on the crank pulley before you take anything apart, and you'll have no trouble at all.

Ahh!! I forgot about the battery trick! Been spoiled -- I've had my code reader for about 2 yrs....

Poo or No Poo, some/most Autozone stores will clear sensor related codes for you, if you tell them you just replaced the sensor. They're a bit more skittish about clearing things related to Cat Converters, etc... But you can also take the $$ you saved by doing this yourself and invest in a relatively cheap hand-held OBD-II reader. They cost less than $100 these days, and they'll clear codes for you.

Nipper and I have gone around more than once on this issue. He's a strong believer in std "dino" AT fluid, and I'm as strong over in the synthetic camp. IMHO, which is supported by my buddy the chemical engineer who works in the oil industry, synthetic AT fluids are the same viscosity (i.e. the same amount of "sticky") as the dino types, but they keep that characteristic over a wider operating temp range, and they don't change chemical composition as fast as dino oil does when they're subjected to long spells of high heat. That's why synthetics are better, especially if you pull a heavy load and heat up that tranny more than the casual Sunday driver. I've run with synthetic for a while now, in a 10-yr old OBW that had nothing but dino oil in it until the clutch pack seized up from torque bind. I tried a straight flush and fill with synthetic at first, which didn't clear the binding completely, and I eventually replaced the clutch pack and re-filled, again with new synthetic. I've run nothing but synthetic in there ever since, and the tranny is performing flawlessly. I honestly think that these Subie trannys are so well-built that it really doesn't matter if you use dino or synthetic fluid in 'em. Just keep whatever is in there clean and change it according to the recommended interval, and you'll be fine for many thousands of miles. Of course, YMMV!

Well, the first thing I'd suggest is using the Search feature for this forum, because there are several hundred threads here discussing the finer points of timing belt replacement, and how you should change everything else that you can reach (idlers, tensioner, water pump, seals, etc...) once you commit to the TB change, since once you've gone so far as to get the old TB off, you've done 90% of the work needed to do the other changes.

Old subies never die... unless their owners are disrespectful of them.

Two most likely other problems are the brake interlock switch -- if it is corroded and stuck "on," then the CC won't set because the interlock falsely indicates that you are stepping on the brake pedal. Otherwise the relay that actually engages the CC might be going. (Also, I don't remember if you said or not -- if you have a manual, then there's another switch on the clutch pedal.) It could also be that there is some dirt or corrosion in the Set/Reset switch on the steering column. The switches are relatively easy to check and/or clean. The relay is in the CC module, and that's tougher to get to. Check the switches first.

While shims are useful to reduce squeal (a layer of brake lube in-between the shims and the back of the pads will damp out the noise), new shuims really aren't absolutely essential for the rear pads. I've been running my '96 OBW with aftermarket pads on the rear for years. They don't come with shims and I just reuse the original OEM shims that I found on the original set of pads. They work fine that way.

We're crossin' posts, nipper! I meant that I'm the one who ran in FWD for nearly 2 years on my AT before I got around to replacing a fused clutch pack. I was replying to John's post - not yours!

Looks like your fingers slipped a bit when you typed the title of your thread! Anyway, I had a similar issue with my '96 OB cruise control. It might be a fuse; that's always a good place to start troubleshooting. Does yours have a push button on the dash that enables the cruise along with the control lever on the steering column that actually engages/disengages the system? If so, then does the light come on behind the Cruise push button when you try to turn it on? If that light comes on, then it's not the fuse.

Yeah, and I'm the guy! Bottom line is that if your AT fluid is new and clean, you can run for a LONG, LONG time in FWD. The Duty-C solenoid fails due to heat, and if your AT fluid is flowing cleanly around the solenoid then even if it is turned "on" continuously (as is the case when you have a FWD fuse installed), it will continue to work pretty much forever. So, sounds like most everyone is in violent agreement with you. Change out the AT fluid, use Lucas if you want -- but it probably won't do anything that clean new AT fluid by itself will do -- install that FWD fuse and drive as long as you want until you're ready to do the manual swap. Sounds like a cool project car -- enjoy!

Hey, this is at least as useful for a/c work as it is for electrical. This guy has posted some good stuff from the service manuals.

I suspect that you don't need to worry much. You did see the temp spike before too long, you did stop the car relatively quickly after that and you weren't punishing the engine by driving it hard while it was hot. With a 2.2, you're probably OK for the time being. Just remember that with a Sube you have to "burp" the cooling system as you fill it or you will trap a significant air bubble in the top of the engine, near the coolant outlet hose fitting. That's probably what happened, and after you relieved gas pressure by popping the rad cap you saw the overflow tank correctly resupplying the system with coolant to fill the void. Drive carefully the next few days/weeks, and watch it. If you get no further spikes, your HGs are fine.

YUP! I should've said "clean, DRY air..."

Well, in the special case of an R-12 to 134a conversion, you can't ever FULLY flush old mineral oil out of the lines, and so in that case you should always do the conversion with an ester-based 134a oil. PAG should NEVER go into a system that ever held R-12. Flushing is done with a solvent that can pick up and hold old oil and small corrosion particles in suspension, and the resulting gunk is pushed out of the system by air pressure. You can buy professional a/c flush equipment to do this, or you can buy an aerosol can of a/c flushing solvent. The procedure is to open up the system at a couple of fittings (be prepared to replace those O-Rings once you break the original seal), then to attach the feed hose from either the pro gun or the aerosol can, then spray away! (The pro flush guns require an external compressor.) Once it appears that most of the gunk is cleared out of the system, then force as much of the remaining solvent out of the system as possible with compressed air. Then lube and replace O-Rings, reassemble, and pull a vacuum on the system for several hours to ensure that all the remaining solvent is evaporated. Then fill with oil and refrigerant. Simple, and actually easier than flushing the 4EAT tranny that so many of us have also dealt with! NOTE: Don't try to resurrect an accumulator/drier by flushing -- it won't work. Just consider that to be a piece that you've got to replace. Also, when you flush thru a compressor you'll have to rotate it several times (by hand) to make sure that the flush gets completely thru the compressor body. Same thing is true when you re-charge the system with oil -- rotate the compressor several times by hand before you add the refrigerant, to work that oil thru the compressor. you don't want to leave a slug of liquid in the compressor, or when it first starts up again it is likely to blow an internal seal. That'll usually mean a new compressor is in your future! :-p

If the system has been "open" for any length of time (say, more than 24 hrs), it is ALWAYS a good idea to completely flush it, then put the system back together and hold it under a vacuum for a few hours. That will remove as much water as possible, as well as removing all the hydrated PAG - which turns to an acid when it gets hydrated and wreaks havoc on A/C internal parts, BTW - then add the spec amount of new PAG oil. After that you can fill the system with the recommended amount of 134a.

Just found a handy reference that talks about A/C oils. If you can look past the blatant Castrol hard-sell, there is some useful info here: http://www.technicalchemical.com/pdf-files/faqsaclubricants.pdf

Ester oils were used in some early-on 134a systems, but I was always told that they shouldn't be mixed with PAG. You can buy cans of PAG oil in most auto parts stores that sell the 134a refrigerant. Usually it comes in a pressurized can with a fitting compatible with your recharge hose assembly. Just connect up the can to your charge hose, and empty a bit into a clean, dry metal container (an old clean veggie can works well). Use some PAG oil on the O-rings, and throw away (pardon me - recycle...) whatever you don't use as it absorbs water from the air just like brake fluid does. PAG is also the base for brake fluid, so in principle that ought to work, but I don't know that for sure.

A mini version of the full-sized picture should be there. If all you're getting is a red X or a blank square, then you don't have a plug-in for your browser that allows the shrunk images to be shown. No matter which browser you're using, all the most recent versions come with those plug-ins already included. Might be time to upgrade your software, maybe?

Nipper - you need to be careful when you advise someone to invert the can. That's OK when the can is nearly empty, but it is a definite no-no when the can is near full. inverting the can brings liquid refrigerant into the charging hose. Too much liquid injected into a compressor that's designed to, well, compress a gas will cause it to break. Gas is compressible, the liquid is not. When you're nearly depleted in the can, it is OK to invert, since most of what then comes out of the can does instantly vaporize as it gets into the A/C lines. Bottom line - invert your cans judiciously - and only in like-minded company!

You'd purge the air by giving a short blast from the can into the hose (yes, that means a little of the refrigerant will be lost to the air) and then quickly making the connection to the Low Pressure fitting on your A/C system. Also, I've noticed that with those cheaper hand-recharge kits sometimes the equilibrium pressure in the A/C at idle is too high to take all that the system needs for a full charge from the can. There's a trick that you can employ to suck a bit more into the system. Just reach over and open the throttle a bit - enough to bring the engine speed up to the neighborhood of 2000 - 2500 rpm. That will drive the compressor a bit faster and the pressure in the low pressure side will drop - sucking out a little more from the supply can. Whether that is enough to bring your system back to where it blows cold at idle is entirely dependent on whether too much outside air has been introduced into the system -- which can happen if somebody else tried to charge it up and didn't know hwat they were doing. usually, unless the system's been really improperly treated, the "fast idle" trick will give you all the refrigerant that you need.

Hey, 9pec, Right On! You do understand the physics and chemistry of brake pads!! I would venture to say that MOST times this kind of brake shudder can be cleared up with a simple sandpaper hone of the rotors, especially if the problem has shown up within a few hundred miles of pad replacement. New pads, especially the organic ones, need a proper break-in or they will deposit melted pad material on the rotors. After just a small amount is stuck on, there is a tendency to build more and more material in the same spot because the pad material there acts as a thermal insulator -- which then just melts more material at that spot, so the shuddering problem gets worse with time. Truly "warped" rotors can happen, but actually bending the rotor steel takes vastly more heat than this simple pad melting thing, and so often happens only after severe braking (like that done going down steep mountain roads) or after moderate braking is done with rotors that have been turned too much, which leaves too little steel behind to conduct away the heat.