Bushwick

Yeah, parking brakes can be a real pain. You could try wedging something between the wheel lugs (make sure engine is in neutral and fronts are blocked to prevent car rolling) and try and turn the hub while hitting it. On some cars, it's possible to access the lever the e-brake cable attaches to at the rotor, which can sometimes be manipulated to release tension. Unsure what these have.

Yeah, basically all cars can/will seize the the pads to the rotor IF left to sit for too long. It's always worse if car is stored outside, as even the moisture in the mornings can be problematic. If the car won't be moved every couple days, you should never set them as long as it's not parked on a really steep hill. Whatever you do, do NOT try and force it with the car in gear by gunning it. I've seen videos of people breaking their engine mounts (or worse) trying that. Best bet is remove one tire per side (start with the one that's completely frozen), and try hitting the rotor (not on the surface where the pads touch) and see if that'll loosen them. Sometimes it's the pads/shoes, other times it the tension in the cable. Be careful using any type of penetrating oil, as it needs completely removed to avoid brake failure i.e. oil gets on rotor once driving, contaminates the pads, and car fails to to stop.

For what it's worth, engine temp is always in the middle and the car can be run/tested (locally, like around the block kinda deal) to verify. Plugs, wires, air and fuel filters were all done around 15k miles ago. I also went through ALL the lifters around that time and either hand flushed or replaced collapsed ones, and they are still quiet. I also have a mechanical oil pressure gauge installed (copper line with full rubber vacuum line sleeve) so oil pressure can be verified from a cold or hot start. Think it idles in-gear around 10 psi fully hot, and 75-80 cold (haven't been paying attention lately). When the timing belt was off, I cleaned with lye and inspected the oil pump, and resealed with anaerobic. Really pissed it broke the strut mount and fender as I don't want to get rid of it.

Oh yeah, the front tie rods were replaced roughly 12k miles ago and battery was new in December 2016. As far as I'm aware, it hasn't exhibited torque bind. The physical failure at this time is popped the spot welds for upper rear strut mount driver's side. The rear crossmember was replaced when I got the car (the donor car apparently had a new one) and should still be good. AC works but belt was squeaking last time I ran it. PM me.

Ugh, had a failed rear driver strut spring perch, which seemed straight-forward enough. Rim would not leave the hub though, so had a shop knock it off. Well, a huge chunk of the rear inner fender is gone now..... basically everything the upper strut attached to is literally...... gone. Never seen anything like that happen before. Anyhow, the trans (4eat) and engine (ej22) are still strong (just had fresh oil change) and car was driven daily, all 4 tires (steel rim) are great with maybe 90% tread left. Have new rear rotors and pads (uninstalled still in boxes), timing belt was done roughly 20k miles ago, and all fluids rear/trans were done at that time; engine is quiet, no smoke, and just e-checked in April. Valve covers were new 20k miles ago but are leaky as I didn't use rtv on them; 190k with exterior rust, fair interior (scratches everywhere inside/out) and I think I did the fuel pump about 10k miles ago. I'll let the whole thing go to a forum member (will need trailered unless you live close) if you promise to give the engine/trans a good home for $450. Don't have the heart to junk it given the engine is desirable for retrofits.

If towing anything or carrying on a hitch platform, I'd rely on my eyes (mirrors, windows) and ears for issues along with frequent stops say 15 min (make sure everything is secured), again in 30 min, then hourly. Not a fan of relying on sensors as there is an inherent risk involved, especially if they obstructed.

Other thing to consider is stock muffler(s) are almost always heavy, restrictive dead weight. On average, I've found stock single mufflers to be roughly 35 pounds each, or roughly the same weight as a steel spare + jack in many cases, or even a car battery weight. Many aftermarket baffled mufflers are in the 5-10 pound range, if that. You won't really get "loud" until you start removing cats, removing mid-pipe resonator (meant to control 2500rpm~ drone or there about) or god help you, running w/o a muffler or equally obnoxious glass packs. Best bet is try the muffler out.

I was going to say the same thing. You can buy aluminum strips (think of a yard ruler) or even L brackets at places like Lowes for under $10. They are long enough you can actually mount the cooler basically where you want, meaning you don't have to try and stack it onto the radiator or AC condenser, etc. As long as it has some flow, it'll be fine. Also, some cars like mid 90's Lincoln Mark VIII cam with a power steering cooler and small fan. Fan was thermo controlled, but would fit perfect on your cooler, and allow for better mounting options.

Should always do a full tune-up: plugs (gap correctly), wires, air filter, synthetic oil (yes it's better and worth the extra $15 cost), and if original, replace fuel filter. Battery needs ground disconnected for a bit to reset codes. Take for a drive. If running OK and no check engine lights, run it on the highway for 10-15 minutes in "3" if auto and doing say 60 mph so the engine runs a bit in the revs or leave it in "D" and 70-75. If check engine light reappears at any time AFTER doing ^ the tune-up, go get the code pulled. If the engine isn't running as it should from neglect, it can over time cause issues with O2 sensors, catalytic converter, etc. Always best to rule out the obvious (misfire codes) 1st, then see if that fixes the issues.

Are you running a lot of aftermarket electronics? Like say 80 amp+ worth of car amplifiers, etc.? I've seen 4 gauge amplifier 12v+ wire get hot enough to start cooking plastic fuse holders as the gauge was too small, and was pulling too much current. In that case, upgrading to something like 2 gauge (or larger) or dual 4 gauge for multiple amplifiers (within reason) and upgrading to separate amp grounds, helped, but if you are pulling enough current to do that, you probably need a beefier alternator as well. I retrofitted a 2011 130 amp Tribeca alt into my 95' Legacy with minor effort and it's going on almost 4 years now, and seems to have a very nice amperage curve. IF you have no aftermarket electrical demands, you might have a failed ground wire (engine to chassis OR chassis to battery) somewhere in the chain, as well as faulty battery connectors, or even something as simple as the charge wire feeding the alt is corroded internally and breaking apart, which would cause more current through the surviving stands + heat until failure. Years ago I had a 79' Mustang with a 306 retrofit, and the guy that originally made the swap didn't put heavy enough grounds in, which lead to starter-click/ no start, AND it'd cook the 12v+ battery cable while trying to crank. In that case, I was able to jump the engine directly to the chassis (with a metal tire iron no less) while using a remote switch to crank it and it'd fire right up. So I went ahead and several redundant ground straps from engine block to chassis, and replaced the 12v+ feeding the starter and the battery ground. Have to use BARE metal locations and use something to inhibit rust. But after doing that, it never had any other issues. You can also pop your hood (better if underhood temps are cool as everything will be ambient) crank the engine, shut off, crank again, shut off, then immediately (carefully as it might very hot) check if your wire is hot or not. If it is hot just from cranking, you have a weak ground, most likely off the battery to the starter.

Turns out the driver-side spring perch cracked, and was touching the top of the tire tread, which was causing the the squeak in the rain, and very faint burning rubber smell (how the smell travels forward when car is moving is curious), so a double-whammy of two separate issues manifesting at roughly the same time.

Can someone confirm ^ if that's everything needed? Noticed some of the bearings have a slightly over-sized specs, and some are listed as "rear inner AWD" where others are listed as just "rear AWD"? Are they referring to a carrier bearing as "inner"? I assume the slight over-size is to account for wear, or are there slight differences between the years these were used?

My 95' 2.2L runs dead center of the stock gauge, and never seems to go above that regardless of outside temps, and fairly certain it's running a stock t-stat. I'd try purging yours and see if any air escapes. Sometimes all it takes is one big bubble.

Could be air in the cooling system. An ex gf had a VW Bug with the 1.8Lt engine, and that thing was a nightmare to purge out the air. In that engine's case, it ran hotter until the air was fully purged.

Seems it is something with e-brake rubbing on right turns due to a bad bearing. If I pull the e-brake handle and hold it on right (slow) turns, the metal rubbing almost fully goes away or doesn't start, so thanks for mentioning that guys. I take it 95' Legacy L rear bearings with rear disc AND ABS are pressed in and not the 4 bolts holding the bearing assembly together from the rear like later models? Will this work?: DURAGO 29513248SK Kit Contains: Bearing, Retaining Ring, and Axle Nut $22.79 REAR; AWD Has a new nut and retaining ring. But unsure if that's everything needed? http://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/subaru,1995,legacy,2.2l+h4,1269806,brake+&+wheel+hub,wheel+bearing,1672 Are there 3 seals per side? Seems to be saying inner, center, and outer seals?

Yeah, it's disc rear. If rear is off the ground, there should be delectable play (in/out) if it's bad enough to be hitting the e-brake shoes I'm assuming? No idea what the deal with the tire was assuming it was the tire. How bad are the wheel bearings on these to do?

Why not just have the dealer mail you one to avoid the drive? It's small enough to over night in an envelope, and I'm guessing they can take CC payment over the phone. I've never done one of those, but would be inclined to go with whatever Subaru sends you given the thickness difference, unless someone chimes in saying it was superseded at some point.

Also, if my post wasn't clear, I had to harvest the wire harness from donor vehicle. I took everything feeding the seat(s), took the seat heat switch assembly, and think I cut or disconnected as far ahead the switch as possible. My 95' did not have any of the needed wiring.

I added a heated element to my 95' Legacy out of I think a 98' Outback. In that case, there were only 2 wires FEEDING the switch (ground and 12v+). Wires after the switch went directly to the seat. I only did passenger seat though. Hi/Low heat function works (it's controlled in the switch), and I just wired it to the cig lighter's 12v+as I never use that, and it's rating was sufficient for the one seat. Temp control on/off (if like the 98') should be controlled via the actual seat's heater element. It needs to be AT a certain temp BEFORE it'll kick on, meaning the heat generated while sitting on it IIRC. Mine won't kick on w/o me on it. They have an auto-off to prevent overheating. A way around the auto-off is leave windows cracked so fresh air enters (leave dash heater on or low) and the seat should remain on indefinitely as it won't hit the high-side temp off. Need to verify BOTH seats actually heat up. A common failure spot is on the lower seat area, DIRECTLY between the thighs/knees (closer to knees). As the seats pull apart over the years, the wire in the heating element can pull apart, creating a break. This will prevent the seat from heating. I had this issue on mine. In my case, I carefully exposed the wire break (it'll stain the white mesh brown if it arced a few times and is visible), and soldered in a new section, making it longer than the original break. The factory wire is like 24 gauge (reason why it gets warm when intentionally shorted to create heat) and I soldered in something like 18 or 20 gauge, then sandwiched that on both sides with black Gorrila tape which is a heavier duty and thicker tape than standard duct tape, to prevent the splice from ever pulling apart. Anyhow, 3+ years later and it's yet to fail. It's also NOT detectable from the outside.

ANY towing with an auto SHOULD have an external (aftermarket is fine) trans cooler preferably with a small fan, and try and avoid letting it go into overdrive (either button lock out or move shifter into "3" when cruising; no idea what those have). The higher the mileage, the more important the cooler is, unless you want early slippage and eventual failure. The 2nd important area needing addressed is the rear suspension, as the more weight, the more it'll droop. Air bag rears are ideal as they'll auto-level. As long as the hitch assembly is rated to the weight, and the rear can handle the extra weight (usually 75-100 pounds for assembly, + trailer weight) and the trans can remain cool and your brakes are EXCELLENT i.e. fresh pads and rotors, you should be able to pull anything. If I were you though, I'd either buy a cheap truck with a tow package, or find something to run as a dedicated tow vehicle. EDIT: I'd also carfax anything I plan on towing with

95' Legacy wagon awd w/190k+. First noticed a sound that I thought was a REAR tire rubbing after exiting the highway the other day while raining (everything was wet) so I would have thought it was the tire as it sounded like rubber squeaking. Today, with everything dry, I'm getting a metal on metal rubbing sound on right hand turns only. If I make a left turn or unload the previous right turn by quickly turning the steering wheel opposite direction, the grinding stops. I looked quickly underneath and the REAR crossmember is OK (it was replaced about 3 years ago and everything looks solid and bolts are in place). Also, no wear marks on the inner tires. Sound like a wheel bearing? What's odd is the left rear tire sounded like it was squeaking when raining the other day, but the grinding on right turns is either right-rear or close to it.

I have a 95' Legacy with the 2.2L i.e. ej22. One of the better engines as it's not interference, everything is a breeze to get at, runs forever, parts cost nothing, etc. When I got mine, I think all but 2 lifters were dropped. Most just said "rev it" or "drive it", it'll go away. Well it didn't go away, and it's a known issue with these engines. We have hydraulic lifters in the 95' ej22 and these shouldn't have solid lifters in them so your friend was mistaken. When I say all but 2 were dropped, ONLY 2 lifters were able to hold firm. Anyhow, the RIGHT way to fix this is pull the valve cover, unbolt the rocker arm assembly, and remove each lifter. They are very small, but easy to tell if it's collapsed. You can try pulling on the plunger with your fingers, it might free up. If it does, get a small cap (a coolant jug cap works great) or cut a plastic cup bottom off. Fill with FRESH oil. Drop the lifter in. Make sure it's drawing the oil in when pulling the plunger. If it does, take a small pick and carefully depress the tiny ball valve while pressing the plunger down simultaneously. You SHOULD be squirting the oil back out, but it'll be pitch black, which is the gunk causing it to stick. Repeat a couple times more making SURE you are NOT pulling the black gunk back into the lifter. After 2-3 bleeds, the oil needs dumped from the cap and filled once more with fresh as it'll likely be filthy. Keep repeating this process until the black gunk stops exiting the lifter and only clear exits. Have something like a cup or plastic bottle bottom with about 3/4" FRESH oil in it, and drop the lifter in their after it's fully bled and pumped (lifter needs to remain submerged). Now repeat the process the process for ALL the lifters (do lifters from both heads and you'll have less issues later, though you can do one side at a time). Takes about 5 minutes to do each lifter and roughly an hour for all of them, and is an extremely easy job to do with minimal tools, just make sure rockers go back in the way they came out. You might as well drop $15 (or whatever they run, they are cheap) for new valve cover gaskets as they like to leak on these. Apply small amount of sealant to both sides of gasket after removing all traces of oil from gasket surfaces. Also, it's smart to clean the rocker assembly's lifter oil holes out. Each cavity the lifter sits in, has a tiny oil feed hole (think of a flower pot with a single drain hole in the bottom). Pour a small amount of fresh oil in the cavity, then press the lifter in. The lifter will act just like a syringe, and force oil out the cavity hole. If it's blocked or most have heavy varnish, need to clean that hole then apply the oil. Oil should squirt evenly out the hole just like it was coming out a syringe w/o the needle on the end. EVERY lifter will need oil IN the cavities as it'll guarantee they have enough around them during initial start up. It might sound like a lot of work, but it's actually extremely easy and straight-forward. Think there's roughly 3 bolts on the valve covers, and something like 6 or 8 bolts holding the rocker assembly in place. That's it. If it ends up like mine was, where nothing was bringing those lifters back to life, try a junk yard. I think my donors were from a 96'. It had roughly 20k miles LESS, and most were still pumped, with no blemishes on the surface. The girl at the junk yard working the counter saw the handful of tiny lifters and said "no charge", so they were legitimately free. Most places expect to pay maybe a dollar each. Brand new lifters is an option, though I think they run something $8-10 each, which can add up quickly. I still had each pumped and bled until only fresh oil exited. And despite being from a different engine, they worked perfectly, and roughly 3 years later and nearly 25k miles, they still don't make any noises. I've seen lots of ej swap vids were the donor ticks like a diesel and people think that's "normal" Also, I run 10w30 FULL synthetic and have yet to see any negatives from it. There's enough proof synthetic is better than conventional, especially with start up lubrication and longevity. Your choice, but why risk it?

Getting heads checked for warpage is a must any time head gasket failure occurs and it's been overheated. If it were me, I'd get another set of known GOOD heads and have them checked by an engine shop for trueness. Would probably want new head gaskets as well. That will hopefully get it up and running quickly. Also, once all of that is squared away and it's running, not leaking or overheating, it'll take some time to burn off all the contaminants on stuff like the O2 sensors, plugs, etc. so it might run rough for 30-50 miles. Be SURE there is no air in the coolant as that can cause overheating as well. You'll also need FRESH oil.

95' is non-interference. Pull a plug if flooding is suspected, and see if it's wet. If it is, that's how you know it's flooded. I use a small torch to dry plugs if they ever get wet.

The wagons came with roof racks. I've never pulled my headliner down, so can't say whether all cars have a solid anchoring points or not. Other option is a strap on rack.