uniberp

I spoke too soon. The other side (passenger) rear lower bolt was froze, and I thought I could feel it start to twist off, which would have been a disaster. (There are lots of threads on twisted-off Subaru valve cover bolts.) I drilled a tiny hole (3/32) through the side of the boss on the block until I reached the threads and sprayed PBlaster in it. It was still tight, but it cracked loose. Since the boss is threaded through, it seemed safe to try it. It seemed to relieve some pressure or allowed lubrication. I used a mirror to see where to drill. It's not visible directly (with engine in the car). And finding a 1/4 breaker bar was not as easy as I thought. Crescent makes a 6 and 9 inch. I got both for like $15 and the long one was better. Got them at Menards. Oh, and the plug clip was in a recess on top of the reservoir, but I had to pull away the air dam valance to even see it. That pi**ed me off more than any other part. And yes, I'm slow as heck.

I assume so, 10mm., if it clears the cover bulge.

This one (2008) uses shoulder bolts, that still leave what looks like about ~1mm of space between the surfaces, I guess to prevent overcrushing the gasket. Saves a dummy like me from trying to torque them accurately. M6 I think. 10mm head. A little concerned about dirt getting knocked down on the valve train, when the cover knocked loose, but It drains directly to the sump. I sprayed it out with some gas. Oil change when Im done.

2008 Forester X. The drivers side valve cover, in fact, can be removed without jacking up the engine. The bottom rear bolt is a pain to get at: since I didn't have a 1/4 drive universal joint, I tied a string to the box end of the wrench because i kept dropping it. One flat at a time, it came undone. After removing the heavy steel cover, the fuel rail comes unclipped by pushing the 2 blue vertical slots on the connector through. Then the valve cover can then be rotated up and inward to be freed. Removing the battery helps get at everything. Now if I could find those plug wire clips that came off and fell somewhere, and not on the floor. One went on top of the squirt reservoir, but blast if I can find it.

Chicken tax From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia U.S. intensive chicken farmingled to the 1961–1964 "Chicken War" with Europe. The chicken tax is a 25% tariff on potato starch, dextrin, brandy, and light trucks imposed in 1963 by the United States under President Lyndon B. Johnson in response to tariffs placed by France and West Germany on importation of U.S. chicken.[1] The period from 1961–1964[2] of tensions and negotiations surrounding the issue was known as the "Chicken War," taking place at the height of Cold War politics.[3] Eventually, the tariffs on potato starch, dextrin, and brandy were lifted,[4] but over the next 48 years the light truck tax solidified, remaining in place to protect U.S. domestic automakers from foreign competition (e.g., from Japan and Thailand).[5] Though concern remains about its repeal,[6][7] a 2003 Cato Institute study called the tariff "a policy in search of a rationale."[4] As an unintended consequence several importers of light trucks have circumvented the tariff via loopholes. Ford (ostensibly a company that the tax was designed to protect), imports the Transit Connect light trucks as "passenger vehicles" to the U.S. from Turkey, and immediately strips and shreds portions of their interiors, such as installed rear seats, in a warehouse outside Baltimore.[1] Mercedes imported complete vans built in Germany, "disassembled them and shipped the pieces to South Carolina, where American workers put them back together in a small kit assembly building."[8] The resulting vehicles emerge as locally manufactured, free from the tariff.

A car that old might need a SECOND set of new plugs and wires. IMExperience those make the biggest difference. Maybe a new gas and air filter.

Here's how you extract the longbolt. Sorry, but you have to cut the head off, and the bolt is a special manufacturer's size, but I think I paid $16. 1. remove strut pinch-bolts, caliper, axle nut, etc. 2. Remove the nut from the "longbolt". 3. HAMMER the longbolt out of the FRONT arm and knuckle. 4. At this point you are kinda stuck, if the bolt is rusted to the inner bushing of the rear arm, and no amount of twisting or hammering will free it. 5. One way is to remove the entire arm, but that inner suspension bolt may be rusted even more badly, and the longbolt is still stuck in the arm. 5a. There just is no way to get between the bushing end and the bolt head. 6. Cut off the bolt head. Sawzall. 7. With that arrangement shown, a washer that just fits the bolt, an open end wrench, and a pitman arm puller. 8. This method saves the rubber bushing. With a new bolt you can just bolt it up and go. 9. Cutting the head off a hardened 16mm(?) bolt takes some doing. Sawzall 10 minutes, or a couple cutoff wheels and that nast smell. 10. It is not pretty, but it is done.

I've had these for 3 years now, they are superb in rain and really good in snow. The orange oil compound is less sensitive to temperature, and tougher than petroleum rubber. They are rated 90,000 miles but they are not hard or loud, and again, are excellent in rain and snow. At about 50k miles they are only starting to show wear. but I am a very conservative driver. I paid about $400 at DT.

There isn't one in the engine compartment.

2008 Forester Auto n/a. A/c compressor doesn't come on, in cool or defronst mode. The switch light is on. The a/c compressor doesn't switch on. Static pressure is about 30lbs, and the pressure seems to cycle correctly when the relay is bypassed, down to (about 20?). Pull the relay and cross the power directly, it works. Swap the relay with one of the headlight relays, still nothing. The pressure switch connector has 4 wires. I tried crossing every combination. Apparently one combination blew the fuse under the dash panel. Nothing switched on the compressor. Any thoughts other than low freon?

So where did the smoke come out?

Yokohama Avid Ascend. Made with orange oil.

That must be it. I tested the compression (with reset timing) in all 4 with a crappy HF quick connect compression tester and all are the same, even though the dumb gauge reads about 40% low (calibrated against a more precision bicycle pump). I'm just going to pretend it is due and put in a timing kit and water pump. Leakdown test showed nothing either. I'll check it again after a thousand miles or so, in case one of the valves might be slightly bent and start to burn.

The trick is to use a breakerbar/socket, not a rachet to pull the belt onto the pulley. If the belt slips the breaker bar will prevent the pulley form advancing from spring force. You can back it up and try again. Once the belt is almost on the pressure will hold the pulley in place so you can re-position the breaker and socket for a better grab to pull it the rest of the way on.

LInkage correct? I notice Subie linkage cables get very stiff.