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I can't take credit for this, but wtdash posted this earlier. http://spda-online.ca/modules/tinycontent/rewrite/tc_28.html

Whatever thermostat you get, make sure it's OEM. I do believe that Subaru supplies a 180 and a 195 thermostat. Check with Jason in parts at the Auburn Subaru dealer. However, this sounds like a thermostat that stays open all the time. If the thermostat won't fix it, check the temps at both hoses to the radiator with the car fully warmed up. One of them should be almost too hot to touch, the other just hot. If the coolant is confirmed to be hot enough, check that the valve on the heater core is opening completely. Replacing a heater core on your brat is a real pain and I'd do that as a last resort. One other thought, how's the blower motor pushing warm air? If the air channel is clogged or the blower motor not up to speed, you might not be getting enough hot air into the car.

Good call. I use a 75 ft-lb torque stick with my impact wrench, then follow up with 80 ft lb with my torque wrench. I do believe the factory spec is 70 ft-lb. It doesn't really matter much + or - 10; what's important is that you don't over-torque it with an air impact tool and damage/stretch the studs. Also, remember to re-torque after about 500 miles.

Unless I missed it in reading the earlier posts, you'll need a 36mm socket to remove the axle nut. Check the USRM for info on removing/replacing the axle. MWE would be my first choice for a replacement axle.

My '86 GL wagon had the blower on a connector. Every blower I ever pulled at PAP had a connector. Odd that yours was hard-wired in. But good choice for you is to splice in the connectors and not have to worry about it in the future.

Good idea. Post it in the USRM for everyone's use. Thanks.

With the original brat transmission and rear diff it should be a little slower in acceleration but faster in terms of top speed. Remember that the Brat comes with a 3.900 rear diff and the early EJ18 Imprezas had a 4.111 rear diff. Remember that if, and when, you install the AWD transmission.

Installing the EJ AWD transmission would also be quite an improvement. You'd be able to put all that 110 HP on the ground with 4 wheels instead of spinning the front wheels with 73 HP. I'm sure its been done; someone must have a write-up.

I'm a favorite of 1stsubaruparts also, but I usually call Jason in Parts at 866-528-5282 since it's faster than diddling around the website. Other than that, I'm a firm believer in the pull a part yards although it's hard to find anything as recent as a '98 Legacy. Also, if you could post a location in your post somewhere you might get some more local help in your parts search.

Yipes. Under $10 at pull a part for the module. Last time I considered buying a new module it was $90, 125, and 190 depending on how long the "lifetime" warranty was. I bought the $90 version; still ticking after 8 years! By the way, don't buy it at Schucks.....old wives' tale that says their module fails within a week of jump-starting someone else's car with yours. That's what the guy at B&B told me when I bought that $90 module when he saw my old one. After that I collected a bunch from Pull a Part and there was one in the glove box of every EA81 car in our family (four at that time). B&B would test my "old" module for me. Just make sure he hooks up the ground clamp solidly, otherwise they "fail" every time@.

If you have spark, I'd bet on the fuel filter (the one next to your fuel pump); replace the fuel separator in the engine compartment while you're at it. If you don't have spark AND have a Hitachi distributor my money is on the ignition module inside it. Expensive to buy from the autoparts store ($100 or more) and very cheap from a u-pullit wrecking yard. Easy to replace also.

Which car; I likely have a working alternator for you.

Typical symptom of diode trio failure in the alternator. Replace it with a wrecking yard one or have it rebuilt by someone local.

I don't want to rub your nose in it, but this just showed up on CL locally (to me). Paint job is weird and price is funny (I suspect with an airbag deployment it has a salvage title). http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/cto/926302360.html Dont give up on Autotrader; I know most of the ads are overpriced or high miles, but I got ours there after many months of looking. 120K miles and at the time $3950 was a steal; and to boot, it was at a small roadside dealership 4 miles from our house. It has 155K on it now and is my DD as well as rallycross car. Sounds like you might have a deal with Dave. We bought our Forester with a similar arrangement with a USMB member. Good luck in your search. By the way the EJ18 is a killer engine along with getting some of the best gas mileage for an early Impreza.

Good luck. There's one out there for you; it'll just take time to find it. I got ours four years ago and it took 5 months of ACTIVE searching. I'm sure you've tried craigslist. You might try autotrader if you haven't already. The good news is that the price and availability have improved a lot since four years ago. Good luck. I just rechecked your post for a location. If it's practical, you might search on the west coast. Once you find it, fly out and drive it home. I'm sure we have more rust free Imprezas out here than in Pittsburgh.

Only once! Never again! Lasted a week. Less trouble to pull the axle and replace the boot with a quality boot. Napa sells a pretty decent kit.

This problem has been beaten to death pretty often. The final conclusion is that the wattage is pretty significant; that's why Fuji uses the blower to run air over the resistor block to dissipate some of the heat. Best bet is to hit the pull a part yards and pull one of these until you find a good one (been there, done that). Good luck.

Welcome to the Board and congrats on getting a real fine Brat. First thing is make sure it is insured for full replacement value. You might try Hagerty's insurance (google them) to supplement what your liability insurance carrier will not cover. Also, check the current posts on the other new Brat that showed up last week and learn from the advice he's gotten. Lastly, get a copy of How to Keep your Subaru Alive; it'll give you minimal but important information to get you started. Buy the 2nd edition; it's usually found on ebay or amazon for around $20 plus shipping. Good luck with your new baby!

Speaking of t-tops, clever design. The outer edge acts as a moat to catch any rain water and the water then drains off through the drain hole in the corner of the t-top channel. The rubber seals actually do very little to keep from leaking; it's all done by draining off the excess. It pays to take a long skinny rod (or straight coat hanger wire) and gently poke down the drain hole to make sure the drainage is not blocked.

I notice from this picture that the muffler's exhaust pipe doesn't stick out from under the rear bumper. Get an extension on the muffler as soon as you can. I've seen Brats where the extension fell out of the muffer and it was never replaced or a new muffler installed. What happens is that exhaust gases mix with moisture in the air and it forms an acid (I don't remember which one) and causes the underside of that corner to rust out prematurely. Considering that the rear bumper attaches to the body at that point, rust here is pretty critical. The sooner you prevent it the happier you'll be.

T-top locker hardware will clean up with WD-40. T-tops show up on ebay all the time (I have a spare in my garage). You can likely fix the oil pan leak by snugging up on the bolts with a phillips screwdriver. Do not over-tighten; that'll just make it worse. There's a trick to replacing the gasket by removing the oil pan without pulling or raising the engine. Check the USRM or do a search. I've done it but I've forgotten the trick. I think the oil pan and valve cover gaskets are still a dealer item. Check with Jason in Parts at the former Auburn Subaru (Toll free: 1-866-528-5282). Good discounted prices and reasonable shipping. The dash from an EA81 wagon will fit your Brat. Don't take that job on lightly. I've done it with Turbone's help on our Brat and it took the two of us close to 10 hours to do it. If you have a cracked windshield and you're planning on having it replaced, remove it, replace the dash and then install the new windshield. It'll save you some time. Once you replace the dash, give it a coat of armoral every now and then to keep it from cracking again.

It looks like it's been well cared for but I'd suggest: Oil and filter change. Change transmission and rear diff oils. Flush and replace antifreeze mixture. New sparkplugs (use only NGK) and air filter. Replace fuel filter (the one down by the fuel pump) and the fuel separator (looks like a fuel filter in the engine compartment). I know this is all pretty routine, but if you don't know the history of past work, this pretty well starts you off without missing the obvious. Find a copy of How to Keep your Subaru Alive so you can enjoy working on your new treasure.

Really nice. Best of luck with it.

That's probably correct for a Legacy Outback wagon since that's what the tranny chart shows. However, Fuji was notorious for installing whatever transmission was available at the time. Only way to tell is to check the TY number on the bell housing or engine compartment VIN plate. From the USRM: Too bad I couldn't print out the form for convenience. http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.pdf[url=http://www.northursalia.com/techdocs/trannychart/trannychart.pdf][/url] To identify your transmission look for a label on the bell housing near the starter motor. My '97 Impreza has one reading 6Y-TY752VA5AA. I don't know what the 6Y means, but the TY etc. is what's important to identify your gearbox.

Or just find a junkyard cluster and use the tach from it; I think the wiring exists, but check on that first.