thealleyboy

S'KO: It's hard for someone not into cars to accept a hobby like wrenching - unless it is justifiable economically. Problem is Subes are economical AND reliable, and that's a bad combination. You just end up buying more Subes to satisfy your craving. In other words, if you are a Sube derelict that just enjoys wrenching on them, it's gonna be a tough sell. I don't know the answer. All I can say is that people always gravitate to their natural state of contentment, and if you are a derelict, you should make that known BEFORE taking the vow. Hopefully, she'll understand and accept you for who you are. If not, well you are gonna hafta give up something... good luck, John

MDD: Before you start jumping to conclusions, pop the top on one of those Ole Mils-and chill... It could be cracked head, blown HG, or even something as simple as a leaky hose clamp. All of those can cause you to lose coolant, and produce some white smoke in the engine area. Constant white smoke out the tailpipe would indicate one of the more serious possibilities. I would start off with compression testing to evaluate the heads and head gasket. An abnormally low reading on one or both sides will confirm that a major meltdown has occured. A normal reading will give you some piece of mind while you investigate the other components in the cooling system. As you may know by now, Subes don't handle excessive heat very well. If you've done serious damage to your engine, there would have been some tell tale signs leading up to it. Do you remember anything that suggests a major meltdown? {Temp guage in the "hot" zone?} If that happened you have a) the original problem causing your engine to overheat and the resulting damage to deal with. If not, you may be lucky. You may not get a second chance, so give your cooling system a thorough look - after you find your leak!! good luck, John

Yeah, I've heard that the Champs were not good for our Subes, but didn't realize that advice came from the FSM. I always use NGK's in Subes and other imports. They are excellent plugs, and cost about the same as other "standard" grade plugs. The Bosch Plats seem ok to me too, but I've heard others trash them. They are probably overated for the price. John

Fuje and the others make some excellent points... Not sure I agree with replacing the 02 along with the spark plugs every time. That might be overkill (and I'm pretty anal about these kinds of things!!). I would estimate the 02 would be a "replace at 100k" item, even though it's only a "check" item on the manufacturers reccomended maintenance schedule. Even though the car has only 30K, a bad 02 is a good guess on a 16 year old car. But, so would lots of other things. I would go thru the 6/60 items for everything (except for timing belts) for starters, and see what that does. You may get lucky and solve the problem thru the ignition and fuel filter maintenance. An 02, or other sensor, could very well be a problem, and your ECU would warn you by means of the "Check Engine" light and record this in memory. If the warning light has ever gone off, you should scan the ECU for trouble codes. Code retrieval information is available on this site. These codes will give you enough clues to get started in troubleshooting the faulty system. good luck, John

Sometimes a floor jack will help when the motor gets hung up on the bellhousing. You can position the jack so it tilts the bellhousing/motor at a steeper angle. Then, you can usually split them apart by yanking sharply on the hoist. good luck, John

B-86: Outstanding!! You are teaching her well. I wish I could get my 7 year old interested in helping out in the garage. I even bought her a tool set - but it aint happening yet. She says it "stinks" in there. Keep giving her projects to work on, and someday she'll be teaching you... John

CD: I don't know that the heater hoses are any more prone to failure than any of the other cooling hoses. I would look at replacing ALL of them if it's been awhile. The heater hoses are actually the least expensive ones to replace. Probably less than $5 for both, including new clamps. You can use universal hose, though molded ones fit a little better. good luck, John

At Fox's suggestion, I am a recent convert to the "naked" treatment. My guess is that Fugi (like other manufacturers) started installing them to prevent lawsuits. Like to make sure somebody with long hair, or wearing a tie, didn't get strangled accidentally!! A skid plate isn't a bad idea though. Overall, the long-term advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, IMO. All the 60k maintenace interval stuff can be done with ease, and this is reason enough to make the "downgrade" worthwhile. John

Aaron: If you had to do one side without pulling the motor, the passeneger is the easiest. However, I would seriously consider pulling the motor and doing BOTH headgaskets, belts, seals and any other maintenance procedures that are due (or coming due). Access will be best with the motor out, and you can maximize your effort by getting the motor in tip top shape. Even for the head gasket, removal of the engine is still probably the fastest method overall. If this car is a "keeper", give this possibility some thought. good luck, John

I would see what kind of condition the head is BEFORE making any kind of decision. If the mechanic quoted you a price for a supposed "fix", I would be skeptical. Best case scenerio: blown gasket only (one side) with no damage to the head. The $250 quote is probably parts and labor based on this assumption. Problem is, the job usually involves more - sometimes much more, depending on the severity of the meltdown. The labor isn't what kills you. It's new parts, machine shop services etc. And this is just to repair the damage already done. Both sides really need to be checked and resealed with fresh gaskets. Just because it blew on one side, doesn't neccessarily mean the other side is free of damage. And to do any kind of thorough job, you really need to eliminate the ALL the weak links, and this might mean a cooling system overhaul. At the very least, you need to address whatever caused the vehicle to overheat in the first place. I would find out how much he (or someone else) will charge you to remove and evaluate the heads. That's the only way you'll get an accurate estimate of the total cost. Get his price, and come back here for more opinions good luck, John

Cal: Yeah, I remember how appalled Pug dude was when I told him they were going on a Sube!! This guy did his best to convince me that they wouldn't work. A million and one reasons why I shouldn't do it. Too much offset or some such BS excuse. I guess Pug dude spent his last year or so of his career selling Pug rims on Ebay!! Not much else happening in the Pugeot world these days. Happy trails Ron... John

I had the same problem when I first started looking. I finally found a set thru a Puegot mechanic that had a stash of spare parts. You might check with some foreign parts dealers and find out who fixes Puegots in your area. I've noticed that some of these mechanics work on other French makes like Renault and Citreon too. You'll have to dig a little because French cars are a dying breed in this country (and for good reason...) good luck, John

There are many ways to hammer, pry and bump out dents. I have found that "home made" body tools often work best. The trick is to have access, and to get the right kind of leverage to restore the original shape. Problem is you can create more damage than you started off with if you don't have enough experience. It's best to practice on some junky cars before attempting serious body work on your pride and joy. If you want to try a "dent removal" system, Eastwood Supply carries a good one that DOES work, which welds a stud onto the panel that can be easily pulled. It'll set you back quite a bit more than $19.99, however. But this is a good, safe alternative to a profeessional shop, and will pay for itself over time. I would reccomend the Eastwood system for the dent shown in the pic. Eastwoods # is 1-800-345-1178. good luck, John

Shadow nails a lot of what to look for in this, or any car. Excellent advice. My big thing is rust, and being in NY, this will be a major obstacle for you if you want an older (ie cheaper Subaru). I brought one back from Buffalo, and the body was shot under 100k. More like 80k. I've never seen anything like it!! That's gotta be the ABSOLUTE worse place on the planet to own an old Sube. I don't know much about them, but you'll probably get the most bang for your buck with something like an early 90's Leagcy. The newer-generation cars (of all makes) improved dramitacally with the early 90's redesigns-particularly structural integrity. The older GL/Loys are old definitely old school in this respect. If you don't like to wrench, get a Legacy in decent shape. You shoould be able to find a good one even where you are. The Legacy's seem to age well. The great thing about Subes that they usually dont get a lot of abuse until they are aged, and in the hands of derelicts. good luck, John

I'll take your word for it Grav... The one 87 A/T that I parted out had an aftermarket rad. It was a single row. Was that fairly standard in the EA82T's? Double rows in all A/T's? I have not come accross a single one yet in the 85-89 run that was a 2-row. John

Yeah, in fact I've NEVER seen a "stock" double-row in any Sube, whether turbo or non. They may have all been aftermarket upgrades, or possibly offered as an option for extreme driving conditions. Anyone know the story on the double rows? John

Miles: I've said it once, I'll say it again: You've gotta get your rump roast out of Butler!! Too much bad blood, and the cops will never let you have piece of mind. As far as the "charges", it's a total stretch to charge you, confiscate the camera and your car, because a friend was suspected/observed toking a joint. I'm not a lawyer either, but I do know the punishment is supposed to fit the crime. A Felony for running the camera inside the BMV is absolute BS. Tresspassing is probably as far as they can go with that. Ok, I'll buy the "reasonable search" argument, but confiscating your property is certainly not reasonable. Patting down your friend, and you guys - maybe. Even if something is found in the car or on tape, the judge would have to throw it out because it was obtained illegally. Barney Fife blew it by jumping the gun. The Prosecuter would have had to give his blessing in advance to make that search stick. Anyway, glad you made it back, and I'm looking forward to watching the tape. I've been cleaning out the garage, and I'm going to run some stuff out to Jim's that you and Danny might be able to use. talk soon, John

I would take some compound to it, or wet sand some extremely fine grit sandpaper. I'm talking #650 or finer. Once it's all smoothed out you can polish/wax it, and this will give you a more uniform appearance. However, the wax wont hold up for very long. You'll have to wax often (every couple months) to keep it looking good. Clear coats are a great development in paint technology. You might consider having a new coat applied if the base (color) coat is still in good condition. good luck, John

Miles, Danny, Zanny and Tim: Great to hear things went a lot smoother than last time around. You're almost home, and this story has got to have a happy ending, so hang in there... just a little bit longer. I have always had faith in you guys, and I'm glad to see that your rescue mission was (will be) a success!! You proved something to yourselves - if not everyone else. good luck, and I hope to see you guys in C-Bus real soon John

I can vouch for the fact that 93's came with the "Int" wiper unit... As far as solving the problem, here's a long shot: grounding problem Try jumping the motor housing to chassis ground. I discovered this possibility while troubleshooting a wiper problem recently. good luck, John

JB: I'll assume that you want to keep the system "original" for e-check inspections etc. If you want a long-term solution, you should consider dropping the exahaust at the Y pipe. You can then dissasemble, and possibly reuse some of the sections. You can also fabricate something (to tie the corroded section back together) much easier when the parts are off the car. The area that you are referring to has a gentle curve, so a straight piece probably wont work. You'll need a "universal" curved section, or flex pipe to maintain the original shape. When you bolt it all back together, use all new fasteners and clamps. You'll be glad you did next time you are working on the exhast system. good luck, John

Miles, Danny, Zanny and Tim: Where are you guys documenting the trip? Here, or the Fox site? Make your intentions know...and have fun, of course... John

What do you mean by "self protect" mode? You might consider buying a new unit. I'm running a rock-botton Pioneer (about $120) in my 93, and even that one is excellent. Also, Kenwood has a very nice one for under $100. I used to piss around with old stereo equipment, but not any more. It's just not worth the effort, IMO. The new stuff is dirt cheap, sounds great, and is hassle free if you are willing to run some wires yourself. As mentioned above, the factory wiring to the rears needs to be altered or replaced to be compatible with the modern systems. Don't forget to upgrade the speaks too if you want a really kick-rump roast sound system. The stock Clarions won't cut it. good luck, John

Gary: I'm an old Datsun guy too. I have found that the EA82 Subes are a good modern-day alternative to the 210/310 series cars. My preference, and a good choice based on your comments, is an 88-89 gl or gl10 4wd wagon. A turbo version is a nice option too. Why you may ask? These were the absolute best two years in the EA82 line, IMO. More sophisticated than 85-87 in terms of fuel delivery, emissions etc. Better equipped than the stripped down 90-94 Loyales. Still a few decent ones around, if you look hard. good luck, John

Konrad: I'll look into that possibility. Something's definitely binding, and it's preventing me from shifting into gear. What I'm stumped about is why only 2nd gear? John