schspeedster

http://techinfo.subaru.com/

Dunno about Subaru but just did a tranny swap on a GMC Safari van. With all bolts incl torque converter-to-flexplate out, the trans remained firmly attached to the 4.3 V6 block, even with the leverage of grabbing the tailshaft and lowering/raising trans jack. Looking at it would think with the weight of the trans, it would have to just fall off without the bolts and crossmember. Had to spray with penetrating oil and apply great force back & forth on the tailshaft to break it loose. Where can I find instructions to remove/replace a 4EAT?

Looking in Lehigh Valley (Allentown/Bethlehem/Easton)

I must just be spoiled by the depreciation rates on GM/Ford/Chrysler cars, and being able to pay $500 or less for a 10+ year old car.

Are better deals to be had in spring, on older Legacy AWD's? Few available for sale, and none cheap in "needs work" condition.

Does Seafoam do the same thing as the Top Engine Cleaner sold at GM dealer parts counters? Either on the bottle or elsewhere I read that spark plugs should be replaced after using Top Engine Cleaner, as the crud washed out gets on the plugs. Huge clouds of smoke come out of the tailpipe when started, I parked away from home so as not to smoke out the neighbors. Hopefully the emissions isnt bad for a weak catalytic converter.

Too bad the rubber part isn't designed to be replaceable like tires! Can't even find a source of rebuilt Subaru air struts, so they must be truly non-repairable. Have yet to look at the car, if it leaks, are the bad rubber parts usually visible? BTW just finished replacing rear struts on my W-body Cutlass Supreme, instead of metal or air springs there is a single transverse composite fiberglass leaf spring (like a bow used to shoot arrows) and two tiny elastomer auxilary springs. Pretty high-tech for the 80's, handles decent if the struts are in good shape, not too difficult to replace struts.

Considering purchase of a 2nd Subaru, decided against looking at a $1000 '92 Legacy due to a leaking air suspension. Researching alternatives to switching to conventional struts, came across a message board where someone claimed they used motorcycle tire sealant a year ago and it still held up. I assume this is the sticky goop normally sprayed into tires, sound like it would work or just gum up the works?

I am looking for a 2nd Subaru also, in Eastern PA. Legacy 2.2 automatic, "needs work" condition OK if the price is right. Any Subaru enthusiast websites with for sale listings? Is pricing seasonal, maybe more deals on AWD to be found after winter's over?

Does AWD ever fail as RWD only? I like RWD but want to know if the front wheels are pulling too. When I get Subaru #2 shall have to get LSD. Is there enough slack between the rear CV's to R/R the rear diff w/LSD, without touching brakes & wheel bearings? Or plan to disassemble the entire rear suspension?

I would remove the lower column shroud and check for wiring or anything blocking the travel. Did an alarm / remote start install and had to take extra care to keep wiring out of the way.

I understand if I buy an early 2.5 there is a good chance I will be spending some quality time in my garage, pulling the motor to replace head gaskets. Test drove a '96 Legacy L 2.2 automatic and it didn't have much acceleration with me and 2 passengers. Does the early 2.5 have enough extra power to be worth the risk?

Have been impressed enough with my new Baja Sport's handling on snow and ice to look for an older used Legacy as a second car. Just test drove a 96 Legacy L 2.2 automatic wagon with 130K miles, in fair condition. Tested the AWD by stopping in an wide open parking lot coated with hardpacked snow and ice, stomping on the gas while turning. This started spinning the back tires, and started doing a donut, I had to countersteer to recover. It felt like I was driving a RWD car. I thought if AWD fails all the torque goes to the front wheels? Took the Baja back to the same spot to try and reproduce this, the Baja just goes where its pointed, like its on dry pavement. The Baja comes with standard LSD and stock Bridgestone Potenzas, the Legacy had all-season tires that looked OK, assume no LSD on a Legacy L.

"Subarus come from the factory with two oil pans, drain both and refill with 8 quarts of 10W40. Make sure to tighten both real good with the breaker bar, no leaks!" Ideally my Subaru will never see the inside of a quick lube place. In reality, if too busy to DIY, Subaru dlr service dept is booked up, and taking a cross-country trip might have to go to a quick lube. How to affix oil-, dirt-, and idiot-proof labels to dipsticks and drain plugs? For example, plastic flags stamped OIL, TRANS, DIFF thats retained by the crush washer, underhood-grade bright yellow bilingual labels on firewall for dipsticks. Will Brother P-Touch labels topcoated with clearcoat survive? Looks like a number on my new Baja's 4EAT came off a P-Touch just like mine, so these labels would look factory Would be nice for Subaru to apply some markings at factory, when drivetrain failures occur prematurely because of a lube tech's ignorance, Subaru quality may be unfairly blamed. BTW if buying a used car, what is typical symptom of damage caused by oil change screwups to watch out for? Leaking seals, burnt fluids, slipping AT?

Just did the 1st oil change on my new Baja Sport myself at 1,000 miles. Fairly easy, the lower cover fasteners remove with a partial turn of a scredriver. Oil drain plug took a lot of force to break free, felt like there was something (oil pan paint?) that suddenly broke loose then the plug removed normally. Replaced with Subaru oil filter & drain plug crush washer purchased at dealer, so a receipt exists, in addition to the mysubaru.com log entry.

Parking lights seems like a great application for LEDs. I would assume LED's output the same light for less current? If the Subaru parking lights use a completely separate circuit from the lights normally used when driving at night, they could be used as an emergency lighting system to use in event of failure of the main light circuit. I assume the parking lights still use the same bulb filaments as the main lighting though. A rechargable backup battery + a bright LED in each light assembly + isolated circuits to the parking and hazard switches = a car can be lit up no matter what, good safety feature considering that when a car suddenly dies on a dark road before being able to pull over, a likely cause is total electrical system failure under lights/wipers/defrost/defog load. Or by a crash that destroys the main battery, the damaged vehicle could be hit even harder by another vehicle, sitting there unlit til emergency crews respond. How many drivers carry flares in their vehicle nowadays, not many. BTW I have driven nothing but GM for years and asked the salesman if there were any unusual controls, he mentioned the parking light switch that gets turned on when the interior is cleaned. Overall a great sales experience dealing with Becker Subaru of Allentown, PA!

Am spending some quality time under the dash of my new '05 Baja, installing a remote start security system. Have done remote start installs on my 80s-90s GMs, and the Subaru has higher quality materials down there. Lower plastic panels are tough and flexible, color molded in, attached with large bolts to sturdy metal brackets, vs brittle GM plastic trim, color painted on, attached by spring clips and tiny screws...feels designed to last a long time and be disassembled for service if necessary, rather than assembled for lowest unit cost hopefully never needing to be touched before trade-in. No special challenges connecting to the Subaru wiring, am taking my sweet time and soldering all connections, using heat shrink tubing and wire looms whereever possible. Service manual sections w/wiring diagrams are downloadable with paid subscription from http://techinfo.subaru.com/html/index.jsp Subaru's firewall has a large rubber plug and a perforated interior insulation cutout, I had to drill thru the firewall on my Chevy Cavalier to run wiring.

BTW, traction on snow is fantastic! The Baja is AWD plus rear LSD (limited-slip differential). I don't think the base-model Legacy comes with LSD. Unfortunately ABS & the Bridgestone Potenza stock tires can take forever to stop, I almost slid thru an intersection in the snow, can't get overconfident.

Have always been a GM guy. Wife wanted 4wd for winter. I did some research and Subaru seemed like the best way to go for handling, reliability, fuel economy, and resale value. Took delivery on a new Baja Sport 2 months ago. The stalk-mounted controls take a bit of getting used to but they feel more solid and precise than on my S10 and Astro van. I think GM Delco factory stereos are superior to Subarus in ease of use and sound. Most everything on the Subaru feels more solid and precise than a GM product. Did the first oil change, and the drain plug and filter are very easy to reach. I would either do my own oil change or take to a Subaru dealer, too easy for quick-lube "technicians" to drain the drivetrain instead of crankcase. 2.5 non-turbo with automatic is a bit underpowered for the Baja, though for our back road and in town driving it's adequate. I would have liked to test drive a turbo and decide if the premium fuel and potential repair costs would justify it. Subaru shouldve offered the 6cyl as an option, to sell quantities of a sport truck in America. The Baja is slightly longer than the Outback wagon its based on, and has more aerodynamic drag. BTW, GM owns part of Subaru. Chevrolet in India sells the Chevrolet Forester, a Subaru Forester with the bowtie logo. I plan on a Subaru Legacy GT for my next car, with an older full-size Chevy truck for hauling large objects.

M/T is superior for driving but A/T is better for the reality of stop & go traffic. Also some buyers prefer manual but have family members who can't drive stick. How are the new autosticks (not available on Baja Sport) ? Useful for keeping a non-turbo in the powerband or a gimmick?

Approximately the same size and shape, will have to measure sometime to see if I can turn my Baja into a 5-door hatchback.