3eyedwagon

Where in the world did you hear that at Scott???? I mean, who would have known that a fuel injected fuel pump would produce FARRRRRR too much fuel pressure for a carb???? Anyone who could have seen such a problem coming, and have told you about it before hand; why, they would have to be some sort of geniuses!!!! ahem, coughcoughChriscoughJeffcough. coughandmecough. cough. coughcough. :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin: :grin:

Medford would be the best for you guys. I haven't been up to Medford in awhile, but I know alot of people from Sedro Woolley go up there and play around on quads, dirtbikes, and trucks. Lotsa logging roads with little trails off of them. Not much else except 10 acres in Concrete. It is little, lots of mud, but little. You could do all of it in about 2 hours.

Yeah, Medford Pit isn't too bad. I haven't been up there in awhile. Lots of dirtbike/fourwheeler trails... it never hurts to make new trails too...

That's a shame, from what I was hearing; it was soon to be a legitimate ORV area. Any idea what happened?

Undeniable proof that Subarus get the ladies....

On a lighter note; that is some top notch parallel parking!

There used to be that area up on Mosquito Lake Road kinda near your house Scott. It was a couple big gravel pits for the dirtbike/quads, and a whole bunch of trails for the 4wd quads, and wheelin'. It was a great spot, and as I recall, a LOT of trails. I haven't been up there in a few years though. May want to ask around for people in your area.

Is that really how they lifted the rear??? Looks kinda spooky to me.

I figured that. Do you do anything to them to prepare them, maybe get a few more years out of 'em? Or do you generally just let them rot? I guess there's only so much you could do.... undercoat, paint all the edges, etc.

How do you guys even keep the Subarus alive back there? I have family in Tiffin, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City, and they can't even keep Zinc bodied American pickups from rotting away in no time. Mid 80's GM Pickups are all shot, kinda sad. I bet a second gen Sub is SUPER rare.

The only problem I see is the fact that mud usually takes some RPM's, and chains aren't good when combined with tire speed. Any time you are going to be spinning the tires alot, chains are a bad idea in general, even cable chains. If you read the warnings for most any chains, they advise not to exceed XX miles per hour, and for good reason. Have you ever seen the effects of a tire chain coming loose at speed? They will beat the @$&*# out of the wheel wells, and fenders if they come off wrong under any kind of tire speed. If the misses would be angry about you welding up the rear, I have a feeling she might be a little peeved if you brought the car home with hogged out wheel wells. This is especially true of real chains, cable chains are a little gentler. Just something to keep in mind.

One tooth makes a heck of alot of difference though. If I adjusted one tooth to get more ground clearance, I'd be gaining like 2-3 inches, or better. Also, that adjustment would bring the rear tires forward into the front of the rear wheel wells. No bueno. If it were a little finer adjustment, I would do this. But everyone around here that's done it just snaps axles on flat ground. On the PLUS side, when Woody had his like this; he had 14" of rear ground clearance!!!

They coulda started with a little worse off wagon. I mean, that one still looks pretty nice! Or at least used a 3rd gen!

Thanks for the help guys!

Did anyone try getting it hot? That's always worked for me, and my friends, and my friends friends, and their aunt's and uncles. OR, if that doesn't work; put an automatic behind it!!!!

hahaha..... entertainment....

I just picked up an 86 GL Hatch Hi/Lo, and I was looking for any and all tips on getting every single last mile per gallon out of it. The car is bone stock, with the Hitachi, and I intend to keep it that way. I'm not going to do a weber or anything (for awhile), as it has plenty of power to turn the stock size tires. I drive along ways nearly every day, and a little better gas mileage would be a big plus for me. I'm going to start with the obvious. A good quality part tune-up, check the timing. Some carb clean, etc. Tire PSI, and whatnot. I know all the obvious little stuff, but there has to be some good tricks for these to get a little boost. If anyone has any little tips on squeezing every last MPG out of one of the EA81s, give me a hand. I can get every last bit out of a small block Chevy, but don't know all the little tricks for the flat 4s. THANKS IN ADVANCE!

Both Woody and I are at about +1" on the stubs. I'm going more this week, as I have to consider the weight of a non-gutted station wagon versus most other people in hatches or Brats. I'm also a little softer in the rear, due to my shock rate. I decided I'd rather go high with the rear end, and break the CV's on full extension. At least with that problem I'll have more ground clearance, and I can eliminate it more easily with simple limiting straps.

I think you have all overlooked THE ONLY logical choice here. Sawzall out the wheel wells, and slap on some 22"s. WITH "spinners"! The continual rotating mass of the "spinners" will improve both the gas mileage, and handling, with no ill effects!!! Also, the massive spinners will also create a gyro effect, allowing you to set the cruise, and climb in the back for a nap on those boring, long, straight stretches... I mean, my facts can't be disputed. Even the major auto manufacturers are offering these giant wheels as standard equipment in an effort to meet the stringent EPA fuel consumption guidelines. PLUS, the kids will think you are sooo cool, and isn't that really why we are all here? :cool:

And by prematurely, you mean after 150,000 or so miles. And all that while making an honest 250 hp. Bless the small block Chevrolet. Where would the world be without it?

I'm there. How did you and Woody fare tonight? I still haven't gotten the moustache bar on yet. I'm going out now to do it. The front wheel bearing took a little longer than expected.

Yeah, the way they told you to do it pretty much is the easy way to do it. The biggest thing about doing this job is taking your time. Don't get in a rush, because that's how pushrods get bent ! Also, you couldn't have a better, or more forgiving motor to learn how to do this kind of stuff on. The fact that there's a small block Chevy swap kit for pretty much every car that will hold one tells you that you are working from a very solid platform. Good luck man!

You can roll the motor over manually, one cycle at a time, and adjust each valve with a feeler gauge. But that takes more time. It is technically the "correct" way to do it, but I've always found the way your shop described to work much much better. It really isn't as big of a deal as it sounds. I've done it to alot of vehicles without even using the cut up valve cover trick. It really just depends on if your heads have much of a lip or not. If they have a 1/2 inch lip or better, i'd do it without a valve cover, just DO NOT REV THE MOTOR UP. That will make a little mess. It seems a little hectic the first time you do it, and honestly, you may bend a pushrod your first time, but it's so hard to hurt a healthy v8 that there really isn't much to worry about. Just go real slow, there's no rush. Take your time, and loosen the nut a little first to get a sound reference point, then work your way in slowly until it quiets out. Then it's anywhere from 1/8 to 3/4 of a turn further (depending on who you ask). I like to go from 1/4 to 1/2 a turn further, especially on an older v8 where the cam may be getting tired. Just whatever ammount you decide to go past the point of quiet, BE CONSISTENT. If you decide to go a 1/4 turn further, do the same exact ammount on all of the valves. Don't do 1/4 on this one, and 1/2 on the next. There's alot of literature on this all over the place. Or better yet, find and old guy at the parts house that like small blocks. That'd be the best source of info.

I'm not familiar with how many mounting points the new gens have on the bottom of the strut. If it is more than one, I think it could be done quite well. If it is similar to the older cars, like gen 2s, then I think you would have a problem keeping the whole deal from spinning. That's really the only reason I haven't done something like that for my gen 2. Just keep in mind how much stress is put on the strut, and how many adjustments it is critical for. The camber alone is a huge issue. If you have any pictures of the setup, it may be good to post some here too! I'd love to see something like this done.

Try to trade the wagon, and get your Firebird back......