Gnuman

No problem. I only remember that switch because it is the same place that a lot of cars put the hazard lights (4 way flashers), so it was unusual. . .

Check the "P" switch on the top of the column. That switch turns on the parking lights by themselves. (No it is not the hazard lights, that is the push button on the dashboard with two red triangles, one inside the other. . .)

Change the whole engine. Put a 2.2 in it. . . or perhaps a 3.0 H6. . . I'm with you all the way WRT the 2.2 engine BTW. All but indestructable, and simple to service. . . IIRC, the 3.0 H6 is a 2.2 with an extra pair of cyls. . .

Thanks Setright, do you know the standard clamp pressure by any chance? I cannot find it anywhere. . .

I'm with 777, if you do not have an impact driver, get one. The cheapest (and probably best for your problem) is the kind that you hit with a hammer to drive it. Combine this with the correct size of impact socket, and a good dose of penetrating oil, and you should have few problems getting the tight bolts off. The act of hitting the impact driver gives a force to0ward the bolt as well as a turning force, which is a double action to break the bolt loose. It is also useful in releasing those pent up aggressions from the frustration you are having with these bolts. . . You really cannot hit these drivers too hard, just be sure to not miss and hit your hand instead. . .

OK, what is this "Dumb Question" I keep hearing people refer to? I'm not sure there is such an animal. . . As for the tranny question, is this an auto? If so, one possable answer is that the filter is old and clogged. When was the last time the filter was changed? Clean fluid does not always mean the filter is in perfect shape. It may be just clogged enough to slow down the fluid when the tranny is cold, like those cold mornings you mentioned. My $.02. . .

Kilashandra, I could do it for you for about 700 and parts, which would be between the prices that mattocs quoted for a local shop and the dealer ( I can get an Excedy clutch kit for about 230 which is the one Subaru uses as stock.) TYhe advantage of using me is that I come to you (I'm in N. Cal) and have done this before on my own Subie. PM me if interested.

OK, more clutch questions. . . What advantage would ceramic clutches have over organic or semi-metalic discs? Are they worth the price premium? Also does anyone know the clamp pressure of the original pressure plate? would a pressure plate with a higher clamp pressure help when using a regular (organic/semimetalic) clutch? I'm asking these questions so I can be ready for when this clutch goes out. THis is called paying for my mistakes, and trying not to make new ones. . . What I'm considering at the moment is semi-metalic and a heavy pressure plate, unless the ceramic is significantly better (holding power, and longevity). The problems I see with ceramic is that they are usually a 3 puck clutch instead of a complete ring. This may be fine for racing of street performance, but I do not see an advantage at normal RPMs, while I do suspect disadvantages. I have even seen discs advertised as "reduced thickness facing". . . OK, so someone would pay for an already worn out clutch?

Oh, and I know that the cheapest is not the best solution. I'm wondering what clutch is the best choice in terms of strength for the price? This unit was a lot thinner than the one that I took out (the clutch that had gone bad had more "meat" on it) but I guess the matched pressure plate compensated for that.

Is that 3/8" at the cable? I'm pretty sure that it would not disengage at that length. . .

When I locked it down at install, I could pull it by hand about 1/16" by pressing on the fork, and pulling on the cable. I cannot imagine that that would be too tight. . .

Let me see. . . When I put the clutch inm I adjusted the cable "finger tight" and locked it in place. . . Works great, until you put a heavy load on it. . .

OK, first off, I know it is my fault for buying the cheapest clutch I could find ($150 from AutoZone), but this thing has slipped twice since I installed it (once on hard accel, and once backing up a steep hill). My guess is that the new pressure plate that came with the kit (disc, pressure plate and TO berring, along with a plastic alignment tool) is too weak to hold the the clutch under heavy loads. So my question is What is the best clutch/pressure plate combo for a 92 Legacy wagon that I intend on towing with? I do not mind a heavy feel on the pedal, I just want the clutch to last a long time and not slip. . . So what is the best clutch for the money?

Ummm, if not "coolant temp" what is that temp guage that is on the instrument cluster? I know it says "engine temp" but, it checks that by measuring the coolant temp (on every car I have ever seen, that is), and I have not seen any cars without them (that I can recall, anyway). Are there Subies out there without that guage?

If you do not want to pay for polishing compound, you can go to a discount store and buy some cheap toothpaste (the paste type, not the gel type) and apply with a soft cloth and elbow grease. Essentially the same stuff as the compound, and cheaper too! (This also leaves your headlights smelling minty fresh )

Or you could try removing the rust first, and protecting the area with rust inhibiting (high temp) paint to make the stock muffler last a bit longer (like until after the inspection) so you have a bit more time to select a good one. . .

OK, sounds like I'm going with voltage on the guage. So do you think [oil pres, voltage, vac] is a good setup to point out any potential problems? and if so, where is the best place to attach the vac line?

I'm looking at putting in a three mini-guage set where the ashtray used to be (previous owner discarded it, and I have no use for one), particularly as I hate the idiot guages on the dash. I'm looking at oil pressure, and possably vaccume, but which electrical guage should I go with? Would an ammeter be more useful to me or a voltage level guage? What gives more relevant info on the elec/charging systems? Also, is there a more telling place to put the vac guage than "where the manual tells you to"? THanks in advance for all your advice. . .

Duct tape is good, but the contact paper will cover a larger area at a time, making the job quicker.

Heh, I'm taking my 12yo girl and two friends up to the snowline this weekend so they can do some sledding, and perhaps have a snowball fight. . . I took an excursion up there a week ago, and had no problems at all, even though the tire store said I only had about 5Kmiles left on the tread (I'm saving up for a new set of 5 even now). Probably won't be pulling any didoes with the kids in the car though. . .

I did not know about the Erupean requierment, but I had noticed that the lights do not come on if the ignition is off, but they do for the "P" switch. Very handy if you are stuck on the freeway, and do not want to run all the ignition items (and run your battery down quite fast). I thought it was a good idea when I found it out. Oh, and the "Hazzard Lights" or "4-Ways" (dpeending on how you learned to name them) are activated by the button with a red double triangle on your dashboard.

Illustration 6.31b at the top of page 2A-11 may be of some use to you. the timing marks that you ar looking for are on the crankshaft pully, and the four camshaft pulleys, as well as on the timing belt itself. Section 6 in the engines section itself should be of major use to you. It sounds like something jiggled or otherwise did not line up correctly when reinstalling the timing belt. . .

Was there ever any sign of any kind of leak under the car after the two D-I-Y oil changes were done? While possable, it is highly unlikely that 4.5 qt of oil can leak out without giving some clue as to its departure. . .

On the '92 Legacy I have, the automatic part is retracted from the top (shoulder) anchor point, so no, the lap belt could not be permanently attached. This design was done away with in later years as it tended to lull people into a false sense of security. When the shoulder part of the harness moves to the engaged position (from in front of the person, to the position behind the shoulder), people will tend to think that the seat belt is actually attached, when in fact only half of it is. Unless the lap belt is also used, the shoulder part of the harness is actually more dangerous than no seatbelt at all. It only restrains the upper part of the body, and if you get into a collision, there is a real chance that you will simply slide out from under the shoulder belt. This makes for a very real possability of strangulation or worse. With the lap portion in place your lower body mass is also held in place and it gives you decent protection. This system is unduely complicated (a moving attachment point instead of a simple bolt attachment), and also a weaker design than standard seatbelts ( the moving attachment point does not look very sturdy, anyway), both of which give significant opurtunities for failure in a system that should have no such openings. I'm very glad that they went back to standard seatbelt configurations.

They are not all the same. from the description, you either have the belt folded somewhere in the reel, or the springs in the reel are broken. Either way, the fastest solution is to replace the belt reel (seatbelt assy). If it is just a folded belt, you could take the time to monkey with it to try and get it to release, but that would take a lot longer than replacing the assy. To replace it, you just have to undo a couple of bolts, take out the old one, and bolt the new one in place (generally, but I'm not all that familliar with your particular car) The main differences in the seatbelts are the construction of the reel assy, and the access to the mounting bolts. Rear belts are worse, as they are generally under the seat, or in the rear trim/trunk.