porcupine73

I don't know for sure, but I think changes made around the 2000 MY made the AWD not as great as it used to be as far as transferring power to the rear. It doesn't seem to be as eager to transfer to the rear anymore, not like the 90's models. But of course it could be the clutch pack is getting worn out.

Glad you got it fixed. Best two tools I have found for stubborn filters is 1. the three tined style wrench that tightens up on the filter using a wrench or ratchet, not necessarily this exact one but this style: http://www.amazon.com/Worlds-Best-Universal-Filter-Wrench/dp/B000UD0CTQ/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1325704339&sr=8-3 And 2, Vise grip or similar chain wrench like http://www.amazon.com/Vise-Grip-9-Inch-Locking-Chain-Clamp/dp/B00004SBCB/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325704422&sr=8-1 But sometimes that rips the filter can open.

Don't the exhaust manifolds use studs anyway, not bolts? That wouldn't need any tapping for replacement would it?

It is a 1986 horror novel by American author Stephen King.

That could be, what I thought he meant by that was they he couldn't retap it to the same size, i.e. just chase up the threads.

Right, before engine cranking, the pressure switch would be at its shelf state, so the light would be on. So basically, if, by unhooking the lead and grounding it and then leaving it unhooked completely, you are able to make the light turn on and off, then it is possible the pressure switch is faulty.

Even if he can't 'retap it' as he calls it, helicoils still work. Sometimes when they start throwing around large dollar items, it's because the work is a pain and they don't really want to do it, esp if they have faster/higher profit jobs lined up, so they throw out some large numbers figuring you'll pass on the work.

It's possible they are different, especially the cam sprockets. There was an endwrench note about certain cam sprockets going with certain ECU's, but that was more because of the back of the sprocket that the cam position sensor was reading. I don't remember if it said anything about crank sprockets being different. If by "marks on the crank sprocket and cam sprockets were nowhere near the marks they should be lined up with" you mean the hash marks lining up with the backs of the timing belt cover and the mark under the oil pump, those will _not_ align with cylinder 1 at TDC. When those marks are aligned, none of the cylinders is at TDC, purposely, so that you don't risk hitting any valves into the top of the piston during timing belt replacement.

Usually the pressure switch is kind of underneath the alternator. Normally it is just a single push on connector on it, very easy to pull. Then you could check if the light is on with that wire disconnected, and how it is if you ground that wire.

HHHHHHHHHmmmmmmm was just thinking.....did you have the battery unhooked at all or did it get low/dead? I think there was a TSB about this era that having the battery unhooked for just a few minutes could cause poor idling. It wanted it unhooked say overnight. Hm...I found this...but I thought I had seen something similar for earlier models too...

So it sounds like maybe it is driveable now? What you are describing about hoping to fix up the car and sell it for 2500 is called flipping cars. Some people do it profitably but it seems like a tricky business. You may find someone who will pay that for it, but it may take time. And right on, if similar vehicles sell for less on craigslist (i.e. you got one for 800 right?) then it is going to be hard to sell something similar for much more. Usually to flip cars you want to find something simple wrong with the car but that makes it not driveable, such as a broken timing belt (on non-interference anyway), pay nothing more than salvage value say $200 or $300. Sometimes the seller doesn't know they could get a couple hundred from a scrap yard for it so they will sell it for even less. If you get the car so that it is driveable, why would you not want to just keep it and drive it?

Yours most likely has an ODBII port, though I'm not sure all '95 soobs got them. If it has one, if you have or can borrow a scan tool, many of those will show you what the ECU is reading for the engine coolant temp. Then if it has been sittting for say 6 or 8 hours or more you can do a reality check in comparing that against ambient.

Hm that's interesting. Maybe I can get the garage nice and warm, then pull the booster hose off and put a slight nitrogen purge from my cylinder on it for a day or so to try to dry it out. I wonder if it would hold a high vacuum? Like putting a refrigeration vacuum pump on it, then if it is warm enough the moisture would boil out? It didn't do it today, but was about 18F. I've had this car for a few years but I don't remember it ever happening before.

Thanks, I will definitely be testing the brakes more before I get going, esp when cold! I did forget to mention that it has all fresh brake fluid. I had just finished changing it a couple months back and what do I discover but the rear lines had rusted and were leaking, so it got new rear lines and then new fluid again on top of that. I took the hose off the intake manifold for the booster and sprayed some metal protector (wd-40 basically) in there, not sure, I know some people said there could be a problem with that check valve, but I don't think it would cause this, since it felt mechanically jammed (not just no assist). I couldn't find a TSB about it, though I know I read something about it somewhere some years back......

Some of these later models had only the in-tank filter. I have some semi-oldish info from endwrench let me see where it went...mm not sure where it is, just found this image. The one on the left was the classic underhood filter. The one on the right was one of the early in-tank style filters.

So when leaving work today in '94 Legacy 2.2L auto, I almost ran into the side of a coworker at about 5 mph because the brake pedal 'locked up' or got stuck. It was a strange feeling. It didn't feel like a lack of boost, it more felt like the pedal mechanically jammed up. It wouldn't go down. I pressed pretty hard but there was next to zero braking. So I pulled off slowly into another parking lot to see what was going on, and then the pedal seemed to be working normally again. I tested it a couple dozen times and it seemed alright. So I left and it didn't act up any more on the 30+ mile drive on the way home. It was pretty cold out, for here anyway, at about 8F. Wasn't there a TSB or recall or something for this kind of issue on this era in cold weather? Or what else could be causing this? I mean if this happened at much higher speed, having like zero brakes suddenly would not be good. I didn't even think about pulling the parking brake though for some reason. I did the booster checks and those were oK.

Hm....what happens if you press it? If Dave doesn't have the manual you need, sometimes Subaru will send them out free if asked, though they might not have any left for '92.

Do you mean the ones in the gauge cluster? I think there's a dimmer switch on the left stalk, though maybe '95 was a little different than '96 I'm thinking of. Or maybe you mean you know that but you don't have one to replace it. If you mean the lights for the climate control area, those things might just be all blown out. They like to burn out.

Only real difference I've seen on the n/a's is a the outer joint, whether it has a tone ring or not, and then the metal piece that goes against the grease seal is sometimes a little different. Turbos sometimes the spline count is different.

Thanks for the help, and thanks for the offers to send parts! When jumping the starter wire without the key in the ignition, I'm assuming it does not inject fuel or run the spark? I put the alt / ps belt back on and tried cranking, and it cranked fine and sounded normal. Alt, ps, a/c, and a/c idler all seem smooth and rotate smoothly even when I really press on them hard while turning. The sound while cranking was different when it wouldn't start. I don't know exactly how to describe it, but you know that normal chuck chuck chuck sound, well it was not making that sound when it wouldn't start. The crank was turning just fine, but it sounded like it didn't have much resistance. And the starter itself just didn't seem to sound normal either. It had almost a gear on gear metal whiny sound to it. When it wouldn't start, the rotation of the crank was almost continuous. Now that it will start, when I watch the crank while jumping the starter, it almost is like move, stop, move, stop, move, stop. Not quite stopping but slowing down. And the sound is completely normal now, plus it starts, and the starter sounds normal. I replaced the crank sensor a few years back, I did get a code for that, but that was a bad one because it made it stall out in traffic a couple times. Based on the weird cranking and starter sound when it wouldn't start I'm leaning towards starter now? (Weird cranking even without key in ignition, just jumping starter with wire). That is a Subaru genuine reman about 5 years old in there, but I know reman parts, even genuine, sometimes don't always have long lifespans.

Thanks for the help. Hm yah I'm not sure what to do next. Problems like this don't usually 'fix themselves' and it will probably act up when I'm trying to leave work, but right on, besides just replacing some likely suspects there probably isn't much I can do until it fails and stays failed. I went back and checked my records....timing belt I replaced in fall 2007. Actually at that time, I also replaced the starter with a Subaru genuine reman. So that could be a culprit. When it was cranking, it just did not sound right. Of course right now I have the accessory belts off, so maybe an accessory was loading it down too much.

Well I pulled the rest of it apart, the radiator fans out, crankshaft pulley off, center cover off. Then the suspense while I checked the timing was pretty intense....but dang it the timing was dead on. So I figured hm why not give it a try. So I put the crank pulley back on and tightened it a little bit, and whirled it over. Son of a gun if it didn't start up. Now it did give p0120 because I forgot I had unhooked the TPS while jamming a big bar in the flywheel while loosening the crank pulley bolt. So now I'm not sure what to think. After I started it a couple times, I then left the key out and jumped the starter wire. Now when it is cranking, it sounds normal. So what could have caused that? Is maybe one of the accessories that did it? Or maybe the starter is flaky? Something did not sound right before when it was cranking but would not start. Now it cranks fine and starts fine.

Thanks for the info. I noticed that both the marks on the timing belt are one tooth off to the right on the cam sprockets on both sides. The notches in the cam sprockets line up exactly with the belt cover notches on both sides though. Does that mean anything? It seems like if it did jump a tooth or two on the crank sprocket that might happen? Can you tell the crank position from the crank pulley? I can see a dash line on the pulley, but I can't tell for sure what it would or supposed to line up with? There appears to be some degree indication on the timing belt cover that looks like it starts at 10 degrees?

If that light is on, check it out before driving it more. Because if the oil pressure is really that low, engine damage is sure to follow. It takes just above zero pressure to make that light go off. A couple psig at the most. I just had an issue with a plugged oil filter on my '94, and without an oil pressure gauge I would not have known, since the light was never on. With thin hot oil at idle, the pressure might be pretty low, so I think they want that oil pressure switch to have a really low pressure so it doesn't flicker or give nuisance indications.

Ok thanks! Do that rad fans have to come out to get the crank pulley off? I know I did take them out when I did the timing belt, but wasn't sure if there is enough clearance to slide it off without taking out the fans? It will probably be Monday before I get to do any more on it. I think I have a cheapie Harbor Freight compression tester somewhere but I've never tried it. I could put new spark plugs in while I'm at it! When I went to start it this morning, the first couple revolutions it sounded normal while cranking, then it was like something let loose and now it doesn't sound right when cranking and doesn't start.