85Sub4WD

That's why I like the '85 and '86 cars. Their parking light system is simple, and an idiot (like me :-p ) could operate it without fail. I also like the placement of the hazard light switch much more on those cars. Loyales are still good cars tho, just don't like the name, its too - well submissive/civilized/loyal!? I would rather have something like ... maverick I guess then they would attract cop's attention

I realized I forgot the SVX's after I posted it and I forgot to correct it. Neat car, have only seen one, and I liked it before I knew who made it. They are pretty rare here. The only problem I have with them is that they are all automatics. The '05 OBW's have had issues with handeling, and I would probably go for a Forester if I wanted a new Soob. That is also because the OBW this year is completely new in design. I think you just had a lousy mechanic. I have never seen a "bad" fuel injector (and I have been working on cars since I was in 5th grade). I have seen clogged fuel injectors that need to be cleaned, and I have seen some that were gummed up and stuck open that needed to be cleaned. Also, 90% of issues with clutch judder is because the mechanic didn't turn the flywheel before he installed the new clutch. (which he is supposed to do for ALL cars) Or because he allowed grease to get on the clutch also, OEM clutches are MUCH better than any aftermarket crap you will find, so it was not SOA's problem if you did not use their parts. I have had the same Soob for 20 years and if you wash the bottom after driving on road salt, you won't have rust issues. (and road salt is used very freely here b/c we don't have many snow plows) And my car was also recalled for rust issues, though it has expierenced none. My expierence has been that Subaru makes great cars on the whole, but has lousy dealerships and service departments in particular. If you can find a decent foreign auto mechanic that knows cars other than the big three japanese, then you are set.

We were talking about STOCK factory engines for 80's Soobs. Changing boost, cams and other stuff makes it no longer stock!! I think we have different definitons of slow, if I can hit well over 15 mph over the posted speed limit with little effort, then I don't consider the car slow (have you driven a van? - they are slow). SO - the turbos were the cars that were the fastest and most powerful for the 80's. Anyway WJM- What are your feelings on manual rack and pinion vs. power steering? I have had great handling with my variable-ratio manual steering. The only thing I hate is parallel parking. Also, I have found that my front end tracks nicely on tight turns, it is my back end that feels uncoordinated. I was thinking about swapping my trailing arms with some that had a sway bar on them.

Well, you learn something new every day! - I thought 200hp was the max for an EA82 BTW I have had mine well over 85mph on the interstate, its SPFI at 90hp - I would not call that slow! 0-60 could be better The only ER27 conversions I know about involve moving the radiator to above/beside/in front of the engine - that is extreme.

I'd have to be something other than a full time college student to afford that I do think it would be a good idea for USMB to go in together on it if there is enough interest in it. Are there any D/R EJ trannies in Canada?? Save on shipping

AWESOME is it a MT or AT? and ditto on Snowman's Q on engine gen.

They are still liable even if you were parked illegaly, though I do see them trying to use it as an excuse, but basically when the the city (or whatever government) tows you they turn your car over to a shop, and in doing so the shop accepts all responsibility for damage done to your car while in possession, ie ripping a tranny. This applies to ALL shops, whether or not they have a disclaimer (which is trumped by state/national law). I will say that if it was repossessed or you were aprehended on drug charges you would probably not win a suit that they tore your tranny!

I agree with mudduck that your rear end should not have locked up, is it a MT or an AT? MT's have a direct mechanical connection whereas with AT's it's a bit more complex. I think if the actuator malfunctioned and did not go all the way in, it could lock. I think your rear diff is OK because it is impelled during normal driving, so it could not have been the reason your back end locked. However, do not engage it on a dry surface, because you will either burn your tires or your tranny, traditional 4WD puts 50% power to the front, and 50% to the rear, so it cannot accomidate when you make a turn, and will bind up. AWD (or Full Time 4WD) has a center diff so it is fine in all conditions. (though traditional 4WD is still sometimes best in snow or offroading.)

Sorry, I got the VSS'es backwards, luckily the one in the dash is easier to get at I know that the VSS is used for timing advance in SPFI cars (info on it in FSM), and I assumed the ECU used it for that too on Legacy's b/c timing can be changed at constant speed for improved economy. (our old Datsun 510 had two sets of breaker points, second set engaged when in 4th (top) gear) Good luck

Johngenx - it's obvious that you or someone close to you has owned a Chrysler my family (unfortunately) owns a '96 Caravan which we will be selling soon because it eats ALL fluids What you said about Mercades is also true, I have friends who own and service Mercades and would not buy a new one for anything. I am holding SOME hope out for Hyundai, but their trannies use the same AT oils as Chrysler so ...

No, if there was a 170 hp varient then it was in Japan only and I have not heard about it. The EA82 (1.8 liter engine in almost all 80's soobs) cannot reliably put out more than about 130 hp anyway, so it was definately a tuned engine. The 80's Subarus are so light that they are quite fast with 115 or so hp. A Legacy drivetrain will fit with mods, and make the car VERY fast (and a 2.2 is very reliable). That said an XT6 engine (145hp) can possibly be modified with a turbo to put out that much hp, but it would not fit in an RX without extreme amounts of modification. 80's soobs were about reliability and economy, not performance (though stock handeling was GREAT on EA82 cars)

WJM puts it in a very indirect way but he is VERY correct, the combination of AWD and a flat 4/6 engine makes for a VERY stable car Low center of gravity (flat engines) so you won't flip (easily) and AWD with kick-butt traction plus they don't attract a lot of attention, so you can drive like I do and not get a speeding ticket

Check the gear oil - tranny and rear diff. What the heck were you doing with it in 4WD on dry pavement? Other than that, you may have actuator problems, if that's not it, then you have a bad tranny. ONLY ONLY ONLY use 4WD offroad or in inclimate weather. Otherwise you put extreme amount of stress on ALL drive components. 4WD is great in snow and torrential rain, but besides that, it is best in 2WD.

Have you read the section in the FSM on checking speedo calibration for on 1989 FT4WD cars? Subaru says yes, you will burn the CD on those cars if you spin one set of wheels and not the other for any length of time over 35mph, even for speedo testing. I know people who have ripped diffs on classics by doing burnouts on one wheel (or overheated them and locked the rear end so that it was basically a welded diff). The difference between that and running tires off the ground on a lift in a shop is that there is no resistance on them, whereas there is on the road.

Don't sweat on timing belts, I did mine the first time with NO problems. Just be careful with them and make sure you get everything lined up properly. I actually took mine off and put the new ones on, made sure that nothing had moved or had any additional slack in it, tensioned them properly and it was done. Started on first try. That was over 15k ago BTW - VERY good idea to change your oil pump seals (shaft, O-ring, Mickey Mouse gasket) when you do the timing belt. Perhaps even do the camshaft seals, it will add a little time, but it will save you down the road. Water pump would also be a good idea, I had to replace mine a month after I did the timing belts It will probably take you 5 hours total your first time, and 3 or less after you have done it once. Timing belts are VERY easy to get to on these engines.

bushbasher hit it on the nose - MT are OK, as there is no oil pump in them (the oil is picked up by the moving gear teeth, however, AT has a pump driven by the engine, and if the engine is off, then it is not circulating oil. It's as simple as that. And transmission seizure is not unheard of. There IS a MUCH better chance of a MT Soob with a center differential jumping off a wheel lift b/c the spinning rear/front wheels will transmit power through the CD to the wheels on the wheel lift, so you will either rip the CD, jump off the lift, or break the lift. One of the three is inevitable with CD cars, period. If you go SLOWLY (under 25mph) you MAY be fine, but it is still best to put it on a lift, and simply not risk it.

What's little? Soobs (particularly newer ones) have available options that were/are not readily available on other cars at the time they were made, and the features cost less and work better. I think the reason people hate Soobs is it makes their $40+k SUV look like crap in bad weather. Or it may be the size ... but that's their problem.

I see ... Honestly, my dream Soob would be a late RX sedan (I like 4 doors) with an EJ22 engine in it - better than stock and no turbo to wrestle with. Plus D/R FT4WD traction. I would have to get used to not having the wagon back end to put stuff in though. It would also have flair, yet still be sort of a sleeper. (I could leave the Hondas, Toyotas, and Nissans in my dust!!)

Your problem with detonation was probably a gummed-up disty. As the 85/86 turbos had a vacuum/centrifugal advance, they were prone to gumming up. I had similar probs. pre-SPFI, and my car wasn't turboed!! A distribuitor rebuild helped a lot. jefvos - if you are not married to the car, find a 1990 Loyale Turbo, it has the 87+ system on it, and it requires no time on your part (it would also be cheaper)

I second operose on the price issues. Soobs are cheap cars for parts, I'll bet you that the junker paid less than $200 for all the cars with the parts you listed. Go elsewhere. There are many junkyards in the world, find a U-pull at a decent price and you will be set. $650 for an unknown/untested engine is riddiculous. I have to drive 3+ hrs, but the guy practically gives me the parts for free, so it is well worth my time and the drive.

Honestly, if I didn't already have a Soob, I would pick it up in a snap. The 1980 cars are cool, and this one is in GREAT shape. If it is not the PCV valve, a sticky ring is a strong possibility, and soaking it with solvent should solve the problem.

Why not go earlier (85/86 model year) to avoid the fuel - cut problem?

You would have to swap your engine with a turbo one for a turbo to work properly and reliably. The 9.5:1 compression ratio in a Loyale would be far too much for the engine to be turboed - you would break a piston ring or a piston (maybe even throw a rod). Plus you would have to change the FI system to MPFI (what you have now is SPFI) so while possible, it would be difficult. A Loyale Turbo was available in 1990. If you can find one it would save you a lot of work.

EXCELLENT deal. I know the EA71 and EA81 (you have one of the two) have relatively easy motors to rebuild, that said you can easily find a good one to drop in it too. Get it, I bet the "blowby" is really just a bad PCV valve - a $5 item. Soobs will shoot oil everywhere if the PCV valve is clogged. GREAT 4WD in all Soobs, so if you are worried about inclimate weather, it can easily be your 4WD solution. Too bad it doesn't have the "center eye" (only offered on 1980 GL 4WD Soobs)

Actually rustproofing started for Soobs in 1985 - though it took a while for them to get it down. I know of a 1992 Loyale that does have a D/R tranny from the factory. I have nothing against the Loyales, I think they are a very good car. I personally prefer the 1985/86 GL cars of all the EA82 cars because of the different control layout, and the dark blue interior offered. Other than that, I have nothing against them. People who own newer cars probably don't like them because they are old and "boxy" - I say look at the newer Cadillacs before you call my Soob boxy