DerFahrer

Thank you, Caleb! Haven't ever been in the USRM

C'mon guys, I'm new to the old Subies, help me out here I bought a Haynes manual for the Subaru 1600 and 1800's last night, but its code-pulling method is quite vague to me, just like the Legacy Haynes is for that car...

Good find and welcome! I'm starting my collection a little early in my life, being 19 and already owning two Subaru's :bday: I find it amazing how many people love the old muscle cars, and yet still enjoy Subarus... It's these kind of people that really LOVE cars, regardless of fit and finish...

I'll give you another reason to stay old-skool... I just got my adjusted insurance rates from adding the XT... The Legacy dropped to $500 something in 6 months for bottom-rung insurance, and the XT is a measly $230 every 6 months under the same insurance plan. That's under a 19-year-old too!!! Try getting those rates at my age with a new car!

Haha, Subaru vs. Jeep... do I have a story about that Going to a rock concert means that you will be parking in a giant mudpit. No questions asked. So when I was leaving, I started traversing this muckpile to find a 2000 Jetta stuck in it. He cautioned me to not go in, that I'd get stuck After cruising through it, my friend in his lifted with swamper tires 2WD Cherokee *snicker* tried to pull the Jetta out. He did nothing but spin tires. I came back through the muck again and rigged up to the Jetta and yanked him out in a couple seconds. :moon: :moon: :moon:

How do you do it, pray tell? My XT will occasionally light up its CEL about 15 seconds after being started, stay on for about 15 seconds again, then go out. How do I pull codes, and where can I reference them?

Well, I was considering that proposition for a while, buying an 03 model Legacy or 2.5TS or something like that at a discounted price. However, after reviewing my financial situation, it was apparent that I simply could not afford a new car. So I decided to buy my XT as a second car to 1) screw around with and 2) use as transportation if necessary... My personal opinion, at this point in my life, is that that "new car smell" is highly overpriced...

.......wow....... I will never buy anything non-Subaru for the rest of my life... I rode in an STi with 4 people in it, myself included. That car stilled pulled my neck out of place. A Caterpillar wishes it had that torque... I'm ruined for any other car. Even driving my XT home last night was a bit tedious after that... I think I've caught the boost bug

I would be surprised to hear of 87 octane gas causing pinging in a EJ22, but if that's what your using, I suggest trying 89 octane. I've tried all kinds of gasoline in my car, and allow me to say that it runs better on 89 octane by a wide margin....

The EJ22 might very well be one of Subaru's most reliable engines ever. Mine is just broken in at 123k miles. It runs smoother than most NEW cars I've driven, and still pulls with authority. I have heard of a few instances of blown headgaskets, but that takes some very spirited driving... Trust me, you can't go wrong with an EJ22

Hahaha, I've seen that video before! Did I actually see that guy take a whiz in the engine bay before it blew up???? :eh:

Get an alignment right after the new tires are put on, I say. Now maybe I'm being paranoid, but I wouldn't have an alignment done on worn tires and then expect the exact same settings to be in place when new tires are installed. I could be wrong on that though. Needless to say, if you have an alignment done before tires, you obviously want to put tires on of the same size. Otherwise it's useless

I agree with Setright on this. I just bought my XT, and before I even got on the road, I familiarized myself with all the bells and whistles. I'd be willing to bet that I know where more features are in a week than the previous owner did the whole time he owned the car!! If it's there, it has a use. If it has a use, that means you can use it. If you can use it, then... USE IT!!

First of all, guys, the USDM EJ22 is NOT an interference engine. He has not screwed anything up internally by setting the timing incorrectly. I agree with theotherskip. I bought white touch-up paint, and painted the correct marks, which I identified carefully in the Haynes manual, and I made those marks quite clear. Don't worry about the arrows on the spokes of the cam sprockets. I don't know what they're for and didn't use them. There are small marks on the outer edge of the sprockets that need to line up with the marks in the rear timing covers. That's how you do it. I urge you to get the Haynes manual. It is not a Bible, but if you follow it closely enough, you should pull it off without a hitch.

My new XT needs axles pretty bad up front. I can get axles from http://www.cvaxles.com for about $120, so I'm not worried about that. I've done axles several times on my Legacy, and the XT seems to have the same suspension setup... Except for the fact that my XT has air suspension. I would normally unbolt the balljoint bolt, pry the knuckle off the balljoint, and swing the strut/knuckle assembly away from the car to allow the axle to come freely out of the hub. Now this requires the strut to move around in the strut mount. No problem with the Legacy, but will the XT allow me to do the same thing? TIA...

I say go elsewhere. You're in Oregon, there should be dozens of good-condition XT's around there. I bought mine in simply PRISTINE condition in Florida of all places, where Subarus are as rare as Ferraris...

Hey, eleliz, where in FL are you? Still tryin to meet Subie owners around here I might also be able to help you. Not diagnose the problem so much as to help you fix it... I also agree to pull that CEL code, that's almost assuredly it...

Don't know if you'll get it done for tomorrow, but I can give you a few tips: 1) Take the radiator out. You hafta drain the system anyway to remove the pump, it takes 5 minutes to remove the radiator, and the extra room will be timesaving. 2) After removing all the pump bolts, you will hafta bonk it with something to get it loose. No other way IMO... 3) Put RTV sealant on the gasket and glue it to the block, not the pump. It will be rather difficult to try installing the pump and hold the gasket on at the same time. 4) Don't forget to compress the T-belt tensioner, SLOWLY! Find a big vise somewhere and compress it in a timeframe of about a minute and a half. Compress it too fast and you'll ruin it... Use an OEM thermostat. Without question. Subarus don't like aftermarket T-stats... Good luck!

Why couldn't it be done? Subaru doesn't make any crappy engines, just the turbo ones are better... If Sport Compact Car can turbocharge an 11.5:1 comp engine like the Matrix XRS, then you should have no problem doing 9.5:1... I couldn't agree with Legacy777 more, though. It has to be properly done. With proper tuning, the engine should be as durable with the boost as without it.

Setright, I'm afraid I have to disagree with you in two ways: 1) I have driven the spring pin into the axle from either side of the axle, from either side of the tranny shaft. Yes, putting it in the tapered side should be easier, but I've done both. And 2) his 98 does not have these pins to my knowledge, his axle simply pries off the tranny shaft with a crowbar...

Just buy a whole new set of axles from http://www.cvaxles.com for something in the $50-$60 range, why bother rebuilding the axle, I say?? I have done business with them before, they make an EXCELLENT product, and they stand behind them too. I've already replaced the front axles on my Legacy with their products, and am about to do the same with my new XT...

WOW!!! I drove the car home yesterday, it performed almost flawlessly, except for the shifter bushings being shot, which is a problem on the Legacy also. But when I got home is when I noticed something truly remarkable. Remember, I still am new to 80's Subies, I didn't know the GL came with air suspension. At first, I was PO'ed, since I knew that the system was doomed to failure, until I looked in the wheelwells and strut towers... MY CAR HAS A BRAND-NEW AIR SUSPENSION!!! So just the parts of the suspension are worth some $2000 and I paid $1625 for the car... I have found a very rare SouthEast Subaru gem, I really stole it too, and am proud to have given a special Subaru a loving home

I'm trying to track down a similar problem. On a very rare occasion, seems to be in the wet mostly , I have a very violent feeling of shaking and looseness from the rear end. Yet I never skid or spin or hint of losing control. I have a couple theories, which I will attend to soon, like swaybar bushings, extra crap in trunk, and yes, possibly a drivetrain problem...

I will be picking up my new 88 XT GL 4WD tomorrow, as well as keeping my 91 Legacy. Since I am technically a 80's-gen n00b, I have a few questions: 1) Biggest one... how do I use the 4WD pushbutton on the shifter? Is it shift-on-the-fly? Can I engage it at 70mph? Can I engage it in turns? How long can I leave it on? How often should I use it? Etc, etc. I want to keep this thing as operational as possible... 2) What weaknesses do XT's have? I know the BC-BF Legacies' niggles in and out, and have mostly tended to them. I don't let small problems go unnoticed, that's why I never have big problems... 3) How much fun are they? Believe it or not, I find my Legacy to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys, and I would love to have the same expectations for this XT... Thanks in advance for any input... subyluvr2212