dhise

helped a neighbor replace theirs last week, what a horrible design.

Anyone know if the first generation Tercel's were as reliable as the second gen? I've seen a '83 Tercel 4x4 wagon go through the miles, finally died at 350k in a wreck with more miles to give.

yeah, something must have got cleaned out of my motor during that heat wave because the last tank was 35mpg but I was really trying to get good mileage. For the last 20k I've been driving it since it was swapped it never went north of 32. No complaints here! 35 is pretty good for a 4x4 vehicle!

I found a pair of front kyb's on ebay last year for $75. Got the rears for the same price from rock auto if I remember correctly. The ebay struts were brand new and had no defects. The kyb's are a little stiff but the ride is good. I can drink my coffee going over the potholes no problem now. If you search for kyb struts here I'm sure you'll find a post with the part numbers.

I'm thinking I found some ethanol free gas. Mileage is up 2-3mpg over what I normally always get running around town. These older models just aren't geared for freeway running. If I had a taller fifth gear I could get great mileage, but an ea82 needs the rpms to keep the power up. The ej doesn't have that problem!

total heat wave here in the mid 90's all week. Apparently the ej22 likes the hot weather better, got 34mpg on the last tank mostly freeway miles. Bet I can do better on this tank!

My swapped '86 GL will get in the low 30's with stock wheels and tires. My unmodified Loyale will get 34mpg pretty consistantly but it is quite a bit slower. I've never done better than 32mpg with the ej swapped GL.

You'll have to slow down to get good mileage in these cars. My loyale will get 34mpg if I keep the top speed under 60 mph. You start going 65-70 and mileage will drop fast. The trannies aren't geared for high speed driving.

Snapped a clutch cable yesterday...luckily I had one waiting to go in because the old one was a bit too stiff to be right. Now I have a nice easy clutch pedal again!

I've re-heated the solder connections only to have the clock fail again shortly. It helps to get some new solder on there as the old seems to not conduct like it should. Maybe there is some kind of oxidation. I've also done this to wiper and light switches with good results.

I really can't remember how much I used when I fixed mine up. I cleaned up any stray bits off the headliner and glued the new material to it. I let it sit and dry for a day then trimmed around the edge and cut the holes it needed. I didn't leave any excess material around the edges, the trim pieces cover it all up. Keep your hands clean while using the glue or you'll get it on things you don't want to. I don't remember it being too difficult to get back in.

I haven't had any trouble with it. The '86, even though it was carbed, must have some baffling in the tank because I have run it down to a gallon or two before filling up and there were no fuel issues.

Do all ea82's overheat in the south? In my experience the ej22 is more efficient in cooling than the ea82. I probably need to partially block the radiator in the winter time here and never had that problem with any ea82's I've had.

We can be sure it isn't a timing belt stretching issue with the ea81 he put in there.

Any idea how old the oxygen sensor is? My loyale sure ran alot better when I put a new one in at 120k miles. There are test procedures for the other sensors in the downloadable parts of the FSM. The loyale also ran a bit better with a new coolant temp sensor even though ithe old one tested within parameters. As said above, make sure aren't any vacuum leaks, pcv system included.

I have a scanguage hooked up to mine since it is obdII and it never goes over 200 degrees unless I am sitting in traffic on a hot summer day. Otherwise the fan never comes on.

A FWD wagon should get close to 40 mpg with a light foot. 37 mpg is the best I have done driving 55 on the highway with everyone honking and flipping me off, but it does save money. If I could drive 50 on the highway I could get even better mileage. Slowing down is the next best thing to aerodynamic mods.

Bass guitar strings work great for cleaning out those kind of drains and small openings.

I picked up a pair of kyb struts for my '86 GL wagon on ebay for $60. If your patient you can find some good deals.

new kyb struts, mounts, and shocks went on the '86 wagon yesterday. Holy stiff ride! No more creaking strut mounts and got rid of the last of the vibrations at freeway speeds.

like others have said, they won't last long in the summer time on the pavement. I just bought a new set of these myself for the winter season. They are quite a bit softer than all-seasons so I aired them up a bit to firm up the ride.

welcome! I have alot of family in the Spruce Pine area in Mitchell county. Haven't been home in a few years though....homesick for the mountains! -Doug

My Loyale gets around 32-34 mixed driving. The GL with the 2.2 is a little thirstier and get in the low 30's. Now that it's getting colder the current tank is at 30 mpg. I do most of my driving in the middle of the day so I don't sit around in traffic very often. -Doug

I have a scanguage in my wagon and with the ea radiator the highest coolant temp I have seen was 204, sitting in traffic on a hot summer day. Normally, it stays pretty close to 180 like it should. Nothing wrong with an ea radiator and the ej22.

You'll have to search but I do remember a thread where the procedure for setting the screw that you're not supposed to mess with was described. edit: here's the thread http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=80073&highlight=spfi+stop+screw