Mikldom

Its Me!!! Old timers are gonna remember me.. Last anybody heard from me, I bought a new distributor, and in the process of installing into my EA81, it got stuck, and I broke a $220 disty all to hell trying to get it back out.. Well, I got disgusted with it, left it at my brothers in roanoke, and took a greyhound home... 3 months go by, and I go pick it up.. It sits in my driveway in NC for a month, and I don't pay much attention to it.. Mess with it tonight for 5 minutes, and guess what.. ITS OUT!!!!! So... If anybody can help me out, it would be awesome!!! I need a known good Nippo distributor.. I am in North East NC (Elizabeth City, just south of Chesapeake/Va Beach), and I am driving up to do some work this week to Washington DC and staying in Camp Springs, MD.. so, anybody can help me out on the way, PLEASE let me know!!!! I can get a rebuilt one at RockAuto for $140.00 but I am BROKE and haven't worked much in the last couple of months and just now getting back to working (I am a HUD public housing inspector).. THANKS!!!! /mike mikldom@yahoo.com

I'll get my twin brother to take pictures tomorrow when the sun is shining.. I will be already home... I will come up with a plan.... It is not a priority right now.. too much money and time in it for the moment, need to get the other ride fixed so I can sill work. thanks again!!

Yeah, before I started pounding the hell out of it, and the two previous removals 5 minutes prior, I was turning/twisting it as I pulled it out.. the last time, would not twist at all, but just a "hair" now that the damn thing is destroyed how should i get it back down in the block? and not much to grab onto anymore.. I guess I can try to gently tap the top of the shaft and see if it will go back down.. and then, again, try to twist and pull it up.. amazing that it just slid in and out the two previous times (all the while twisting), but would not twist at all or come out the last time, and now the thing is destroyed.. I still may try to warranty it after I eventually get it out... I'll keep you posted, but now I have to take the greyhound home, have my wife pick me up in the a.m., I drop her back off at work, and take the outback to my inspection tomorrow afternoon.. I have thursday off, and I finally may install the new clutch and mount the transmission back in my 2004 chevy aveo with 140k miles!!! thanks for the information!!! /mike

OUT $230.00!!! let me explain,, car is broke down and staying in roanoke, VA, and I must take bus back home to Elizabeth City, NC. Got the new distributor, sliding it in, not lining up right, slide back out, did this 2 times... on the last time, it went in alright, but would not come back out!!!! and in the process of trying to get it back out, the friggin housing busted all up.. now the damn $230.00 disty is toast.. and broke all to hell and still the friggin shaft is wedged in there, and won't come out.. this does not help me, and I must get home to do some more jobs.. got the car towed to my brothers house until I can figure out what to do. I had this happen one time before, a couple of years ago on my desert camo brat.. I remember getting under the thing and just keep hitting on it with a socket extension and a 1lb hammer, and finally worked it out, put another in, and off she went. It just sux that everything was going great with the install, but it had to mess up and seriously. it is about 3/4 of an inch from out of the hole, and when I took the mount loose, I can see the O-ring.\ Does anybody have any suggestions? is there a way to rig something to the shaft and pull it out, instead of trying to wedge it out with prybars? I don't want to have to pull the motor, but that maybe the next route, or, finding another wagon and transfer my equipment, lift, etc. to it.. East Coast EA81's are getting hard to find.

thats why I asked for your help and advice specifically.. you have always come through with reasoned advice.. enough of inflating your ego . coil was a hitachi compatible new and installed in Jan. 08... nippo disty was installed prior when I had other issues... checking for power to the coil just involves sticking the multitester to the posts and checking for 12 volts when key turned on? seeing that I get NOTHING, no spark out of the coil when sticking a screw driver in the end and holding close to the radiator, it is probably the ignitor, as the hitachi coil/nippo disty combo probably toasted it.. even tho it has ran fine since jan. with that combo, and gone 3000 miles (I know I drive the hell out of it!!!).. I will try nippo compatible coil first, but likely the disty will be replaced... can it be anything else that causes no spark? I have checked all fuses and they are good. Car ran fine this a.m. for 10 minutes, but died suddenly and without warning and no restart.. is it normal for them to just die like this? does the ignitor failing give you any warning? seeing that the 4wd comes stock with hitachi, but now I have mostly nippo components, and I have read that nippo disty gives a better torque angle, I am not hurting anything by going all nippo? thanks again for the advice and reading my long winded posts! /mike

84 GL 4x4 with the 2wd nippo distributor in there currently. Started it up this morning, drove fine first 10 minutes and then DIED,, no restart, nothing.. Rotor looked a little black, so I bought brand new wires, rotor button and disty cab.. Still NOTHING. put a screwdriver in the center wire from disty, holding it just above the radiator, no fire, nothing when cranking it. could the coil fail? coil is/was new as of January, but it is a hitachi coil and not a nippo coil... let me explain... I had a hitachi button that was not riding in thier right and looked like it was hitting in the disty a little but, but it had been running fine, and a hitachi coil.... could the coil have burned up the ignitor inside the disty? seeing that I get NO spark at all, and if coils go bad, you usually get something, even a little, is it likely the disty is now toast? seeing that have all new ignition components (and yes the fuse for the coil in the fuse panel is good), but a hitachi coil matched to a nippo disty, plus it was not riding in there right, is it likely the disty is bad(ignitor)? I have coil (nippo) to put in, in the morning and the dude at advance went ahead and ordered me a new (rebuilt with warranty for 232) disty, I will try coil first, and then if still nothing, then the distributor.. don't want to spend it, and being 300 miles from home and having to get home, no time to scour junkyards for an unknown condition one, I just may have to bite the bullett. OH,, I did have low voltage conditions all day yesterday when driving the 300 miles up here.. would only be at 10 volts under power, but when at idle and clutch pushed in, it was normal.. does that explain more? GD,, what you think? others, please? HELP me,, I don't have much time and need to get it back home. THANKS!!!! /mike mikldom@yahoo.com

while I agree that dealer parts is best, but I did not want to wait for mine and the nearest dealer was over an hour away. I got my cable from Autozone and it installed in my car without any problems, but I only paid like 20 bux for mine.. It was/is a high quality cable that was made in italy as I recall.. my original cable was busted because the dude who had the car before me put it in wrong and had a bend in it in an inappropriate place and it was jamming and hard to push and I eventually snapped it.. put in the new one and it shifts like butter, difference is between night and day.. /mike

I lost the little "E" clip, and the whole attachement system under the dash is a real P.I.T.A. It indeed is real tight under there.. I bought a pin, can't remember the name, but a pin with a head and several small holes down the side... I cut it off a little bit and got a retaining pin and two washers. installed it with washers on both sides and put the retaining pin in, and all is well, and a lot easier to mess with then sticking the stupid "E" clip back in.. thats how I lost it.. farting with it.. it is cut and dry.. autozone has them pretty cheaply to.. /mike

I am in Elizabeth City, NC, 40 miles south of the border in N.E. NC. I am a traveling HUD inspector and I am all over VA/NC/PA/MD. I was in Asheville, NC, one day, and then Bluefield VA/WV the next, then to Lynchburg, Charlottesville,.... all in one week. I get around!!!! and most of the time I am in my lifted 84 GL wagon. I sleep in the back of it quite often.. I need to keep from eating axles tho.. My 1000 miles a week or so has caused me to go through 4 axles on the left side in 2 months!!! I would be open for a meet anytime, as I am around all the time!!! /mike

Cool... Been to/through Frederick many times.. on my way to Harrisburg for HUD inspections and I have stayed at a PATC cabin at Catoctin... I am pretty familiar with the area... Keep me in mind, sounds like fun!!! my email is : mikldom@yahoo.com talk to you soon!! /mike

I am working on booking HUD inspections, and I am hoping for some PA inspections not too far, so I can "write off" the trip.. but I am hoping/wanting to come, as it is has been a couple of years since I came last. I last had the 6 inch lifted desert camo brat, now I have the pretty maroon 84 wagon with 4 inch lift. I sleep in the back most of the time, so I may not need a separate camping spot I'll let you know, and I hope I can come.. sounds like a good time. Maybe just me, maybe all of us (wife, 2 sons, 1 daughter) /mike

The lift was hand built by my good friend, Bill M. (the original BushBrat) from the board, a couple of years ago. He built my previous brat with the 6 inch lift, and I had to finish it. He got that brat painted camo. This car was his wifes. He built up the lift and installed it, and she never drove it. I helped with some of the lift. I was well aware of the car. He got divorced and the car sat in his garage for over a year, as it needed some work, and she got the car in the divorce, but could not afford/would not afford to fix it. I got the car from her by trading my HP laptop and 100 bux!!! I made out like a bandit, or so I thought. Within 1 week, I had to redo the back wheel cylinders. 2 weeks, an axle. 4 weeks, the manual trans lost the center diff, and another two axles. Good thing I am a very handy guy and can fix these things (of course with guidance from the board). I sourced a transmission and installed it over 6 hours over 1 weekend. I have done much work and spent much money on it.. I do not want to add it all up, as it would probably make me sick (over 2 grand since november, including buying it), but it is well worth it, and it is a lot of fun. About a get together!!! I travel for work (as an Independent HUD REAC property inspector), and I get all over VA/NC/PA/NJ. I think for Southeastern guys, the best areas to have a meet and have a lot of fun would be Uwharrie (Near Charlotte), Big Levels (Charlottesville/Waynesboro), or, Shoe Creek (Crabtree Falls, not far from Charlottesville/Lynchburg, VA). I have 4 wheeled in the Virginia areas, and all over the OBX, but I have been wanting to goto Uwharrie, as they say (on the jeep boards), it is one of the best 4 wheelings on the east coast. I just don't want to go alone, and don't want to tear my ride up. anybody with interest, let me know via email. I can help organize, and I LOVE to camp, and can get away on a weekend, at the last minute... /mike mikldom@yahoo.com

The "midgets" are my two sons... They both love my subaru!. My youngest, Nathan, is two years old, and all he talks about is "daddy car" and when I am working on it (every weekend it seems), he then says, "daddy car broke"... It has a 4inch lift on it, 15inch puegot alloy rims, 205/75/15 all terrain Uniroyals on it, full window tint, Dual MP3, Bluetooth, HD radio deck, with Sirius in it, Pretty much rust free, Still looks awesome!!! Still have the Hitachi Carb on it with the 1.8 stock, currently has 188,000 miles on it. I keep burning up cheep Autozone axles out of it.. on the third one in the last 5 weeks, but I have put 10,000 miles on it in the last 4 months!!!. I can change out an axle on the side of the road so fast (down to about 30-45 minutes), that axles are almost a "consumable" like brake pads. Those pics were at Oregon Inlet, just south of Nags Head, on the Outer Banks of N.C. I only live 1 hour from OBX, and 1 hour 20 minutes from the Bonner Bridge that connects the North Outer Banks, to Hatteras Island, where Oregon Inlet is. As you can see from the Pics, the beach is awesome there, and wide, with dunes you can actually climb on!!. another 15 miles or so, is another ramp to get on the beach.. 50 miles south of there is the Lighthouse, with Cape Point, and much more beach to drive on. In any case, I love this sube. I had the first EA82 coupe lifted in the states, had two brats, another hatchback, Loyale wagon, and a Justy, but this one is by far my favorite. My wife has a 99 Shoutback that we just had the Head Gaskets and other stuff done (2 grand), but she'll run another 100k without much trouble. I broke down a couple of weeks ago on Staten Island when traveling for work, luckily an auto parts store was up the road, I diagnosed it as a coil, got one and installed it right there, and kept going. One thing about the EA81's, most competant shade tree mechanics can keep them running. It isn't rocket science, but does take some smarts and technique, and of course, the help of those on the board. all the time and money I have put in it lately, if I would have to pay somebody to work on it, it would have been junked long ago. This just shows the uniqueness and the love of the older Subes.. nothing out there compares. enough of my long post... some more opinions would be nice.. I will get some more pics post

First, example of my ride at the Outer Banks Last saturday when it was 60 degrees outside.. Another One: Rest are links: http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/mikldom/Kids%20and%20Subaru%20at%20Beach%202-9-08/3quartershotwithkidsatthebeach.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/mikldom/Kids%20and%20Subaru%20at%20Beach%202-9-08/AnotheroftheSubeattheBeach.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/mikldom/Kids%20and%20Subaru%20at%20Beach%202-9-08/KidsatDuneswithSubeintheBackground.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/mikldom/Kids%20and%20Subaru%20at%20Beach%202-9-08/SubeFrontofWateratBeach.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/mikldom/Kids%20and%20Subaru%20at%20Beach%202-9-08/NathanandCoolSube-1.jpg http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh146/mikldom/Kids%20and%20Subaru%20at%20Beach%202-9-08/SubeatBeach-2.jpg More in my Photobucket. What do you think? I have had tons of issues, but I keep it running. I have put over 10k miles on it in the past 4 months.. I am a Independent HUD inspector, and I have been driving it all over.. sometimes 1000 miles in one week. Talk to you soon. /mike

Thanks!! Mine doesn't look to rusty and she is making a hell of a noise... it has to get me 200 miles home today tho.. If I don't go faster than 60 mph, I should be ok.. I shouldn't be taking my 84 gl with 190,000 miles on it on these trips every week, but my other ride needs a clutch! Hopefully I won't need that pin socket,,, Keep your fingers crossed! their isn't a sube in a junkyard within 250 miles of me. I know where one is, but I don't get to the western part of NC but once or twice a month.. I am hoping it doesn't give me any issues and justs comes out, and the new one goes in. Thanks again!

I have a bad noise from the back drivers side wheel area. I am almost certain it is a bad back wheel bearing (Hub). I have ordered the new bearing and both seals from Rockauto.. How hard is it to remove the old back bearing. I don't care tearing the old bearing to hell, as I am gonna replace it.. How to press in the new one without ruining it? Must the whole hub unit come out? Thanks, I need to tackle this, this weekend, I have replaced the passenger side front axle for the third time in the past 8 weeks.. crappy Autozone axles.. Thanks, and let me know! /mike

Napa has a ball joint separator that uses a bolt and arm for only 15 bux.. I have both the tie rod (13$), and the ball joint one.. they work great. Anyways.. getting the old ball joint out of your hub/bearing holder can be a pain.. after separating it with a big screw driver or pry bar, you have to pull it out.. it can be hard and have to beat the hell out of it to get it out. I could not get mine back in, and stripped the hell out of the holder.. good thing I picked up a spare hub system at a junkyard.. I will just retap the hole and put it in a vise to compress it befor I try to reinstall the bolt that compresses the ball joint top into the hub area.

3 days later on the repair and no problems to speak of. My wife drives about 45 miles each way to work, and most of that is highway miles at 60mph (she does not drive as fast as me I would be at 70).. anyways.. car is driving, acting fine, shift gears fine, temp guage stays at/near half, never above. the 2.5 is a great motor for power vs economy so far, and as I understand it, once you get the HG with the newest generation of HG's installed, and torqued properly, it should be just fine... We love the car, the power and the room... Now, need to get the sirius installed for her and and MP3 deck and the windows tinted.. all in due time. /mike

Brand new axle just installed last sunday, is bad.. I took it out, and the inside pressed on cap on the tranny side of the axle came out, and is flopping around in there, and likely mucked it up.. I made Autozone eat it, since it was only a week old, and was very specific I DID NOT want to use my warranty.. I know, Autozone axles are complete crap, and they usually click as soon as they go in, but they are convienent, and I can usually do an axle in about 2 hours. I am working on getting a ball joint out, and will start another thread for that.. being a pain. /mike

Not me!!!! bought it that way.. I got royally screwed on this deal.. big time.. Oh well, you live and you learn!!! (not screwed on the repair, just the original purchase).. I bought it this way!!!!! ran fine with no problems, and likely dealer did not know, but he is gonna get a demand letter for 1/2 of a head gasket/oil pan repair.. so far he has blew me off with the excuse "My partner's in Mexico" I am gonna write that letter and if no response, give him 10 days before I file formal complaint with the BBB, Independent Dealers Board, and the Attorney Generals office for the District of Columbia (Washington D.C. is where I bought it from and got it 200 miles home, so taking it back was almost not an option).. thanks!!! /mike

84 GL, dual range, 4inch lift, 15inch pug alloys 205/75/14 all terrains.. Been running great for quite some time.. did a passenger axle change last weekend, all WAS well. Ran it from NC to PA/NJ, and all over over last week with no problems until almost 100 miles from home (400 miles straight through with no stopping 'cept for gas).. It started getting what felt like a bad vibration from under my A$$. I do not feel any vibration on the 4speed stick or the 4wd shifter.. I did notice tho, that at slow speeds, and the clutch pushed in, it felt like the tranny would 'jump' only at idle.. under power nothing. high speeds, no vibration when pushing in the clutch or going out of gear, only during acceleration or under power. The new axle could possibly be bad, who knows, I did manage to feel it and it felt hot, but I think all cv axles get hot when driving. it did start to 'feel' better right before I got home. No unusual clicking or ticking or binding in turns. could this be bad front axles? bad back axles? center driveshafts? or bad front wheel(hub) bearings? I know, could be all of them, but what/who has expirienced this, and what did it turn out to be? thanks in advance. /mike

I still have my little 1.8 (84 GL dual range, 4inch lift, 15inch pugs, safari rack, etc)... but I wanted a really nice car for the wife.. got one, just f... up.. ok.. here is the damage.. picking it up on monday. HG's all done, with new genuine subaru timing belts, genuine subaru water pump, and head gaskets.. Turns out, the oil pan was dented, and had to get a brand new geniune subaru oil pan.. in the process. had to get new transmission lines.. new plugs and new plug wires, oil, etc. the grand total is a little over $2,000.. this sux big time, but I am confident in the shop's ability that fixed it, and they chased it down all the way, and they would not give it back to me f'up... they assured me of the same warranty of the dealer... thanks.. /mike

My money on coil.. My car had been running fine over the last two weeks of 1500 miles in that time period and waited until the tail end of a 400 miles all night drive to die on me It would start some times, run for a bit, and stall out and die.... it acted like disty, and no fuel.. In fact the coil would throw a spark if you ground it with a screw driver and cranked it. I could see oil inside the stem and upon removal, when shaking it, you could hear oil.. broke down on staten island on monday!!!! diagnosed it on the spot, walked 3 blocks to a parts store, bought the coil (50 bux, ouch!), had to wait almost an hour for it to come, installed it.. fired it back up, and off I went.. 500 miles since, and she is still running like a top.. bad coils can make it seem like weird things.. start there first, I would recommend.. /mike

84 GL EA81, lifted, big tires, etc.. Like most people with big tires, we don't carry a spare under the hood, so I use this area to carry my tool bag, two gallons of mixed coolant, oil, and yes, fix-a-flat.. I usually bungee it all in, but some reason I was brain dead on a certain day. I have been driving all over hell and back, and enjoying life and heard an explosion from under the hood.. the car was running fine, and I was on the interstate so I did not pay much mind at the time, til I got off. I pulled it into a parking lot and opened the hood.. I wish I would have taken a picture, cause this is funny.. a can of fix-a-flat had fallen off the shelf and landed on top of the axle and had been sitting there for quite some time.. having the inner DOJ rubbing it for a bit (in fact it was still there when I investigated) It had heated the can up to the point that the bottom had blown completely off the can, and get this, actually blew the friggin axle boot completey off the inner DOJ... now you can imagine the mess under there.. white fix a flat foam everywhere,, and I mean everywhere, and then the grease on top of that.. I drove the car 400 miles to get it home that next day, since the axle was really in good shape, and not clicking, and I had a warranty on it anyways.. I changed it out last weekend with another autozone axle that did not cost me anything (I know they are crap, but I can change in less than 2 hours and I had a warranty on it).. I thought I would share this with you... seriously, I wish I thought to take a picture.. it is soo stupid that you can't but help to laugh.. and if you knew my luck lately, you would think I was gonna just lose it.. /mike

guys,, thanks for the advice.. "pee" test done on the coolant, and it failed... Exhaust in the coolant.. Most likely diagnosis, HG failure.. gonna start to be teared down tomorrow.. I am confident nothing is really messed up, because it runs pheonominal (sorry spelling), great power, and I can only get it to vent exhaust into the coolant if I run the engine revs to 4-5k range, and then go down.. Heck, I drove it 160 miles last saturday and she ran perfect the whole time... I never took it on a high rev, but don't need to in that car.. 2500 rpm goes about 65-70 miles per hour... I am happy with the car, the power is awesome, fuel mileage is great... I will just look at this as a minor bump (1300$ bump,), and unless crack in head/block, all should be well with new HG's, timing belt(s), and water pump.. I was assured only genuine Subaru HG's will be used, as well as water pump, and I already have the genuine subaru thermostat... Now to write a letter to that crappy little dealer and threaten to run him into the state attorney general's office, and the independent dealers association for selling me a car with a blown HG.. I asked him to pay 1/2, and he did not say no, but would get back to me, and you see how far that got. thanks for listening... btw... my 84 is running great up here in good 'ol PA/NJ, and the coil was the culprit and all is well.. going home (NC) on friday night.. then working in the state of NC for about 6 weeks (yeah!!!)/ /mike