SOOBOUTLAW

Nevermind, I just found the spare key my buddy lost a while ago in an old couch.

Broke my only key to the Legacy, can't find the broken piece. Need to break in without damaging anything, don't want to break the glass. My work tools are locked up in there. Coat hanger doesn't do the trick for me. Any ideas?

'80 GL wagon EA71 4wd. Have had her bout ten years. My first Subaru, second car. Did the usual, wheel bearings, cv joints, head gaskets on two motors (stupid stuck thermostats!) three transmissions violated by the same motor (JDM EA71 baby!). Had a cv go bad on me and the axle was rattling around loose for three days before I figured out what the clinking was coming from. Skidded into a curb at 30 and tucked the rear passenger trailing arm underneath (still drove, but dragged the busted wheel). Tons of mud and offroad action. Lots more stuff that I can't think of at the moment. I really gotta put my baby back together cuz she loves the rough stuff. And I'm building her up for more of it. BTW, I can't recall the very first thing I've broke, was a long time ago, and I've probably broke it a bunch of times, and will break it again and fix it til I break it again. Then fix it again. I love my Subarus.

I could have sworn the rear was non adjustable. How do you manage to adjust the rear?

You sure it ain't the bearing? That's always been my case. That or bent control arm.

Took the Brat up to Green Mountain, up the Mountain Loop. Took the right fork, FS road 4110 up to the ridge of Green Mountain (not the summit), climbed up to a peak which had almost 360* view. Mt. Pilchuck to the south, Three Fingers to the north, could see the Puget Sound and the islands, even Seattle skyline. Cold and icy, there was a few inches of snow, bout 3k elevation. On the way down, I decided to do a little wheelin on a trail which FS dug several trenches in the trail, I got through about five of those trenches, the last one was a little too off camber for my stock suspension and body Brat. Buddy in a Pathfinder had no problem getting through the stuff though. But, he had to make a multipoint turnaround while the Brat, with primary front wheel drive, turned around piece of cake. I'll go up that trail again when I get the wagon back together (3+" lift, M/T, welded diff, trimmed body). It's a nice place to wheel a Subaru out there. Been going up there quite a bit lately. Lots of roads and trails to explore. Great camping too. Beware of Sasquatch though, he likes to throw rocks at ya and break branches to try to scare you off.

Went up there yesterday with the Brat and a few buddies. One had a Pathfinder, other was an old mid '70's GMC. Took a road that went up the side of a mountain (Mt Persis, I think). Hit snow!!! Got up to the 8-10" deep, had to go around a Dodge Ram that turned around, went a bit further up to a spot someone else turned around. Pathfinder, in the lead, rolling 31x10 AT radials(pretty wide for snow), churned through the mess in the snow, got a bit further up the road and stopped where the tracks ended. So, I tried to get the Brat through the smush, but she kept sliding sideways(toward the edge, of course). Backed up and tried a couple more times, no dice. I'm rolling 195/75R14 on pug steelies, stock suspension. Passenger tires suck in snow. GMC didn't get a try cuz he was behind me. We all decided to turn around. Piece of cake for me, just put in 2wd in reverse, turn the wheel, and gun it. Slid right around perfectly, while GMC had to back down a ways before turning around, and Pathfinder made a multi point turnaround. Went back down to the mud and drove a bit on the logging roads, stopped at a nice spot to customize the hood off my parts car with some of the arsenel we had along. Anybody ever been out at Proctor Creek? It's on FS road 62 between Gold Bar and Index up Hwy 2. There is a lake out there, Little Lake Cavanaugh, caught a beauty of a rainbow there last may. Lots of roads branching around, some good wheeling spots too.

Alright, 32mm. Thanks. BTW, 36mm is old school axle nuts.

Anybody know what size socket for the axle nut on a '90 Legacy awd? I gotta go buy one and can't get the nut off without a socket.

Need to get me a roller bearing throttle shaft kit soon. Mine is worn so much it won't idle below 2k, because that's what I cranked it up to compensate the vac leak so it won't quit at the stoplights. Might get two, just scored another Subaru with a Weber(new one though).(The Weber not the Soob).

Yeah, I think it's a photochop though.

PB Blaster is some cool stuff. Nice to know it'll remove spray paint. Damn vandals.

I've never put any gasket sealant on the head gaskets, heads, or block. Never heard of anybody doing that except for emergency blown head gasket repair. Might not be a good idea on a new gasket.

If it's the one that's going to the side of the tranny, probably.

But it sure is fun huh?

You don't want all that vacuum junk cluttering the motor. Ditch the metal lines underneath the manifold. You will still have plenty of vacuum connections for other necessary stuff. You can plug the disty vac line into the Weber vac port. You are getting the Weber, right?

Those stupid cone washers have caused me many a problem, making me think a bad wheel bearing or cv when the damn cone washer was worn causing the axle nut to come loose, then eventually frying the bearing. It is more noticible at low speeds because the centrifugal force of the tire/wheel makes the hub float at higher speeds. Something to check out. I do regularly. I would love to bulk buy those washers, they're pricy at the dealer, and I reuse the old ones which I have to retorque often. (I just realized 'retorque' is on the same row on the keyboard).

So true.

+1 for rolling a Subaru before getting your license( I still haven't rolled after going through numerous steep angles (and a ditch) sideways and a curb at thirty, sideways)

You had your tires last three years? I went through 1 and a half sets of tires the first few months I got my Legacy. Although, I popped a couple. Even drove at 70 on the freeway with one flat. Drove fine, a bit squirrely though(didn't realize it was flat).

Yup, different bolt pattern. I tried it once.

Dibs on the taillight, trim and rubber bumper corners from the EA81. ( I'll trade an early bare 20R cylinder head and intake manifold.)

I'm betting bent rim.... Hit a curb?

CORRECTION: The stock tires are 185/70R14. My bad. The jerky acceleration feels like the driveline is twisting. My mom's Corolla had taller tires installed, and before that the acceleration was jerky just like my Legacy. Exact same feel. The tires were a matching set (Legacy).

'90 Legacy wagon. 185/70R14: Stock tire size. Jerky acceleration. Revs pretty high for the speed between shifts(4.11:1, 5 speed). Gas mileage kinda lame compared to my EA7/81 old school. Speedo at least 3 MPH faster than actual vehicle speed, being clocked by radar. 185/75R14: Smoother acceleration, better gas mileage and lower revs at cruising, no noticable loss of torque, and a higher range of speed in each gear. And the speedo is right on. I know the 75's are taller and narrower than the 70's. Don't know why they(Subaru) came with the 70's when 75's drive like they're the right tire size for the vehicle. The 70's were way off. What gives? Anyone else experience this?