The Beast I Drive

I would advise you not to use RTV on automatic trannies, ATF fluid eats sillicone like I eat pie, and you'll have a leak in no time -Bill

My 86 hatch got about 27mpg, and i have a heavy foot -Bill

Hmmm, I never thought of that, i was just lookin at how the tail light lenses had the same profile and basic shape, i didnt think about the different backing plates. Would one be able to say remove the lense from a coupe and attach them to the Hatch backing plate? -Bill

I agree, for that price you cant go wrong -Bill

Replace it with a Hitachi disty. The power gain from a 2wd is minimal at best. The Hitachis seem to me to be easier to work with, I was able to assemble 1 really good one out of parts from 4. Nippon Denso distys arent quite as user friendly. Gotta make sure there is as little shaft play as possible, otherwise when the little gear starts cutting into the module it will destroy everything. -Bill

I wouldnt worry about the seats or the tranny, or even the brakes. If you have a trailer then screw with the brakes when you get home, if not, check the fluid, fill/bleed the system then check for leaks. Prolly just got driven to death and needs new pads. the tranny, just swap it out with a 5 speed D/R cuz you will want one later anyways You already solved the seat problem, and the oil in the airbox is prolly a bad PCV, no big deal. It runs, it drives, its reasonably priced, TAKE IT!!!! all the little things can be fixed later -Bill

Hey Jeff, was it you who broke a timing belt? I find that quite Ironic considering the phone conversation we had just a day prior to that At least you are prepared! -Bill

If its 4wd 400 is still a pretty good price, if not 4wd then it all depends on whats wrong with it. -Bill

I know that you can sqeeze up to 31" tires under a 4" lift, its just about how much cutting/bashing you want to do and how much tire rub you are comfortable with. With a 6" lift, you dont need to cut anything to clear 27" tires. With a 4" there will be a little rubbing unless you do some minor trimming and beating. -Bill

Looks like it was a good time to be had by all, I definitely gonna head over there once i have a capable rig put together, my main ride is falling apart and i keep stallin project after project after project... That lifted Sedan is off the hook! -Bill

The distributor bodies themselves can be swapped if you put the corresponding electronics in, I.E. you can't use the SPFI module on a motor with MPFI and a Turbo, and vice versa. The bodies themselves I believe are the same casting as long as its from the same maker, which would either be Nippon Denso or Hitachi. I am about 96% certain of what I just posted -Bill

Glad to hear you guys made it home safe and without major incident! Hope you had a good time, sorry i couldnt catch up with yall at jerry's, but they guy we were with took forever to get us out of the mountains -Bill

Hey Russ, i will find time to go over there and pick up those seats, I sent you a payment fo them so I will definitely be collecting them soon. -Bill

yeah for the rears on the hub end of the axle there is a roll pin that hold the axle onto the splines of the sub, just like on the diff end. Some times its a PITA to get the axle off the stub splines, PB Blaster/ heat are your freind in that case. But that way you can change out rear axles without having to even take off the wheels -Bill

I got my Heims from Speedway Motors, they are $9.99 apiece or something like that for the 3/4"x3/4" ones, which is what I got. I think I bought the fine thread nuts from Fastenal. -Bill

Not on DLs. On DL and Loyal the rear window is in a rubber gasket. GL had the glue. The glue sucks. Ive taken rear windows out of my Brats before, it was pretty easy, installing was kinda a PITA, if it helps at all Dude -Bill

separate the axle itself from the stub that goes into the hub. Will make it a lot easier. -Bill

No, in the rear the axle comes undone from the stub that goes in the wheel hub, are you trying to install just the stub or the whole assembly? How soon does it need to be put together? If it can wait till tommorrow, I would put the stub in the freezer overnight and then before you install it tommorrow heat up the bearings with a blow dryer or heat gun or something. Or just beat it in, use a wood block between the stub and hammer though so you dont mess up the splines the axle slides on to. -Bill

I figure on a 6000 lb-er, a Warn or a Milemarker, although Harbor Freight has a winch that is IDENTICAL to the Milemarker for considerably less $$$ -Bill

Are you trying to put in the stub shaft or the axle itself? Or are you putting in the stub with the axle already pinned on? I didnt have any problem repacing the stub in my Hatch, just hammered it in... -Bill

The driveline i reckon would be the same length as a Gen 1 Brat if you were to make it 4wd. -Bill

For your radius rods I would do something like what I did for my suspension links on the Turd wagon, weld a mounting point on each side near the center of the wheelbase and use beefy Heim joints and 1" Schedule 40 or thicker pipe. This will also give you bind-free flex -Bill

It depends on what kind of lift you get, with my lifts I usually lift the suspension and the body an equal amount, so if i go 4" at the struts then I lower the engine and tranny crossmembers and rear sub assembly 4" as well. Some kits lift the suspension 4" and the body 2", but on a Gen 1 that puts too much stress on the axles, they are a lot shorter than the later EA81 and EA82 axles. -Bill

OK, to clear up confusion IF you have a 1981 Brat it is a GEN 1 no matter what motor. different engine sizes were available but the chassis is GEN 1. Gen 1 lifts are a pita because the rear torsion bars are independent and at akward angles. There are a few out there though, talk to Micheal Appel on this board, he and a friend lifted a Gen 1 6" i believe. -Bill

Well, Im workin on getting me a blown RX tranny to play around with to see if i can fabricate a second set of low range gears to stuff in there. If it works, I will rebuild the tranny, stuff 4.444s in there and have a beast of a sube tranny. ATM I need a 87 3.9 D/R 5 speed to swap my current set of 4.444s into for the Beast so i can get my low range back with the 31's I have on. Then the fun begins -Bill