mr.radon

Check out HUCK's thread on XT6.net. He has a very complete set of instructions to replace the air struts with coil overs. Uses Impreza coils and aftermarket struts. These struts can be adjustable to dial in the ride.

If the ALT is not kicking on, try reving the engine up and see if this works. The ALT needs a feild voltage to kick start it. Check to make sure there is IGN power at one of the terminals. I forget which. Anyhow, you may need to check this, if the ALT get no feild voltage then it won't start making power. On some models reving it up real high will self excite the ALT and you will then get power.

I've had pains with my ALT now for awhile too. I'm a design engineer here at Kenworth and I just gave up on reworking the darn OEM ALT's. I've had two go in the past month. I replaced it with a Delco-Remy 10SI ALT. I haven't had any problems. I think part of my problem was that I had too high of a load on the car, I had gone to far from the OEM specs. I keep fog lights on all the time as I do my head lights. I find people less likly to hit me. I also have a nice sterio and an inverter hooked up too. You can test these things out real easy youself. Instead of measuring the current output, just measure the output voltage before start at idle and at 1000RPM increase, I don't recommend ever measuring the output of an ALT (current) except with a clip on amp meter. They are pricy. I also found that all the grounds on the car need to be checked and typically replaced, see the FSM for all the ground connect points There are a lot. Go to the hardware store and buy ground straps, flat braided metal, crimp them to new ring terminals and connect them between the frame, starter, ATL and Battey. I found my car had a few ground loops causing weird stuff to happen with my dash lights. Unlike modern cars, Subaru used the vehicles body as a ground path, dumb, but common back then. It is very important to get the ground potential the same. It's not if but when will you have problems due to this. Hope you fix your problems. Mine seem to have gone away for now.

Just leave the switch plugged in. I like to flash the REV lights at tailgaters, gets'em off quick. The inspection people will see the lights light up too. I've been lazy, but now that I've had the switch in there so long I'm keeping it. Anyhow it's proof I did the conversion. Nice Q&A when people first ride with me. I have to shift to "D" before cruise works.

BTW Benskind still has a blown XT6 engine in Wenatchee somewhere. He mentioned the main bearings are shot, but I did not look the engine over at all. He had it at a different location. I'm pretty sure it is toast since it came out of his XT6, he had a new engine put in. Gary (ALL_TALK), I'm keeping a running log on the rebuild on this thread: http://www.xt6.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2314 Once again, I'm still in debt to you. You gave up a nice Saturday. I got a big smile on my face every morning and evening when I see the two XT6's sitting side by side. The mechanic in me says the Black XT6 can be made to run again too!! Which means I need to find 2 more parts cars; then 8, 16, 32......

Thanks a bunch ALL_TALK. Just an update, Gary (ALL_TALK) helped me haul the XT6 parts car to my house. Great to meet a fellow USMB'er and one so helpful. This site is priceless.

I posted my swap and I had questions in this area. I think this is the page that describes what I did. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13063&page=3&pp=10

I wouldn't bother, but you can take a stop light switch, run the "P" and "N" wires from the Transmission connector to the switch. Make it so the switch is closed only when the clutch is pressed. This is the way I was going to wire it up for my kid, but I figure if he keeps starting it in gear he'll learn how to replace a clutch or flywheel or starter. The young muct learn someday. When you pull off the shift tower and you do not re-wire the gear selector switch you need to reattach it to get the car to start since the neutral interlock runs through this breakout. It is very clear when you have the switch in your hand, you don't even need a pin out diagram.

If I remeber there is only a small change in the tranny. i think the casings are the same and the support is the same. I did this recently, you should have no problems, hold out till you get a DR. It is worth the wait....

Seeing how it is a manual, same offer except I need someone in the car steering and braking. Or if someone is willing I'll ride the XT6 and pay for gas if they have a good tow vehicle. Highway 2 over Steven's Pass could get spicy. Do you need to have a car registered to tow like that? I figure my '90 Subaru Legacy could do the trick, maybe even my '88? I'll have to ask the guy if there is anything preventing this type of a tow. I don't think there is. I figure all I need is the e-brake working seeing how it's hooked to the front tires. In an emergency I could put it in gear and turn the engine over.

Maybe I miss read something somewhere, but you can tow the car on all fours for more the 50KM? Your only hosed if you lift up the front end? I guess this would make sense. I'll have to re-read the FSM again. Thanks for the advice.

Anyone in the Seattle area. I'm looking at buying an XT6 for parts. The car has an engine minus ALT, power steering pump. I have no interest in the engine nor the interior nor body panels (maybe the hood). I want the manual AWD transmission, pedal box and other misc. stuff. I drove out to look it over already. However, I would have to tow it with my Subru from Wenatche to Lynnwood. I have no trailer nor tow hitch. I do not want to tow it behind my car with a tow strap since I'm pretty sure I'd have to disconnect the drive lines. I am willing to buy the car and for helping me get it to my house, give away any parts that I don't need. Like I said I'm interested in the transmission. I figure an XT6 engine is worth it. Please PM me if you have any interest or need more info.

I had a problem similar to that. For me it was so much easier to just put in a MT and be done with the AT. I get better gas milage and the RPM's are in a better range while cruising on the highway. I did the job in two days after work, which included the time to go to PAP and get the MT off a car. In my experiance with AT is that even if this problem is just a loose band, if you don't do a full overhaul you are just asking to end up on-the-road-dead some time soon. And a full overhaul will involve a lot more work then swaping the AT for an MT. My .02 cents worth

1988 Subaru GL SW. Now as I was driving to the airport the warning lamps, including the park lamp, start to dimmly come on. I also noticed the volt meter was slightly below 12V. I pulled over and checked the belts, no problem. Since I had to pick up someone from the airport I drove there without using any power, no radio, power windows, air, wipers, CC. Well on the way home the power lasted till my house, just barely. Lights were so dim hard to see where I was driving. Anyway, is this a classic ALT failure, or should I be looking for a lifted ground? I drove the other car in this morning, the car is still on the charger while I'm at work. Suggestions? Figure this must have happened before to someone? Was thinking PAP for a new ALT....

Your best bet is to buy the FSM I think they are sold on subaruparts.com for less then $100. Great investment.

I made a bar with the holes spaced just right to put in place of the dog bone. You bolt it in and it angles the tranny down just right to allow a tranny jack to grab it nad back it right outa there. I can't see how you could ge them out bolted together. I just did a auto to manual conversion, if this is what you're doing I got some advice.

Sounds like you need to keep a few Rottys on the loose in the back yard there. My sister is a vet and taught me how to train a couple to be good watch dogs. Had a very nice, athletic, 115 pound Rotty for a long time; trained also to be a pack dog. She was very motivated to please and very obedient. I left her in my new LeBarron convertible one night while I camped. She liked to sleep in the back, also hard to see back there. Well some punk wanted my new Alpine stereo, opened the unlocked door at like 3AM. He ended up needing 35 stitches in his arms, hands and calf since I wasn't there to issue the release command right away. I had to wake up, get out of my sleeping bag and tent then run a few hundred feet. She was dragging the hapless junky into the ditch, he was trying to hit her with a stick when I told her to release and sit. I did first aid to stop the bleeding and had to drive the dumb rump roast to the hospital since we were in BFE (Mount Baker trailhead). What really sucked is I never got the blood stains out of the passenger seat. The guy never said a word to me nor moved a muscle. My dog sat in the back with her head on my shoulder staring at him the whole drive to the hospital. The hospital call 911 for me. Ends up the police found a dozen boosted items in the guy's truck. The officer thanked me but avoided my Rotty even though she was wagging her tail and wanting the reward (pat on the head) for protecting the car.

I had a similar problem with my 91 Legacy. I found the switch used to control the windows have a design issue. When they fail they can short out the circuit. I had two go out. I got some new ones from PAP and no problems since.

I post over on the XT6 site too. Thanks, sometimes there are people over here and this place I think gets more traffic. At least when I compare how many people are logged on each time i visit. Fate has shown itself on me again. :banana: First this XT6 falls into my lap by the failure of Meeky to get the deal done, then a faultless 1,800 mile trip back. Now get this, I showed a picture of the car to a fellow co-worker, and another guy says, "Hey! Betty has a car just like that!" Betty is our office assitant so I walk over and ask her about it. Now get this!!! She got a big settlement check in 1988. Her car just went belly up and she paid cash for a 1988 XT GL, VIN number:JF1AX4324JC3XXXXX. So this is a one owner XT GL; 160K on the engine, 4 speed auto, garaged 100%, same color interior as my car, nothing is broken, no sctaches in the paint, not a ding in a panel, not a wear mark on any interior part. The lady has an imacilant house and followed through with this car. All maintanence has been done by the local Subaru dealer. She has papers for the first oil change to the last detail job on the car. A shame to part it out, but hey I need the interior parts badly. I have no interest in the power train, except I might see if I can squeeze it into my '88 station wagon. (little chance I'd do this though) today I'm buing a LOTTO ticket, I've been having pretty good luck lately.

Allright I got the XT6 home. I had serious doubts about my sanity when I got on the plane to Omaha to pick it up. I mean, even if the smallest thing goes wrong, I’m stuck in BFE…. Anyhow, it all worked out. I got home yesterday to find the XT6 shop manuals at my door step. Thumbing through, these are great! Now, I am in the need of some advice… Is there a company that makes aftermarket replacement interior parts for these cars? I looked at a few part/donor XT6’s and they all seem to have the same parts broken, wiper switch, dimmer switch, ect….. Where can I source new parts? Or high quality used parts? Or do I have to make parts? If anyone finds an exceptional XT6 interior, PM me. I’m willing to make an offer and haul the car off, whatever it takes.

I got the manuals printed out in my car right now. I looked and looked, didn't see a section that deals with this. What section, what page?Codes as in read out the fault code? Damn, didn't think of that. Good idea. The IAC valve has a code?

Nope, thats not the problem; good thought though, one of the things I did rule out. I chug along with the clutch in at idle, you know stop and go, when you are forced to puch the clutch in because the engine would sputter the RPM's go way, way up and very, very, very slowly come back down to normal. There is nothing binding the throttle pedal nor clutch. I don't get to check anything last night, had to plant my flower bed. Will do it this weekend when I get some free time.

EA82 - SPFI Skip sent me infor about the IAC valve. Thats getting cleaned tonight.

HELPPPPP Well I've gotten about 2K miles on the new 5SPD -D/R tranny I put in my "new" 88 GL Wagon. However, I still have not been able to kill the idle gremlin living under the hood. A few days ago I thought I had it when I pulled the full sized spare and saw it rubbed a crack in my new vac line. I replaced it, nothing; just as bad as before. All the vac lines have been replaced and still I have this problem: Start car, idle goes to 2.5K. As car warms up idle lowers just a bit. After driving for a little time the idle will come down to 800RPM just fine. Now lets say I'm in stop and go traffic I idle along, slow down to where the tach is at 700RPM, push in the clutch, whammo idles at 3.5K for a few minutes. Get up to highway speed, push in clutch, idles at 800RPM. Help, my head hurts from: I'm good at following instructions. Where do I start with the trouble shooting. The Haynes and other manuals I have, never mention anything about idle problems.

I figured I might as well move this post out of the Marketplace site since the traffic over there might not answer my questions. I bought this XT6: From this add: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=13138&page=1&pp=10 Will be flying out to pick it up and drive it back to Seattle. Plan on fully restoring the car. There is a little rust on it but not bad, I hope. I'm thinking on repainting it the same color. I've never owned a yellow car. If I have problems on the drive back, any XT6 experts out there I can program in my cell phone's speed dial? Anyone have a repair manual for an XT6 I borrow for the trip? I promise to give it back as soon as I get back to Seattle. Let me know, I leave on the 22nd. Should be a fun drive.