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Have you tried dousing the carb inside and out with some B-12 Chemtool carb cleaner or similar? Are you talking about the alternator, waterpump, powersteering, A/C belts? Do you have A/C? Do you have two belts that take the exact same path around the pulleys or not? Tracy

That describes my old '81 GL wagon. It ended up being a sticky choke. Tracy

First off, I love my Subaru. This is my fourth. I've preveiously had two older Subarus and a Legacy. Now for a complaint... while not as bad as my '68 Landcruiser, the older Subarus have noisy interiors. The lack of sound deadening and bracing in the roof make my '87 GL wagon sound like a tin can inside. Also, mine seems to have a wavy (almost dented spot) in the roof and that makes it seem even worse. When I shut the rear hatch it sounds pretty tinny. I've noticed that Subarus with the factory rack have a more solid feel to the roof due to the support they get from the metal 'ribs' that are installed directly to the sheet metal of the roof. I'd like to install a gutter mount rack on my Subaru with a cargo basket however, I'm considering installing some type of ribbing to the top of my roof like those that come with a factory rack, to make it more ridgid and to straighten out the wavy spot. I'm also considering adding some sound deadening material above the headliner. Has anyone done something similar to their older generation Subaru? Tracy

That sounds like the ticket. I'll have to swing by NAPA tonight and see if one is in stock. Tracy

Thanks... that's helpful. Tracy

Bike shifter levers have an index or a friction mode. In the friction mode you haven infinate variability and a small thumb screw on the side to set just the right amount of friction to hold the throttle at the desired position. It would mount nicely on the 4WD/dual-range lever. I'd find it handy while heading down the road to put it at just the right spot and 'Voila'... cruise. Also handy when you are double footing it on a steep hill. The hill holder in my car works fine at a steep intersection in town but isn't a perfect solution in most off-road situations. I'm alternately considering a dash mounted throttle knob like the one in my old Landcruiser. Either way, I'll post results. Tracy

Awhile ago I posted about aftermarket cruise control for an '87 GL wagon... someone mentioned the idea of just 'poor man-ing' it with a vernier dash mounted throttle. It got me to Googling and I found that it is popular to add a hand throttle made from bicycle shifter parts to Jeeps. Here's a pic: <http://www.huv.com/jon/jeep/JeepPics/Hand-Throttle-1.jpg> This looks like it might be useful Soobie mod. Tracy

I remember as a kid during the 'gas shortage' scare of the '70's, fuel economy gauges were somewhat popular. I had a friend whose dad was a 'gadget nut' and installed one on his Ford Bronco. These 'fuel economy' gauges operated on the principle that intake manifold pressure is directly propotionate to fuel consumption. I've read that aside from the novelty value, a vacuum gauge can be useful in diagnosing all sorts of general engine health things from worn rings, to blown headgaskets to sticky lifters. All of the gauges in my '87 GL wagon work It is nice having real gauges (versus warning lights) for temp, oil pressure, voltage and of course fuel. I've been wondering about adding a vacuum gauge somewhere in my dash or under the stereo just for kicks. Has anyone else added a vacuum gauge and if so, where did you install it and what brand did you purchase. Did you install a "T" fitting where the PCV valve is so it monitors pressure at the intake manifold at the base of the carb? Thanks in advance. Tracy

Several years ago, I got rear-ended on a rainy day in my '68 Toyota Landcruiser by a late model, Chevy 1 ton dually truck, towing a stock trailer full of cattle. The impact flattened the loop-style bumperettes on the back of my Landcruiser then transferred the remaining energy straight through the solid chassis of my Landcruiser and shoved me ahead into the car in front of me, slightly bending the stock heavy gauge steel front bumper. The damage to my Cruiser was fixed for under $50 and less than an hour's work. I fixed the front bumper myself and replaced the rear bumperettes. The other two vehicles were very heavily damaged. The crumple zones in both cars did their job and absorbed the impact... sacrificing lots of sheet metal and uni-body chassis in the process. The insurance agent who gave me the payout check has a picture of my Landcruiser and the other two vehicles framed in his office. He was utterly amazed at the difference in damage and had never seen an accident with such a stark contrast in damage. That said, I had whiplash so crumple zones aren't such a bad idea but it sure makes cars easy to do expensive damage to in even minor collisions :-\ Tracy

192,000 on '87 GL wagon. Five speed, no A/C, 185 80 R13 tires. I've clocked it between mile markers over and over and have come up with about a 10% speedometer discrepancy. I'm assuming this translates to the odometer as well. So with that, I've been getting 25-26 mpg. Add 10% and that brings it to 27-28 mpg. I'm using 85 octane fuel, I live about a mile above sea level and I drive mostly highway at around 60-65 mph. I am planning on replaceing rear diff gear lube and transmission oil with Amsoil synthetic gear lube. It should help. Tracy

Ditto that. I have recently acquired an '87 GL Wagon... very little rust. runs well but very weak clutch. I've been driving it to work every day but I'm really having to baby it along. I'm debating whether to tackle this job myself and if so, what is the best source for a decent clutch overhaul kit. Tracy

My '90 Legacy wagon has recently turned her last trick. I'm junking her out. She had a relatively new set of tires on alloy wheels that I'll pull in case I ever get another Legacy. She also had a relatively freshly rebuilt alternator I'll remove and salt away. I also pulled the receiver hitch and trailer lights wiring adapter. Here's the question: Before I haul her off, I'm wondering if I should pull the front seats with driver's side height adjustment. The seats in my '87 GL wagon have seen better days. The fabric looks fine but the springs are pretty tired. WILL THE SEATS FROM MY '90 LEGACY FIT IN MY '87 GL WAGON with little to no modification? Thanks in advance! Tracy

I am on my 4th soob... a pretty clean '87 GL wagon with 5 sp. D/R. Cost $700 My most recent previous Soob was a '90 Legacy. I bought it for $2500 and put 100K miles on it before killing it... very comfy car. I'll miss the A/C, Cruise and powered sunroof. It had been overheating due to a blown headgasket for the past 6 mos (but I was able to drive it to work each day, round trip 60 miles). I decided I wasn't going to fix it because the trans was getting clunky and it was getting pretty beat up. A few weeks ago I knowingly ran it into the ground. The headgasket problem had suddenly gotten a lot worse and it pushed all the water out on the way home and got very hot in a hurry. I decided to just see how far it would drive with no coolant. I was able to drive over 20 miles with the engine hot as hell and rattling. Towards the end I had to keep my foot in it to keep it running. It got me home... it evan STILL runs although it blows smoke now. I was impressed. I've never been stranded in a Subaru yet. Previous Soobs: '81 GL wagon 4 speed, third gear synchro was trashed but I loved that car. It even had A/C. '88 GL wagon FI, 3 speed auto. I got it with only 60,000 miles from a grandma who only drove it in the winter and kept it garaged... very clean car, had A/C and P/L. Good car but I hated the 3 spd. automatic. I love the 5 speed bu I wish my current Subaru had a few creature comforts. I've gotten spoiled with PL, PW, cruise, A/C and the like. I mostly use it as a commuter to save wear and tear on our family car. When I REALLY want to head to the hills I have a '68 Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser... now THAT is a tough vehicle... no timing belts to go out on that engine. It has heavy, timing gears. Everything on FJ40 Landcruisers are overbuilt from end to end. I really do like Subarus though. Like I said, I'm on my fourth one. I'd like to keep this '87 I've got for a long time. It has 192,000 miles. The clutch is getting really weak but the engine runs really well, doesn't leak (amazing) and is getting 28 mpg. I'm hoping to improve my Subaru wrench turning skills with this car. I know the workings of Landcruisers far better. With the help of this great board, recently purchased books (Chilton, Haynes and 'How to Keep Your Subaru Alive') and experience of course, I plan on becoming a decent shade tree Subaru mechanic. Sorry for rambling... Tracy

Has anyone personally used a split boot repair kit? I'm thinking that for $15 I may give it a whirl. Tracy

Where you getting $50 rebuilt axles from? Not a bad idea on the throttle control. I do this on my '68 Landcruiser. Thanks for the advice. Tracy

I have a 1987 GL Wagon. This is my fourth Soob. My '90 Legacy recently died. I miss the cruise control during my commute to/from work. Has anyone discovered an aftermarket cruise control for a carbureted ea 82? ALSO... I have a torn inner boot on one half-shaft. It isn't clicking yet. Should I dismantle the axle and replace the boot for $10 or spend $70 on a new axle? I've always just replaced the entire axle in the past but maybe that's not being very thrifty. Has anyone had decent luck with the $15 split boot repair kits? They look like a band-aid fix to me but easy since the axle stays in the car. Advice? TIA Tracy

Over time the AWD got sloppier and sloppier on my 90' Legacy with automatic transmission. If the front wheels started to spin on snow/ice, it would take quite a few spins before the rear axle would decide to kick in... at that point the front tires would spin less because they were getting some help and with that, the rear axle would stop prividing torque so the front wheels would spin some more... very annoying. Eventually it got to the point it is now, where the car is 100% front wheel drive only. The AWD system on the automatics is more complex and can be more finicky than the system used with the maual transmission. 90 Legacy's had crappy automatics as well. My '90 Legacy has taught me to never purchase the first year of a new model. Tracy

Yeah... I really do think this is probably the issue. The radiator looks pretty darned good and the problem surfaced suddenly and not gradually. It appears to be getting worse recently too. It seems like a plugged radiator would present itself as a very gradually increasing, chronic problem. Even though the AWD doesn't work anymore and the auto-trans is a bit clunky and the car is getting a bit beat up, it is still a comfortable car with fairly new struts all the way around (the air stuts died and I replaced them with standard struts) and good rubber. It has a working moon roof which I enjoy and drives well. I'm reasonably handy with a wrench... should I just suck it up and pull the heads, have them flattened and put on new head gaskets on both sides? OR... should I say with a smile, I've gotten nearly 100,000 miles out of the car since I bought it, that's not too shabby and just drive it into the ground? Dilemna!! History: bought car for $2500 (99,000) rebuilt trans at about 110,000. Cost: $1500. New struts $400-ish. Other maintenance along the way: Half shafts, brake pads and rotors, tires, alternator, tune-up, etc... The car has about 192,000 miles on it at present. Haven't done anything major to it for the past 60,000 miles. Thanks, Tracy

The radiator doesn't look all that bad but who knows what's stuck between it and the A/C radiator. I did run a garden hose with a squirt nozzle carefully across all the rows the day I flushed the radiator. It could still be compromised though either from the inside or outside which causes it to run hot under load... but what about the random temperature spikes? Can the coolant system *really* get persistent air bubbles like has been mentioned? Tonight I'll run it with the radiator cap off and look for head gasket leak bubbles... I've done this before and couldn't really tell one way or the other. Also, I've read that a subtle head gasket leak can be the cause of the overheating demons and yet not produce visually noticeable bubbles from looking into the radiator. I called a subaru shop in Idaho Falls a few weeks ago... admittedly I 'primed' him about the possibility of a head gasket issue and he said it was the likely culprit. Of course I don't want this to be the problem because A.) I'm not going to put $1200 into the car. It isn't worth it at this point (that's what the mechanic quoted for *him* to do it). B.) I don't feel like doing that extensive of repair work myself on this car. I only have so much time and I have an '87 GL wagon that needs a clutch and is more worthy of the 'wrench time'. However, like I said, I'd love to get some more mileage out of this car so if it is something stupid-easy like a bad radiator, I'll suck it up and change it. If it's the head gasket, I think I'll just drive the car until it blows up and then junk it. It has been a bit of a lemon and is getting kind of beat up to boot. I really appreciate the input folks! Tracy

So am I to assume the water pump is an all or nothing item? It either works or not? Second, is there a way to eliminate the possibility the head gasket has been compromised? (is there a test that will verify combustion gasses are not in the coolant?) Thanks, Tracy

Thanks for the reply... If I'm towing my small trailer on a hot day with A/C running or heading up over Teton Pass, revving the engine doesn't help. The needle creeps up into the hot range and stays there. Something is definately compromising the cooling system. What doesn't make sense is the consistency when under a load and the randomness of the problem when I'm running on flatland. Often weeks will go by with no problems then out of the blue the needle will climb to the hot zone in a hurry. Tracy

'90 Legacy 192,000 miles. Runs well. Doesn't appear to be using oil or coolant. I am not seeing visual signs of oil in my coolant. I've used a radiator flush product and back flushed the radiator as well. Nothing funky came out. I've replaced thermostat. Electric fan is working. Waterpump isn't leaking. Heater works fine so the heater core isn't clogged. Most days the temp is slightly below half on the gauge. If I head up over Teton pass the needle heads to the red in a hurry and I know it isn't just a faulty gauge because the engine runs pretty doggy too and I have to stop several times to let her cool down. I just noticed this a few mos ago. Oddly, most days driving to work she's fine but some days out of the blue the temp will jump right up there. Now here's the funny part. If I stop and let the car idle the needle stays up there... however, if I give the motor a pretty solid 4.5k-5k rev the needle will instantly drop back to half. The occaisional overheating on flat land is seldom and random. Overheating while pulling my small cargo trailor is guaranteed now days especially if A/C is running. Running the heater does not seem to have much of an impact on the situation. Initially I was suspecting a slightly blown headgasket that is introducing bubbles into the coolant and compromising the coolant's abilility to do its job since the thermostat and radiator seem to be doing their jobs. However, I'm not really seeing other signs of a blown headgasket... no white smoke and like I said, no real change in fluid levels, no sludge in oil etc... The engine runs fine. I've put several thousand miles on it since this problem surfaced expecting to see the problem worsen if it was indeed a head gasket issue. It hasn't though. Is it possible the waterpump is slipping on the shaft or something? The serpentine belt is fairly new and properly adjusted so there is no slip there but I was wondering if it is possible for the impellor to be slipping somehow... is there a keyway that could be wore down and allowing the impellor to slip a bit on the shaft and to not work optimally which is why a rev of the engine has such a dramatic effect? It would be a real bonus if I could eek another 50 or 60,000 miles out of this car but I really don't want to sink big money or time into it. This is my fourth Subaru and it's been a bit of a lemon. The transmission went out at 110,000. It cost me $1500. The tranny is starting to act a bit clunky again after 80,000 on the rebuild so I've been babying it. Also, the AWD got real sloppy and finally quite working about 30,000 miles ago so it is 2 WD now. Despite that, the car is comfortable... good A/C, cruise, moonroof, Alpine stereo, drives well and it has a new set of tires on it that I'd like to wear out. It gets me back and forth to work really well. Any ideas??? Suggestions??? Thanks in advance! Tracy