Numbchux

The service interval on those plugs is supposed to be 60k miles. But I wouldn't worry about getting closer to 100. The way the techs here do it, is from underneath. Most spark plug sockets are just the right length so the ratchet will be placed right between the head and the frame rail. This, obviously, is much easier the higher you can safely get the car off the ground. I've lifted the engine on a couple DOHC 4-cyl engines (similar plug placement), and that worked fairly well. I had to remove a couple things for access, but it was reasonable. Tribeca's all just use a strainer in the transmission, no filter like there always was. A drain and fill is certainly a good idea. It will probably take about 4 quarts (I recommend having 5 handy when you start the job). They call for Subaru HP ATF. I think there are some aftermarket ATFs that meet the specification. MSRP on the genuine stuff is $6.72/qt, so don't pay more than that.

MSRP is actually $56.40 on it. Olathe Subaru shows one in stock (I did a search within 50 miles of 64034)

Well, I was pretty sure the Sambar used an inline engine, and therefore a boxer might not be the greatest option. So I looked at the Sambar wikipedia page, and found this: "with the EF12 three-cylinder engine's displacement increased to 1200 cc and SOHC borrowed from the Subaru Justy" Sounds like the only 1200cc Sambar engine was actually just a Justy engine. So yes, I bet you could use a Justy engine.

I hate solder on stranded automotive applications. It's not flexible, and the heat can be very hard on the wire. I only use Molex PermaSeal adhesive heat shrink butt splices (I purchase them in bulk on Waytek wire), as they're tough, but slightly flexible. Also, all those wires are brittle. So at the very least, replace the entire exposed section of that broken wire. I work at a dealership, and when paying labor, it's just not worth it to try to repair these, usually when you start messing with them, adjacent wires start breaking, and the time starts adding up fast. We stock the rear gate harnesses for them. They're usually about $75, which is a chunk of money, but I'd be tempted to do it that way and be done with it!

800 sounds so high, I'm assuming there was something else replaced. "terminal fuse box" is not very definitive... I have seen a fuse box and cables (on a first gen legacy) destroyed due to corrosion.

Yep, definitely flooding. That much is very clear. Bad connection at the coolant temp sensor is the only thing I can think of that would intermittently cause it to flood that badly. There are plenty of other things that can cause problems, but I don't think any of them would be that severe.

Awesome, thanks man! I thought I looked at that when I did it, but I never actually tried it. Do you know if the carrier bearing spacing is the same as the EA82? Or would that mount have to be moved on those (cheaper and easier for most than driveshaft modification)? Updated the first post with everything in here, and a couple more things. Keep it coming! I still think the EA81 SPFI manual needs to be in here!

The first run of replica hubs was like $200 USD for a pair. With those (or XT6) the EJ brakes will bolt up the trailing arms. Sourcing those is the hard part. The diff alone is easy, the mounts bolt right up, driveshaft bolts right up. There are several options to attach the EA81 axles to the EJ diff. There are several options for suspension that bolts right up. This stuff has all been done and documented. EJ Modified-MacPherson rear suspension has been put in a Brat (IIRC it was in the UK, so I think they just call them a pickup...). It looked like a completely nightmare. You have to make mounts for the suspension crossmember, trailing arms, and strut tops, all of which need to be positioned perfectly, and build strut towers. In a Brat, these strut towers are visible in the bed, so that may be a concern depending on the project. At stockish height, the crossmember and gas tank interfere. I'm not saying it can't be done, but it's the classic reinventing of the wheel. It's a massive amount of work to avoid buying a pair of hubs (I know they're getting rare, but it's still possible), for negligible gains. Yes, the old EA rear suspension geometry isn't ideal for true performance, but if you're nitpicking that far, the Brat probably isn't your best starting point (dreadful aero and weight distribution, although it's possible to get around that). If you really are looking for better geometry, there are much better/easier ways to get it. The '08+ Impreza, '09+ Forester and '10+ Leg/Outback rear suspension comes to mind, it's a complete multilink unit. You'll probably still have to modify the gas tank, but only 4 big bolts to hold the entire rear suspension on, and the geometry all stays the same. And the shock is mounted much further down, so you don't have to cut up the body to make strut towers.

Oh good, so they're similar to other irresponsible and shoddy modifications. Just because the focal point is aimed down low, they will cast light up into the eyes of oncoming traffic. Here's a picture I took this winter of the stock lights in our '04 Outback with LED drop in bulbs: 20170106_194211 by Numbchux, on Flickr It does look good, and could probably be done correctly for street use with DOT or ECE certified housings....I don't like the idea of blinding cars coming at me at 100+ mph closing speed with a few feet of clearance between me and my family....

I have Yakima Railgrab mounts and crossbars (all bought used, bars on craigslist locally many many years ago, mounts on ebay recently) for our '04 Outback. I don't have any decent pictures of the rack, but I do have one of the car on our last BWCA trip: 20160530_121745 by Numbchux, on Flickr

That's not a street-driven vehicle, is it? I'm sure those lenses are not designed for road use...

I agree that it's probably in the programming of the TCM, not the converter itself. First gen Legacy TCMs have been hacked, reprogammed, and retrofitting into EA82 cars....so it's definitely all doable.

Maybe that was too subtle. I just spent a considerable amount of time compiling a FAQ for the retrofitting section.

Yes, I just confirmed in the catalog, the rear upper mount is the same with air or coil suspension. The only application that would be a complete bolt-in would be for a '90-'94 AWD Legacy. If you swap the rear upper mount, you can definitely use '90-'99 Legacy.

XT6 parts change nothing as far as the diff is concerned. They are necessary for the 5-lug conversion. You're trying to put the r180 into your car? Boy, if only someone had just put in a bunch of time compiling a FAQ for the Retrofitting section that might have that exact information

What transmission? Subaru transmissions all have different center diff/transfer gears... Rule of thumb is, though, virtually all of them will need to be opened up and center diff modified (welded) to transfer 100% of the power, and the transfer gears behind the center diff rarely can hold up to much abuse. So depending what you're doing with it, that may not be the best option. Aftermarket, stronger, transfer gears exist for many modern Subaru 5-speeds. There's a guy who makes an adapter bellhousing to use a Toyota RWD/4WD transmission. Or the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86/Scion FRS 6-speed should theoretically bolt up. (These all ASSume an EJ/EG/EZ engine...)

The rear hubs are the only hard part. XT6 are the only OE parts that will fit. Crossbred performance in Australia used to make aftermarket ones to go with their kit, but they no longer do. Might be able to get your hands on a used set.... This guy made a run of 10, and sounds like he's going to make another (you might want to skip towards the end of the thread where there's discussion about the actual process): http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/156161-xt6-rear-hubs-eoi-in-5x100-5x1143/ I've been working on a FAQ, with some links and information about the 5-lug swap: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/162614-retrofitting-faq/

Go to the main forum page, and start reading. You will find a link to an offroad section. You will also find the USRM, which has offroad and suspension sections. At the top of the page there's a search bar, which can be narrowed to certain sections of the forum in a few different ways. It won't search for words under 4 letters, but the wildcard (*) can be used to get around that. Your car is an EA82 Companies that have made lifts for that include: Backyard Boys (BYB) PK Davis (PKD) Allied Armament (AA) and these still do Scott in Bellingham (SJR) Anderson Design and Fabrication (ADF) and others

The simple answer is that EJ-chassis (like a Forester) Subarus are like Legos, and EA-chassis (like your Loyale) Subarus are like Erector. In practice they're closer than that. But this stuff has been documented to death here....so start researching.

No guarantee that the dealer will have the correct equipment to cut the key. I work at a fairly busy dealership, and we can duplicate keys, but we can't cut one just from the code. Any dealership has access to the ignition key code, although they will have to verify ownership. With all that, and the fact that you're 90 miles from a dealership, in mind, you might want to get in touch with a local locksmith. The local locksmith here can cut a key from the code out of his work vehicle (which is actually a BG Outback...). So it's not uncommon for him to go out to a customer, he'll verify ownership, and then call us for the key code.

The offset is not ideal, but it works. The tires will no longer tuck under the fenders on compression. Here's my 85 GL with 15" Pugs (I do not remember that tire size....) 2017-07-25_12-43-30 by Numbchux, on Flickr

Sounds like you're on the right track with vehicle choice and probably even for the conditions to tow that SVX (notice I said not to flat-tow it, you seemed competent enough to know it could be towed on a dolly with the driveshaft removed). I do agree, this deal smells a little funky. I'm always wary of trades...it seems to me like unless it's the perfect car for both people (which seems unlikely) someones trying to get rid of something quick that isn't worth it. If you don't think you can sell it for what the Outback is worth, than why is he accepting it? Might be legit, but seems more likely that it isn't... My wife wants a Baja something fierce. I'm on the lookout for a flood damaged one so I can swap the drivetrain (which would involve basically all the electronics, side-airbag seats, etc. so could easily be the rest of the interior) from our H6 VDC Wagon. Interesting tidbit...I rented a tow dolly a couple years ago when I bought my Celica. The guy at the rental center I was dealing with was a little concerned about me towing a car with a 3500/350 hitch (2000 Honda Odyssey minivan), and I assured him it was a small car, 2700 lbs or so. And he said the bigger and commonly-overlooked concern with towing on a dolly is tongue weight. As under braking, the momentum of the car being towed actually puts rotational force on the dolly and therefore significant downward force on the tongue. He very much tried to talk me out of using that vehicle, and using something with at least 500 lb tongue rating. I took it as a grain of salt, did it anyway, and it was completely fine for about 125 miles, but I drove very carefully/defensively to avoid braking as much as possible.

Some considerable discussion here about it (obviously, a lot of it is very old and may not be relevant...): http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/46773-official-alloy-pug-lug-nut-thread/ It's been a long time since I dealt with them, but my understanding is that they were still conical, but at a different angle (45* vs 60*, IIRC). There's discussion in there, and I've seen it elsewhere that ball seat adapters work fairly well. It's not perfect, but better, and abundantly available.

I run 215/65r16 on Forester 16x6.5 +48 wheels in the winter, which are a tad bigger than the stock 225/60r16s, on my stock '04 Outback VDC. Generally speaking, a 29" tall tire is about as big as you can get with stockish offset (obviously, lower offset helps with that, but creates other issues) before you start having trouble with strut clearance. With some trimming, 29" is doable on a 2" lift.

6-lug wheels come in a huge range of dimensions... Keep in mind, Subaru wheels have a very high offset/backspacing. So real low-offset (like most chevy truck wheels) 6-lug wheels aren't going to fit well at all. But stock Toyota ones are close, and I think I've seen some Isuzu and Nissan offerings that are even higher-offset, which would fit well. Tire size will make a big difference, too. ASSuming the car your referring to is the '85 4WD Wagon in your signature, you should have a fair amount of wheel well clearance.