Bariki

Just found another ground strap and it’s greasy as… but accessing it will probably require pulling the undercover, so it will have to wait for another day…

I cleaned a couple of grounds and the alternator positive connector, but it didn't make a difference. I get whine whether I use the 12v outlet or the cigarette lighter. It gets worse when you have the air conditioning on. It would be less of an issue if I didn't need to use so much volume to hear podcasts/audiobooks. With music, it's less of an issue since the base volume level is much higher, so you can barely hear the whine.

I will give that a try. It’s plugged into the cigarette lighter.

The big three what? Plugs, wires, and grounds?

Does anyone know a way to reduce alternator whine picked up by a Bluetooth transmitter? Obviously turning the volume down and not using the both AC help, as does driving slower… Playing music instead of podcasts or audiobooks has a similar effect. But us there anything else I can do?

Do you have a hood scoop? If not, you need a front-mount. Otherwise, the stock inter cooler is fine.

My left rear caliper was so bad I had to use the car’s hydraulics to get get piston out, since compressed air was not enough.. I hope annealing the used washers was sufficient, since the local Subaru dealer wanted a week to deliver new ones…. Yeah, no. I’ll get new ones if they prove leaky.

Interestingly, this issue went unnoticed even when I had to replace the longblock after my timing belt broke (prematurely, I assure you...), so they must have not pulled the transmission with the engine. I can kind of understand accidentally forgetting to tighten down two bolts before putting the heat shields back on. It was basically a non-issue between 5 MPH to 70 MPH. I had basically assumed it was the half-shafts because it sometimes seemed to be worse when turning.

Right, come to think of it, it would be a huge pain in the ass to pull or reinstall the transmission with the driveshaft in the way... I was thinking maybe it had been thrown out of balance, but thankfully it was something much simpler.

Yeah, the only reason I even mentioned the cause was in case it would help someone else with a similar problem down the road. I’m not sure if a clutch job even involves removing the center bearing, but logically this is the most likely reason. Now I just have to fix one dragging caliper and I’ll be golden…

Maybe try being useful instead of being funny?

I had multiple mechanics who were unable (or unwilling) to diagnose it, so I just lived with it, because I assumed the repair would be expensive. It hadn't occurred to me that it could be something so simple. Plus, I wasn't even sure where it was coming from, so I didn't know where to look until I had eliminated all other possibilities. No need to be rude.

The center bearing of the drive shaft wasn’t bolted down properly…

Bore the engine out lol

Ever since I got my clutch replaced years ago, my 2004 Legacy B4 has made a kind of a rattling sound that seems to be coming from somewhere below the shifter. It occurs at low speeds when I start the car (especially right as the clutch pedal pressure is released), but it also happens at high speeds (65+ mph). However, it might actually be at least two different rattles. What could it be? I've replaced the suspension, front half shafts, a control arm, and front wheel bearing for various reasons and nothing seems to make a difference. I suspect maybe it's a bad transmission mount or the propeller shaft. The front differential also seems to have quite a bit of backlash, but I don't know how much is normal.

Oh, OK. Thanks.

How in the world could a snapped timing belt save an interference engine?

What does that mean?

The JDM automatic and manual engines are NOT the same. Please only answer questions you actually know the answer to.

My 2004 JDM B4 GT with manual transmission snapped its timing belt. I now need a new engine (or at least a head?). Can I use an engine from an automatic in my manual car? The automatics come with EJ20Xs while manuals come with EJ20Ys, but I have no idea what the difference is besides the turbo, ECU, and possibly the cams. Could I take a used head from another engine and swap it directly? What are the odds the pistons and cylinders aren't damaged? I am pretty sure that 2006+ engines are actually quite different and won't work.