heartless

failing/sluggish O2 sensor? my 1990 Legacy's O2 didnt throw a code for quite a while when it started to fail - would run & drive ok for around 10-15 minutes, then bam - ran like crap, no power... by the time it finally set a code is was barely driveable and for never more than a few minutes.

I guess we have different ideas of affordable - $430 for a set of 14" snow tires? I am looking at more like $300 for a set purchased locally. (and 95 is second gen...) I am sure I could fit a much larger tire than what I am going for, but larger also costs more and right now, cant really afford the "costs more" part... I agree on the "most tire shops wont take the time" which is why I am thinking I will get the tires that are on the alloys dismounted (and old valve stems removed) and I will clean them up before taking them in to put new ones on. I have a nice selection of wire brushes that can be put on a drill or an angle grinder for this sort of thing. kind of want to try to clean up the outsides as well - factory finish is a bit rough on a couple of them. One of the cool things about living in farm country is I never have to pay for tire disposal - I bring them home, toss them out at the end of the driveway with a "free" sign on them and some farmer will come and take them away for use as ballast on silage bunker covers!

12 Hours?? seriously?? I hate to say it but I think you were seriously overcharged!

umm, yeah...

just called the local Mastercraft dealer to see about getting a price (and availability) on some 185/75R14 Glacier Grips - will add almost a half inch over stock size - good enough for me for now. 86bratman - I am actually kind of glad to hear an endorsement of the Mastercraft tire - I have never tried them before, but have had the Cooper CS4 tourings and liked those. Was actually thinking about the Mastercraft Avenger Touring for the 15's...

what Imdew said... pulling / swapping a motor in a Subaru is actually pretty easy if you are mechanically inclined - as long as the main wiring harness connectors match up it would be a pretty simple job to do yourself in a day. With the help of a couple of friends (Miles Fox & TheLoyale), we pulled the motor out of my 90 Legacy, did a reseal (was leaking oil from the separator plate & oil pan pretty badly) and a timing job, and had the motor back in the car and test fired in about 4, maybe 5, hours from start to test fire. Another hour, hour & a half for coolant refill, reinstalling fans, accessory belts, little finish stuff & multiple short breaks and it was complete and ready for the road again. Total time spent: 6-7 hours

drifting is a definite problem when you live in farm country - empty fields dont do much to slow the wind & snow down. Add in a "poor" county that doesnt do any more than absolutely necessary for plowing and things can get real interesting real quick. (my township has still done no plowing and we have had about 4 inches of white stuff over the last week or so...) The old unlifted 90 did pretty darn well - went thru some pretty nasty stuff in her day - looking forward to seeing just how well this one will do. So far, aside from the crappy, worn out drivers seat, I am really liking the car. Plan on swapping in the better quality, more supportive and comfortable LS seats from the 90 very soon - but first priority is getting decent tires on it, and then getting the under hood stuff taken care of - timing, plugs, wires, cleaning grounds, etc.

The Outback is based on the Legacy platform - same basic car with a few added features/upgrades/styling cues...wagon to wagon, they are virtually the same. A regular Legacy can easily be "upgraded" to Outback suspension and other "creature comforts" interior wise (like heated leather seats) - the only real difference then would be exterior appearance & engine. However - if you want the H6, then Outback would be the choice, since the H6 was not (as far as we know) available in the regular Legacy line-up.

Just to rule out a plugged filter, try it before the filter. If no fuel there either = dead pump - either dead dead, or not getting power for some reason.

right now it is just the strut lift, and no immediate plans of upgrading the brakes - maybe in the future, but not for a while... Tires will be purchased new - aside from private sales there really isnt a 'good' source for decent used tires around here. As for diameter - not real super concerned with that at this point - sure, it would be nice to get another 1/2" or so of ground clearance, but having to air up tires every few days in the bitter cold cause of leaky, pourous alloys is no fun...been there, done that... Price is a little bit of a factor right before Christmas and all, but it is a necessary expense - more concerned with good traction in crappy weather - which we have had plenty of recently - snow, then warm & rainy, then turns cold again & more snow over that makes for a nasty slippery mess. Even the famous Subaru AWD doesnt do well on wet ice w/slushy snow over top - slipped and slid a few times coming home the other night on so-so tires. Ok, so I think I am gonna go with the snows on the 14" steelies - fairly cheap, and easy - probably go with the Fleet Farm versions - have bought thier tires before and they are decent for the price which wont break the bank. There - decision made. LOL Thanks for all the responses guys. It is appreciated

I need to get some new tires for the lifted 95 Legacy wagon, and for the first time ever, I have two complete sets of wheels that will fit the car. Set one: the stock 14 inch steelies Set two: the forester 15 inch alloys (not pretty, but functional) I am thinking very seriously of putting a set of snows on for the winter since it has already been mighty crappy around here, and when warmer weather finally comes back, get a good set of all seasons for the 15" alloys. So which set of wheels would you put the snow tires on? I am thinking they should go on the 14" steelies? yes? no?

thanks for the confirmation guys - i kind of thought it was more of a ground issue, but it never hurts to ask. I do have a spare alternator handy if I should need tho.

if the one was bad, the other wont be far behind - usually best to do them in pairs at minimum industry recommended to do them every 50K - your mileage may vary....

+1 on the impact screwdriver - they are an excellent addition to any toolbox. We own this one from Harbor Freight - it is actually pretty well made, and the flange at the top helps protect the hand. That said, if the head is already stripped pretty badly, then drilling would be your best option using the left-handed bits as described by Rooster

90 has the external filter - there isnt a "filter" inside the pan external filter resides on drivers side inner fender area - look straight down between the engine & washer bottle.

Finally have the new to me 95 Legacy with the forester strut swap on the road! Big Thanks to Miles Fox for the good tranny! anyway - driving home from work this evening I noticed that when stepping on the brakes, the headlights would dim just a tiny bit - just enought to be noticable. Is this a ground issue? or an early warning sign of an alternator about to go south? Car runs & drives great otherwise - really liking it (aside from the crummy, hard seats - lol). The increased height is great for old creaky knees - easier to get in & out of. Ride is amazingly smooth - much better than I anticipated. I still need to install the new plugs & wires (both NGK), and the timing kit - but otherwise VERY happy with this one.

Yeah - but what is CAUSING the problem with the tire? Tires dont typically "go bad" for no reason. I suppose the tire could've been bad from the manufacturer, but that is fairly rare (especially with name brands), and usually shows up fairly quickly - within a few hundred miles - not 15K later.

I would be looking at things besides just the tires. If the tires are wearing oddly, or having separation issues (on two very different brands of tires?) there is definitely a problem elsewhere. When was the last time struts/springs were checked/replaced? How about tie rod ends? ball joints? wheel bearings? are all suspension components up to snuff? When was the last alignment? Extra wear on the front tires is from turning and this is why you are supposed to rotate frequently, to even out the wear. I have a set of Kelly Explorers on my 90 Legacy, and have had no problems with them other than they are getting old and starting to show it (age cracks) and are close to the needing replacement wear point - but because that car is about to be retired, I wont be replacing them...

While maintenance records are nice to have - they are not the only thing to be looking at. 1. rust bubbles = body work = $$$ - chances are those little bubbles you see on the outside are a lot bigger underneath than you realize. What you see on the surface is just a fraction of the underlying problem 2. Body damage (fender and door) = body work = more $$$ - body work is not cheap. Even used parts cost money... 3. potential torque bind = potentially more $$$ - you "might" get away with a simple flush, but chances are that wont fix the issue. at the very least you are looking at a duty c replacement, at the worst an entire tranny replacement. 4. Tires = at least $250 for cheap tires - $300 or more for good ones + mounting and balancing costs. Being AWD they all need to match which means all 4 tires at once. 5. Front struts = another chunk of $$ - cheap struts are going to be at least $60 each - and what about the springs and tophats (upper strut mounts)? and lets not forget about labor to install... 6. Throwing a code - this "could" be a relatiely easy fix, but it might not be... All in all, this car is really not worth all that much. IF it were me looking to buy it, and I needed a "winter beater" car that I didnt care what it looked like, I might offer $300 for it because it does need tires and struts at minimum. IF it already had the tires and struts done, I would be willing to go a bit higher, but not over $600. Kelley Blue Book (& they tend to run high in pricing) lists the car at $999 in fair condition - "Fair: 18% of all cars we value meet this criteria. This car has some mechanical or cosmetic defects and needs servicing, but is still in safe running condition and has a clean title history. The paint, body and/or interior may need professional servicing. The tires may need replacing and there may be some repairable rust damage." (thier definition of fair) When you start deducting for the things that need to be replaced/fixed - cost of new tires and new struts at minimum - $5-600 is right on par. When it comes down to it - only you and your friend can decide on the car's value between you - I know you want to be fair to your friend, but $1000 is too high in my opinion for all of the things that need to be taken care of. I recently purchased a 95 Legacy L wagon with lower miles (201K), a bad tranny (no reverse), and very worn suspension (had a broken spring, too) and paid $300 for it. KBB lists the "fair" value for this one at $1286 - ummm...no. As it stands right now, I am into this car for much more money than it is really worth and it still needs new tires, and a complete engine servicing...

Depending on how worn the fronts are, mixing new and used is not the best idea either. It is generally best to replace all 4 at the same time with matching tires all the way around - matching in brand, size and treadwear. measure the circumference (tread) of the existing front tires, and a "new" matching tire (mounted and aired to proper psi) - the measurements need to be within 1/4" to be safe from damaging the AWD system.

a 95 Legacy with a straight Forester Strut swap - complete assembly - pull them out of the Forester, stuff them in the Legacy - nets almost 2 inches on the stock tires.

My 95 with a straight Forester strut swap - did the complete assembly (strut, spring, & tophat) - sitting next to my "stock" 90 - a fair difference between the two.

The cam cover gaskets are not a "critical" part so imho it is ok to use aftermarket - it is just a rubber seal. Try Rockauto.com

is the squealing under braking conditions only, or under non-braking conditions? if it is during braking, I would suspect the pads are due for replacement - the little "squealer" tab is making contact with the rotor to warn you. if it is not during braking - possibly a wheel bearing? the rotors on these cars are not all that heavy and can be warped fairly easily - a few hard braking incidents could potentially warp them, as well as 'continuous' use on downhill grades. far better to downshift and use the brakes sparingly (stab braking) on longer grades. Excessive heat is what causes the warping. What kind of tires are you using / how many miles are you putting on / how long a time frame that you have gone thru two more sets of tires? There are a number of things that can cause cupping - worn out struts, bad ball joints, bad tie rod ends just to name a few. Any of these items can also cause that "loose, wobbly" feel as well. a bad wheel bearing can also feel like something is loose/wobbly. Jack the car up and try to wiggle the tires - top to bottom and side to side - any play/slop in either direction is an indicator of something gone bad - it is then a matter of figuring out what part it is. Slop in both directions equally = more than likely a wheel bearing - something like what I posted here: Wheel Bearing Job Fail altho that was a pretty extreme case...

the cruise issue sounds like it might be vacuum related - when was the last time you checked/replaced vacuum lines? old, hard, brittle vacuum lines wont hold as good a vacuum as new soft/supple ones will.