thealleyboy

The intake gasket would make sense to me - except for the vent settings jumping around under load. Does the intake gasket affect all the vaccuum systems simultaneously? I thought the vent system is self contained, but maybe I'm wrong. John

good luck, John

Have you checked your exhaust? A clogged catalytic converter can give you these kinds of symptoms. good luck, John

I would highly recommend a set of snows. Don't be chinzty here - you get what you pay for when buying new tires. Chains are overkill in my opinion. You may want a taller tire for better clearance in deep snow, for example 175/80/13's or 185/80/13's. Weight distribution is very good up front with the horizontally opposed motor. The rear is fair, and can be inproved with extra weight. Bagged gravel is cheaper than sand, and can be used in deep ruts. Don't let the light weight of the car fool you. It will do excellent in the snow if you equip it as described above. As far as driving, I would use the 4wd sparingly until you get a good feel for the difference in handling. Remember, not all conditions require 4wd, and 2wd does well in snow too. I always find a big open parking lot when it first snows every year, and run it hard to get a feel for the "limits" of my Subie. You may want to get in the habit of doing this too. good luck, John

The tailgate is not as big an issue as the side glass. Again, I'm trying to figure out a way to install the Loyale side glass onto a GL. Can't believe this hasn't come up before... John

Gimme an "F" Gimme a "U"

I've got it at home. I'll post it later tonite. John

I dont have a pic, but if you look at your Loyale, you'll see a triangular section of trim at the bottom corner of your rear side glass. It has a fastener in the middle that attaches to the body somehow. What I'm trying to figure out if there is solid metal behind that triangle - or if there is some sort of removable bracket to close up the corner. If it is removable (making the window opening the same as the GL's), it will then be possible to install the Loyale window system on the GL's. "Why bother?" you may ask. The Loyale glass system pops in, (instead of requiring cement), making replacement easier. Also, the Loyale trim is self-contained, which means you don't have to run all the GL trim, if you want to give your car a more streamlined look. John

Decided to eliminate the GL trim on my 89 GL wagon. Besides filling in some holes on the tailgate, I'll need to deal with re-trimming the rear side glass, as well as the rear tailgate window. I had hoped to use the "no-frills-looking" Loyale trim for the rear glass, but discovered that the glass is not interchangeble between the two models. The Loyale's use triangular shaped trim on the lower rear bottoms (instead of glass as on the GL's). Ideally, I would want to convert my GL to the Loyale glass system if at all possisle. The Loyale glass also pops out instead of needing cement, which is yet another plus. My question is whether the Loyale triangular corner piece is part of the unibody? Or is it removable? Can the GL be easily retrofitted to accept the Loyale glass sytem? thanks, John

Ed: The front pads are standard items at most Advance stores in C-Bus. Just refer to "GL" when you talk to the clerk. The rears are a little harder to come by but the Autozone store in Pickerington had a set last time I checked for under $20. If they are out, try the Reynoldsburgh store on E Main St. Also, I know Hatfield's has a set of rears (the one's that I never picked up). I live on the East side so maybe we can meet up sometime. Send me an email John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

you should be able to find the little plastic pieces in the HELP brand aisle at adv auto parts, or a similar rackat another store. the little plastic clips were used in more than one make of car, you shouldnt have a problem finding any.

I have started running "naked" timing belts myself, and since Fuji does not reccomend doing this, I plan to develop my own annual service routine of cleaning, inspection, and lubrication. The benefits far outweigh the hassles of this extra maintenence, IMO. All Talk, I wasn't aware that there are both sealed and non-sealed bearings available, but the sealed type would definitely prolong pulley life. Do you have a brand/source you normally use? John

Snows are harder to come by used, and are worth more than regular used tires. If they happen to be hi performance radial snows (look at ratings printed on the sidewall), they are even more desireable. I would find out what they cost new, and since they have so much tread left, maybe knock 30-40% off the "new" price. If they are mounted and balanced on Sube rims, and are going on a Sube, they would be worth a little more. good luck, John

I'm tellin you guys, loosening the caliper housing, and working the caliper/pads over the rotor, then tightening it all up, is the easiest and most foolproof way to do this task. Problem with needlenose pliers and other tools is that you'll never be able to build up as much pressure as your hydraulic system can. And hydraulic pressure is what it takes to seat a sticky piston all the way in... good luck, John

Flowie: These can be a b*tch to turn, and sometimes they will only go so far without rebuilding the caliper, as stated above. One trick that works sometimes is to loosen the caliper bolts so the whole housing will move slightly. Usually, there is enough play to slide the caliper assembly over the rotor. Then you can tighten down the bolts. When you take it out and apply the brakes a few times, the caliper will usually seat properly. good luck, John

This is a problem for any tire larger than 185/70/13 (and this includes some 13" sizes). I had toyed around with desingning something for the tailgate until it was pointed out that the excess weight and visibility would be a problem. The roof is the obvious place, and some sort of customized rack would be ideal. Mounting it above the front bumper would be another possibility, but again you'll need to fabricate something - probably attaching it to the bumper. good luck, John

I agree that it's "normal" for condensation to appear in the crankcase, but I'm not sure I buy that it's not harmful to the motor. H20 can cause internal corrosion - and the contaminated oil will not lubricate as well, leading to excessive wear. If you are getting a lot of condensation, you may want to investigate how so much moisture is getting in. You mentioned the PCV. I would change it (if you haven't yet) even if it still rattles. Make sure the new one is seated properly and also, check the hoses. A vaccuum or gasket leak could also allow moisture into the crankcase. In any event, keep the oil fresh to keep any internal damage to a minimum. good luck, John

It's condensation. It's unavaoidable, and it's not good for your motor. This is a perfect example of why I run cheap oil , and change it often. The best, most expensive synthetic won't help you here. You must flush the contaminents out of your system frequently whether it's $1 a quart oil or $5. I know some people have reservations about "cheap" oil. It's all a myth, IMO. Though there are differences between brands, most of them are approved by the petroleum industy to meet minimun standards (this does not include some dollar store brands). If you change it often, breakdown is never an issue, so there is no additional benefit in buying higher quality oil. I learned this from a professional fleet manager, and have followed his advice for a long time. I've haven't worn out a motor since I started using this strategy. good luck, John

Scoots: Good news. None of the things you mention are indicative of a car on it's last leg. The heater core sure is a bite, but the other problems are fairly "normal" for an 85 with 125k that has been neglected in the past. The 85's were a first year model, and carberated which accounts for some of the quirks you'll encounter. But the car is well-designed, so if it's fundamentally sound, youl can work these things out and have a reliable vehicle - for a few nickels and dimes and some effort. Instead of attacking these things individually, I would recommend getting the car up to speed maintenance-wise. Go thru each system one at a time, using the maintenance schedule to guide you. I would pay special attention to the emissions, fuel, and ignition systems initially. The gas smell and poor running will likely shake out if you are thorough in servicing these systems. Next up would be the cooling system, and your water pump. I would also seriously look at changing over your timing belts. Even if they've been changed twice, they're due. Sounds like a lot, but you could get many years of reliable service just by doing this basic maintenance. And it will make it much easier to rule things out if some of these symptoms don't go away. good luck, John

Skib: You gotta make a run at 300K on principle alone... At this point, you may want to try some unconventional methods to squeeze the last bit of life. Like for example a motor flush - followed by an engine treatment product - followed by heavier weight oil. That is, assuming that the smoke is oil blue. As mentioned above, it may not be rings, but rather something totally unrelated. No need to break out the Kleenex box just quite yet. Do a compression test, and watch the oil level for a few days. Come back with your results. good luck, John

My {garage} door is always open, and it's always fun to get together with you guys - whether as a meet, or smaller gatherings. Since junking seems to be so popular with everyone, maybe a Spring meet would make sense. The earlier in the Spring the better since the cars pile up over the Winter virtually untouched. Nothing greater than going to town on all that fresh junk!! We have a pretty good relationship with one of the local yards, and I'm sure they would be more than happy to have a bunch of Sube derelicts show up and clean em out for a "truckoad" {or two} price. We have had at least 3 good truckload scores in the past few months. Keep me posted John thealleyboy@yahoo.com 614-238-0220

Al: What exactly do you mean by "heater control" unit? If you are talking about the heater core, they are generally interchangeble - but some minor plumbing modifications may be necessary. A good used unit will work just fine. Same standards apply as your radiator. If your probelm is electrical, we'll need a better description of what you're symptoms are. good luck, John

As you can see, there is no consensus on the "best" solution to your problem. From what you describe, it is likely to be a failed head gasket, with no further damage to the head. If you watch the fluids, you can probably squeeze a few months out of it without doing anything at all. Just carry plenty of jugs of 50/50 mix. One bit of advice that has served me well in the past: Always try the least expensive method first. If that doesn't work, try the next one. And on down the line... good luck, John

Krag: Those products won't work for more than a few days - if at all. Don't waste your $$. I wouldn't even use them unless I was in an emergency roadside repair situation. If only one HG is leaking, you could try to replace the single gasket. Best case scenerio: the pass side head cause it's easiest to replace with the motor in the car. The drivers side is not even worth attempting in the vehicle, IMO. If you go this route, you'll have to figure out which side(s) are leaking, and where. A compression test is always a good starting point. good luck, John