Brighton96

Do you just not have vacuum to the brake booster now? When I do my testing I'm just going to use an infrared laser thermometer and my OBD logger to collect data. My brakes are bad enough as it is, let alone without power assist haha

Well thanks for sharing the info, it'll come in handy for sure.

Where were you guys like two months ago!? You just wanted to see me struggle haha That would have been way easier..

After 168k the original starter started to show signs of failing soon, so I ordered an OEM Denso one from Advance auto for $90, and got it installed today. I wish all cars were this simple to replace starters on, took me about 15 minutes to do it on a hot engine while trying not to get burned. In case anyone wants it, for a phase I 2.2 with an automatic, your OEM starter part number is 280-0301 and you only need a 12mm and 14mm ratchet or open end wrench to swap it out.

I have official confirmation, my car is faster since the motor rebuild. I got pulled over for the first time since I bought the car in 2013 haha. The cop was kind of a moody but he knocked the ticket down to a failure to read signs or something and then bitched to me about my "modified muffler" exhaust and license plate covers. Also, I've put about 1k on the car since the motor build and have no fluid consumption or leaks and it hasn't blown up yet so that's good. And guess what, the starter is the only part of the motor that not been touched since I bought the car and guess what part is now failing haha. So a new starter is on the way!

I made the mistake of plugging those two together right when I got the car, that gave me a mini heart attack

Yeah I'd definitely go look at it if I were you, sounds like a good deal already. I think they are prone to early failure of parts though. My buddy has had to do both CV axles, both O2 sensors, all the tie rods, the exhaust fell apart, he got the airbags replaced because Takata recall, the dash got replaced because of it getting sticky in heat, his car eats brakes, and leaks oil as bad as mine used to, and his car is currently at 82k

I may want that center taillight section if the price was right

My buddy has an 08 NA Legacy that I work on and drive a lot, they are pretty decent and the issues they have are pretty similar to my 96 so for me, there is no a new car sensation when driving it, it just feels like the same car with a different body. I've been eyeballing a 06 LGT because I am tired of having so little power, even the 4th gen NA cars are under powered in my opinion. The seats also kind of suck for road trips, that'd be the first thing I'd replace if/when I get one. They're just too flat and firm. Also I don't know about prices in your area but he paid $14k for a one owner car with 67k on it, that is too high for NAs, most in this area go for 6-10k and the clunkers go for less than $2k

Yeah I just took the vent hose that normally goes to the intake and I put in a T so that I could attach the other end to the EGR tube which I had cut, the hose clamped down nicely only the old EGR tube and it looks OE to the untrained eye. But the best way to do a full delete is just run non EGR heads and an non EGR intake which you get from manual cars if my memory is right.

taking the clusters apart is a pain, I've broken two tachs and a bunch of needles by messing with them. What I did with the engine temp gauge is I removed the bottom stopper peg and then installed the needle so that it is slightly below where the peg normally goes, then I move the need upwards until I can get the stopper peg in place, that way the needle won't float about and it should now stop in the OEM place once it reaches operating temp

I tapped into the IACV hose and ran it that way, so far no CEL. It just has to have some sort of airflow. But I don't think you can straight up delete it without a cel.

Those stupid tube EGR nuts always round off. I've had to crush a set of vice grips on them to get them off on more than one occasion.

I didn't do anything but rebuild the stock injectors, to do a proper conversion I've heard you have to map the ecu for it, and install a flex fuel sensor. But I've heard e85 can be upwards of 100 octane rating so old school science, higher octane = more bang = more power. So we'll have to wait and see haha

I haven't been able to get E85 yet, all the places around here don't sell it, but almost every gas station back home sells it so once I'm back home I'm going to start testing it. I just replaced all of the fuel lines with stuff made for E85 so not really a conversion, more of just adaption to handle it.

My only reference level is having done motor pulls of old American V8s, the last motor weighed a good 650lbs and was an absolute beast to move around. But even in that case, there was lots of space in the engine bay and not much to line up.

Honestly it's not too bad, I've heard people being able to pull them in 45 minutes but it took me a while, it's not easy to get the engine mount studs free of the cross member while simultaneously getting the studs out of the bell housing. Both of which are 90 degrees from each other so you will have to mess with the angle of the motor and trans a lot to get it to come free. Luckily the motor is light and with one person standing in the engine bay, you can manhandle it out. Installation is worse though, reverse process but more angle adjustments :/ Get at least one floor jack, an engine hoist and at least 2 strong guys, one to operate the hoist, and the other to pull the motor out. It was easier with 3 guys. Also remove the radiator before engine removal and don't install the radiator until the motor is reinstalled. I used a long section of 2x4 to angle/pry up on the engine and since I laid it on the bumper support, it went through the area where the radiator would normally be.

Here's the stuff to look for http://www.homedepot.com/p/Frost-King-12-in-x-15-ft-No-Itch-Duct-Wrap-Insulation-R4-CF55/203486074

I did notice a good bit of noise reduction, my exhaust is pretty loud and before this, I could hear my fuel pump and it was hard to have a conversation at a normal volume but with it now, it's about as quiet in the cabin as a normal modern subaru. When I do the headliner I'm going to line the roof with this stuff too. It already has adhesive applied to it so you just clean the surface of the car and lay it on. So far it's been on there about a year and I haven't found any places were the adhesive has come loose. I even have a spare tire in the spare tire tub and the tire is too large for the tub so it constantly rubs against the mat, and even with that said, the mat hasn't been destroyed nor come free of the cars surface.

Most of the interior is the black interior out of an L and some of the mismatched interior is the dark charcoal out of outbacks. I also didn't remove the trim to wrap it, I just cleaned it as best as I could and then tucked the wrap up around the edges and so far it's held up well for nearly 2 years now. The smart thing to do would have been remove it and paint it but I didn't want to buy that much 3M tape :/

Here's pictures of the interior. I don't have pictures of the old seats but trust me they were horrible, the current seats are out of a 98 outback. Dash and steering wheel before http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/DSCN3234_zpstqo3b48m.jpg And After http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/DSCN3237_zpspjnxtspl.jpg Rear door before any changes http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/IMAG0978_zpstqx691t1.jpg And after with the newly wrapped door car http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/IMAG0979_zpsbfqhbxyr.jpg And here are some pictures of the dynamat stuff http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/DSCN2513_zpsql5ztbnq.jpg

+1 for heater core leaking I'd try to drill out that bolt first, it's a pretty large bolt so it shouldn't be too bad to drill through it and use an extractor to remove it.

It's not legit dynamat, homedepot/lowes sell a foam backed aluminum deadening and it's in the plumbing insulation section.

First current update, I got a roll of darker gray headliner material from the local fabric place today. It's somewhere between the current light gray headliner and the black interior so I think it'll look good, I may also make door cards to match

Open heart surgery just this past winter as well as a fresh transmission http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/DSC_0536_zpsctzrthua.jpg http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/DSC_0530_zpsoclivtqc.jpg How it sits currently, I haven't gotten a lot of pictures of it's current set up yet, since it's middle of winter here. But a new camera and warm weather means lots of pictures soon! http://i1317.photobucket.com/albums/t637/96Brighton/DSC_0539_zpsdidqeg23.jpg