cdr_warsstar Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hi all! Somewhat new to the forums, I've lurked here for a few years. This thread is intended to document the repair process on my newly purchased 2001 Legacy GT wagon, and to ask any questions related to it. But first, a quick history of my Subaru history. 1st Subaru - green 1997 Legacy Outback, bought for $1400, discovered that the PO had hidden the head gasket issues by removing the thermostat. I drove it for a year before buying my second Subaru. I sold it earlier this year for $750. I regret selling it. 2nd Subaru - silver 1999 Legacy Outback, bought for $2950 with fresh head gaskets. Drove for 2 years (approx 20k miles) before they let go. Currently limping along as the snow vehicle. 3rd Subaru - 2001 Legacy GT. I bought this on New Year's Day, 2015, for $500. It's missing the transmission, bumper, passenger side fender and head light, and it needs a hood. It was the victim of a deer, though it appears to have been a top hit instead of a front. The engine was gone over by Subaru about 30k miles ago. The interior looks to be in good shape, though it does need a good cleaning. So I have a project! Side note: car dollies are a pain in the ass. Next time I have to tow a car home, I'm getting a trailer. So my first order of business is to get it drive-able. This weekend I hope to get all the bent metal straightened out. Then sometime next week I hope to get to Pick-a-Part while they still have a 2000 Legacy L in stock. I hope to get the hood, fender and headlight off of it. I'd like to get a bumper off an Outback as I like the round foglights better. As for transmission, from my searches I'm finding that I can use any 2000-2003 4EAT that has a final drive ratio of 4.44, which can be found in non-L and non-Brighton Legacys and Outbacks. Is that correct? And if so, does anyone know off-hand what Foresters I could get one from as well? As for future repairs, upgrades, and modifications, the only ones on the horizon for now are repairing the standard rust near the rear wheel arches, bedlining the whole car in the closest match to WRB that I can find (after the rust repair of course), and swapping in heated seats, preferably leather. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 I can use any 2000-2003 4EAT that has a final drive ratio of 4.44, which can be found in non-L and non-Brighton Legacys and Outbacks. Is that correct? outbacks and GTs will swap, this is correct. forester also have the 4.44 ratio so they will swap as well, but i don't know what years. probably the same as the outback. you can look up your auto trans at http://opposedforces.com/parts and it will show the trans iD# which is printed on the bell housing at the starter. then click on the part number, and then usage info, it will list the years that will swap . you will have to do each model separately. if you use outback or forester trans, your speedo will be off. those cars have bigger tires. your speedo will read faster than actual speed. H6 auto trans will not swap, different ratio, plus in 04 they redesigned how the transfer clutch works, so no 04+ trans. i assume this is true for both the H6 and the H4. what is wrong with the trans in the car? besides towing it on a dolly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 There's no transmission in it, the guy I bought it from used the transmission in another car. He did throw in one from a 2000 Outback, but it has a blown front diff. The speedometer being off is fine, I'm used to using a GPS for speed since the 1999's speedometer/odometer was out for a long time. And thanks for the link! That's a big help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 are the axles still attached to the wheeel hubs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 9, 2015 Author Share Posted January 9, 2015 No, the PO removed them when he pulled the transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted January 9, 2015 Share Posted January 9, 2015 your front wheel bearings may be bad then, or go bad soon after you get it on the road. but nothing you can do about it now. given the parts you need? maybe you should look for a car with a bad engine, either bad head gaskets, busted timing belt or bad rod bearing, but good auto trans. then you would have all the parts you need. buy two, make one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 10, 2015 Author Share Posted January 10, 2015 Ah, okay. I'll probably end up just fixing this one. Should the bearings go bad, I'll just replace the hub assembly. I'd look for another car like you suggested, but the driveway is pretty crowded as it is with my mom's 1999 Toyota 4Runner, my dad's 2001 Chevy S-10, my sister's 1993 Subaru Legacy wagon, my 1989 Chevy 1500, my 1999 Subaru Legacy Outback, and now this lol. I'll still keep an eye out for one, especially one with a decent leather interior, but I doubt I'll find one cheap enough to make it worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qi Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 Heads up, the headlights are different between the L and GT. The L had one bulb for low and high beam and GTs (if memory serves) split the two between a 9007 and an H3. The GT housing is divided into two. If you can find an outback to pull parts from, they share the same headlights as the GT. With the Outback front bumper, make sure to get an Outback grille as well, or there will be a gap. Outback grills are a bit taller than Legacy grills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 11, 2015 Author Share Posted January 11, 2015 I didn't think about that, thanks for the heads up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 13, 2015 Author Share Posted January 13, 2015 Worked on getting the metal bent back into shape while it was "warm" this weekend. It's better. Not perfect, but better. I'm going to go to Pick-a-Part while its warm this weekend and see about getting a fender and hood. If I'm lucky they'll have gotten some more of the right gen and model Subarus in by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 17, 2015 Author Share Posted January 17, 2015 Went to Pic-a-Part today, there was a 2000 L sedan and a 2001 Outback. I got some stuff I needed. Got a headlight, inner fender, hood support (but I forgot the fastener thingy), 2 Outback fog light grills, and some misc. trim pieces, upgrade parts, and fasteners. Both hoods and fenders were beat up, and the Outback bumper was hacked up. I'm going back Saturday to get the transmission out of the Outback. If I remember correctly it has 166,xxx miles on it. I also need to grab the air intake. I completely spaced that I don't have that part. The Outback had the Cold Weather package too....... You have no idea how much I want the heated windshield wiper park areas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Got the transmission. It took two trips, but I got it! Now before I put it in, I'd like to do some preventive maintenance. What would you guys suggest? Since the Duty-C solenoid failing is what I seem to hear about the most, I'd assume I want to do that. What else would you guys suggest? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 replacing that solenoid will add about $100 to the cost of the trans. and you can replace it without pulling the trans. and there is probably a 30 warranty??? on the trans, so i woulf not spend the money unless you have some reason to believe the solenoid is bad. how many miles on the ''new'' trans????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 That is true, I looked into replacing it before on the 1999 when I thought that it was going out. Turned out to be low power steering fluid. It wouldn't be too bad to get to should it go. I went ahead and paid $25 for 180 days. It has about 166,000 on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnegg Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 I went ahead and paid $25 for 180 days. It has about 166,000 on it. so if the duty c fails in the first 6 months, you replace it and then negotiate a partial refund with the parts yard. hand them the old duty c and the invoice for the new one as evidence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 That's a good plan, thanks! And even if it fails after the warrenty is up, I will hopefully have a spare from the transmission that came with the car that has a blown front diff and cracked case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted February 13, 2015 Author Share Posted February 13, 2015 Quick update. I have all the parts except a fender, hood, and grill. Oh and some misc. bolts, and two spring/roll pins for the CV joints. I was going to get the transmission installed last week, but I had to work on my sister's car. (oil light and noise from the engine, metal particles and flakes in the oil, probably a bearing went) And this weekend it's going to be way too cold to have the garage open. Maybe next weekend? /crosses fingers In semi-related news, I saw a 2003 Legacy Outback that just needed an engine on Craigslist for $1200. It looked like it had the Cold Weather package. I was so tempted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Ugh, so fricking busy..... Hopefully this weekend I can get the transmission in. Then I can address the rest of the body work. Question: I'm planning on getting the trans in and filled, then starting the car and making sure it starts and at least shifts through all the gears before putting the driveshaft and cv joints and so forth back on. Is that okay? I'd hate to go through putting everything back on only to discover I need to pull it all off again because I goofed something up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeremy R Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Hey nice thread. Not sure which order you were talking about.... But just in case - If you shift gears with the engine running without shafts and brakes.. you will have no brakes to stop the transmission between fwd & reverse gear... Clunk.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Oh..... Yeah, I forgot about that small detail. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted April 14, 2015 Author Share Posted April 14, 2015 This weekend I finally got the transmission in. Still don't know if it works though, as I still have to change the filters and pan, fill it, put the CV joints in, and replace the driver's side steering knuckle as there's a crack where the ball joint pinch bolt goes through. Everything else is in/on, and I finally found a good hood and fender! It's getting close to being drive-able (I hope). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted April 25, 2015 Share Posted April 25, 2015 Looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 IT LIVES!!! Kinda. The ball joint housing on the passenger side is cracked, so I need to find a knuckle for that side before I can drive it. But everything else is just about done. Transmission filters are changed, new fluid is in, oil has been changed, every part other than the passenger side CV joint and some heat shields are on, and it's been started. Runs good, I've got an exhaust leak to track down, and a couple Check Engine codes to fix. One for knock sensor (might not be plugged in right?) and one for evap system, so either gas cap or wiring to the charcoal canister. I've got a post with pictures and musings on what's next planned, but it's been a long day. Looking good! Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cdr_warsstar Posted April 29, 2015 Author Share Posted April 29, 2015 A couple pictures of the work from this weekend. I could have sworn I checked the passenger side when I found the drivers side was cracked. Oh well. A peek into the magic box. Everything looked good, so I'm hoping that this transmission is good. Here's how it sits now. I keep considering not using the Outback bumper I got and just welding up a Mad-Max style bumper/push bar/lightbar. I'll be adding a push bar to mount lights on whatever way I decide to go. I'm also going to see about ditching the stock air intake. The one I've got is just barely holding together, and if I'm going to spend money on it, I'd rather put in something that doesn't take up as much of the engine bay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeC5 Posted April 30, 2015 Share Posted April 30, 2015 Looking good! I guess it's a good thing those ball joints don't like to come out even when you do get the rusty bolt out... At least scaring up good used knuckles should be easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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