heartless

google maps can help you locate things in the area you are going to. type in the name of the town - or better yet, the address of where the car is - then click on the "search nearby" and type in "auto parts store" or similar. It will locate all places that match on the map for you. Autozone & Advance Auto I know will read codes for you for free, others may as well - a quick phone call will confirm.

Definitely what Olnick said - scan BEFORE you buy!

dont mess with the cat converter. If you want a little noise replace the stock muffler with a Cherry Bomb Turbo unit (oval can) had one of these on my 90 Legacy LS - nice grumble but not overly loud or obnoxious if you want to be obnoxious, go with the standard Cherry Bomb glasspack

my 95 is also OBDII... there should be a small access door on the far left side of the lower dash panel - looks like this...

subaru.com lists the 2014 Impreza ground clearance at 5.7 inches - with the Outback at 8.7 inches, Forester the same - Legacy would fall somewhere in between 6 & 7 inches (they didnt have ground clearance posted for the Legacy - no idea why not...) regardless of which Subaru model, they are all very capable cars in the snow. My biggest concern with the Impreza would be the front fascia getting beat up/damaged in deep/heavy snow

I will bet the rebuilt title is due to rear end damage in the right rear - the paint doesnt match from right behind fuel filler door back...betting lift gate was replaced as well. Ad claims that is an Outback, and the 2 tone paint job would support that. Looks to me like all 4 stuts are done - sitting kind of low on the tires...would also suggest checking for broken springs... If you do go look at it, do so with a very critical eye. be sure to check for fit/finish of the interior panels in the rear - will help tell you how good the repair job was/is

1990-1996 Legacy are non interference 2.2 engine, best Subaru engine available - after 96 the 2.2 is interference, all 2.5s are interference, and the early ones had head gasket issues. Impreza models - someone else will have to chime in on - I have no idea how long they were non-interference. my first legacy - 1990 LS wagon - was $200 - needed new struts and some exhaust work to be drivable my current - 1995 L wagon - was $300, but needed a tranny... They are out there for cheap if you hunt and have a little patience

a minute amount of oil seepage at that seal is perfectly normal - unless there is a major leak there (yours is not major) leave it alone! the oil leaking around the separator plate can get flung/blown around by the flywheel spinning, so it can get all over the place. The separator plate is the source of your "oil-into-exhaust" issue - trust those that have been there before. My '90 was leaking so badly from the separator plate it would literally smoke! was going thru a quart of oil every couple hundred miles. resealed the plate - left the rear main alone - and the problem was solved.

use www.car-part.com to find something local to you, but yeah around $300-400 should get you something decent. dont be too afraid of higher mileage either, as already pointed out, these are pretty tough motors, and 150K is just getting broken in good.

my forester strut lifted 95 Legacy L wagon, with refinished forester alloy wheels and new 205/65R15 tires...

yes, those bushings are a large part of the problem.

the meguires kit works well also. prices vary depending on location regardless of which kit you use, get a UV sealer/protectant to apply afterwards to help keep them clear longer.

you do not need to drop the tank - there should be an access cover just behind the rear seat under the carpet. you might want to try running a bottle of techron fuel system cleaner thru a tank or two first tho

chances are very high that yours IS interference - there have been a few reports of late 96s being so as well. I would just go on the assumption that it is an interference and care for it accordingly. as already mentioned, with proper care & maintenance of the timing system it shouldnt be a huge issue.

just an added thought on the 95 version of the 2.2 - it makes for a highly compatible transplant into a newer 2.5 version with a bad motor - mostly plug & play, where the 90-94 versions would not be (major wiring harness differences)

Owning both a 1990 Legacy LS wagon, and a 1995 Legacy L wagon... hmmm, tough choice. There are things I like/dislike about each one. The 90 LS - was "top of the line" for it's model year, so it had basically everything, including the power sun/moon roof (which I miss on the 95) and air struts which were problematic, but fairly easily swapped out for standard coilover struts. It also has a much nicer interior/seats than the 95. the 95 L is a little sleeker on the exterior, front turn signals are integrated into the corner markers (up higher than the 90, which are under the bumper) making them more visible to other traffic, and has OBDII, which makes reading/clearing any codes a LOT easier. But, they cheaped out on the interior... engine bay on both is pretty much identical, aside from the EGR and no "cover" over the coil on the 95. Both are the "bullet-proof", non-interference EJ22 and 4EAT with AWD (they did still make FWD versions in the 90-94 range - not sure about 95+) 90 has the automatic shoulder belts that tend to quit working with age, 95 has front airbags. the 95 seems to run slightly lower RPMs than the 90 at the same speed - potentially slightly better fuel economy 90 at 60 mph runs at about 2500 RPM 95 at 60 mph runs at about 2300 RPM general driving/handling are about the same between them, altho I think the 90 is maybe just a little bit heavier - a bit more body roll than the 95 in hard corners - but that could be just differences in struts - I have brand new forester struts/springs on the 95 - the 90 has stock Legacy struts (new)/springs (old)... For me and my situation (having both cars at my disposal) - the 95 is now my daily driver - but I am swapping in the better seats from the 90 as time permits - drivers seat is in already, passenger and rear seats to come later. I also want to swap in the wiper switch from the 90 - it has the adjustable intermittent control vs. single speed intermittent... My advice would be to try each out and see which version suits you/your needs the best. Obviously cost and availability would also be factors... For me, I like the 95 in general (really like the OBDII, but we also have our own scanner), and will like it even more with the planned "upgrades" swapped in from the 90

Welcome to the USMB, and your new obsession! LOL 95 EJ22 is a good year - non-interference! If I may ask - why was the car sitting for a year? There is tons and tons of info about timing belt replacement on the EJ22 - but the basics are this: if you dont know for sure when the job was done last, it is best to do a complete timing job, including cam and crank seals/o-rings, idler pulleys, water pump, belt, and at 250K do the tensioner as well. There are complete kits available online for around $200 (ebay and amazon) Would also suggest new basic NGK plugs and either OEM or NGK wires (these cars are fussy about wires - cheap aftermarkets generally lead to problems), new air and fuel filters, PCV valve, a thorough check and replacement of vacuum lines. the search function (top right) will become your best friend.

you would have to do some serious rewiring to go any newer than 94 - ECU, and all related wiring harnesses - MAJOR undertaking as everything got changed starting in the 95 model year. the EJ22 you have is probably one of the most "bulletproof" motors that Subaru ever made. with decent care and maintenance there is no reason it cant last another 100K or more. I have a 1990 with over 265,000 on it and still runs great. my personal opinion - pull it out, do a cleanup and reseal & put it back in. If you just absolutely have to have more hp, then do what Fairtax advised - 2.5 block, 2.2 heads & intake.

go to the following link and find the correct FSM for your car (pick model then year) all wiring diagrams and such are there - just takes a little digging sometimes to find exactly what you need (they arent labeled very well). http://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/

agree on the separator plate leaking - lucky you, you have the cast alloy plate, remove it, clean up the mating surfaces and reseal, done deal. you may need an impact driver to remove the screws.

Agreed.

um, no, this doesnt sound "logical" at all to me. EJ22 headgaskets rarely fail, and when they do it is usually because the engine was severely overheated.

thats kind of what I thought... Thanks

Sweet - thanks for the additional info Fairtax. Ok, since I am home sick today, I have been tasked with asking a question about this car... is there any kind of service interval for the timing chain on the H6? If so, when/what - miles/years havent really had a chance to go through the owners manual/service book in detail yet

Thanks again Texan, will definitely check it out.