MilesFox

Don't be too alarmed as this is an effect of how the AWD system works. Some smoother than others. MAybe you should have the transmission fluids changed, since yout mileage is at the right moment for it to be due if not done yet. If your noise is afterall the power steering, please use ATF trans fluid in the power steering since that is what it uses, and not the clear GM steering fluid that everyone is used to as it will ruin the pump. my folk's 97 forester does this. my 94 legacy does this. make sure all the tires are even pressure, as one tire lower than the other can aggravate this symptom. a *slight* rumble is expected and is normal for tight turning, but if it gets worse, then check the above(tires, replace fluid, inspect cv axle boots) if your new tires are only a pair, mount them diagonal. Ideally, you replace all 4 with matching brand at same time. But in the real world, people can afford 2 tures. What you don't want is a difference in rotation between the front and rear axles. If you mount odd tires diagonal from each other, you have one in the front and one in the back that match rotation through the 4wd clutches, and any other difference in rotation will be absorbed by the open center diffs.

at least in an ea82, the manual trans speedo cable is longer because the speedo is mouned on the side rather than te top. you might get by with an MT cable. this is an idea. I would have to confirm this with ej's

carb 8deg btdc. including ea81 thru 89 and ea82 thru 87 mpfi with mechanical disty 185-86 25 deg btdc. spfi (1986 and up) and mpfi 1987 and up 20 deg btdc. if, say, you swapped an spfi onto an ea81, the timing is still 20 deg.

you will get some lift if you use 2wd rear struts in a 4wd car.

you may have to pull the dizzy and re-clock it. It may have been installed a tooth off.

Replace the terminal itself with a brass marine terminal with a wing nut. This way, you can disegage the cable from the battery without boogering the post, and it gives you something to connect electrical accessories to. Avoid the cheap lead terminals that you have to cut the end off to replace it. I have replaced mine with the brass terminals. the corrosion there is a result of the condition of the battery. Clean with coca cola and use dielectric grease.

maybe it is the o-ring on the water passage pipe.

This is the way to go. substitute a welder for the rivet gun if you have access to one. Maybe use an epoxy seal if riveting. Then grind down the rivet heads and use body filler. Woth body filler, the idea is to use as little as possible. Big wads of it will swell and fall off. It is not meant to be a structural material, but rather to be applied thinly to feather seams together and fill small imperfections. Cutting and welding is the way to go. Here is what i did for my rust: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=119353&highlight=3door&page=6

If this is carb, you will set to 8 deg btdc. If it is spfi, you will set it to 20 deg btdc. If turbo, 25 deg for 85 and 86, and 20 deg 87 and up with the optical disty (spfi, 87+mpfi) plug in the green test connectors to hold the timing static.

check the oil pressure sensor under the alternator as it may leak and drip down in the same area.

Frameless windows won't stop anyone from getting in even if the door was locked

springs are the same, but the 2wd is longer below the perch.

If you are going for fuel economy, go with a FWD. even a fwd 92 legacy with a 2.2 will get better than 30 mpg. The fwd has a taller gear. the ej22 from 96 and earlier are rock solid with composite head gaskets. It is the later phase 2 ej engines with the metal layer hg's that have the premature failures, usually due to lack of coolant changes (galvanic corrosion)

bad wheel bearing or bent trailing arm

maybe you have 2wd struts s they are longer than 4wd struts, being that the attachment points on the trailing arm is lower on a 2wd than a 4wd. a 2wd rear coilover in a 4wd car will give it lift.

Maybe it is a worn strut top

Pulling the engine is easier than pulling the trans. Watch the "Art of Subaru Maintenance" videos on u-tube for a run-down. all 4wd mt 5spds use the same clutch parts, with exception to the xt6, which those parts are considered an upgrade to a regular 5spd 4wd mt. If you have a turbo, replace the baffle seal behind the flywheel. Consider new exhaust studs when going back together.

If you remember the radio that came in the silver xt i junked, it was the "DUAL" brand mp3/usb player that is shorter than a standard radio and should fit. I vote for finding another console to hack up and keeping the original for the car if you decide to go back for show/sale, original condition.

Bent shifter rod? i have had a few 3at's where you had to ram it into park, and one that got out of whack from off roading. try manually actuating the positions from the trans end and see what happens.

I agree with this. If you can get it apart, you can service it. Otherwise, replace with used/rebuilt calipers if it is trashed. I regard this as regular maintenance to prevent these conditions. I advise you should inspect your brakes at least once a year, inspect and lube. Do this especially before and after winter road salts.

Schematilly, thwy should be the same. The only exception that i know of is the DL which does not have the provisions for the extra features in the harness. The Loyale should have all the plugs and harness for any GL accessory that it did not come with. for ea82, wiring schematics should be grouped as follows: 85-86, mechanical disty, round plug for engine harness, black round plug for disty, 87 schematically similar to 88 with 86 style harness plugs 88 and up, give or take the egr, square engine harness plug, white square disty plug, green connector on temp sensor on the thermo.

look for a puddle on top of the block, and coolant runnig off the back of the passenger side of the engine. this would be the little rubber hose under the intake to the top of the block. Maybe there is a leak in the radiator or somewhere high, that it quits dripping once it gets lower than the leak. Maybe the coolant is being pushed out into the overflow. Make sure to fill by the radiator cap. See if a new cap stops the coolant loss as a first attempt.

1995 and newer. databases don't go before 95.

The alternator failed on it about 3 weeks ago. I suppose it is ok being that it has 245,000 and it is the original alternator. I was able to use a 1st gen alternator, which is different. The one i used was a new reman unit. I had to make jumper wires to adapt the round plug on the 1st gen to the square plug n the 2nd gen harness. No gutting, just simple spade terminals from radio shack and some wire, that's all. I have been meaning to take pictures and post this as a write-up. The woman has been driving it for the last 2 weeks since the sterter solenoid is failing in the 94 legacy, leaving her stranded for 5-10 minutwes at a time between deliverites duringt he lunch rush at jimmy lohn's. For fuel economy, i am thinking of swapping the 14" wheels from the xt onto it, or the 15" forester wheels from the 94. I may put the at tires it has on the 94 to see if they fit, and to replicate the wheel ratio with the 94 to gauge fuel economy. The legacy is getting 19.5 mpg with no muffler, and 15" wheels. The trashwagon gets about 16 mpg with the cherry bomb mid-center, but no muffler. The 94 is more snappy with throttle/trans response. I think the trashwagon may be delayed with kicking down as the tires are much larger. I would put the forester wheels on the trashwagon and the 14's on her legacy, but the legacy has dual pot calipers and cannot fit a 14 anymore. Maybe i will swap the dual pots onto the trashwagon. I am considering swapping my dual range into the trashwagon if i cannot sell the whole package deal as a complete at-mt ea82 swap. I already have it versus trying to find a mt car for parts. So far she has used no oil. I hadn't checked it at all, and when i did, i was expecting to add some. The trans leaked out the back of the pan and lefy a puddle in the alley when i had it parked for 2 weeks with a dead alternator. The car was parked on unlevel ground. I think it may have been overfull. She drives fine and i did not have to add ATF. I have a yamaha r6 muffler i want to try and see if that helps fuel economy.

Typical rust belt subaru. I have had rotted out trailing arms and such. I would only say your xt is out with a lack of replacement part, but you can replace that!. you can repair it if you are clever. This happended to scott's (xbeerd) loyale. He swapped in a replacement from an xt6, but only as it became available while repairing the original. He wa abe to repair the original by inserting a metal pipe or tube with a matching diameter and weld it up. If you ask him nicely, he may still have it and ship it to you. It has been por-15'd and all that. You don't find these every day unless someone has whole parts cars or piles of parted cars laying around. I used to have piles of these parts over the years, but have junked them for lack of subarus that need them (by this i mean a lack of subarus in general, since they all rusted away years ago) So to answer yur question, no, your 86 xt is not kaput.