Bushwick

Be careful driving it as the only thing holding the pipe up is the heat shield. Hit a hard enough bump and the rear section can drop. If moving and it drops into a pot hole, it can do some serious damage not only to you/the vehicle, but possibly others behind you.

Shouldn't he put a fuse in the FWD holder and see if the issue persists?

You think the fluid ended up in the booster? I haven't seen that since my 81' Mustang did it. Had to swap out the entire booster after that. Would the vacuum pull the fluid into the engine? Or does a check valve stop that? If there is fluid there, be VERY careful where it splashes. Anything with paint will look like it had chemical stripper on it if it touches.

One down side to certain styles of calipers is they drag a little. Might be more pronounced with fresh pads, but after a quick break-in, you should be able to put the car in neutral and have the wheels spin freely off the ground. A slight dragging can be considered normal so long as the caliper isn't binding. As long as the wear pattern from the pads is one solid contact patch (on both sides of the rotor) and there are no grooves, loud grinding, squeals, etc. and the calipers aren't seized, I'm usually content. When you see reduced wear patches with rust built up where it should be clear metal, OR you can smell the hideous odor of burning pads, that's when it's time to get worried about them. If you can smell brake pad material in the car at stops with windows down, that's normally a dragging caliper.

I'd be concerned WHY they are getting replaced and having issues. If the engine is running correctly, they should last a LONG time so be fix whatever is causing failure. I'm going to reiterate, make sure the replacement is the same "style" as OEM. Also, NY does visual inspections, correct? If whatever is supposed to be on the cat isn't, they could fail your inspection.

Do you have a volt meter? Connect it to a 12v+ FUSED source like the cig lighter outlet and watch your voltage when it happens. It might actually be something like the A/C kicking on and the engine is getting slowed down for a second until the idle speed kicks up to compensate for the added load. My 95' kicks the compressor on/off when the heater is on too, which seems to deal with preventing fogging of the windows (or something is wrong as this feature seems kinda new for a 95') but on rare occasions when the heat is on, head lights on, seat heater on, and stereo going full-tilt and coming to a stop, it takes a second for engine to adjust and lights will dim for a split second. That's running a 130 amp Tribecca alternator mind you. If your lights are going completely dark, it could be the dash switch, head light relay x 2, bad ground, bad filament in the bulbs (I've seen then die, hit a bump and come back after making contact again, then 30 minutes dead again so don't rule out the obvious).

Have you checked your carpeting near the door sills? Basically if sitting in driver seat, look left at the floor where it meets the vertical body. They run some lines along that seam and I *think* they have some brake lines along the passenger side (can someone confirm?), though I can't remember for sure. I thought I saw some in mine, but it's been awhile. If by some fluke this has happened, brake fluid will EAT paint to the metal, so be very careful what the carpet touches. It'd suggest axle grease on the bare metal floor after cleaning fluid off and sticking a sheet of plastic over that vs. primer that won't last long. Since the carpet is static with seats in, the grease should preserve the metal and the plastic will keep it off the underside of the carpet.

You need to find out the style of cat they installed and match the style, whether OEM new or aftermarket new. Aftermarket new will be MUCH cheaper as they use less precious metals in them vs. OEM. I forget the names of the different cats off hand, but if you go to say Summit Racing and type in Subaru, it should ball-park it and name the type. I went with a Magnaflow universal in my 99' Saab from Summit Racing and it was around $100. It passed e-check w/o issue last time. And yes, you need a CARB approved one if that's what NY's draconian laws state.

Are the pins straight? What grease did you use originally? I forget which car it was I used to own, but it too had the same issue and no amount of grease fixed it longer than a couple weeks. If it were me, I'd replace the pins/slides (my 95's left rear needs looking at, and haven't torn Subaru brakes down yet so I'm assuming they have 2 slide pins?) and spray some degreaser into the holes where ever they set into the caliper. You might have scale rust in there and you might have a slightly bent pin. Be sure to spray the rotor down after and have the pads removed to avoid getting grease/dirt on them. Brake parts cleaner works best. Also, spend a few bucks and get a quality slide lube. Shouldn't be using axle grease. As far as heat goes, that could either be normal or from a dragging caliper. If the rotors are NOT vented in the middle, or have low air flow vs. vented fronts with more air flow, they can get warmer in the rear.

A competent welder can weld that back assuming the honeycomb IN the cat is NOT loose, broken, melted, missing chunks, etc. Flash a light in there and it *should* look like a screen on a window or door with perfect holes all the way across. If there's a chunk in that, it looks like a melted blob of glass, etc. then you'll need a replacement. You actually cracked the factory weld vs. snapping the pipe. The welder will need the heat shield removed, but should be able to weld the entire thing back into place. I imagine $25-55 to weld back is typically (something like that would run me $35 locally, although that metal is strong enough I could use my $150 arc welder if it was me). A NEW factory cat will be in the mid to upper hundreds at least. Can't get them used at yards as no yards leave the cats on the junked cars. Only other options would be used from a private seller (strongly advise against) OR going NEW aftermarket. New after market runs $75 to $150 roughly. Do NOT take it to a chain muffler place as they'll say "it can't be welded, you need a new one" then they'll upsell a $150 piece for 500+. You either need an actual mechanic with a welder, or a small "custom" muffler place that'll weld it back for $35-55. Just explain the cat is "solid" and OEM, and the weld broke and pipe separated BEFORE the flange and flange appears OK. Do NOT let them "have" that cat under any circumstance as they are worth more than the weld repair will run you.

Usually when an actual line ruptures, it won't hold fluid, or it'll go really low, really fast. I've had mine rupture in the rear once in the 2 years owning it, plus it was rotted on another rear section after buying it. The time it ruptured, a pick up with a plow backed out onto a main road in front of me, forcing a hard stop and it ruptured. Was barely able to get the car to an appointment, then home, then Auto Zone for a new section. Think I topped it off a couple times and it never went completely dry vs. when I got it, after 2-3 pumps it was completely empty. "Hissing" when pressing the brakes is most likely the vacuum hose on the booster. It might have a split in it or dry rot that won't be noticeable until you move the hose by hand and inspect carefully. Can also have someone start the car, press the brakes, then inspect the hose while they hold the brake (tell them NOT to put it in gear; block the tires if need be). You might also having a generic vacuum line issue. If hissing is loud in the car, you should be able to find it. If not, you can use certain spray fluids (carefully) and spray a hose, connections, nipples, etc. and listen for an engine surge indicating a leak. It's very possible the master cylinder is bad, but as others stated, probably the line near the rear. You do NOT have to install new tubing through the exact same spot if bad. They route it in a PITA manner. As long as it's not hitting anything that moves, banging around, etc. it can be rerouted for ease of installation. Also, you should be able to smell the brake fluid. While not as pungent as trans fluid or sweet as coolant, get close enough and it should smell.

It had new struts in the front, with original in the back, and about 75 pounds of amp + box and another 35 pounds of tools toward the rear + 15 pound jack, so it had a sort of "reversed rake" going on and it got hung up in the rear. If the rear had been as high as the front and the tires had more tread, it wouldn't have gotten stuck. It pulled a RAV 4 out of a ditch and something else I can't remember. Canton is sorta on the cusp of the weather path. Lake Erie snow effect often hits Ashtabula hard but often swings south into Akron, but not as hard further south (though it can). Both areas are fairly good with getting the snow trucks out. Biggest issue is ditzy people driving too fast. They seem to get "stuck" in summer mode and have to learn all over again, or think because they have a 4x4 Chevy/Ford they can magically stop on a dime. But yeah, compared to some of those CRAZY back hills mountain roads in WV with insane grades, Canton might as well be a parking lot.

To be honest, with AWD cars that "get it right", tires aren't as crucial in the snow, so long as you are NOT running high performance summer tires, or smooth tires with grooves instead of actual tread. I ran the tires that came on mine for 2 winters in 8"-10" of snow (I'd actually go out at 3-5 am before the side roads were salted and plowed and would drift for a couple hours on them. They were cheap all-season tires and the only time the car ever got stuck, was after climbing a really steep 45-55 degree incline on snow/ice covered grass and misunderstanding the guy that was trying to direct me to a parking spot after it plateaued and the snow was 12" deep and the rear was dragging in it. That was on lousy tires it climbed the slope w/o issue, but in 12" of snow/ice on the plateau section with grass underneath it became stuck. Really soft durometer snow tires will give the best traction w/o studs, but are more helpful on RWD/FWD cars that actually need it. You can NOT run them all season as they'll be bald very quickly. Most people pick up a secondary set of cheap, used steel rims and mount on that. It'll actually save you money doing this as you can often get a full set of them for $10-15 each, then you'll pay another $15 each to have them mounted and balanced. From there, you'll have to worry about swapping rims over vs. paying MORE twice a year to continuously pay to have them mounted back and forth. I suggest steel rims as they are typically cheaper than aluminum and can weather the salt better w/o issues, and if one gets bent, it's cheaper to replace. Also, the aluminum rims will eventually flake/crack their clear coat, which is not easy nor cheap to get them refinished and it actually diminishes the value of the car if you resell it later on as they can become an eye sore.

Could be a ground or hot cable. Could also just be the battery clamps. A quick way to rule out battery grounds is jump the neg (-) terminal directly to the engine (like right at the alternator bolt) with something like a jumper cable (leave the terminal connected to the battery) and try cranking it; make the jumper is sound to begin with and has good contact. If it fires right up, inspect the neg cable and post clamp. If it still doesn't start, have someone else crank while you wiggle the starter cable. Also, inspect the connections at the starter. Could be a neutral/park safety switch, etc. Also, pull the cover off the engine fuse box and check your fused link. It's basically a " U "wire that looks like it's jumping two terminals. Mine failed after the casing cracked and split open, and battery corrosion ate the wire. It went from ZERO symptoms to a no start. Close inspection revealed arcing on the underside of the cover and smoke scorching, so it appears it was broken but there was enough tension to keep the circuit together longer than it should have been. If the cable is hard and brittle, it should be replaced. Can jump it with a heavier gauge wire to move the car, but make sure to replace with another fused link if bad.

If the pump is louder than normal, it's probably failing (or you have a ton of dirt clogging the sock). Often, the engine will "run", but only for so long and with obvious performance issues. Would be good to know what the fuel pressure is. Good news is the fuel pump isn't that hard to do (dunno if you have under the back seat access or not) and you can get them at a good price from Rock Auto. DIY will save you a ton of money. Do NOT use a steel punch to loosen the ring as that can create a spark.

I'm glad you posted this as I have an ABS sensor issue on my 95' that's been put off and this sounds like it'll be an issue with it too.

Also worth mentioning with rear drums you SHOULD rebuild them with a new spring kit, shoes, drums, etc. and they'll be at their optimum. Quit often a spring breaks and they do not work as they should, or you have a ton of mileage on them and the shoes are barely touching. When I referenced a previous Mustang, it's brakes were completely refreshed

Drums get a hard wrap vs. discs but when they are in the rear, they are more than adequate as long as they aren't too small. A huge advantage they actually do have over discs is drum brakes weigh less, plus they can be set for zero-drag. Both of which would actually make the car quicker. I've driven high 12 second Mustangs on 2750 pound diets still running 80's drums with no ABS and GT discs up front and the cars stopped fairly well from tons of 80-100 mph blasts (speedo gave up the ghost at the old 85 limit so "how" fast was dependent on how long the pedal was plastered). In a full-on race car, you don't want them. In a street car that's around 3k pounds or less, they are fairly adequate.

What year/model? Try and grab a piece of the handle that broke with needle-nose pliers and pull (makes sure hatch is unlocked). If there's nothing left of the handle stem to grab, climb back into the hatch and carefully pull the plastic panel off, starting at the window as it's easier to get fingers between the plastic and the glass. Technically, you don't even need to pull the entire thing. Just enough that you can get your had behind it. Use a light if you pull it back a bit and look for the rod the handle was connected to (it might be laying loose or possibly fell to the bottom) and pull on it. Hatch should open. If you can't find the rod, you know the striker latch is at the bottom of hatch, so you'll have to reach down and find the lever for it and pull. The plastic panel is just held on with barbed upholstery tabs (at least it is on 95'-98' Legacy wagons). Make sure they are inserted back into their slots (if you remove the entire thing) and align with the holes and press. Make sure al holes are aligned or it'll bend the tab and panel won't sit flush. If you break/loose and of the barbed tabs, you can replacements at Auto Zone. Just take one of yours with you so you know to get the correct ones.

If the SVX used specific splines on the axles and this is interfering with rear-end swaps, why not just swap the rear hubs over and use all Legacy/Impreza? i.e. swap the rear, the axles, hub assembly, and brakes if needed? If it's possible, you'd be running a full Legacy or Impreza rear and parts would be more available. Between the Forester, Legacy, and Impreza, there's gotta be an option there.

A HUGE improvement for the Legacy model is upgrading the rear sway bar. If you have the really small diameter bar, installing the Forester bar (pretty sure it was either the Forester or Outback) makes it MUCH better on even mild turns. IIRC, the rear WRX bar fits but front WRX turbo bar will hit the NA exhaust and would need some sort of stand off to clear or custom header. The factory muffler is heavy and restrictive. Going with a freer-flowing muffler that weighs less along with removing most of the piping to the intake connected right at the filter box and plumbed through the fender. To allow more surface area to hit the air filter, you could cut the bottom out of the filter box with a dremel and cut-off wheel, but leave the rigid supports intact. Can also VERY carefully remove the air filter screen that's impregnated into the rubber. FRAM air filters are typically easy. Since the screen is an actual obstruction, NOT having the screen will improve air flow. I've done that trick for years, on various cars and the filters hold up OK. Just have to be careful to NOT puncture the filter element and any rubber hanging from where the metal screen was needs trimmed so as to NOT get separated at some point and ingested. I've run modified filters for 20k miles and they don't deform. Some companies omit the screen, so that's an option too. Routine stuff like fresh synthetic oils, new fuel filter, plugs and wires, freer flowing single cat, 4.44 final ratio, etc. will all work with synergy to make the car a little peppier. The biggest (FREE) improvement would be to drop curb weight. The front hood is a big weight adder, so finding some rare JDM aluminum hood or going with fiberglass could probably pull 40+ pounds. Removing the rear spare and jack around 35 pounds. Rear seats maybe 25 pounds. Think front manual seats weighed around 40 pounds each, so with 15 pound aluminum race seats, 50 pounds total could be freed up possibly with front seats to maybe more if they have full power. If you can live w/o A/C, compressors often weigh 35 pounds, plus a couple pounds more for the condenser and misc. A/C parts. Ditching heavy 25-30 pound each steel rims will reduce unsprung weight (a very good thing) if you go with some ultra light 16-18 pound EACH 17" aluminum rims (look at tirerack.com as they offer a ton of rims and list their weights- even if just a reference). Mufflers probably weigh 35-45 pounds along with the resonator. Aftermarket mufflers probably weigh around 8-10. If you really want to diet the car, can go with lexan rear quarter glass (check legality) to get the number even lower. That's roughly 250-275 pounds if you diet the car. Most don't realize how MUCH of an improvement that'd equal in real world driving, especially when it also increases MPG and does wonders for lower torque engines + greatly improves handling and braking. I wouldn't be surprised if all those mods shaved a second to 1.5+ seconds off the 1/4 mile times. If you can get the car to 2800 pounds, it'd be a blast. If you can get it to 2500 pounds (extensive weight reduction like removing most of the crap behind the dash, gutting the stereo, lighter bumper supports, lexan rear from back doors to the hatch, remove deadening but can leave plastic and just the carpet as that barely weighs 10 pounds, swap in manual window doors, gut the rear doors if it has them, etc.) it's be fairly quick even running an ej22. Run a WRX turbo'd engine, an EZ30 to EZ33, or even an eg33, and 13's would be *possible* at 2800 pounds, mid/low 12's at 2500 at least, but you'd need to dial the suspension in. These are rough quotes here.

I've tried thinking of a decent kill-switch idea and/or adding an interrupter switch to the coil so the fuel pump wouldn't constantly have power cut (nothing I presently own, but for something in the future). A cool idea I came up with (probably already done before) would be to get an old high beam switch from say a late 70's Ford F100 or similar and mounting it under the carpet near the firewall on the floor, basically where they were mounted back in the day but hidden under the carpet obviously and maybe shaved down a bit OR mounted a little under the metal surface so as to not protrude or create a wear pattern in the the material. This way, even if people are in the car with you, as long as you aren't drawing attention to your feet, you could press it with say your left foot right as you start cranking the engine. Those switches were originally a click on, click off deal, and would be perfect as an interruption switch and dead simple to implement. So get in the car, insert key, put foot near where it'd be anyways, press it and crank. When parking car, shut engine off and press again to interrupt the circuit and the car is 100% immobilized as far as actually starting the engine goes. Could even go a little trick and wire it into say a dash light for seat belts or brakes (or if you are lucky, some cars will have modular clusters where it'll have something like a turbo boost cut out, TCS, etc. where they made the actual printed section for the dash back light, but didn't run a bulb nor the printed circuit board to that cut out. Basically when you start the car and see Airbag, Check Engine, ABS, etc.lights briefly, the factory often incorporates unused FWD, TCS, etc. and just doesn't add the bulb or wiring; it's cheaper this way since the cluster can be used in several models at once, and rather than retool the machine that makes it, they just omit the light. All you'd need to do is buy a generic LED bulb housing from a parts store and mount it. This would give you a visual indicator every time the switch to the interrupt was in cut-off mode, but by using a factory spot, it'd be super stealth as it's back-light a factory TCS or FWD panel in the cluster vs. say a blue dash bulb drilled through the actual dash, alerting someone something is causing that light to be on. Since all the dash lights typically stay ON until the engine is actually started, even people familiar with the model won't catch it as it looks like it's "meant" to be on anyways. It sounds like a lot of work, but would actually be VERY easy to implement. You'd just need to find a hot wire going to the fuse box that supplies power to the ignition coil or even fuel pump (not a fan of fuel pump cuts as some cars can be very hard to restart if cranked dry) then reroute that to the high beam foot switch. Only thing that could be an issue off the top of my head is the amperage rating of the switch is probably 10-15 amp, so the fused point from the fuse box would need to be at least the same or less amperage i.e. a 10 amp fuse going to something that's needed to start the engine would need at least a 10 amp switch rated for continuous duty. To be safer, you could buy a generic relay (or get one from a junk yard as every modern car a ton of them) and let that carry all the current while your switch just powers it. It's a little more work than just tossing a toggle switch in, but the stealth factor is 100 times better with an under carpet switch, plus most people that steal cars are typically dumb to begin with, so you know they won't catch it

Fairtax should have an answer for you as he's pretty much a guru here and knows the ABS stuff. Did you actually try and install it? Or are you going solely off the appearance?

To test a resistor, you need an ohm meter to check the resistance. Resistors either have their value printed, or are color-coded with striped bands. They will either print the tolerance value i.e 5%, 10%, (in letter form like "K" or "J") etc. or it'll be incorporated into the striping. For example: a 1.5 ohm resistor with a 5% tolerance, means the value can be 5% +/- and still be in an acceptable range. If the value is way off like 25%, then it's bad. To actually test a resistor, you MUST break it from the circuit to check it's value, otherwise anything else in the circuit will alter the readings. You only need to pull one leg out of the circuit to test a resistor or remove the entire thing. They are NOT polarized, so orientation isn't an issue. Resistors can drift with age and temps, but they typically either work or they don't. When they go bad, they typically burn out. The fact yours is getting hot, suggests it's probably doing it's job. If you did end up replacing it, find one at a bone yard as there's too much for someone "new" to them to mess up with going aftermarket, especially if you aren't 100% certain of the composition, wattage rating, value, etc.

You can solder in a clean stretch of wire, but I'd at LEAST heat shrink it. I know O2 sensor wire on some cars is extremely sensitive (like my Saab 9-3) where even moisture on the wire can skew the readings. Tape over a hot engine will become a mess and won't hold in the long run.