kel

So I did the right thing and called the cops to see if they could locate the owner and have him contact me. So the plates didn't match the car and they came and towed it . Hopefully when the nuisance abatement dude gets back from lunch he can get me on the fast track to a new(?!?) suby. Cross your fingers, Kel

Hey Greensubie nice town! Kel

Sako, a relay is a switch device that allows a small amount of current to switch on a large amount of current via a magnetic switch. The switch circuit is isolated from the load circuit. Go to an auto parts store and have them show you the relays. If you are enterprising enough to wire a switch in then a relay shouldn't be a problem. You should put a small inline fuse between the switch and the relay, and maybe a large fuse between the lights and the relay but AFAIK the relay will act like a fuse also (?). Hope this helps, Kel

I tow this suby on the side of the road home. It's been there for a couple of days now, it's gonna get towed anyways. The plastic under the column is gone, in the side of the pass. footwell is a bunch of connectors hanging out. Is this where the ecm goes? It's got a D/R 5spd and it's a GL. What do you guys think? Miles? Kel

Check out this post where I had similar questions. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=45870 Hope this helps. Kel

I hear all the time about these subys leaking oil, what kind, brand name included, of oil is everyone using. I have an 85 chevy van that leaked or burned a quart of oil a week. I switched to castrol, and now I don't put oil into it unless I 'm changing it. Kel

Hey, I just wanted to get some opinions on the virtues of each type of 4wd setup and whether one is better than the other. I plan on using a suby to cruise up the mountain on killer pow days. I have the opportunity to get a wagon w/ push button 4wd, should I hold out for a dual range? Thanks, Kel

Depending on how good of a friend she is, and how many books on tape she has, one might be able to digitze her taped audiobooks. Of course you would have to record it real-time but then one could organize each tape into tracks and maybe put more than one book on cd. Just a thought, Kel

Thanks to all who replied, like I said the car was over an hour away and someone bought it before I could. BTW Miles the trashwagons are funny as hell!! kel

Can you be more specific about "all the seals" please? If I get it this will be my first suby and I don't have much experience with them yet. Thanks, Kel

Wow you guys are on top of it!! I forgot about this yesterday but it seems he said something about the TB belt cover being off, came that way, and it doesn't have any plates on it. The more I think about it the fishier it gets, I'll try and talk to him so more. The car is at least an hour's drive from where I live, and I could afford it if all's it needs is a TB but I can't afford replacing tons of parts, unless I sell another car. But I want a suby dang-it!!! Hehe Kel

I know I didn't give a lot of information, to clarify, I'm just looking to see if anyone has any suggestion on how to verify the seller's claims (that it only needs a timing belt) given the car's present condition. Also what special tools would I need to bring to do a TB. Thanks for your advice and expertise, Kel

Ok, so what do you think might have caused it, and do you think I'm looking at more than a timing belt issue. Thanks for the quick responses, Kel

Hi, my name is Kel and I am looking for advice on an old suby I wish to purchase. Ok so here goes... There's an 87 wagon 4x4 with "237,000 miles 5 speed, good clutch! Needs a timing belt. This car does not run currently will need towed!! $125 for my ASE master mechanic to fix. plus cost of belt!" (copied from ad). So the guy wants $200 bucks for me to tow it out of his driveway. When I talked to him on the phone he said that someone who was test driving it was trying to get the 4 wheel drive disengaged and I guess the dude pulled the 4wd lever while it was in gear and rolling (or something like that). According to the owner this is what caused the timing belt to break, also he said that the valves should be ok on this engine. The questions are: 1. Can incorrectly disengaging the 4wd cause the timing belt to break? 2. Did any of the 87 wagons come with interference (pistons can hit valves) engines? 3. Assuming that what he told me was correct, would it be conceivable for someone with pretty good mechanical ability (me) to do this TB in his friend's garage in a day or two? What kind of tools would I need (besides the obvious metric socket set, extra deep wells, pliers, etc.)? I would plan on buying a manual if it works out, any suggestions besides Haynes? I am excited about the possibility of getting my very own suby, even if it is a wagon!! Thanks, Kel