Anon.II

> I only thought of using the motor out of my Legacy because it is > known good runner, and just had a full reseal/timing job last summer > (only about 18-20K on that), but after a little more thought, > it just seems to make more sense (time wise) to use the parts car motor And now you're back to using the '90? Sounds like you're on your way to success in either case, but I'm just curious as to why you aren't more wanting to keep the '90 running, as it is, and use the parts-car motor which after all is . . . for parts!? What issues leave you not caring so much for losing the use of the '90? (asks me, who is facing '91 issues and in a pay-to-fix vs. discard decision <groan>) Anon.II

> 98 OBW 230K . I am not saying this the right thing to do > but I have been driving around with that light blinking for 2 to 3 years. +1 '91 Legacy L+ wagon 210k : for me, I think that the first such *felt* symptom of this occurred maybe a decade ago; it became more noticeable only later, and I see that "POWER LIGHT FLASHES" in my notes for 2006, and transmission was flushed; it has been highly infrequent over the duration. Sometimes I'd feel it and see the 16flashes after driving a mile to a store, then not feel it on the return; sometimes it will be months between symptoms. Now, I'm looking at an exhaust-system replacement (est. $1,100) prospect, or ... ? --Anon.II

[ chopperbob925, who just joined, unfortunately thought to *join* an old and not obviously related thread rather than start a new one; here, I'll start it for him. ("Transfer Clutch Solenoid" of 2003 was the one he joined.) ] chopperbob925 posts: I have a 1997 Impreza Auto trans. 180k . Problem.. under load in a straight line the car vibarates. Its not the driveline U joints, checked them. Its not a CV axle checked them. I put the FWD fuse in and out and still has the same Viberation. [or 'vibrates', which might sound like "vi-ber-a-tion" under these circumstances ]

Thanks, that's a great, fast listing ! --already have shared it with a buddy (more into working on cars than I). (-;

[in re: 1991 Legacy L+ wgn ] I'm in need of a tail-light assembly, and so far my searches for a used part have failed --NA. And one place had only the wrong side's (driver, not passenger/right), and priced at $75. Which is $100 less than what a local dealer is pricing (not in stock), but the same price as at this site: ( SUBARU-PARTS-DEALER.COM ) http://www.partswebsite.com/subarucatalog/?i=2&make=153&model=2033&year=1991&catid=30201&subcatid=58735&section=137&type=parts ... which makes me wonder about quality/fit. Has anyone dealt with this source, and have some feedback? I have looked at a few other on-line parts sites, and none of them even list tail-light assemblies (or not for my year)! Thanks, --Anon.II

Thanks again. Your quoted price, though, amazes me --esp. tied in with the seemingly arduous extraction to liberate the part : who can do all that and still sell the part for $12?! (Your "Washington" is on the other side from mine (D.C. area), and of the places I've called, I found just one with the wrong side, and @$75.00 (another had a bulb for nearly half the $12).) Which is the same price as the *new* one listed here: http://www.partswebsite.com/subarucatalog/?i=2&make=153&model=2033&year=1991&catid=30201&subcatid=58735&section=137&type=parts So, a question: What's the reputation of this on-line company, "Subaru-Parts-Dealer.com" ? Also, in replacing the assembly, is new sticky tar crap needed, or is the residue from extraction sufficient to hold, along with the two bolts? (Frankly, I'm a bit annoyed at having to replace, as so far as *function* is concerned, my obviously busted lens works fine --white light emits only a little, visible only from a 45deg angle (so, w/right light, the curb). But the law is clear, and even damns a mere crack!) Thanks again, --Anon.II

Thanks. I'd mis-read the info at that parts site and thought there was a separable lens --rather, it was merely separately identified as part of the unit for sale. Okay, I've pinged a couple of junk yards re the part, and await responses. --Anon.II

I need to *fix* my broken (right rear) tail light on a 1991 Legacy L+ wagon. With some boneheaded acts, I managed to crack & break out part of the lens. The lights all work, but in rather brighter-whiter hue than inspection expects. I think I could make do with a LENS vs entire assembly (although some of the amber inner lens is cracked, it shine amber rearwards). I've found one URLink (amongst NAs) for this, I think http://www.partswebsite.com/subarucatalog/?i=2&make=153&model=2033&year=1991&catid=30201&subcatid=58735&section=137&type=parts But in examining the tail light, I don't see any obvious way to remove & replace the lens. (I've only looked at it from the outside.) Advice appreciated ... , thanks, --Anon.II

Ha! I recognize that disintegrated heat-shield corner!! Nice, er, *belt* you put on the waist. I just marveled that mine was holding up sans the two bolts (both corners) at that end, and will have to look into doing some rigging of some sort I guess.

Porcupine73, good photos! How is that photo'd condition, IYHO? --i.e., one can see rusty imperfections, but how much sanding/etc. did you do to that, or is that the workable state (really rough & loose stuff gone) ?! (I confess to having not given much thought to this, but recall that I don't think my pipes were much worse really.) ALSO, again, it seems as though my leak has a direction, which I think is related to the **gasket** --rust, OTOH, is fixed in place on the pipes. So, that suggests some imperfect roundness, IMHO. (i.e., again, the gasket I think rotated some between initial install and re-installs w/added washers; the direction (& volume) of leak changed.) Davebugs, thanks; I'll keep your kind offer in mind. I do have time (emissions test due August). So, you find the non-Sub. parts to have inferior springs, insufficient tension? --not redressable by washers? (Though, as I noted, given the short threaded part of the replacement bolts --JUST enough to go through length of nut, really zilch beyond(!!)--, increasing the compression will entail some added effort/technique to bring pipes close enough to get a fair start threading the nut (after which there is only so far to tighten_.) I'm also remarking at the different appearances of the gaskets -- what PP73 shows being quite *meshy*, and the Advance being more *solid*, covered mesh. BTW, my buddy suggested trying one thought I had about inverting the gasket, as that would put its thicker side towards the Cat-pipe's concave compressing edge; but re-thinking that I figured it would also quickly compress & CRUMPLE the gasket into pieces! (and that WWII bomber airplane sound would come again) I'll go check the Advance springs to get some idea of their coil vis-a-vis the Sub ones (which had ends overlapping about 1/4" and 5 full turns/coils between). Will have to give a little chance to seeing the gasket get compressed into a complete seal. --my preferred repair method, wishful thinking. Thanks, --Anon.II

Recently, my driving became prominent to anyone within earshot when parts of the original joint gasket fell out. 1991 Legacy L wgn, auto. (Thanks to a prior poster for the image of what/where: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/Setright/cat2.jpg ) I got new parts from Advance Auto -- bolts, nuts, springs, and gasket. With a friend's help, we cut off the old bolts (Dremel) and installed the new gasket (which is conical, looking like someone soaked a brillo pad in zinc or ...); but it leaked. The bolts can be tightened only so far --the threaded end just clears the nut, and the thicker shaft snugs up to the plate. (I should remark: the old bolts had the same size EXCEPT for having longer threaded ends -- which would make starting the tightening easier (we used tools to bring the pipes close enough) --; the thick part abutting the plate to the broad flat part compressing the spring is same length.) (I neglected to compare springs; the old ones I see are now as long as the thick/unthreaded part of the bolt.) Well, we added first one, then a 2nd washer (thin: 2mm@?). But at the end of the day (and it was that), there remained a small, felt w/one finger, leak. Quite quiet and all, but he doubts that the emissions tester will think so, or the testor will detect something. --------- Are these gaskets such that with some use --vibration, continued spring compression, heat-- , the rear/cat-side pipe will press ever more into the gasket and finally, completely seal? My sense is that there is a side --and it must be of the gasket, for it shifted between our efforts (1 washer, than 2nd)-- from which the leak comes; i.e., one could mark the gasket at the point, and then *aim* it by rotating the gasket (when loose). So, some imperfect match of roundness of pipe & gasket concave/convex surfaces. I suppose we could try adding yet a greater washer thickness, so that upon tightening, the springs would be even more compressed. But pulling in two broad surfaces that imperfectly match seems to be something that could resist considerable force, at least initially. --Anon.II

Thanks. It's been more like FIVE years, but, again, something rather intermittent, and as best I could, unaggravated (the earlier recommendation somewhere here about doing several tight figure-8 turns sending shudders through ME ...). Is there any symptom of this need (i.e., that the clutch pack is bad, from the abuse)? For most of the time the car's been driven without problem (and maybe yet somewhat guardedly re turning hard). (You see my question re this above, for a datapoint.) --Anon.II

And did the repairs include replacing the clutch pack, or just the solenoid? (If not the clutch pack, how's running?) --Anon.II

Re "what year?", sorry, 1991 Legacy L+ wgn, 182k or so. About 2? years ago, when I first noticed the flashing light, I took it to a transmission shop who found nothing obvious wrong, and they replaced fluid. (Later I read hear Nipper's (IIRC) admonition about trans. shops!) (But local stealership has a something-like-only 60% Wash.Checkbook rating of Getting it Done Right 1st time. It won't be me, but I hope some independent shop who can replace the Duty-C solenoid, if that's the cure.) Thanks, (-;

I'm not the OP, but, yes, egads, from TIME-to-TIME I have the 16 (power) flashes. I've felt the torque-bind shudder as far back as, hmmm, 5 years? --only every so often, then perios w/o (and care at making sharp turns, when evident). Reading here re tires (and needing them badly), I got new tires this summer; the shudder has appeared since, on occasion, and the flashes after. (Am now building a collection of UltiSub wisdom re this problem, to aim to redress it, thanks.) --Anon., II