Looking for advice on a 91' XT6

[ajense]

delete

Edited February 11, 2014 by ajense

[djellum]

id check on that power steering before buying.  if I remember right the xt6 had a one off power steering system and depending on the broken aspects it could be expensive to fix (electric driven pump maybe? i can't remember).  the suspension was another money pitfall, so having it replaced with standard equipment is actually a benefit in my opinion.

 

if you want an xt6 then this one seems decent.  they are hard to come by in any condition.  I would fully investigate the power steering though, and price the car accordingly.  

 

with most subaru's of the era id say plan on replacing a CV or 2 and doing the timing belts but the XT6 had differences in the suspension and motor so I can't really help you there.

[crazyhorse001]

The power steering issue is most likeley a set of $15 brushes in the motor. Its a full electrohydraulic system thats built for the long run. Id be more concerned about the price, as $2600 seems kinda steep. Check out the classifieds on www.subaruxt.com for prices on these awesome cars.

 

This from an owner of a really nice 89 XT6

[ajense]

delete

Edited February 11, 2014 by ajense

[idosubaru]

check in at subaruxt.com if you get it.  price seems high, but NW does have higher subaru prices.  generally have to be in really good shape to get $2,000.

 

power steering is easy to fix and simply the brushes in the electric motor for the pump.

very rarely the power controller is the issue but even that is cheap used, there's little demand for them so parts are cheap if you can find one.  and it's staring you in the face, easy to replace, in the engine bay, very easy to replace as well.

 

excellent engines that easily see 200,000 miles. like most subaru engines - easy to work on and no big issues at all - the engine blocks and heads rarely have issues, so getting to 200,000 miles is easy for anyone that can do a little work or pay attention to some preventative maintenance.  timing belts may be awkward for a first timer, but aren't hard at all and can be done in an hour or two.  most time will be spent on timing pulleys, water pump, cam/crank seals/orings while the belts are off.

 

i want to avoid coolant and oil leaks/loss.  those lead to overheating and oil loss which will ruin any engine ever made.  if you can do some of the maintenance on it, they're really a great economical fit - $2,000 - $2,500 for a reliable 100,000 miles is not a bad deal at all.

 

the air suspension is a big concern/issue for some people. they ride awesome, but can be a pain to source parts for and diagnose and they bounce dangerously hard when driving if one doesn't air up.  your head can hit the ceiling. it is usually best to convert to conventional coil over springs unless you have some compelling reason to keep the air. for the XT6 you convert to conventional struts with:

1. EJ strut assemblies up front

2. EA strut assembling in the rear

 

Timing pulleys.  the kits are $400 on ebay (as compared to like $60-$100 for EA and EJ vehicles).  the only other option is to press in your own pulley bearings or regrease them with a needle fitting.  the pulleys are old, devoid of grease, and will seize and break the belt - regardless of it being brand new or old.

 

Two simple fixes that are common issues:

1.  coolant temperature sensor and connector.  if the connections are corroded or green at all from corrossion, cut off the connector and install a brand new one.  strip back wiring and cut it out if it's green as well.  there's a fuel injector connector that's identical, i've got a bunch of them brand new with pigtails. it's really easy, no parts to remove to get to it, and takes a matter of minutes - snip wires, reconnect.  clean sensor contacts or replace.

 

2. alternator connector is brittle and causes charging issues.  also easily replaced with new.

 

Ideally you take care of oil seals/gaskets:
new valve covers, cam seals, cam cap orings, crank seal, and reseal the oil pump. all of those except the valve covers are typically done with the timing belt.  i'd be replacing the timing belt immediately due to the timing pulley bearings mentioned above, not the belt itself.

Edited February 10, 2014 by grossgary

[ajense]

thanks

Edited February 11, 2014 by ajense