Legacy777

It kind of looks like it's a tooth off for the intake cam...

Welcome to the USMB. I'm going to move your thread to the old gen forum. You should be able to get some advice there.

You can also pull fuse 14 (EGI/TCU). The battery or the fuse need to be disconnected for at least an hour. Here are instructions for testing the TPS. http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/TPS_testing1.jpg http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/TPS_testing2.jpg http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/TPS_testing3.jpg The third scan is really the only adjustment you can do on the TPS. Most TPS's are not dead on for the other measurements, but as long as they're close, it's ok. The third scan for setting the idle switch is what you should verify and adjust if necessary assuming the other tests are ok.

This may be helpful. http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru_manual_scans/FSM_Scans/engine_&_trans_decode.jpg

Hi Stephen, I had a similar issue with the Legacy back in late 1999, early 2000. I would be driving along and the car would lose power. If I put the transmission in neutral I could bring it back most of the time. If the rpm was low, the engine would die. The problem turned out to be the MAF sensor. Did you pull the codes from the ECU to see what was stored? If not, I'd suggest doing that. Instructions on how to pull the codes are on my site. http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/engine.html

I've got an update. I've got the 96-97 Legacy GT radiator installed in my Legacy with only a few tweaks. I'll try and highlight them for future reference. Just as a note, the above mentioned cuts in the top and bottom of the radiator appear to be "normal". Check out this thread for further information and pictures from an original radiator installed in a Legacy GT http://ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=127466 As for fitting the 96-97 LGT radiator in a 90-94 non-turbo Legacy, there were a few things that I had to deal with. The first is the top mounting bracket, the 96-97 LGT radiator does not have holes in the front part of the bracket for a deflector that is on the 90-91 Legacies. It appears that only the OEM Subaru radiator does NOT have these holes. Most aftermarket radiators are probably going to have these holes because of trying to keep radiator parts common between different models. I was going to drill the new bracket for the holes, then just decided to swap the old bracket on the new radiator. The second issue is regarding fitment of the coolant overflow tank. On the 90-94 Legacies the top AT trans cooler fitting is not as high and clears the coolant overflow tank. However on the 96-97 LGT radiator the top fitting is higher and interferes with the tank mounting. You can see this in the above posted radiator diagrams I posted. If you purchase a MT radiator from Subaru it should not have the AT trans cooler fittings and this should not be an issue. Again most aftermarket radiators will have the AT trans cooler fittings for commonality between models. If you have a MT equipped car, you can bend the top fitting out a little bit and then you will need to cut it a little bit to clear the AC line when getting the radiator in the car. This is what I did and everything fits fine. However, if you have a AT equipped car, you will need to use the trans cooler. Your best bet is to get a fan shroud and coolant overflow tank from the 96-97 LGT. The tank is moved over more and has a different mounting bracket at the top. If the fan motor does not have the same electrical connector, I am assuming you would probably be able to swap the electric motors between years. So that's kind of a wrap up of the differences and things you need to do to make the thicker core 96-97 LGT radiator fit into a 90-94 non-turbo Legacy. Also, if anyone is interested in purchasing the radiators from Subaru, here are the part #'s 96-96 LGT Radiator MT: 45199AC100 AT: 45199AC110 Just an FYI, I have not been able to confirm that the MT radiator also has the thicker radiator core, but I would assume it does. Here are updated pictures with the test fitment and modifications I made, as well as pictures of the 96-97 LGT coolant tank, thanks to johnceggleston http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/radiatorcomparison/

The fact that these cuts were on John's original radiator leads me to believe it is intentional. I however agree that the cuts do look like they've been made by a ban saw and are sloppy. My guess is thermal expansion and stress relieving. Due to their relative closeness to the steel supports/mounts, they are likely to see the most impact from stress due to differences in thermal growth. I will try and take some measurements of the crack when the engine is "cold" and when the engine is "hot". I'll also see if there appears to be any tension in the steel support when loosen the bolts when the engine is "hot". Supposedly the Subaru dealership is contacting Subaru for an answer as to why. Depending on what I hear back, I'll email Subaru if need be.

Not to shabby looking! I like the Subaru emblem on the fenders.

That is rather odd. It must be done for some reason, considering that was your original radiator. Thanks for confirming that John!

This is kind of a continuation from this thread: http://ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=127008 I purchased a new radiator from Subaru and the top and bottom part of the aluminum core support was cut in the center. This part is not part of the tubes, just the support. I thought it was a manufacturing defect and the dealer ordered another one, and it too is cut in the same fashion. Has anybody seen this before? Is there any reason for the cuts? I could argue it's for thermal expansion, but I've never seen any radiators like this before. Here are some pictures. http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/radiatorcomparison/ Any thoughts? Thanks

Ok, just wanted to check. When you're coming to a stop and the engine rpms are up, do they drop back down if you put the gear selector in neutral as you're slowing down? Has anything changed in the past couple weeks when you've noticed the high idle? Different gas station, any maintenance done within this time? What year forester do you have? Do you know if it has the idle control valve on the throttle body or on the intake manifold?

Just out of curiosity, are the HVAC AC controls on, or are they on defrost?

Welcome to the USMB. Regarding your fueling symptoms and codes, I would suggest testing/replacing the canister purge solenoid. It is located under the passenger side intake manifold and is supposed to open at cruise to allow the evap emissions to be drawn into the engine. The other piece to the evaporative emissions system is the charcoal canister. I'm not sure whether on your model if the canister is in the engine bay behind the passenger headlight or under the passenger side of the car in the rear near the fuel tank. I would suggest checking to make sure there is no obstruction in the evap emissions line from the tank to the charcoal canister, the purge solenoid, and then into the engine. I'd start with trying to eliminate that issue before doing any further diagnostic work on the stumbling/hesitation.

No they didn't. To the best of my knowledge, that needle valve on the throttle body was a way for the factory to fine tune the air bypassed through the throttle body. On the later models, 91 or 92, the needle valve is no longer there.

Yeah, the bracket blocks it, and is why I missed it initially as well. I spent a lot of time troubleshooting why I had such a high idle, then found that screw.

Yeah that might be an option. I usually don't loan out tools...it's just something I'm pretty particular about. I guess I'd need to decide whether this is something I plan to keep or something that will be a "rental" type tool.

Everything I read indicates that the insert is steel, but at the very least the insert has a copper coating on it. I don't know if they do that for corrosion purposes or some other reason.

Yes that lead from the battery with the boot goes to the starter terminal post.

Ok, yeah let me know whether you have that bypass needle valve.

Is your car AT or MT? There are different IAC valves & other sensors for the AT & MT equipped cars. Does the new motor's throttle body have a screw on top of it? http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/tb/ If it does, turn that needle valve counter clockwise slowly until the idle comes down. Typically you don't want to mess with adjusting the IAC valve because it comes "calibrated" from the factory. I ran into a similar high idle issue on my 90 Legacy, and it turned out to be that throttle bypass needle valve screw. The engine cover hides it very well, so I spent a lot of time troubleshooting the problem. The high idle occurred due to me cleaning the throttle body and removing the "sealant" that was in the throttle body between it and the throttle plate.

No, it's not a "cheap" repair. Yes, the tool was around $180. The tool, insert, oil, and shipping came to right at $200. But like you mentioned, the alternative to pull the head is far more time consuming and costly. I'm not aware of any place that you can get a used tool or rent one. You can get cheaper spark plug thread repair kits for about $20 or so at the local autoparts store, but I can't comment on how well they'd work. I went with the time-sert because they seemed to have the best repair kit out there. It really was pretty straight forward and easy.....minus cleaning the shavings out of the cylinder.

Well I picked up a new radiator for the 96-97 Legacy GT. It appears like it will fit, however I ran into something a little odd. There are cuts in the top and bottom of the aluminum radiator core support. I don't know if it was a manufacturing issue or what. I called the dealer, and they are ordering me a another one. Some notes on the comparison of the two radiators, the 90-94 non-turbo Legacy radiator has its AT cooler lines coming out differently than the 96-97 GT radiator. This will cause an issue with how the coolant overflow bottle sits. Since I am not running an AT, I can cut that line off if need be. I might be able to run the 96-97 Legacy GT overflow bottle if it would fit into the fan shroud on the 90-94 Legacy. I'm not sure if the MT radiator for the 96-97 Legacy GT is the same thickness. I would think it should be, so that would eliminate that problem if you did not have an AT. Other thing I noticed is that on this particular 96-97 radiator, the holes at the top do not go all the way through the top support bracket. The holes on the front side of the bracket hole a shroud in place that helps keep air coming from the front of the car rather than from the top space between the radiator and core support. It's not a big deal, I'll just drill the holes. The pictures of the radiators in the post above show the holes going all the way through, so it may be something different for different manufacturers. Here are some of the pictures I took. I'll add to the pics when I get the new radiator and get it in the car. http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/radiatorcomparison/

Got the time-serts this past week and did the repair on Friday. Everything went pretty smooth. When tapping the hole I probably should have pulled the tap out and regreased more frequently. I did end up with a blob of grease shavings in the cylinder. To get that out I partially filled the cylinder with brake cleaner, pulled the exhaust, rotated the engine so the exhaust valves were open, and the grease blob came out. I repeated this one or two more times, and felt confident that everything was out. Otherwise everything went good, the engine is running good, and no more exhaust leak! Here are a few pictures: http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/sparkplugrepair

When you put the speedo cable back together did the cable move freely? It may be binding in the cable sleeve.

Welcome to the USMB. When you were using the test light, did it tell you how much voltage was at the pump? The thing to note is that the ECU supplies voltage to the pump for a few seconds to prime the fuel system, and then shuts off unless the engine is cranking/running. So testing the voltage can sometimes be tricky. There should be a green diagnostic connector under the dash that you can connect. This will put the ECU in a diagnostic mode, and it will cycle all the relays, including the fuel pump. This will allow you to check for proper voltage. There is a connector for the fuel pump under the passenger side rear seat that can sometimes become corroded and have high resistance which causes issues with the fuel pump. If this is a problem, you can simply use another type of insulated spade connector to replace the stock one.