Kilroy

I just used a #2 Robertson screwdriver when I punched the pins at the wrecking yard.

A pair of pliers and some patience.

It's strange that the FWD light didn't come on with the fuse in place. Do all of the lights in your instrument cluster work?

I was afraid the wiring might not match up, the info I am getting from a couple of other Subaru sites suggests that the physical fit will work. I'll search for something between 90-94 then, thanks for the info!

Yup, should have used half of the can for your oil.

Now THAT'S a tool I need in my toolbox!! I've never heard of those, but I'll be on the lookout for one now.

I've found a couple of transmissions for my 1990 Legacy, but they are from a car manufactured in 04/98 and 1996 (code #02ZABAA). Both were mated to a 2.2l engine (same as mine). When going through the car-part.com locator one year at a time from 1990-1998, it seems there was a revision as of 06/95 as it gives you an option to search up to 06/95 and from 06/95 for each of the various types of transmissions. Also, as of 06/95 there were 2 transmission codes for a 2.2L AWD AT (#TZ102Z2ABA and #TZ102ZABAA). Can anyone clarify if either of these transmission would be a direct fit for my Legacy? I've called a couple of Subaru dealerships in my area and got the reply that 'someone in service may know, but they are busy' (which means I have to pay if I want the info). Any other info regarding which year of transmission would be a direct swap with mine would be appreciated!

If you can get a small torch into the wrecking yard, just be careful and cut it off. Torches are small enough now you can put them in your jacket pocket.

Wouldn't it save on potential damage to your clutchpack if you were experiencing the first stages of torque bind?

The 2 1990 Legacys I looked at in the wrecking yard had 287,000km and 330,000km on them, but that's not to say they were in the wrecking yard due to engine troubles.

$100 for BA speakers!? Wow, either they are very low end or they were used. BAs have great sound quality! Another aspect you have to look at ericem is the sound quality and price point. For quality, look at Nakamichi or perhaps Eclipse. The Nakamichi boasts 24 bit DACs, so be ready to mate it with very clean amplifier(s) and speakers. For all the bells and whistles, many Eclipse models have modules for extra connectivity (iPod) and built in Mp3, WMA, etc. The CD5425 is a fairly inexpensive unit and will take care of your input needs. As for making it fit in the oversize H/U space, you will probably have to purchase an adapter no matter what brand/model you choose. I know Alpine makes some oversize models, but am not sure which.

I've never pulled an engine or a transmission, I am doing this completely as a learning exercise. I could simply take the car to Subaru and let them fix it, but I've always wanted to tear apart a motor and rebuild it. It looks like I will have to start with the transmission as that seems to be the problem on my vehicle. I'm not about to tear a transmission down as it is more complex than an engine, but being able to do the work at the wrecking yard has certainly given me experience with this particular engine/tranny. The cost of the tranny and the power steering pump was $128 and they come with a 90 day warranty. I'll be returning my tranny tomorrow and hoping there is an AWD version there (I pulled a FWD version by mistake, DOH!). Any of the small parts/sensors I simply slip into my pocket, they can take it out of the $1 'cover charge'.

Some insurance companies won't even insure a retitled car. :-\

Bingo! Took me 5 hours to pull as I couldn't separate it from the engine and had to pull the whole works. The dowel pins wouldn't release so I had to hang it vertically from the engine and slowly pry it all apart. *sigh* Now to do it all over again. On the brighter side, this is the second one I have pulled and I should pretty well be able to knock my pull time in half for the next one. Baaaaaaaaah!

Nope, no leak. Hell, if I found one without a leak that had 260k on it I would wonder what is wrong with it.

...and give me a good swift kick in the rear! I was so relieved to finally have found a donor transmission for my '90 Legacy AWD that I missed one small point. Can you guess what it is? http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1738295

I was putting in a new power steering pump and I used the turkey baster to take the liquid out. I found some ATF in the garage and took out the power steering fluid that I had dumped in there. The new pump didn't fix the problem I thought it might, but at least it was all done correctly. Now I have to find a place to pull my tranny, ramps aren't going to be high enough.

Shoot for $10K and keep your fingers crossed, dropping the price $1k for a retitled vehicle isn't that much of a shot in the dark. Explain to the seller why you are going lower, I'm pretty sure they already know that the resale is going to be lower than an undamaged vehicle. Also, check eBay for any retitled Subarus around that year as a reference and if you find any print them out to show the seller.

Get the Blue Book price on the vehicle then knock a good 25% off of that. Seeing as the damage is in the rear, the value when dickering should be higher than if it was in the front. KBB.com gives this vehicle a price of $11,355 with the stock option in 'GOOD' condition, but a retitled vehicle is considered 'FAIR' condition, which I can not get a price for on that site. I wouldn't pay more than $9k for said vehicle because you won't get the money back when you resell the car at a later date. You may want to have an independent mechanic/bodyman that you trust look at the vehicle first. ""Poor" condition means that the vehicle has severe mechanical and/or cosmetic defects and is in poor running condition. The vehicle may have problems that cannot be readily fixed such as a damaged frame or a rusted-through body. A vehicle with a branded title (salvage, flood, etc.) or unsubstantiated mileage is considered "poor." A vehicle in poor condition may require an independent appraisal to determine its value. Kelley Blue Book does not attempt to report a value on a "poor" vehicle because the value of cars in this category varies."

I was just refilling the power steering reservoir on my Legacy and noticed on the cap that it said to use ATF DEXRON fluid to fill. I looked at the bottle of power steering fluid that I was using (it was clear liquid) and it made no mention of Dexron and said that it was to be used with Ford, Chevy and Chrysler vehicles. Is there much difference between the Dexron and this power steering fluid other than the obvious red dye color? Should I suck out the fluid I have put in and fill with the Dexron?

~$15 at any wrecking yard in my area. The sensor is actually a couple of wires that runs across the air intake after the air filter.

The cover charge at the most popular yard in my area is $1. You also have to sign in, I believe that is part of a waiver in case you get hurt. They provide A-frames and chain hoists to pull engines if you require one also. I believe the $1 is to help defray the cost of all the chain hoists that go missing and the little goodies that leave the yard in people's pockets.

I've seen many MAFs in the wrecking yards in my area. They may not be new MAFs, but the only cost $15 and you can take them back within 90 days if there is a problem with them.

My Legacy did the same thing and it finally died it at highway speeds a couple of times as well. I replaced the MAF and it fixed it.

Seafoam all the way, that stuff is great!