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FOUND! Self recovery from the crack heads that were driving it around Oakland. No damage beside stereo to torn apart and the smell of crack head... Having a gps locator onboard was the saving grace. Thanks for all the support USMB! Im adding in a secret ignition kill switch. FYI -I’m pretty sure my ignition lock is so old. any worn down Subaru “skeleton” key would have work. Doesn’t look like they hot wire bypassed.. we won’t discuss that to much online but you may want to check it out for yourself. Luke

Yeah Ok @carfreak85 here’s the story, @1 Lucky Texan Yes. I have a Metromile pay per mile insurance that calculates the miles I drive via GPS tracking. And theres a nifty map of where my car is parked. mostly designed to prevent street sweeping tickets in SF. they send me a text when I have parked in street sweeping zones. So as soon as I realize it had been taken. I went to where the car was last parked. First image 11:41 Chapman to market 11:56pm. When it was stolen from me and driven to a dark sketchy zone in Oakland under the 880. Humorously, about a 10 min walk from Oakland police department. It was not there , I drove the entire area and decided it was either long gone, or must have been stashed somewhere off the steet. I think possibly at one of the storage lots under the 880. I did not receive single from GPS for next 24hours. So they didn’t drive it at first after stealing it. I was watching the map all day Wednesday hoping to get a signal. Then Thursday at lunch it popped back up on GPS! A couple friends and I drove West Oakland following GPS about five minutes behind... We were on the phone with Oakland PD trying to get more eyes looking for it. Let me first say this. Oakland PD have a rough rump roast job, and better things to do than find a 26 year old Subaru. I get it. I’ve lived here 10 years and seen the stuff they have to deal with needless to say it would be a hard place to be a police officer. I mean no disrespect to law enforcement. But in this situation they were absolutely no help and a huge waste of my time. The do not follow/ do not chase policy, means they are pretty much unable to get involved unless the vehicle is stopped and parked. But to do that they would actually have to be looking for it. They actually called me to say “we saw your car but it drove away” At that point I realized it was pretty much up to me to retrieve vehicle. Decided to go back to the location they had taken if first it the night it was stolen. There it was parked. I jumped out of the 92 Legacy SS and drove the Loyale home. There was a crack pipe and .5 g of rock in my center console. Sucks for them. Everything I owned, info, records and proof of registration and insurance. Keys to my steering lock (that was that was on floor) had all been ditched. Maybe a spare key... I can’t remember... Dash was torn apart but they didn’t unplug the gps! Besides the other unwanted trash, crack pipes and stash, and smell of crack head left in the car. They did leave this guy DROWZEE Pokémon card. Im not a big fan of car names but I caught this one and it’s sticking! Welcome home Subie DROWZEE wagon. I’ll tell you what Ive never cleaned it so well and going to switch all cloth seats to leather as soon as i see a good set at the pick n pull. Getting something you care about back makes you want to make it better! So DROWZEE is going to get sleepier! It’s 2.2 ej swap time. If anyone has swap parts or a 90-94 2.2l ej or anything you’d like to see used on this wagon, in Bay Area or Colorado area I’m looking For upgrades! Thanks again! Luke

I like Len's Club idea - it basically tells someone to keep moving along and look for another target. Yeah, I know they aren't 'perfect' and they can be defeated - but, criminals are lazy - too easy to find an easier target. Anything visible from the outside keeps them from even trying a door. Maybe print-up a fake parking violation to put under the wiper - knuckle-heads might think a cop or tow truck is in the area.

Installed the new aftermarket rear cat. Ran it without connecting it to the resonator pipe. Power restored! Loud! Now it makes sense compared to how quiet it was when I ran with the restricted rear cat disconnected...it was muffled without any mufflers attached, due to low, restricted flow. Hooked up the rest of the exhaust and it runs mostly normal, no codes, power restored. Stumbled a bit when rolling to a stop, assuming that it hasn't learned how to idle just yet. Going to clear the ECU anyway by disconnecting the battery, just to start fresh since its recent history includes operating with restriction. So about $750 later we have new aftermarket front and rear cat and both O2 sensors. Rest of exhaust is original. If I had to do this again I would start by disconnecting at the center spring flange and run it with open pipes. If its not loud enough to annoy the neighbors with the spring flange disconnected there is a restriction somewhere toward the engine. And then remove pipes one at a time toward the engine.

The 2000-2004 are great tanks for a kid to learn in. In the rust belt, you should make sure rear sub frame is not rusty. Wheel bearings, Head gaskets, timing belt replacement are all good stuff to look for. I sometimes find a cheap outback with a broken timing belt for cheap. Then fix the heads, do the head gasket and timing belt, idlers, cam o rings etc rear main......you get the idea and while it is up drain and fill the tans with a new spin on trans filter. That way, you pay $250-500 for the car, but can afford to do all the rest of the things that will make it reliable.

GD, I work over the cube wall from our warranty department (OEM manufacturer). I write recalls, interact with our legal counsel as well as with NHTSA reps. "Sudden loss of control" is only one of the criteria used by NHTSA to determine if something needs to happen. A cat disintegrating, locking up the turbo or taking out the engine is absolutely something that could be covered under a safety recall because guess what, if you engine munches your turbo, you lose the ability to accelerate, brake with power assistance, steer with power assistance, all things NHTSA generally frowns upon. Is it likely to happen? Maybe not, but it could, and that's all that matters really. NHTSA isn't only interested in safety, that's why they have a customer portal on their website, the link says "Report A Problem," and there is no criteria given for what they consider acceptable types of complaints. Manufacturers generally don't initiate recalls on their own, unless people are dying or the company stands to lose millions in dissatisfied fleet buyers, so it's really on us as consumers to report anything and everything. You may disagree, but take it from someone working in the belly of the beast...

Heads up! I just seen a 1986 L line subaru at the Pull and Pay in Auroras website. i will try to go scope it out tomorrow. its only been there 1 day. Hopefully theres tons of good parts.

I just got a 5 speed 2002 Outback in from a customer that's for sale. We put in a JDM short block and did the 642 gasket upgrade less than 3 years ago. New radiator and hoses, clutch, clutch hydraulics, and PS hoses. Older lady owned it and her husband took out the AC compressor, couldn't finish the job, battery died, and then it appears he tried to jump it with the cables reversed and blew the main fusible link. We fixed all that and put in a good AC compressor, new battery, and new terminals. Anyway she sold me the car after they got a divorce and it was "broken" so she bought a new Camry. Nothing wrong with it, not a stitch of rust on it anywhere (west coast - we don't get that). She invested $5000 in it over the last 3 years and it runs and drives perfectly. Usual wear for this age - needs new floor mats. The driver's side carpeting is a little torn up. Eventually might want a new drivers seat but it's pretty minor. It's dark blue. $3000 It's about $1500 to ship it to the east coast. Edit - SOLD. I never have them more than about a week. GD

Checked and adjusted the front toe. IT was in a bit close to the max. Picture is of checking the rear toe, it's out past the max, so I adjusted it in. Surprising how little it moved to get close. Big pain is having to remove the tire to get at the bolts.... I made 4 small plumb bobs to get pointers near the tape measures. Want ridged "rulers". Want something less fussy than dangling weights, but for now, it works.

the muffler thing is a total red herring. it is a "single" exhaust system made to look like a dual. forget about that aspect. you could eliminate one of those mufflers completely and still have a fully functional exhaust system. the problem is elsewhere.

Hi guys! I am starting a recall for LGT owners from 05-06 who has a catted up-pipe. The up-pipe for the legacy GT in these given years has a catalytic converter in there and after a certain mileage, the debris of the catalytic converter breaking down would shoot back into the turbocharger. that would cause the turbo failure and stall the vehicle unexpectedly. the catalytic converter in the up-pipe does not have any indication of % of wear and most non-car enthusiasts would not know what the issue is caused by except for an expensive turbo replacement and up-pipe replacements. https://scrabblewordfinder.vip/ Most of the owners of these issues turn over to catless up-pipe but that would cause the check engine light coming on and over boosting or the engine run rich, further damaging the engine. This can be dangerous if a person is on a road trip and having a long drive as it directly impacts the drivability of the vehicle. Subaru has recognized the issue and therefore 07+ turbo models all have a catless up-pipe with the ecu tuned to that specification. https://www.applock.ooo/ I believe it is not fair for 05-06 legacy GT owners to have to suffer from such a critical issue without some sort of compensation or recall. https://www.7zip.vip/ If any of you guys have suffered from this issue and hope NHTSA can issue a recall and make our up-pipe catless and possibly a new turbo! Please report this complain! The NHTSA ID Number: 11204499 Thank you for your time

+1 on them being AWFUL cars, possibly the worst car Subaru has ever built. I hate when they come in and being the 'last one to touch it.' We have a saying at our shop: "Friends don't let friends buy Legacy GTs" I recently told someone in the local FB group that I could rewrite the lyrics to "We Didn't Start the Fire" with all the common problems these cars have.

Used factory. If you can find one. Next best bet is to get an early legacy fan and cut/weld the mounting for the motor into the EA fan shroud. Have done this - works great. Fabrication skill required. Aftermarket fans (especially cheap ones) completely suck and are for suckers. GD

Everybody always hopes "maybe it's the radiator." It almost never is. Can't tell you how many cars I've been brought for HG's that the owner say's, "yeah we just replaced the radiator x months ago." Don't try to do them in the car. Just as hard if not harder than pulling engine. It's possible, but way more likely to screw something up. If you aren't a pro-level mechanic, I can guarantee you that you'll end up doing one of three things in car 1) Scratch the hell outta block trying to finangle the heads in along the rail with the bolts already sticking through. 2) Drop, fold or damage the new HG's as you are making that same move. 3) Assuming 2 and 3 are avoided, you're likely to screw up the torque. It's impossible to make full 90 degree rotations with the handle of breaker/ratchet used to set the head bolts. It's not simply a torque procedure, there are specific rotations and to do it right in this case you need a torque wrench with a angle calculator. Doing them out of car, on an engine stand, gives you the best platform for doing a successful, long lasting job, the first try. Subaru engines are light and easy to handle in and out of the car.

see attached.

So the shift mount on my 87 GL broke and I would like some input on my fix I Found this online, I don't have a welder so bolt on is great I scarped the old rubber and sent both side through the drill press. This is how it fits. I plan on painting it at some point but is seems to be working What do you guys think?

I have customers that travel here (Portland) from Medford. I don't know of anyone in that area that really knows EA's. It's a dying art working on the old stuff. Fortunately I have a couple tech's in addition to myself that have considerable experience with them. Parts availability is the biggest issue but I know all the sources and can usually get myself out of most jams..... unless you need an oil pump. Then you're just hosed. I have customers in Medford, Seattle, and even Lake Tahoe. Other than the drive time it's usually cheaper in the long run to have it done right that to have it done twice. GD

Morning guys. lovely day here on the coast of Wales. today, I need to add metal to my rusty sills ( rockers) and rebuild rear suspension attachments. my welding skills are improving i hope not to burn myself to much today #upsidedownwelding i have to weld these pieces in ( see pics) ive cut out all rust, removed surface rust with acid. Today I will start to tack the metal in place and fabricate other pieces. its quite a lot of work to shape and bend the metal. Plus not losing any lines or dimensions. ive already done the other side. so this is less daunting. After ive repaired this section the rear underside is fully repaired. Behind the cabin floor pan. i will epoxy prime, base coat in correct 572 space metallic blue and 2k clear. (my car was originally painted 518, blue and white, i’ll respray whole car original colour in future.) i can think about reattaching the rear refurbished suspension and brakes to the car. i still have the rear wheel arches to do too...

Engine dropped in today. Runs great, with CEL. I have 2.2 intakes with an EGR in CO. I've pulled air from the IAC hose before. A quick trip to ACE, PVC Tee fitting and a fitting to reduce to the EGR line dia. Cut the EGR pipe, use an extra Brake Booster line to run it to the IAC hose. Works great. Down the road. Time to get back to CO and do house work. Thanks Larry

Good to hear! I knew you were gonna find it in one piece the crackheads in California love to take cars for joyrides. My friend is actually parting out his Loyale in Sacramento. He’s the guys number i sent you a while back in Elk Grove. He has a ea/ej adapter plate and a hacked harness for a 2.5. Let me know i’ll be at his place until monday and we can pull the parts for ya

The failure of a turbo would not cause the engine to lock up. It would simply cause the turbo to stop spinning. A turbo is not a positive displacement pump so air will still flow and the engine will still run. Albeit with a slight performance loss. The failure of the cat in and of itself is NOT safety concern. If the vehicle continues to be driven under these conditions it may result in futher collateral damage but the driver should heed the warnings of noises and power loss long before this becomes an engine stall situation. Just because it's inconvenient and expensive to tow the vehicle if you're on a "long road trip"?!? LOL. That should be budget for in your trip. Duh. $hit happens. It's not Subaru's responsibility to fix your budgetary oversights. You ever heard "save for a rainy day". Downpour is here yo! Furthermore I am not aware of any safety related recalls for converter disintegration unless it's very early in the cars life. Converters fail and sometimes they create collateral damage. It's a fact of car ownership. Seriously this is ridiculous. Go call the whhhaaambulance. Sorry you had to pay for a converter and collateral damages on your decade old Subaru turbo? LoL. Welcome to the club - buyer beware. GD

You might have someone at a NAPA that actually knows what they are doing - that is not at all the norm. I don't buy parts there and I wouldn't even consider them for machine work. If it came down to that (and it has with some things and I've carried out the threat) I would just buy the machine tools and do it my d*mn self. And as with almost everything - if you want it done right, do it yourself. OR - pay an a$$load to someone like me that can actually do it properly on the car with the correct tools prescribed by the engineers who designed it. It's only "expensive" because of the perceived value of the vehicle and your time. IS your time worth more than the proper repair? If not then do it twice or three times and spend your time rather than your money. Or you can sell your time using the skills YOU have and trade it for money that you buy the skills WE have with. Up to you. But it does say a lot about a person when you consider all the angles doesn't it? GD

Thanks for all the info - I replaced the alt - all is good ...Milty

You're welcome.