Mac

Hey Boz! How are they hangin'? Not sure I really want to replace current Soob seats with another set of Soob seats. They're not made that well. The same problem with the jy seats is the same problem I have in both my EA81 '84 and my EA82 '85s. Cheap tin trying to support a double quarter pounder with cheese frame (in my case 6'4", ~300). Those wires at the bottom rip right through the metal. I spend a lot of time in the seat and I'm looking for something stronger and longer lasting. I could pop in a decent set from the jy and 6 months later, same pickle. Cheap seats will lead to long term back problems.

Does anyone have a source for decent seats? It seems that all the Subarus in the jy have the same problem -- built for small, lightweight Japanese butts and the frame gave way to large American butts. --------- Skip responding to this. Just saw the thread started by MeatWagon on seats and will follow discussion on it.

I have the FSM but no mention of the cruise control in it. I'll check there. Also, I'm pretty sure the "soup can" with the other thing attached to it, attached in the engine compartment to the firewall on the passenger side, has something to do with the cruise control.

Thanks for the reply. I've got to remember that trick. But now, since I have the cruise, I wouldn't mind figuring out how to fix it.

Bump

CC is on an '84 GL SW, carbed 4-speed, D/R. Not sure this is vacuum related, electrical or both. Here's the deal: Go to set cruise and more often that not it engages for a couple seconds then drops off. If I try to set it again, nada. If I leave the CC switch on, it may kick back on for a few seconds at some point or another down the road as if infested by ghosts. Sometimes it engages but won't set at the speed. Just keeps on going, pedal to the metal, until I turn the switch off about 6 inches from some guy's rear bumper. Resume and coast don't work at all in any situation. Not even sure where the computer is located. Any assistance rendered would be appreciated!

This most likely is a vacuum hose problem. Check all the vac hose connections, specifically the one's connected in the vicinity of the cannister inside the engine compartment on the passenger side.

I'm having the same problem with the same year vehicle and I know it's not the relays. Have another '85 and yanked the relays out of that one, put the relays from the non-working unit in it and it works fine. Non-working blower-A/C didn't work with good relays. So I'm stumped. As Rallyruss noted, I can get the blower fan (on the 3/4 speeds it normally operates at) to work by jumping the green/white to the blue. On that relay, I have power to the blue. On the other relay, I have power to the yellow and blue/white. (My wiring colors are different than specified by Rallyruss. On the brown relay I have blue/white, yellow, black, black. On the black relay I have green/white, blue, blue/yellow, red/black.) Fan switch is fine. Main control switch ... who knows? Not sure how to test it. Slide switch is not smooth. Feels like some plastic from the guide rails has broken off recently. Some history, in the few weeks before it tanked, everytime I put on the fan, I could see the voltmeter drop a volt or two. Once I cut it off, the volt meter would register normal volts (12-13.5). Also, this is the vehicle that had the loose black fusible link wire connector. Fuses and links are fine. Rallyruss ... would be happy to give you readings, just tell me where to get them from and I'll get my multimeter out. HELP!!!! I'm a fat man in Louisiana and I needs my A/C!!! (Plus, it helps to have it when the windshield fogs up. Cops are starting to look at me strange as I peer through the Smiley Face I've made on the fogged-up glass during rainstorms.)

The link never blew. The problem was a loose connection at the link box -- the spade connector wasn't fitting tight. Apparently it's been arcing for awhile because the arcing weakened the connector and dry-fried the rubber insulation. The voltage kicks down a volt or two when I turn on the A/C. If I cut the blower fan, it'll go back up. Ooops ... had a typo in my second post, wrote blank and meant to type black.

<<Just curious; what circuit was it on?>> Main, I guess. It was the blank fusible link. The voltmeter kept jumping everytime I put on the A/C. I just figured the needle bounce would be normal given the high draw.

I know what a fusible link is and where it is, but what is it made of? Is it a special type of wire or just various guages of wire? One of the fusible links in one of 'rus had a loose spade connector and the car died on me this afternoon. Apparently it's been arcing for a bit because the insulation is cooked. (The fluctuations in the voltmeter should have told me something, but I know what that means now.) Well, I tracked down the problem and made a street fix but when I went to O'Reilly's to pick up a replacement link (and a few spares for the other links "just in case"), the only links they had were listed by wire guage (16 or 18) and the suckers were $2.99 each, which seemed kind of expensive to me. So, can anyone fill me in on "Zen and the fusible link?" OOHHHMMMMM, Shanti! OOOOHHHHHMMM, Resistance!

If you're just looking to replace that thermo-sensor that screws into the radiator, O'Reilly Auto Parts has them for $19.95. Subaru sells them for $40.

I paid $750 for an '87 GL-10 5-spd Turbo 4x4 in November last year. He originally wanted $1,400. It had 142K. It's from up North. I bought it from a guy in New Orleans. Primary issue with it is rust holes in both rear quarter panels, corrosion on electrical connectors and severe rubber dry rot on rubber boots under the hood from the heat. Motor clean as a whistle when I bought it; three months later, oil leaks from pan gasket, valve covers etc, meaning he degreased the motor before selling it. Every used car I've purchased, I've had to put at least $500 into repairs in the six months following the purchase and I always keep that in mind. Tire tread may be good but tires may be old, will have unseen dry rot and will disintegrate at highway speeds, or have been run a low psi, which will cause belt separation. When did he have the timing belts changed last, and can he prove it? If you don't do it yourself, $500 plus. $175-$250 for parts if you do it yourself and do the recommended additional changes: water pump, front seals, oil pump seal and maybe oil pump. Hope that helps. Unless the guy has a stack of maintenance records, that's more than I would pay.

Thank you!

Looks like 42-inches at the top; approx. 53-inches at the bottom. NOTE: I am not a carpenter nor do I play one on tv.

Howdy Folks! Anyone run 185 80 R13? I'm running 205 60 R13 on my '84 GL SW 4x4 now but the tire isn't carried everywhere. I'm pretty sure those are aftermarket chrome mags on it. Additionally, I'd rather get the tire at Sam's Club because they're all over the place where I live and they have a great road hazard warranty. I'm on the road a lot and I've gotten like 5 free tires from them, having only to pay the tire disposal fee.

Anyone got one of these? Can't figure out how to program it. Can't find a .pdf manual on the web and checked google ... nada.

Those plastic ones I'm talking about are "Stant" brand. Pretty cheap and easy to bypass. >The last EA81 gas cap I had to get open took 3 people, a hammer, 2 chisels and a power drill to get open And you're still breathing? Made a pact with someone who looked alot like Ray Walston and had a pointed tale?

BTW, locking fuel caps are usually found on gas filler tubes containing highly flammable gases. I'd recommend NOT using a hammer and chisel or drill (friction results in heat and potentially static discharge).

If it's just one of those plastic locking gas caps like you find at WalMart just take a wide flathead screwdriver to it. They're not really that difficult to open.

Only one local junkyard here has a Honda Accord and the bonehead wants to hit me for $40 for EACH spring and strut, and won't sell spring separate from strut. I checked at Advanced Auto Parts and can get a pair of Accord springs NEW for $40. But there are different numbers for the springs for that year depending on whether the Accord had a manual or automatic transmission. The maker of both is the same ... TRW. May be the same spring with different SKU numbers, and different prices.

Haven't pulled the wheel yet but know I need a rear wheel bearing on my '85 DL Sdn, 2WD. Was checking parts. Some parts houses say on this model there is an inner and outer bearing as well as a seal. Others say just the inner and out bearing. Question: Does it have a seal?

Called the yard. They have springs from the '88 Accord HB ... said it's a strut and spring combined ... is that right? ... use both the strut and spring??? ... and quoted me $40 each.

No Soobs at the yards around here. Thanks Miles, but I think that solution -- while being pretty cool -- is just a slight bit more involved than I'm seeking. I just want to prevent the tire from hitting and rubbing the wheel well is all.

So ... if I'm reading this correctly, the front springs from a Honda Accord Hatchback can be exchanged for the rear springs on the DL? The solution of using the struts and springs from an EA82 4WD sounds like an expensive solution to the problem. I was explaining my problem to a friend and he said that he remembers a kind of air bag insert being sold that fit around the strut, did not get in the way of the spring, that could be aired up. Anyone ever heard of such a thing. (Not to be confused with Hijacker type shocks.)