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CHANGE OLD HVAC CONTROL LIGHTS

 

Originally posted by Aczwild. Original link can be found here.

 

Well here it is, this is how you change those worn out lights on the older Legacys. Its relatively easy and painless and wont cost you much, like it would if you had a dealer do it. At the present moment I dont have the part numbers for the bulbs, but any Subaru Parts Dept should be able to tell you/ get you them. These bulbs are Subaru Specific, you wont be able to find them at an autoparts store. There are three bulbs that I know of that are part of the control unit and one in the Hazard switch.With that said, lets begin shall we?

 

What you'll need:

  • Philips head screwdriver (magnetized prefreably)
  • Bulbs from Subaru Dealer
  • Needle Nose Pliers
  • Regular Pliers
  • A few 5/16" and 3/16" E-Type Retaining rings beacuse like me, you'll probably drop them and loose them
  • Small box to put the screws and retaining rings in
  • Cold drink of your choice

1. Disconnect the damn battery, you dont want to short anything else out, now do you?

 

2. Alright here we go, hop into your car and remove the cup holder as shown below. I'm sure you all know how to do this, I'm just being thorough.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Aczwild/DSC00902.jpg

 

3. Next remove the two screws on where the cupholder used to be as shown below and take out the metal tray that held the cup holders

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Aczwild/DSC00901.jpg

 

4. Now its time to get a little frisky with the car. First did you Disconnect the battery? If you didnt do it now, you dont want to short out any more lights, or anything else. Whenever you mess with anything electrical on your car you should disconnect the battery. Alright, back on track. Remove the plastic faceplate that surrounds the controls and then disconnect the hazard switch, shown below

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Aczwild/DSC00890.jpg

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Aczwild/DSC00891.jpg

 

5. Next unscrew these 4 screws to loosen the Heater Control Unit, this is where the magnetized screwdriver comes in handy, you dont want to lose these.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Aczwild/DSC00892.jpg

 

10. Now we finally get to the bulbs in the unit, these bulbs only need about a 1/4 turn at most to free them from the unit. They should turn easily with your fingernail, or the tip of a flathead screwdriver, be gentile, you dont want to damage the electronics. The pic below shows you the location of the bulbs along with how much the back of the unit will separate from the front of the unit.

 

http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Aczwild/DSC00898.jpg

 

11. Remove, replace and screw back together. You can now reconnect this to the car, you are done with the lights in the Heater control. WHEN YOU RECONNECT THE HEATER CABLE, MAKE SURE THE SLIDER IS ALL THE WAY TO THE LEFT SO THE CABLE IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. THE CABLE SHOULD LOOK LIKE THE PICTURE IN STEP 7 BEFORE YOU PUSH THAT RETAINING RING BACK IN. To get that retaining ring back in I used a pair of regular pliers to push it back in. It needs to hold the black plasice sheath in place. Now for the Hazard switch I dont have any pictures, but I can walk you through it.

 

12. On the Plastic cover with the Hazard switch in it, unclip the vents and remove. Unscrew the two screws that hold the hazard switch in and take that out. The silvery heat cover is basically a sticker and can be peeled off the side of the switch to reveal the bulb, remove, replace and congrats, you're all set. Put everything back together and reconnect the battery. The lights should be all set to go.

 

Stay tuned, in a week or so, I'm gonna replace a couple lights in the switches on the dash (ie. the rear window heater and any others that are blown)

+ edited

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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Engine Teardown

 

Original artical written by reddevil. Link can be found here.

 

Part 2

Part 3

 

Start with an engine on an engine stand.

 

The intake manifold has already been removed, so no pics on that removal. Also, I neglected to take a before photo.

 

 

Turn motor upside down on the engine stand. Using a 14mm socket remove the 6 exhaust manifold nuts and pull manifold off. This one looks weird because it is a twin turbo exhaust manifold. Using the 14mm socket, remove the 4 bolts holding the motor mounts.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5584.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5585.JPG

 

Next to remove is the oilpan. Use a 10mm socket. Then whack repeatedly with a rubber mallet. The dipstick needs to be removed first. On the top of the block is a 10mm bolt holding the dipstick tube. Remove bolt and yank dipstick tube out of oil pan.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5586.JPG

 

Next remove the eight 10mm bolts that hold the oil pick up tube and splash guard. Don’t drop them into the engine!

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5588.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5589.JPG

 

To remove the oil cooler, you need a deep socket 24mm. Remove oil filter. Haha. The socket fits over the threaded section that the oil filter screws onto. This bolt/tube is about 3-4” long. Undo the two hose clamps on the hose FARTHEST away from the cooler and remove the cooler and two hoses as a unit.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5590.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5591.JPG

 

 

Now rotate the engine back to its correct orientation. The next step is to remove the crank pulley by unbolting the 22mm crank bolt. This requires a good size breaker bar. You need to stop the rotation of the crank and the easiest way is to jam a wrench into the teeth of the flywheel

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5592.JPG

 

 

Unfortunately I do not have a picture of the removal of the crank pulley. But remove it anyway. After the crank pulley has been removed (this most likely requires quite a bit of wiggling and pulling), you need to remove the timing belt covers. The timing belt covers are held in place by 10 mm bolts. Again, no pictures.

 

 

Next is breaking the cam bolts free. You need to keep the timing belt on and the wrech stuck in the flywheel. On the older models the cam bolts are 17mm. On the new models, the cam bolts have become a cursed allen head bolt that is almost guaranteed to strip. Sorry folks, but if they strip, you will have to either “easy-out” them, or weld on a socket and break them free. When you reinstall them, I recommend getting the older 17mm bolts to replace them.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5593.JPG

 

After removing the bolts, you should remove the timing belt tensioner pulley to relieve the timing belt of its tension. It’s a 14mm head bolt.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5594.JPG

 

Now remove the timing belt, wiggle off the cam pulleys (inspect them for cracks, and if you had a really hard time removing the pulleys and MAY have damaged them, junk em!), and unbolt and remove the rest of the timing belt idlers.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5595.JPG

 

 

Now on both heads you need a 10mm socket to remove the bolts that hold the back of the timing belt covers on. Remove rear covers.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5596.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5597.JPG

 

 

Next to remove is the timing belt tensioner, tensioner mounting bracket and the water pump. The tensioner pictured is held on with two 12mm bolts. The bracket directly behind it is held in place with three 12 mm bolts. The water pump is held in place with six 10 mm bolts. When you remove the water pump, you can easily leave the hoses and metal hoses attached. Simply unbolt the 10mm mounting bolts and the water pump and hoses should come off as a for you to deal with later.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5598.JPG

 

Next is head removal. Remove the various (depends upon the head model) 10mm bolts that hold the cam cover on.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5599.JPG

 

Next you need to remove the cam caps. They are held on with 12mm bolts. They are labeled so you don’t need to worry about mixing them up. Just look at them to understand/remember where they will be returned to.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5600.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5601.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5602.JPG

 

To remove the cams, tap GENTLY on the front of the cam UPWARDS and they will pop out. Now you need to remove the 6 head bolts. Using a 14mm twelve point socket and a ½” breaker bar, remove these 6 long bolts. PLEASE NOTE I am NOT removing the bucket and shims at this point. The buck and shims are the eight shiny ½ dollar sized parts. Note that some heads are bucket only, some are rocker arm, and some bucket and shim. The shim is a thin piece of metal that sits on top of the bucket. Of any head that has shims, DO NOT mess up the order in which they are placed!!!!!!

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5603.JPG

 

PART TWO HERE

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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Once the bolts are removed, the head will simply lift off. Repeat for the other head. Set heads aside in a safe clean area. If you are going to be reusing the head without a valve job, then you don’t need to do anything with the buckets and shims. If you are going to have a valve job done, YOU NEED TO pull out the bucket and shim and keep them in the EXACT same order they started as. You screw it up, its your motor…. Reinstalling and calibration of heads is not to be discussed in this thread.

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5604.JPG

 

 

Now rotate the engine back to UP. We will next remove the crossover pipe and oil pump.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5605.JPG

 

There are four 10mm bolts holding the crossover pipe on. BE GENTLE!!!! These four bolts like to snap. The crossover pipe then lifts off.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5606.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5607.JPG

 

Last item to remove is the oil pump. Whoops, didn’t do a before photo…. Anyway, the oil pump is held in place by six 10mm bolts. Remove those and gently tap the bottom of the oil pump AWAY from the block to break the seal. There are two dowels that locate the oil pump to the block. Gently wiggle and pull the oil pump and it will come off. Remove the little black gasket near the bottom on the block.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5610.JPG

 

 

 

OK, that’s it for now. I will continue when I crack open the block and remove the bearings……..

 

Next we remove the flywheel. These eight bolds are 14mm fine thread. Don’t lose em. I prefer to use an impact wrench to remove them, but if you need to use a breaker bar, keep the wrench wedged in to hold the flywheel in place.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5613.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5614.JPG

 

Once the flywheel is removed, we have to pull the four pistons from out of the block. On the rear of the block are two cover plates held in place with Philip head screws. These guys WILL strip using a hand screwdriver unless you get lucky. Preferable use an impact driver to loosen them, or get a GOOD tipped Philips head and smack that as your attempt to loosen.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5615.JPG

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5616.JPG

 

Pry off the covers to reveal the insides.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5617.JPG

 

Here you will see the 14mm hex plug that hides the access point to the wristpin. The other side does not have a plug.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5618.JPG

 

Using a 14mm hexbit, remove the plug.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5619.JPG

 

On the front of the engine you find two hex plugs. Remove both plugs

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5620.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5621.JPG

 

 

 

 

 

Now rotate the crank so you can see the cir-clip holding the wristpin in. Either the front two will be visible, or the rear two. Using needle nose pliers, pull these clips out. You can reuse them, its up to you. Obviously if you damage one (I don’t know how the hell you would), you should replace it. But since there is NO stress on them, I reuse them.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5622.JPG

 

Part 3 HERE

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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Now comes the fun part where you need to fabricate some sort of wrist pin removal tool. Subaru uses two types of wrist pin. The EJ22 and EJ25 are “easy” to remove and use the lower tool. These pins have a simple hole through them that allows the tool to slip through and hook the edge. The EJ20 wrist pin SUCKS. The hole is tapered and so requires a lot of patience and often some help. The tool to use is on top.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5623.JPG

 

 

You can see the difference in this photo.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5624.JPG

 

Using the top tool in conjunction with a section of 12guage wire, you fish both through and then pull back on the tool to jamb the nub in the small section of the wrist pin so you can yank out the pin. Plain and simple, this can take awhile if the pins are really stubborn.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5626.JPG

 

Once the wrist pins are removed, you can rotate the crank to remove the pistons. First rotate the crank around and this will push the piston to the front and leave them there. Now push the piston back into the cylinder while twisting it.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5627.JPG

 

Then rotate the crank again and this will cause the rod to hit the back of the piston and push it out.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5628.JPG

 

Keep track of which piston came out of which hole and label them.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5629.JPG

 

---------------------------------------------------------

Video!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How to piston pull!

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR0Ed6qTIVQ]pulling pistons out of Subaru block - YouTube[/ame]

 

---------------------------------------------------------

 

Next step is to separate the two block halves.

 

Using a 12mm 12point socket, remove the 5 upper bolts.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5630.JPG

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5631.JPG

 

Remove the 3 front bolts

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5633.JPG

 

Remove the two bolts inside the water jacket.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5636.JPG

 

Spin the block around and remove the 6 bolts on the other side inside the water jacket.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5637.JPG

 

On the back where the flywheel was is a single 12mm bolt. You need small breaker bar to remove this bolt. DO NOT use a wrench, it will round over.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5638.JPG

 

The last bolt to remove is inside and requires a 10mm socket. You need a small breaker bar to remove this bolt. DO NOT use a wrench, it will round over.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5639.JPG

 

OK, that’s all the bolts.

 

To separate the block, you WILL have to tap it apart. Sometime you will have to REALLY tap it apart, hard enough to deform the aluminum. There are two places that have a small tube that fits into the other side of the block and these get sticky. I tap the block apart in the back, left to right on the tranny housing area.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5640.JPG

 

 

Then I tap apart in the front.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5641.JPG

 

This is where it will stick together.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5642.JPG

 

 

Finally, you can lift the block halve off the other.

 

http://www.vincentfurniture.com/photos/subaru/engineteardown/IMG_5643.JPG

 

DONE!

 

Next I will reinstall bearings. But that will be awhile, I am going to have the block hot tanked to get it nice and clean.

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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VLSD Conversion

 

Original thread is from compression. Original link is here.

 

My goal for this project was to end up with a 4.11 Viscous limited slip rear differential (VLSD). R160 style diff only, I know nothing about the R180s...

This covers how to install a viscous unit from one T-type R160 diff into another. VA type R160 differentials (shown later in this thread) are very different and most of this would not apply.

 

STEP 1: This is the hardest part of the whole process; Locate a Subaru LSD rear end. I was fortunate to find one at a local wrecking yard out of an SVX. The SVX diff has a ratio of 3.54 which is not what I needed. Luckily (right next to the SVX in the wrecking yard) there was a '96 legacy with a 4.11 open rear diff. Pulled both diff's out and headed home....

 

STEP 2:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/3126/img1012tg7.jpg

Remove the differential center unit from the viscous diff (shown at right). This is done by removing all the 14mm bolts from the diff cover, and the 12mm bolts from the side bearing supports. The 4.11 open diff is show at left.

 

STEP 3:

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/7914/img1013xf0.jpg

Remove the ring gear from the LSD with a 17mm socket. A beefy impact gun really help for this. If you dont have an impact, then you will have to put the diff in vice and try it that way. When all the bolts are removed, gently tap the diff body on the benchtop and the ring gear will fall off.

 

STEP 4:

http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/532/img1016sd5.jpg

Remove the cover from the open diff. Keep all your bolts organized and all the parts clean. Proceed to remove the bearing caps and take the diff out of the housing. LABEL THE BEARING CAPS so that you know which side is which. Also, be careful with the shimming gaskets and O-rings in there. Keep it organized!

 

STEP 5:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/596/img1019lb1.jpg

With the open diff out, remove the ring gear just like you did with the LSD. Here you can see the open differential on the right and the LSD on the left.

 

STEP 6:

http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/8374/img1023pq8.jpg

Swap the ring gear from the open diff on to the LSD. Torque each bolt to 45-50 ft-lb in an alternating pattern.

 

STEP 7:

http://img104.imageshack.us/img104/5497/img1021ks0.jpg

Here is where it gets tricky! The new diff did not fit back into the open (non-LSD) case..oh no! what do we do? Well, I will tell you. We grind! Use whatever power tool, grinder, sander, die grinder, etc you have and work down the 2 bumps as shown (this is the drivers side of the diff case). It doesnt take much. Make sure you clean up all your sanding/grinding mess, you dont want metal flakes inside the diff. It may tak a few test fits, but the diff will eventually go in.

 

STEP 8:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/8718/img1024lb4.jpg

Reinstall the bearing caps. Torque the bolts to 8ft-lb in alternating sequence, yes, only 8. Make sure you line up the arrows. Also, make sure you have 2 shimming gakets on each side and the O-rings. You can adjust the bearing preload with more or less gaskets, but every diff I have ever opened always has 2 on each side.

 

STEP 9:

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5842/img1025hx8.jpg

You should now have the diff mounted in the case. Check to make sure everything is moving freely by rotating the input shaft and watching the ring gear rotate. It should feel smooth. This is the point that you can check tooth engagement according to the FSM (section 3-4, pg 50)

 

STEP 10:

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/7595/img1026oi4.jpg

Install the cover with it's gasket and you are all set. Torque bolts to 20 ft-lb in an alternating sequence. Now wasn't that easy?

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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Window Pads

 

Original thread written by DTSJR. Link here.

 

I want to start off by saying that this is not a fix for the infamous window scratches. Over time the windows can still scratch. This is just a band aid for the problem. If probably maintained, you can prevent further scratching.

 

Is this how your windows look?

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00066.JPG

If you want to replace the pads, it will cost you $70 or more to do so. Heres how I repaired mine for a lot less.

Tools needed:

Flathead and Philips head screw driver

10mm socket/wrench

Scissors

Exacto knife

Materials need:

Faux fur

Super glue

 

Step 1:

First start by removing the door pannel. If you dont know how, in the image below, the yellow dots have screws behind plastic inserts, and the purple dots pop out. Once you have the pannel unscrewed and poped off, you have to pop off a small plastic peice that by the mirror. Then just lift the pannel up, and it should come off. You can leave the wires for the switches plugged in, and just let the pannel hang.

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00065.JPG

 

Step 2:

Once the pannel is off you will see the two inside pads and their brackets. There is one 10mm bolt you have to take out to remove the bracket, and then slide the pad out.

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00068.JPG

 

Step 3:

Now that the inside pads are out you have room to move the window to get to the outside pads. I have been told there are two inside and two outside pads, but there are actually three outside pads. On the sides of the pads are tabs that have to be pushed in to remove the pads. You have to slide your fingers between the window and the door to push the tabs in. The pads might be hard to remove, so a little pry from a flat head screw driver will help. It also helps to take off the weather stripping on the side of the door to get to one of the pads.

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00074.JPG

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00072.JPG

 

If you have fat fingers:

If you have trouble getting to the tabs to push them in you can remove the black strip along the top of the door. Remove the screw from the end of the strip. Then you have to pull up carefully on the strip to get the white tabs to pop off the door. I was able to get a few to pop off, but I didnt use much force so I wouldnt break them.

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00078.JPG

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00079.JPG

 

Now that you have one pad completly glued, it should look something like this:

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00098.JPG

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00100.JPG

 

Now just do the rest of the pads the same way. Ten pads in total. Shouldnt take too long once you get the hang of it all.

 

Here are the driver's side pads before:

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00080.JPG

Here are the driver's side pads after:

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00110.JPG

 

Step 7:

Installation is the reverse of the removal.

 

Pictures of the pads installed:

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00111.JPG

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00112.JPG

http://www.danboughtwhat.com/projects/window/DSC00113.JPG

 

Total cost: $5. $3 for the fur, $2 for a pack of super glue.

I recommend that once in a while you take out the pads to clean them. Or if the pads wear down (hopefully not too quickly), you will have plenty of extra fur to redo them.

 

I hope this helps some people. Since this isnt really a fix, just a cheap alternative I would like to find a fix. So keep an eye out if I do...

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

COME AND TAKE IT

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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Dying Carpet

 

Original thread by httrdd. Link can be found here.

 

The other DIY was not informative so I figured I would share the one I made on SL-i.net

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-05-04_17-39-21_317.jpg

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-05-04_17-39-52_411.jpg

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-05-04_17-25-38_602.jpg

 

Items needed:

3 bottles of Rit fabric dye

Scrubbing brush

Spray bottle

Tarp

Laytex gloves

Scotchgaurd spray

 

Very easy to do and does not take a lot of time and cost in total 20 bucks! You can choose any color you want since it will work the same. I used Rit dye in black (pay no attention to the Bondo in the pic).

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-04-23_14-21-56_837.jpg

 

Step 1.

Remove carpet completely from car and vacuum thoroughy. Deep shampoo carpet to remove and oils, grease, food, dirt, and anything else spilled. Next lay carpet on tarp to prevent dying anything else around the carpet.

*If you have the down time, wash and scubb the carpet and let dry.

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-04-24_17-31-07_117.jpg

 

Step 2.

Put on laytex gloves and moisten the carpet with water. Drain water from spray bottle and put dye into spray bottle and spray first coat lightly just so you see some color covering the carpet. Use scrubbing brush to scrubb and push the dye into the carpet. Add second coat a little heavier and brush in deep. Now spray the last bit of dye into the carpet and brush until you think all areas are covered and there are no puddles of dye on the carpet. Make sure to get edges and any where the carpet is exposed.

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-04-24_18-01-05_694.jpg

Carpet should look like this

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-04-24_18-01-14_797.jpg

 

Step 3.

Hang to dry or expose to sun. I hung mine in the garage with fans running to speed up the drying for two days.

 

http://i374.photobucket.com/albums/oo185/httrdd/2011-04-24_18-07-06_984.jpg

 

Step 4.Once carpet is dry vacuum thoroughly.

 

Step 5.

Spray a light coat of Scotchgaurd fabric spray over carpet and let dry for about 30 mins. Spray next coat medium and let dry for another 30 mins. Finally spray another coat making sure you get all over the carpet and let it get dry to the touch.

 

Step 6 You can now reinstall your carpet. Avoid touching the carpet for about a week so the dye can settle in. Use floor mats to drive the car during the drying process. If you have the down time let dry for about a week before reinstall.

 

Ok you are all done and your carpet looks new! :smt023 I have had mine in for about 2 weeks and I can rub my hand on it and a damp rag with no problems. Good luck!

 

:sunny:

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • I Donated

Rack & Pinion

 

Original thread by VWScooby. Original link can be foundhere.

 

This is a quick DIY for anyone that needs to replace the steering rack on your Impreza. This was done on Davids (RS.Wagon) 1994 Subaru Impreza AWD with the EJ18. There may be slight differences in the procedure depending on the year/engine in your car, however it shouldnt be too different.

 

Disclaimer: If you dont know what you are doing, please dont hurt yourself and take it to a shop. I'm in no way responsible if you hurt yourself or others or damage your car following these procedures. Use at your own risk!

 

sorry for the poor picture quality, my camera blows :(

 

here's what we did:

 

1) Make sure your old rack in completely toast! do this by rallying the piss out of your car in the middle of the night and running over a rail road tie. Make sure a good amount of Power steering fluid is pissing on your exhaust, enough to make smoke come pouring out of your hood.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012434.jpg

 

2) Man up and admit your screwed the pooch. go buy a new rack! (i dont have any pictures of the rallying part unfortunately)

 

3) jack the car up using jack stands on a level surface.

 

4) take the front wheels off

 

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012433.jpg

 

5) Take off the castle nut on your outer tie rod ends by first removing the cotter pin and then spinning the 19mm nut.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012440.jpg

 

6) take a brass hammer and tap the tie rod ends out, if needed, spin the castle nut onto the tie rod end again so it sits flush with the beginning of the stud and tap on it, make sure not to damage the threads otherwise your buying a new tie rod end (may not be a bad idea depending on the condition of yours)

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012439.jpg

 

7) undo the lock nuts holding the outer tie rod end in place (19mm wrench i think)

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012438.jpg

 

8) Untwist the outer tie rod ends from the inner and count the number of turns it takes to come off (this comes in handy when putting them back on). Write this down somewhere!

 

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012443.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012458.jpg

 

9)Undo the exhaust manifold. there are 6 nuts holding it on the the heads (14mm deep socket) and two on the cat pipe (14mm bolts/ nuts) you'll need a 14mm wrench to keep the nut on the other side from spinning

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012448.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012447.jpg

 

10) undo the small black plate seen there (14mm bolt/nut)

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012441.jpg

 

11)Undo the front sway bar. there are through bolts on each end link that you can take off and one bolt on each of the two brackets holding it on to the chassis.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012446.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012444.jpg

 

12) center the steering wheel and mark the steering knuckle and the input to the steering box. We did this but ended up not using the marks since we put in a new rack. Loosen the bolt clamping the joint onto the shaft. Note: make sure not to spin the steering wheel with the column detached from the rack, you may destroy your clockspring.

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012451.jpg

 

13) place a drip pan under the rack if you havnt already and undo the power steering lines. there are 2 lines, one takes a 17mm i think and one takes a 14mm. its impossible to hook it back up the wrong lol. subaru was thinking :D

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012454.jpg

 

14) Undo the 4 bolts holding the power steering rack in 14mm i believe

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012455.jpg

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012456.jpg

 

 

15) drop that nasty rack on the drip pan.

 

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012457.jpg

 

New Rack:

http://i188.photobucket.com/albums/z291/benvr6passat/forums/writeups/P1012449.jpg

 

16) switch the necessary hard lines over to the new rack. clean them up, especially the fittings and install new O rings. (no pictures of this step, but its easy, just lay the two racks side by side and swap over)

 

17) install everything in the opposite order you took it off.

 

18) fill the PS reservoir with proper fluid (ATF in this case)

 

19) torque the wheels down etc...drop the car on the ground

 

20) crank the steering wheel side to side and check for leaks. make sure the reservoir is still at appropriate level

 

21) test drive time!

 

22) get a alignment done, you'll need it

 

Feel free to make comments/additions, i will go back and edit the original post if necessary

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • I Donated

Carbon Fiber Gauge Face and Color Change

 

Originally posted by Zeus Marine here.

 

Tools:

Phillips Screwdriver

Flat-Blade Screwdriver

Push Pins

220-400 Grit Sandpaper

Xacto Knife/ Scissors

Colored Sharpie

1-2 Feet of 'Clear Carbon Fiber Vinyl' - Found Here

 

 

[1.] to begin, take the needles off your gauges:

 

~before you remove the needles for the speedo, tach, and, water temp lift them enough to slip them past the little stoppers let the needles hang free

 

http://img26.picoodle.com/img/img26/3/12/6/f_fgauge001mam_20226ee.jpg

 

~remember where they hang down to so when to go to put them back in you wont have to guess as much to get them back into reading correctly.

 

~when you go to put the needles back in it'll take a little force to get them seated properly

 

~to check to see if you've gotten them back in alignment for the 5spd ~31 mph is redline ~6250rpm for the L in 1st

 

~~I used this method to pop off the needles (carefully, of course)

 

~taking a flat head screwdriver, use the edge of the bezel as leverage to push up the needle as you pull em off with your other hand

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1024.jpg

 

 

 

[2.] remove the 2 screws to access your gauge, if you havent sanded and colored the back to change your dash colors, now would be a good time to do so...

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1026.jpg

 

* NOTE: you need to decide now if you want your carbon fiber boxes to go vertically up and down the gauges, or horizontally across them(i chose vertically) after you decide, make sure you pay attention to your choice throughout the following steps!!

 

 

[3.] lay out your vinyl face down make sure its goiing the same direction you chose. and trace around your gauge leaving about .25" of clearance

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1027.jpg

 

[4.] Lay your gauge atop the freshly cut-out piece to make sure that it will cover it all... BEFORE YOU UN-STICK IT!

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1039.jpg

(it fits, the paper's just curved)

 

[5.] flip over your gauge and lay it on a roomy table or something of that nature, remove the vinyl, (be careful not to load it with fingerprints),take time to make sure that the boxes on the vinyl are straight vertically or horizontally. you dont want it to be crooked, trust me. when you feel its right, delicately lay it on your gauge.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1041.jpg

 

[6.] take the time to smooth out the vinyl on your gauges very well, the better you rub it in, the better it'll look. i just used the back of my fingernail, it seemed to work

 

[7.] now find something safe to cut on, i used a brownie box. mmmm... and use a box or xacto knife to cut the excess away. note the knife is actually amidst the colors to the right of the picture

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1042.jpg

 

[8.]im sure by now you know to remove any bubbles by popping the with a thumbtack or sewing neeedle but if you didnt, now you do, poke and squish, but now you need to make the screw holes, the tach hole, and the tach stopper holes.. just poke them out with a thumbtack.

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1046.jpg

 

[9.] reinstall your gauges to the bezel when you're all done

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1049.jpg

 

[10.] before you put the dash back together, take the gauge cluster without the clear cover and trim and hook it up to your car.. take a drive and take time to adjust your speed / rpms

[11.]put everything back together and enjoy!!

 

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/100_1052.jpg

 

 

horrible pic, light is spread even, i'll get a better pic soon

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/IMAGE_105.jpg

 

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/SL-i/DSCN0384.jpg

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • I Donated

Short Shifter Install

 

Originally posted by Zues Marine here.

 

Saw some of you having trouble or questions so here ya go

 

Diy using a B&M Short shift kit

 

Shifter Side-by-side

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4269/sidebysidefo3.jpg

 

OLD REAR BUSHING

http://img71.imageshack.us/img71/1043/oldrearmountsg8.jpg

 

Thats a KartBoy bushing but its identical to the B&M

http://www.rallysportdirect.com/shop/images/kbrearshifterbushingmain.jpg

 

 

The front bushing wasn't in bad shape but I replaced them with the B&M that came with the kit..

 

This is also a Kartboy bushing but identical to B&M (i am just using this for reference)

 

http://www.rallysportdirect.com/shop/images/kartboybushing.jpg

 

 

Now the whole process wasn't to bad except for the fact that the B&M kit did not come with a shifter retaining clip!!!!!!!!!!

 

It comes with everything else but not something that costs 10 cents!!

 

 

http://img293.imageshack.us/img293/2825/shifterclipbq9.jpg

 

 

 

 

This is do-it-yourself if you have the right tools. This job was pretty easy since we were using a hoist but it is 100% possible to do this in your garage.

 

When you purchase the B&M kit it gives you a pretty decent description step-by-step of what to do.

 

Summary:

 

Remove center console

 

Remove bracket holding dust boot (6 screws)

 

Unscrew the shift knob

 

Un-bolt the upper linkage from the shifter

 

Drop Exhaust

 

Drop the exhaust shield

 

Drop the mid drive shaft support (optional for more room)

 

Un-bolt lower linkage from shifter

 

Remove retaining ring clip w/ proper puller tool

 

Pull out rear shifter linkage from the rear shifter mount

 

Remove the rear shifter mount

 

Remove the front shifter mount from the linkage (push it out w/ end of hammer)

 

Replace front shifter mount (push it in with your fingers left/right bushing)

 

Replace rear shifter mount

 

Remove the shifter

 

Replace the shifter w/ new grease

 

Reconnect everything

 

The only thing that seemed strange was the metal bracket holding the dust boot had to be installed backwards and only 4 screws can be used.

 

Theres a few little steps I didn't mention but the step-by-step w/ the kit will explain.

 

Heres also the legacy guide for a 97' I am sure its the same as 95-99.

 

http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/9544/assemblymq1.jpg

 

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/6026/43366151eh4.jpg

http://img524.imageshack.us/img524/945/62675652xb4.jpg

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3109/49868676ws7.jpg

http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/3808/97641773il8.jpg

http://img516.imageshack.us/img516/3148/59838905ie9.jpg

 

Final thought.

 

Its night and day! The shifts are 70% shorter IMO and there is 5% play with the shifter while in gear no wobble no nothing!

 

You can't beat the quality of the product!

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • I Donated

Fog Lights On With Parking Lights

 

Originally posted by Zues Marine here.

 

Tools needed:

  • 10mm Socket
  • Wire Clippers
  • Quick Wire Connectors or soldering gun

Difficulty: 3/10

 

  • This guide shows you how to wire your fogs to run whenever your parking lights do, as far as i know this is an illegal mod in all states so do this at your own risk.

Walkthrough:

 

Step One:

  • Trace the wires from your fog lights back around 6" and cut them so you have a good amount of wire to work with. Strip the ends of the wire about .3" you can now pull or hide the wiring from your OEM switch as you will not be needing it afterwards.

Step Two:

  • Unbolt the three 10mm bolts securing the headlight to the radiator support

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/DIY%20Fogs%20and%20PLights/100_0269.jpg

 

Step Three:

  • Pull out the headlight at an angle, be careful not to pull to hard, as the the rod near the turn sigle is somewhat delicate

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/DIY%20Fogs%20and%20PLights/100_0270.jpg]

Step Four:

 

  • Rotate the turn signal counter clockwise to disengage from the headlight and let the bulb hang over your bumper

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/DIY%20Fogs%20and%20PLights/100_0271.jpg

 

Step Five:

 

  • Run a length of wire from the turn signal bulb to the wires you stripped from the fogs. connect the wires and thread them through to your signals

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/DIY%20Fogs%20and%20PLights/100_0272.jpg

Step Six:

 

  • Using your quick connectors, tap into the parking signal wires like this: (blue connectors in the picture)

Driver's Side:

fog wire purple tapped into parking light red

fog wire black tapped into parking light black

Pass. Side:

fog wire green to parking light red

fog wire black to parking light black

 

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/DIY%20Fogs%20and%20PLights/100_0273.jpg

 

Step Seven:

 

 

  • Test, clean up the wires, reassemble and enjoy

 

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/DIY%20Fogs%20and%20PLights/100_0278.jpg

 

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t232/wakeboardingguy/100_0200.jpg

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

COME AND TAKE IT

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • I Donated

Front CV Axle

 

Original post by 1997lgt. Thread can be found here

 

I wrote this on another forum, but figured it would be useful on here

 

This is going to be a step by step DIY walkthrough on changing a front axle on a 1997 Subaru Legacy GT, but should be generally the same for any Subaru model. I did this in a gravel driveway with hand tools, so don't say you can't do it.

 

First step: Acquire Proper Tools

#1/2 Drive 32mm Socket

#Lug Wrench

#14mm Socket

#Mallet or Hammer

#1/4" round punch

#Wedge Punch

#GOOD Jack & Jackstands

#PB Blaster (penetrating oil)

#Book of Swears

 

Second Step: Removal

With the car still on the ground, pull the handbrake and/or block the rear wheels to prevent any accidents. Now is a good time to break the lug nuts loose as well. Pop off any type of center caps to gain access to the axle nut. Lift the car up just enough to take the weight off the wheel. Having someone sit in the vehicle and hold the brake may help to keep the wheel from spinning during this. Take your 32mm socket and a good breaker bar and break loose the axle nut. This is to protect the wheel bearing from any unnecessary strain from being released with weight still on that wheel.

 

(And yes, I know that’s a torque wrench. It is so far out of calibration that I use that one as a breaker bar. PLEASE do NOT use your torque wrench to break ANY nut/bolt loose!!)

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6658r.jpg

Position your jack underneath the car. Towards the lower control arm is a good jacking location. You only need the car high enough to get the wheel off the ground, but higher would be more accessible. Make sure you put a JACK STAND underneath. Now remove the wheel and set it and the nuts in a safe place for later.

Now we should see something like:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6638r.jpg

 

Alright, now get your PB plaster or penetrating oil of choice and lay it to both the ball joint pinch bolt as well as the sway bar link bolts. You may not need it, but it always helps. Let it soak in for a few minutes. Good time for a cold drink, imho.

Next, take a 14mm socket and loosen the upper sway bar link bolt. You will have to hold one side with another 14mm socket/wrench as you loosen it. Arrow below points to the other side you must hold while loosening. (Nut already removed before picture was taken) Remove bolt from sway bar and set it aside.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6647r.jpg

 

Now take the same 14mm socket to the pinch bolt holding the lower ball joint in place.

 

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6644r.jpg

 

Support the rotor/spindle with a jack to pull tension off of the control arm. Get your mallet or hammer of choice and knock the flattest part of the control arm downward to eject the ball joint from the spindle. If necessary, use a long bar as a long punch against it. Should only take a few good blows and then it should look like this:

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6648r.jpg

 

Alright, now loosen the axle nut the rest of the way and drive it back through the spindle. Be very careful not to damage the internal splines.

You can now swing the whole upper assembly (spindle, rotor, strut, etc) up and away enough to pull the axle all the way out of the spindle and off to the side.

 

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6674r.jpg

Now to get remove the axle pin from the transmission side. Find where the roll pin goes through the axle. Its going to be closest the transmission. Take a ¼” punch and hold it against the pin and drive it out with a hammer.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6668r.jpg

 

You should now be able to remove the axle from the transmission. A pry bar and a quick jolt may be needed to separate if the axle has seized to the splines.

Now sit back and have another cold beverage and realize you’re only HALF way done!!

 

Third Step: Installation

The best way to start reinstalling the axle is to drive the new roll pin just a little ways into the new axle to keep it in place. Align it with the hole on the transmission output shaft and drive the pin all the way through until flush. It makes it easier if you do that step first.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6672r.jpg

Now swing the spindle up again and slide the outer splines into the spindle, careful again not to damage any splines. Once it’s all the way through, put the axle nut on hand tight for now.

You can now align the spindle assembly back up with the lower ball joint. It may take some cussing, but it will align up and pop right back into place. Make sure it seats all the way against the lower spindle and torque the pinch bolt to 28-37 FT-LBS.

Pull the sway bar back into alignment with the link, install the bolt, and tighten the nut. Go back and recheck torque on everything and make sure you don’t have any extra parts. Roll pin back in? Ball joint bolt torque? Sway bar reattached?

Now you can put the wheel back on and hand tighten the lugs. Remove the jackstand and lower the vehicle down until the tire barely touches the ground. Tighten the lug nuts to 60 FT-LBS, and torque the axle nut to 137 FT-LBS. I always like to torque an axle nut, break it loose and then retorque it again to preload the bearings.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i184/moparpower2003/LGT/PICT6660r.jpg

Lower the vehicle the rest of the way and you’re done! Test drive the vehicle listening for any kind of noises or play. Retorque bearing once more. Clean up, put your tools away and call it a day.

 

 

If I’ve forgotten anything feel free to let me know and I’ll add it back in.

 

I am in no way a certified mechanic, nor do I work for Subaru. Always use your best judgment. I can’t be to blame for any injury you might incur while using this walkthrough. Always verify torque specs as well, as we all make mistakes.

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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  • I Donated

Grille Painting

 

Original post by vascoobiedude. Post can be found here

 

Recently, I noticed the chrome was peeling off my JDM L7 Red emblem grill. So, I decided to take a shot at painting it. Pictures are limited, but heres what I did. Obviously, removing the grill is a given, so I didn't include how to do that. If you havent figured out how to do that, something like this may be over your level anyways. lol.

 

Step 1. Sanding- So, all that peeling, old, nasty looking chrome paint has got to go. Using steel wool or a scotch brite pad would be optimal, but I'm too impatient to spend hours removing paint, so i started with a medium grit sandpaper. Don't rub too hard, or you'll gouge the plastic. Too lite, and your arm will fall off before you're done. It's kinda one of those things you gotta just feel. Once you've roughed up the entire chrome surface (NOT the entire grill yet..), rinse it off to get rid of all the big chunks. Now comes the fun part... WET SANDING!!! :spin: I did mine in my bathtub, but you can do it outside with a hose, and/or bucket. The key here is light pressure, and lotsa water. A very fine grit wetsanding paper will take time to get the remaining paint off, but the results will be very nice indeed. If you did rub too hard with the coarse paper, dont fret. The wet sanding will smooth those gouges out... eventually. Once you have all the chrome off, go over the entire grill, or at least wherever you want to paint, wet sanding to make sure you have a smooth, paint friendly surface.

 

Step 2. CLEAN!!! As with any painting project, cleaning and prep is paramount to a good outcome. Wash off all the crud you created by sanding, with a CLEAN rag and soap. I used dawn, because it rinses clean and dosent have any of that girly lotion stuff in it that will adhere to the plastic. RINSE, RINSE, RINSE!!! If you think yopu got all the soap off, keep rinsing. Next you'll need to dry it. You can hang and drip dry, put it outside in the sun, or do like me and use a hairdryer. (Again, I'm impatient to a point.) There are alot of nooks and crannys in these things, and it only takes a tiny drop of water to mess up the whole process. So make SURE it is completely dry. Once it is, you're almost ready to paint.

 

Step 3. Masking- This is somewhat tedious... Mask the emblem off with masking tape. Trim off the excess tape LIGHTLY with a razor blade, making sure the entire emblem is covered, but not the surrounding area you want to paint. Tape and paper and other spots you don't want to paint. This should be pretty straight forward, so not a lot of details to cover.

 

Step 4. CLEAN!!! I know you're saying "I already cleaned it, Scoob!" Yes. You did. But, you've also been handling it in the process of drying and masking. So, the oils from your skin have gotten on that freshly sanded raw plastic, and need to come off. Rubbing alcohol and COTTON BALLS will take that right off. No toilet paper, paper towels, or rags, these leave lint. Cotton balls or your girlfriends/wifes/moms cotton makeup pads work great. :cool: Rub the entire surface to be painted with plenty of alcohol, and wait for it to dry. Now we're ready to get high! Er, I mean paint! :lol: lol.

 

Step 5. Paint- Color, type of paint, etc. is going to be personal preferance, so I'll explain what I did, and why. If you value brain cells, ventilation is important. If you've had a bad week at work, maybe it's not. :rolleyes: I started with a light coat of black FILLER PRIMER. This fills in any of the small imperfections that sanding may have left in the plastic. It dries quick, so I had time to smoke a ciggaret, and then it was time to put on coat #2 of primer. I did this simply to ensure uniform coverage. Once that dried, it was color time!!! I wanted satin black, simply because A. I couldn't decide what else would look good, and B. It was easy. lol. Because it was primed, using plastic specific paint wasn't necessary. So, I wen't with Satin black High Heat Rustoleum Grill and BBQ paint. Now, I can hear the jokes already, about wrong kind of grill, can I have a burger, etc. But let me explain... The grill you cook on, stays outside. In the sun. And in the weather. And in the heat. So, naturally, the paint has to withstand those elements. Right? Logically, it makes sense to me that if it works on a BBQ grill, it should be able to hold up to the rain, and sun, and heat of being on the front of my car! Hey.. Makes sense to me... The key here, is to use multiple light coats of paint, allowing just enough time for the surface to be tacky, but not dry, between coats. Too much, and you'll have runs. Too light, and it will be rough to the touch and look. 4 coats later, its time to dry for good! Patience, lazy, etc. i used my trusty hairdryer again, just to get a good solid bake on the top, and then put it back on the car to sun dry. I did this, so that when drying/curing outside, bugs, leaves, etc, wouldn't stick to it.

 

Step 6. Enjoy!! Do not install the grill if you need to drive the car within 24 hours of painting it. This is roughly how long it will take my method to properly cure and dry, to where bugs hitting it won't screw up your new paint.

Now for pics!!! :wub:

 

Before... Notice the peeling, stained chrome...

http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/vascoobiedude/Scoobie/IMG_3491.jpg

 

In the tub, ready to sand...

http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/vascoobiedude/Parts/photo.jpg

 

Sanded and masked up, ready for primer..

http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/vascoobiedude/Parts/IMG_3495.jpg

 

Primed, ready for color

http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/vascoobiedude/Parts/photo2.jpg

 

Unmasked, hairdryer cured, ready to go on the car

http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/vascoobiedude/Parts/IMG_3496.jpg

 

Finished, and installed!

http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/vascoobiedude/Parts/IMG_3497.jpg

http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/vascoobiedude/Parts/IMG_3498.jpg

 

Whatcha think??

 

[/size]

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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Custom Door Cards

 

Originally by Lookatmyrust. Post can be found here

 

Ok in this DIY you will be changing the leather/suede in the door inlays that Subaru kindly made so easy and simple to do.

 

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/198831_10150143368689877_712759876_6729165_3128355%20_n.jpg

 

Tools Needed:

#2 philip screw driver.....magnetic if possible

Flat head screw driver

Hot glue

hot glue gun

scissors

and your choice of fabric or vinyl*

 

***keep the fabric under 2mm think to make it easier on yourself, and for vinyl, things like 3M carbon Fiber Film would be perfect but very spendy, you would

 

need 48x36inches i believe for vinyl because you dont need the extra to glue behind.

 

48x48 of fabric

 

 

on to start you need to take of all the door cards/panels.

 

this is done by using your flat head to pop of the little grey circle thing covering the screw, its located within the area you grab to unlock the door/open. the other screw in behind another cover toward the center of the whole door panel, on the area you pull to shut the door.

 

CARE removing the screws as the lower one tends to want to fall inside the door. best get a magnetic screw driver.

 

Now the door panel is still conected to the door in many places. they are "pop screws" you can take you flat head and pry the door panel away from the doors. you pry around the door jams and bottom and hinge.

 

there are about 7 pops i think, once that done the door panel is "hanging" on the top around the door, the chassi of the door. ill have video of this tricky part

 

to remove you must hold the door latch open and kinda hinge and life the door panel of the door chassi and off the door unlock/unlatch handle. its very hard to explain and a video is very needed.

 

i forgot the mention that on the front doors you gotta remove the tweeter to be albe to move the door panel up and off the door chassi. you do this buy prying it of the door. first the grill/cover, then the tweeter itself its attach with 3 plastic things that stick into rubber grommets.

 

 

once the door panel is off you have to disconnect plugs and such as needed. the bottom wire is for the light that lights up the ground at night when the door is open, its very hard to remove so i dont remove it..

 

 

you are far enough to unscrew what we want, the inlay, there are many gold colored screws that hold it in from the back. there is one behind the white foam. just poke though it and remove the the screw. to find it just pry on the foam and peek to find it.

 

do that for all the doors(2 hours at least)

 

now for the fun part. kinda..

 

Lay the panels out on your fabric ot vinyl.

 

for fabric have at least and inch hang over. 1.5 is best to be safe

 

vinyl. a inch at most. half inch at least

 

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/206818_10150143666584877_712759876_6731298_694228_%20n.jpg

 

each panel is different. the only thing the same about them is that the front and rear pairs will be the same shape, just flipped. its just better to cut each one out for each and keep it with each.

 

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/199547_10150143666684877_712759876_6731299_7628000%20_n.jpg

 

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197353_10150143666739877_712759876_6731300_890140_%20n.jpg

 

Start in the middle, we are basically streching it over the piece in a way the it dont make any wrinkles. and make sure you dont mess up the ends. like glue it wrong from the start so a corner dont have any fabric.

 

BE VERY CAREFUL TO NOT GET GLUE ON THE FRONT SIDE< YOU CAN NOT GET IT OUT. and with the constant flipping its very easy to do. trust me.

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/205520_10150143666824877_712759876_6731303_6035752%20_n.jpg

 

ilike to tack the end up so they dont fly around when flipping the peice back and forth to check the tension of the fabric

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/208563_10150143666899877_712759876_6731305_783774_%20n.jpg

 

once that done just slow work your way from the middle out.

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196332_10150143666984877_712759876_6731307_5381807%20_n.jpg

i will have video soon too.

finished piece

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198596_10150143667014877_712759876_6731308_7035037%20_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197876_10150143667044877_712759876_6731309_4317145%20_n.jpg

 

install in reverse. have video of the panel going back on too. less tricky but still tricky.

 

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/198831_10150143368689877_712759876_6729165_3128355%20_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/199751_10150143368714877_712759876_6729166_3614838%20_n.jpg

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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JDM projectors are in there

 

JDM Projector light install

 

As far as HID installs...they are pretty straight forward. Really easy to do. Honestly, I don't think you can go wrong wiring them in...They will only connect one way

-broknindarkagain

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Originally posted by LegacyGT97 on sl-i. LINK HERE

 

DIY Stubby Antenna

 

I have had this stubby antenna on my car for about 2 weeks now and love the way it looks and preforms.

It was a little pricey at about $13.00 Canadian shipped.

 

*This did not decrease the reception on my radio at all. This might differ from car to car so beware.

 

What You Will Need

 

1x stubby antenna

1x 10mm open end box end wrench

1x vice

1x random small bolts

 

Here Is How You Do It

 

1. Unscrew the silver garnish around the antenna.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0003.jpg

 

2. Open your trunk up and pull the carpeting up so that you can see the jack and the antenna motor. Then remove the jack.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0001.jpg

 

3. With your 10mm open end box end wrench undo the bolt that holds the antenna motor in.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0002.jpg

 

4. Pull the antenna accessibly out.

 

5. Pull the antenna out to its max, place in mast down where the antenna mast goes into the motor and tighten the vice. Then start pulling like mad till the mast pulls out.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0004.jpg

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0005.jpg

 

6. Replace the motor into the trunk of your car, make sure to plug the antenna lead back in. (No need for the power plug)

 

7. Re-bolt your antenna motor back in and replace carpet.

 

8. Take your chrome garnish and antenna with supplied threads and find a bolt that will thread onto one of the threads supplied. When you do find one make sure that it fits inside the chrome garnish.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0007.jpg

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0009.jpg

 

 

9. Screw all the pieces into the stubby antenna.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0011.jpg

 

10. Replace the base over the antenna and then screw your new stubby antenna onto the base and screw into the antenna base.

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0003.jpg

http://i837.photobucket.com/albums/zz300/LegacyGT97/IMG_0012.jpg

 

11. Sit back and enjoy your new antenna!

 

I Hope this helped and hope it turned out as good as mine did.

Edited by broknindarkagain

-broknindarkagain

My Current Project - Click Here

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"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

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HVAC Unit: Dis-assembly and Maintenance

 

EDIT: If any of these images ever fail to load properly, shoot me a PM. It appears Facebook sometimes alters the links to images and I have to update them before they work.

 

The goal of this write-up is to provide guidance to users wishing to perform maintenance on the HVAC control unit on their second-generation Subaru Legacy. This guide will provide direction on how to completely disassemble the unit into its component parts. This allows the user to perform the following tasks:

 

- Replacement on burnt-out illumination bulbs.

- Cleaning of blend door slider for smooth operation.

- Cleaning of other buttons that might have become sticky for... any reason.

- Changing of illumination colors to something other than green.

 

It is worth stating at this point that complete dis-assembly of the unit, while appearing complicated, is actually incredibly simple. I would say with confidence, that you don't really need to have any prior experience in ANYTHING to be able to do this without any issue. In other words, and this is not an exaggeration, I would feel comfortable letting a 5-year old follow this guide without fear of anything being broken. So if your only reservations to fixing your HVAC unit thus far have been out of fear, stop being a baby and let's get started!

 

CLARIFICATION ON BULB REPLACEMENT

 

Most of you will be looking at this guide because one or more of the bulbs in the HVAC unit have burnt out (a known issue with the bulbs in this generation.) Some confusion results if you do research and pull up more than one how-to on this subject. Some state that you can use standard bulbs found at RadioShack, while other state you should use bulbs from Subaru, which are more expensive. I'd like to clarify some things:

 

The RadioShack bulbs people suggest are the same bulbs that you would use to replace the bulbs in any of the other switches in your vehicle. They are very small, and are direct, and perfect replacements for all of those. HOWEVER, they are NOT direct replacements for the HVAC bulbs (with the exception of the one used in the A/C indicator light.)

 

The bulbs in the HVAC unit have two major differences. They are much larger, and whereas the green for any other portion of your vehicle is achieved by coating the inside of the illuminated surface with translucent green paint, the green in the HVAC unit is achieved by using bulbs onto which have been placed, for lack of a better term, green rubber condoms. This means there are two major issues with attempting to use RadioShack bulbs as a replacement. First, their smaller size means they do not sit properly, and do not project their light into the plastic diffusers properly, and second, their small size means you cannot transfer your green condoms to them (assuming you get them off the old bulbs without tearing them - they are incredibly brittle.)

 

You can solve both of these problems with some effort, but believe me it is worth it to just get the replacement bulbs from Subaru. Mine cost $13 total. There are three of these that you need. Two are the same, and one is different. You can see them in the following image, with their part numbers. The computer system at the parts counter will pull up various part numbers for different years in our generation, but the "latest" version of the bulbs are these part numbers, and if you get them, they WILL work. Order these, and once you've received them, proceed on!

 

184578_4152966705763_819791368_n.jpg?oh=33dc4cbacaeacd4440ce200f86aeb92e&oe=57912E9D

 

REMOVAL OF THE UNIT FROM THE DASH

 

I neglected to take photos of this portion of the job, but I think words will suffice here:

 

Step 1: Open the cup-holder in your dash located below your HVAC controls. You should see two screws, one on each side. Remove them.

 

Step 2: With those screws removed, you should be able to slide the cup-holder assembly out from the dash. You should now see that the lower trim piece (radio bezel) and the upper trim piece housing the HVAC controls are held in by those two same screws. You should be able to wiggle the upper trim loose without removing the lower one, even though the lower trim sits on top of the upper one. The upper trim seats over the two plastic ducts for the air vents, so it needs to come out towards you a good half inch at least before you can slide it up. There is a harness connecting the hazard switch which you will need to disconnect in order to get it completely out of the way, or you can just set it on the dash.

 

Step 3: You should now have access to your HVAC unit in all its naked glory. It is secured into the dash with four screws... one at each corner. As you remove these, be sure to hold on to them. If you let them drop down into the console, you will be lucky to get them back without doing a lot more dis-assembly!

 

Step 4: Disconnect the harnesses going to the rear of the unit. There is one harness for the fan speed knob, one harness for the various vent modes, and one small harness lower down for the A/C switch.

 

Step 5: The only thing left is to disconnect the cable going to the blend door. This involves removing two c-shaped clip rings. One of them retains the end of the steel wire (to a pin on the slider arm.) The other holds the cable steady a bit further back. For the first one, it's generally easiest to use pliers to squeeze it off, whereas for the second, you should be able to grab it and just yank it off. Don't lose them either!

 

DIS-ASSEMBLY

 

If you've made it this far, you have done all of the difficult work. The rest is easy, so grab a beer, and let's get cracking!

 

This is what you should be looking at. If this isn't what you are looking at, something went horribly wrong, and you might as well give up working on cars altogether.

 

412717_4152967185775_1485867846_o.jpg

 

The first thing we can do is remove the A/C control switch. Look at the back, and you will see a plastic tab. If you bend this tab down, you can press the A/C switch forward and out the front of the unit.

 

60028_4152967145774_1307205677_n.jpg?oh=4ffb349727f0100de59a2a8bc31f6ac4&oe=575424D2

332036_4152967225776_866193502_o.jpg

 

Once it has been removed, you can replace this bulb if it is burnt out. This is the one bulb that you CAN replace with the same RadioShack bulbs that you would use for all the other switches. Just unscrew the bulb (bottom of the switch) about 1/8 of a turn and you should be able to remove it.

 

464332_4152967665787_1972445983_o.jpg

 

Next we will remove the protective cover for the circuit board. There are two tabs that just need to be bent back slightly and the cover will slide up and off!

 

337099_4152967785790_1315541306_o.jpg

478535_4152967825791_1883016718_o.jpg

 

Now we can release this smaller, brown board from its bracket and get it out of the way. Where the tip of the pen is in this photo is the clip you want to bend out (to the right in the photo) in order to release the board. Simply pull up on the board as you bend the clip back.

 

456863_4152967945794_23172815_o.jpg

 

The ribbon cable will get tight as you slide it up, but don't worry. It is very sturdy and you won't break it. Slide the board up and out of its bracket.

 

464305_4152968145799_1226366183_o.jpg

 

Flip the unit upside down, and you will find two screws. Remove them. Note the clips just ahead of the screws that you have to bend up slightly when you slide this part out, which we will do after we do one more thing.

 

411394_4152968225801_153862275_o.jpg

 

You need to remove the slider from the front. You just pull it off. Feel free to pop it off with something. It might be difficult, but you won't break anything. It's just snapped on nice and tight.

 

471645_4152968345804_755862062_o.jpg

 

Now you should be able to slide out the whole lower assembly that controls the blend door. Might take a little shuffling and wiggling back and forth but it will come out.

 

456972_4152968425806_190395681_o.jpg

 

If your goal was merely to replace the three bulbs, then this is as far as you need to go. You can see the two black bulbs on the left side, and the one taller blue bulb on the right. Replace them (they twist out counter-clockwise like 1/8 of a turn) and you are good to go!

 

332037_4152968865817_1739100901_o.jpg

 

Next we will remove the airflow buttons from the front. Your first instinct might be to dig a knife or something waaayyy under the switch to pop it off, but if you look underneath, they are molded with little depressions, so you can just slide the knife straight up underneath into that slot and they can be popped off easily. Removing the fan speed control knob is more difficult. I don't really know of a good way to do it.

 

456945_4152968545809_481848940_o.jpg

 

To remove the fan speed control unit, you need to pop up this tab, and two more just like it on the bottom. If you're diligent, you can get them to all stay popped up, and then you can pry it out. It should slide out easily, but if you're like me, you couldn't get the knob off the front, so you just pry it out the back until the knob pops off the front. (Nothing is in danger of breaking, you just need to apply enough force to pop the knob off.)

 

479403_4152969065822_999756200_o.jpg

 

Like this!

 

471626_4152969145824_821898839_o.jpg

 

I forgot to take a photo, but there are two screws in the upper corners of the big green board that you need to remove. Then you lift up on the two tabs that the board is snapped into (at the top), and you can pull it out. If it seems like things are falling apart uncontrollably, don't panic. Everything can be re-installed individually, just all the pieces come out at once.

 

331912_4152969265827_1606890695_o.jpg

 

You have a few parts in the above photo. The two boards, with the tiny LED indicators soldered to them. The clear plastic light diffuser that distributes light to the vent mode buttons. Then you have those black shells. They are what the buttons snap on to. They can be placed one at a time back into the HVAC chassis before you reinstall the board. You can kind of figure out which way they go by looking at them, and they can't go in upside down anyway.

 

The last piece you will see in there is another clear light diffuser. This can be easily removed by releasing it from its two clips (one on each end.)

 

478544_4152969825841_1420999168_o.jpg

 

Mine is blue because I had changed the color to blue as an experiment, but I am going back to green for uniformity so that was all removed.

 

241246_4152970465857_1938536690_o.jpg

 

These are all the parts you should have now. In this photo, I had also removed the fan speed stickers to remove the blue coloring I had applied to the back. I have also disassembled the slider arm a bit to get at the tiny piece of clear plastic there that lights up the slider.

 

464245_4152971945894_213251738_o.jpg

 

One thing I HIGHLY recommend doing is dismantling the grey slider arm (upper right of the photo.) It is so straightforward I don't think I need to explain it, but if you remove all that stuff, and clean ALL the disgusting grease off of it, replace it with two or three drops of oil, and reassemble it, you will see that your slider moves a lot more freely and clicks more authoritatively into the detentes that are now not all full of goop!

 

Obviously, re-assembly is everything you've just read in reverse. Cheers on your reconditioned HVAC unit!

Edited by Stang70Fastback
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