Legacy777

Really to quite honest, shifter feel is really what most people complain about. The bushings on the stock shifter setup, and even the STi short throw are so-so. The kartboy front and rear bushings are hands down the best bang for your buck. Doing nothing else but those bushings will provide the most noticable increase in shifter feel. Even the STi shifter can benefit from the kartboy bushings. As mentioned, the TiC pivot bushings can help as well, however they are not as big an issue in my mind. The only additional item to mention, which does cause slop in the shifter is the u-joint connecting the linkage to the transmission. The bushings in this joint are rather flexible, even new. The 5-spd joint is rivoted, so there's no replacement of the bushings. TiC has developed bushings for the joint on the 6-spds, however I don't know if they've come up with one for the 5-spds yet. This is primarily because the earlier 5-spds used a centering spring, while the newer ones did not. I ended up making a custom u-joint setup utilizing nylon bushings. Here's some pictures. http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/jointcustom various busing options http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/joint2/ Stock 5-spd joint http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/joint/

Yeah, that's what you do. You can try using some vasoline to hold the o-ring in place while you put on the oil pump.

I've used both, and the kartboy is physically slightly lower, so the shifts will be a little shorter. If you can get a discount on the STi shifter, I'd probably go that route.

Yes, the gearing is different.

That thing in the back of the engine bay is the ignitor. If you have spark, it's probably not the ignitor. As I mentioned in your other thread, you probably should verify that your timing is setup correctly.

If you have spark & fuel, the next thing to check is that the timing is firing at the right times. I'd check that the timing belt hasn't jumped a tooth. You can do this by aligning the timing marks on the cam pullies and crank gear to make sure they align properly.

Yes, if the system has been opened up for any reason, you need to pull a vacuum. You need to do this primarily because air contains moisture, which in an AC system can freeze and cause nasty stuff to happen. Plus the a/c cycle (system) will operate more efficiently without air in it. You need a set of AC manifold gauges. You can get a cheap set for around 50 bucks. The better sets are a little more, but worth it since the fittings are better. You need to pull a deep vacuum, ~29.99 in/Hg for about 30 min. Then you start charging the system with refrigerent. Start pressurizing with the system off. Once the pressure in the can equalizes with the system, start the car and run the ac system. make sure to only have the low pressure suction side open....and keep the can facing upright so you don't draw liquid into the compressor. I'd really recommend taking the car to someone to have this done if you don't have any ac experience. It "should" be cheaper to have someone do it, than buying all the equipment to do it right.

The hardest part is that the wire snakes under the intake manifold & coolant crossover pipe. If you can wiggle it out and wiggle the new one in, it's pretty easy. There's only one bolt holding it in. Have you confirmed you do not have spark before you replace the crank sensor?

Thanks for the comments Shawn! Yup, it was a n/a 2.2, FWD, automatic. It's now a 2.2 turbo, AWD, 5MT, upgraded turbo - deadbolt p&p TD05-16G, AWIC with custom radiator & pump, and a laundry list of other stuff.

No I don't. I need to actually put all the crap I've done to this car on my site or somewhere. The list is actually quite daunting because there's so much stuff. I will hopefully get around to it soon though, after the car is up and running though

Well after nearly six months, I finally finished (mostly) the install of my Link stand alone engine management, AND got the engine started yesterday. This project has been over a year in the making. I purchased the Link over a year ago, but did not start the install until November due to other projects and what not. But it's finally in, and all I've got left to do is have an intake tube fabricated and have the car tuned. I'll keep my fingers crossed that everything gets finished by early June. I'll be sure to post dyno results once I have them. Here's some pictures from the project. http://www.main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/linkinstall

You should be able to scroll down below the area where you input text, and there's a button that says manage attachments. If you click there, you can attach a picture.

I kind of have my doubts. It wasn't until I think 05 or 06 that Subaru started putting the line in port for ipods and what in their cars. My suggestion would be to look at an aftermarket stereo or possibly a newer model stereo and install it in your 03 and wire up the line in port.

Welcome to the board!

Which dealer is she going to? There are plenty of subaru enthusiests in the Seattle area that could probably recommend a shop or another dealer to go to.

More than likely what you are hearing is the flashing of the liquid refrigerent to a gas across the expansion valve. Normally you don't hear this because the regular amount of refrigerent needed to provide adequate cooling is designed not to create excess noise across the expansion valve. However if you're low on refrigerent the expansion valve will have to flow more refrig. through it to provide similar cooling capacity. I'd suggest checking the pressures on the system, and probably having some refrigerent added.

I would "guess" you can probably just swap over the bumper skin. However you may want to ask this question or search over on http://forums.nasioc.com/forums

There is an oil separator plate on the back of the engine. Some are plastic, some are aluminum. Replace the plastic with aluminum. here's pics of the plastic plate http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/ej22t/22/DCP_5115.JPG http://main.experiencetherave.com/subaru/images/ej22t/14/DCP_4895.JPG

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What year/model are you swapping all these parts into? Another Legacy? If it is a 90-91 Legacy that was an AT, you'll want to cut the AT/MT identifier pin wire to trick the ECU into thinking it's a MT. I've got more info on my write-up page. http://www.surrealmirage.com/subaru/swap/electrical.html#ecu

Subarus are typically a little louder, plus the wagons tend to be a tad noisier. Without hearing it, it'd be difficult to say whether it's normal or not. Wheel bearings might be a culprit, but beyond that, if the rear diff fluid is good, I'd say the noise is probably normal. Only other thing I can think of is tires. Cheap or worn tires tend to be rather noisy.

There's usually a clip or something that allows the cup holder to come out pretty easily. Hopefully someone with direct experience with the foresters can help though.

If I had a wiring diagram for the keyless entry I could tell you. What year? I'm assuming it's a Legacy?

Going to move this to the shop talk forum since it's more of a specific tool type question.

Gary, It really depends on what you are shooting for. If you're just looking for an alignment that will not cause you premature tire wear. For the most part, I'd agree that a little movement shouldn't hurt things. However, if you're looking for a "performance" type alignment, it does matter. If you've got one wheel that is out a 1/2 deg of camber from the other, it's going to change the handling dynamics of the car. It may or may not be a noticable difference. It depends too on how you drive the car. We may be splitting hairs here, but I've watched them do alignments on my cars, and have felt a difference from before to after.