bulwnkl

To get to the strut's internal height switches/sensor, the way I recall from my XT6's FSM is this: 1) Destroy strut with explosives or possibly sawzall. 2) Find switches/sensor amongst pieces. HTH.

Amazingly, I prefer horizontal OFs because they don't cover themselves in used oil when you start to take them off. To the OP: I've changed the oil and filter a bunch on a Subaru H6, but not the EZ-30. I had an ER-27 in my XT-6. It doesn't have timing chains and has a vertical filter. Nevertheless I did experience quite a loud noise (sort of knocking) at least a couple times on startup of that engine. A couple times was cold start after sitting outside overnight in the late fall with 15W40 oil. At least a time or two otherwise was after an oil change. I can't tell you why it did it because it usually didn't. You can fill the oil filter can or not-- it won't make but half a second's difference to the oiling system. I'm afraid I also disagree with the quick OP rise of a flat engine thing, too. I watched my ER-27's cam through the oil fill hole on startup (after sitting in the garage overnight in the summer) because I was curious as to how long it takes to get full flow to the followers. It's AMAZING how long it takes; 20-30 seconds before it got there. It's easy to tell because there's some oil splash going on immediately on start-up, but if you're patient enough to wait for full flow, there's a big difference in how much splashing is going on once the oil gets there from the pump.

There is real, honest-to-goodness PROOF of K&N filter-equipped engines suffering damage that those with standard paper filters don't, but it's not publicly available (no, it's not secret in-house testing K&N doesn't want you to see. It's private analysis data from thousand of vehicles for years and years). The thing is, it's not the actual filter itself, but rather improper servicing that causes the troubles. SOOOO many people either over- or under-oil the filters. The K&N filter itself is capable of very good filtration. I have shown that on my own in very high sand, desert application. However, the overall data shows that, almost certainly due to improper servicing, tons of people with K&Ns are causing themselves engine damage. Or, they're hosing their MAF sensors which leads to sub-optimal engine operation or even MAF damage. Again, this is not due to the filter itself, but rather to the servicing. It can be tough to service one exactly right unless you devote some time and effort to doing so. Personally, I don't run K&N air filters any more, though I have in the past. If properly serviced, a K&N will catch enough dirt to literally choke the engine and make it outright die without letting a bunch of dirt in and grinding the engine up inside. I do run K&N oil filters, which are extremely high quality, high-flow, high-capacity filters that are definitely worth the money.

We bought an '05 turbo A/T recently for ~$15k. It had ~80,000 miles on it, but is in good condition (salesman-type bought it new and put tons of miles per year on it). As of a month or month and a half ago, there were still NEW '06s available in the Bozeman and Helena, Montana, areas. I think they were all N/A cars. When we were looking for ours (looking for used), I saw what I considered to be considerably over-inflated prices on used Bajas in the Salt Lake City area. Here in Idaho there are very few of them and in my area the dealer will sell any used ones they get within a week. They're a little cheaper locally than SLC, but my point is that pricing in this part of the country is not going to be rock bottom unless you find a high-mileage one like we did that the dealer realizes has some hard-to-spot issues. Ours looked to need some repairs (oil on turbo-to-I/C hose, a leaking input shaft seal between A/T and front diff, and ATF that hadn't been changed probably ever; very dark in color. Alternatively, the mechanic who worked on it last may have been an idiot and put some ATF in the diff and some gear oil in the A/T before realizing what he'd done). That helped us get $3,000 off their asking price w/o much trouble at all. Auto-RX stopped the tranny seal leak and the turbo oil weeping just as I 'knew' it would, and now we have a 500,000 mile machine if we keep it that long. Look around, find the deal you're looking for, be patient, and you'll have a great machine. Note that the suspension was changed for MY04. The '03s sit a little lower than the '04-'06 models. If you put a lift kit in it the new height will be the same no matter the year, but stock there's a difference. I think there's also a spring change for '04, but I may be wrong. There was no turbo available in '03, but as was noted earlier the 5-speed could be had behind either engine in all years. Also, note that the Baja "Sport" is the N/A model, and the Baja is the turbo.

Do not run an A/T overfull. Aeration of the fluid can (didn't say will, said can) result and that's not a desirable situation. You won't grenade anything overnight, but just drain (or pump) a little out so that you're at the proper level.

I had this issue once on a 1990 with an A/T. It turned out to be the TPS. OTOH, that was a Dodge Shadow...

Yeah, I knew it was Christian's (sp?) domain name. I don't have my XT6 any more, but I sometimes miss the board. I see that my login doesn't work on that temporary board. Did I miss something I need to do to keep registered? I guess it doesn't matter since, like I said, I don't have my XT6 anymore. Thanks Gary and Hocrest. I hope you guys get the domain issues resolved and can put everything back up on a "recognizable" domain name. Say hey to Austin for me.

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So, PAezb, as a former a/d/s, Nakamichi, etc. fan, what speakers sound good to your ears these days? I always thought a/d/s speakers were terrific, but haven't messed with a stock system in a decade. However, I'm tired of our Mazda's inability to produce frequencies below ~500Hz at an audible level and the Baja is OK but you just can't turn it up loud enough to hear "properly." {end thread hijack}

The cheapest discount internet dealers I know of all have wires for the '95 Legacy (and Impreza for that matter) for that much or more per wire. So, I'd say that's very competetive. An alternative would be Magnecore wires. I expect that they'll be a similar price, but you'll never have to replace them again. They're just about the only aftermarket wires I'd run on a Subaru.

Wow, I didn't know I was so much in the minority. I actually kind of like the styling of the new Impreza. I didn't like it much a couple iterations ago, but this one's pretty good. I actually like the wagon better than the sedan. It is nearly unforgivable that they have eliminated the headlight feature to save 50 cents/car. I'm mixed about the door frames because they are usually good, but sometimes leaky and noisey with age. Oh, well...

Any comparisons with these Axxis pads vs. Performance Friction's Carbon Metallic pads? I have had those on a Neon I used to tow with and they were terrific for that application. I don't need a track pad, but do tow a small boat up and down over the mountain now and then with the Baja.

I've definitely had cars that, no matter whether it's possible or not, definitely had the mpg CRUSHED by the A/C. Some others don't seem to care much. For me, the smaller the car/engine/hp, the bigger the difference in mpg with and w/o A/C. I hope that's all it is for you!

I had good luck with the NS in my XT-6 as well. Congrats! P.S. This kind of experience shows the wisdom of using a synchromesh transmission fluid rather than just a differential fluid in a transmission. Put in the Lucas (other brands would have done it, too) diffy fluid and shifting goes away. Put the transmission fluid back in and you're good to go!

The "smooth" thing is a little misleading. The issue with inline-4 engines is not a lack of smoothness you feel, it's a harmonic issue. Anyone here ever heard of 4-cylinder "boom?" It's a sound kind of like a constant booooooooom that you hear when an inline 4 is running, and it's more evident at higher rpm. ALL inline 4s have it, but displacements over ~2 liters (more like 1.8 IMO) are worse if they're not balance shafted. That boom is what the balance shafts are there to eliminate, not some sort of vibration that you actually feel.

Yeah, the AA lifts are pretty much body lifts, but since Subies are unibodies, it lifts everything. They essentially "lower" the engine/tranny and maybe the rear diff, too(?), relative to the body so that driveline angles are not too severe.

Can't give you the big highway sign, just look upstream of the big catalyst. One thing that's not expensive that you could try is Auto-RX. I don't know that I really think you need it, but if all else fails it's not hard to try. Put a .com after that name and you'll get to it. I'm really interested to see how this goes for you, and wish you good luck. There is always the possibility that this is just one of those engines/cars that doesn't get good mpg (like how there are some that just make more power than all the others, etc). I hope that's not true here. P.S. If you've been shooting a bunch of carb cleaner/MAF cleaner type stuff into the intake, I'd change the oil sooner than later.

I agree with welding a nut on the end, though you certainly don't need a mig welder. I've done that countless times with a good old stick welder and it works just as well. Mig, tig, or stick will all work if you know how to use the welder well. If you've already been grinding and/or trying to cut it off, though, you may still be unable to back it out (I don't know how much of it you've removed). A couple things I didn't see you having tried: 1) Use a hack saw. Yes, it'll seem like it takes you 6 months to do it. Yes, you may hear from some that a hack saw won't cut the stud (if it really is stainless, which would surprise me but maybe it is). Yes, you'll be so tired that you may think you can never use your arm(s) again. HOWEVER, a hack saw will cut it, even if it's ultra-hard. You will be able to use your arms again (eventually...). It will PROBABLY take you less than 6 months , and then you can drill it or whatever you want to do. 2) Heat it up REALLY hot. If it's carbon steel, it may very well need to be glowing bright red or orange. I wouldn't do this on an assembled engine, though, as you'll light it on fire (oil and fuel fire plus all gaskets and seals). Really, I wouldn't do this to an aluminum head at all because of the liklihood of warping it, but you asked what you hadn't tried . A good engine shop accustomed to heating heads and welding them or fixing valve seat issues may be helpful here. There's a great diesel engine shop in Spokane, WA, for example that I'd trust to do this.

I wouldn't worry about engine damage, either. I would at least think about replacing the PCV valve, though, just in case it's not working quite as well as it should be.

I did this kind of flush on my Baja's A/T just a couple weeks ago. I don't really know about A/T function in a specific way, but I would have thought that if the transmission pumped all the fluid out of itself (which is what happened if the cooler line came apart), then there shouldn't have been any burned clutches or anything because no power or torque would be getting into the transmission through the empty torque convertor. Then again, what do I know? :-\

No, you do. I do business with some of the actual professionals who happen to post there occasionally, so I know who they are and what they know. If you ever make it to an engineering school, study hard and try to gain understanding along with knowledge. In the mean time, go read as many SAE- and ASTM-type papers as you can get your hands on and learn, for example, what it is that real research suggests causes "start-up" wear (hint: focus on what activates various chemistries). Until then, I think you'd better buy a bunch more towels. That foam around your mouth is going to start making a real mess...

Not really. Chevron Supreme and Havoline DepositShield are often (but not always) very cost-effective, good performers. Nothing with an API starburst on the front of the bottle is really bad.

Congratulations! I love ours. Look for a thread titled "subwoofer" in the Baja sub-forum on nabisco (sorry, I meant NASIOC.com). There's a picture there of a fella with a pair of 10s or 12s between the rear seatback and the switchback door. The thread was started to ask about under-seat subs, IIRC. Between nasioc and Scoobytruck.com that's about the most Baja-specific traffic I can find.

LegAC, higher HTHS is NOT a characteristic of a PAO, compared to G-I, II, and III stocks, which you ought to know if you'd done a trivial amount of research, even without expertise in finished lubricants. You mistake my intentions when you discuss "winning." I think your declaration of what you do on internet forums (deliberately spreading false information under varying usernames) and your description of your age and information source have ended the discussion adequately. Eryque, the best oil to use in this or any application is the thinnest one that gives excellent results in that specific application. Using "universal averages" is most definitely not a good way to do that. In this case no one can know what to recommend in anything more than a broad generality, which I guess I'll do at your request: Moving from a 5W30 to a 10W30 likely did nothing positive and will have taken away from cold start AND warm-up performance/protection, even in a warm climate. However, it is likely that the average car owner (which is just a little different from a USMB Subie nut, right?!) will never notice the difference (which is different from saying there will be no difference).

I'm not sure what post you saw, but if you saw the actual one, it's what it claims to be. Truthfully and honestly, you seeing a "report" (as though that's not what the original thread was) would not do anything the original thread did not already do. A "professional" is who read the spectral analysis. The PhDs at your local college who work with spectral analyses daily do not have the expertise to read a motor oil spectro properly. The guy who read that one does. The "typical properties" spec sheets don't necessarily indicate a G-IV; there are MANY ways to achieve specs on new oil. Moreover, you're basing your M1 claim on the ASSUMPTION that something else (for which you also apparently have no spectro) is made primarilyof G-IV and also that it is an outstandingly good example of such. That's just foolish. All that to one side (and it really is to one side because it's quite irrelevant what base stock is used in a motor oil; it's the finished product and most importantly its performance in your specific application that matters), the poor performance of M1 is fact and is reflected in UOAs. That is not to say that it never performs adequately or even well, only that GENERALLY its performance at present is sub-par. Whether you have the expertise to understand what is there in a UOA or not is a completely different question. Most people do not, including the "analysts" at Blackstone and many other labs across the country. It is important to learn whom to listen to (and whom to not listen to), especially on the internet. I expect we agree about that(?). The use of Mobil oils will not cause massive failures nor cause widespread starving in the Sudan to the best of my knowledge. Nevertheless, there are far better choices out there, and any choice, if one desires optimization, must be individually tailored to the application and use. M1 is GENERALLY just not a good placec to start any more, though I will agree that it USED TO BE outstanding.