What have you done to your SVX (or other Subaru) today?

[Mike621]

Originally Posted by Noriyasu

As you know, the genuine head gasket and head bolt are discontinued.

I used Cometic instead. According to my memo show that the head gasket replacement was done in 2019.

https://www.cometic.com/products/C4340-066

What did you end up doing for head bolts? I see OE and aftermarket out there now:

https://www.enginepartsonly.com/1995...xoC7eYQAvD_BwE set for $120

https://www.subaruoempartsoutlet.com...BoCeS0QAvD_BwE OE @ $11 ea

[Noriyasu]

Originally Posted by Mike621

What did you end up doing for head bolts? I see OE and aftermarket out there now:

https://www.enginepartsonly.com/1995...xoC7eYQAvD_BwE set for $120

https://www.subaruoempartsoutlet.com...BoCeS0QAvD_BwE OE @ $11 ea

I used this. I used a slightly thinner gasket, so the compression ratio was calculated to be 10.4. I polished the exhaust and intake ports and manifold. In fact, above 4500rpm the engine runs much smoother than the original.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/One-Cylinde...7/232960166185

[Mike621]

Pulled the instrument cluster from my car to troubleshoot. I found that the speedometer gauge is faulty after another used unit works just fine. I am going to have the capacitors on the speedometer circuit board checked. I’d like to maintain mileage accuracy.

I have also encountered bad capacitors in my tachometer and climate control unit, in 2021 I swapped the tach to resolve, and a friend helped me test and replace some capacitors in the climate unit. I was unable to find a replacement used JDM climate control.

[Sean486]

Originally Posted by Mike621

Pulled the instrument cluster from my car to troubleshoot. I found that the speedometer gauge is faulty after another used unit works just fine. I am going to have the capacitors on the speedometer circuit board checked. I’d like to maintain mileage accuracy.

I have also encountered bad capacitors in my tachometer and climate control unit, in 2021 I swapped the tach to resolve, and a friend helped me test and replace some capacitors in the climate unit. I was unable to find a replacement used JDM climate control.

My tachometer doesn’t go above 2000 rpm ever, when I purchased the car Ron told me it probably needed the capacitors replaced. Haven’t gotten around to working on it yet. How hard was it to swap in a replacement tach?

[Noriyasu]

To fix the tachometer, you need to replace two electrolytic capacitors.

See following page with using web translator. Sorry, it's written in Japanese. You will be able to locate the electrolytic capacitor that needs to be replaced.

https://minkara.carview.co.jp/userid...0746/note.aspx

[SVX_MY_BABY]

If you are handy with a soldering iron it's quite easy to desolder and remove a capacitor, then replace it. Lots of videos on line. You just need some solder wick, vacuum bulb and soldering Iron.

I suspect the hardest part is removing the tach.

[Noriyasu]

Or, more easy way is replace whole meter cluster though it changs odd meter value.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/18564665232...Bk9SR9zIo7yeYw

The nails may break when removing the cover around the meter cluster. This is because the plastic has deteriorated and hardened. be careful.

[Mike621]

Originally Posted by Sean486

My tachometer doesn’t go above 2000 rpm ever, when I purchased the car Ron told me it probably needed the capacitors replaced. Haven’t gotten around to working on it yet. How hard was it to swap in a replacement tach?

Sean, the disassembly of the cluster is not super challenging. For sake of longevity, may make the most sense to replace the capacitors. If you need some photos of the cluster disassembly, I can send them to you.

[Mike621]

Speedometer is with a friend to test and replace the capacitors.

If the weather clears up over here this week, I’ll bring the SVX to have the a/c discharged in prep for the heater core job.

[Mike621]

A capacitor in the speedometer had indeed failed. Two others were good, but my friend has ordered replacements for all and will solder them in once they arrive.

[wdb]

Capacitors do age out! Silicon is good for a very very long time assuming it doesn't get too hot, and resistors tend to be hunks of carbon which also last an eon or two. But capacitors die.

[StimulusMistake]

Well, looks like a second power steering leak has sprung in my already failing power steering system. I could barely see in the pitch black last night but it looked like smoke and cooked ATF goo surrounding one of the fittings on the front passenger side where the P.S. lines meet w/ the radiator.

Things have been pretty grim as of late. Due to the return of my chronic illness and subsequent 0 cash flow I've been stuck daily driving the SVX since the summer despite it having at least one blown PS pump seal, a seemingly endless parasitic drain problem, and the dreaded VSS issue with no Speedometer/odo + CEL. Combine that with the massive panel rust holes from when I removed the lower door trim with plans to weld in a repair before my health started nosediving and the loss of my daily driver and I feel like I'm slowly killing the old girl despite how defiant of death it's clearly been for years of previous owner abuse. I rarely can go out these days so she maybe sees 5 miles of use a week, but I wish I could park her and do things right.

If anyone here is in the Pittsburgh area, I'm desperate enough to plea for a hand and fortunate to have a driveway and a half useable garage.

[Noriyasu]

Originally Posted by StimulusMistake

Well, looks like a second power steering leak has sprung in my already failing power steering system. I could barely see in the pitch black last night but it looked like smoke and cooked ATF goo surrounding one of the fittings on the front passenger side where the P.S. lines meet w/ the radiator.

Things have been pretty grim as of late. Due to the return of my chronic illness and subsequent 0 cash flow I've been stuck daily driving the SVX since the summer despite it having at least one blown PS pump seal, a seemingly endless parasitic drain problem, and the dreaded VSS issue with no Speedometer/odo + CEL. Combine that with the massive panel rust holes from when I removed the lower door trim with plans to weld in a repair before my health started nosediving and the loss of my daily driver and I feel like I'm slowly killing the old girl despite how defiant of death it's clearly been for years of previous owner abuse. I rarely can go out these days so she maybe sees 5 miles of use a week, but I wish I could park her and do things right.

If anyone here is in the Pittsburgh area, I'm desperate enough to plea for a hand and fortunate to have a driveway and a half useable garage.

If there is a PSF leak, the first thing to suspect is a deteriorated O-ring between the PS pump and the tank above it. This is most likely if the entire PS pump is wet with fluid. It's a relatively easy fix.

Next, Next, if only the area around the shaft and pulley is wet, the oil seal may be damaged. The rebuild kit has been discontinued. But fortunately, so a general-purpose oil seal will be useful for overhauling.

I have overhauled the pump twice. Used pumps are hard to come by, so never throw them away. In many cases it is rebuildable. I'm looking for a spare pump just in case, but I can't find one. The vane and shaft have been discontinued and are no longer available.

Power steering hoses were still available a few years ago.

Good Luck.

[StimulusMistake]

Originally Posted by Noriyasu

If there is a PSF leak, the first thing to suspect is a deteriorated O-ring between the PS pump and the tank above it. This is most likely if the entire PS pump is wet with fluid. It's a relatively easy fix.

Next, Next, if only the area around the shaft and pulley is wet, the oil seal may be damaged. The rebuild kit has been discontinued. But fortunately, so a general-purpose oil seal will be useful for overhauling.

I have overhauled the pump twice. Used pumps are hard to come by, so never throw them away. In many cases it is rebuildable. I'm looking for a spare pump just in case, but I can't find one. The vane and shaft have been discontinued and are no longer available.

Power steering hoses were still available a few years ago.

Good Luck.

Unfortunately the O-ring issue already happened this past summer. I bought a full reseal kit for the P.S. pump (which ironically was missing the O ring) but my health hasn't cooperated long enough to ever get the job done. Luckily the car had just been sitting in the garage until November when I lost my daily driver. I ended up having to drag the SVX out of the garage and I've been stuck driving it a few miles a week (>10) since then with 90% reduced power steering, dumping fluid at it and gritting my teeth hoping things get better so I can park it.

Things have stayed that way until Sunday when I finally lost whatever power steering and could smell P.S. fluid and see a fresh new leak coming from the two (?) hoses at the bottom of the passenger side of the engine bay, around those two clamps where what I assume are cooling lines meet the radiator?

I managed to get myself outside before sundown today to take a few photos but I'm not able to bend down or crawl under anything right now. I can upload 'em in a post below or start a new thread if needed.

On a side note, I should probably take a photo of everything I have that I ordered for the power steering pump in the summer. Since you've rebuilt them twice before maybe you (or anyone else who sees this) will notice if I'm missing anything else.

[StimulusMistake]

Here's the few photos I took today and a reference photo of their location. The first one isn't new but obviously needs to be dealt with. The last picture is the new culprit from Sunday. Hopefully these are all replaceable with generic auto parts store cut to fit power steering hoses

I will take photos of the gore all over the block from the initial o ring failure when I'm feeling up to it.