covertrussian

That's actually a great tip, I didn't even consider it (FWD you just raise the front up and it's good to go). In this case I was just topping it off so will use this advice on the FXT when I go to change the oil (pesky 1st and 4th gear grind).

Wiring Harness To be able to maintain climate control, we will need to split power and send it to the headunit still. Thus you will need a Reverse and Forward facing Subaru radio harnesses, plus antenna adapter. Issue with most aftermarket forward facing harnesses is they are missing Pin #7 which is for illumination an is important! I simply bought two of them and stole a pin from one of them. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9731.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9733.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9734.jpg You can test the fitment/resistance of the wires with your two plugs http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9735.jpg Depin the reverse facing harness, remove speaker wires, antenna etc, leave only power/ground and illumination wires. You don't want to have those wires to be even in there, otherwise you can get a short and kill your factory radio. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9737.jpg Crimp/solder heat-shrink and your done http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9736.jpg Back to hooking up the radio, the factory radio has three additional plugs that need to be hooked up along with your reverse facing harness. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9846.jpg Plug up the aftermarket head unit, you can see the antenna adapter here too http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9848.jpg After all is in place, checking airbag module clearance http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9849.jpg Done for now, nice to have USB playback again! http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9855.jpg And you can make out the radio from drivers view, which is a nice plus. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9860.jpg This ran me up about $30 with all of the harnesses/adapters. I now have good music for some long trips coming up, I may switch to a proper JDM unit in the spring, but I would rather spend the money elsewhere if this lasts.

Legacy GT's all came with dual climate control, while it keeps the marriage be in harmony on long trips, Subaru decided to marry the climate control into the radio. That means it's one giant unit, and you try to take out out you loose the other. Now you can get a JDM dual climate control unit that is separate thus giving you a double din area, but the cost of them alone is around $350, then add on the cost of stereo and the wallet starts to cry. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9751.jpg The idea is to put the radio into the ashtray/cig lighter location. The idea comes from this thread. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9753.jpg Remove the ashtray and cig lighter http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9757.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9759.jpg Sadly there is an airbag module with plastic wall in the way, I'm not sure how the guy in the Legacy thread was able to fit his radio in, perhaps it's much shorter then mine? Just can't get that angle in without hitting things. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9761.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9762.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9769.jpg Pulled the stereo out, look how much space there is being eaten by the stock setup! http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9771.jpg Here is the clunky radio and climate control http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9773.jpg Started dremeling, still can't get the angle right or enough space to clear the airbag module, thus cut the divider off altogether. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9779.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9780.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9783.jpg Finally can get the headunit in http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9785.jpg Now gotta get the shifter bezel comply, cut the tabs to be able to get the head unit closer. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9814.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9817.jpg As you can see that's still not enough, needs a bigger window http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9821.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9820.jpg Now it fits better http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9836.jpg Install to get my dreams crushed by the airbag module not letting me to angle it enough! http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9839.jpg After working on it for a few days, It was snowing, thus I wanted to be done with it until the spring so just found a way to mount it for now. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Radio/CIMG9843.jpg

Yes sir! You're the reason I started looking at the dark side. Being able to put down all the power like you did at the drag strip was just amazing. I should have gotten a ride in your car . Here is us going at it at the drag strip. It was a very hot day with not a fully prepped drag strip, hence the high times for both cars. http://rcresciphoto.zenfolio.com/cdn/pub/4i7tfropdnaf/0/null/mk/nu39jnizjndurjzm9c1x/s9/v91/p1806094835-4.jpg My B15 Sentra is on the left, was making about 160whp to a 2700lbs car. First gear would not hook at all, if I could hook first, I think I would give your car a better run for your money.

I used to hate spoilerless cars, but I actually wanted a spoilerless Legacy. Part of it is because of the super big stock spoiler which I don't care for, another part is because I've started appreciating simple trunk lips. Luckily now days China (through eBay) is spitting out prepainted lips for $35 shipped! I am amazed that they are able to even paint it for this price (they sell unpainted versions for $27). http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258401&stc=1&d=1510891200g Obviously it wont fit like that, I kept it inside the house to get it to be a little more flexible. Doing this on a hot day would probably yield better results with less effort. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258402&stc=1&d=1510891200g Just lay it down and start removing the wrap from the double sided tape, do notice the gap, the lip is a little short (not sure if on purpose or because it's an M3 ripoff branded to fit on the Legacy) http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258403&stc=1&d=1510891200 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258404&stc=1&d=1510891200 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258406&stc=1&d=1510891200 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258405&stc=1&d=1510891200 Paint seems to blend in well, the lip itself is very low key and looks oem. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258407&stc=1&d=1510891200 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258408&stc=1&d=1510891200

Topping off Transmission Fluid My transmission oil was a little low, which is probably due to the bad axle seal that I replaced earlier. Subaru decided to be nice to their owners and added dip sticks for manual transmissions too! Locating it can be difficult at first though. Hidden to the right of the turbo http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Drivetrain/Fluid-Change/CIMG9746.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Drivetrain/Fluid-Change/CIMG9747.jpg Pull it out and you will be given easy to read lines, why couldn't the oil dip stick be this easy to read Subaru? http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Drivetrain/Fluid-Change/CIMG9748.jpg SMURF BLOOD! The previous owner had the car serviced at Andrewtech, which came up with this awesome concussion. 3 quarts of Redline Lightweight Shockproof and 1 quart of Motule 300 to make it more liquid for easier winter shifting. I ordered 1QT from Amazon, thank to prime it was here in no time. Sadly Redline Oils are running $17 per qt nowdays, I remember when it was $7 . Getting the oil in requires a long funnel, I got this guy a long time ago, but never really used it since it's easier to use an oil hand pump on SR20's. Finally it's coming to use, this is the only way to really get the oil in. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Drivetrain/Fluid-Change/CIMG9749.jpg I added about 1/4 of one quart and it's showing more then full, just something for you to consider when refilling. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Drivetrain/Fluid-Change/CIMG9750.jpg Kart Boy Short Shifter Here is one benefit to buying a used car, you are sometimes surprised with little mods like this. I've been very pleased with this car's shifter (short throw and precise), and I thought that was a Legacy GT feature over the Forester's shifter (very long and sloppy). http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Drivetrain/Shifter/CIMG9776.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Drivetrain/Shifter/CIMG9777.jpg Thank you previous owner X, you saved me $100 that I would have never spent on a shifter, but now I'm highly contemplating on it for the Forester... Cabin Airfilter Addition You read that correctly, it would be called replacement if there was a stock filter there to begin with. Apparently in 2005 Subaru didn't think cars could benefit from cabin filters, they added the ability to add one, just didn't add one themselves. Well since this car wasn't designed with the end user replaceable cabin filter, they didn't make it easy... Yes you have to pull the center console off, I was lazy and got half of it off. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Cabin%20Filter/CIMG9763.jpg Almost there http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Cabin%20Filter/CIMG9764.jpg This was anticlimactic for me... I really thought by 2005 ALL cars would have cabin filters http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Cabin%20Filter/CIMG9765.jpg Got a FRAM carbon cabin filter (I can only trust FRAM for small things like cabin filters) http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Cabin%20Filter/CIMG9766.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Interior/Cabin%20Filter/CIMG9767.jpg

Previous owner said the turbo did die on him, probably at around 85-90k miles. He had a shop replace it with another used turbo, problem is, this car ran for probably around 7k miles on the same filters that caused the initial turbo death. I'll check for shaft play when I do a downpipe, but I got a spare VF39 that I was going to use on the FXT, but it might be put on the LGT instead... I'm beginning to see why myself too, it's the whole causation to correlation. Do these cars rust a lot/and have stuck bolts because the owners buy them for snowy climates or do they rust a lot because Subaru did something. Good to know on the spindle, I am fairly determined to make something work, even if it takes a few extra hours. Car working is a hobby for me, thus I do everything myself (even mounting and balancing tires if I can get access to the machine). Yup already doing so, since it's not clicking, I will rebuild it and use it on passenger side if I have to. I used Denso 234-9120, which I'm hearing is the oem version of the sensor.

Invidia vs OEM catted turbo end: http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256730&stc=1&d=1507961159 Invidia has smooth transitions inside the pipe, it does also have not an ideal taper on header end. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256733&stc=1&d=1507961159 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256734&stc=1&d=1507961159 Compare that to the OEM uppipe, it's like it was purposefully designed to suck and reduce power. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256735&stc=1&d=1507961159 Turbo end shows the cat and EGT, notice how poor the transitions are. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256736&stc=1&d=1507961159 Invidia uppie has a bung for the OEM EGT, but oem EGT is meant for checking the health of the cat only, it's too far away to give accurate EGT, plus it can break and kill your turbo and finally I'm hearing they burn up faster without the cat. You will need a hard to find M12x1.25 bolt, parts stores do sell drain plugs in that size for around $5. I was able to find a plain bolt at local hardware store and cut it to fit. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256731&stc=1&d=1507961159 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256732&stc=1&d=1507961159 Gaskets, now is the time to replace those 10 year old gaskets... http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256737&stc=1&d=1507961159 Getting the uppipe was not hard, but trying to hold it and bolt a bolt up did get tricky, not enough hand room. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256738&stc=1&d=1507961159 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256740&stc=1&d=1507961159 I personally tightened the the turbo bolts before getting the header attached, if you keep them loose it might make it slightly easier to get the header installed. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256739&stc=1&d=1507961159 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256745&stc=1&d=1507961159 Get new gaskets on the header, and bolt everything up. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256741&stc=1&d=1507961159 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256742&stc=1&d=1507961159 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256743&stc=1&d=1507961159 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256744&stc=1&d=1507961159 Now I didn't realize this until I started looking for exhaust leaks do to a whiny O2 sensor code. Apparently I put the second gasket ontop of the stock one, fitment is perfect and I see no leaks, thus I think this up pipe might actually be a little short, if it prevents cracks I'm all up for it too! http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256748&stc=1&d=1507961159 All of this took about 4 hours, rusty parts and stuck bolts is the main reason for why it took so long. I'll do some Virtual Dyno runs in the next few days and will see how it did powerwise, also will see if MPG improves. Results Finally did a virtual dyno, I rest the ECU for both runs, and drove the car until IAM hit 1.0 that way timing would be identical for both runs. Waited for another warm day in November and did another run, compensating for temperature, pressure and fuel/toolbox weight. 7whp/10wtq peak gains! http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256749&stc=1&d=1507961159 Do notice the AFR dip, this is a stock sensor thus it only reads to 11.1 and even then it's not accurate. I'll have my MTX-L hooked up after I get rid of the P11. Also please note that this is not necessarily the best road for peak WHP (slight up hill), but it's very easy for me to do repeat runs on this specific road. On a straighter road the car is making 213whp. CEL Fixing Removing the EGT sensor will cause a CEL, thus you have to either reflash the ecu with codes off (best method), or use a resistor patch (will work, but I've had some issues after some time). Disabling the CEL's through reflash Disabled these codes in your tune: P0420 - Catalyst System Efficiency Below Threshold P0545 - Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit Low P0546 - Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Circuit High P1301 - Misfire Detected (High Temperature Exhaust Gas) P1312 - Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor Malfunction P1544 - Exhaust Gas Temperature Too High Resistor I highly suggest using the reflash route, resistor patch for me would throw intermittent CEL's and cause cruise control to fail. Since I have re flashed the ECU with resistor disabling CEL's, I've never had this issue happen to me. Get a 2.2-kohm 1/2-watt Resistor (Radioshack # 2711121), this resistor makes the ECU think the EGT is always at 1292 *F. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256746&stc=1&d=1507961159 Tape it off so it doesn't fall out http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256747&stc=1&d=1507961159

2005-06 Legacy GT's have a catalytic converter inside the up pipe before the turbo, replacing gets you ~10whp and might save your turbo. I think Subaru realized this too and in 07 LGT's came with a catless same as STI up pipe, instead they introduced an air pump to help the emissions. GrimmSpeed did some awesome CFM testing of different up pipes. Catted up pipes flow 165 CFM, you can gut the stock one, very involved process and you run the risk left over material going into your turbo, airflow does improve by 50 CFM (216 total), which is still worse then OEM catless uppipe (at 245 CFM). GrimmSpeed's uppipe did 293 CFM, which is almost double the airflow of stock. Now Grimm's up pipe does have a flex pipe, which IMO are not needed and add turbulence, that plus the price is why I went with the Invidia uppipe. Up pipe is install is not hard, but is also not easy as the downpipe install. It's just a very involved process where you have to remove the headers and the downpipe. Gain access to the turbo and downpipe. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256715&stc=1&d=1507959986 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256716&stc=1&d=1507959986 Remove the EGT sensor if you can, it will help you more easily pull out the up pipe. Mine was stuck thus I had to remove the uppipe as is, it was still doable, just bent the sensor. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256717&stc=1&d=1507959986 Mine was so stuck I couldn't get it off even with MAP heat while it was off the car. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256726&d=1507960024 Downpipe has a bolt that holds it under the car, but there is also a little bracket that catches it. This was a pain to work with, I ended up cutting the lip off so that I can push down the downpipe more. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256718&stc=1&d=1507960261 Remove the downpipe bolts. There is one downpipe bolt (one on the intercooler side) which was nearly impossible to break loose, just not enough room for a breaker bar and a wrench cuts your hands. Use a screw driver to force the downpipe off the turbo. This all is much easier if you just remove the downpipe all together and replace it with a new one. I don't know why Subaru thought it is a great idea to put two bolts right under the downpipe. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256719&stc=1&d=1507959986 Next is removing the header, first you need to drop the diaper and start removing the super rusty heat shields, to gain access to the nuts on the heads. Unplug and unhook the O2 sensor from the engine! O2 sensors are very sensitive on these cars, I damaged mine by leaving the exhaust manifold hang on the O2 sensor wires! http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256720&stc=1&d=1507959986 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256721&stc=1&d=1507959986 Don't forget to unbolt the up pipe from the header too. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256722&stc=1&d=1507959986 Up Pipe removed: http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256723&stc=1&d=1507959986 Grab it and pull it out http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256724&stc=1&d=1507959986 Invidia vs OEM catted up pipe header end: http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256725&stc=1&d=1507959986 OEM LGT uppipe entry is about 40mm http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256728&stc=1&d=1507959986 STI Uppipe is not much abetter at about 43mm http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256729&stc=1&d=1507959986 It should be well over 50mm to not be a flow wall, this is the exact reason why I like the Invidia Uppipe. 2016 Edit: I recently discovered that OEM gaskets are much bigger then the ID of the uppipe, this is why the black ring is there, it's not from stock up pipe being that much smaller then the head exit. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=256727&stc=1&d=1507959986

I gotta do my timing belt sometime this summer (at 98k miles right now), thus I plan on pulling the passenger side filter at that point. Since it's only affecting the AVCS, I'm not as worried about it. But definitely on my to do list. I hate timing belts and the replacement dances, I've owned nothing but timing chained cars for the last decade, thus it is an unfriendly change. I'm glad that Subaru finally switched to chains for 2014 models though!

Right Axle Finally onto the main reason why I had to do all of this extra work past the wheel bearing, boot was pretty ripped. I was tempted to repair it, but EMPI axles are $67 shipped, hard to beat that. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258394&stc=1&d=1510890945 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258396&stc=1&d=1510890945 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258395&stc=1&d=1510890945 Another reason to remove the axle was, the car was bleeding smurf blood due to the axle seal being reused by the shop that did the TOB work! http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258397&stc=1&d=1510890945 Got a new seal at Subaru, Part # 806735300, they are about $8 a piece. I at first went to Advance auto, not only did I get the wrong seal (wasn't really showing up in their system) it was more expensive then Subaru seal! http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258398&stc=1&d=1510890945 I was able to push it in with bare hands, not sure if I'm happy or worried about that part, with Nissan I'm used to dedicated at least an hour just to get the stupid seals in, this guy went in within 5 minutes! http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258399&stc=1&d=1510890945 New axle was a breeze to install too, I gotta say this was the fastest axle/seal job I've ever done. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=258400&stc=1&d=1510890945

It all started with me hearing more wobbling noises, naturally I assumed another wheel bearing is on it's way out, this time right front one. Sadly after all of this work, the noise was still there, I rotated the tires and the noise moved. Oh well at least I needed a new axle/axle seal anyway. Look at that beefy rotor! http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/General/CIMG9574.jpg This thing does indeed have massive brakes, I can see why Outback guys want to upgrade to LGT setups. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/General/CIMG9614.jpg What's this... runs to FSM... this car has oem camber adjustment, not used to seeing all of this fanciness! http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/General/CIMG9584.jpg Fanciness ended when I saw that they are crash bolts. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/General/CIMG9609.jpg Front Wheel Bearing As I now know the wheel bearing was okish, oh well, I needed a new stud anyway, current one was so rusty that the previous owner didn't have a lug nut. I tried to install one and cross threaded a brand new nut. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Wheel%20Bearing/Front/CIMG9575.jpg It's bolted up in the back of the hub, do notice the ABS/Speed sensor that needs to be removed before you can pull the bearing assembly out. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Wheel%20Bearing/Front/CIMG9577.jpg All out http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Wheel%20Bearing/Front/CIMG9579.jpg All in http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Wheel%20Bearing/Front/CIMG9610.jpg Well that was easy right? Sure until you need to replace the axle too. Which lead to me needing a new ball joint too. Ball Joint The fun began when I tried to remove the lower ball joint knuckle bolt so that I could pull the knuckle out and get the axle out. As you can see Subaru went with the reversed ball joint setup, I hate these with a passion for this exact reason! http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9582.jpg Luckily I had a spare ball joint sitting waiting (actually it was supposed to go into the Forester) http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9597.jpg Took the knuckle out and started hacking away http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9594.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9598.jpg The carbide burr helped a ton with getting the shell of the ball joint out http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9599.jpg Since the ball joint has a dimple for the bolt, rust tends to form inside, so it's a good idea to clean it up on the inside http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9601.jpg Next stage of fun, drilling the bolt out, I think Subaru used a grade 8.8 bolt, this thing was a little too soft honestly. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9602.jpg Threads are useless, best route is to use a longer bolt with a nut now. http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9604.jpg Luckily again I had a long enough 10.9 bolt (P11 6 speed leftovers) http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9607.jpg And done http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9612.jpg http://i160.photobucket.com/albums/t188/covertrussian/Cars/05%20LGT/Suspension/Lower%20Ball%20Joint/CIMG9613.jpg

This is the #1 reason Subaru turbos die often, second reason is Uppipe cat that breaks up over time. For some reason Subaru thought it was a great idea to put a fine mesh filter into the turbo and AVCS oil feed lines. AVCS Filters AVCS filters are the easiest to get to and check. Some Subaru's will have the mesh filters right before the AVCS, these have a tendency of getting stuck in the AVCS mechanism. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253914&stc=1&d=1502332136 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253917&stc=1&d=1502332136 05 LGT bolt didn't seem to have the filter, but my 04 FXT definitely had them and they poped out of the banjo bolts. Dig around in the AVCS oil hole to make sure the filter is not in there, on my FXT, both filters fell out of the banjo bolt and was inside (hard to spot since they are black like the oil). http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253915&stc=1&d=1502332136 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253916&stc=1&d=1502332136 Turbo Feed/AVCS Feed This one is the most important one, if this one is clogged it restricts oil flow to the turbo which causes to starve and fail. Most shops will replace the turbo afterwards without fixing the root cause, clogged turbo feed banjo bolt. Because of this most replacement turbos will fail within the next 10k miles. Remove the bracket that bolts to the up pipe and to the block. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253918&stc=1&d=1502332136 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253919&stc=1&d=1502332136 Then you can see the oil feed banjo, use a 17mm ratcheting wrench to make your life easier. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253921&stc=1&d=1502332136 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=259017&stc=1&d=1511964587 Filter is still in... pull it out and install the bolt without it. The hard lines have a built in restrictor for the turbo. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253922&stc=1&d=1502332136 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253923&stc=1&d=1502332136 This filter is definitely clogged, this caused my car's turbo to go out, sadly the previous owner didn't pull it out, thus the replacement turbo might be in a bad shape too. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253924&stc=1&d=1502332213 Driver Side Head AVCS Feed This one requires the most work to remove, it's best to do it while you are replacing the timing belt and the cam seals. Here is a pic of how close the Banjo bolt is to the timing cover, there is simply not enough room to remove it on car without damaging the timing cover. If you grind the hump off, you will have more room to get the banjo out. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253925&stc=1&d=1502332213 This plastic cover is in the way and can only be removed with the cam gears removed. You will need to loosen the dip stick tube to get the plastic cover out. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253926&stc=1&d=1502332213 Finally easy access to the bolt http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253927&stc=1&d=1502332213 As expected the filter was in place still http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253928&stc=1&d=1502332213 And very dirty, if this was on the turbo feed/avcs line the turbo would be dead due to oil starvation. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253929&stc=1&d=1502332213 I removed the whole hard line, notice that the bolt that goes into the AVCS side itself doesn't have a hump. That hump makes it impossible to remove this banjo bolt with the timing cover on. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253930&stc=1&d=1502332213 I'm going to put the humpless bolt on the head, I also shaved one side of the banjo bolt so that I could squeeze it past the timing cover if I ever have to deal with it again. Do yourself a favor and use new seals on the head it self, you can try to reuse the old seals on the AVCS end, they are easy to replace if they leak. http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253931&stc=1&d=1502332213 All done and happy! http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253932&stc=1&d=1502332213 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=253933&stc=1&d=1502332213

Thank you very much, didn't think these cars would be so cared of oil, but definitely good to know. I've been lurking these forums for quite some time now, even before the purchase about month ago. I take a lot of pictures as I do the mods, thus I wanted to post them in one stop location. I may be moving some of the posts into individual How To's. I definitely already got a sunburn from the awesome vacation, but I see you have some 09 vacation pics too, will pass it on to a friend! Alright onto business of posting the currently done progress. Please do keep in mind, these posts posted on a Nissan forum, thus I might have details that we all already know as Subaru owners.

2005 Subaru Legacy GT 5MT "Comfortable Daily" Build Engine Lightweight Crank Pulley - GrimmSpeed Turbo Big 16g Steel Braided Turbo Oil Lines Intake Mods Custom 3" Inlet Custom 3" Cold Air Intake DIY TGV Deletes Inlet Evap Delete Intake Tech Posts: K&N Typhoon Intake Testing & Fine Tuning Results TGV Open vs Failed Closed Test Drop In Filter Testing Intake Depression (Vacuum) Testing Perrin STI Inlet Pressure Drop Testing Fueling Engine Bay Inline Fuel Filter Tank Fuel Filter Bypass FPR Vacuum Line Relocation 04-07 STI Fuel Pressure Regulator Exhaust Mods Header - GrimmSpeed UEL PNP Header Overview and Install Crosspipe - GrimmSpeed Uppipe - GrimmSpeed - Gasket Ported Downpipe - Grimmspeed 3.0" Catted Catback - Custom Quiet 3" SS Single Exit w/STI Muffler Exhaust Tech Posts Headers: OEM UEL Header Design Overview Tomei 193105 Equal Length Header Design Overview Backpressure Kit & Testing: Downpipe & Catback Backpressure Manifold BackPressure: Tomei ELH & 16G Backpressure Removed Mods: Tomei 193105 Equal Length Header Install Uppipe - Invidia HS02SW1UPP Downpipe - 2.5" Stromung Divorced Inlet: Perrin STI Minor Engine Mods Spark Plugs & Sidegaping Spark Plugs: SILFR6B8 AC Idler Pulley Gauges General & Boost Gauge Wideband - AEM UEGO Fuel Pressure Gauge Maintenance Banjo Filter Removal MAF Cleaning PCV Valve Timing Belt Cam Seals Water Pump Intake Manifold Gasket Valve Cover Gasket Throttle Body Gasket Lower Coolant Crosspipe OEM Air Filter Replacement Injectors AVCS OCV Replacement Vacuum Leak Hunting OBD2 Port Loose Connection Fix Tuning Closed Loop to Open Loop Delay Disable Timing Compensation Zeroing Disabling AF Learning for Open Loop Max Airflow Learning Restricting Timing Map Resmoothing 16G Tuning Bigger Turbo = Less Timing For Better MPG 16G: Testing Optimal WOT Timing with bigger turbo UEL vs EL Header Tuning Base Maps Stage 0 Safety Tunes MPG Tuning Suspension Front Front Strut Bar: JDM STI BL/BP Front Lower Control Arm Rearward Bushing: Whiteline KCA334 Front Lower Control Arm Forward Bushing: Whiteline W0506 Ball Joints: Subaru OEM 20206AJ000 Rear Whiteline 20mm Rear Swaybar Rear Trailing Arm Bushings: Whiteline W63398 Rear Lower Control Arm & Bushings: STI Arms & Whiteline W63393 Rear Toe Arm Bushings: Whiteline W64494, Whiteline W63395 Rear Upper Control Arm Bushings: Whiteline KCA399, Whiteline W63396 Tires: Cooper RS3-G1 225/45/17 Tech Posts: Stock Front Suspension Travel & Camber Curve Removed Mods: EMUSA WRX Front Endlinks 08 Spec B Bilsteins + 05 AT Wagon Springs Tires: Cooper Zeon RS3-A 225/45/17 Tires: Falken Azenis Fk450 215/50/17 Brakes Centric Rotors & StopTech Pads Caliper Rebuild Rusty Rear Line Replacement Front Caliper Replacement Front Rotors: 2005 vs 2006+ Comparison Drivetrain Flywheel: 2007 WRX Single Mass Clutch: Exedy Stage 1 Clutch Replacement & Single Mass Conversion Post Rear Diff Inserts - Whiteline KDT927 Kartboy Short Throw Shifter Shifter Bushing: ES 19.1102G SS Clutch Line & Clutch Delay Valve Delete GoodRidge SS Clutch Line Failure 12.5k Miles in! Front Axle Reboot on Car (Fast and Lazy Way) Cosmetic Trunk Lip Plasti-Dipped Grill 09 Key/Fob Upgrade & Programming DRL Disable STI Homelink Mirror Handbrake Leather Gluing Headlight Refinish S204 Lip Installation Rear Folding Seat Retrofit Audio JDM DCC HVAC Conversion Speakers: Focal 165 A1 & Polk DB651's Removed: Headunit Install Part 1 Part 2 General Build Posts Passenger Front Wheel Bearing, Ball Joint Right Axle Transmission Oil, Kartboy STS, Cabin Filter Brake Bleeding, Diff Fluid Change, Parking Brake Adjustment Stock Exhaust Size and Aerodynamics Vac Leak fixing, TMIC, Stock AVCS Testing Carpet Holder Fixin' Full Size Spare, Red GrimmSpeed Crank Pulley PS Hose O-Ring & Cabin Air Filter Replacement Custom 3" WAI Intake with BPi Flowstack Turning WAI into CAI Sparkplugs Overgapped Spark Plugs Overgapped Again! Common Issues Here is a list of common issues found with these cars. [list] [*][b]Turbo Failure around 80k miles[/b] - There are two things that can cause this: 1. Subaru used turbo oil feed banjo filters that get clogged and restrict oil flow to the turbo. [url="http://blog.1aauto.com/2012/05/30/got-subaru-turbo-read/"]Failure Example[/url]. Here is [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/remove-all-banjo-filters-222758.html"]how to remove all banjo bolt filters[/url]. 2. Subaru used a preturbo catalytic converter that breaks up overtime and gets logged into the turbo. Please note 2007+ LGT no longer have cats in up pipes. [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/shredded-turbo-uppipe-cat-failure-pics-36523.html"]Failure Example[/url]. Here is [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/install-catless-uppipe-invidia-224448.html"]how to install a catless uppipe[/url]. [*][b]Throwout Bearing failure at around 60k miles[/b] - The push type clutches have badly designed throw out bearings that will get stuck on the pressure plate and destroy the input shaft's snout. There is a [url="http://www.fredbeansparts.com/subaru-legacy-gt-tranquil-tsk3-sleeve-kit.html"]Tranquil TSK3 snout kit[/url], use this if your snout if yours already has damage. Sadly there is no permanent fix, even TSK3 TOB's will fail at about 60k miles. [*][b]Fans always stay on[/b] - This on is 5MT specific, the secondary radiator fan relay can damage the ECU causing the fans to always stay on. [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/cooling-fan-relay-issue-now-recall-campaign-55332.html"]There is an official recall for this[/url]. [*][b]Dual Mass Flywheel[/b] - Dual mass flywheels should be shunned from all cars, they are big & heavy and only lead to problems. [url="http://www.carmag.co.za/technical/the-truth-about-dual-mass-flywheels/"]More info on DMF[/url]'s. Luckily you can upgrade to 07+ single mass setup (flywheel + clutch). [*][b]Wheel Bearings![/b] - As with all Subaru's, be ready to replace all of the wheel bearings. Allwheeldriveauto.com Did a two part series on Subaru bearings: [url="http://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-repair-seattle-wheel-bearings-explained-part-1/"]Part 1[/url], [url="http://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-wheel-bearings-explained-part-ii/"]Part 2[/url] [*][b]Dual Climate Control is physical tied to Radio[/b] - This is a major inconvenience (if you want to user aftermarket head unit) and has issues too. If one fails it takes the other down with him, LCD screens are known to give out on these too. There is a [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/official-dual-hvac-double-din-jdm-kit-thread-113589.html?t=113589"]JDM Console Swap[/url] but it will cost you around $350 for the whole setup. [*][b]Front O2 Sensor Failure[/b] - Seems like the Front O2 sensors fail rather often, this is probably because of the O2 sensor being in before the turbo, thus is exposed to very high temperatures. [*][b]Water Pools ontop of Fuel Rail due to Hood Scoop[/b] - Due to hoodscoop design water tends to pool around fuel rail/coolant reservoir after raining, [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4900942&postcount=225"]example pics here[/url]. [*][b]Stock Tune is Lean in Boost[/b] - Due to emissions US models have a closed loop to open loop delay, this causes you to be lean while in boost, this causes burnt valves and makes motor more detonation prone. [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4725760&postcount=87"]Easily fixable with a tune update.[/url] [*][b]Stock Tune adds too much timing for Cylinder 2 & 4[/b] - For some reason 05-06 LGT's add 2.11* to cylinder 2 & 4 which are already detonation prone, 07+ tunes add 0*, FXT/WRX also isn't as aggressive. [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4822363&postcount=153"]Easily fixable with a tune update.[/url] [*][b]Rear Brake lines rust through[/b] - There is a recall, WQK-47, no matter how bad your lines are, if they are not leaking Subaru [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4920327&postcount=283"]will just put some wax on them[/url]... [*][b]Front Lower Control Arm Bushings[/b] - Rearward specifically, they tend to rip very easily, OEM ones cost around $15 but don't expect them to last. Whiteline or Avo makes great replacements, plus you can get caster ones. [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/lowercontrol-arm-rear-bushing-whiteline-kca334-224449.html"]Replacement How To[/url]. [*][b]Crank Pulley Disintegration[/b] - The rubber/glue on the crank pulleys tends to stop holding and the two parts of the [url="http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/f-crank-pulley-229893.html"]crank pulley separate[/url]. Usually destroys a few items while it's at it. [/list] Pictures http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=240697&stc=1&d=1479085399 http://legacygt.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=240696&stc=1&d=1479085046