1 Lucky Texan

pretty sure the timing mark will put the pistons at about half travel. Maybe someone else will chime it but, by ensuring no piston is at TDC, if a cam slips - there should be no interference.

cool, what's ideAL and what's 'trouble' when you do this?

I'm also wondering about things like a sticking valve or even carbon buildup. just odd thoughts though. so many things can go wrong - or 'drift' in a bad direction on older cars. I'm glad there are folks like Ivan and other mechanics around and I give them plenty of respect. I don't think I'd like to repair other people's cars on a regular basis - I can hardly understand what I'm doing on my own cars.

if you have acetone handy - that should work.

exhaust leaks? retarded timing from bad knock sensor? engine temp sensor? I bet it's maddening trying to track down all the possible causes.

just reporting what I saw at the KYB website - wish it did list RX for ya - but it doesn't. maybe email them?

turns out that a Forester part 'may' work but, the STi or Legacy or other non-'lifted' soobs won't be compatible. It's like the Forry and the OB cone from the factory with a slight body lift and the housing for that bushing is shaped differently to keep the steering geometry correct. So, buying a replacement for $80-$85 or rebuilding for about half that seem to be the best options. Pricey little unit. If a 2 piece, 70 durometer polyurethane bushing could be found, and if you can cut out the sleeve for the old bushing insert, rebuilding might be a decent option.

I've bought brushes before - many years ago - at the car parts place. Wonder if they could match-up some new ones for ya. good detective work.

I'll just set my wrench on 60lbs and torque it 3 times. anyone have insight on the fitment issue?

and that crosses to 341216 at KYB And usage for that number is listed as ; 85-89 DL, GL, GL-10 and 90-93 Loyale.

that's weird - might be fun to dig into them but, they're 10 years old - unless you got lucky and there was a very clear, obvious problem that could easily and reliably be repaired, I think you'd be better off with replacements. has this car ever been wrecked? maybe those aren't the original fans.

just thinking about harley/big v-twin chains and belts. don't some experimental aircraft use chain reduction for the props? sounds like a wild project!

perhaps the fans share a common ground somewhere? odd

yeah, even in the middle of winter, you can still do outdoor 'stuff'. hope it works out for ya!

ah - so the instructions in the Whiteline document to leave the connections loose, drop the car onto it's wheels - bounce it a coupla times - then torque things down, would likely replace the alignment marking routine?

thanx! I didn't know about the alignment issue.

link in edited previous post indicates 4.25 . It still may depend on which transmission - one with the 'remote' filter vs filter on the side, maybe ambient temps, condition of old fluid, etc.

edit - see; http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/99-do-yourself-illustrated-guides/5843-changing-automatic-transmission-fluid-easy.html

there are 2 sections on my at stick. one for cold and one for hot. take out the stick and lay it safely aside, idle the car, (with foot on the brake) and move the selector through each gear a coupla times. Put it in park. Take a reading. Also, the distance between low and full is a lot less than a quart - more like a pint or something so, if it's a little low , you def wanna sneak up on the full level. I use a funnel with a hose on it that I bought from Amazon. after making any change, it's best to lay the stick aside for a coupla minutes or it will read funky. You're right that you can only drain about half or less from the drain bolt.

for an 03 H6 Outback, wondering about some options for replacing the bushing/mount and bushing located at the rear, of the front, lower arm. Supposedly the stock unit is liquid filled, well, if so, that explains the drips i had for a while in my garage that just healed itself. I have a few questions - and of course, wonder what others have done or would do. first, is there an STi replacement and what years? I found some that are quite a but cheaper than the OEM listed for the Otback; would these fit OK? ; ST2020055000 Impreza 2002-2005 STI BUSHING TV LINK ® Right Side ONLY for Impreza RS & WRX 02-05 $49 ST2020055010 Impreza 2002-2005 STI BUSHING TV LINK (L)Left Side ONLY for Impreza RS & WRX 02-05 $49 I saw those at; http://www.subarupartsforyou.com/cp_...?model=Impreza If so, for the money and ease of not actually cutting the old bearing sleeve out for some prothane or whiteline inserts, I'd go for some STI mounts. For folks who might be interested in some changes to the dynamics, there's the anti-lift kits from whiteline - is the KCA361 a fit? Also, can anyone confirm the install torque numbers for the bolts/nut? (I got those numbers from the whiteline install info) 2 mount-to-chassis bolts = 184 ftlbs. 1 control arm nut = 140 ftlbs. see: http://www.whiteline.com.au/instruct...9f_KCA319A.pdf I will be under the car in October for maintenance and checking this stuff - likely before so I can order parts - either way, I can't find a lot of reliable info on what parts cross over.

Amazon shows a KYB 341065 'might' be the right one Have you tried the KYB website? maybe they have a fitment chart. Also, don't worry about the name change for the struts, GR2 is the same as Excel-G. at least , that's what everyone including KYB says. If you KNOW a manufcaturer's number that works, you can do a cross reference at KYB. for instance, the Monroe Sensa-trac 71268 crosses to the KYB 341065. but I don't know what car you have and really know zero about RXes. fyi

you mentioned cleaning the MAF but didn't say how. You might try the SeaFoam - uh - foam/spray, with the u-shaped nozzle. Just thinking the IACV could be sticking or something like that.

TRIPLE check that big - 1" or so - hose from the IACV to the underside of the intake. any CEL codes stored? How old are the plugs and plug wires?

one possible problem, if you are accustomed to having a multitude of BLM/forest service roads to wheel on - uh, not much federal land in Texas. Not to say that San Angelenos woun't have a coupla spots nearby to offroad - but it's likely private property. but I'm not from there so, maybe you'll get connected with a resident from the area.

this is what the back looks like at Edmunds;