outahere

You need to do it the old fashioned way, by phone. Only a few items are available online. Tom Madden TAI Lubricants PO Box 1579 Hockessin, DE 19707 USA (302) 326-0200 (302) 326-0400 fax A 100 gram tube was $34.95 when I ordered in September, plus UPS shipping. There is a 5-10 day lead time for him to get it from Nye.

See post #22 in this thread

I repaired my starter a few days ago, following the procedures in this thread and from the FSM. I have done 4 starts since then at around 20*F, with no start up screeching or squealing. I am still amazed at how much the starter squeal sounded just like a belt squeal. I left the intercooler in place, and did the removal process from under the car. You can't see the top bolt from that position, but it is very easy to find by feel. After removing the starter from the car, I removed the solenoid from the starter. This allowed me to clean and lube the plunger and lever, and also gave me much better access to the starter shaft. There is a warning in the FSM about not cleaning the overrun clutch with solvents or oil, so I just wiped it with a rag. There is no mention in the FSM about packing the front needle bearing with lube, so I left it as is. I applied lube (Nye Rheolube 380) to the helical spline, the center of the shaft (where the clutch and gear slides), the nose of the shaft, and the washers that contact the solenoid lever. I used the same lube on the metal planetary gears after cleaning them. Interesting to see that the the ring gear is made of plastic. Ater re-assembling the starter, and before putting it back on the car, I hooked it up to a 12V battery for a no-load test. The starter was surprisingly quiet. The lube I used is a "lithium soap thickened synthetic hydrocarbon (PAO)/ester grease base that is fortified with various additives". It is a specialty lube, intended for starter motors and power tools. It was expensive ($35) and only time will tell if it was worth the extra expense. It looked to me like Denso used 2 different greases in the starter motor when they built it.

Sorry, but this method creates a big greasy mess inside the starter. Most of the grease does not go where it is needed.

Adding grease through that hole in the housing is definitely not the equal of taking the starter apart and lubing it. Not even close. But if you want to spray some grease on the helical splines, using a straw on a can of pressurized lube, you will first need to expose the helical splines. The spline is only exposed when the pinion gear is fully engaged with the flywheel gear. This means you have to energize the solenoid with 12V, but not the motor, hope that the gear teeth are aligned (about 20% probability) to allow full engagement, and then spray away. It could get you through the winter. But don't overdo it with the grease, you do not want it to migrate to the motor brushes. And do not overheat the solenoid.

Probably a good time to check valve lash is just before a scheduled timing belt change. Decades ago, when I owned some air cooled VWs, I had to check valve lash every 3000 miles. But it was a very easy job on the old VWs. On the Subaru it looks like a major undertaking. Might just be easier to pull the engine.

How many miles on your engine?

Since the car was new, I have been changing the PS fluid in the reservoir only, every time I do my regular oil change. Siphon out the old oil, add fresh oil. Its like doing a full change, but over an extended period of years.

If you are interested, the Nye Rheolube 380 grease can be purchased from this factory authorized distributor: http://www.lubekits.com "……...TAI Lubricants is the North American small volume distributor for Nye Lubricants, Inc………………………………... TAI Lubricants has over 30 years of experience as a supplier of specialty products. We provide: Access to over 500 synthetic oils and greases from Nye. No minimum order value. Shipping of stocked products within 24 hours. Many orders are shipped the same day. Orders taken via e-mail, telephone or 24 hour fax. ……………………………………….. Payment by Visa/MasterCard, company checks, money orders, cashiers check and personal checks. Worldwide shipment via UPS, FedEx, DHL, and US Postal service. Next day, 2nd day and 3 day shipping services are available in the event you need it as soon as possible! Technical support from Nye Lubricants, Inc. engineers…………….." I also took a look at McMaster Carr but did not see any starter lubes on their website, even though they sell the Molykote product line.

There are specialty lubes for automotive starters, from Dow Corning (Molykote) and Nye Lubricants, and others, from what a search turned up. "…….Starter motors must withstand the elements, temperatures from -40 ̊C to 200 ̊C, and 50,000 duty cycles or more. Issues of high load and torque, especially during cold crank, also have to be considered. Effectively lubricating the motors’ gears, bearings and splines requires a careful blend of synthetic oils, additives and gellants. Popular starter- motor lubricants feature PAO and ester blends with additives for extreme pressure, corrosion protection and friction reduction. Nye suggests: Rheolube 380…………" http://www.nyelubricants.com/products/rheolube.shtml

From the photos, it looks like all the grease you put on last winter totally disappeared. What type of grease did you use?

I used to use DexIII, but it is longer available on store shelves, from what I have seen. I now use DexVI, which is backwards compatible with DexIII. It is a red tinted liquid.

I agree with you that in the Legacy wagon the road surface has a huge effect on how much road noise gets into the passenger cabin. On glassy smooth asphalt surfaces, the interior is quiet. But as the road surface becomes coarser and more "pebbly" the interior noise level increases substantially. I find it interesting that you seem to have had the best noise reduction results not from all the sound deadening materials you installed, but from switching to Yokohama winter tires! Winter tires are usually not that quiet, compared to other tire classes. Recently, both Pirelli and Continental have announced they are manufacturing special tires for Audi, with interior noise reduction being a design goal. http://www.tirebusiness.com/article/20130717/NEWS/130719921/pirelli-absorbs-tire-noise-with-pu-sponge "...........Pirelli claims the innovation—being pitched as "Pirelli Noise Cancelling System"—can reduce the noise heard by those inside the car by 2 to 3 decibels, or roughly half. With this development, Pirelli is addressing noise caused by the vibration produced when air inside the tire is compressed as the tire is squashed against the road. This noise is transmitted from the tire to the wheel hub and eventually reaches the inside of the car's cabin via the steering and suspension components. The polyurethane foam sponge is designed to absorb these vibrations, the tire maker said, and thus reduce the amount of noise passed through to the cabin..........." http://www.autosphere.ca/tirenews/2013/08/09/continental-introduces-contisilent/ ".........Continental has introduced ContiSilent, a new technology that significantly reduces tire noise inside the vehicle. Continental says the improvement can be as high as 9 dB............"

I have read of several methods for diagnosing bad wheel bearings, and none of them seem to reliably diagnose a bad bearing 100% of the time: 1. check end play with dial indicator, should be < .002" 2. jack up wheel, hold at 12:00 and 6:00 and check for play 3. take a 1/2 hour drive on the freeway, then check hub temperatures with an IR thermometer, the hottest hub is the defective one 4. does noise increase when you turn left at speed? Then the bad bearing is on the left front side And then there is this super easy method, where you feel for roughness in the spring as you rotate the tire: [ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzB-V8CrSn8[/ame]

No problem breaking the old sealant bond between the pan and the block? From a Forester owner: "Using a block of wood held against the oil pan to protect it, I gave it a few wacks with a 5 pound lump hammer. This quickly popped the oil pan free of the sealant." http://www.subaruforester.org/vbulletin/f87/ultimate-oil-pickup-install-thread-55376/index2.html

I agree with some, but not all of those numbers, after looking at the 2005 and 2009 FSM Use 65 ft-lb, not 81.1, for the nut on the stud that goes through the rear bushing. Use 70 ft-lb, not 81.1, for the bolt&nut on the front bushing.

Same here.

Me too.

Some new asian formula coolants are available from Beck Arnley: Extended Life Blue (for Subaru) Extended Life Pink Red Concentrate Green Concentrate (for Subaru) http://www.beckarnley.com/bafluids.html Subaru owners now have a choice of 5 different asian formula coolants, 2 from Subaru, 2 from Beck Arnley, and 1 from Zerex.

That aged Michelin model is a surprisingly competent tire. It had a good review in the Dec 2009 C&D tire test of winter performance. http://www.caranddriver.com/features/09q4/2009_winter_tire_test-comparison_tests/michelin_pilot_hx_mxm4_page_3

here is an Oct 2010 test of H4 bulbs: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/products/products/258424/headlamp_bulbs_tested.html

If you are looking for an aftermarket alternative to the green Subaru Long Life coolant, keep this in mind: "Always use Genuine Subaru Long Life Anti-Freeze Coolant,which is readily available at all Subaru dealership parts departments. Its formula incorporates phosphate (non-amine) to insure adequate anti-corrosion protection of the aluminum alloys in boxer engines. If a substitute anti-freeze must be used in an emergency, be certain not to substitute the long-life OAT type found in certain domestic cars. Use only a phosphate (non-amine) formula.Read the label carefully to be sure." The above quote is from the May 2005 edition of Subaru's End Wrench publication (now defunct?). The Zerex Asian Vehicle Coolant may meet the above requirements, but I am not sure, as I have not seen an ingredients list for the Zerex.

You may still be able to find the original Toshiba HIR1 (9011) bulb. Buy the version manufactured in Japan (better QC), not the one manufactured later in China. Or you can get the made in Germany Philips HIR1 from your local (or online) GM parts department, part #1509 4219

Subaru has recently come out with this statement, in their Dec 2010 Tech Tips Newsletter. All tire circumferences need to be within 0.25 inch of each other. "The Techline continues to receive calls from Technicians who have performed all types of unsuccessful repairs to transmissions with a “binding on turns” concern from the Customer. One of the first questions we will ask is whether or not the tire circumferences have been measured. All too often the answer is no. It is extremely important when diagnosing a transfer clutch-related concern, the tires must be one of the first variables you rule out. Remember, all 4 tires should be within approximately ¼" of each other in circumference when measured at the center of the tread. Otherwise, binding issues can result (or re-occur) due to the ratio imbalance caused by mis-matched tires. A quick keyword search on STIS of “Binding on Turns” will return a list of other bulletins and TIPS articles on this subject" http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/30110-tire-circumference-spec-confirmed-subaru-techtips.html

That's the word from a reliable source at candlepowerforums. Toshiba has stopped manufacturing them. Philips has a new 9012 HIR2 bulb available. Philips also has an older design 9011 HIR1 that does not have the infrared reflective coating. No word yet whether Philips will redesign the HIR1 bulb. http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=243470