TheBrian

Ooh, shiny object. Looks nice. But isn't that a steel case? I'd paint it some bright color so it doesn't rust. Mine's coated in a protective layer of gear oil.

In addition to the dashboard VIN plate, there are VIN stickers or plates on every door, the hatch, the hood, and *inside* the fenders. I think it's also marked on the engine. I don't think a VIN switch is feasable.

Did it just start acting up, or is this a restoration project? I'd say get out the voltmeter and see how far the power reaches. Ignition coils can be tested by measuring the resistance across their terminals. You'd need to find out which terminals, and how much resistance is spec.

There's tons of Subaru MTs out there with well over 100k miles on them. The stock trannies are perfectly adequate to stock power and ordinary driving. My guess is this guy dropped the clutch from redline and shattered his transmission. I've read that 2WD cars can cope with such by smoking the tires, but in AWD cars, the shock must be absorbed by the driveline.

I have a suitable torque wrench that I use just for lug nuts. I snug the nuts, then get out the little tire iron that came with the car, and stand on it. I weigh x pounds, I stand y feet horizontally from the fulcrum. x * y = torque. I figure it's got +/- 20% accuracy.

Universal catalytic converter. Have a muffler shop weld it into place. If you don't need to comply with CA-emissions, you can get a universal for somewhere around $70.

http://ken-gilbert.com/wrx/impreza_manuals.htm These documents are obviously for an '02 Impreza, but they may give you an idea what you're looking for and where to look.

Redline is at 6k. How fast is it okay to take the engine every day? For occasional expressway merging? When the engine is cold? Is it okay to skip gears? Let's say I want to pull out in to traffic, quickly get up to 45mph, then cruise at that speed. Would it be okay to take it up to 45mph in 3rd, then shift directly into 5th? I've heard some people say yes, others say no. 45mph in 5th gear = 2000 rpm. I could leave it in 5th gear while decelerating towards a red light until about 15mph = 700 rpm, which is a little higher than idle speed. Does it matter how long I wait to put it in neutral? Does the computer still inject fuel even if the car's momentum is used to keep the engine spinning?

When I drove my MT 96 Legacy from junkyard A to junkyard B with no instrument cluster, it threw a Speed Sensor Malfunction code. Is the speed sensor locaed in the instrument cluster? If so, I've got spare instrument cluster parts I'd be happy to sell you. It's got a 140mph speedo.

I'd like to bounce this idea off some people who know more about engine management than I do. What if, five or ten minutes before the engine was started, the oxygen sensor heaters were turned on? The car would start up and be in closed-loop mode, rather than running rich for the first few minutes, right? How long does it take for a heated O2 sensor to get up to operating temperature, anyway? Would this save a meaningful amount of gas, considering that I drive mostly short trips?

I'm driving a '96 Legacy Brighton wagon. I've had it for almost a year now, and it's required very little non-scheduled mantainence. It has tons of cargo space and can haul desks and other large things. I love how it handles. The low center of mass is a joy. AWD is nice in the winter. This car's a keeper. I installed the tachometer out of a wrecked '95 Legacy L, since even MT Brightons don't have tachs, and since this is the car I learned to drive an MT on. The gauges are beautifully precise, even if the fuel gauge lies. The driver's seat is lifted 1". Roof rack crossmembers removed. I've placed a trunk, a wooden trunk with a latch and key, in the cargo portion of the vehicle. Much neater. I'm very happy I chose to buy a Legacy.

Since it's a 1996 or newer, take it to an Advance or an AutoZone and they can read and clear your Check Engine Light for free. It takes about two minutes.

Hmm. Could it be ice in the fuel lines? Maybe throw a bottle of isopropanol in there. Aside from that, I have only obvious advice to offer: Give it a complete tune-up if you haven't recently.

Myxalplyx, what is the role of the black plastic box in the fender? I'd have taken mine apart to see, but its cover is held on by six screws made of rust. I have the same questions as Phaedras. Could you post the answers here? Another question: is your engine compartment longer because of the H6? Or is your engine just really snug in there?

Yep, I'd definately buy another Subaru econobox if they made them. But they won't. They've gone from "Inexpensive, and built to stay that way" to "premium car". You can't build a luxury / performance brand image if you have unfashionable, inexpensive, slow cars in your lineup.That's why, even though I really like Subaru, my next car might be a Toyota. Or maybe a Volvo.

My front right CV axle has been getting noisy (or could it be the wheel bearing?). Most of the drivetrain components have 125k miles on them. Can anyone comment on the quality of CCT or any other brand of axle? AutoZone will sell me a lifetime supply of CCT's (fits all four sides) for $65.

$250 to change four plugs and wires? That sounds really high to me. And $125 for four wires sounds even worse. $50 would be more appropriate for the wires. Remember that the dealer doesn't make a penny when you buy aftermarket wires. I've got aftermarket plugs and wires in my Subaru, and it runs just fine. It's my understanding that NAPA and Subaru both buy plugs from NGK. They should be the same plugs.