sam888

I aggree with Frag on the timming belt. My mechanic has showed me an after market and OEM belt and the OEM one was wider and looked sturdier. To me that means a stronger belt. Go with OEM original. Sam

My advise, don't buy an aftermarket PCV. Buy an OEM PCV from a dealer. I don't usually like to say to go to the dealer but I had a bad experience when I replaced mine with one I bought at the local auto parts store. When I replaced it my 86 subaru stared burning about 1 quart of oil per month of driving. The priced difference is only a few bucks. $6 vs $14 from the dealer. Sam

When I did mine 1 1/2 years ago I used an impact wrench. I was able to rent one from Home Depot(large do it your self hardware store like Lowes) for about $16 bucks 24hours. Oh yea this one was a Makita electric impact wrench. Worth every penny. Make sure they have the right size socket for the nut. You loosen them up while still on the the car but don't take them all the way out. The impact wrench was also very handy in tightening them back up. Search the news group for "struts". You should be able to find a link that shows detailed instructions on how to the job if you need those also. Good Luck and use lot's of care with these things. sam

I'm not sure about the specific part no's but I have bought NGK's(wires/plugs) thru http://www.speedycarparts.com/ . The site has a way of selecting the parts based on your selection of vehicle make, model etc.. pretty easy. There are of course other sites and some may be better but this is just one I have used and like due to their prices, ease of use and selection. As for the gap check your users manual it should be stated there. I replace my plugs once a year and wires every two years. Oh yea and don't forget to put anti seize compound on the spark plug threads. 91 Legacy LS 2.2 Good luck Sam

A few months back I bought a 96 legacy that also had a oil smell, a burnt oil smell to be more accurate. The smell was most noticeable when i was at a standstill while idling. When I took a look from the bottom of the car one things I noticed was that there was oil(not much) dripping and accumilating on top of an exhaust part. I'm not sure if it was the catalitic converter or the heat shield. In any case the oil even though it was a little would cook on the muffler and give off a burnt oil smell. A trusted Subaru mechanic had a look at it and did not see any mayor problem with the amount of oil leaking. At the time he suggested I get the car steam cleaned and then keep an eye on it to pin point the origin of the leak. Since it wasn't a constant dripping type of leak he didn't see the need to take immediate action. I decided to wash the engine and the underside at my local coin up car wash and that seemed to eliminate the burnt smell. I no longer own this car, I passed it on to my father inlaw but my wife drove it a few days ago and she says she didn't notice any oil smell. I aggree with previous 2.2 is the way to go. I owned a 85 1.8 and now I own a 91 and a 95 legacy with 2.2 engine and my personal experience is that there are alot less oil leaks on the 2.2's. A leak is not a mayor issue unless you have to fill the oil resorvoir every time you fill up with gas. Or you leave a puddle of oil every place you park. I personally do not like the smell of burnt oil in the passenger area while I drive. I recommend you take it to a mechanic you trust and have him take a look at it first before you buy. There is a good one in Seattle I know of if you are in that area. Good luck. Sam

I just want to thank all who responded with solutions. I will take a look at some of the horns you suggested and no I won't consider getting a new wife. A more serious problem arose, my 91 legacy has a leaky sunroof. There is a good post with some good advice on how to fix it. Sam

Well it's not exactly a new Subaru but it is new to us. 95 Legacy LS Wagon. I bought this car for my wife and she loves everything about except the horn. She says it's not manly enough. In her words the horn "is too polite". She wants something that "sounds like you mean it". What I would like to know is do any of you agree with her observation and do any of you have a solution? Can the horn be replaced with something else? sam

I have always carried a small roll of utility wire, a clothes hanger might work but you can buy a small spool of something more maleable that will do just fine. Cost less than $5. doesn't take up much room and can have many applications like keeping a muffler that has lost a bracket in place. A good tool kit is like Pepto Bismol, "It's better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Good luck on your trip. sam