Gnuman

Bluebird, that does not sound like normal behaviour for a valve tap, but it is notmal for piston slap, which is similar and very common on these cars. The noise is similar to a diesel engine, when the engine is cold, then goes away when warm. This is usually first noticed on cold winter mornings, fading away in the summer.

I think the wagons are a much better choice if you are expecting to have to sleep in it. I know my car is New-Gen but if you look inside the back window, you will see the pile of curtains I have made for my wagon. See, I actually live in my Subaru. A 4ft bed would be way too short to be comfortable, even for 5'7" ole me. . .

Let's see . . . How about these to start with?

Sorry, I guess I should be more explicit, as the signatures have gone byebye. . . Emily is my 92 Legacy L wagon, AWD 5MT, Ice Blue (light blue metalic, very very nice looking color). When I got her at 135K miles, about 15 months ago, she had steel wheels, chewed up seatbelts, the ordinary plain seats, and a fair number of dents. I have since added a towing hitch (which I have put to good use), the top model of seats (the drivers seat has, in addition to lumbar support, the lever for height adjustment, both front seats have pockets in the rear and the headrests that adjust front and back as well as up and down. The rear seats also have headrests), an 80W Radio headunit from 1 year earlier (to get the AUX port in the front), a CD Player head from an SVX (I had also gotten one with the headunit, but that one is in need of repair), Alloy wheels from an LS, a Roof Rack, a rear deflector (throws air down the back window to keep it free of rain and snow while driving), and the "privacy cover" to go over the cargo area. In addition to this, I had replaced the doors with ones that were not dented, and the rear bumper (which had been bent in a rear end collision), the webbing for the seatbelts, and the headliner (which was fairly torn up by the dogs that had chewed up the seatbelts). Mechanicly, I have replaced the balljoints, clutch, thermostat, radiator cap, battery, and tires (well if you want to count the regular oil changes. . .). what I got with the donor was doors and rear bumper that match the original paint, along with a new headliner (that I will need with the sunroof), a sunroof, and a rear sway bar. Oh, and Alloy wheels that are in better condition than the ones I have. All that will be left after this round of retrofitting will be the driving lights and struts. At 200K miles, I plan on replacing the timing belt, refurbishing the oil pump, and resealing the engine. In addition to this, I scored a block heater in one of the repairs I did, so I wil be installing that at that time (not that I really need it. . .). Also awaiting installation are a lightweight flywheel, and high pressure pressure plate and clutch that were scored from a tuner Impreza 2.5. This is a valuable upgrade as now I can spin my clutch by taking off too hard. I don't like that situation. . .

Oh, and if any of you have similar reports about your favorite Subarus, please share them with the rest of us here!

Well, the boss sent me out to check on a possable donor car for a couple of projects, and to my great pleasure it was also a great donor car of Emily (my wagon) as it was exactly the same color (Ice Blue - a Light blue metalic) and the same year. Added to this it is an LS, which privides me with the rear sway bar and sunroof that I want. By the time I'm done stripping this car, the only thing I will need to complete the refit are repairs to the two right doors, AGX shocks, and driving lights. For anyone that is keeping score, Emily is sitting at just over 190K miles on the ODO, running very strong and capable. Will still break 110MPH easily (before she hits the fuel cutoff at 115, then coasts up to 120), and makes a fairly reliable 27MPG with the cruise set at 85MPH on the freeway. She holds the road like she is bolted to it (and I can only see that improving), and hauls loads that simple blow away anyone that sees them (Hauled an engine and transmission from the south bay to home, hauled a Mustang 5.0 on a dolly, hauled the donor Legacy wagon on a dolly, hauled two engines from SF to LA. . .), and barely blinks at it. As soon as the bodywork is done (correcting the neglect of the original owner, who had no use for bodywork unless it was something functional), Emily will be as beautiful on the outside as I find her to be on the inside. Even so, she cannot be replaced, so she will not be for sale at any price, at any time.

Areas of concern are the wiring (massive changes there), sensor types (not sure how much they changed in that time frame), and the exaust connection to the heads (IIRC, the porting changed during that time). It may be easier to find a not-rusty 94 from one of the salt-free areas with perhaps a dead engine/tranny to swap into.

Heya Rip! OK, as the extremely happy owner of a 92 Legacy Wagon (well two actually, but I got the second one for my ex-wife so she would have a reliable and safe car to cart our daughter around in), I can tell you that the 90-94 Legacies are great all-around capable cars. in 95 they redesigned the car and the newer version has a bit wider turning circle, and is bigger and sleeker on the outside. Inside, there were a few modifications made to placement of controls and instruments (almost a mirror of the original placement), but the interior room is almost identical to the 90-94. After about 99 (IIRC) they were all 2.5L engines. The Outback came with the larger engine (and 30 more horses), that had the infamous headgasket leak. This leak was due to a headgasket design that was not up to the task of sealing the heads. At least not for the expected lifespan of the engine. Because of this, the headgasket would fail, causing the compression from the engine to escape into the cooling jacket, pushing the coolant out of the overflow container, and causing a coolant vapourlock. this vapourlock would then cause the engine to overheat (often the first sign that the owner ould notice that something was wrong). The overheating would then warp the heads, making matters worse. The redesigned headgasket is much better and is in fact up to the job, thus resolving the problem for good (depending, of course, on the quality of the work performed in replacing the headgasket). That being said, the 2.2L (EJ22) engine is in fact the best engine Subaru has ever produced. in 96, when the EJ25 was introduced, it became the downgrade engine as everyone was pushing the higher horsepower of the EJ25. in 97, all of Subaru's engines went to an impact type design, as the closer tolerances gave a few more horses, and a few more MPG, at the expence of some of the dependability (if you do not follow the maint schedules. No real loss otherwise). If you opt for the early models (90-94), I recomend getting one that has lived all of it's life in salt-free areas of the country, to avoid rust. The 4EAT (automatic, 4 spd, computer controlled) transmission has a history of failure of the AWD clutchpack and Duty C solenoid that controlls it, up to about 98 or so. There are two reasons for this: one is mismatched tires, causing the AWD system to overwork itself, and fail. The other is failure to maintain the transmission fluid. It would overheat, burn, and leave deposits all over the place, or it would simply wear out, and start to burn under normal operation, with similar results. If you get an auto transmission Legacy, I recomend getting the transmission checked out and serviced. With a manual transmission, I have not heard of any problems other than those caused by mismatched tires (center diff failing). Stay away from the air suspension as it is prone to failure, and is hard to diagnose. Given a choice, I would opt for an LS or better model, as these offer the rear sway-bar that the L does not. for 89, 90, and 91, the 80W stereo (the most prevalent) offered an AUX input on the front that was missing from the later models. This input is only now making a comeback, and mostly in aftermarket units, due to the rise in MP3 players. The headligts were slightly improved in 92, as was the engine (the headlights had levels added to the top, and a scale on the side-to side adjustment making the adjustment easier. a better shape gives slightly better light from them. The engine got different injectors, and a consolidation of wiring connectors. There may be more than that, but that is what I have seen). Things to watch out for are AWD (make sure it has it), and the rear brakes (you will want disc brakes all around. Some models actually had drum brakes in the rear).

There is no reason for tack spray on these headgaskets, and it only makes a new path for a compression leak. Rodney, could you send me an email in the address that can be found beneath my name? I'd like to take a look at that and see what can be done about it.

Replace the gaskets and cam/crank seals along with the O-ring for the oil pump, cam cover gaskets, and gromets for the bolts that hold the cam covers on. Also replace the Oil seperator, and the timing belt so you know when it will be due again. At that point you have headed off 90% of the potential problems with the engine. The other 10% covers wiring, and sensors. . . Parts for what I have described come to just over $250 at 1st Subaru Parts. Takes a long weekend at most (6-8hrs to pull the engine, a day to do a good job on the refrub, and 6-8 Hrs to replace the engine). On the oil pump, clean it real good and make sure the screws holding the backing plate are tight. They often back out over time, and are likely to be loose on your car. One gotcha: when replacing the bolts that hold the camshaft caps on, there are two sizes of bolt. the larger ones to the rear (4 per shaft) take 14ft-lbs, while the smaller ones that go on the cap that also holds the cam seal only takes 7ft-lbs. I have seen manuals that have these numbers wrong. From Subaru to boot.

Ummm, over 300,000 Km on my 92 Legacy Wagon, two clutches, two sets of balljoints (both because I used aftermarket parts when I should have used OEM), a Radiator cap, and a thermostat later it is about as reliable as any car I have ever had, and a lot better than most new cars. rust on wheel wells is often caused by road salt, and the car should not be penalised for that. have you had the alignment checked?

With normal driving, either will last a good long time. The Auto Tranny (4EAT) needs to have the fluid changed on a regular basis, and both need to have the tires matching. Other than that, enjoy!

Yes, I'm resurecting an old thread, but this is one that needs to be visited again and again. When my Legacy wagon was sold new in 1992, it came with an EPA estimated milage of 23MPG city and 27MPG Highway. Today, after 186,000 miles, it is still getting an average of 25MPG mixed, and 27MPG on the freeway with the cruise set at 85 (I'll bet that is not how they tested them at the EPA in 92). Add to this that the car holds the road like it is bolted to it, takes off like a scalded cat when I punch it, and will still readily break 110MPH and be rock stable at that speed. My guess is that I have a good solid 10 years left in this car, and probably a good solid 200,00 miles to go before anything really major needs to be done. Engine needs to be resealed, struts need replacing, and the original owner did not care much for bodywork, but when I change the oil at 3000 miles, I can still see through it (although I loose about a quart in 3000 miles). It has been said that the EJ22 engine that this car came with is one of the best engines that Subaru ever put out. My Legacy lives up to that reputation in spades.

That is a misprint in the manual. the larger cam bolts do take 14ft/lbs, the smaller ones that also hold the camshaft seals only take 7ft/lbs. This was corrected in a later revision of the manual. When I talked to a subaru specialist, he said that the factory manuals are notorious for errors like this.

Posting late in this thread because my browser went and took a dump on me (Does Subaru make web browsers?). I'm very glad that you got that beautiful car back. I was heartsick that you had lost it. May fortune continue to smile on you and keep you and that lovely car safe.

185K miles on mine (I should probably update the sig sometime soon), and is sure as spit does not feel like it has high miles. . . Will still break 110MPH, and I just pulled a 416 mile tank on 13 gals of gas. . .(OK, I was going 65-70MPH then)

Well, I've been offline for a few days now, because I was taking Emily (my Subaru) on a road trip to help a friend move into a new condo. On the trip, I experienced every kind of weather you can throw at a car (one section was even "chains required, but when I told them I was driving an AWD Subaru, they waved me through), and she handled it all with grace and poise. I have 185K on her now and she still runs like a top. I can still run way up past 100MPH, and I get 27MPG on the highway with the cruise set to 85MPH. I did get a record tank on this trip: I set the cruise to 65 to see what kind of difference it would make. I got 31MPG that tank, after putting 416 miles on after fillup, and the refill only took 13gals. . . Largest load I can think of was the time I put a Mustang 5.0 on a tow dolly and pulled that over a mountain to get it home to work on it. . . Dolly and pony totaled up to 1K lbs more than the weight of the car. . . pulled just fine though.

Why is that more impressive for a wagon than for a sedan? There is not all that much weight difference between the two, yet wagons are considered less powerful, less fast, less sporty. . . Emily says she is insulted

Luigi, you need 4. do you want new or are you just missing the ones that were in the halfshaft on the old tranny? If it is the later, give me a call (I'll send you a PM with the number). I likely have a few laying about the shop.

Andyjo, yes you should at least wash out the engine compartment to avoid getting any gunk inside the engine. I would also get new valve cover gaskets, and the washers that go on the bolts that hold it on. My procedure is only slightly different than the one crws posted: I flush them with carb cleaner to remove any varnish (using the procedure for filling them up with oil), then empty them before putting the oil in. to further protect the engine while you are working, cover the heads with a clean lint free cloth while you have the cam covers removed, and only work on one side at a time. Josh's site is listed in his signature, and can also be found by clicking on his name in the moderator's list. Navigate down to manual scans, and you will find the pdf there.

cbrightb, where are you? I do exactly thjis service on every DOHC 2.5 L engine we get in the shop. along with the timing belt (yours should have 30K left on it though). Once this is done the car should be good for years of minimal service (oil changes, rotate the tires, etc)

Thanks guys. Now I'm gonna have nightmares. . . Ok, letting it build pressure for a few seconds "fixes" the problem. Good, for now. I do not see if you mentioned how the car drives after starting. Is there any hesitation, or other performance issues? Is the churning only on the first start? Or anytime the car is left for more than, say, an hour? Also do not assume the dealer did a good tune up on the car. Quiz them. If they have not, then have them do so, including a fuel filter. When you take it in, have them check out the check valve for leaking or any fuel leaks in the lines. Sadly, Subaru dealers are notorious for giving poor service. Some are really good, many are really bad. What dealership? Perhaps someone on here has had dealings with them, and can give you a heads up on what kind of service to expect.

You are refering, I'm guessing, to the TV Ad. Laurel was very upset at Subaru for choosing one of the all time favorites, and making it into a car ad. I thought the ad was cute. The jury is out for me with regards to the tranny. I would prefer to see a manual option made available for it, instead of auto only. Why is iot that Subaru refuses to mate an H6 to a manual tranny? I think that would be a great matchup!!

door handles, mouldings, and headliner. the 92 has the auto seat belts and do not have an upper anchor point that interferes with the headliner. sounds like a dirty switch to me, or the relay. Hmmm, the motor is above the dome light, is it not? Could the relay be accessable by pulling the dome light? My 92 does not have the sunroof, so I cannot just go look. Sorry.

Jake, I just sent you a PM. I'm in CA, and I can help you. I have done this and have a few shims left over even. My phone # is in the PM, give me a call. (Oh, PM is Private message, look in the top right of the page)