Brat_Dog

Yup, best bet would be to try to find the matching new part, they're really cheap. The chrome bed trim has a special kind of plastic nut with an extension on it. in a pinch I have cut a roughly 2"x1" piece of aluminum sheet metal and bent it into an L shape. I Drilled the center of the short leg just big enough to start the screw, popped open the nearest access panel and used the long leg of the L for a handle to reach back and tighten the screw. Maybe the same could be done for your tail light. Just have to make sure not to over tighten. Good luck!

I put in a performace type coil into my 84 Brat and the ignition module (in a newly rebuilt distributer) would get hot and the car behaved the same way you described. Once I figured out what was goin on, I replaced the coil with a cheap stock type one and returned the disty on warranty for another since the module appeared to have swollen somewhat. Not a problem since. Good luck!

I've got more crack than Oprah here. I've have seen a couple places on the internet that will do restoration like http://www.justdashes.com Looks pretty slick. I'm curious to know if anyone has any opinions on this kinda thing

I've been thinking about eventually doing this too. I'd also change the oil pan gasket while I was at it, if yours were seeping like mine. I'm curious, where you sourced the new mounts and how much did they cost? The FSM or HTKYSA outlines the task... IIRC though, it was fairly straight forward. Good Luck!

In the engine bay, first try pulling the dust boot away from the cable sheeth and use a few drops of light machine oil on the cable. Then use some compressed air to force the oil down inside the cable sheeth. Having someone else in between air blasts slowly work the clutch at the same time also helps. Keep the new cable for a spare. Your clutch cable probably has some good life left in it, but might have got a bit of grit inside.

There's a big connector under the dash in that area. I forgot to plug it in one time after having my blower motor out and it did the same as yours. It ran for a minute until the carb ran out of gas because the fuel pump wasn't running. I'd start checking there.

It only takes one time out on the road, miles from nowhere when you neglected to check the level. It'll ruin your day. Best figure it out sooner rather than later. All of the cooling system components are pretty well affordable relative to a ruined engine. Let us know what you find...best of luck to you

You might just have a leak. Check the coolant level and look thoroughly. Even just a pin hole leak can make the engine run hot. Re-check all your hose clamps. I had one come loose a couple of days after changing the water pump on my brat. Green corrosion on the radiator is also a sure sign of a leak. Also look to see if the intake manifold gaskets are wet and swollen, seeping coolant. Goodluck!

Dang... greeezy pizza. Making me hungry:slobber:

I was hoping to find something online and have it shipped to avoid the 40 mile drive there and back. Oh, sorry bout that... 84 Brat

The ones I have are ok, but a little jerkified. Anyone know where to get a set of new ones?

OK....the KYB's are on...New bellows and top mounts too! I hate to lose tweaking options, but after reading everyone's posts, I decided I couldn't wait anymore. The old struts were definately toast when I pulled them out. If I weren't in the middle of replacing the rest of the front end I'd have test driven it a dozen times by now:burnout:.

I think I struck a nerve here... Just for the record though, it is an 84 Brat I'm working on and it's in pretty good shape for her age. Putting a lift kit on is not what I currently envision for the little truck, but my taste may change in the future. By the way, O'reilly's called yesterday and told me the Monroes were back ordered or in other words not available. So I'm gonna try Autozone today, but if they can't get something for me then I'll be using the KYB's I still have on hand. I gotta get this project back on the rails.

GD, Monstaru, What it really amounts to for me is options and nothing more. The originals I removed were in fact adjusted all the way down and stuck full of crud, but I'd like to keep the ol car as close to stock as possible. I'm currently awaiting a special order from O'reilley's... hopefully get them soon as I have a ton of stuff to do on the front end.

Got a pair of KYB GR-2 struts from Rock Auto the other day... Lastnight, I finally got around to getting the old ones out and realized the new KYB's don't have the 4-WD posture adjuster on them . So today I called Rock Auto to see if I could exchange them for a set that does...but they don't carry any. Only the 2-WD variety. I'm thinking it's misleading to show 2-WD struts in their BRAT catalog listing. I'm getting a refund but I'm stuck eating the cost of shipping them back . I'm just venting here...hoping that posting here might save someone else from the same pitfall. Oreilly's and Autozone both appear to have the correct model struts for the Brat online.

Good Idea... I didn't know there were any there. If they're just regular o-rings, I think I have some on hand or make a run to Oreilley's around the corner to find some that'll fit. Also picked up some new struts and mounts to put in while I'm down there. Gotta lotta busted knuckles to look forward to this weekend.

Cool, that's what I was thinking. Probably wouldn't have marked it though...thanks for the tip!

So the brat is starting to smoke a little. The culprit appears to be the oil seal on the driver's side, behind the DOJ leaking and running down to drip on on the exhaust. I ordered the left and right oil seals...figured I'd do them both while I'm at it. The service manual says there's a special wrench to remove the keeper. I'm just curious to see if anyone has had any success replacing these 'on-the-car' without the special tool. BTW '84 EA-81 4speed D/R

hehe made that mistake before... Lake Worth ...my old stompin ground. still in Texas though... a few hours south in Killeen.

Got a Hitachi last year at Autozone around $180 for my 84. It came with a new Vac advance and warranty too thank goodness... I burned out the ignition module about 6 weeks later. Made an even swap and no questions when the new one came in. By the way... Don't buy a 'performance' type coil to use with it.

Jy parts appear to be nonexistent around here as well... I'd like to find one of those 5-speeds DR's for my brat too. Best of luck!

Man, that's some Christmas you had then. Sorry to hear that. A little modding I can do, but I'm hoping to keep it close to stock looking as possible... I've already had to clean a bunch of the redneck off of her. A narrow set of seats I think would be ok, but they don't need to lay flat in a Brat...that's what the bed is for:grin: Thanks for the tips tho!

They gotta go... a busted spring, the foam is flat and the covers have pretty well had it. Just damn well uncomfortable driving more than a block. Short of having a car upholstery shop fix and recover them, are there any suitable drop-ins that can be had without drilling or modifying something?

Thanks for the compliments! The picture is somewhat flattering actually. Much more work has yet to be done. She had been abused as a work truck for many years. Then sat retired for the better part of a decade under a barn as a home for the cats. I rescued her about a year ago, and polished the little turd up. Now I enjoy every minute I get to drive her. Man, I really hate cats... I'll try to get you guys some more pics soon!

Put the girl to work last weekend. Actually drove nice with the extra load.