SnatchedHatch

East Coast of Illinois, Sam you out there? Here's a link to a number of pictures of his car, http://postimg.org/gallery/hhk85kua/ Here's a few directly:

I believe this was an '89 Loyale? Rrgrr can post more in depth..

Here's an extremely short clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NjPoOHqTY0&feature=youtu.be Rrger's Red on the left, and Will's White Hitachi EA82 on the right, both running ready for a heist..

It's been a while, I never updated this thread. I think I found a small leak that I sealed at the body panel seam just above/behind the top corner of the windshield. ...buuut it never solved the issue. Whenever it rains for a while, and with the proper maneuver, a quarter cup of water slowly pours from right under the dash/glove compartment. It looks and sounds just like cracking a faucet on low. O.o I uh try not to leave the car in the elements, a puddle in my mat does ensue. I'm going to really read into the window adjustments, but they barely leak unless I give the car a wash. They just press against the frame more than stock, so you've gotta give it that extra bit of oomph when closing them.

Cool cool, nothing like the light bodied EA's in the snow (ER/EA same diff ha!)

That is the plan, minus the strap. What is the benefit of these? https://www.google.com/search?q=braided+ground+strap&client=firefox-a&hs=aey&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=fflb&tbm=isch&imgil=WZsMwISb8SEh4M%253A%253BSWaepwly0wkMuM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.jbugs.com%25252Fproduct%25252F9469.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=WZsMwISb8SEh4M%253A%252CSWaepwly0wkMuM%252C_&usg=__WL20uySV4zqu0ftgi2iNZTvUTQw%3D&biw=1440&bih=709&ved=0CFAQyjc&ei=w-RqVNqkH4OQyQSioYLYCA#imgdii=_

I just thought I should stick with the shortest possible grounds... that would mean extended the 4 inch ground wire to about 18-24inches

Just picked up a pair with some beefy studded winter tires. Looks fricken fantastic, I'm pretty sure $400 is about right, but I was never able to find a similar pair online. EDIT: a similar pair for sale or sold** Here's a basic picture:

I came into possession of a pair of Harbor Freight Specials, they were basically free to me, and the mount I made for them actually cost slightly more! I have them mounted, but need to ground them before I try wiring them up. The only place I can see is the solid metal member/bar going through the lower part of the front bumper. I had a chat with a Subie service rep, he suggested drilling into the back of the member to screw in a place for the ground. Back or bottom, a drill is not getting into there without removing the bumper. If I removed the radiator, I could get to the back of that member, but I'm looking for any viable alternatives. The member has some half inch holes already punched in the back, maybe I could file away at one of those and get some sort of mount for the ground? Here's pictures of the ongoing project, I had sealed the glass to the cheap rubber seals with some silicone adhesive. http://postimg.org/gallery/1kzfuzjc0/

Double post

Given you don't hoon around (as you mentioned), I'd say those General's should last you more than 50k. Only the Michelin's get the .5 factor of stated mileage haha

Boost overall tire life? If your tire wore unevenly under normal driving circumstances, than that's some cheap Chinese tire! But I understand not all of our rides have perfect alignment etc, so I guess that's true. Just to clear up, the factory sipes I mentioned are not cut-in but rather molded in with the entire tread. I tried to say that while my shop gave compelling reasons why siping is a must (like cutting > molded), it's only a good idea in certain situations. Shoot.. I might just try this out on some cheap tires next year

.

Hmm, having worked at a shop that operated a siping machine, I can only agree on your point so far as if it is done on a cheap tire. I beg to differ as far as treadlife, its likely to drop. In fact, sipping is highly shunned when considering a quality tire. It goes against all design and *will* kill the tread life. The consensus of my coworkers, it's just a gimick for the hoards. Then again, it will boost the snow performance of a cheap tire and it won't cost you as much in the long run. Quality tires should work well enough in the snow on their original designs. Even my own chain store had many compelling reasons for manual siping (such as the original manufacturing process cannot make such fine sipes as the machine can cut). I'm running off here, but take the Michelin's I had. They had soft rubber and special grooves to deal with snow. Hmm my coworkers winced when I asked if I could sipe them probono, it's like taking a hammer to a model battleship.

My recommendation is either a well rated Goodyear All-season, or a
Falken or even Continental All-season if you don't mind the increase in
price. Myself, I don't take this choice lightly: I dig around for awhile before I settle. I've started a queue on TireRack http://www.tirerack.com/tires/TireSearchResults.jsp?filtering=true&width=205%2F&ratio=55&diameter=16&autoMake=Subaru&autoYear=2005&autoModel=Impreza%20Outback%20Sport&autoModClar=&sortCode=44950&tireIndex=0&wtpackage=false given your Make and Model (2005) and I deselected performance and winter categories. Tires sorted by consumer rating. From there, you can find ones you like based on price and rating, and even
select a number of them to compare tire rating specifics! (Select on the left, once all the ones you want are selected, hit compare at the top) I've got some experience with tires, to round up what I've seen on this thread. ITT: Do go on Tirerack or Consumer Reports (although they always have last seasons
model's), or other similar website, to get real world ratings of the
tires and a reasonable comparison of metered performance in certain
categories. I focus on the ones with a proper # of customer reviews. These sites can also walk you through the 3 tiers of tires: low, mid, upper/Good,better,best which have a direct influence on tire performance.. this is a short summary of all 3 http://www.americastire.com/dtcs/brochure/tire/gbb.jsp Mid and Upper is where I'd stick with, that's mainly because I have to deal with the horrible winters up in Chicago. While a tire like the General Altimax (I had the HP+) will do well for cost and wet and dry performance, it doesn't perform well enough in the snow. Michelins generally are great
in all areas, but watch out, they too are made from soft rubber,
especially the performance All-seasons and High-performance All-seasons.
Tread life is low. I had a new set of Michelin Pilot Sports, the dry/wet/snow traction was unbelievably good. After one year, the top layer wore away enough that there was a significant drop in dry and snow performance. Another year and I no longer considered them "performance" all-seasons. Lasted me 3 years those if you have the money, nothing better though! Continentals are about as good as Michelins,
I agree with Carfreak85 's consensus. I feel it's worth the extra 10-20
bucks, but truth be told the drop in performance isn't that bad if you
really would rather save $50-$80. Goodyear Eagles (the sport/performance all-season models) were great at everything, except when cold. Traction is lacking at winter temps. The Economy low-rolling resistance tires are great in respects of Fuel economy and rolling noise, but they SUCK in the snow. You mentioned your climate, if you don't have to worry about snow so much as us in the North, Kumho's
are an economical tire, they are low to mid-range and generally aren't
too good in the snow. Not bad for wet and dry vitals. Hankook's and Falken's are mid to upper range, and make great winter or proper all-season tires. Toyo's are good tire, not familiar with their winter performance. One
last bit, when I bought those Michelin's, a buddy bragged that he just
got a new set of Kumho's for his Mitsubishi EVO, mainly to rub in my
face that he saved a lot (probably like $100~200) over mine. My
FWD car had zero issues, while days later he called me bewildered that
with his AWD and new tires, he was still sliding just trying to drive
down the road.

Diggin for the goods! Minstrelnyc, seems to be offline for sometime, I'm in the exact same boat. Just wondering if in that someone has ordered these clips from a dealer? I'll try tomorrow and update.

1998 Subaru Outback Sport EJ22 Automatic The AT Oil Temp light turns on at start and stays lit for a few seconds before vanishing for the rest of the drive. Is that typical?

My mistake, it seems it ks in fact the "AT Oil Temp" light that I see stay on and turn off at start. Does this have any significance, or is it normal operating procedure?

I've noticed my 98' Imprz Outback has an "AT Oil Temp" light turn on, and then off at start. It's been around for a few weeks, I didn't realize it could mean something. Definitely wasn't always there. I have an auto Ej22, and it shifts slightly jerky at times. If I baby it, it does alright, ehem but I've had mostly hard shifts lately. Again, not terrible, just hard enough where I try to adjust my throttle and brace for the shifts. As long as I'm not powering through the shift, it's ok but not as smooth as I'd like. My ATF looked to be in decent shape, red with just the start of used smell, looks to be I'll be draining it.

This whole thread is exactly what I needed, excellent tips! I have a '98 Subaru Outback Sport auto, planning to do this soon. Tips I've taken: 1. Fill plug pulled first. 1.A. Use bent penny or copper to facilitate the removal of the plug without an adapter. 2. Pull drain plug and clean the magnet on it. 2A. If desired, clean out the diff using "carb cleaner". Seafoam spray should work, they make a pour-out version for diffs and trans. 3. Buy hand pump if cheap, or use tube and funnel to refill diff after replacing the drain plug, due to the tight space above the fill plug. 4. (Replace Fill Plug of course). 75W90, I've heard Royal Purple synthetic is good, any other types recommended? I should steer clear of gear oil meant for use in limited slip differentials, due to the additives that can reduce performance in the OBS diff. Thanks to GLCraig for that tip^^

One man's junk.. Another man's treasure That is by far my favorite front clip of any of the older Subaru's Gold as well, nice!

How does it run in the snow, noticed the Firestone's, which worked well on my ea81 hatch. Trying to imagine how awesome the 2.7 with a locked diff would be in the coming months!

I seem to move quickly between cars, could be that I'd like to have more than one but can't afford it. Or it could be I jump at the opportunity to try something new. Either way, I'm loving every step of the way. Given the skills I've picked up in the "used car sector", I sold my car this summer with plans to buy something cheaper and utilize the excess elsewhere. Did NOT plan on getting a Subaru, mainly because there's crap in my area ha, but after diligently searching for something worth it's price, I spotted a sweet looking wagon. Even got past the fact that it was an automatic , once I saw the potential. Engine is SOLID, first run of the rectified EJ22's (late 97' build, model year 98'). No leaks, all cv shafts/boots are clean, oil looks good and doesn't seem to burn at all. I realized this car must have been granny owned, having survived Illinois' winters and harsh city streets. Jumped on it, glad I did. So... here's some pics http://postimg.org/gallery/gl5f0nlq/ To date I replaced the oil and coolant, trans fluid looks good, plan on doing the rear diff fluid soon. Managed to swap the TB, pulley's, and waterpump a week ago @ 151k (HUGE thanks to rrgrr for the help!) Picked up a set of steelies, painted em and threw on some Blizzaks. I think silver might have been a better color, but hey I like how it stands out! EDIT: I forgot about my WRX swap, I bought a mid-2000's WRX catback (stock) with low mileage. The rear mounting flange needed to be rotated, otherwise it would have been bolt-on.

First and foremost, congratulations on the diamond in the rough. I think it's important to focus on what you walked away with, a sweet a$& ride! It's a terrible shame, and I among others here have had such an experience. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you are on top of things.. financially and mechanically I LOVE your wagon brah!! Looks great, and yeah I'm jealous of the the add-ons you've got going. I've dealt with selling and buying from a young age, so I know exactly what this feels like. The earlier the better if at all. In similar situations, you will be on your sh*t more than most can even imagine, take some solace in that! It's what makes us stronger.. Funny thing is I wouldn't be here or know jack squat about Subarus if it weren't for taking a similar chance after falling in "love at first start". In the last year I've learned more about working on cars than in my last 5. I bought an 87' Hatchback, from the Southwest like yours, but it was rear-ended and starting to rust back there. I missed a number of things that could have cost me gravely had I held on to the car. I rushed the actual final deal, I put a little more faith in the seller than I knew I should have, even all the while reading into the seller's tactics. After the deal passed, I realized how much more the seller played their hand than I had thought. My lessons learned: -Inspect everything, regardless of what you are told. -Do not be blinded by some positives to ignore some or many negatives, stay objective. -Do as much research and preparation as possible. Ask around, you might pick up something that you would have missed in a crucial moment. From my own experience, a seller is NOT your friend. Keep it professional and act as such, I don't care who you are dealing with. Only in this manner can you play it safe. Ever hear the saying, "Don't involve $ with your personal relationships?" So many things can go wrong, that is why all the responsibility is on you. After everything has been properly gone over, cash exchanged, then you can be at ease. I've made some sweet deals and kept in touch with awesome people in this way!! Long post sorry, One more thing, about running into any ne'er do wells from the forum, there are bound to be such individuals on the internet. This forum is somewhat a conglomerate of numerous forums. It's huge! But, being on here for a year, the number of downright helpful people is staggering, ehem but those guidelines I follow never fail me when it comes down to business