service, do's n dont
 

I'm about to do the 90k service myself after been given a silly price for the job by Subaru....there is a kit from a guy in the states for the cam belt, inc water pump, for £139.00 and a few companies offering a transmission kit (filter and gasket) for about £20.00 both of which are not OEM parts. Any comments, should I stick to genuine parts?:confused:
John:)

John, I would see no harm in the cam belt kit and water pump. They should be OK. I have used US non-OEM cambelts no problem.

One note of caution. I once bought a water pump for my '91 Claret off a Subie main dealer here in Dublin. The guy who did the cambelt replacement could not make the waterpump fit, it was a totally different type.
[In fact I gave it back to the company and asked them to get me the correct one, and never collected it since, that's about 6 years ago and the car is now sold on:eek:]

Just be careful that the water pump is a match. I would have sworn they must all be the same, but my experience seems to indicate that at the very least the 91/92 Japanese water pump is different from the Euro/UK one. You could be taking a chance.

The transmission kit should also be OK. My brother who works as a Service Mgr in a dealership [Renault] says the OEM air filter is best. He has seen many failures from people fitting supposedly higher hp filters non standard.

Joe:)

Hi Joe, thanks for the response.....as always!;)
The price of the kit inc pump seems that cheap I thought I would get it just in case, wether it gets fitted is another, the cost of the transmission kit is been offered for £9.30 compared to subaru's £90.00 plus vat, again if I only use the gasket it will be worth it. One thing I wont skimp on is the ATF oil but which one is most rcommended, and is there any links on how to get all the ATF oil replaced?

John:)

Yeah, John, go for it!

As for the ATF, it needs to be Dexron ll grade or better. If you use a fully synthetic like Mobil 1, which is very expensive, these are better at lasting through the heat spikes, but they seem prone to finding weak seals and causing a leak, much more so than the Subaru recommended grade.

My advice is use the cheaper type, semi synthetic if you like, but change at least yearly. So long as it is at least Dexron ll of course;):)

Regards completely changing your oil, don't sweat it. No matter how well you do it some of the old oil will remain in the unit and mix with the new oil. This is one reason not to go to a completely new type of oil which will not mix chemically with your old type. One of the reasons I like sticking with recommended, and changing often. If you are really worried about it, drain and refill again in six months. Then you are sure to have a full unit with good oil.

DON'T REVERSE FLUSH!

This can send dirt particles back into the gearbox clogging oil galleries.

Drive the car till the oil's hot, then drain. Whatever drains out, drains out, that's it.

You should strongly consider taking off the gearbox sump when drained. Clean or replace the magnetic filter that is in the sump. Hopefully cleaning it should be enough. If it is collecting large amounts of metal particles this might indicate trouble on the way. So it is nice to open it up and see how good or how bad the story is.:tongue::D


Joe:)

In N.Z. where Subarus are very popular and well understood, reputable service outfits, (not necessarily Subaru specialists) will not guarantee the job unless the adjuster and idler pulleys are also replaced. I am confident on the basis of evidence, that this is not a scam in order to build the bottom line of an invoice.

Thanks Trevor,
The kit I will be getting does contain all items for the change and will definately be used.
John:)

Great stuff Joe, now gone for it....parts are on there way
John:)