NocturneVoyager

Speaking of removal - if you want to remove just the front plastic bezel piece on an 86 XT, is that as equal of a pain in the butt too?

I know this sounds odd, but I don't know how to quite describe it. When I go to 3rd gear or above, sometimes, the motor is accompanied by a light clatter/rattle sound - doesn't happen all the time, which is the odd part. I asked a mechanic at a Soob dealership and he said it might be a bolt, or rocks in the heat shield (?). It doesn't seem to affect performance any, so I'm not sure where to start looking. Any ideas?

I've been thinking of future projects once I get the major stuff done on my XT, and wonder......when you look at the guages, they're kinda yellowed, probably fading.....any tricks on brightening them back up, or maybe putting different coloured bulbs in them? I have a feeling the bulbs in on the steering wheel wing controls will be the biggest pain in the butt, but I'm just contemplating at this stage. I have a feeling it's just a matter of replacing the bulbs behind the guages, but I don't know. Anyone have any luck doing this?

Well, about the only things I've noticed is that it does sputter a tiny bit, but thinking perhaps new plugs/wires might help that? Also, the temp does run a bit on the high side for my taste, so if it's not hard to replace the thermo, I might be tempted to take that on too. The engine has a weird sound when I bring up the RPM's in 3rd/4th, almost like a small clatter, but it doesn't happen all the time. Thanks guys, but being hugely helpful. I'm glad I discovered this place!

I figure as long as I feed it kibble once in a while, it'll behave itself. Honestly though, I don't know if it's just a really bad split, or a horrible repair job. Either way, it'll get replaced eventually. Just one of those weird quirks when you get a "new" used car. First things first though - a nice, thorough TUNE-UP to get the kinks worked out...........and probably a new thermostat. Seems the thing runs pretty warm (although it doesn't go all the way hot).

Hmmm...maybe I shouldn't worry then, if these smaller engines love revs. I guess comparing the RPM with my minivan is not a good idea since that one has a highway overdrive gear that has way lower RPM's than normal drive gear. I'll learn.........really. It'll just take a little getting used to.

I'm wondering, since I haven't had a little car in a long time.....if anyone owns an 86 XT (or close to it), what you normally see on your tach when hitting 75MPH on the highway. I know it's a smaller motor, so of course, it'll wind up more.......but how high do you think is "normal" for those?

Hallo tacownXT! :-) I don't think mine has the air shocks, although admittedly, I haven't done a whole lot of tinkering about on it yet. It rides just fine, so I believe it just has the conventional suspension on it. I do think I'll have the muffler/exhaust checked out to see about leakage since it can get a bit loud when revving up the RPM's. I do plan on taking it in to have a check-up done from stem to stern to have any potential problems noted out, so I can get them taken care of before I take it out on any major road trips (I plan on going down to Denver in September). Quite frankly, I'm surprised this thing is in as good of shape as it is, dash notwithstanding. I think that's the biggest glaring "fix-it" that's there, as when I picked it up, someone had put some blue fabric over the top, held down with some padded tape. I lifted it up to see, and promptly put it back down until I can get a suitable replacement piece for it (I'll have to show pics on this one). Like I said.......it's a project, but a fun one.

I did notice that when I was in 4th, about 3000rpm, shifting to 5th, went down to about 2200-2500, so not a whole lot of difference. I thought it might be a true "overdrive" gear, but perhaps this isn't the case? Is this something I should be concerned about?

I'm just getting my feet wet in the Subaru world, as I just purchased an 1986 XT GL. I love this thing, as it's very unique and runs pretty well. It's a bit rough on the inside (definitely needs a new vinyl upper-dash piece - the big one that goes all the way across), but other than that, it's in really nice shape. I did find a replacement "visor" (the plastic piece that goes around the radio and vents) online at subaruofdallasparts.com for not terribly much. The nice thing is.......it's a NEW OEM piece, so once I figure out how to "deconstruct" my dash enough to get it put on, then it'll be good for now. The only concern I have is that when I'm going to highway speeds, my 5th gear doesn't seem all that better ratio than 4th (goes up to around 3000rpm at 65mph). Is this normal, or should I have the tranny checked over? I figure it'll be an ongoing project car, but at least it's got a good start on it. I'll post pics of it soon. Cheers!