85T-REX

I don't think it will fail prematurely. My RX did that when I bought it with 90k on it. When I replaced the clutch at 220k it wasn't because of the clutch itself, the throw out bearing went bad. I still had a good 1/16" on each side of the disc. Nothing to worry about. At times mine seemed worse than others. That's when I would burn the clutch a little (high rpm's and feather:burnout: ) and that would smooth it out for a while. Smelled funny, but it worked. You have a whole lot more miles left on that one. rex

Then you probably have a vacuum leak. Check the vac hoses near the firewall passenger side for a loose or split connection. rex

Using Defrost engages the A/C compressor. It works like a dehumidifier. It dries the air so it helps remove moisture from the windshield faster. You'll probably feel the compressor cycle on and off too. That is also normal. Running the fan on High speed draws a lot of amps from the alt. That will cause a small power loss as well. Anymore loss than that then something else is wrong. rex

You can give the pliers a try but be sure not to bend anything. If it does start to move, start the car and then continue to work at it. That way the debris will be flushed away from the valve. If it still won't budge, you should remove it and work on it that way. That way you can spray solvents into the valve from the different directions. It should eventually come loose. Just be careful. If all else fails, you can pick up another one at a jy pretty cheap. You'll need to drain some coolant to get it out. When you refill the coolant, use distilled water with fresh antifreeze. 50/50. rex

The Brats and RX stay garaged in Pa. They only come out on special occasions. I only have the Imp and wagon here in Md. with me. It seems that because I drive an old Sub around here, people think it's okay to pull right out in front of me all the time. So, if I'm going to hit one of them, I don't want it to be in a nice Brat or RX. I'll hit 'em in the ol' wagon. No problem. I still love my wagon though. How could I not??? Being neighbors would be cool! I'm the only one around here with toys like this. rex

That depends whether they turned the heater control to hot before they did the flush. Under that black plastic cover in the center of the pic is a bypass valve that opens and closes when you turn your temp control between cold and hot. Check that to see if it is connected and working properly. You may need to disconnect the cable and work the valve by hand to see if it works freely. If not, don't force it, just work it back and forth a while and it should eventually loosen up. Also, make sure the cable isn't bent. When the valve is closed it will circulate the water just between the two lines. That's why they will both be hot and the core will be warm. Hope this helps... rex

I can make it this weekend. Just let me know where we will be meeting. rex

Sorry cobcob, I was quoting 75subie but I didn't include the pic. It was the one with his brown Brat. His tires look like 175's too. I just had a set of H style wheels redone professionally and it cost $600. They look better than new. Not sure it was worth $600. I only paid $250 for the wagon I put them on.:-\

That's a very nice lookin' Brat. It looks like you're running 175's too, is that right? rex

Not exactly. I just measured them and the offset difference between an H style wheel and a stock wagon wheel for an '82 is about 1/2". It does make a difference in the way it looks on the car and the way the car handles corners. The H style wheel and the '85 wagon wheel have the same offset. I've never had any other '85-'92 wheels, but I'm sure they all have the same offset besides the Brat wheels. The Brats' offset never changed in '85. rex

Do you have glass coverage on your insurance? My company replaces any glass breakage for free. Then, all you would need to pay for is the tint. Good as new!

You probably have a pressure switch instead of a sensor. The switch is for the models with a light and it will peg the gauge. rex

Did you see Reveeens' post about the core for $10? rex

That sounds about right. If your car has a charged A/C, it will be like GD said to replace it. If not, you can get bye with taking it out the passenger side without removing the dash. That's why it's important to do your best to not have to do it again later. Like with a jy core that starts leaking later. Check with the dealer and get whichever one is cheaper. I know it seems like a lot of money but if you can avoid ever doing it again it will be worth it. Any other part can be replaced without taking the dash apart. That's why I suggested jy just like Dain mentioned. Good score, Dain! That's why I mentioned that coolant mixture. Corrosion that breaks loose is what gets stuck in the core and corrodes that. Distilled water will keep everything from corroding. I replaced most of the hoses on my RX at 90-100k because of leaks and corrosion. That was shortly after I bought it. It now has 321k and still on the same hoses. And, they're still in great shape.

It might be a good idea to try a bottle of STP injector cleaner and run the snot out of it for 50 miles or more. That stuff works really well. It should free a stuck injector. rex

So the switch and light work, right? How does the engine respond when you drive it? Does it work okay at full throttle? Does it smoke? I don't remember seeing anything about how it drives on this thread so I thought I would ask. Also, were you able to do the compression check? rex

Ben, welcome to the forum! My '85 does the same thing. That just means it's anxious to run. One of my family members had an '86 Charger turbo that did the same thing. That's what the dealer told him too. It may be correctable but what fun is that? Nothing to worry about, just keep it tuned and under boost. That's when it's happiest. rex

You're right Grossgary, my bad, sorry. The input shaft bearing is internal. Splitin' the case to replace. That's the bearing that makes noise in neutral when the clutch petal is released. That's the one still making noise on my tranny with 321k. I'm not even worried about that one. To get back to the originally question, your noise, I'm sure, is the throwout bearing. Mine started making noise around the same mileage as yours. (180k) I didn't do the clutch until 220k. Just keep an ear out for it getting worse. It should last a good while yet. rex

The bearing comes in the clutch kit if they're still available as a kit. If not, it doesn't cost much. The bearing is pressed into the flywheel and can be replaced by whoever is refinishing the flywheel. For me, it was the place I bought the clutch kit. They did the flywheel and bearing for free. rex

Either way you look at it, they should both be replaced with a new clutch. Don't be in a hurry to do it if the noise isn't that bad. My clutch made noise for about 40k before I had to do anything to it. rex

You can usually tell if it leaked by a white chalky residue. I wouldn't advise getting a used core. Like a radiator, they can go bad by sitting empty for a while like in a jy. I would buy a new core (either OEM or AM) and get any other parts and piping from a jy. If you run 50/50 antifreeze and distilled water, you would be doing your cooling system a favor. No corrosion and the hoses will last a lot longer. rex

Hello there Mr. Whirly, Are you going to try to make it to the Carlisle meet this weekend? It sure would be nice to see some other '80s there. rex

Some sit like that and some don't. All of the Ea81's I've had sat fine. The only time I've ever seen a bad camber and tire wear is if the strut was bent or mounted incorrectly. The H-style have the offset for '85-'92. On an '84 and older car, they set in a little bit. Look at the difference between the wagon wheels and you'll see what I mean. Ea81 wheels actually set out further from the hub. I wouldn't level it at all. Being able to rake a car with stock suspension is one of the things I've always loved about the older Subarus. That's why I have four of them. Cobcob, I agree with leaving it as is for now. My Brat had 175s on it when I bought it. I left them on until I had to drive it across country. Then I put the correct size on.

1. It wouldn't ride like a rock. I did it to my RX all the time and it rode great. 2. It didnt' mess up the outside of the tires either. The strut needs to be mounted correctly. 3. It won't pull to one side or the other unless the front tires didn't match or pressures didn't match. I have my brat raised like that. The thing I see is the tires are too small and the H style wheels have the wrong offset for an '82. They sit under too far. Put a nice set of white wagons on there with the correct size tire with raised white letter and you would be stylin'! That is a good lookin' Brat! Keep it rollin'!!!

The add says "Good Bet" not "Sure Bet". Plus, they only go to 200,000 not 300,000.