1 Lucky Texan

Somone will know but I'm pretty sure there wers some subes with 2.2 in '96 and maybe '97 . Might've been Imprezas though. You could dig around at www.cars101.com too. Carl

I THINK there is a 'trick' in my wife's OBW that will chage the brightness by holding a button in for 3 seconds or somthing. Sorry I'm not more specific but my memory is not perfect on this and we've never used the function. I think I went through the owner's manual after we bought the car and did the routine once. I dunno - coulod just be an intermittent connector somewhere. Carl

Interesting post. I think ,in the mix, you should also consider a Forester. Don't let the suv appearance fool you. It's an impreza underneath. And, if you like to tinker, a lot of go-fast stuff made for the WRXes will also work on the Forester. To me, it could use some stiffer anti-sway bars, but other than that - they drive and handle great - quick too (the turbo ones) If you keep your foot outta the boost range though - you will get decent mileage. If you didn't want a wagon, I'd suggest you look at the WRX TR sedan. Again, with your mechanical experience you could build it up as you want it and at your own rate. I LOVE my 06 WRX wagon so far. Just last week I had 300 lbs of topsoil in the back, this weekend I'm gonna autoX it! It can do anything! hah! Carl

Do you ever here a 'whooshing' or 'gurgling' noise when the A/C DOES engage? Severla people with H6 Outbacks (including my wife) have reported leaking discharge and suction hoses from the compressor. perhaps you eventually lost enough refrigerant to have total failure (actually, a pressure switch is preventing operation) I dunno - just a thought. Carl

seems to me RELIABLE 400hp is gonna be easier to get outta 6 cylinders. PARTS to get 400hp will be easier to find for the 2.5 or maybe 2 liter engines I think. check out what some of the sandrail guys are doing. and of course NASIOC. I dunno - sounds like a fun project though. Carl

Might depend on end use too. I THINK the STi has oil squirters for under the piston for additional cooling. That might not be critical for an 1/8 or 1/4 miler though. I dunno Carl

I can't answer all your questions - but evidently tread wear ratings figure in to some classes. There's a bewildering number of classes - to go with all the different kinda cars and modifications I guess. ('glance' at this; - http://www.moutons.org/sccasolo/ caution, you may become drowsy) Oh well. I'm just gonna try to focus on getting my car through without knocking over any cones and still have fun. (someone has to be the slowest - right?) Carl

Yeah - it looks like the xtra .5 liters in the engine puts it in STU. 06 WRX wagon. no other 'functional' mods than the rims. Oh well, I'll get severely stomped instead of just stomped. Carl

So, if the only 'functional' change made to my car is wheels that are 17x7.5 instead of my stockers 17x7 - what does that do class-wise? I signed up for a Subaru Challenge event (anyone ever go to those? http://www.subaruchallenge.com/) and am a total noob. It's confusing because it SEEMS that, even a non 'stock' wheel might not bump your class IF it still falls within the manufacturer's 'specs' for the car AND is no bigger in diameter? I dunno - doens't really matter I guess as I expect not to win of course, just wondering. Carl

^^^^^^^^ +1 Carl

good idea! No pedal placement should start it if the NSS is bad.. Carl

seems to me you couold actually have a temp sensitive Neutral Safety Switch. Next time it fails - see if kiggling/banging around on the shifter might help. I dunno Carl

good points. There are also OTHER types of racing where suspension bits are a better place for your money. Like AutoX and RallyX. If you want a 1/8 - 1/4 miler, sell the Soob and get a bike or a Mustang. Carl

glad its working! Carl

Has the car had 'lowering' springs installed or been regularly and severely overloaded? That COULD lead to excessive neg. camber if the stock springs are sagging. New springs or installation of 'crash' (camber adjusting) bolts will correct it. I dunno Carl

great pic! Is the blue connector the Temp Gauge sender? Carl

Idle Air Control valve. finicky little valve on the throttle body that can get gummed up evidently. some folks say to beware using just ANY solvent and stick with TB cleaner specifically. I think even Subaru sells a specific TB cleaner. Engine temp Sensor. I THINK some manuals say to remove the intake manifold, but everyone I've read reports doing ok with approriate tool selection and just moving a hose or harness outta the way. Haven't done it myself - just reporting what I've read about. Carl

I wanna know about the cookie - might keep one in the glove box for emergencies! Was it a bran cookie - they help me 'go'! Yeah, most likely Engine Temp sensor - you'll probably get better mileage after replacing it. I wouldn't discount the possibility that a good throttle body cleaning or a sticky IAC should be investigated. Carl

Hmmm.... my fear on the first problem is it may be torque bind. Do you feel a jerking motion in the car or just in the steering wheel? If you did figure eights or a tight circle on dry pavement - NOT at the full steering lock but just 'off' from that postion (tight turn but not at the limit) would you feel a jerking/binding? Are all the tires the same brand and size and wear? Carl

Yeah, its one thing for the UOAs at http://www.bobistheoilguy.com to show increased silicon after a switch to K&N - but is that from the oil the filter is charged with? real dust particles? and what size are they? 10 micron is gonna be bad - 1 micron....not so much. me, I'm sticking with paper. Carl

Although I'd be cautious about the actual ratings - especially if there's only 1 or 2 users, this site might be good resource for brands and sources of clutches and flywheels. http://www.subarureview.com/drivetrain.php?PHPSESSID=5c14fe4d16d6349d8dd5f9ecc5e944b3 Carl

here's another possible flywheel; http://www.subydude.com/osc/product_info.php/cPath/220_95_276/products_id/494?osCsid=30505b9b1caba9ba4a32cf09ee98f637 Did you email Teague at boxer4racing? He will know what fits. The site is not well laid-out. Carl

definitely odd - if not fishy. also, if this is the rear sensor - you can get a sensor delete device (a resistor basically) form a 'tuner shop'. maybe cobb or boxer4racing, etc. I dunno Carl

Well, the OP seemed interested in a performance increase but wanted opinions. I don't recall what car he drives, but your comment about fuel does point out a possible stray of topic. Intake AND exhaust related HP increases are hard to come by and often have problems/caveats associated with them. I dunno Carl

WEll, it is interesting that Subaru now offers a CAI (with foam filter)under the SPT banner! https://www.subarugenuineparts.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=intake I think even a CAI is an exaggerated claim - maybe 1-2 HP at most. I'm sticking with paper. over-oiling has caused problems for MAF equipped cars as well. I dunno Carl