Tillaru

Is the 90 (the one in pieces) worth keeping for parts? I know the body and interior are different, but how many of the mechanicals are compatible?

Ok, I stand corrected regarding the visco; thanks for explaining. So, turns out that Legacy #3 is a 95, with a bunch of fresh parts, running and driving well. Opinions?

By definition, a mechanical device that allows a differential between the speed of two or more of its outputs can be called a differential. A viscous coupling is a type of diff just like ye olde spider gears. And apparently people have welded EJ viscous couplings before. I looked into a driveshaft disconnect. All that would take is mailing the driveshaft and slightly over 1k to Remco, who mails it back rebuilt and with a disconnect unit, and then I have to fabricate a cable actuator. That's it. This is for a friend of mine and part of me thinks it's a cool project. The rest of me agrees it's not enough juice for the squeeze, and won't bother. Your helicopter would pass me too. And I give about as much of a damn.

Welded center diff and a rear driveline (or rear axle) disconnect would allow switching between locked 4WD and FWD.

Yes, thank you for answering a direct technical question with a direct technical answer! Instead of helicopter suggestions... Right, so that's not happening. Too much trouble. Hell, it'd be less work to glom on a driveshaft disconnect behind the trans. Custom driveshaft and other fabrication but at least the bellhousing and its contents stay stock. No, our terrain doesn't get technical enough that we even need raised ground clearance. But it does get hilly and muddy, sometimes snowy. Half-baked thought: what's the possibility of manual hubs? That'd be a hokey and slightly inconvenient solution, but a solution nonethless. Ooh, I just stumbled upon Remco driveshaft and axle disconnect kits, and the info that 80's Isuzus shared some dimensions with Subaru. We happen to have, as another lawn ornament, an 82 P'up 4wd diesel longbed, and I'm going to be playing with its front end anyway to figure out aftermarket CV joints. With rear manual hubs, we could weld the rear diff, for more better traction with no effect on pavement drivability. Homework commences...

The automatic issue is a dead horse. It was dead on arrival. Cold, stiff, and rotten. Convincing me to use an auto is about as futile as convincing you why manuals are superior. Let's find something else to beat. Ok, I'm fairly inclined to not bother with the Loyale/GL. I looked up oilpumps and sure enough, it's discouraging. Will probably throw on a timing belt (already have the kit), air up the tires, and sell it. That horse is dead, too. As for the shocks, I can't speak for Gabriel, but I've been using Monroe and Sachs for ages. Cheap Monroes are garbage, but the OESpectrum line has earned its status as the default for my customers' cars, unless they're nicer German cars, in which case I default to Boge/Sachs. They're the OEM for many Mercedes and BMW. Have you ever driven a Bimmer or Benz with original suspension in good shape? If you haven't, PM me and I'll let you check out my E34 with 2 years on a head-to-toe suspension rebuild. Why do you say they're crap? And what would you consider non-crap? Huh, so there was some quantum shift when the EJ motor came out; everything before is one group and everything since is more or less interchangeable? I started poking at car #2 a bit earlier. Is there a bolt-on solution for this idiotic motorized seatbelt?

Two more periods after that one. Followed by "except weight, fuel economy, maintainability, and most of all the driver's connection with the car and control over it." A cursory glance at parts availability shows at least three brand-name options for front and rear shocks: Sachs, Monroe, and Gabriel. What's this about them being hard to find?

I spent my 20's living in a community whose ethos largely centered around deconstructing and undoing the mainstream culture of waste, fashion, ignorance, and disposability. I no longer live in community (not going to go down that tangent right now) but maintain those ideals as an important part of my way of being. Bennie, your comments resonate with that, as well as with my fondness for old iron that still works (or can be made to), especially when it's in many ways superior to modern bloated crap; we're on the same page here. @GD: thank you for your experience and warnings, but regarding automatics, I don't wanna hear about it. No slushbox, no way, no how, end of story. You might as well advise me to get a helicopter because it'll fly circles around a car. It's a non-starter. Regarding Loyale parts availability, that is a meaningful consideration, and again, thanks for your informed input. We'll probably ditch the 87 one way or another. I've built enough old rigs, for myself and for customers, to have developed a preference for doing a big overhaul right away, right the first time. I find this less trouble long-term than addressing issues piecemeal. This is one reason we'd rather assemble the parts collection than find a runner. EDIT: it's nominally a GL, not a Loyale. Same difference? The owner expects a reliable low-maintenance general-purpose vehicle for hauling people and moderate cargo on hilly dirt roads. It might see a logging trail once in a while, but not rock crawling or anything like that. Low range is optional. Being able to switch between FWD and 4WD is more important. Ok, so Loyale gearbox stays in the Loyale. Back to my mission: what are my options for turning the Legacy into a part-time 4WD? Can the trans be modified? Is there another trans that'll bolt up?

I'm near PDX but the Lawn in question is way out in the sticks, half an hour from the nearest gas station. Automatic? No way no how. I'll do my research all the same, though. All three of these ornaments were basically free, so between that and transportation logistics out here, I don't see the owner going for the "Fucitol and start over" option. Regarding the transfer case interchange - are you saying it won't fit, or that we shouldn't do it?

Thanks. #2 (89 Legacy) is a single-range AWD, with a rear axle and no range selector. So if I got this right, the Loyale's gearbox will not bolt up to the Legacy engine? I forget what the Loyale's T-case lever said; my memory is both dual-range and FWD/4WD switching, but it's foggy. I'm less interested in low range , more in part-time 4WD with a locked (or no) center diff. Custom parts are probably out of the budget; default is to assemble #2 with the trans it already has.

Greetings! I'm a mechanic, German car and electrics specialist, haven't done much with Subarus beyond brakejobs and fluid changes. I'm helping a friend get his collection of lawn ornaments sorted out, three of which are Subaru. One is an 87 Loyale, another is an 89 Legacy, both 5MT wagons that don't run, and the third is also a first-gen Legacy but I don't know any other details yet. The first has factory AC and a transfer case lever. The second is disassembled and has a "built" (allegedly by a retired Subaru tech) NA motor laying in the trunk, a freshly rebuilt transmission installed, and no T-case lever. I've been asked to make a good one out of the three, for use as a general-purpose rig for a rental/guest property he has out in the middle of nowhere, on forest roads with hills. Pending what I see when #3 shows up, my thinking is: use the 89 as a base, the engine it comes with, the transmission already in it, and the 87's manual transfer case. Will it fit the newer trans? If not, will the whole older trans/case assembly fit the newer engine? FWIW, the 89 appears to have a pull-style clutch release. What else needs to change? Driveshaft? Rear axle?