eVIL_NTT

That looks great! I have an OEM "A" style bar that I need to clean up and put on the car.

It's kinda funny, the last half dozen times I have been driving it around, at least one person gets excited about it and tells me what a great car it is. I don't know why I waited so long to get it back on the road.

My gas gauge has ceased to function. When I turned the car on for the first time last month, I got the low fuel light indicator to illuminate, and the needle came up to read what was left in the tank. I turned the car off for a bit, then cranked it again to drive it home and the gas gauge hasn't worked since. What could have failed to cause this? How hard is it to get to?

For all those keeping score... I found a rear vapor canister from a later model Brat (somewhere between '84-'86) that was the same size. It was never a California car so the Brat was set up for Federal emmisions. My California emmisions 1982 GL wagon canister was a bit different, as some of the lines were plumbed for 1/4" (which is the reason the nipple broke in the first place) and the canister from the Brat was plumbed at 3/4". I am guessing this was done to fix the weak point of the earlier model canister. The big catch here is the hard lines in my car are also plumbed for 1/4" so I had to make some "adapters" in line to make it all work. I just got back from the smog place and I passed, so the Subaru is back on the road! Thanks again to everyone who has helped me out on this, I really appriciate it.

^That's not a bad idea. I just might do that to get it to pass smog until I can get the part.

No the smog tech just said my fuel system wasn't holding pressure. I had to hook up a smoke machine to find out where the leak was coming from.

You are the man! The "vapor canister" is located in the rear quater panel on the passenger side. You have to remove the plastic "cladding" near the backside of the wheel well on the interior of the car. There is a bit of sound dampening material to pull away and it should be visable. Mine has three hoses attatched to it, a bracket, and is made out of plastic. If my description is too confusing, let me know and I will try and get a picture posted of it still in the car. Thank you to everyone who has been helping me on this!

^ I had the same reaction. One of the nipples broke off and California smog laws say I have to have a functional EVAP system. Another board member in New Hampshire pulled one off a brat that looks exactly like mine, but I don't know how fast he will get it to me (he didn't seem to keen on doing it quickly when I asked.) I have been trying for a couple of weeks to get this thing smogged, and only have a couple more before I am supossed to take it on a long distance camping trip (burningman.) It needs a few things before I can take it out there, but it makes things difficult when I can't leagally drive it on the road. It is becoming rather fusterating. So the general consences is that the hatch version won't work with the wagon? Is there any junkyard hounds on the west coast that would go pull one for me? None of the local yards have one.

So I have been on a hunt for a rear fuel vapor canister so I can get my wagon smogged and on the road. I found someone with a hatch parts car from the same year, does anyone know if the vapor canister would be in the same place? (in the passenger side rear quater panel, I can access mine via removing the plastic cladding on that side.) I don't want to spend the day tearing up the back of someone else's parts car looking for one if it isn't there.

Some good Marine Grade batteries would do the trick. Battery technology isn't what it could be, but has come along way in just the last decade. The "secret" to the marine batteries is to never let them loose their charge completely, that is what really kills them... and letting them freeze. A trickle charge from a solar panel along with plug-in capabilites would be needed... and a battery warmer if you plan on being in the snow.

+1 for MOOG, they are worth the extra money.

There are rubber lines that come out of the tank from the side, and some more near the rear fuel filter, but I would imagine that if those lines were bad they would be leaking liquid fuel as well as vapor. My issue is that vapor is escaping somewhere in the system. The charcol canister is clean, so the only other place I can think of would be lines on top of the tank... if they are there. Can anyone else confirm this?

I was hoping it wasn't going to be like that... I don't know where it is leaking and was planning on inspecting it this week. I will look into the charcol canister, but I have a sinking feeling it is at the tank. What do I have to do to remove the gas tank? I want to know what I am getting into before I tear anthing apart.

The car almost passed CA smog this weekend, I failed because the fuel system won't hold pressure and is leaking vapor. The car runs great, so I am guessing it has to be somewhere with the rubber lines near the tank. I haven't dealt with any of that on this car before, how many lines am I looking for and where are they located/easiest to get to?

Thanks for the shop recomendation. It is always nice to know a reliable mechanic. Fortunatly, most of the Subaru is pretty easy for me to work on (compared to say my VR4). The West coast meet is during burningman, so I will be near Gerlach, NV until after Labor Day. I would love to go but I won't miss burningman for it. Next year do it a week earlier and I will be more inclined to attened. Thanks again for the welcomes!

I will post some pics next week. I still have to get some parts to put on the GL before she looks good enough for photos.

My '82 is just starting to rust in some spots, I'd like to treat the rust and cover the car with some spray on bed liner, but that is further down the road. I was wondering if there were fellow burners here. I too have noticed a lot of subarus in the past eight years I have gone out to the playa. We should try and meet up when we get out there, it is alays nice meeting new people. And thank you to everyone who wished me welcomes!

I have had my '82 GL wagon for more than a decade and put close to 100,000 miles on her before she went neglected for a few years and sat at a friends house. I have decided to bring her out of retirement and am going to take it out to the desert for a week long camping trip (buringman). I have to deal with the CA smog Nazi's first, but it is running like a champ so hopfully I shouldn't have any problems. I am glad to find a site like this, you all seem like a good community of people and it is nice to be connected to a network of fellow enthusiasts. Between getting the GL ready for the trip next month and my Galant VR4 I should have plenty to do.