The Other Black Sheep - Subaru Impreza 2.5 NA

OEM tires wore down to 5/32" tread depth, too shallow for the coming winter, so I got new wheels and tires:
Cooper CS5 Grand Touring 215/65-15 (1" larger than OE)
Maxxim Winner 15x6.5" wheels (1" smaller than OE)
Weight saving per corner: 8 lb





The larger tire fills the fender gap better:



Caliper clearance:



Had to get spline-drive small-dia. lugnuts:

 

Got to play in a little bit of snow. My area has seen a mild winter so far this year.

 

Installed a Stant InStant-Fill fuel cap, P/N 41004. So far so good. Gas station nozzle fits fine. No Check Engine light.



Note this P/N does not fit the Taco. Use either 41001 or 41003 depending on your year.

 

Had the first item go bad in the Subaru - rear passenger window intermittently stopped working. I took the inside door panel off and verified at the motor connector that it's getting 12V and ground when I move the switch. I also hear a click. Bought a Dorman motor & regulator assy for $140 at Rock Auto and got to work.



With the glass separated from the regulator cradle, I used a couple of suction cups from an old GPS and dash cam to hold the glass up.



New Dorman motor & regulator assy on the left (P/N 751-752). OEM Subaru motor & regulator assy on the right. The Subaru unit looks like a more robust part with its wider track and fully enclosed cable drum, but for some reason the motor had degraded.



Installed the Dorman part and the window works again. Despite being made in Taiwan, it has a lifetime warranty. We'll see how long it lasts.

 

Replaced brake rotors and pads over the weekend:

Front Rotors: StopTech Slotted P/N 126.47012SL, 126.47012SR
Front Pads: Hawk HPS Performance P/N HB432F.661
Rear Rotors: Centric Premium P/N 120.47029
Rear Pads: Centric Posi-Quiet Ceramic P/N 105.11140

Not sure why some people wish for rear disc brakes on Tacomas. The parking brake nestled in the rear disc has about 90% of the complexity of a normal drum brake system. Only major difference is the wheel cylinder is replaced with a solid post. On top of that, there is a caliper and pads to service. End result is the Subaru rear brakes take twice as long to service as Tacoma rear brakes.





The brake shoe hold-down springs included in the Raybestos P/N H17392 hardware kit are much stiffer than OEM. I had to re-use the OEM hold-down springs. Two years from now, I will purchase the Centric P/N 11846019 kit instead. All Centric brake parts I've used in the Tacoma and Subaru have been good.

 

Replaced spark plugs and wires yesterday:
Plugs: Denso Iridium TT P/N IK16TT (4701)
Wires: Denso 6714305

Doing plugs for the first time ever on a boxer engine, overall didn't take much longer than with my Taco. Passenger side required removal of the intake airbox. Driver's side required removal of the battery.



OE plugs are NGK double-platinum P/N FR5AP11 (5463) supposedly gapped to .039"-.043". After 33,000 miles, the gaps have grown to:

Cyl 1: .050" Cyl 2: .047"
Cyl 3: .048" Cyl 4: .048"



All of the removed plugs have oil on the threads but no evidence of fouling on the electrodes. There's yellowing at the base of the insulator as well. The plug wells are clean and dry.