edrach

Considering your situation, try a local wrecking yard for a replacement alternator. Much less expensive than new (our Pull a Part yard charges under $20 for an alternator) but make sure you get a 30 day return warranty so you can be sure you get a chance to test out your replacement.

Online auctions can be fun. But I would never bid on anything unless I could inspect it "up close and personal" first. Also, nothing beats in person bidding. The auctions I've been to where they have on-line bidding drive me nuts. On-line bidders generally bid higher than people who are on site (like me) and they over-bid items more often than not. Best of luck with your Legacy. It looks like it has plenty of potential for what you paid for it. Keep us advised on what you got and how it's coming along.

Yikes, if you have to drop the fuel tank, let a shop do it! However, doing the fuel filter that's located in the engine compartment is more than do-able by the home mechanic. However, fuel going into the filter is under pressure and you need to eliminate that pressure. I use a long nosed vise-grip with rubber hose around both noses to squeeze the incoming fuel line to minimize spillage without damaging the fuel line. After that, prying off the lines from the old filter can be a PITA. I haven't found a solution to making that easier and would be open to suggestions there. I just did my Impreza and am holding off on doing the Forester until I have a better solution to prying off the lines to the old filter.

Welcome to the Board. You'll find lots of company here. Also, monstaru and baccaruda are local to you. Nice to have a Pull a Part yard and Spalding's in town too!

I have an early (4 or 5 years old) Harbor Freight 1/2" drive impact tool that still works great. I just recently retired the original battery pack since it no longer held a charge. I have tried to replace it with the newer HF version twice now; neither one seemed to work at all and I returned them both (not sure what is wrong, but I can't be that unlucky). Since I couldn't find a good one at HF, I found a nice Dewalt with two battery packs, charger, etc. in new condition on craigslist for $200. Works better than the earlier HF and I love it.

Make sure you have a new fuel filter installed. Not the vapor separator in the engine compartment, but the fuel filter at the fuel pump underneath the car. For the Hitachi distributor only: If you find that the times you can get it to turn over but it won't start, check for spark. No spark and I would replace the ignitor module inside the distributor. You're having the perfect scenario for an ignitor going out.

Transmissions and rear diffs are a good idea. 5MT has a 4.111 rear and the automatic has a 4.444

I've got a 4.11 rear on my '97 Imp and I'm turning 2700 rpm at 70KM/hr in 4th. Tires are 195/60-R15 snow tires.

70KM/hr is 42mph and you're at almost 3000 rpm; that doesn't sound right. I have a '97 Impreza with a 4.111 gearbox and diff and at 3000 rpm in 5th gear I'm going about 60 mph (100 KM/hr). I'll check on that tomorrow when I'm back out on the highway.

On my Impreza the rubber booty was on the right (passenger) side of the car. Worst problem is that unless you remove all the connectors at the end of the cable (near the tail-light assembly) you can't pull the cable back up the hatch pillar (or get it back in after you've made the repair). I dread having to go back in there again later the next time one or more wires break.

Per the transmission chart in the USRM, the '04 and '05 XT Foresters have a 4.444 transmission along with the '04 Turbo Baja. A fair number of JDM transmissions come with a 4.444 ratio.

Nice write up Log1call! You should submit it to the USRM so it doesn't get lost.

I did this recently on my '97 Impreza when the rear lock no longer worked. Everyone who posted about looking under the rubber boot in the upper rear corner was right on the money. In addition to that I found a total of 7 wires already cut and a few more about to go. A bad piece of design since I couldn't see any fix other than to splice and insulate. There should be the ability to replace the harness in its entirety, but I don't see that as a possibility.

Some of the recent model Foresters have a 4.444 drivetrain with the manual transmission. Check out the transmission charts in the USRM to see what's available.

Most of the 15" and 16" (from Subaru) will fit unless you have gone to oversize brakes or anything wider than 6". As mentioned before, the 5X100 bolt pattern is standard until you get into the more recent STi models. Size and bolt pattern are usually cast into the rim somewhere (on the inside) along with the offset: Subaru likes 50 to 55mm offset values. Many of the aftermarket wheels sold are 35mm offset and will fit but can cause pre-mature wheel bearing failure.

Amen to that. I've long felt that 7500 was optimistic at best and an effort to force car replacement in the 100K miles range. I usually buy my cars with around 100K on them and keep them until 250K when I sell them. Not because they are problematic but I've grown tired of that model. Note that I said I sell them; my last sale was of my '91 Legacy wagon over 18 months ago and it is still running fine. I shoot for changing the oil and filter at 2500 miles; sometimes a little earlier and never past 3000. I also use Dino oil since I was never convinced that synthetic was cost effective over the long haul.

Hopefully this wasn't mentioned earlier, but I'm late to this party and I'm too lazy to read all the posts. I think it has something to do with faulty design of the oil pan; under hard cornering (and who doesn't "play" that way on a winding road), the oil shifts away from the oil pickup and the engine can run dry for a couple of revolutions. Over the long haul that can certainly have something to do with this issue. I do know that Subaru has added extra baffles (or changed the design) in the later oil pans to prevent this type of failure.

Time to check the weather outlook. http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Fountain,%20CO&wuSelect=WEATHER Looks like I won't be going.

In 25 years, both bulbs could be out. Pull the instrument cluster and check out the bulbs. Not too difficult; worst part is unplugging the speedo cable.

500 rpm is NOT normal rpm for your car. 750 is about right; and I can't imagine it running at 300. Mine idles just fine at 750 to 800; when it drops slightly below 700 it gets rough.

Sorry, I almost flagged your original post! I'm glad I wasn't hasty.

Interesting, this was announced by SCCA on 9/9/9! Best kept secret I've ever seen. I only heard about it today when another competitor received a check for his fine finish at the ORG event in July! Food for thought. http://www.scca.com/newsarticle.aspx?hub=2&news=3741 I guess I'm not spending enough time surfing the 'net!

There was one last year also. But all contingencies were dropped for 2009 at the beginning of the year. This came out of the blue when cfwdfw called me today to say he got a check for his first place in July's ORG event. I should have a smaller check for my third place waiting for me at home later this week.

Better late than never, but here it is. http://www.scca.org/documents/contingency//09-Subaru-Rally.pdf

The factory a/c is certainly nicer than the dealer installed version. If you tear it out, do it neatly and offer it to someone else who'd like to have it.