swi66

98 Legacy Postal with automatic tranny. 160,000 miles on car, probably 70,000 on the engine "Check engine light is on" Just checked it this morning at fill up. 30.3 MPG combination city/highway. I drive 28 miles a day to work one way, 45-55 mph highway driving, with about 5 miles of stop and go city driving thrown in. Just put outback struts on the car..........best its riden in 5 years.

Thanks for the replies........ Our Legacy was a bit low, and the struts were shot. Wanted to gain a bit of height for ground clearance. That's why I used the Outback struts, they appear to be an inch and a half longer, and much more beerfier than the originals. And my wife still uses it occasionally for mail delivery and the boxes are higher than her car. The current 14" wheels look tiny in there now that it raised up. A larger wheel/tire combo would fill the wheel well and gain a bit more height as well.

I have a 98 Legacy Postal. I'm adding the Outback struts to gain some height. Already done the rear, fronts next weekend. I was thinking about going to the 15 inch outback wheels and tires. But was wondering how much off my speedometer would be. How would I go about correcting it? Would it read higher or lower than actual speed? And by how much? Would it affect anything with the computer???? Thanks for any info................. 160,000 finally got around to changing the struts.........

My 98 Legacy has the check engine light on too. Basic reason is a motor change to one without an EGR system from a stick car to a car with an automatic......... Every year I have it down to a science where I clear the codes and run it to get the not ready indicators to go off. Then I have a narrow window of opportunity where everything is OK to get it through inspection. Light comes back on for the ride home..........but good for another year. I live in New York...................

Subaru does hold its value more than anything else, still with that many miles...................5G would be a good price, I doubt if you would get anymore, probably would not get near that if anything for trade in.

Be sure and use a respirator while welding stainless. The welding of stainless releases hexavalent chromium which is quite nasty and of big concern for OSHA these days. swi66 Safety Co-ordinator

He has the lift, the welder/torches, the shop, and is in business. Hate to say it, but most likely worth it. Of course I would have Mig welded it...........with my own welder while the car was up in the air on my lift.............

Best bet would be to sell the automatic car and buy a stick car. It is way more to it than there seems. Though I have not done it myself, I have put a motor out of a stick car to replace the one that came with an automatic in mine. On a 98 Legacy at least, the automatics came with an EGR system, the stick cars did not. My computer wants to know where the EGR is. The computer for the automatic also controls the shift points. Now the computer will not know what to do. If you are thinking of using the "stick" computer fine, but is the wiring different????? Now if vehicle inspection where you live is not concerned with a car that has a "Check Engine" light on, well maybe OK. But where I live not OK. I have to play with it for quite awhile to get the Light out then have a narrow window of opportunity so I can get the car inspected before it comes back on................. It would be a big waste of time to go through all the work and end up with a car that will not pass inspection.................

Well, tried bypassing the proportioning valve. No better. Was going to try installing a used booster from a left hand drive legacy and found that the clevice was different so I would now have no option but to get a new or re-man right hand drive booster................ When disconnecting the vacuum hose from the booster, it hisses, doesn't that mean the booster should be good? 3 hours to R&R the booster, only to find I had to put the original back on............aaaaaarrrrgggghhhhh

I have one of those portable booster boxes. The one I have has an air compressor and a light as well. All in all a very useful tool. If you have another car, "BORROW" the battery for the subie.

Don't even try it.......... Last car I knew you could do that on was a chevy 2 speed powerglide. And I have done it with my Corvair with a 2-speed powerglide. Look at it this way.............spend 20 bucks for a set of jumper cables instead of risking thousands of dollars worth of tranny repairs..........

I've had this happen too often on my legacies........... The shaft rusts, wiper quits, and it doesn't take all that much rust or corrosion, maybe even dirt to stop it.............. I always fear breaking the window when messing with these........... mine has been out for 2 years now..........

It is my large fingers that typed 88 instead of 98 on the original post........ It is a 98 Legacy. So how hard is it to change a booster? And does anyone other than the dealer carry them......... swi66

The reason the brake line went in the back was the salt and sand packed around it above the differential. Front lines and the ones running through the passenger compartment look new.......... I can't hear any hissing coming from the booster. Thing is, when I start the motor, that's when the pedal goes 3/4 to the floor and becomes spongy. Doesn't that mean the booster is doing something???? AS for taking it to a dealer............Closest dealer is 1/2 hour away, and the first thing they want is for you to drop the car off. They will NOT give an appointment where you wait, or where you can be there when they test the car. No loaners, no way home..........also they have had a history of mis-diagnosing problems with me.......so I don't trust them. Have not found a "local" mechanic that knows any more about these than I do..........that's why the car is so frustrating.

Update............ Yesterday installed a left hand drive master on the right hand drive subaru. Just had to re-route the 2 brake lines from one side to the other and they bent well enough to do so. Bled brakes.......................same thing!!!!!!! As soon as I start the motor, brakes went 3/4 to the floor, still spongy! Then got back into car, grabbed the steering wheel to the bending point and with both feet pushed on the brake pedal for all I was worth........... Blew a brake line! YES!!!!!!!!!!! Maybe a line was seeping........and I couldn't find it! Of course it was one of the rears that you cannot see......... So I replaced both rears splicing into the front to rear lines under the back seat.........cut and re-flare. Bled brakes again...........pedal goes 3/4 to the floor......still spongy! Drums, Rotors, shoes, Calipers, Pads.........within a year old. The only thing not replaced is the power booster.............but! Why can I bleed the brakes to rock hard, then start the motor and then have them go spongy...........doesn't that indicate the booster is doing something??????? I'm really going crazy over this............ swi66

Oh, and $500 for a parts car isn't bad............. just for axels, bearing assemblies, alternator, Power steering pump........ if you have a place to put it..........get it! swi66

I have had a 91, 94, 98, and 99 POSTAL Legacies and all have had the 2.2 These were "fleet" type vehicles so I would imagine it would be odd to have a 2.5 in one. Very few options were available for these, most came loaded, your chopice of cassette or CD radio. Other options were pretty much dealer bolt ons.......... I will try the master cylinder. I will have to use a non Right hand drive master and re-route a couple lines as they come oout of the cylinder on the opposite side. NAPA don't have a listing on a RHD Master. swi66

I have a 98 Legacy Postal. NO ABS Brake pedal is spongy as anything, goes almost to the floor. Wheel cylinders are not a year old, front calipers 6 months old. Bled completer system twice, pedal hard as a rock until I start the motor. Then barely enough brakes to stop the car. I pulled master cylinder away from the power booster enough to see is it was leaking. Could not see anything. Any suggestions??????? swi66

Air impact gun works well. If you don't have one, have someone put their foot on the brake, while you use the breaker bar. swi66

I asked that question earlier........... I'm a Corvair and Subaru owner............ You???????????? swi66

I did the boot deal once............ lasteed about a month, very dirty and messy, then came apart. swi66

Maybe it's the Boxer engine????????? I don't have a classic VW........... Does an air cooled Corvair count????? Have 4 of them............... swi66

that is about the right price for a re-man...........and I think it's pretty fair. Try calling a dealer for a price and you will see. I go with NAPA as I have never had a problem from them. The CV joint alone will probably go for at least $30, and then you would have to change it. Best to get the re-man. swi66

Call NAPA for a price on a re-man, tjhat's where I get mine. I can't tell you what I paid, but I got mine with a jobber discount........ Lifetime warranty, certainly better than trying to change just the CV. swi66

From the other point of view.................. Speaking as a guy who has inspected cars for years....... If most people had seen what I had seen as far as the condition of the cars I have failed..........they would be afraid to go near a highway. I've had people tell me, "I don't want an inspection, just a sticker!" In other words........my car is unsafe to drive, but I want to anyways..... Many have told me year after year........"I'm getting rid of this in a few weeks, so don't worry about it". Probably the last inspection I did was a beat up old K-car. Bald left front tire with cords hanging out, lower ball joint ready to fall out, left outer tie rod, a couple of lights out, shredded wiper blades. Woman swore she was getting rid of it soon. Cried cause she did not have money to fix it. Then called me every name in the book because I failed it and still wanted her to pay for the inspection. I had to tell her I would call the police if she left without paying.............Then told her I didn't think the car was safe enough to drive across the parking lot, let alone home with that ball joint and front tire the way it was.................By the way, the spare in the trunk was in the same condition, and flat............