raymond338

Okay, I am working (from a distance) on a 1993 Legacy wagon, 2.2L 5 spd, 180k. at first, it would cut off while driving, just once in a while, as if it were out of gas. But it would start right back up and go again Occasionally it would crank up and stutter, then die. It would almost always crank right back up. Now it just cranks up and dies. Will still crank up, but stutters off and dies. I'm thinking it is the fuel pump, but I havn't had a chance to check it yet. The car is my friend's, and he lives 45 minutes away. So my first question is: is there a schrader valve or similar port that I can hook a fuel pressure gauge to? Where is it located? I'd like to know what to take with me (I will be riding my motorcycle, and can't take the whole shop with me) He did change the fuel filter, and said fuel was black coming out the back side. The car had sat for at least 6 months before he bought it and started driving it.

Hello all, I have a 1993 Legacy wagon, 2.2L, 5spd, 180k. The ride is rough, I feel all of the spots on the road. If the rear tires hit a manhole cover it yanks the car around. The tires some kind of studless tires (whatever that means, probably has something to do with snow) and the tread is almost gone, but I don't think that new tires alone will necessarily fix my problem. The tires are worn pretty evenly. One is slightly more worn in the middle (overinflation?). The front passenger tire was worn worse on the inside edge. The other two were pretty even. The tires were on the car when I bought it, and I reckon have been on it for the last 40k miles or so. My first inclination is the shocks need replaced. I was always told to do a 'bounce test' by pushing down on one corner of the car and seeing how many times it bounces up and down to test the shocks. But this car doesn't bounce but once. So by that old adage, the shocks are good. And I don't see any choppiness in the tread. Or hear the tires vibrating. I can take it to almost 90 without any significant vibration. I looked up the shocks on autozone and they want $90 a piece for the cheapest one. Plus almost $300 for a set of tires. Sheesh, that totals out to more than I've got in the whole car! Any ideas? What gets me the most is when the rear tires hit a hole, even a slight one, and it yanks the car around like you wouldn't believe. I can live with the rest, but I've never had a car do this before.

Got all the pieces mentioned above. thanks. Got the automatic out this weekend, will start mounting the MT this week. Will there be a neutral switch I need to bypass or hook up somehow to the MT?

well there is a 91 loyale at our local pull your own part. i will have to check and see if it is 2wd or 4wd. i was there last week and the car was complete. not a lot of subaru's on the road around here. i will need the MT, flywheel and clutch assembly, clutch pedal and cable, shifter and linkage. do i need the cv axles off of the MT car? that is, are they a different length? anything else i need to get? (computer for instance?) just want to get everything while the car is there, cause when its gone its gone...

I have a 98 outback with a blown 2.5 motor but everything else is in excellent condition, AWD 5 spd manual, limited edition leather, the works. I want to switch it to a 2.2L (my personal preference). My wife is currently driving a 1996 OB with the 2.2 and 5spd. It is showing its age and the abuse of numerous previous owners. I would like to fix up the 98 for her. I have a 1997 Subaru Legacy wagon (also AWD manual) with the 2.2. I also have access to a 1992 legacy with the 2.2 and AWD automatic trans. Would one of these be easier to swap than the others? Will the 2.2 bolt up to the 98 MT? I would prefer to use the 97 or 92 so she can keep driving her car while I do the work. Any info or links greatly appreciated. Just getting started; I have plenty of mechanical experience but havn't done this kind of thing and am looking for some experienced guidance. thanks!

Okay, I have saved another subaru from the crushing machine. At least, so far. It is a 1988 DL with an EA82 1800 and front wheel drive automatic transmission. The 'For Sale' advertisement said it would not go into reverse or third gear. I went and looked at it. The car is in amazing shape with only 85,000 original miles. Second owner didn't know too much about cars: the transmission dipstick didn't have a drop of fluid on it. He didn't want to come off the price any (and despite wanting to save the car, I have my financial limits). I suggested that he try putting some fluid in and see what happens. He did so, but to no avail, as he informed me two weeks later when I called him again (saw the advertisement reposted). I went and test drove it. It did go into 3rd gear for a little piece (1/2 mile) and it pulled well, but it seems to be slipping. The engine will rev and the car will no longer accelerate. Especially after it is wamr. If I drop it from 'D' to '2' the car downshifts (but it doesn't pull in 3rd, leastways not much). Reverse works slightly when I first crank it and its cold. It will drive backward, but any attempt to accelerate seriously results in the engine revving with no additional movement. After that I can 'rock' it in third by revving the motor up and down, but it won't actually GO in reverse. I drained the fluid out he put in, black as hell and thin. I refilled it. No real difference and the fluid is still dark brown. I thought maybe flushing it out might save it. I am willing to try again a couple of times. But I thought I would seek someone who might have more knowledge about this car or automatic transmissions in general. I thought maybe these signals would mean something to someone with more experience. I bought the car without expecting the transmission to be any good, so there will be no great disappointment if it needs rebuilt or replaced, but obviously I would prefer any attempt to repair it without all of that expense and effort. I hate for the car to end up as 'parts', but better that then its only other destination: the smelter! Unfortunately the only parts that will interchange with my 1980 DL is probably the tires. Any info is appreciated, including anyone that knows if I can switch out the tranny for a manual. I have access to a 1991 Loyale with an 1800 and a 5spd.

When I got my 1980 DL 1600 the previous owner had installed a weber (34/36 I think). I got 21 or 22 mpg on the first tank. I switched the vaccuums around (someone above mentioned this) and the next tank I got about 30mpg. I don't remember which went where, but the right one has to be hooked to the advance or no tuning in the world will correct the fuel economy. After a second tank at 30mpg, I tuned mine by ear and averaged 32 mpg for the last 50,000 miles going interstate speeds (65-80mph). If I keep the car below 55mph I average 37mpg. The best I've gotten is 38.25. I check my fuel mileage every fill-up, as it is a good indicator of other problems.

Okay, here is where I am at... I've had a jumper ground wire attached since the last time I posted. I had to meet a guy early the next morning, so i drove out to my buddy's place in the country about 5 am. Car is running fine, but of course it didn't shut off when I got there. Since the previous time I didn't actually have to disconnect any wires to get the car to shut off, I tried a different tactic this time. I turned the key switch off (car still running) and then tapped the VR very hard twice. The car shut off. So a sticky contactor, I'm thinking. From sitting on the shelf too long perhaps. I was meeting a guy who was going to transport a 98 Outback motor to Kentucky, so I drove down to the end of the driveway to meet him, cuz you can't see my friend's house from the road. At the end of the driveway, i cut the keyswitch off and the car actually shut off! It has not given me any problems since. Apparently it just needed a rap on the head. I took a brief look just now at the info in the link you posted, naru. The screw I suspected of being the adjuster is indeed so. I think I will try and get the old VR working properly. The new one is not adjustable and I'd like to understand how they operate so that in the future I will not be lost and confused by such problems as this. Sorry about the delay in the conclusion. The day after the car began running properly my brakes began squealing terribly. So I got everything together and replaced the front pads. I have never done a brake job with the calipers that have to be turned in rather than pressed back down. I didn't even know they were made that way that long ago (I thought it was a newer idea). So that was another little adventure in Subaru-dom. So now I've just got to replace that rear strut. And I'm sure something else will go wrong, but that will just keep me paying attention...

I have not been offered a solid state VR by any local parts store. The new ones are the same style as the original hitachi that my car had in it. Except they seem put together a little cheaper (I opened the new VR, it is definitely not adjustable, it is all rivets, not a single screw). I took my original VR apart today as well. I only see one screw that appears that it may be adjustable, and it is on the contactor that controls the voltage. I'll try and get a picture of it to show you what I mean, rather than try and describe it. The other screws may also allow for adjustment, just in a way I didn't recognize; closer inspection on my part will be required. It appears that the new ones are all failing in the contactor that controls the lights and the car shutting off. From what I observed today, I believe those two issues are tied into one contactor.

With the old regulator in place, disconnecting the ignition switch kills the engine. With the new one in place, disconnecting the ignition switch does not kill the engine. I have not actually checked to wire for wire if the two plugs are correct, but they are designed to only go together one way. The warning light does not stay on when the ignition is off.

So I looked deeper into the VR's today. They each contain two contactors inside. One contactor is in the down position when the key is turned so that the warning lights are on. When the car is started (and some voltage/signal is received) this contactor moves into the up position and the lights go out. When the key is turned off, this contactor SHOULD go back to the down position. Or in my case, with the key off and engine still running I can push the contactor down and the engine will cut off. THe other contactor controls the voltage. The old/original regulator does manage to allow 14 volts out of the alt when the engine is revved up after first cranking it up. After driving 60 miles, it is only putting out 12 volts. Since the one contactor controls the warning lights and the engine cutting off, all of the new VR I have had have a problem in the same 'circuit'. The old/original one does not have this problem. I need to understand how the contactors actuate better. For instance, perhaps my old VR is working in this circuit because it is weak allowing a weak signal to actuate it. Whereas the new ones are not working because they cannot actuate under the weak signal. I drove to work today with the old VR. It was putting out fine when I left my house, 14.4 volts under revved conditions. By the time I got to work it was putting out 12.3. Since I was driving home in the dark, I put the new VR in forthe ride home. I figured I'd just unplug it to turn off the car. Upon arriving at my house, the keyswitch failed to turn off the car (as expected). When I went to unplug the connection, I heard the contactor click and the car shut off, without actually disconnecting anything. The VR is loose. I didn't even bother to try and tighten it since the bolts won't tighten anyway. So I don't know if it was the light tap as I reached my hand past it and grabbed the plug or possibly a broken/weak wire leading up to the plug. Those are just my first thoughts. It is too dark to bother with now. I will continue to carry an extra battery; I may have to go buy a trickle charger. My methods may seem slow and tedious, but I'm working within the constraints I exist in. Plus the longer I let it go, the more likely something is going to break completely, which will make it easier to diagnose, IMO.

okay, here we go again. Returned the VR to the store for a refund. Ordered another from a different store (Wells brand, though it looks identical). Put the part on. Cranked it up. Car is charging 14.5 volts at the alternator, but the warning lights did stay on in the dash. The bolts holding the unit to the fender no longer tighten down, so I thought maybe it wasn't grounding out properly. Jerked the VR around a bit. Looked inside, warning lights off. Don't know if its a grounding issue or just the movement of it unstuck a sticky contact. Thought I could just run a ground wire to eliminate doubt. Tried moving it around some more to get the lights to come back on. No success, lights remained off. Checked all the voltages. 14.5 at big wire, 7 and 12 at the two prong connector. Allow myself to feel immense relief after all of this frustration. Begin thinking about the wonderful post I will put up, full of clever remarks and witty comments about defective parts. Put away the tools and shut the hood. Turn the key off. The car keeps running. I'm so fed up I don't even bother to curse. Unplug the little black wire. Car keeps running. Unplug the main VR plug, car shuts off. Shut the hood and get about the rest of my business for the day. On a different note, the battery currently in the car is brand new, a couple of weeks old. I bought it the night my car didn't make it home so I could get home. The original battery I had in my car is only 15 months old, and I put it in my truck which has been running along fine with it. I'll have to take some time and look at the internally regulated alternator swap. However, I believe that I should be able to fix this problem and run this car 32 more years with the current setup. I think I will open up the VR and take a look at what is going on inside. My original thought was that there were contactors sticking, possibly from sitting on a shelf for decades since I don't imagine these parts are purchased very often, seeing as how I've never seen another subaru as old as mine anywhere near here. My original theory on bad parts is getting shakier with every additional bad VR. But I also don't see how something else on my car could be causing this problem. Although this set of circumstances seems about par for the course when dealing with electrical problems. Any reason I shouldn't drive my car as is temporarily? I plan to carry an extra battery just in case. In actuality I have no choice but to drive the subaru to work. The seal between my hydraulic brake booster and my master cylinder finally went out in my chevy truck this weekend. It leaks power steering fluid out about as fast as I can put it in (and the power steering also powers my brakes).

So I went to the store and exchanged the VR. Didn't have time (take time) to put it on. Went to get in the car last night. Click, no juice. Didn't have time to deal with it, drove the truck to work. Just looked at the car. Put the truck battery in the car. Left the truck running and put the car battery in the truck. It loaded down, probably pretty dead battery. Cranked the car, no warning lights. Checked voltage at the alternator: 12.5 on the big wire, 6.3/11.3 on the small wires. Doesn't seem to be charging, voltage is low. Switched to the new VR. Cranked car. TA-DA! 14.5 volts at the alt. Feeling foolish for not having put it on sooner, I go to cut the car off. Key is off, car is still running. Try it a few times, car still running. Unplug the pink connector from the back of the ignition switch, car still running. Go unplug the VR main connection, car cuts off. VR is warm on the 'bottom'. Put the old VR back on. Now I get 13.5-14.5 volts at the alt, depending on how much i rev it. Still in the 12's at idle. Turn the key off, car cuts off. Try cranking and killing it several times, checking voltage each time. seems okay. Put the new VR back on. Crank the car. Getting 15 volts at the alt, then 17, then 19, then 20 (never seen that before! my battery will be charged in no time!). Go to cut the car off, at the key switch, doesn't cut off. Unplug the little black wire at the VR first this time (just by chance) and car cuts off. So I guess this VR is no good either?@? Going to go try again, I guess, unless someone has a better idea. Standard brand VR, made in the USA. I'm beginning to think I should go to radio shack and build my own VR lol. Just thought I'd update and also see if anyone had any better suggestions. Ps. I think I was better off with the last 'new' VR. At least the car cut off, even though the warning lights stayed on while driving. Grrrrrrrr.... Pps. I wonder if my old alternator is good. Maybe the old VR was just acting up...I kept it to have it rebuilt, maybe I should test it...I just figured new parts would be a good idea after 32 years and driving 100+ miles a day on these old ones, but so far the new ones aren't working out too great.,.

I had 0.16V at the white/red wire with the keyswitch on. The same with the engine running. I had to pull the VR off the fender to test it, so I went ahead and switched it out with the old one. cranked the car, lights went out, no problems. I'm guessing the contactor for that circuit was sticking, probably the part sat on the shelf for one too many decades. I guess my alternator went out. I replaced both parts as recommended, and got a good alt and a bad VR from the parts house, LOL. I exchanged it for another new VR which I'll try out tomorrow or the next day. Maybe I should just leave well enough alone, but that wouldn't be any fun now would it? Thanks so much for all of your guys's knowledge and help!

Car is still going, battery appears to be charged. There are three wires going to the positive battery cable: one large wire going to the starter, a white wire coming from the alternator I think and a black wire with a white stripe. The black wire with the white strip does not have any voltage (before nor after the fusible link). Seems like it ought to since its going to the positive terminal. I just saw the updated posts above (my screen did not refresh for some reason). I will take a good look at the scan above and check the voltage on the white/red wire in the morning/daylight.