Legacy777

Yeah, having good ground cables is pretty important. I helped a friend out with an AT code he was having on his first gen legacy. The ground strap from the chassis to the trans was broken. We fixed it, and the code went away.

Welcome to the USMB! You may want to post in the new gen forum asking about the head gaskets. You may get more responses over there.

What size is the inlet piping you're using?

Yeah, that hose should be replaced. Also, keeping the front end of the car elevated can sometimes help with bleeding air out of the car.

Do you know if your car has the integrated idle air control valve in the throttle body, or if it has an electronic throttle?

You're welcome.

Welcome to the USMB. Was the thermostat that you used a Subaru thermostat? If not, I'd suggest replacing it with a Subaru thermostat. If you did use a Subaru thermostat I'd say it kind of sounds like head gasket issues. The tester the previous mechanic used was called a hydrocarbon tester/sniffer. I have one and if the head gasket leak is pretty small it may put enough gasses in the coolant to register in the testing fluid. You may want to have it tested again for confirmation, but usually bubbles coming from the cooling system are an indicator of head gasket issues.

What were the numbers at idle? Were they much better or just barely passing?

Welcome to the USMB. Did you replace the part with a new or used part? Was it from Subaru or aftermarket? If the part is not the problem, the wiring may be an issue. What specific code came up? I'm going to move this thread to the new gen forum as it will get more traffic there.

Steve, Regarding your idle switch issue. Are you throwing a code for that?

I'd check/replace the O2 sensor and depending on how that goes, maybe swap in a different cat. Was the test a two speed idle test or just single speed? If it was a two speed idle test, were those numbers at idle or the higher speed test?

Here are some pictures from google which might give you some ideas. https://www.google.com/search?q=subaru+intake+snorkel&safe=off&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=z_QUUsihLoq62gWgxID4Bg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1295&bih=691

Welcome to the USMB! I don't know of any members in your area, but you may want to post in Off topic as well.

Welcome. I'm going to move your post to the new gen forum where it'll get some more attention.

All the aluminum body MAF sensors are the same. Yeah I don't know what to say about the MAF code still being there. If you've tried multiple MAF's & ECU's, all that's left is the wiring.

Does the same code come up when you check the computer?

Welcome to the USMB. I would suggest trying to keep the overall tire diameter the same. What size tires do you currently have on the car? You can use this tire calculator to input your old tire size and play around with new tire sizes that are close to the original size. http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html

Not sure if you already did this work, but I would recommend going with an OEM clutch & pressure plate setup. You will also need a throw out bearing and the clips that go with it. Assuming the flywheel is ok, and doesn't need to be resurfaced you should be good there. It's kind of up to you, depending on how many miles are on it, but replacing the pilot bearing on the flywheel might not be a bad idea. The other thing folks have suggested replacing is the actual clutch fork. It's stamped steel and has been known to wear out & crack, depending on use. I think you could get this done in a day especially with someone helping.

So do they just hook up the OBD2 reader or do they sniff the tail pipe? As long as you have a cat on there, it should pass emissions.

Welcome to the USMB. I'm going to move your thread to the new gen forum where it should get some more attention.

Well that ECU is definitely a turbo ECU. The aluminum body MAF's came on the 91-94 turbo legacies, but also came on the 90-91 MT only non-turbo legacy. So you could probably find an aluminum body MAF from a non-turbo car.

I think having flared connections in the cabin are probably better, but you'll have to see what is doable. Yes, the fuel lines are 5/16".

You can probably get them in, but they may not be a perfect fit.

Welcome to the USMB. Do you have any check engine lights or any other warning lights on? Does the engine idle high when just idling and sitting still? Does your Forester have a manual or automatic transmission?

All the turbo Legacy ECU's are interchangable. What is the part # on the ECU you're using? That's very strange....it seems like something just isn't right....wish I could go over it in person as it's probably something simple once you see it.