Jason1976

Well, I didn't have the heart to redline but I did crank it up to about 5K RPM for a small stretch of road...about 5 seconds worth. I'm happy to report the tappet is now quiet. Engine running better as well. Thanks.

Hey, now that's an idea...beat it into submission!!! I'll try it on the way home.

Well, I have some more info about my situation. Due to the nicer weather, I've been driving with my window down...which enabled me to hear the "tick." I'm fairly sure the noise is a stuck tappet or valve (using the "stick up to the ear" method). A couple of days ago the tick went away and the above quoted symptoms disappeared. Now, the tick is back and the problem came with it. Any recommendations on how to unstick the tappet? I've yet to try any additives, altho I did recently buy a huge bottle of MMO. Mattocs...yes, the air filter was swapped out with my tune-up. Brand unknown.

Thanks for the replies. I decided to go with a standard steel wheel...on a budget ya know. Hopefully I can find a wheel cover that will help the thing "blend in" with the other wheels.I would have used a wheel from my Impreza, but then I would be without my Impreza!

I've searched the pages here and haven't come up with a difinitive answer. My wife trashed one of her stock 5-spoke alloy wheels on a "pot" hole (more like a man hole). The cheapest I've found at a "retail" business is $225 for a refurbished wheel. I did call all of the local junk yards, and one has wheels for $75-$125. However, they are not of the 5-spoke variety. My question is the following: Will any wheel from 1996 fit? We don't care about matching the others, we just want the cheapest solution.

I've been having an issue with acceleration at lower RPM's. My '96 2.2 Impreza wagon has recently been "tuned up" (plugs, wires, filters), however there is still considerably weak acceleration between 2k and 2.5K rpms. When I get to 2500, however, *ZOOM* the engine really cranks out the power. It's like this in every gear, in every weather condition. I will say my exhaust has some pin holes somewhere along the line (it's not loud, but it's not quiet either)...could this be causing the problem? Or perhaps something in the fuel line (injectors?) I've tried injector cleaner, etc...kinda at my ropes end. Other than the lag, the engine is running very smooth.

Thanks for the excellent info. I will search the threads for the "fix" of the gas gauge. It's nice to know that I'm not losing my mind. Also, I reset the trip odometer every fill-up, as I calculate my mpg everytime I hit the pump. In a somewhat related note (mpg), I was able to increase my mpg by using progressive shifting. Unless I need the power (passing, entering road), I rarely get the tachometer to 3000 rpms. My mpg went up about 2 mpg. Obvioulsy I rarely hit the interstate...all driving done on back country roads and state highways.

I've searched high and low for this information. The only value I can find is 60 litres, which is almost 16 gallons. My gas gauge says I'm empty, but the car only takes 10-11 gallons. My mileage is around 24 mpg, and the tank will get me 240 miles. Could it be a faulty gas gauge? I figured there's one way to truly find out on my own...but I traverse a lot of area with no cell phone coverage and little traffic flow. Running out of gas is not an option. If anyone can indeed confirm that this model has a 60 liter tank I would appreciate it.

Both of our '96 wagons have been great from the day we bought them. You can check my signature for the mileage. The Impreza is a 5-speed 2.2 while the Legacy is automatic 2.2. Both handle equally impressive in the snow. We have had absolutley ZERO engine troubles. I'm beginning to think we are just lucky, as my Ford is still alive as well...however, I doubt the Subes have anything to do with luck.

I will keep the thread alive, or start a new one with links to pics. However, I am not going to do the work until late March (spring break). My wife is a teacher and we have to have both cars operational due to baby transporting. telemachus...if you do the work before I, please keep me informed as well. This is the first major repair I will be doing. Tiny...thanks for the added confidence in not replacing my springs.

Thanks for the info Gary. In the past, I've always trusted my vehicles to certified mechanics. However, the last straw for me was the quoted cost to replace the struts. I found this place and have been learning ever since. I'm looking forward to working on my own vehicles and absorbing as much info as I can about Subes. JT95...just as Gary stated, we've seen no increase in gas mileage when running on FWD only.

I know that all manuals have an optimum RPM. Does anyone know what it should be for a 96 Impreza wagon? My "other" car's optimum is about 2500, while the Impreza seems to do the best around 3000. I check my mileage every tank and I'm interesting in the "progressive shifting" mentioned above. Could someone give me a lesson in the topic?

We have a '96 Legacy Outback as well. Indeed, there is a fuse box under the hood...but you need to put in a fuse...not take one out. The one-fuse box is located next to the firewall on the passenger side. The box on our car says FWD. When engaged, you will notice the FWD light on the dash light up. As far as when to use it...I've read a lot of people discouraging using it. In our car there is an issue with the AWD when making a slow, sharp turn...such as at a stop sign. Our mechanic explained that the problem was with the transmission, but I don't recall what he said explicitly (other than "expensive"). He advised us that a work-around was the fuse under the hood. We engage our car in FWD for the months of April to October (no snow or ice) and return to AWD for the winter. We've done this for two years and have seen no ill effects.

Thanks for the info to the both of you. The struts are ~$80 at 1rstsubaruparts.com. The springs run about 40 apiece, while the mounts are about the same as the springs. I had an estimate at the garage I've taken my cars to in the past and the estimate was between 1500-1600 for all new strut assemblies. With the amount of miles I have, that's just too much when I can replace just the struts and mounts myself.

Sorry about that....I was in a rush at work and wanted to get the question up here. The strut work will be done on my '96 Impreza wagon, 216K miles.