jaylew

Hey guys, So my OE harmonic balancer delaminated so I had to replace it. I went with this one https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=2394004&cc=1430733&jsn=3544 I am not sure how I feel about it. It has a lot of wobble to it for brand new. Definitely better than a delaminated OE but still not as steady. I don't want to go spending big money on OE or a fluid dampener and I don't want to go light weight route. I might be worrying about nothing but any suggestions on decent aftermarket options?

I am using super pro https://www.rallysportdirect.com/part/tie-rods-ball-joints/spp-trc0002-super-pro-front-roll-center-adjustment-kit Still good after 5k miles of street use. I used them because I heard that whiteline rusts super easy and fails far sooner than OE. I'll see how long this set last.

Yeah, Eclipse is just reboxed Cardone. There's a contract there between NAPA and cardone with the Eclipse calipers. It all comes from the same place in mexico (used to be Philadelphia). I used to work at Cardone (unfortunately)

From NAPA, the calipers are likely from Cardone, which they do a good job a repairing/reconditioning the castings, but the parts used to rebuild are crap. The best route (if starting fresh) is the rebuild the current calipers you have now with OE rebuild kits. The pistons are good from reman but all rubber is terrible. OE rubber will last 10+ years at least while reman with last 1-2 years. Also, the guide pin that has a bushing on the tip, get rid of the bushing. It is just asking to bind and seize at the first sight of moisture. In other news, turns out not only was my idler near seized for the AC belt, but the real reason I through a belt was a bad harmonic balancer. After installing new belts and idler, the belt got through instantly, and I saw the offset of the balancer. Already ordered a new one and should be in early this week.

Just noticed the tag...I love it!! Also the old wagon threw the A/C belt. The idler bearing is a bit stiff so the belt started to burn up. It rubbed through the connector to the compressor. I think the connector on the compressor, while rubbed through a little, is still operable. I'll have to do some testing to make sure there was no shorting out but I doubt it. I really don't want to have to replace the whole compressor due to the connector.

where can't oil leak is a shorter answer. But maybe the oil return hose could be your issue. Over time the rubber breaks down from heat cycling and can leak a ton especially if you say you've had the turbo out. That just agitates the hose and makes it more prone to leaks

Hey guys, So I stumbled upon lossol, and the mod that used to be sold to basically hijack the trip computer here. I am interested in doing something like this and have some ideas to add to its functionality. I have a few questions for lossol, but have not heard back, and see that the site that used to be used to sell the boost gauge is no longer a working site. It may be that I'll have to figure some of it out on my own, but wasn't sure if anyone knew a better way of trying to contact lossol. Thanks!

Looking good! Why the WRX master/booster?

That is one way, I ended up swapping out the 05 clock spring for an 09 so that the connectors at the wheel are the same. I then took a harness from a junk yard 05 and 09, to make an adapter harness to go from the 09 clock spring to the 05 car harness. Plug-n-play reversible. Also ran the additional wires to the stereo for the radio controls and back lighting. It is super helpful that the airbag didn't change harness or plugs through the MY. I agree, the 08-09 controls are much better than the split stereo controls. Also having the stereo controls on the left side is nice to change songs/volume while shifting! I can't go back now to the no control wheel I had

Ok, I definitely bought some time with new bolts, but next time I get a chance I will anti-seize them up. Also, good job on putting a new fuel filler in. The old one looked like it had only a few more winters in it.

reading about all these seized frame bolts have me thanking every last bit of good karma I had last fall when I pulled my subframe and gas tank, no issues there. I did replace 3 rusty looking subframe bolts with new ones. Now I am wondering if I should go back and one-by-one add anti-seize or lock tight as a sort of preventative measure.

I bought this back when I was first messing with this. It allows for clearing and reading of airbag faults so that I wasn't shooting in the dark. You can start by unhooking the battery for a few minutes and see if that resets it. And the plugs that are attached to the strain gauges are what I need. I can get them from the junk yard easily but they still have the AD converter integrated. If I can find that plug but as a pigtail form, them I'd be happy!

No problem. Good luck, the tapping and bolt method is more elegant of a haggard way then me using hose clamps but hey if it works it works. If I can source the male plug that comes off the strain gauges then I can make a literal plug n play way. That might be a reach but still I will continue to make a simple way to eliminate the lbs of the strain gauges.

To quote the great AvE..look for the shit stains of where the smoke was let out.

I did, but in a hack way. I disassembled the 05 passenger seat and removed the occupant module, the 4 strain gauges, and the seat belt receptacle and the piece that is inserted into the receptacle (on the belt side). I put worm style hose clamps around each strain gauge to make the car think someone is always sitting. Then zip tie the 4 strain gauges under the 07 seat, along with the 05 seat belt receptacle with the belt clip in the receptacle. Add the 05 occupant module and plug it all in. It's a bit tight and you'll have to get creative on placement of everything but it all fits. This will have the airbag on at all times regardless of passenger. Keep the 07 module because I am working on making something that will get rid of the strain gauges and hopefully the seat belt buckle too. Drivers seat you will need to transfer the 05 seat belt receptacle and **important** pull the drivers seat location sensor (it is riveted to the bottom of the seat). Then just plug the location sensor in and zip tie it somewhere under the seat. I pulled a black 05 belt receptacle from the junk yard so that I didn't have to use the old tan one since the 07 uses a different plug.

not gonna lie, that is kinda cool in a subtle way. Might have to get some SMD LED's and swap out the legacy back lighting on my car....if I ever find there is nothing else to do to the car

wow you lucked out on the damage! Keep it going, save the wagons. Nice to see that you are putting quality parts back into it. Without the core support in the way, must have been the easiest timing belt job in the history of subarus.

SBT, I agree. Those headers are horrible even for stock tune N/A. The way the headers/cats are designed are purely for emissions but super detrimental to the rest of the engine and make it a ping monster

Read my signature...that is all

From that doc, all I got was a bunch of marketing wank. Similar to OE saying anything but their parts is bad or servicing by an outside shop is also bad. Bunch of nonsense in my opinion meant to get you to buy straight from them. I will say there is some good in it, like watch out for fake castings or poorly rebuilt / poorly painted calipers. They state that they put it through multiple ovens to cure paint themselves so I'd say you won't be hardening or annealing the casting unless you are taking the oven to an obscene temperature. Research the paint being used, and use good sense. A caliper might see 200+ F on a track anyway. Just my 2cents

To add to the money reasoning. Reman is shit. I used to work for a reman company that their bread and butter was calipers. The rubber components were shit and wouldn't last more than a year. OE rubber all the way. It'll last 10-20 years. Do it once, do it right. One way if you don't have the resources to fully clean your old caliper is to buy a reman (make sure it isn't a Chinese caliper because those companies are known to put chinese castings in a box and call it reman even though it's not) Then rebuild the 'new' caliper with an OE rebuild kit. Freshly clean caliper and new rubbers. boom.

I found that you can get a barbed hose fitting with threads on the other end that match the thread pitch of the caliper banjo bolt. Some teflon tape and you got yourself a good seal after screwing it into the caliper. The barbed fitting should be found at any hardware store that has air tool assorted fittings

So my stock MOMO steering wheel started to fall apart. So instead of doing the easy thing and fixing it or replacing it with something similar I went full upgrade. Now I have a 2009 steering wheel with both cruise control and stereo controls all working. I had to replace the stock clock spring with one I found from either an 09 or a newer impreza in the junk yard. I had to remove a steering wheel angle sensor but that is a bolt on (off). To have the new clock spring fit, I did have to do some clearancing of the slots that the angle sensor keys into. Besides that is fits no problem. I used the old clock spring to make a patch harness to connect the new clock spring to the car's older harness. This way no soldering on car was needed and it is totally reversible. The patch harness also has 4 wires that slice off to go to the stereo for the control plug (Newer headunit capable of aux needed to work with the newer stereo controls) and also to T into the illumination wiring. No more dingle dongle cruise control thing behind the wheel! The result is a newish wheel with a different airbag (still plug n play) and all on wheel controls that work and are backlit. Now I can get a JDM MOMO wheel off ebay that is from 09 to keep the MOMO alive. Don't worry the rats nest of wiring that can be seen was cleaned and made neat. I didn't take a picture after cleaning up, and I am not pulling the headunit just for that. Also the up and down arrows in the stereo control do switch songs for those who are wondering even when using the OE iPod connector for the SAT. I was curious when I started the project and couldn't find any info confirming the functionality. **still don't know why some pictures are loading sideways or upside down. When opened to full size in another window they orient correctly.

So, this is more informational than anything. As most know for the 05 MY the seat belt chime can be turned off by disconnecting the white connector that goes to the driver seat belt receptacle. Well I recently disassembled an 05 seat belt receptacle to discover that it is just a position contact switch. Also to my suspicion, that the actual seat belt switch (yellow connector) is not a physical switch at all, unlike how it is depicted in the service manual wiring diagram. I was suspicious when doing a continuity test there was no difference between the buckle in or out, always open circuit. After taking the buckle apart I was greeted with a hall effect sensor. In the second picture the metal blade next to the spring plunges down upon insertion of the seat belt, and thus breaks up the magnetic field for the hall sensor. Thought some of you might find this interesting. This is all because I am trying to find ways to fool the occupant detection module into thinking someone is always buckled up and sitting, instead of other hack ways. Helpful for seat swaps and still functioning airbags. I'll keep you all posted on my progress