1990 Legacy starter, early production vs. late

[notnowles]

I have a car made in January 1990, so it's clearly an early production example. I'm having a problem with the starter where it will start to turn (so we are getting beyond the "click" stage) and then stop. And when I say it starts to turn, I am really saying the motor will make a little moaning noise, as though it is trying. After trying a number of turns of the key, it eventually works, i.e., starter motor spins the engine and away we go. Most of the time, it starts right up without a problem.

When I search online for a starter, some (not all) sites list 4 different part numbers, 2 of them for Automatic (which I have) and 2 for manual, each having "early" and "late production."

Does anyone know what the difference is, and if the later unit can be installed on the early car? Reason for asking is that I can find a used one in a salvage yard easily, but not from an early 90.

Thanks for any information/advice!

[Legacy777]

Welcome to the BBS.

Honestly, I don't know what the difference is between the pre production year and the newer ones. My Legacy was made is 7/89. When I did my AT to MT swap, I just used a MT starter. It was from a 90 MY, but I don't know when that one was made.

Maybe someone else will have a little more definitive information for you.

[notnowles]

I appreciate the welcome. Your car looks fantastic!

Mine is essentially just a winter driver, and its appearance reflects that. I got it from a friend, who gave up on it because it needed too much work. I dealt with all the issues pending at the time and have driven it maybe 600 miles. Today, however, the starter problem cropped up, and then the speedometer quit working. The latter I traced to a broken gear under the speedometer connection to the transmission. It has 114K miles, so , as they say, it "has been around," though it effectively had only one owner before it came to me.

I enjoyed the account of your conversion to manual transmission. My car is a sedan, and I would prefer a wagon for sake of practicality, and would be delighted with one that looked as good as your "donor vehicle!"

Les

[Legacy777]

Les,

Thanks for the comments on my car. I appreciate it. I've put a lot of work into it.

Keep at trying to repair the Legacy. They'll last a long time if maintained.