variant13

OK, this has been driving me insane, and I just don't have the scratch to pay bubba $60 an hour to doink around with my car for two weeks, hand me a bill for $700 and say 'Iunno...' In June my 1984 GL wagon was difficult to start cold (not winter cold, just 8-10 hours cold). Crankcranksputtercrankcranksputtersputterfirestumblestumble catch. Run like crap for 45-90 seconds, zoom. I says to myself, 'sounds like the coil is preparing for that long, dark sleep.' I go buy a new generic coil at my FLAPS. Pop it on, doesn't even turn a full rev and it's running like new. Whew. Well, then four or so days later, it won't start, no spark; I check underhood, and the negative terminal is snapped off my coil. WTF, O? Replace coil, under warranty. Starts like new again. Go to drive to work in the am, car starts, drive off, get 3/4 of a mile down the road, engine dies, stone cold dead, no spark. Get towed back to the house. Folks here recommend buying the Hitachi coil, this isn't readily available here, but they have a 'top of the line' coil somethingsomething, I upgrade to that, and that never gets spark, period. This coil turned out to be a coil for a turbo, so for safety's sake, I replace with a Nippondenso coil (distributor is Nippondenso) that is unusually cheap. Now, still no spark. I'm starting to think it's something else. The wires look fine, newish, even. Cap, rotor and plugs are new, and gapped correctly (the best available here in the sticks, NGK plugs, junk off-the-shelf cap and rotor, but it ran GREAT with this combo for those first four days after changing the coil). Plugs are gapped to whatever it said in the book. Inspection reveals that the plugs look dry, with no dirt, oil or fouling. It's getting plenty of gas, though the accelerator pump may be getting ready to join the fishes it's still spraying gas. I could understand one bad coil. I could believe two bad coils, if fed enough beer. Four coils is just not possible. Does this have some sort of ignition computer that may have pooped the bed? Almost seems like a bad ballast resistor from my 1966 Belvidere? Thoughts?

My loyal little 84 GL wagon has had a few issues since purchase. The car has always started VERY poorly when cold. It would finally catch after grinding and trying to go maybe on the fifth or sixth go (accelerator pump = OK, new cap, rotor, plugs, wires), would run like utter ************e for 30-90 seconds and then something seemed to 'catch,' and zoom, running like a sewing machine. I thought that it kinda felt like the primary winding on the coil was shot, so I put on a new coil, and magic, it worked. I didn't drive it for a few weeks (in Europe on work), and came back and it cranked like it had no spark. I pop the hood, check cap/wires, and the negative lead on the coil has snapped off. 'Weird,' I think, and go exchange the coil. Back to perfect, and I go to drive it to work yesterday, and it just plain dies on me on the road, no spark. One thing I have noticed is that there is a condenser/type thing that is attached to the negative lead of the coil, bolted to the fender well, and grounds to the block. This ground was stripped out of the head, and I haven't been able to find a place to attach it w/o tapping the old hole and using a 10mm bolt. Suggestions? I'm confused as to why it is now suddenly seemingly eating coils... ?

I'm so sorry I've been out of touch! I just spent two weeks in Flanders, it would have been a hoot to meet up with you and check out the Rad Roo! J PS - probably my favourite factory colour, too!

Or, I could use a good hosing down of 2+2 and then some graphite lock lube, and the lock suddenly works like magic. I swear, I did go to college. Hell, I even graduated. I swear, I've rebuilt a dozen different kinds of engines. Hell, most of 'em even ran right after I was done. Jeeze. Boy, that horn fuse snaps easy though, don't it? Funny enough, the rear cargo mat from my old 03 Forester fits with very little side-to-side overhang. I'm considering removing the carpet and taking it to a laundromat and putting it on 'greaser' cycle and seeing if it comes out blue or not. On to the next project.

Thanks GD, I figured it would be something like that. I have the electric switch as well, so it will all be new. Price isn't entirely the issue here, I want the little bugger to work, and not be some rig, so if the lock is bad I will be looking either at wrecks or the dealer for a completely new lock.

OK. The P/O of my wagon hacked a 'new ignition switch' into the car, and starting and turning it off is akin to the old 'tinfoil on the rabbit ears' trick for the really distant UHF stations. Sunday, I thought I was going to have to try and push it home, I was doinking with the key for literally 15 minutes before it finally clicked over. From Subaruparts.com, I ordered what I thought was the trick, but turns out to be the actual switch, not the lock cylinder. I can't seem to find a new lock cylinder, what advice to you chaps/chappettes have? Is 1984 old enough that I'm not going to be facing a bunch of weird anti-theft things (like bolts with round heads)? Should I just take out the lock, the lock on the passenger's door, and hie off to ye olde locke smithy?

Here is the 84 GL in all her glory, climbing around on 'Sheep Head Mountain.' If' I'd had tires on it, I would have been up on Atlantic Rim, following a quad-path, but the climb was too steep. The exhaust manifold gaskets were MAYBE a 10 minute swap. Removing the muffler, looking in dismay at the way it resembled a popped paper bag, then beating it into a cylinder again and then wire-welding it back together took somewhat longer. Still a little leak, but I'll have the scratch for a new muffler soon enough. No more backfiring though, and I don't wake the neighbours, either. Next up: rotors and pads. One of the studs in my driver's rear drum is also 2mm shorter than its' fellows, don't know how that one's going to turn out, I assume it's time to hope it holds and get cracking on that 4-wheel disc setup. Anyone have any pointers on lifts? What would be most recommended in order to keep a pretty good level of highway-ability? I want a little more clearance under there, but I don't want to go Road-Warrior. Yet.

GD - would you recommend the Weber over an EA82 SPFI? That, with the 5-speed, was going to be a long-term goal for this rig. If you think the Weber is better though, I'll start looking for one...

And thanks for the pointers, GD.

What does the stock carb look like to rebuild (1984 GL wagon)? I figure since I'm going to be ripping it off no matter what, and the choke doesn't appear to work, I may as well tear it down and service it.

So, went to drive the 84 GL to work today, and it really doesn't like starting cold ever, but it hasn't been below freezing here since I got the car home over the weekend. Made the trip from Denver to central Wyoming without a hitch. And today when I started it, white smoke, in quantity, with the smell of antifreeze. Car's not even a week old. Now you all will get to sample my unbelievably bad luck first hand. So, do I buy the gasket set and hope for no cracks, or do I man up and buy heads? Is this enough like a Beetle, that since I have the heads off, I may as well toss new pistons in? Guess I need to call Shawn and find out about that 5-speed and the cross-members and stuff earlier than I had intended. Sigh.

Prior to my beloved Forester's encounter with a drunk driver: Please specify as much as you can: 21.5mpg in town driving, and 17.9 - 31.0 on highway (17.9 was on a trip to SLC in a *75mph* headwind - 31 was on a stay in CO where it is comparatively flat). In general highway was 28.5 mpg 2000 Forester No clue how many cams, I assume SOHC, 163,000, non-turbo Manual Transmission Plain Castrol 10-30. IIRC 205 70R 16 - or whatever stock was? I tend to drive like a granny, even on I-80 I seldom hit 80mph, and unless I'm crawling over Elk Mountain, I use cruise control.

This looks better to me than all the cutting and faffing about. And that looks like magic. Now I just have to find my tap & die set. Perfect! My thanks!

Good enough, I think I can get that in Casper. The post (http://www.indysworld.com/80s/general/USRM/mick-usrm/ea81-shifter-fix/EA81ShifterFix.html) calls for cutting a slot in the 'shifter tube' and bolting it tight in place, and does not mention threading, but does mention using a bolt instead of a pin/cotter key setup. No access to a welder (certainly no experience), but I believe that there is a yard in Casper with a couple of Loyales in, I will investigate! Oh, piffle. I'm not surprised, certainly. That's what I'd hoped for, but the NAPA website was imprecise. Thank you for the help! J

As I embark on the 1984 mission, I have identified a number of pressing issues: 1) But, immediate problem: Exhaust leak on (I think) driver's side. I've seen this issue listed over and over again here, is this just what these cars do, or is it a design flaw... Can I just go to NAPA and get the gaskets and be done with it in a half hour like it looks? 2) The shifter is as loose as... well, a very loose thing indeed. The throw is roughly the same distance as my dad's old 68 GMC 3/4 ton truck shifter. I suspect the 3rd gear synchro is getting ready to quit as well, buuuttt... Where do I get replacement parts for the shifter, or do I write to Hurst and start begging? The one 80s forum posting recommends a process that seems a bit 'home-grown,' does it work? 3) Front seats are thrashed. No, I mean thrashed. Like Slash's shorts after the 1988 tour, thrashed. Anyone got a pair of blue seats? 4) The car seems to exhibit 'yaw,' a 'softness' in the suspension that is expressed as shifting from left-to-right that exceeds how far you turn the wheel while driving in a straight line. Something like when your tires are under-inflated, but I checked and topped them off before I started driving. Is this just tie rods? Seems weird to me. 5) Are the rotors on the front really press-on/press-off? That would be a significant bummer.

I really appreciate the extra eyes. There's still an 89 GL with a 5-spd and SR 4WD here, but it's a little beat for $1,200. If it were sweet, I'd do it, buuuut... I suppose that yoinking the turbo and dropping in like an EA81 with the SPFI would be an option, but a $2,300 project car...

Jeez, I'm just shy of the turbo. Not really what I want, but the car is otherwise close enough to perfect that I'd jump on it, other than the turbo. I'll think about it.

Will they bolt together, a 5-spd and a DR? Or will the 4-spd get OK highway mileage? Or am I asking for too much from 27 year old technology? How much interchangeability is there? Had the rust on that one not been so bad, I'd have bought it for the body... Oh, and they don't use salt here, Wyoming cars are usually really solid, body-wise; this one must have been an import from NE or somewhere east.

I can make it from Grand Island to here in a day comfortably, I could probably do Omaha. I have looked in NE, but there hasn't been much around. I'll keep looking!

OK, update. He called! Car is for sale, start driving! I get up there, and it's in pretty good looking shape, and it's sitting there running, clearly warmed up, no smoke, not hot, ticking right along, no throwout bearing noise. The guy is probably 23-24, seems like a pretty decent guy. 'Mind if I run it around the block,' 'Not at all...' First impression getting in: rot by driver's side rear wheelwell, pretty thorough cancer, but the rear door isn't affected, so meh. Floors all are solid, having looked under the front new axles and boots. There is a manual choke butchered through the plastic under the dash, . There is an aftermarket ignition switch butched through the plastic dash, and a relatively new CD player screwed to the underside of the passenger's side of the dash with metal strapping and sheet metal screws . Dash is cracked, front seats are hosed. Shifter is very sloppy, but this is pretty easy, just a plastic bushing. You guys should have told me these things didn't come with power steering. Quite a surprise. But, I pull out into the street, the engine is noisier than I like (EA-81 - good? bad? indifferent?), sounds like it could use a lifter adjustment, if it were an air-cooled VW. First gear, quick rev, second gear, seems fine, third gear. Third. Gear. ...vroom, vroom. Rolling to a stop. Vroom, vroom. Car stops. In gear. Engine just idling away like nothing's wrong. Turn around, hop on a quick dirt road (this is Wyoming), pull on the 4WD, seems to pull strong, seems to be all 4, still no third gear. Back to FWD, turn around, onto the pavement. Down a side street onto a regular road; first gear, second gear with gusto, fourth gear... and it's fine. /shrug. Go for fifth. Go. For. Fifth. Sigh. The good news? I'm a moron, it's a 4-speed. The bad news? Ya, totally no third gear. Then, after I backed back into the guy's driveway, the T/O made it's presence known with a ch-ch-ch-ch-ch that spun down and went away once you disengage the clutch. Now, more bad news, the rot on the passenger's side is bad enough that the front passenger's door rattles noticeably when you close the rear passenger door. The inverted-T between the doors that blends into the rocker is completely gone. I did not buy the car. He wanted $900 and was willing to go lower, but I was frightened off by the rust, and the fear that the transmission and transaxle are one unit? Is this true? I would want a 5-speed anyway, but since it displays every symptom of having 1-2 kilos of extra-chunky transmission steel sloshing around in there, I make the broad assumption that the transmission/transaxle is ballast for someone's ploughing pickup? I just didn't want to risk having all that steel flying around in there on the loose, ready to strand me at Muddy Gap or Devil's Gap or any other gap. It does have five good white-spoke wagon wheels on it, but I just didn't think it was my project car (I don't want to START with a total basket case). I'm willing to put in a clutch, but having to un-butcher a ************load of wiring AND having to replace the transaxle... What do you chaps think? Should I cross-post?

Sigh, OK turns out the guy doesn't really want to sell the car, hence the constant stalling. So, I'm back on the lookout for that ever elusive 82-84 GL wagon with dual range.

Coyle, are you a bold barbarian? Or an old barbarian? ...because of course, there are no old, bold barbarians. Except for one... Anyway, yes, the lot here seem very helpful. I will go to just about any length to order parts, but I'm saving my vacation time for this summer, so the car really needs to be a one-day drive from central Wyoming. At this point, I can't even manage to score a ride to Casper to pick the car up, sheesh!

ORLY? I'll keep that in mind! There is NOTHING local. We have a yard, but it's basically all 1970s Chevy trucks and that kinda thing. I'll drop a note this weekend once I get the critter home. The wheels sound interesting...

Hey, I just realised that there is an optional subscription to the forum. Had I known this weeks ago, I would have pitched in my sawbuck then, too! Eagerly awaiting my 83 GL. I'll post pictures as soon as she arrives.

Share and enjoy, share and enjoy, joy through life with a plastic... Ahem. Don has been very, very helpful. Anyone on the board that is crossing through WY on 80 is welcome to ring me up and I can hook you up with some coffee or what have you (I have a cot and a spare room, too, if needs be). Happy to be on board. J