DerFahrer

Caleb, I didn't do my Legacy cable as I mentioned, but the stupid Haynes manual confused me on one thing: it said the first thing to do was disconnect the release lever return spring. I never found it, but I heard it mentioned somewhere, that on Hill-Holder equipped cars, the spring that releases the Hill-Holder valve is also the release lever return spring... Both my Legacy and XT have the Hill-Holder, so is this true?

Okay, I stand corrected then :brolleye: Yes I have the pushbutton 4WD. Is it actually the lack of a center diff the reason that the front and rear wheels are forced to spin at the same speed? I guess that could make sense, if it's simply a gear that connects the two... I know so much and yet so little all at the same time

You should be alright then, it was just the early MY1990 Legacy MT's that had the main bearing problem... I believe I'm in the clear as well, I don't have any problems anyway Actually, I would think a loose main bearing anywhere in the drivetrain, engine or tranny, should cause a rattling sound of sorts, since the clearance would be just enough to allow the shaft to vibrate ever-so-slightly...

What year Legacy is it? The first year of Legacies were problematic with MT main bearings, they were probably good for about 120k miles, is that right Setright?

Corky, Trogdor and I have discussed the part-time "pushbutton" 4WD systems on Subarus before. We both agreed that the 4WD system is a true 4WD, where the front and rear wheels are required to spin at the same speed, or at least one of each, since both ends have open diffs... It is true, since I cannot pull away from a stop with the wheel turned all the way to one side with 4WD engaged, the car won't even want to move. My AWD Legacy however, will allow such tight maneuvers, since the center diff is a viscous coupling, and some discrepancy in wheel speeds is allowed... Or am I wrong? I am still an 80's-Subaru n00b, so I am willing to be corrected However, yes I do have air suspension. It is brand new, every last part replaced by the dealer, new struts, new solenoid valves, and the driver front fender liner has been taken out before, so I would assume the compressor and air tank have also been replaced. And it is not retrofitted, as my dash has an "Air Suspension" light...

Without question

No problem man! That's what we're here for I LOVE the fact that both my Subies, as old as they are, have 4-wheel disc brakes. They're better brakes, period. But they're also easier to work on... Subaru trannies aren't the quietest in the world. My Legacy makes a little noise, my XT even more, but the first thing I would do is double-check your gear oil level... Also make sure your clutch cable is adjusted properly. It's actually supposed to make more of an irritating scratching/squealing sound when it's out of adjustment, but you never know...

My Legacy likes 89 octane, 93 actually makes it run worse! My XT likes 93, but I'm pretty sure its disty is one tooth advanced, so when I fix that, I'll re-evaluate it. Here is the simple rule I follow: the higher the octane, the more energy is required to burn the fuel. Cars that typically require premium fuel have higher compression ratios (or forced induction) and more advanced ignition systems. Cars designed for 87 do not have these features and may not run as well on high test gas...

Wow... It was raining hard here in Orlando tonight, and I have a hard time passing up a good drive in the rain... So I hopped in the XT (my only operable Subie right now ), and took off... As soon as I put in in 4WD, I started carving some corners. Allow me to say that with the fancy new OEM airbags and the locking center diff of 4WD, I have NEVER been in a car that offered more wet traction!!! I was able to take corners faster in the wet than my AWD Legacy could in the dry! And don't start flaming me, I didn't do anything stupid, I was very safe about it...The whole time, some 30 minutes, I never got fishy in the rear or understeered into a ditch... I really never even set one tire wrong... While 4WD is hard to use in tight corners, it definitely has the advantage in traction, simply because the front and rear wheels HAVE to spin at the same speed... Why the XT never caught on, I don't know, it's a fabulous car!

Just watch your offset, and understand that your speedometer might be a bit off... There is a tire size calculator on a Miata site, maybe you could search and find it posted here somewhere...

Isn't this one of the largest Subaru boards anyway? At least ezBoard was... Of course, we ain't got crap on NASIOC :brolleye:

Well, my friend had a 84 300ZX Turbo, and he easily toyed with it, got 12 lbs out of it w/out an IC, and ran high 14's and it was auto(!), but he had to put a new tranny in it, and that one has probably suffered a similar fate as the first... Stock 300ZX to stock STi, no question, STi 100%, but allow some mods here and there, and the Z's extra 2 cylinders and 500cc displacement would probably win...

Yes you have to be VERY careful installing halogen bulbs. Do not touch the actual bulb with your hands at all. If you do, get some rubbing alcohol and get it off. The oil your skin secretes will cause the bulb to burn hotter than it's supposed to and will cause the bulb to burn out prematurely.. Trust me I know :brolleye:

Awww heck, when I had my purge control solenoid valve replaced on my Legacy, I had the dealer do it. I told them I had already pulled the CEL code and ordered the valve ahead of time... They were astonished... I knew better than to pay them $60 to plug two wires together for a diagnostic...:brolleye:

Cool, thanks guys... Martin, it's most likely a worn-out cable as Caleb mentioned. When I got my Legacy it was almost painful to drive it, but I put up with it for a few months, then I had the dealer put a new one in (before I had any mechanical aptitude ), and it was literally a completely opposite feeling! My Legacy's clutch with the new cable is lighter than any hydraulic clutch I've ever driven... In fact, when the XT's clutch decides to poop out, I will replace its cable as well while I'm there, since it's a bit stiff too...

That's getting printed out and left on their dining room table Actually I go to school full-time and work full-time , I just would like the notion of having 6 Subarus laying around in the yard pissing off the EPA

Yaay! The front crank seal was where my Legacy was leaking too, thankfully it was very slow... The car probably DOES run better, belts tend to stretch a tiny bit as they age, meaning your timing isn't exactly as good as with a new belt...

I know this depends heavily on the driver, but how long do you all typically see an EA82 clutch last under normal everyday conditions? My XT clutch is holding and releasing, but not grabbing very hard and the engagement point is quite high, even with the cable tightened down... It hit 103k miles today, how much longer do you think it has under normal driving circumstances? I was dumbfounded when my Legacy's clutch bit the dust at 109,999 miles :brolleyes:

Is that the one Suzuki is going to build??? No thanks...:temper:

I'm still new to the old Subies, but I know Bosch plugs are crap in Legacies and anything newer. I ended up paying some $30 for my Platinums, and upon literally DOZENS of suggestions, I switched back to NGK's and everything about the car's performance immediately improved, from slight HP increase to better gas mileage. Yes the platinums will last a lot longer, but I'd rather have my car run fantastic for 5,000 miles than run like crap for 20,000 miles...

Can you tell my parents that please? Welcome!

On first-gen Legacies, it's most commonly the charcoal canister, although check all the fuel lines around the injectors and fule filter, etc...

Also check window adjustment, I need to do that on both my cars

The standard jackpoints for most Subarus (mine anyway) are the front crossmember and the rear diff...

I would think that would really screw up the electronics of the car, anywhere the system grounds to the body... But I'm not an electrician... :eh: