just bought a used 1996 Subaru legacy outback awd postal vehicle. needless to say I didn't get what I paid for. first issue after running on mail route for 3-4 hours, car starts surging and jumping like breaking and horse in. first several hours runs great. tried fuel addatives, high grade gas, no effect. then will drive for a few days and no problems, then it starts over again. any suggestions please. my neck and back are suffering from whiplash. one person said fuel pump. but it takes 3-4 hours before it starts acting up. I would think fuel pump would be more consisted acting up.

now next problem was sold AWD, no fuse in firewall fuse link but yet no AWD. was told clutch pack. never heard such a thing possible help with diagnosis and maybe part number to let mechanic, which I may be 75% considered a mechanic but a real mechanice to repair.

 

any help greatly appreciated. would like to deliver mail in a car and not on a horse, but true with the horse I would at least have afd(all foot drive)

 

For the time being, insert the FWD fuse and see if anything changes. The transmission does have a clutch pack located on the back side. Never changed one but understand not a real problem. When the car starts to buck, any change in the rpms? Try to whittle down the problem. Is it engine related or transmission related or rear differential? 

yes. the rpm guage goes up and down when it stutters or jumps. acts like when it jumps, it then boggs down like a carb flooding and if I floor it it boggs down worst and if I let off accelerator it tries to recover. again I then turn ignition off, pull out key and sit 5-10 mins, put key back in cranks and runs fine for another 30 mins or so before it starts again, a cooling down period so to speak

Problem probably either ignition or fuel related. I'd suspect the fuel pump. New filter a good idea also. Pump not difficult to replace but many of the aftermarket pumps are not a perfect fit and will cause problems. I'd use only an OEM pump. 

i replaced up stream 02 sensor just not sold on fuel pump just yet, I would just think if fuel pump, it would act up during the first 3 hrs, just seems like it waits to when I get to the same place on my mail route it starts up. weird!!!!!

when did the car last get a basic tuneup? plugs, wires, air & fuel filters?

 

Plugs should be basic NGK copper cores, gapped at .040

Wires should be either OE or NGK - cheap aftermarket wires tend to be problematic

 

to help narrow down possible torque bind issues, get it fully warmed up, then find a open parking area and turn several tight circles at low speed (barely above idle) - do in both directions. If it bucks or has problems turning those circles, you have a torque bind issue.

The airflow meter can also produce this problem. Since you aren't that far from Knoxville, I'd take a ride to the Pull a Part in knoxville, buy both the pump and airflow meter for next to nothing. The meter and pump for all I know are all swapable from early 90s up to 99 models. 

sorry, been real busy. okay have done nothing yet. maf sensor or aif flow meter would make sense. since my last post, the car has still acted up 99% of the time. had a few days that ran a 5 hour route without any problems, as far as tune up , I have no clue when. previous owner of course now is being uncooperative did anything to it. coil looks new, plug wires seem okay. other than that I had a mechanic look at it and wants to replace the fuel pump. again that doesn't make a whole lot of sense with what little money I have. when it starts to jump and jerk it acts like it is flooding out, I hear every now and then the sound like a carb shooting up gas and like it jumps time at that point. I still turn off car, let it sit 5-10 mins, put key in crank up car does fine for another 45 min or so then starts acting up allover again. something either is getting hot and breaking down but it is so weird that it waits until I get to a certain part of my route that it starts acting up. like someone has a wireless kill switch and screwing with me. :wub: :wub: :wub: :wub:

ok sorry been so busy. replaced fuel pump sock and filter, surging and jumping has stopped, runs great. now I need a rack and pinion. does anybody know where I can find a rack. have googled, called all around the us cant find rack for my factory right hand drive legacy wagon. found a place in Indiana that you send them your rack, they rebuild it and ship it back to you for $329.00. Subaru for new wants 800.00. where  can I find one????

tell us what the steering is doing.

RockAuto.com has them starting at $133.79 plus a core charge.

RockAuto.com has them starting at $133.79 plus a core charge.

Most likely that is for left hand drive. This guy has a postal wagon, so it is right hand drive. Doubt they are interchangeable.

good to know. Hadn't thought of that. As I look now, they have re-seal kits for both left and right hand drive, but the whole assembly seems to be left hand only.

any new ideas on where I can find a factory right hand drive rack and pinion. it is bad and the manula steering of it is killing my arms and shoulder

www.car-part.com

Those companies on the west coast that deal with Japanese 1/2 cuts is a source.