I am considering buying a 1990 subaru legacy L AWD.it has 150K and is a manual.How does the AWD engage?Ive heard of a duty switch for the autos.Is there such a thing for the manuals or do they not need it?so how is the power transfered front to rear?

the manuals work nothing like the autos. the center diff is basically a viscus goo LSD, under normal driving power is sent to both ends evenly, but the center diff works just like a LSD to try and send even power to each end regardless if one end is slipping or not.

 

they are pretty fool proof, you don't have to engage anything it does it all on it's own.

 

if you know old stuff think of an older rx awd with a center diff lock, replace the center diff lock with a viscus goo center diff and bam newer style awd

how would the legacy deal with a welded rear diff by chance?

i'm sure it would drive a little weird, can't speak from experience but any welded rear diff is going to drive different. and pulling an axle would make it even more weird because power would still be sent to the one axle and try to push you only from one side.

 

you could always just run a lsd.

i'm sure it would drive a little weird, can't speak from experience but any welded rear diff is going to drive different. and pulling an axle would make it even more weird because power would still be sent to the one axle and try to push you only from one side.

 

you could always just run a lsd.

That's probably why the early models that had a limited slip rear were VLSD (viscous) diffs rather than LSD (clutch). Only people who could tell you are the ones who added a VLSD or LSD to an early AWD Legacy or Impreza for competition improvements.

That's probably why the early models that had a limited slip rear were VLSD (viscous) diffs rather than LSD (clutch). Only people who could tell you are the ones who added a VLSD or LSD to an early AWD Legacy or Impreza for competition improvements.

 

i added a viscus goo lsd to my legacy and normal driving i couldn't tell the difference. i tried to run my clutch lsd but had to drop that idea because it was making some crazy noises so i can't say what that one would drive like.