Greybeard

I understand I can "flat" tow (all four wheels on the ground using a tow bar) a 4 wheel drive, manual transaxle EA81 (Brat) in neutral. If I put the front wheels on a dolly, and leave the rear wheels on the ground, will I damage the transaxle? Will the transaxle still get lubricated with the back wheels and driveshaft turning but not the front differential? Or do I have to pull the driveshaft?

Years ago ('60s) I had a similar problem with a Chevy Nova drag car. It turned out to be something normally non-adjustable on EA81s. It was the caster in the front alignment. Not saying it's your problem, but it can effect how the front wheels "track". If I remember correctly it had to be near "0". The correction didn't effect driving much, but then we only drove it 1/4 mile at a time.

Anybody out there know where I can find synchros for my D/R 5 speed? I need 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, plus all the gaskets and seals to put it back together. My local dealer says not all the parts are still available and the "usual suspects" on line don't list them at all. If I can't find everything I need, anybody have a good trans for sale? BTW, I have a free D/R 4 speed available in southwestern Pennsylvania, you pick it up.

Recently I replaced my stock brakes on my '05 Legacy GT (all four) with drilled & slotted rotors from these people: http://www.r1concepts.com/ Used a set of Hawk HPS pads, difference was amazing, but not cheap. Break-in procedure was a pain, but after 5000 miles it still impresses. Don't know about wear, that's never my priority when it comes to brakes.

All good points, I'll take a look at the transmission oil first, and try bleeding the slave cylinder too. Then, if I must, I'l replace the slave cylinder before I replace the clutch master. I've been putting this off, I don't want to pull the I/C. About one year ago the dealer reolaced the mainshaft bearing / bearings in this transmission, but he wouldn't pull it and look at the actual gearbox internals. In the last 3 months the clutch travel hasn't noticably changed. That seems like curious behavior for bad hydraulics.

Funny thing, it shifts fine, IF you push the pedal all the way to the floor, if not it drags, but it has for some time. My wife drove the car further last night and it was trouble free, leading me to believe it is a transmission problem. The only problem with that is I need to demonstrate the problem to the dealer in order to have him repair it under warrenty. She does park in a parking garage all day, so there is an opportunity for someone to hit the car without my knowledge, no marks on the rear bumper though. Could another car just bumping into it cause the transmission to jam in gear?

This afternoon my wife called me and said she couldn't get the shifter to move in her 70,000 mile '05 Legacy GT. For some time we have had to push the clutch all the way against the floor to shift. I assumed it was the clutch not disengaging, now I'm not so sure. When I got to her work I found the shifter to be stuck in 1st, a good hard tug freed it and the problem seemed solved, it worked normally all the way home. The car has the dealer installed "short shifter" option. Does this sound more like a transmission, than a clutch problem to anyone else? There are about 5000 miles left on the extended warrenty, so if it's the transmission, I definitely want the dealer to repair it.

Not too much information, but it looks like the FT 86 isn't dead yet. Toyota had a prototype at a show in Tokyo. http://www.nextautos.com/tokyo-preview-toyota-ft-86-concept-is-what-weve-been-waiting-for?src=Nextscreen

Nathan, Thanks for your reply. I'm not sure about the hydraulics, all I can is bleed it and check again. I plan to pull the trailer a lot, I'm retired and my wife will retire in February, so I plan to be on the move alot. Thanks for your input Subaru 360. I'll take a look at Exedy. Everytime I replace something on this car I try to make an improvement. First time I replaced the air filter, it was with a K&N drop in. When I replaced the brakes I put on drilled and slotted rotors with Hawk pads, big improvement! I'm not trying to build a "boy racer", I just figure if the component failed, it should be upgraded when I replace it. When I replace the clutch it will be with an improved unit. Bob

I'm going to be towing a 2000# trailer behind my Legacy GT, at 70,000 miles the clutch is worn, (draging, hard to shift, engages just off the floor) and I plan to replace it before I pull the trailer any distance. Anyone have a suggestion for a clutch that will hold up better than the OEM one. I don't mind spending more for a better clutch, but when I look at aftermarket they are either stock or exotic. I'm not familiar with a kevlar or ceramic clutch, will they work well in day to day driving? Anyone have any better ideas?

I checked the fusible links and they were OK, so I started a "visual" inspection of the harness. I found several more instances of poor workmanship from the former owner. More striped wires just pushed into the back of a plug, and one broken wire. I repaired them as I found them and after 6 hours everything except the a/c and the cruise control works. I'll work on them later. No one needs a/c in September in Pennsylvania. The former owner claimed to be a Subaru tech, he could never work in any shop I owned. He had installed a/c, cruise, and power windows from a parts car, only the windows worked, and even they worked intermintently, because he never finished anything! I've spend lots of hours "finishing" the installations, he put in just enough screws or bolts to hold the components on, or never connected all the wires. I also upgraded the car to a 5 speed and added power steering. Next is the Weber that's on my bench and a 4" lift kit with 15" tires. Soon I won't be ashamed to park it next to my Legacy GT.

I own a '05 Legacy GT wagon with a manual transmission, it is rated to tow 2700# with brakes. I can find several class II and III hitches and brake controllers, but I am having trouble finding a wiring "kit." With most American designed cars & trucks I can purchase a "T" adapter that simply "plugs" into the wiring harness, allowing me to connect the trailer lights without cutting into it. Does anyone know if there is a similar product available for Subarus, or do I have to alter the wiring harness on my Legacy?

Both exellent suggestions, I have a good Fluke meter, so I'll look for the box. A fire extinguisher.......With my luck maybe a call to the station house!

I own an '84 Brat, the former owner pretty well hacked up the wiring when he converted it from an automatic to a manual. (I don't understand why he needed to hack it up either.) Lots of wires just pushed into the back of a plug beside the existing wires, wires twisted together and not taped or soldiered, and so on. I have repaired them as I found them, but I'm pretty sure there are some more I can't see. That said, I had to run a new wire fron the back up light switch to the plug beside the passsenger door. I found the right circuit, trimed the wire and connected the new one. Checked it with a fused hot wire from the battery before I connected it to the back up light switch and the backup lights worked. I turned on the headlights and they worked fine, but my tail lights didn't come on. Checked my connections (by the pass. door) , to make sure all the plugs were pushed tight, checked all the fuses and tried again, now no lights work, head, tail or backup, not even the idiot lights on the dash. (I feel kind of foolish. The car will run and the radio comes on, but no lights. ( I never have problems of this kind, I'm very painstaking with my electrical work. ) I see by the schematic in the "cheap" aftermarket manual I have that there is a fusable link for the headlights, but I have no idea where it is. Is there some sort of "master" fuse? Never heard of one, but I'm kind of new to Subies. I assumed I blew a fuse but when they checked good it leaves me stumped. I really need some help. Any ideas? :-\