thealleyboy

Are you talking about the old Autolite 2bbl? That would be sweet if it would work on an EA82. John

Cab: How much retrofitting was involved with the Holley? Is the 5200 a knock-off of the Webber? The Webs are kinda rich for my blood, and I'd like to find a cheaper and more common alternative thanks, John

I'm ready to take the plunge, and am trying to find a reputable rebuilder with the correct Webber already in stock. I don't have a core, so that eliminates a lot of sources for rebuilt carbs. I did find one that will sell me a rebuilt Webber, and take the old Hitatchi as a core (can you believe that??) http://carburetorexchange.com/ Anybody have any experience with these guys? The guy who answers the phone doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Or can anyone recommend a good source for rebuilt or rebuildable Webbers? thanks, John

Hey Noah: This is actually an old post that was revived recently. I never got a chance to see it in person. I had only one conversation with the owner, and he did not return my calls after that. I'm assuming it sold quickly. It probably was the same one you saw. If I recall, it was located on the NE side somewhere - possibly Gahanna. Damn, I wish I had another shot at it... BTW, the GL-10 turbo touring wagon is at my house now, and I want to start on xt6 during the winter. Email me when you get a chance. John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

Tach-O: Sounds like a "professional" salvage organization to me. They are asking reg "retail" prices for those items. This is what a body shop would charge for the parts. Labor would be extra of course. The "wholesale" price would be about half of what they quoted you. You might try to offer to pay them wholesale price in cash, but they usually won't do this. They don't like dealing with do-it-yourself types. You need to find some "second" and "third" tier yards, or private sellers in your area. Impound lots and towing companies are another cheap source of parts - if they happen to have what you are looking for. Too bad you are all the way out in California. I could fix you up with those items for a song if you were around here. good luck, John

Those dash's never seem to go back together as nicely as they were assembled at the factory. If you can get it in without any squeaks or rattles, it will be a minor miracle!! good luck, John

Hey Gary, Welcome aboard. I'm down here in C-Bus, and as Jim said, there are a few derelicts in OH, Mich, Indiana and WV that get together from time to time. Look forward to meeting you, and checking out your projects. BTW, is the Broken Wheel still open up there? Might have to make the trek for one of those "all you can carry" days... talk soon, John

I've used Modines, and they are good replacement radiators for the $$. I've also had good look with these guys: http://www.autobodypanels.com/ They carry "crash parts" for professional body shops, and generally have high quality radiators for the lowest prices I've seen. Just ask for wholesale pricing, and they'll usually give it to you without any hassles. good luck, John

85's and 86's have the dash switch, and I'm assuming the later models have the wiring in place for the optional switch (though I've never tried retro-fitting one). One thing I've noticed when junking old tailgates is that some of them have splices in the wiring harnesses near the power lock actuator. I'm guessing that this is where the "optional" dash switch is added/deleted at the factory. 6x9's can physically be installed in the hatch, but the location is not good for fidelity. The rear seat will absorb alot of the sound. A better placement would be up high in the rear corners in self-contained boxes good luck, John

Originally Posted by thealleyboy The "intermittant" ticking might indicate an oil pressure problem. Your 86 has an oil pressure guage, and I would observe it when the lifters start acting up. It will be fairly obvious if the tick is directly related to low oil pressure. If it is, then the pump will need attention. (you'll be glad you left the timing belt covers off!!) If the oil pressure remains strong, and the ticking is present, you might try Marvels Mystery Oil. Oil Pressure is NOT the issue when dealing with lifter noise on these engines. AIR BUBBLES in the oil (aerated oil) is the problem. Replacing the oil pump will fix this problem. Well...pressure would be low if there was air in the system.... Any oil pump problem/failure would result in a low pressure reading. I agree that that the pump probably needs replaced or sealed. Again, I would keep an eye on your guage, and think seriously about leaving the timing belt covers off after doing your belts and seals. You can tackle your oil and water pumps as seperate systems. good luck, John

LP: Sounds like you are a pretty ambitious guy, and that's great. You'll have all these problems figured out in time. But I would stick to the basics at first before getting too carried away. The timing belt/seal procedure is a good starting point. I would strongly recommend you leave the timing belt covers off for easy future servicing. This is another controversial topic that not everyone agrees on. The "intermittant" ticking might indicate an oil pressure problem. Your 86 has an oil pressure guage, and I would observe it when the lifters start acting up. It will be fairly obvious if the tick is directly related to low oil pressure. If it is, then the pump will need attention. (you'll be glad you left the timing belt covers off!!) If the oil pressure remains strong, and the ticking is present, you might try Marvels Mystery Oil. If this quiets things down, I would conclude that the problem is internal. You could continue to use Marvel's, but this is not a permanent fix. As far as oil, I am definitely "old school" when it comes to our Subes. These cars were designed for traditional oil, and that's what I run in all of mine. I believe that any ASE approved oil is fine as long as you replace it frequently (3/3000). The most important thing about oil is to flush out moisture and contaminants. Oil breakdown and internal wear will not be an issue if you change it at 3000 miles. good luck, John

I've got 3 used ones... Let me know if you want to go that route John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

Those look pretty close but the inlet & outlet pipes are longer (go thru the firewall) on mine. Also the stampings on the core frame on mine are different. I would say those will work, but you'll have to run heater hoses thru the firewall, and attach them at the core. good luck, John

I inspected all three cores I have, and they are identical. Couldn't find any part #'s though... Unless my 2 87's were manufactured before 1/87, I would say you are ok. Remember, the inlet/outlet tubes can be modified slightly. The main thing is for the main core to physically fit. good luck, John

Wally: The Haynes book has some basic schematics that should work for you. You can buy a copy for $15, or borrow it from the library. If that fails, I can mail you a photocopy. good luck, John thealleyboy@yahoo.com

I have at least 2 87's (as well as an 86) at home. I never noticed any differences, but I'll check it out tonight. John

You might want to check for good (chassis) ground. This was the solution on one of mine. This would make a lot of sense if you ran both + and - from your batt, when you tested the motor. Good luck, John

Mary: Things dont often go as planned when it comes to automobiles. Part of the deal is patience and perseverence. When you give up on a car, it's gotta be pretty bad. But remember, no car problem can kick your *ss, unless you let it. Take a break and think things over. You might conclude that you still have a lot to work with. Sometimes you have to go back to square one, to get to square two. If you are driving a Brat, you are not normal anyway. Giving up is not an option. good luck, John

Miles: You forgot to mention the set of beauty rims. I wish I had a camera. We had this stuff scattered all over my driveway. It seemed physically impossible. It all fit, and the tailgate even closed all the way!! Glad you guys made it back ok. John

I'm not sure what the difference is between east coast, and midwest, but I suspect the cars deteriorate similarly. Road salt is used extensively in these parts, and this exposes any "weak spots" in a hurry. Sorry boys, but these cars have some serious defects in unibody construction (ducking!!). I have taked to body guys that swear up and down that Japanese steel is far inferior to US virgin steel. I can tell you from experience that US-built vehicles, including Japanese makes, hold up alot better than the ones shipped from Tokyo in terms of unibody integrity. But if you can deal with the corrosion issues, these cars are damn near perfect otherwise. If you are committed to the EA82 design, you can keep a set of wheels going for next to nothing. Alot of people forget that these cars are built with high-quality components made by the big-time Japanese suppliers. Same ones that supply Toyota and Honda. These componenets are very reliable, and when paired with the Subaru motors,these cars can go for a long time with only minimal attention. I don't feel bad anymore about scrapping out cars when they are at the end of the line. Yeah it sucks - but unibody deterioration is a losing battle. If you commit to the EA82 platform, and you are willing to build "new" cars as needed, your old Subie can live on as long as you want it to. good luck, John

Excellent point. "Knowledge of the repair history" should be a big part of your final decision. If you do decide to get another Sube, you should learn as much as possible about that car too. If you decide to stick with the EA82 platform, you'll be able to piece together a very reliable vehicle if you save your old parts. Other than the uniboby, it sounds like a decent car mechanically. good luck, John

Chong: I know where you are coming from, but sometimes a car is just too far gone, and you just have to accept it. You may feel better about "retiring" your old car if you get another Subie and strip your old one down for spare parts. By recycling, your old Sube will still live on - in spirit if nothing else. It's also ridiculously inexpensive, over time, to transfer good parts among several cars of the same model. Subes are perfect if your goal is rock-bottom transportation costs. good luck, John

Arch's heater hose test will help you size this up in a hurry... If it does turn out to be the heater core. I would try a "backflush" procedure after running some Prestone Super Flush. Often times this is enough to dislodge any foriegn matter in the core. Just take it easy on the water pressure at first, so you don't burst it. But if you've ever ran stop-leak thru your cooling system - forget it. The heater core will have to be changed out. Every HC I've ever changed (and taken apart) has had evidence of stop leak usage. This extra layer of muck makes corrosion blockage worse - and eventually leads to the failure of the core. Moral of this story: Don't ever use stop-leak products!! good luck, John

You are talking about installing the clutch pedal on an A/T to 5 speed conversion, right? I watched Miles Fox do this recently. He pulled the steering column, and took the pedal box out as a single unit. Then, reinstalled the proper pedal box for the conversion. Only the lower dash cover had to be removed using this method. About 1 hour from start to finish.... good luck, John

Everybody likes to get things as cheaply as possible, but a cheap car is not necessarily a "bargain". In my mind, the condition of the unibody is everything with these cars. You cannot possibly repair the body for the same money it takes to buy a better car. You'd spend $10 (or more) in bodywork for every dollar you save. Think about this if your intent is to "fix up" an old Sube. If the rust is truly minor, and we are talking $1000 in Canadian dollars, it might be a decent buy. However, if it's a typical 87 with 150k, rust, and in need of front-end work, I wouldn't get too excited about it. Try to find a better one, and you should be able to, if you're willing to spend $1000 (US dollars). good luck, John