bosango

Yes, they're 260 mm (10.24"). The entire Legacy line used the same size front rotors in 1995. I have several scraps of paper with all kinds of rotor sizes that I've collected over the last few days!

Yes indeed, according to my plans, and according to Legacy777's absolutely incredible spreadsheet, my proposed setup would have about a 32% forward bias. To me, that sounds like a lot, but I really have no idea what might be considered too much forward bias and I'm assuming it depends on a whole bunch of things. I may just go ahead as planned and see how it feels. I suppose I could always put in 2-pot calipers in the back and bigger rotors if the car somersaults when I hit the brakes. Looks like the local junkyard will have all my options covered.

Thanks guys, great help as always - gotta love USMB!. So, it looks like my options are ~277 mm rotors (like '99 Forester) or ~293 mm rotors (like '02 WRX), along with calipers and brackets. Seems there's no reason not to go as big as possible, so WRX it is. Looking forward to this upgrade, not just because of the towing, but for the all-around improved braking performance, which is certainly a bit on the weak side right now.

Hi All, I was checking the brakes on my '93 wagon for an upcoming trailer towing trip and it looks like the front rotors are just about at the ready to be replaced stage. Originally it had 14" wheels, but the previous owner put on 16" wheels from a ~2000 GT. Now I have bigger wheels with the original rotors (24 x 260 mm) So, should I just replace them with stock rotors meant for 14" wheels or use larger ones? Also, since there's towing in my future, should dual-piston calipers be considered while I'm at it? Anyone know about any fitment issues with any of this?

I've had good luck with the better quality aftermarket sensors, soldering and all. I doubt very much that the culprit is the soldering job (well, unless the wires were mixed up - you might try switching the red and white ones). There's really nothing sensitive or complicated about an O2 sensor. It simply generates a voltage relative to the O2 concentration, say 0.1 to 1.0 volts. A soldered connection would no more impede or otherwise alter this voltage than the plug would, it may even offer less resistance then the plug. Now, if the new sensor sends out a significantly different voltage than a Subaru spec sensor at a given O2 concentration, that could be a problem. This could result in the car thinking that the fuel mixture is too lean or too rich when it really isn't and making automatic adjustments accordingly, which, of course, would make the car run like crap. You could probably test the sensor with a volt meter once it's up to operating temp. Of course, you'd need the factory specs to compare it to - maybe that info is out there.

I had noisy hydraulic lifters on my '93 wagon (as well as just about every VW I've ever owned). I fixed the problem by cleaning out all the oil passages in the rocker arm assemblies and cleaning out the lifters by pumping them up repeatedly in a jar of kerosene. Some of the components have very small oilways that can clog easily. It was obvious right off which lifters were causing the problems because they were squishy when I took them out. The only parts this requires is new valve cover gaskets, unless yours are still in good enough shape as to not leak. The problem can also be caused by a lack of oil pressure to the rocker arms. The culprit here is often that O-ring between the engine block and the oil pump. This is easy enough to replace and gasket kits are available at the local supply stores. I've used both the paper gaskets that come with the oil pump gasket kits and the factory anaerobic sealant method (not at the same time) - they both seem to work fine. One note: It's not necessary to remove the radiator to gain access to the timing components and the oil pump, just take off the cooler fans. You might also try using Seafoam. The stuff does seem to work well at removing offensive gunk. If the oil holes on the lifters or rockers are partially blocked by some buildup you might get lucky.

Dang grossgary - you got huevos! Real nice advice, and an impressive tow, though. And thanks for the specs, wt - I had looked on the cars101 site but assumed the newer ones had all kinds of badass power. Looks like I got the info that I needed. Thanks a million!

Hi all, I searched the forums and found lots of general and second-hand info, but nothing to rely on. So, does anyone know the towing capacity of a '93 Legacy non-turbo LS wagon with auto transmission? I'd like to move some stuff from NM to WI (1,400 mi) and am wondering if my car is up to the task. For the most part, there's only one mountain pass between here and the flatlands, along with some rolling hills from KS on. Any recommendations from those who have towed similar distances or with similar vehicles? I've read a bit about the tranny coolers - are these necessary and if so, where's a good place to mount them? Cheers!

Hey All, My '93 Legacy wagon has developed a bit of a front-wheel shimmy while driving. It's doesn't always do it, and it doesn't shake the car violently (yet). I'm assuming it's bad tie rods. But, I wanted to check with you folks first to see if it might be something else or if there's anything else that should be replaced along with the tie rods. Also, any good tests to narrow down the offending parts? (I tried doing a search for "tie rod" but couldn't because both words are too short/common!) Thanks!

Hey, I just pulled the oil pan in my '93 EJ22 a few days ago. As mentioned elsewhere, it was indeed a major pain, but definitely doable. I took the nuts off the engine mounts, disconnected that sort of swivel/stabilizer bar on the top of the tranny behind the engine, jacked up the engine as far as it would go, and secured it in place. It took a couple of cleaning/spraying sessions to pinpoint the leak, as there was oil spewed all over the underside of the car. Some even got above the timing belt covers. I see what you guys mean about oil going everywhere down there. So here's my question... There are gaskets available for these oil pans, even though they came from the factory with RTV. I purchased a FelPro one locally for about $6. I put a thin layer of Ultra-Grey on both sides of the gasket to hold everything in place during reassembly and it all seems to be working fine now that it's back together. Is there supposed to be an advantage to using sealer instead of a gasket, or doesn't it really much matter? Oh yeah, and I like that hole drilling idea - I almost resorted to it myself. The worst part was getting the four rear screws started during reassembly. It took forever, even after cleaning out the threaded holes with a 6mm tap.

As has been mentioned: re-check the timing. Embarrassingly, I lined up mine wrong after checking it twice to make sure everything was properly aligned (this, after doing it properly only six months prior). The good thing is that I discovered you can easily access everything without removing the radiator. Anyway, the problem was the crankshaft gear. You have to ignore that very confusing arrow stamped on the front of the gear - the real mark is on the oddly-toothed plate on the back of the gear. I believe the woodruff key for the gear should be at six o'clock, though I'm not positive (this is discussed somewhere in the forum). Check out the photos in Sir Ceggleston's link. Hope it's the timing, because it's so easy to fix. And if you're not like me, you'll learn your lesson. Cheers!

Well, I had wanted to take it all to bits and clean everything out as long as it was discharged. But an unexpected time constrained, paired with the stifling New Mexico heat, forced me to get it back together ASAP. The A/C system was discharged because I pulled the engine for new rings, bearings, and all that other stuff. The engine rebuild went nicely except for that friggin' lower left engine mounting stud in front of the halfshaft - damn! The A/C was working fine before the discharge and in retrospect I think I might have been able to move it all out of the way without having to take it to a shop to recover the freon. Anyway, I got the Enviro-Safe kit with the gauge, borrowed a vacuum pump, sucked out all the air and moisture, and put in about two cans of the refrigerant. They claim their stuff is compatible with everything, so I didn't change or add any oil, O-rings, dryer, etc. I did have to file down the valve stem from their adapter to get the coupling to work properly. Result: the low side pressure is about 40 psi, it's COLD, and everything seems to be happy. I figure if something does clog up or poop out, at least now I can service it all at home (following the great instructions in the link above).

Thanks 777 - excellent post! That's just the info I was looking for. Now step aside, I'm going to get me some air-conditioned comfort.

Hi All, Does anyone know the the system refrigerant capacity or pressure for the air conditioning unit on a 1993 Legacy LS? I'm converting to Enviro-Safe and need to recharge the system (it's been completely discharged at an approved facility - $25, no wonder folks are tempted to vent it into the atmosphere). I've heard that in general 50-55 psi should be O.K., but I want to double check that to make sure there isn't anything special about the Subie system. Thanks!

Well, I've tried all your suggestions and still the only thing I can find with any questionable play is the drive axles. The far end of the inner CV joint at the boot has about 4 mm of deflection. Also, when I bang on the differential support cross arms (the ones about a foot in front of the rear wheels, with the big rubber bushings), the drive axles vibrate freely. Now I'm thinking that the play might actually be coming more from the differential side bearings then from the axles. The differential seals are still doing their job as it's all clean on the outside. So here's my questions: 1. Does my diagnosis make any sense? 2. Are these bearings replaceable; the Rock Auto website lists a Timken differential bearing #30208M - is this the side bearing? 3. Would it make sense to replace the axles at the same time? The car has 172,000 on all the original parts. 4. Anything else I should consider replacing while I'm at it? I gotta say how impressed I am at how solid everything is on this 17-year-old car. This is my first Subie (I got it last year) and I will never again drive anything else.

Hmmm... I like those mount ideas. I'll drive it up on some ramps tomorrow and put a jack under the transmission, differential, and anyplace else that I can to see what kind of movement there is. The clunkation is definitely coming from somewhere more or less between the rear wheels. All the exhaust hangers, clamps, mounts etc. appear to be solid, so I've ruled that out. I checked the U-joints by jamming some long skinny tools in the joints and rotating the shafts in opposite directions - no play. I checked the front axles and they do have a little left-to-right play, but no front-to-back play like the rear ones do. Also, driving in FWD mode (with the fuse in) doesn't seem to change anything (though it sure felt like it accelerated faster).

That's the first place I looked - U-joints and center bearing are fine!

Hello all, For some time, I've had a heavy metallic rattle/clunk from the rear of my 1993 Legacy LS. I've finally been able to get the car off the ground and check for any apparent looseness. The only thing I've been able to find after extensive banging and shaking is some play in the drive axles. When I tap on one with a mallet, they both vibrate and there is a bit of a clunking. Also, the inner CV joints wiggle a bit when I pull down on the axles. Since I've never had a vehicle with these slip in axles, how much play, if any, is normal? Is there likely to be any damage to the splined mating surfaces inside the differential from driving around with loose axles or is all the damage/wear usually confined to the CV joint? As always, thanks a million!

Hey there! Water is seeping in under the tracks that the sunroof slides on my '93 Legacy. Quite inconvenient, as if I drive in the rain it looks like I peed my pants. The old gasket is pretty much disintegrated and pieces of it are being carried into the car by water flow. I'm planning on removing the rails, cleaning the surfaces, and running a big bead of silicon where the old gasket used to be. Any reason why this might not be wise? Also, my manual doesn't say anything about sunroofs, so I'm assuming the way to get at it is to remove as much of the headliner as it takes to gain access. Thanks!

Turns out, embarrassingly enough, it was just mud on the rim. I've never had alloy wheels before, so I've never had to deal with that. The dampening thing is something I'm going to look into when I get back home because there's been something loose back there since I got the car a few months ago. I should probably have the balance checked, too. Thanks for everyone's help!

Hey there Subies, I've just limped into Ely, NV with some sort of driveline problem. A month or so ago, I noticed a slight shake coming from the rear of my 1993 Legacy LS. It felt like the shake you get when a wheel is out of balance. Not being a big deal, I let it go (in retrospect, that was probably a bad idea as these things never get better over time). Well, tonight on the highway it went from barely noticeable to practically undrivable at anything over 35 mph as it was shaking so bad. My friend, who thankfully was following me, said my left rear wheel appeared to be bouncing. I pulled over and checked out what I could, but I couldn't find anything obvious: no bulge in the tire, nothing appearing overly loose, some play in both drive axles, but not extreme. Of course, it was dark and the underside was full of mud, so I may have missed something. On a long downhill I shifted into neutral and the bouncing was still just as intense. So, could a tire that's badly out of balance cause such violent shaking? Could it be u-joint or drive axle related? In the morning I'm going to put the spare tire on and see if anything changes. Depending on the cause, I think my repair options might be rather limited here and there's bound to be a wait for any driveline parts, so any advice on where to look first would be extremely helpful. Ely's a nice place, but I'm not looking forward to an extended stay here. Thanks in advance for any and all help!

I'll second rooster2 - I've used those cheap Autozone-type ones on VWs for years and never had a problem and wouldn't hesitate to use them on my Suby when the time comes. I assume that the cheap ones from Rock Auto, or any other supplier on the internet, are all of similar quality (they may even come from the same factory). So no, they're not all junk.

Well, I have a '93 Legacy LS Wagon that came stock with 185/70R14. When I bought it used last year, it had been switched to 16x6.5" alloy wheels that were taken off a '97-'04 Legacy. It now has 205/55R16 tires and everything works fine, with plenty of clearance. The only problem is the speedo/odometer now reads about 2.8% too low because of the larger tires. I know this isn't quite your setup, but but it may be close enough to be helpful. Cheers!

Hey Subeheads, I know sometimes these mystery noise questions can be hard to answer, but hopefully someone might be familiar with this one. I have a '93 Legacy LS which I acquired with the air suspension replaced by standard shocks/struts. Whenever I go over a big bump, it sounds like a heavy metal rod bounces in the trunk (well, I don't have a trunk, or a heavy metal rod for that matter - but that's what it sounds like). I've removed the spare and anything else that might be loose back there to no avail. I've put the car up on ramps and poked around for anything obvious, but it seems I might need to have the weight off the wheels to really check it out. Any idears? Also, along those lines, I like the idea of the air suspension. The compressor and all the plumbing is still in place. Would it be worth it to try to get the air system up and running some day or might this be more trouble/expense than it's worth? Happy New Year to those folks on the other side of the planet!

I see what you're saying there, but there's other factors besides economics to consider. Was it "wise" for me to put nearly 1/2 million miles on my bus and to keep rebuilding the engine, transmission, and every other thing that broke down over time? No way. But there's that satisfaction you get from fixing something and then driving off down the road. Plus, as has been mentioned, that's how you learn about stuff. I don't think there's a single symptom on '70s VWs that I can't diagnose and fix. That kind of knowledge comes in real handy when you hear some strange noise coming from under the hood. It also comes in handy when you come across someone broken down on the side of the road with a similar vehicle. On top of that, why create more junk when you can just fix the junk that's under your hood? At least with a rebuild, you know exactly what the situation is and you know where the weak spots are, if any. With a used engine, who knows? Thanks for all the great advice and info from all you posters - I feel at home already!