grasscutter96

Yeah, agree with that regarding Amazon. Not a fan, rarely used in my house. Good info General Disorder. I will be changing it all over to Amsoil this spring. Running a quick change of Mobil 1 through it now, as the crap that was in there was super thick and gunky. Will definitely use the Amsoil trans filter. Thanks for the tip. Another interesting / sad item about this car is that the mechanic told them the heads were leaking. (They aren't). I did find 2 major engine oil leaks though. 1- leaking oil cooler o-ring, and 2-no crush washer on the drain plug! Had to use a 2' breaker bar to get drain plug off. Can't believe it didn't damage the pan! Fixed those 2 leaks, power-washed underside of engine as it was totally filthy, and so far I'm seeing no leaks.

Seldom poster here. Picked up a cherry 2002 Forester S for $800, basically due to a local mechanic giving the seller a huge repair bill. Virtually none of it was correct either. But that's another story. Doing a basic tuneup and decided to visit my local Subaru dealership here in Bellevue NE, and since they had everything I needed in stock, it got me thinking... where is best price and fastest place to get basic parts? Everyone loves Amazon, right? Local NAPA (or similar?), Dealership (or stealership as some say..). Here's a quick write-up of what I purchased. Amazon: Plugs: $2.90ea. Air Filter: OEM: $21.31 Oil Filter: OEM: $8.15 Transmission Filter: $28.03 Headlight Bulb: Silverstar Ultra: $21.99 Drivers side wiper: Bosch Winter: $21.95 Total: $113.03 NAPA Auto Parts Plugs: $2.99ea Air Filter: Napa Gold: $18.99 Oil Filter: Napa Gold: $8.49 Transmission Filter: $9.99 Headlight bulb: $27.49 Drivers wiper: TriCo winter: $19.49 Total: $96.41 Subaru Dealer Plugs: $3.54 Air Filter: $19.14 Oil Filter: $7.98 Transmission Filter: $44.28 Headlight bulb: $27.54 Drivers Wiper: $18.95 Total: $132.05 Here's my takeaway: I matched up exact parts at each location. Like for like, or as close as i could get. Couple items stood out to me- the transmission filter at dealership was the ONLY item that was significantly higher priced (will get into that in a minute). And the OEM wipers are very nice quality. Definitely along the lines of a ultra-weather or winter type blade. The biggest plus that I saw is I had all OEM parts in hand was back home in under 45min! And on some items the dealership was only a few cents difference, and a couple items they had best price! One of the issues this car supposedly had was a slipping transmission. Its been proven that older transmissions that have not had regular changes can exhibit problems when running non-OEM trans filters. This is because the OEM filter does not run full oil flow through the filter at all times, thus allowing the transmission to have more fluid pumping through its valves. I'm summarizing here to those transmission rebuilders that are reading please don't over analyze. Aftermarket filters filter 100% of the oil, and the pressure relief valve is rated differently, thus causing lower trans fluid flow through the transmission. This might not be an issue in consistently warm climates, but on cold winter days, I can see the aftermarket filters causing slow fluid rates, and delayed shifts. Anyways, I swapped the filter out and slipping was eliminated. 100% gone. You can guess what the shop was quoting them for a transmission rebuild or replacement! So, is aftermarket really the best in all applications? Saving money is good, but in this instance I say, NO! Sure NAPA trans filter was cheapest, but it was a NAPA Gold trans filter that was the wrong filter on the car! Happy motoring to all....

Need a water pump on my 1984 1.8 GL Subaru dealer can still get an OEM for $109. Local parts store has them for under $30. Had a bad experience with aftermarket water pump on a 93 Camry. Overheated, took aftermarket pump out (was only 3-4months old), and ordered an OEM. Compared the 2 side-by-side and wow what a difference. The water vanes on aftermarket were 1/2 the size, and had less total vanes. Put OEM back in and 100k miles later working great. (Over 300k and still running today) Anyone have any input on this subject, on theEA81 engines?

81EA81: Nice job on the oil pump service. Some times cleaning off gasket material can consume a chunk of time! Nice call on using brass to scrape it. And yes, I called Subaru and asked for on oil pump gasket rebuild kit. I included that picture in the original post. (Mine was for a 1984 1.8) Reading through some of the comments I need to address the gasket debate. (Which is kind of like asking 'what kind of oil should I use') If Subaru wanted RTV or any other type of sealer, they would have used it there instead of a paper gasket. (Yes, some other manufacturers use RTV sealants instead of gaskets. But the vehicle in question, does not. And yes, some parts counters show RTV, because they don't care enough to find a supplier for the correct part.) To use any liquid gasket INSTEAD of the paper gasket is foolish. Now, before anyone starts getting all uptight... just chill for second. There are times to use a very very very light smear of RTV (or whatever brand you think came down from God above), in addition to the paper gasket. Yes. That's right. SOMETIMES! Why? Because over the course of ownership, your vehicle may have been owned by a gorilla who used a a dull screwdriver to hack away @ the old gasket. Now the sealing surface has scratches and gouges. This is where a paper gasket alone will not do the trick, and a dab of RTV type sealant will help fill in the irregularities. But...don't get confused. Its not the gasket that failed, its the surface. Sure, you can disassemble the entire engine and get it milled. Fail, since its pretty impractical to do that. Sure you can try to sand the surface smooth. Fail again, since its not real smart to introduce sanding grit to an open oil pump hole! But, obviously you want no oil leaks, or you wouldn't have taken a sunny Saturday afternoon to pull the oil pump out. So, yes, be smart with your RTV use. Don't layer it on. If you see it squish out the sides, you can bet it squished out on the inside as well. Use it only IF needed. And don't try to think you know more than the engineers that put the Subaru together. Unless of course you 'are' an engineer... then I apologize! Someone also cautioned using grease on o-rings. The chance of having such a grease in your workshop is highly highly unlikely. Without geeking out and giving a lecture on oils & greases (over 15 years in the industry), just remember they come from the same source. One is liquid, the other semi-solid. A small smear on o-rings during assembly is fine. On the other hand, NOT using anything to keep the o-rings from falling out as you try and put the pump back in.... well... Let's just say.. "Good luck with that"!

1984 GL 1.8 2nd owner. Bought it @ 60K.

I don't often post here, but couldn't find a detailed thread on this, so decided to post one of the biggest culprits on an engine that drips. Hate leaky engines, and have been systematically working through all the 'culprits'. Its usually the oil pump, but decided to cover all the other bases first. 1- Oil Pressure sender. (removed, resealed threads, and re-installed) 2- Leaky pan gasket. (definitely was a crusty gasket, but didn't fix the oil dripping). 3- Rebuild oil pump. (Yup. Underside of engine is clean again!) Taking your time, its about an hr. job @ the longest. Keep everything spotless clean. Don't need to drain the oil, as the pan is below the pump. 1-Remove the 4 10mm bolts. 2-Remove wire to oil sender. 3-Lightly tap on the oil filter. (TAP it. Don't pound it!) 4-Do NOT insert any screwdrivers, or other prying tools, to pry the pump out. (you will damage the gasket surface, and cause a bigger leak). 5-Light tapping and wiggling and the pump will come right out. 6-Make yourself a clean work area, and start dis-assembling. Dis-assembly: 1-Remove 2 phillips screws. (Use correct tip. Best to use an impact.) 2-Separate the 2 halves. Slowly! There is a check ball and spring in there! (note: pay attention to which way the spring goes) 3-Open up your Subaru oil pump service kit, and start replacing all the O-Rings. 4-Use grease on all O-Rings. This will help them stay in place, and help them not get caught up, when installing the pump. (light grease. You're not packing wheel bearings!) 5-Re-install top half of pump. Watch that spring stays correctly centered. 6-Tighten 2 phillips screws. (Use correct tip, so screwdriver doesn't slip.) 7-slight smear of grease on gasket surface, and install paper gasket. 8-Wipe down any and all areas around oil pump hole (GO SLOW! One bit of gravel in that hole, and you've got major engine issues!!!) 9-Install pump. Again...don't force it. 10-Once its started in the case, put all 4 10mm bolts in the proper place. (depending on which model Subaru, you will likely have 1 or more bolts of different lengths). 11-Using the 4 mounting bolts, tighten them all down evenly (use a 'cross' or 'star' pattern), and slowly 'draw' the pump in. 12-Dont' over-tighten. They are only 10mm. 13-Check oil. Start engine. Enjoy the fact that your engine will drip no more! Options: A-Spin on a new filter. B-Might need to remove fan belt for easier access to one of the top 10mm bolts. Pics: 8 total. 1-Pump removed. 2-Note o-ring! Not supposed to be 'wavy'! (likely this is the source of my leak). 3-screws and 2 halves separated. 4- Close-up of # 3. Note spring orientation. 5-Removing large o-ring. Use a sharp razor. (NO PRYING WITH SCREWDRIVERS!!!!) 6-Old o-rings and new Subaru oil pump kit. 7-Greasing o-rings, so they don't fall out when re-installing pump. 8-Done. Ready for paper gasket and installed back in engine.

Intake leaks should show up on the plugs as a very very light tan almost white electrode. My plugs (havent checked recently), were a nice dark brown. I'll check them again. Did put new OEM Subaru carb base gasket on, with just a touch of RTV around base of each carb stud. Also sprayed carb cleaner around carb base and on intake area going to ea head. No change in RPM. Intake leaks wouldn't explain the very high idle when I drive it during normal summer temps. ** Extra info on high idle during summer: When its 80, 90, etc. and the idle is around 2K, I can put my foot under the accelerator pedal and pull it up a little bit and the idle speed drops to normal. So I check throttle cable for binding. All ok. Checked throttle / carb linkage free play @ the carb. All ok. Disconnected throttle cable and checked accelerator pedal for binding. All ok.

1984 GL 4X4 Is it possible to have a low idle (where car will stall), when its below freezing? But then, when temps are hot during summer, the idle is high (like 2K +)?? Is there a switch or valve or something that would hold the throttle open when engine compartment or outside temps are hot? Would that same valve or switch then not function in the freezing temps? Seems like I remember a thread that discussed a sensor that affected the throttle / rpm, based on engine compartment temps?? What I've done so far: 1984 GL 4x4. 77K. Rebuilt carb last year. (twice, due to major corrosion- car sat for 19yrs before I bought it.) Put 12K on it since carb rebuild, runs great, starts great and MPG is good. So I can't point to the carb that would explain the weird idle issue. Any thoughts?

Gloyale: yeah- good call on the small o-rings. I bet a lot of folks miss that. I actually missed it the 1st time I pulled the carb apart. Got them in now. But still no carb change. Also: yes, the ADS (or ADV) is working. What I think might be compounding my problem is: when I was tearing the carb apart, I was writing down the jet #'s so as to make sure the air bleeds, mains, secondary jets, etc. would be put back in same spot... well... the piece of paper I scribbled it all down on, is gone. I can't find it. So, I used some judgement on jet selection. Small # main on primary, larger main on secondary. Etc. I very likely did not put things back as they should be. I've not been able to find out where jets exactly should go. Went to dealer and they were nice enough to give me a photocopy of all the breakdown and parts list for the carb. I had them put in the VIN, to see if any specific carb info would come back. Nothing. Anyone else have an idea what jets should go where?

YES! The idle circuit needs some more attention. Today I did a bit more diagnosing...I can screw the idle mixture screw all the way in, no change! I can actually take the idle mix screw out of the carb, and there is no change! When screw was out, I sprayed carb cleaner in that passage. Car smoothed out its idle for a brief few seconds, while it burned the carb cleaner. Right now, i turned the idle screw up, so the rpm is @ about 12-1500. @ this range the car will stay running and will not stall. Quote from HTKYSA..."if you still can't change he RPM with the mixture screw, some passages in the carb are plugged. The carburetor needs rebuilt". Can't be stated any more plain than that! Guess, I'm back to doing the full soak/blow/etc rebuild again! ARGH!! **Side note: I do not hear any 'click' from the anti-diesel solenoid engage/disengage. Is that normal? With the key in 'on' position, I would plug and plug the 2 prong carb wiring harness connector (1984 feedback carb). No 'click' was ever heard. Could the ADV be bad? How do I check?

Good to know. I only compared the 83 to the 84 hitatchi, from a visual standpoint. I could see there were some obvious differences, where they were not a straight swap. I'll pass on the manual choke one. Sounds like you should keep it for the manual choke vehicle. I'll keep checking around. I don't mind the Hitatchis for just the reasons you mentioned. Not interested in performance. Actually, this is the 1st Hitatchi that has given me much trouble. Not interested @ all in the weber!

Sounds great. I'll try those tid bits of info. Can't hurt. Carb is coming off again this weekend. I'll give it another soaking!

Specs: 1984 GL 4x4 4sp wagon. 67,230 miles. Car died while driving it around town. Recently purchased car, after selling my 2001 Legacy. Car sat since 1991, hence the low miles. Been driving it for about 2 weeks with no problems. What I've done so far. 1- replaced filters (both). 2- checked fuel pump operation- amount & pressure ok. 3- pulled tank. Cleaned tank (was in very good shape), blew out and checked all tank connections, hoses, etc. All ok. 4- Did a 'quicky' rebuild of carb. (Clean out float bowl, blow cleaner through the passages, new gaskets) 5- Car now starts, but stalls / dies unless I hold throttle to 1500rpm+ 6- Rebuilt carb again. This time took A LOT of time to inspect, clean. Found numerous jets plugged, stripped.. the whole thing was a mess! Did a Complete dis-assemble, soak, etc. All new o-rings, gaskets, needle/seat, checked float level, did it all! 7- Car starts, but same problem. No idle unless i increase idle screw to set idle @ 1500rpm+. 8-Took car for a drive. As long as I keep the rpms above 1500, it will drive and accelerate great! 9- Compression test. 150-155 on all 4. 10- Checked all vac hoses. With only 67K on vehicle, all the rubber is in great shape, soft and no cracks. No hoses missing. 11- checked timing. Right on. 12- checked choke operation. a-ok. 13- checked idle / air screw. makes no difference if its screwed in, out, etc. Still stalls out. Here's my specific question. Since it will run when the rpms are increased, that signifies a problem with the idle circuit? Correct? I'm going to pull the carb off and go through it one more time. Is there a specific area I should focus on? Is it possible I've got an internal fuel passage blocked? Any idea which one? Or am I missing something else? I appreciate the assistance.

Since so many of you all toss the Hitatchi when doing the Weber conversion, I figure there's got to be a few sitting around. I'm in need of a couple good Hitatchi's. Specifically for my 1984 GL 4x4 4spd Wagon. (1983's will not work...I've got one, I've tried.) What would be even cooler, is if you recently took it off a car, and the carb was running PERFECT! That would be sweet. ( I know, its a long shot... but we can dream, right?) I like the Hitatchis personally, but have come to realize, I could use a few good donor carbs. Let me know what you've got. (please include your Price, and a pic would be great too)