amartin

I need to replace the backing plates for L/R rear drums in my new/used 1997 legacy brighton last 8 vin V730 1933. The dealer said they cost $55 each. I'm wondering if the backing plates from another year/model can be substituted. Anybody have experience with this? Thanks

moosens is right - you can also find right part at rockauto.com. about $110. Thanks moosens for writeup on core swap - worked very nicely for me and i rebuilt the heater box as well with new foam parts

on www.rockauto.com: 1987 GL10 1.8L 1781cc H4 MFITurbo (4) Airtex Part # E8312 $119.79 Acdelco Part # EP185 $141.79

Think I'll yank it apart during xmas and see which ones are really bad and either replace those or aftermarket the fix with bolts and other generic nylon 'T' bushings......

I got my stuff from Advance Auto 2 yrs ago. Pipes pretty inexpensive but watch out for the $$ for front converter - mine was over $250.00. Also be careful of manifold studs as they are backing out. If you see metal shavings coming out with them, better get yourself a tap and die kit - I had to. Don't forget manifold metal gaskets and bolts (dealer only), O2 sensor (aftermarket)

If it is the fan pack resistor, they are available for about $29.00 at rockauto.com. I have a 1987 gl wagon w/167k and have been in and around the machine quite a bit. Just replaced the heater core - makes a person mental. Refurbed the heater box gaskets while I was at it.

I have an oem parts list of my 5 spd shift system (2wd) and there are a bunch of bushings I would like to replace. Unfortunately, the dealer wants over $100 for 10 nylon bushings. Do you have any idea where I can get the dimensions of the bushings for a 1987 gl 5spd 2wd before I tear my only transportation apart or where I can get the bushings at a reasonable price? thanks much

Hello Subarian - To piggy back on this conversation - I have an oem parts list of my 5 spd shift system (2wd) and there are a bunch of bushings I would like to replace. Unfortunately, the dealer wants over $150 for 10 nylon bushings. Do you have any idea where I can get the dimensions of the bushings for a 1987 gl 5spd 2wd before I tear ny only transportation apart or where I can get the bushings at a reasonable price? thanks much

Moosens -great story on htr core replacement. I read the entire progression leading up to your working on it and it was great. I have 87 gl wagon at 170k and will do same thing and had a couple questions - I figured i'll replace dash lights while the thing is partially removed - do you know where the specs for these are or am i just too lazy to find them? Also - temp control slider got stuck with ice (yes ice) 10 years ago and the wife forced the slider to work - so for 10 years the silder know has about 1/4" of tangential play in it - any guess as to what it might be or what I should be ready for to try to fix it? And - last question - anything else you can think of to PM in the dash while its backside is hanging out? thanks a million for trailblazing

I'm fairly new also, but can help in some areas: I will defer to those that have greater expertise in this area, but: I have had reasonable luck at geeting new/reman parts from RockAuto.com, as well as the local Advanced auto parts, and even Pep Boys for generic items. Some things like manifold studs and gaskets i'll buy at the dealer. Yeah - I know the wiring diagrams are weird.

Well, on to my next adventure with my original 87 GL wagon...... I decided to replace the gas pump in my trusty 168k wagon because there was a bit of a stumble at all speeds if lightly pressing the accelerator - so I went to my local store and they asked the the usual - type of car, year, fwd, etc so I gave the this information: 1987 subaru gl wagon, fwd, 1.8L, non turbocharged, 5 speed, and then he asked THE question: Is it fuel injected or does it have a carburetor? Knowing that the roo has 'SPFI', but also has a carburetor, I told him it had a carburetor, and he gave me an aftermarket pump, and I was on my way. I looked at the pump, and noticed the psi was 2.5 --> 5.0, but thought someone else knows better, and installed it. Well, now I can really tell that there is not enough gas to the carb! I called the parts store, and they will take the pump back, but I want to make sure I put the right type back on. My questions (which you have help me with admirably in the past) are: - Is my roo considered 'fuel injected'? - what should be the psi developed by the gas pump (not in my haynes) - is there a decently priced aftermarket pump (universal or otherwise) that I can find through 'advanced auto parts'? - Is there a pump vendor I should stay away from? - the wires available to the old pump are red and dark blue. Is the red positive? I want to keep my roo as long as I can, but have to watch the $$ invested! Thank you all for your input

Right - one does not adjust hydraulic lifter lash. ok so i dont know what i am talking about - won't be the first time. Observations: took roo out on road after oil change - without sea foam - tapping disappeared. BUT i noticed that coolant guage is now not working - something else to track down...... thanks for all your help

What do you all think of atf instead of sea foam?

Great. I will try some sea foam but i'm a little bit of a stickler and will probably want to adjust the lash also. BTW - I found out that the crackly finish on the oil filter is apparently the result of a new formulation the mfr is using - my other roo's filter is the same way!

Excellent and concise information - thank you New developments: There is no sheen nor foam on the oil that I changed out, although the oil smelled slightly 'burnt', if that is an adequate description. I have been doing my own maintenance since '75 so i noticed this - although maybe I was just excited about the situation and is IS 90 degrees and no breeze. I performed a visual inspection with the roo off and noted no obvious issues top nor bottom of powerplant. Also the oil filter i changed out has a semi-plastic coating that is provided to the consumer for gripping the filter during de-install. This coating was slightly bubbled and the bubbles cracked under pressure when i pressed them - as though the filter had been pushed beyond its temperature rating. THAT scared me. But at no time did the engine overheat as the coolant dump took place over 1/2 mile - although maybe it got insanely hot after the coolant dump even though the roo was just sitting - a possibility now that i think about it, as there was no buffer of coolant in the engine at the time it was first stopped - not sure. I power washed Frank jr so I could get a good look at him top and bottom, and afterward filled him up with 4.2 qts. The tapping continued, as last night, not quite as pronounced, but as I said maybe I was a little excited last night - just knowing the kids got home safe. The tapping does not vary in noise level as i tach it up. I also used the old tube to ear trick once the choke released the engine and noticed that the tapping is decidedly more pronouced (perhaps all of it) on the passenger side of the engine. A note: The engine has 112k on it, and the previous owner had new(or remanned) heads installed 4 years ago - probably about 25k miles. Also the timing belts have not been changed out as far as i can tell from the previous owner's service receipts for well past the 52k recommended by Gates - but maybe that is for a separate battle. At this time I am hoping that this tapping has to do with a lash adjustment - and i have more questions: If it is an adjustment issue, could it have been quiet one moment and tapping the next (at 65 mph)? Also - I have never pulled anything off a roo (never had to ) - so besides my haynes, do you have a place I can go to get step-by-step, recommendations, insider hints, specs, etc? Do you think this is the next course of action, and if so, while i'm in there should I look at/repair/reman anything else? I have to keep in mind that my son is down a vehicle and he will be borrowing one of ours while Frank is out of commision, BUT he can wait a little while if I could do a little more work to ensure he'll be ok over the winter..... thanks for the encouragement and help!

Do I have a story (don't we all).... My son bought his 1992 loyale (an automatic) about 2 years ago - had 105k on it - but the second owner lavished attention on the little wagon - even had it repainted a neat charcoal metallic grey. The car belonged to my boss's dad, and when his dad died, he decided to sell it after a while. Since i know what kind of attention he paid to his car, I knew I could trust him - and I was right. My son got a good price, and with regular maintenance and such has had it on the road with no problems, no noises for those past two years. He loves that little car. (I also own an 87 wagon @ 167k and it is still going strong). Well, the other day there was a concert in Philadelphia, and my daughter wanted to go, so they decided to take frank jr (his name for the car) down the turnpike and back - about 100 miles round trip. The concert outside was hot, my daughter fainted from the heat, but recovered fine, and they decided to head back after being down there about 4 hours. On the way back he was crusing at about 65mph and one second everything was ok, and the next he heard loud tapping from the engine, and started to slow down. He did not notice any loss of power. He noticed the oil guage was steadily dropping and started searching for a place to pull over. About a half-mile down the road they noticed white 'smoke' starting to issue from the engine hood and work its way into the cabin. About a half-mile after that and at about 45 mph, he saw a good pull-off point. The oild guage was at near zero and then white stean started billowing from under the hood. They got out safe and sound and called us, his parents, and we got them towed back home. I popped the hood, and immediately saw that the main return hose on the radiator had a 3 inch split and said aha! I had an extra new hose, so i replaced it and filled frank up. I had him start the engine - and - loud tapping...... The oil pressure guage registered as fine, and I had him turn it off. Now that it is daylight here I am going to go out and do some toubleshooting. What is your opinion on what happened, and what do you think I shoud look for or try? I am not a mechanic but have heavy diy experience with different makes and models engines, brakes, etc. thanks for reading all of this