jacobs

Financial problems will change everyone's focus and it's apparent this is exactly what's happened here.

Sure it can be done but as weak as a Subaru unibody is it's "not safe at any speed"

I wouldn't even consider it. I use a 3/4 ton pickup for plowing snow and it's VERY hard on it. No way would I abuse my Subaru that way.

The brake cylinder in the caliper must be screwed back in manually.

My 86 had been gradually losing power for about the last 100,000 miles and I just thought the engine was getting tired. While I was replacing the rack boots on the steering, I dropped the exhaust pipe to gain more working room. I found the cat had disassembled itself and plugged the exhaust pipe right behind it. I cut the pipe in half, removed the obstruction, and welded it back together. It ran as good as it had way back when.

WD-40 is a good short term lube but not good for long term. If you need a spray to get into tight places that is good long term, look for Lubriplate Chain & Cable lube.

You found out why they use gravel in runaway truck ramps in mountainous areas.

I prefer KISS. That's why I hate the new vehicles!

I wasn't advocating the use of tire chains in this particular application. All I was doing is comparing the traction difference between studs on all four wheels and chains on two.

We used to travel daily on a 4X4 road to get to our home. Every year a spring in this road would freeze and make an ice flow that was almost impossible to cross due to the steep grade. Initially I tried studded snow tires on all four but they wouldn't get you across w/o a lot of excitement. Then I tried chains on just the front. I found I could crawl slowly across the ice flow w/o getting a running start. Chains are far superior unless you plan on traveling a long distance.

Meanwhile a GL question for my 1988 wagon, "light blue" paint code anyone know them? Berkeley Subaru dealer can't identify it but has no touch up paint even close. IT's the 'powder' blue standard color, nothing else close in those models. Check with your local automotive paint store. They're the ones that supply paint to the body shops. Even if you don't have a standard color, they can still give you an exact match.

If you travel dirt roads frequently, you'll notice a BIG difference.

Thanks, that's the answer I was hoping to get.

The question I have IS - What kind of records did they keep and was their driving conditions similar? I've found you MUST take an average of at least 5 to 10 tank fulls with and without before coming to any conclusions. If you keep accurate records, you'll find mpg will vary from tank to tank even w/o any apparant changes.

I once built a small block Chevy shortblock in the livingroom of a 2nd floor apartment - boy was that fun getting it out of there. I can't imagine moving a 455 without a hoist!

Why? Is it still in the kitchen?

About 15 years ago I had a water pump suddenly spring a monster leak on my EA82. When I tried to add coolant, it ran out almost as fast as I poured it in. Since then, I've always replaced the water pump whenever I replace the timing belts as preventative maintenance. My question is is it normal for Subaru water pumps to die like this or is this an unusual incident? I've replaced many leaking water pumps on other makes of cars and trucks but have never seen one shell out like the EA82. Am I paranoid?

The old timers (racers) used to swear by hot stove aluminum paint on head gaskets. You paint it on both sides of the head gasket, let it dry, then install it. I've used it on high compression Corvette engines and never had a failure. Was it better than installing dry? I don't know. I've never used it on aluminum heads and or block. Just something to consider. It's cheep!

If a coil is bad, the output voltage is low or non existant. It doesn't sound like a coil to me. The wider the gap on the spark plugs, the more voltage it takes to jump the gap. I would start by regapping or replacing the spark plugs. If you regap the plugs, you might try lowering the gap to 0.030". It won't hurt anything and it might help. It's worth a try.

I think you'll find the backfiring is due to the A.I.R. part of the emissions system. My Subaru has backfired for about 150,000 miles now and I just ignore it although I can stop it by blocking off the hoses feeding fresh air into the exhaust.

Yes, I compared pages using the same time of the year. No, I haven't halted using acetone because to really compare I'd have to stop for too long a period and with gasoline prices as high as they are, I don't want to do that.

You can shake a brass float and tell if there's fuel in it. A plastic float is just foam and when the small voids fill with fuel, because there's so many little voids, it doesn't slosh around. The brass float has just one big void inside.

The ratio I've been using 3 oz/10 gallons of gasoline. I have a "car book" I write down my odometer reading, #gallons, price/gallon, total $, and date EVERYTIME I get gas. When I fill a page, I average the gas milage for the whole page which is about 20 tank fulls. Yes, there are seasonal changes and tire inflation will also affect milage. I always run 35-37# tire pressure. By comparing mpg by page - not by individual fill ups, you can get a lot better idea as to what works and what doesn't. I've kept records on this Subaru for the last 230,000 miles so this is what I base my opinions on.

Yes, you are correct in that the only place fuel is supposed to exit is from the venturi. When you have the option, always use a brass float. It's easy to tell if a brass float is ok - not as easy for a plastic float. The only way to check a plastic float is to compare weights to a known good one.