hiergehts

Cool.. Thanks for the link subie4.. Hadn't checked out the boxer4 website before.. Good to see there's a bolt-on header and replacement cat/pipe available for my EJ22. Will have to start saving up.. Thanks again, Hiergehts

I was curious if anyone knew of a streetable exhaust header being available for a '95-'99 2.2 Legacy? I've seen them for 2.5 Legacy & Outback models as well as for turbocharged Impreza/WRX models and older ('90-'94) Legacy turbo models but not for a non-turbo 2.2. In this case the ideal piece would be stainless steel, tuned for low end and mid range power and designed to work with a cat and O2 sensor as stock. Can anyone provide any info? TIA, Hiergehts BTW - I'm NOT looking to rice the car.. I'd like a bit more power/torque out of an otherwise basically stock engine in combination with a more free flowing cat and some kind of low restriction, but stock size/style muffler.

In Southern California.

A mechanic I used to know as a friend as well as work with at a Mercedes-Benz/Volvo dealer (an incredibly skilled guy w/ 30+ years of various import car experience and who everyone in the shop looked upon as a 'god') refered to Penzoil as "golden glue".. Nuff said. Hiergehts

"how important is it to spend big bucks ($30-$50) for one or do the cheapies ($15-$18) work just as well. I don't want to over-invest in a torque wrench when I'll probably only use it when rotating the tires." Like previously mentioned, how much is replacing a ruined/damaged alloy wheel, warped brake disc or cross-threaded wheel stud worth vs. a "cheap" torque wrench? If you like cars and enjoy working on them yourself, think of your tools as an investment.. That is how mechanics I used to work with felt. Good tools last a lifetime and make doing the job correctly easy and satisifying, cheap tools are just that.. cheap tools. BTW: Not to sound like an a#$%^*&, but $30-$50 on a torque wrench hardly seems like big bucks to me.. Hiergehts

But, why... Wouldn't it be called a 'Foreier'...? Hiergehts

Thanks for all the informative and helpful replies everyone. Will forward to him.. >why would he think the pistons wouldn't turn if the timing belt snapped Because he's not all that automotively inclined. I found out he'd never replaced the timing belt on it since bought a few years ago... That would be the 1st thing "I'd" check or do if buying a used Suby.. Hiergehts

Hello: A good friend who lives in a different state has an '87 GL coupe that quit running while driving at low speed. He said it just stopped with no warning like someone pulled a plug but that there was a 'belt sqeal' like noise before it happened (his words..) and that the starter turned over 'weird' when he tried to refire the engine (again, his words..). The car is a CA model 1.8 w/ FI, 5 spd & approx 160k. I have never actually seen or worked on it myself so I cannot verify what sort of condition it's in. He replaced the cap and rotor (both heavily corroded inside) and then said when turning over the new rotor did not move. That lead me to assume the timing belt may have broken. I told him (over the phone) to pull a plug on each side and verify piston movement inside the engine when cranking. He did so and said the pistons move ok when cranked which seems to negate a broken timing belt.. At this point I assume it's some sort of electrical connection issue or more likely a broken part in the distributer itself? The problem here is I've never worked on a Subaru w/ a conventional type ingnition (my own Subaru is much newer w/ a distributorless ignition). Does anyone have an idea what might be the problem here? TIA Hiergehts

Hi AK-Brando, Your posting of the install instructions really helps out alot. Thanks!! It shows that the car is not prewired for foglights [] and that there are a lot of small things needed to do an install the right way (wiring bundle, "insert nuts" (to attach to front bumper), etc., etc. I think the best thing would be to find a complete NOS OEM Subaru fog light kit w/ everything in it to do this without an unforeseen hassles. The dealer can get the lamps, bulbs, dash switch and relay but any attachment hardware or the wiring harness/bundle is a no-go, especially without a part #. My experience is that the small parts from factory accessory kits aren't available separately thru the dealer. I have no interest in making my own harness (not an automotive electrician w/ proper tools, etc.) so I wonder if someone out there has a complete kit for a '95-'97 Legacy available for a reasonable price? Thanks again very much for your help. Hiergehts

I know this was posted awhile ago but: Is a cargo net for '95-'99 Legacy wagons available? What about a fog light kit for '95-'97 Legacys? TIA, Hiergehts

I'd like to install factory foglamps on my '96 Legacy L. I picked up a pair of used OEM lamps w/ bulbs and mounting brackets on eBay. The switch and fog lamp relay can be ordered new from the dealer or picked up thru a savage yard, etc. so that's not a problem. I went to the dealer and a tech in the service department mentioned that these cars came prewired from the factory and all that is required to install is to put the lamps, switch and relay in and hook everything up with the provided wiring. This sounds too good to be true to me to be honest..and I thought maybe he was thinking of a newer model? To figure this out we looked around in their service materials and accessory manuals trying to find the factory fog lamp kit installation instructions to determine the color coding of the wires, relay location, etc. but they didn't have what I was looking (missing/lost, I assume). To check, I pulled the plastic fender liner off to see if it was in there and so far I've not been able to find any fog lamp wiring or the stock connector yet. I have the male end of the OEM connector and about a foot of wire from the original car that my lamps came off of to compare with. I specifically want to do an OEM style install w/ the original foglamps, etc. and use the factory switch. Anyway, a few questions: - Did the '95-'99 Legacy (non Outback) come prewired for foglamps? - If so, can anyone tell me where the wiring/connector is located? (perhaps tucked way up or inside the wiring harness nearby?) - Does anyone have access to the factory foglamp installation instructions for reference? They would be very helpful. I'd hoped to determine if this would be straightforward and simple to install (prefered) so if anyone has any thoughts, suggestions, or personal experiences I'd appreciate them. Picture of OEM style connectors. TIA, Hiergehts

Hello, I'm planning to order a pair Euro spec headlamps for my '96 Legacy [NA spec w/ combined plastic headlights/turn signals]. My source needs a chassis number to do so. I'm not sure if giving them mine will work as it would indicate a car that came with the plastic lamps I want to replace. I was hoping the owner of a 1995-1998 LHD European version could provide me with a usable chassis number (VIN) for this. It would have to be from a country that requires headlights are made out of glass, which if I'm not mistaken means Germany, Switzerland, France and a few other countries. Thanks in advance if you can help out. Hiergehts

I know that all 1995 thru most of model year 1997 North American sold Legacies had one piece plastic headlamps with a built-in front indicator. Somewhere late in the '97 model year, Subaru went to a separate headlamp and front indicator though the lenses were still plastic. Those late '97 onward lamps use clear lenses without a moulded-in pattern - it's part of the bulb reflector. I don't think the 2 types are interchangeable, but I will look into it. I've never seen a US or Canadian model Legacy with headlamp washers though they were an option in Europe and required in certain countries like Sweden and, I believe, Finland as well. Hocrest - Are the Aussie model Liberties [Legacy] also equipped with plastic headlamp lenses? Do they have a European H4 type beam pattern or ? Curious to see who got what..? Hiergehts

Thanks for your reply. There's an oil leak from the back side of the oil pan [by the crossmember] but the transmission case, tailshaft area, & CV joints, etc. are all dry and leak free. I'm using Redline 75W90NS in the rear diff and a supporter of using Redline products as I've had good luck with them in other vehicles. I bought this Legacy last December. The previous owner must have skied alot as the whole underside [especially the rear half of the car] was FULL of muck and crud. It took several attempts and many hours to clean all this crap from underneith using a hose and them later a pressure washer.. It's possible that may have restricted the vent but I did not notice any leakage when I 1st bought it [ I went over it VERY thoroughly ] but only after replacing the rear differential lubricant w/ Redline. I don't off road my car.. and it has never been thru anything even a million miles from 'deep water' or otherwise under my ownership. I bought it for the good economy, flexibility in hauling stuff, and fun to drive aspect.. [it replaced a Toyota SUV]. Where is the optional vent kit available from - a Subaru dealership? If so do you have a P/N for it? That might be worth looking into?

Hello all, The rear dif on my 95 Legacy SW is 'sweating'. This only began after I changed the lubricant [to Redline]. The trans was done at the same time as well - no leaks or 'sweating' from it.. After cleaning the rear dif cover gets slightly wet to the touch [though not dripping] after about 2 weeks. Buildup is only on the rear cover plate and not on or around where the axle stubs go into the pumpkin nor on the chassis mount or underbody area. There has been no noticeable noise change or drop in lubricant level. I've been cleaning it off thoroughly ever few weeks and as of yet not been able to determine the source, but it appears to be coming from the top? Is there a vent that might be blocked? I have 106k and this's been going on for several months. Any thoughts/ideas? Hiergehts

Thanks for your postings. Applegump - Are you from Switzerland [CH]? Gruetzi.. - That is where I am from.. You also might have firsthand access to info on these questions. greggearhead - From what I know, many imported cars destined for the US market often use plastic lenses as they are 'good enough' for the DOT/EPA version headlamps. Whether or not they're used seems to depend on the model and other factors such is the cars price, etc. As the 95-99 version Legacy was built and sold worldwide and all the different nations versions externally look more or less the same, it is my guess that the headlamp units themselves may be the same physical size worldwide, though there are likely several lense designs that were used according to local requirements. That's an educated guess on my part.. I've got a few pics of UK spec 95-97 Legacies that came off the web and they look exactly the same as my own car does. Hiergehts

Hello everyone, this is my 1st posting here. I have a question regarding upgrading the factory OEM headlamps on my 1996 Legacy and I had hoped to get feedback for any members who might be in EU countries as well as those in North America. One of the headlamp housings on my car is broken and needs to be replaced but before I get a stock replacement, I wanted to get a few unknowns squared away as far as possible upgrade options I might have. Generally speaking, I've been pretty underwhelmed with the stock lighting pattern and output of my Legacys OEM headlamps and so ask if there are any alternatives. BTW: It's not just an issue of installing higher wattage bulbs.. but the basic headlamp design itself. I know that in general, even bone stock European spec headlamps are far better than what is allowed by the DOT/EPA for the US market due to the EU's far superior minimum lighting standards. I've owned and upgraded the lighting on several european cars [VW, etc.] and european spec replacement lights are readily available thru both US and offshore sources for them [i'm refering here to replacing composite {aerodynamic} type headlamps] but apparently not for Japanese cars. Anyway, what I'd like to know is whether the headlamps that came on European spec 1995-1997 Legacy models [LHD countries such as Germany, Switzerland, Holland, Sweden, France, Belgium, etc.] were any better than those fitted on US sold models of the same years? From a web search and my own prior travels in Europe, physically, they appear to be exactly the same basic size, shape, etc. My questions here are: 1 - Are the actual lenses on EU models also plastic like on US versions or are they made of glass? 2 - Do EU models incorporate a standard H4 halogen type pattern [i.e. cutoff to the right] or the modified derivative that US cars have? 3 - Do EU models use a single bulb per housing or do they have separate high and low beam bulbs? 4 - Where there any 'special' or 'upgraded' headlamps available in LHD European countries for these model years? Anyway, it would be great to be able to upgrade my stock headlamps, but due to a lack of knowledge of what options I have, I am hoping to be 'enlightened' a bit here.. [bad joke..] But seriously, I look forward to any information that any of you can provide me on this subject and would sincerely appreciate the opinions of European 95-97 Legacy owners on their headlamps output as well. Thanks for your time and reading this post. Best regards, Hiergehts [yes, I can speak German.. ]