Legacy777

you may need to remove the tcu to find the other connectors http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/ecuhide.jpg

Get one from a junkyard.

Idle air control valve. I don't have the testing procedure in front of me right now, but you can test it.

even when you test them, they may not show bad. For 20 bucks, just replace it.

First of all....did you have any of the HVAC controls on? If the A/C or defrost is on, it will kick the fans on. There are two temp sensors. A single wire sensor for the dash, and a two wire sensor for the ECU. It really sounds like the sensor is bad, and it's telling the ECU the engine is cold, when it's really not. So you are getting an extremely rich mixture, and the high idle. The sensor is like 20 bucks from liberty subaru http://www.newsubaru.com

possibly an IAC valve sticking.

You're probably getting some miles on the tranny, and for all things considered, I would say it's normal. There's not much you can do about the issue. There is a shift kit that will firm up the 1-2 shift, basically eliminating the clutch for that shift. I have it in my car, and the 1-2 shift is crisp, some may say it's firm....I don't mind it.

There are a couple different shields. The best way to figure out which one it is, is to jack up the car or drive up a set of ramps, and try to wiggle the shield around. Let the car sit so the exhaust isn't hot. Of the exhaust shields on cars of that vintage are probably going to be rusted up, and the clamps really not working anymore. About the only thing that works is to cut them off with a die grinder/dremel or a torch.

Did you do the work on the block, or was this an engine you hadn't messed with? I'm pretty sure the factory uses and anerobic sealant to seal the two blocks. The blue silicone could have come from the oil pump.

interesting comments on the paint....

5x100 and you need at least +45-48mm of back spacing. +50mm would be desirable though.

hmmm....never heard of anything like that......let us know what you find on the XT

Michael, I'd suggest running 89 octane all the time. Especially in cali....their gas sucks and has tons of added chemicals to help emissions, which could be causing your pinging.

Not sure if the fans run through the same fuse or relay, but you may want to run some test leads to the fan to see if the fan still works.

That emblem is a legacy B4 rabbit emblem. I had to make a custom backing plate because it wouldn't really fit on the normal one. The emblem for our grills are bigger then the impreza ones, so the newer emblems won't really work.

for air strut swap the link below should work.... http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=10879&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

doubt it's a boost sensor. Why do you say it's a boost sensor, what does it look like?

Yeah I'm running the 1155's. I have zero issues with these pads. They work well cold, they work well hot. Don't think they'd quite hold up to a hard track day like some others, but they work well. I would probably recommend a set of axxis pads, either metalmasters or deluxe plus. They can be had for 30-40 bucks, and will improve braking over stock. I would suggest either sanding down the rotors to rough up the surface and remove any old pad material, or have them turned. Axxis pads can be had from primitive http://www.get-primitive.com, http://www.stoptech.com, and a few other vendors. Call them, because they may not have your application listed on their site.

Be happy you can't squeal the brakes. It's better to not have wheel lockup, then it is to lock up a wheel and not have control. The rotors shouldn't be super shiny and smooth.....if they are and/or have a blue hue to them, it's possible you overheated the pads, which then transferred pad material onto the rotor (ie. glazing) In which case, stopping power will be reduced. Solution would be to get new rotors, or have the old ones turned. Also, you would probably want to look into a pad with a slightly higher temp range, so you do not glaze the pads again.

you mean like how mine is? http://www.main.experiencetherave.com:8080/subaru/images/legacyzymol/DCP_2402.JPG

next time it won't start, roll down the window or leave the door open, and listen for a click in the engine bay. If you hear a click coming from the engine bay, 99% chance it's the starter solenoid contacts. If so, do a search, there's a couple good threads out there, as well as where to get just the contacts.

Tell the dealerships to pound sand! It's most definitely the first dealership's fault for not torquing the spark plug correctly. The fact the heads weren't resurfaced has ZERO to do with the plug issues. I can see the new dealership not wanting to get involved, but the first dealership should stand behind their work. You're going to have to get quite agressive with these dealerships. I suggest calling SOA and starting a case already, because that's what it's going to take most likely. Next time you go in, tell them to fix it, tell them you already have a case opened with SOA, you're going to contact the BBB, etc, etc, and you are not going to let them waltz on their responsibilities. As long as they did all the work, and you didn't touch anything between then and now....it's their responsibility. If another shop, or you touched the engine......all bets are off.

reset your ecu. If the ECU learned all the bad data from when the vacuum line was off, it's going to be skewing a/f trends.

You might want to try searching a little better next time. Here's two threads you may want to read. I do recall there being another one with pics in it. http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2527&perpage=25&highlight=air%20strut%20swap&pagenumber=1 http://usmb.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1177&highlight=air+strut+swap

I do have 174k miles though