goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I just bought my first Subaru. I'm pretty pumped and the people I've talked to have said I found a good one. Its an 87 4dr wagon GL 4wd. Its a 5spd and not an all the time awd ( again still learning but apparently this is awesome) its super clean and original. No rips tears all stock inside and almost brand new looking. It's got some miles and it clearly has an exhaust issue. I can smell the exhaust and its loud. There is also a shredded aluminum tube coming from what I am guessing is the catalytic converter but no one I know kniws what it does???? It seems to drag going up hill and has no get up and go. I've heard intake problem or exhaust problem. I'm getting a tune up belts and hoses and an oil change. Any suggestions someone can give me as a subie newbie would be awesome. I want a sleeper. Also the erg light is on???? I've read posts about resetting it but what's it telling me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) I have the exact same car. Here's what worked for me: 1 - Make sure the timing belts are on correctly. My passenger side belt was off by one tooth, it KILLED performance - I could barely do 45 up hills. 2 - Replace the $H!7achi carburator with a Weber 32/36. HUGE increase in power, very noticeable difference, even after I got the timing belts correct. 3 - If you have the time and skill, rebuild and reseal the engine. Remove emissions garbage if you don't need it to pass inspections. Not sure if this will give you much performance increase (I did this after the T-Belt fix) but it will give you peace of mind that your engine is the best it can be inside, and won't unexpectedly strand you. 4 - Tuneup stuff: Change oil and filter. New belts and hoses. New distributor cap and rotor. Change transmission fluid. New spark plugs and wires. New air and fuel filters. Check timing. Check cooling system components (radiator, thermostat, fans) and replace if necessary... I'd probably replace the radiator and thermostat on a mid-80's Subaru I just bought on general principle. One last thing... lose the timing belt covers. If you carry a spare set of timing belts in the car (which you should anyway), you won't need the covers and they will only get in the way and slow down repairs. My '87 GL wagon is a whole new machine after doing the above... like night and day! Good luck! . . Edited July 17, 2014 by BirdMobile 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subruise Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 first things first, welcome! second, PICS! we love pics as for your gutlessness, you are on the right track with the tune up. 87 is a fuzzy year, is yours FI or carby? clogged cat will rob power on both but theres other info specific to both. since you mentioned the "stovepipe" ill assume its a carbed engine. Rebuild, or replace, or at the very least clean out that carb. lots of folks go for a weber 36/32 variant as a very effective upgrade. That pipe is there to draw air warmed by the exhaust to the intake for cold starts...kinda warms it up faster. It doesnt actually carry any exhaust gasses. not a big deal if its gone. As far as sleeper goes.....research EJ swaps. basically the engine from a legacy or something of that nature. egr light: programmed to come on every x amount of miles thus prompting an inspection/service of the system. hth p.s. kudos to you, new guy for finding the search function when so many others have not 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 I have pics but can't figure out how to upload them inside the thread I'll figure it out. So prob not an exhaust issue??? Its def not fj the carb looks pretty clean but I'll look into the upgrade. The power drain is clearly mechanicalso fix that before the upgrade. Good call on the timing. Thanks also for the info on the stovepipe haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 https://www.dropbox.com/s/niq6t4gpernbb4t/2014-07-16%2020.08.25.jpg The outside. https://www.dropbox.com/s/t2tgi5mt0xnr550/2014-07-16%2020.09.31.jpg Original stickers https://www.dropbox.com/s/h3jnid9fvzm9ijk/2014-07-16%2020.10.56.jpg engine https://www.dropbox.com/s/kbylo1bks2zlmrc/2014-07-16%2020.12.49.jpg the back https://www.dropbox.com/s/yx25wmjh9mk0g3l/2014-07-16%2020.12.57.jpg original manual 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Very nice! Your color is even the same as mine... but without the rust! Edit: Just noticed you still have your cargo rollover cover. Unusual... mine is the only other GL I've ever seen with this piece still functional and in the car. Way to go! Edited July 17, 2014 by BirdMobile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Yea I figured runs,drives,stops 1200 wasn't a bad deal. How hard is it to put a turbo on it. Is it an add on or do I need to alter the engine in some way to adapt it? I really appreciate the help I'm never going to sleep just comb through this site haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) I personally wouldn't turbo it... read up on it, those engines are more fragile and problematic. Just my 0.02. If you decide you really must "go turbo", it requires an engine and wiring harness change - you can't just "bolt it on" to your existing engine. Different pistons, heads, intake, ECU and wiring, etc. Edited July 17, 2014 by BirdMobile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ystrdyisgone Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 The short answer concerning you wanting it to be a sleeper is that it's not going to happen with an ea82. As BirdMobile said, don't turbo it. If you did, I don't think you could go above 5psi, and at that pressure, well... You may want to look into an EJ swap if you really are after much more power. Or, just enjoy the car for what it is, a reliable little wagon that will get you anywhere you need to go(once you get rid of the hitachi carb) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 I did plan on it being a goer I have a kayak can take it everywhere too. I have a friend who started going off about all kinds of conversions. I think I'm gonna start with the carb and tune up and get it out this summer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ystrdyisgone Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 That's what I would do. I just finished up putting a 2.2l from a legacy into my wagon, and it's sweet, but definitely a lot of work. $$ too.. These things are surprisingly fun with a weber, plus you can just chop the muffler, add a straight pipe and pretend you're going fast. ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Yep! Weber it and smile. Mine goes fast enough now to get tickets... and i occasionally find myself passing other cars too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) P.S. When it comes to these vehicles, speed is not the name of the game. Reliability, utility, ease of repair, offroad fun, and reasonable gas mileage is. Style too... if you're into retro-80's boxy station wagons with "back to the future" Mars mission cockpits... like I am! . . Edited July 17, 2014 by BirdMobile 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subruise Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) .......................i do have an ea82t running 15psi on a crate in my garage, complete w dash, and harness tmic, 4" one piece exhaust etc. built at a local race shop. Even though I say this, its alot of work.....also suuuuper loud, so not really a sleeper Edited July 17, 2014 by Subruise Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 OK fair enough. I see I have lots of ideas for the future but good place to start. Oh just ran across this http://www.cars101.com/oldsubaru.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 I think you'll be happy with it once it's tuned up, Webered, and de-emissioned. Once it's running well, don't be afraid to rev it UP... I wrap mine near 6,000 all the time and typically shift over 5,000. The EA-82 loves high RPMs. If you still want more, there's always the pre-96 EJ-22 swap as an option... beyond my budget and mechanical abilities currently, but I might try it at some point in the future if I ever tire of the EA-82. For now, though, the EA does what I want and still puts a smile on my face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Yea I have read about getting rid of the emission features and the tune up is needed. I noticed it reved up high for the gear ratio I'm used to. So I have been doing that but didn't want to worry about burning it out too quickly so good to know that's not gonna damage it thanks. So I can remove this https://www.dropbox.com/s/tqhoy9m7ptn450u/2014-07-16%2020.11.08.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Yep. Remove it... won't hurt anything. No place to run it when you Weber-ize your car anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 So I have a friend who will help me do some of the work but I haven't done a lot of work on cars recently and work a lot. So I called yo see how much a belt change would be and they said 749 to replace all the belts does that seem right? I wish I had more time and a place to do the work but alas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) $749 to replace the belts? Or $7.49? Either one seems WAY off... even if they're including timing belts in the job. Reasonable cost gor replacing ALL belts would be around $300... but you could easily do it yourself for under $100 and 2-3 hours of work. Even if you're short on time, you really should do the belts yourself,,, it will familiarize you somewhat with the engine, you will get the timing belt procedure down so you csn change them in an emergency and not need to be towed, and you can remove and toss the timng belt covers to make further repairs easier. The worst part of it is the crank pulley removal and replacement, but that's just one (difficult) bolt and you only need to do it once... never again if you remove the covers. Do you have metric tools? The timing belt procedure is very well documented on this and other sites... the biggest mistake most people make is using the distributor timing degree marks instead of the three vertical lines on the flywheel. Look for the "III" marks on the flywheel when doing the alignment. Edited July 17, 2014 by BirdMobile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 So I can leave the covers off? Sweet!!! They made it seem like I'd be out of luck. All my friends have never worked on these I told them two timing belts and they looked confused haha. I knew that was off. I prob will try and find time. I'm trying to hunt down a list of parts and types right now that are optimum for this car. Any help would be awesome for a tune up and belt change. I can get tools. Right now I'm just looking for parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Yep... people here do it all the time, without problem. Makes repairs and belt replacement MUCH easier, it turns a 2-3 hour timing belt replacement into a 20 minute roadside repair. Ditch the covers, and keep a spare set of timing belts in the car along with a 12mm deep and 21mm standard socket. That's all you'll need for a timing belt instsll. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldtoof Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 Are the covers already off???https://www.dropbox.com/s/0pcxao2l1nfif6m/2014-07-17%2009.09.04.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/1vmmldpist3pgqe/2014-07-17%2009.09.18.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 One other thing I forgot to mention about ditching the timing belt covers. The alignment marks for cam gear timing are molded into the edges of the rear covers. Once you remove them, you can use the "seam" where the cam tower and cam covers meet as your new alignment mark - it lines up perfectly with where the timing belt cover marks were. Disassemble it and look... you'll see what I mean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Are the covers already off???https://www.dropbox.com/s/0pcxao2l1nfif6m/2014-07-17%2009.09.04.jpg https://www.dropbox.com/s/1vmmldpist3pgqe/2014-07-17%2009.09.18.jpg No... those are your "V" belts, not your timing belts. Looks like your covers are still on, from what I can see in the photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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