Andy FitzGibbon

I tried to order a two row from Radiator Barn a while ago and they called me to say they were out of stock and that the manufacturer was out also. They were very nice about it. At that time they still showed the two row on their site but that was a few months ago. I ended up buying one from another place, it looks OK but I haven't used it yet (can't remember the name of the place, but will post later). Andy

An '86 wagon will have hydraulic lash adjusters and requires no adjustment. The noise you are hearing is probably the adjusters not working properly. Do a search for "Tick of Death" to find a lot more information on this condition. Andy

My' '89 GL has a head cracked bad enough that coolant seeps out and collects on the ends of the exhaust studs. This is with the radiator/WP/thermostat removed, so there's not much coolant and no pressure in the system. I was surprised when I noticed the coolant drips on the end of each stud. It can be wiped off, and will collect again in a day or so. Andy

The first time I was reinstalling an oil pump I torqued them like the manual said (16-20) and darn near twisted the long one in half. I don't recall what I took them all to, but I did use my inch pound wrench in the end just to get them fairly equal. Andy

No such thing- there were Loyale sedans and Loyale wagons, and that was it. There were only a few options and no "base" or upscale models, to my knowlege. Andy

Usually get 27-29 in my '85 wagon with a Weber DF carb. Slowed down on the last trip and got 31.5, which really surprised me. I used to get 32-34 in my Loyale (SPFI), and that engine was pretty badly out of tune and had one low cylinder. Andy

The rear doors in GLs and GL10s had speakers (not sure about DLs). When the EA82 body style changed over to the Loyale model name in 1990 the rear door speakers were eliminated, along with some other interior features, to make the line cheaper. Andy

You can't go lower than 3.9 in a part time 4x4 EA trans using factory parts. You can with a full-time 4x4 EA trans, though. 4.1 is definitely possible, and from that link Zap provided it sounds as if 4.4 would be as well. Andy

Thanks for the replies- sounds like I should just stick with what I have. Andy

Final drive ratio should be 3.90 in a manual Loyale. Most LSDs are 3.70 (they came in RX models and some turbo cars). Instructions on changing the ratio are in the USRM. Other than not having the lo range gears and being vaccum shifted, the single and dual range transmissions are the same. You won't want to increase tire size too much if you want to go off-road with a single range transmission. Andy

My '85 EA82 has a Weber DFEV on it now. The car is manual steering, so I could fit a DGEV on easily enough (no issues with choke hitting the PS pump reservoir). I'm wondering if anyone here has driven both carbs, and could comment on performance and fuel economy differences between the two. Do the larger venturis of the DGV carbs make that much difference? Thanks, Andy

Yes. My '85 4WD wagon has a Weber, and none of the crap left except for the PCV system. I consistently get 27-29 MPG. Andy

Rockauto prices seem OK and I was impressed with their service when I ordered from them. Shipping was fast. Andy

Mine do not line up perfectly with the inner covers. I just set them straight up and straight down, and that worked fine. Andy

I don't think WP shaft length would make a difference, as the two WPs use a different pulley that compensate for the shaft length. Andy

Push button 4WD is great for winter driving and general on-road stuff. For snow driving I prefer it over dual range. Like GD said, not as reliable as a 2.2, but if you maintain them they last. If it's not rusty $850 is probably a pretty good price. Andy

If there are some threads left in the hole it might have a pretty good chance of holding. If it's totally hogged out, might not do so well. I would try it. Andy

Sounds like the threads in the head are stripped (nothing screws into the manifold- it's just held on by the stud and nut). You will have to put in a Heli-coil or drill it out and retap to a larger size. It can be done on the car. Andy

Not necessarily. The DOT can also deny approval for features of the design of the vehicle. This can include engine emissions, track width, handling characteristics, and other things that would be much more difficult to change. An example is the Ford M151A1 "MUTT" military jeeps. The DOT decided they were unsafe for highway use due to the increased chance of rollover caused by the design of the independent suspension. DOT rulings can also be politically influenced. Later versions of the MUTT had suspension modifications that solved the handling problems, but the DOT still would not approve them. The theory is that the commercial auto manufacturers did not want them on the market, because they did not want them cutting into sales of the other 4X4s that were available at the time. You can insure just about any vehicle, weather it's roadworthy or not- but that's totally different from registering it. Of course you can. Some vehicles would require only a few changed parts, and some would require an extensive redesign of the entire unit. I don't know which end of that spectrum the mini-trucks fall into. I suspect if all you had to do to legally license them was to change out some lights and the tires, the dealers who sell them wouldn't be speaking out against putting them on the road. I know my dad specifically asked several dealers if there was any way they could be legally licensed, and the answer was no every time. It would be pretty easy to illegally license one- you'd just have to take your chances with getting stopped by the police. Andy

No independent shops that I've found around here are trustworthy, and neither are most of the dealers. I still go with the dealer on my Ford 7.3 diesel. Getting a dealer to make good on something they screwed up is a whole lot easier than trying to get an independent to do so. Andy

Here's a quote from a dealer's web site: Another dealer: Importing a car is not the same as licensing it- just because it's legal to import it does not mean it can be legally licensed. The mini trucks are not DOT approved, which applies to every state in the US, even though every state has different motor vehicle inspection and registration requirements. Some states are less regulated than others, and there are loopholes you can use to get them licensed. Technically illegal, and if you get stopped it just depends how much the cop knows or cares about that sort of thing. I know my dad would like to have one of these trucks if he could license it, but he lives in New York state (land of many laws) and licensing them there is definitely a no-go. As far as where to buy them, I see more and more dealers popping up around here, as well as when I travel. Often ATV or tractor dealers will have a few for sale. There are plenty of web sites too. Andy

Radiator Barn was out of stock on the two-row radiators when I tried to order one recently. I ended up getting one from europartsdirect.com. Price was OK, shipping was free. I haven't put it in yet but it looks like a good quality unit. There are only two core thicknesses for EA82 radiators. Standard radiator for the non-turbo cars is one row and two row for turbos- the two row has a thicker core because of the two rows. Some cheap aftermarket radiators are only one row, but with a core the same thickness as a two row. Make sure when you buy one you get one that is specified "Two row". Andy

Maybe you could do a fiberglass Rolls-Royce front end, like they used to do for Volkswagens... Andy

The EA82 airbox and paper filter are not a restrictive design, so the power gain aspect that K&N advertises isn't really there in the case of the EA82. Take your paper filter out and drive around the block with no filter in, and you'll see how minimal the difference is. This is totally separate from the reuseable aspect of the K&N, of course, as well as problems with oil getting on the MAF. Andy

Sweet car, I have the exact same thing (color and all) in a lot worse shape. Glad you got it straightened out. Andy