rweddy

You will get about 2 more mpg by doing a 2wd conversion. MPG has more to do with drag, gearing, weight, etc. than 2wd vs awd. Keep your awd and run syn fuilds, you will get the same gains and still have a real subaru.

Subaru's are very tight cars, they are built great so you should hear nothing. Get it checked out by a good shop or a mechanic and you will be good to go.

I agree Steve, you will pay a bit more to get a nice one in Colorado. I think the 96-99 is the best looking of the outbacks. And the HG issues are over rated on this board.

Just like Jamie said, but the 96 5sdp had the bullet proof 2.2. Also the 2.5 HG issues is something to look out for but do not let this scare you away. I have several freinds who have 200k and up on thier orginal HG.

96 5 spd legacy obw 2.2 96 auto legacy obw 2.5 96 was the last year of the non-interrference 2.2, great car, took me a while to find mine, I wanted 2.2 with cold weather package and factory upgraded stereo.

93 Loyale

My brother-in-law just moved to Phoenix, AZ and he is looking for a good honest shop in the area. Any recs???

HG issues are not as bad as you read on this list, I know several that have over 200k with no issues. I you are not a throttle jockey you can get upper 20's with a outback. I have a 5 spd and get 29-32 highway, my father in law has a 03 auto and he gets 28 highway. Besides the HG issues that have issues on some cars, these cars are bullet proof, easy to work on, parts are cheap, etc.

Could not have said it better myself! IMO I would rather work on a 90 up legacy then an older subaru, (expect for maybe my old 76, loved that car! ). Timing belt are cheaper to have replaced on a legacy than on my brother-in-laws 93 Loyale. Most parts and such are right in line with older subarus and some even cheaper. BTW

Exactly, they own part of Subaru. Everyone forgets that fact that GM did not have any say in design or anything else associated with the company. They held some stock but not a controlling interest. The only thing this allowed was joint ventures with Saab, and maybe some leverage with parts suppliers.

You have obviously never owned a Toyota. I have owned many, the 3.0 v6 has terrible hg issues, as well as the new 3.4 motors. The RAV4 have major issues with sludge and deposits in the engine and timing belts need replacement ever 60k and dealerships charge $1400 for the service. Yes there are some HG issues, but that aside Subaru's are very reliable and cheap easy to work on. I agree they are still not up to Honda which imo is the benchmark for the industry. I also hate hearing about how old Subaru's were so much better. What about the HG issues on GL-10s? What about the constant oil leaks on the 1.8 motors, etc. Have you ever replaced the timing belts in a 1.8 before? How many times have you had to re-seal the oil pump? I am not drinking the Kool-Aid here, I am just saying overall Subaru's are very solid reliable vehicles and they are not as bad as what you will find from Ford,GM, Audi, VW, etc. vehicles.

This is a bit high, I would low ball them. I picked up my 96 with 70K, cold weather package, they were asking 9k got them down to 6k little over a year ago.

Thanks! I am concerned with the cam bolt, for the crank this is a great trick. Does anyone know if you can get the cam bolts off by keeping the belt in place, locking the engine in place, then breaker bar them off?? Anyone?? Thanks

Just to reiterate what was been said already, Subaru’s are very reliable vehicles. I have owned lots of Subaru’s and Hondas. Hondas are great cars; actually have a 03 right now. This board is for venting, I have taken multiple Subaru’s over 200k and have one right now with over 100k and have not done a thing to it. There are some HG issues which are pretty rare but even Toyota and Honda are having these issues also. Subaru’s fill a nitch that Honda does not, they have a good AWD system. Honda only brings their Real time AWD system to the states which is a joke. And you cannot get an Accord or Civic wagon here in the States, can you in Canada? Don't be scared of the things you read hear for every person who has an issue on this board, there are five that have had no issues at all.

I was told that these could be losed up before you take the belt off? Can't you do this the same way you do the crank pully with the car in gear or a screwdriver in the flywheel?

Thanks for the help! My car is a Manual and this is my first time on a newer subaru.

Thanks! I think I have all the belt cover gaskets. 1.00 13586AA041 Sealing Belt Cover No2 1.00 13581AA050 Sealing Belt Cover R 1.00 13594AA041 Front Cover Seal Am I missing any?

I am getting ready to change my timing belt on my 96 2.2 legacy outback, am I missing anything? Thanks Q Part Number Description 1.00 21200AA072 Thermostat 1.00 21236AA010 Thermostat Gasket 1.00 21111AA007 Water Pump 1.00 21114AA051 Water Pump Gasket 1.00 13028AA102 Timing Belt 2.00 806732150 Camshaft Oil Seal 2.00 806946030 Camshaft Housing O-Ring 1.00 806733030 Oil Seal (Crank) 1.00 806919050 O-Ring (Oil Pump) 1.00 13586AA041 Sealing Belt Cover No2 1.00 13581AA050 Sealing Belt Cover R 1.00 13594AA041 Front Cover Seal 1.00 807615081 WP Bypass Hose 1.00 806923060 O-Ring (not sure)

Or better yet a FJ80 Diesel!!

Wow you drive more than me!! I drive 2000 a month and my 96 gets me 30-32 mpg. I know, I would love to get a jetta but they are way too $$$ and they are nowhere near as reliable as japan cars. And VW dropped the ball big time, no TDI wagons will be available until 07 since they are moving production to Mexico.

Here are the facts, Hybrids are not worth the extra money. Lets compare Toyota Prius which is one of the most popular Prious costs 22,000 base (most are paying much more ) This gets 60 city 51 Highway Echo cost 11k basically same car, same dimensions size etc. This gets 35 city 42 mpg Highway How many miles would you have to drive to make up the $10,000 dollars price difference?? NEVER! Even if you drive 2000 miles a month (I do) at $3 gallon the difference is only $25 dollars a month!!! Also you have to worry about dealership only maintance, how long will the battery last, etc. I like the idea of Hybrid but the numbers do not work out. Now diesel on the other hand I love. You can get a jetta wagon right now that gets 50-60 mpg. Diesel motors last much longer than gas and you can even convert them to run on veggie oil!!

I would love a Diesel but not a hybrid, or any mix if it. Read this before you jump on the Hybrid bandwagon. http://www.autobytel.com/content/shared/articles/templates/index.cfm/article_id_int/366/id/25467

You are defiantly in the minority here. I am a Trainer and run training departments and manage trainers for several companies. My teams travel all over the USA and we always talk about the things we do to rental cars. When someone says they are hard on rentals loaners, they are not saying we do jackrabbit starts, or hard braking. Most drivers do things like neutral drops, high speed emergency break u-turns, throw the car in park while still moving, jump speed bumps and large curbs, etc. This is not to mention the fact of poorly followed maintance schedules. My friend works for a Major Rental company and they rarely do maintance on the vehicles since they keep them for a year or less. It is also very hard to keep up when lets say a car has had 3500 miles on it, it needs it next service but it is rented out and the driver puts 3000 miles on it. He is always telling me how the drivers at his company use the rentals for ad hoc rally races in the parking lots and to and from sites also. It has become such an issue that the rental companies are no longer selling their cars to the public, they are selling them back to dealership or manufactures and these dealers are labeling these cars as program cars or "demo".

Who is telling you it is a factory demo? This is stealership code words for Rental Car. What is happening now is dealerships buy cars back from Hertz/Avis/Etc and call them Factory demo's or program cars. A dealership would never let a demo car go that high. I would never buy a rental car, I know what I do to them!!

We need to make this a sticky thread since this topic comes up ever few weeks. MPG has to do with weight, drag, gearing, etc. By putting in the fuse this will affect mpg by 1 maybe 2 mpg at most and can damage the solenoid. The only way to get better mpg is to lose weight, remove all seats, use low weight wheels, low resistance tires, and since this is a Forester chop the top to cut down in wind resistance!