1 Lucky Texan

The 'time' side of my maintenance schedule says my car needs a timing belt. The car has only 51,000 miles but is an 06 (delivered in October of 05). This would be my first Subaru timing belt and I think I'm gonna have some questions and probably need some moral support. (actually, the ONLY T-belt I've ever installed was on a 1978 Civic wagon ! - that was belt only too) first, it appears my car has an ej255 engine. I think I'd like to get parts from either theimportexperts or mizumoauto on ebay, however, the compatibility/'selection scheme' often says my car isn't compatible. Still, a coupla links that 'look' good are ; http://www.ebay.com/itm/371001013292?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT and http://www.ebay.com/itm/261044896184?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT#vi-ilComp look OK? Also, I'd rather not do any work/spend money that folks would consider unnecessary. Mostly because of risk due to my inexperience. I DON"T mind working on the car for 2-3 days or paying for good parts, so IF I change the waterpump (would you change it at 51K miles?), I'm gonna get an Aisin. I know nothing about the GMB parts listed in one of those links and am leaning toward the more expensive NTN w'ever parts. Many people seem to think I should change the water pump and the cam and crank seals (remember - 51,000 miles ) but, as for the seals, it seems there's some 'art'/skill involved, and maybe I'd need a special tool to remove them - maybe to seat them as well. Plus, I've never used the sealants you guys talk about, Ulta grey or anaerobic? Couple that with stories of cracking cam pulleys(there's 4 of them!) and needing to sand-down (?) some shaft surfaces - I kinda feel like it might be too risky for me to tackle the seals unless I see leaks? I'd like a link to the FSM for this job if someone knows it (2006 WRX Wagon) Does everyone pull the oil pump and re-seal the back of it? Can I just leave it alone? What size socket is needed for the crank pulley? (in case i need to get a 6-point for my impact) Will I need to use any of the following; sealants (what types?), anti-seize(where?) ,threadlocker (where?), grease or special lube (where?) For a first timer, would you recommend pulling the radiator? probably install new hoses if I do but ??? any parts easily damaged plastic or hardware that will likely need replacing along the way? (clips,screws, bolts, nuts) any suggestions for the major 'gotchas' to watch out for? any decent pics or videos around? I have hardware stores near enough, dealer is 17 miles away. I don't expect someone to respond to everything, but I will listen to any wisdom you guys want to pass along. naturally, I have to live with any compromises I make, just wondering what experienced mechs have to say. If waterpumps leak coolant instead of seizing their bearings, I might leave mine in for instance.

30 psi? didn't know that.

Sounds like he could be suspicious of deposits in the throttle body - worth cleaning it i suppose. If anyone has tried to adjust the idle or throttle settings, that could be a problem. There's a strict procedure for that.

I guess you'r confident you're using the manifold gauges correctly? I kinda wonder why the compressor would even cycle on at low pressure like that. and why not charge the system thru the gauge's center hose? I think I'd be tempted to get a vacuum pump from VatoZone or O'Spendys (they will 'loan' you one with a credit card charge/credt) and evac the system and see it it will hold a vacuum. maybe the refrigerant is leaking out quickly? or just take it to a pro. They can recover refrigerant and do testing. just tell him you'll handle swapping in a compressor. Lie if you want, "I'm geting it from a guy on the Subaru Forum, he owes me for some rims I sent him blah, blah, blah" then, finis the repair yourself. Also, you could try some refrigerant with dye in it - maybe you have a hole in the condenser or a bad hose?

you can try to argue the settlement up if you have good documentation of valuable upgrades or recent major parts added to the car but - I wouldn't expect much.

battery cables may be corroded inside - limiting current. other grounds may need to be cleaned-up.

I use a valve gadget like this; it works OK, I use a clip and a jar and sorta have to get creative when I attach it, but it lets me do the job alone. Don't open the bleeders too far, air can get in past the threads.

no mushy brakes before you started the work right? then is is almost certainly a problem still with air in the system. Occasionally, I have read that using full strokes on the pedal on older cars will tear-up the master cylinder seals. But, you need to confirm the lines are REALLY clear of air. bleed again - pay VERY close attention not to let the reservoir get low, and only stroke the pedal about 2 inches - not to the floor.

MTs definitely develop torque bind. read of it often on the forums. MTs though are sometimes good when cold, get worse after warming up - quite typical. Still, could be tires. They must be same brand/model/size and close to each other in wear. One new tire mixed with 3 nearly bald tires 'could' be a problem. If you have 2 old and 2 new tires, try putting the pairs on opposite corners of the car. that is, one new, one old on the front, one new one old on the back. If the noise is still there, it isn't the tires. (open diffs at each axle should prevent torque bind from mixed tires this way)

weird coincidence! what brand was that waterpump?

there have been reports in older models of a rod-like sound due to bad belt tensioner letting the belt slap the inside of a timing cover. Might be worth inspect the inside of the cover for a rub mark or run the car and observe the belt. I'm just suggesting this out of hope. I suspect your mechanic has correctly diagnosed the issue - too bad, unusual in a car that hasn't been overheated.

yeah - tell us more about the tires. also, there have been people in the past that swapped (or bought cars with swapped...) transmissions and got a different final drive ratio than the rear diff. That causes torque bind too. Is the problem worse after time/heat? After a highway run, try doing tight circles at idle speed on flat, dry pavement. The car should go in circles smoothly. No bucking or jerking or 'braking' feelings. definitely confirm the tire issue as noted above.

what car did the donor trans come out of?

if you think it's a single dead cylinder, carefully pull the plug wires one-at-a-time. The wire that doesn't kill the motor/makes the least difference in idle = the bad cylinder.

move the wires around if they'll reach and see if the misfire follows the wire. Some folks have found arcing by water-misting the coil and wires of their idling engine at night. If the easy tests don't find anything, might need a compression/leakdown test or drop the exhaust manis and see if a valve guide has shifted?

brake caliper sticking? also, try swapping tires back to front.

how old are the plugs and plug wires? Is there any oil on the plug boots?

it's available in liters now.

weird - are there 2 green connectors under the dash that someone has connected? those should normally be DIS-connected as they are used for testing purposes only. They will make fans cycle and relays click all over the car. Fan control relies on several things to work correctly - Engine Temp sensor, ecu, relays and of course, power and ground connections and intact wiring.

well, the system holds a lot more fluid than the reservoir volume, yet, the reservoir surface is the only place the fluid is not 'restrained' so, it must reflect ALL changes in static volume. Plus, there is no connection to any other fluid that can infiltrate the system. What kind of fluid was installed? Something exotic? Maybe there's some internal swelling of brake hoses????? If you also reported some kind of braking problem at a wheel after suspension work - OK, maybe a hose got twisted/collapsed, pushing a little fluid up, when a caliper was re-installed. But.....

check the crank position sensor and its wires and connector.

for one possibility, higher ambient temps in a 3 month period could expand the fluid. Also, brake fluid is hygroscopic, could be the volume increased from atmospheric moisture absorbed?

well, there is a 'general' fuse but, on the back of the port itself, there is a fuse/overheat cut-out so, the fuse in the fuse block could be good and still have a dead port. Probably have to remove the port from the trim and replace it.

Vacuum leak? only at idle? maybe IACV?

Dex 6 is backwards comaprible but, for the PS fluid, I'd get valvoline maxlife Dex/Merc(w'ever it's called). Probably a NAPA or any other brand-name Dexron ATF should be fine. Your manual 'should' mention what type fluid. basically, w'ever goes in the auto trans will go in the PS. There are ways to get more fluid out faster, but 2-3 trips with the turkey baster with a hose on it (new fluid/turkey baster/new fluid,etc.) should get you a good refresh on the fluid. Sometimes messing around the PS pump will disturb the suction hose or the o-ring on it's adapter and cause bubbling/foaming of the fluid. easy fix - just don't panic if the PS sounds or feels weird, do a search you will read about the fix. (mostly older model cars - just a possibility though)