Gloyale

Worth buying = Yes For the wife to "run around town with" = defintely no. No offense to your wife intended. If the car is as flawless as you say.......it deserves to continue to be garaged and preserved. Keep it very nice for another 10,15 or 25 years and it will be worth more with every passing year. It arguabley already is. Maybe "For Wife and I to drive to a picnic on a nice summer day" Definatley go with the Legacy if you just need a runabout.

These problems are ussually from vaccum leaks. Possibly from hoses. Replace any hardened and crusty vac lines, PCV lines. And put real clamps or at least zipties tight around your PCV lines. Worst case is if the throttle shaft has wear, and cleaning the carb loosened crud that was keeping it mostly sealed. Cleaned out, it can be a vac leak around the shaft. Start with the hoses. Espescially the PCV. When replacing the smaller vac lines note that a few of them have small pellet like bits of metal in there with a pinhole in it. These serve to reduce or meter the vacuum to certain portions of the system. Make sure to look in the old lines for them, and put them into the new ones.

A wealth of good info there Bill. I am sure you know you're stuff. I have to wander excatly how the statement above in red is suppossed to be read. Possibly reverse of what I am reading? At any rate to clarify, it is the 84 Automatic trans EA81s that have the hydraulic lifters that year. My black 84 Auto 4wd sedan has hydro lifters, my lifted 84 4spd d/r wagon came with a solid lifter motor. 83 and earlier = solid lifter, all 85 and later = hydro lifter, all Just details, don't let me hijack. Good luck to you Mikesgold. Hey Bill? any details or external clies that would make for identification of an 81 brat as opposed to a 79 or 80? I know a guy who's got a couple of total rustbucket 1st gens with no titles.......bout the on;y thing you could part from them would be a crossmember.

Well.........It'd be kinda useful to know how you came to that conclusion. But if it isn't the belt. I would begin checking all fuses and fusible links. Does the CEL illuminate when you turn the key on? Are you getting power ot the coil?

Excactly the same car we just got for my mom. H6 is not known for any Headgasket issues, and has a timing chain not a belt.....so that is not a worry either. only issues with her car. 1. Wind noise. Air whistles in around the side view mirrors. Subaru is aware of this and offers a replacement mirror mount that is stiffer and seals better. Probably the case for any 2000-2004 subaru. 2. Whining from front diff area. No probs as of yet. Got better with good fluid change, so perhaps jiffylube just put some crap gear oil in there. But at any rate there is a slight noise and vibration going on/off throttle. These are just issues with her car. Not a knock against the one you are looking at. Ont eh contrary, I'd say that it is probably one of the best choices of subarus for reliability.

+1 this is kinda the stuff I mean. There are lots more places that connect the battery to the car than just at the posts. Gotta clean them all.

A bad battery connection will sometimes make an ALT run at high voltage (trying to "push" power thought the bad connection) but not ussually to the red. But definately check those connections and the condition of the battery before thorwing money at a new ALT.

If you got paypal.....I'll sell you one or two of em if you want. Heck I'd like to trade for an NA 4 plug ECU. send me a PM if you are interested

Car Quest. 19/32 EVAP rated hose. 3/4" heater hose will work too:rolleyes:.....but will begin to swell and sweat oil after 2 or 3 years.

Check the adjustment on the cable. Occassionally, the angle of the hill holder needs adjusted(espescially when rear struts/springs where out and car sags a bit in the back) If the cable adjusment is good. Then try unbolting the rear bolt on the hillholder mount, and shim a washer under it. This will give it a bit more "downward" point. It should make it so the valve won't work unless there is a bit more of a hill. Of course, it is always possible that it's truly just getting stuck. Perhaps dirty fluid fromt he resevior was sucked down the lines to the hillholder when they did the brake work. If that is the case....try a full flush and bleed of the brakes. Last resort replace the valve (not hard.....just messy.)

Where is Hagerstown?

Subaru wheels are 4 x 140 redrilled early 90's toyata, nissan, mazda, mitsubishi work perfect. Many Chevy wheels work but have very deep offsets so they stick out. Alot of newer Toyota rims also are deep offset. I'm not a fan. Otherwise search for some puegot wheels. They are the only other 4 x 140.

If you really wanted you could hook up a Knock sensor, AND run a turbo ECU. I've been running an MPFI non-turbo engine on a Turbo ECU for months now.....runs great......(other than the cracked head.....again:rolleyes:)

It all goes back to WWII Remember what the Japanese got in return for supporting Hitler? Industrial trade secrets and mechanical designs fromt he German Auto and Airplane companies. Almost every Japanese car maker can trace it roots to production of war machines in WWII. And there earliest designs are knockoffs of german engineering. I read an article on the Descision by Fuji to go full scale into the car business in the 60's. the most common car in the world at that time (and for a long time later) was the VW beetle. Subru used that as a starting point ot dsign from, and even into the EA series....things like the rear suspension are still very, very similar to VW rear ends. And of course the horizontal opposed engine and the Diff/Trans combination which is obviously inspired by the VW drivetrain.

+1

sounds like you got a good handle on it. Axles adn driveline will stay the same. One note: you may need to grind a bit of the bottom of you're current shifter. It needs to be able to travel down one more notch for 1st gear. Hitting the 1st hold button alone will not lock in 1st gear. You'll get 1st, but with no TQ lockup or engine braking. Actually you will need to learn to shift to "2", then push the 1st hold button, and then pull the lever down one more to your new 1st position after the light comes on. But the stop momentarily at "2" is needed to get the TCU to trigger 1st hold. this is my thread from my swap. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=84923&highlight=Legacy+trans

Drivers side Cam under load is normal. Line up the Passenger side excactly vertical. there should be a mark on the head but at any rate if you just set all timing marks to 12 O'clock you are good to go.

It can sometimes take a few days even of driving to get all the air bled out of the system. I would put the front end on blocks, and run the motor, while turning hte wheel lock to lock repeatedly until no more squealling is heard. I've never seen a subaru rack fail other than leaking.......Gotta be the pump.

I filled the keyway with JB......Slid the belt sprocket on.......then SLOWLY and CAREFULLY pulled it back off and waited for the JB to set. Then I put the sprocket back on later and reassembled. My hope is that the sprocket is not cemented to the JB weld.

Yup. call me

EJ22 would be a better option I believe. It will fit just fine where you're EA81 is now. More power and more reliable and better gas milage. Everything is "bolt in" in a sense. Stripping a loom and wiring it in isnt' easy...........but it's not that hard either. And accomplished with a soldering iron............cheaper and easier to use than an exhaust bender and welder. Turbo though carb can be done......but it's not something to try without alot of research of concepts nad knowledge first. Plus you'll have to spend money on a turbo, a good running carb, and figure out how to plumb water and oil to your turbo (more modification of heads, fabrication of brackets)....... Save your money and go to the wreckers and pull and entire harness, ECU, and Ignitor and Air flow meter from a donor car and get to striping harness.

I really like how close it is to the front end. I hate excess overhang. Increased approach angle FTW:banana:

I've *fixed* one with JB weld. Filled the hole and set the woodruff key in and allowed to set overnight before installing and tightening the crank pulley. or you could weld in the woodruf key and then grind it down till the pulley slides on.

So the 27th or 28th? I am in. Sat the 27th is better for me but I'll go either day.

95-99 Legacy Outbacks have a 2 pot front caliper and larger rotor thatg will bolt right on. I recommend this to anyone going to larger than stock tires on lifted Legacies, or anyone who wants a bit better brakes. You must run 15" or larger rims after this conversion. There are even more options, like WRX stuff.....but that is very expensive compared to a very big upgrade that can be had cheap from the Outbacks.