DaveAP

Hi, I once had a raw gas smell in my gen one brat. I couldn't figure it out until I noticed a drip developing in right rear wheel well (say that fast five times) It was gas. It's been some time since then, but it seems that it was a evap hose tied into the fuel system. I pulled it out and let it daylight. It had been building up a small amount of gas in the panel, and bugged the hell out of me. No more smell, good luck. dp

Hi Bill, nice suby. Just wanted to say hello, from prescott. I have a 78 (off the road), and 87 daily driver brat. What radio station do you own? take it easy, Dave quote=flagwindow]Well, I finally had something worth posting after visiting this site for almost 3 years. This weekend, after 2 years, we finished a majority of my 1978 Wagon. Since college, this is my 3rd Soob and think this one turned out pretty cool. I have a sickness like most of you and my "fleet" is sitting at about 9 projects deep. It was good to get the majority of this one done. The 78 got a full interior, paint/body work from a rusty basket case, Flowmaster exhaust, new glass, tint, Grant steering wheel, dash mat, STi shift knob, WRX floor mats and countless little missing OEM parts. The entire Soob has been gone thru mechanically as well. Runs great and sounds like a monster V8! BUT...Before all you Soob diehards get your panties in a bunch, the BMW badges are there as a joke. You have never seen so many confused looks when I pull up in this thing! I am a total Subaru nut just wanted to do something a little different on this one. I had an indentical 78 Wagon back in the early 1990's and wanted this to be different. Next up, a sound system and old school rally stripes, decals. This will eventually become a promotional station vehicle for a radio station I own in Flagstaff, Arizona. I also have a clone "Land Rover" for my house in Mexico that I restored as well. Lastly, a special thanks to Todd (Subaru3) for all of the parts and advice during this restoration. CHECK IT OUT HERE: http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLandingSignin.jsp?Uc=y0hw4hq.ckaobnim&Uy=cuw4cy&Upost_signin=Slideshow.jsp%3Fmode%3Dfromshare&Ux=0 Let me know what you think. Thanks Bill

NICE!

I have owned two gen ones, wagon and brat. I drove those single range trannys all over the hills here in central ariz. Just have to make a run at some stuff. When I bought the brat it had had a lift already on it. 3". I believe they had clocked the rear end to raise it. They also had welded a new shock mount about an inch higher than stock. The front was lifted with alum blocks. I run 14" 205's on it. I am hoping to take out the single range, and install a dual range tranny. I bought a fatcase bellhousing here a long while ago. It is supposed to mate my ea71 to the dual range. I am running a '87 dual brat so am spoiled. I like the idea of keeping the '78 as stock as possible, it runs really well as it was a jap import with hydraulic lifters ,and has a weber as well. I am not much of a gear head, but am willing to try the tranny switch. It is not my daily driver anymore, so I won't be put out while working on it. The only reason I retired it, it developed a really nasty clunk in the steering. It would lock up, and I'd have to muscle it past the hard spot. Someone on the board thought it might be at the steering coupler. He said he had only to grind off the high spot to relieve it. I haven't tried that, but will soon. I imagine people would like some pics of the lift, but I am puter disadvantaged. I could probably email some but that is about it. I am just getting ready to move back into the house where I have kept it stored. So it will no longer be out of sight out of mind.

Your right, I did fiind that funny. Way to go.

Also if memory serves me,...you should be driving it out from the dimpled side of the axle. One side is concave (where the roll pin is inserted). Forget all the ghetto drifts, get a long 3/16 drift. If you own a suby, you will always need one.

Drive south for an hour. You'll be in nice hilly wooded country. There is state land down past alfred. Also the alleghany nat. forest isn't that far. I haven't lived iin ny for a loooong time, but I grew up in Hornell.

I've been a carpenter my whole life. I've been running a brat for the last 15? yrs. I can do 90% of my work (running around, tool carrying ...) in the suby. I once sunk my f250 on the job and drove circles around it with my '78 wagon until it dryed up enough to pull it out. The ford stays parked until I need it. I fill the bed of the brat with two Irish wolfhounds and a Dane. That's pushing it!

I posted a while ago on a temp guage problem. I lost a heater core hose a while ago. I had to limp it home. After I changed the hose out the guage takes along time to show any heat. Some one else thought I might have air left in the system. I am going to check out thr thermostat. Will let you know. dp.PS. How would the vacumn advance affect the temp guage?

Recently I had to nurse my brat(ea81) home. One of the heater core hoses got a crack in it. I'd drive about a couple of miles, let it cool off, couple more... The guage never went over red. I fixed the hose, no more over heating. Up until now the guage acted normally. Now, it takes a long time to get it to move. I know it is not getting hot, but I don't trust the guage any more. I don't see how it would have been affected by the leaking situation. Maybe it is murphys law and was ready to go south. Wadd ya think?

If any of you see a gen 2 low roll bar for a brat, I am looking. Also need back passenger tail light lense. thanks, dp

The cast handles are are a weak point with the gen ones,yours may have snapped. I think door and tailgate use the same assembly.

I really could use a passenger side taillight lense.

thanks for the chance to see your brat. What have you done to it to get it to take that punishment?

You could have a front axle spline wearing out

I didn't build the lift. I'd have to go over and look at it. One thing I do remember, they welded a new stud for the bottom shock mount about an inch higher than the old one. I've never ran bigger than the 205/14's on it. At full crank it rubs a little in the front with no fender trimming. One of these days I'll get some pics of it.

I have 78 brat with a 3" lift, run 205-70's or 80's (can't remember), weber. It behaves like a typical 4 speed, so I just make more of a run at stuff. It's not my daily driver right now. I do like the dual range better, but the '78 still does real well non the less.

One of the better posts these days. I'm going to copy this one for the collection. Thanks, dp

That's what I do.

My '78 brat came with a tach, but has never worked. I will be watching this thread to see what you come up with. Thanks, dp.

Brett, do you know wiz and sus? They live up your way. They are friends of my wife from the old Alfred days in the 70's. Dave (in Ariz)

That's what I do. I use a really fat (wide) cold chisel to pop the ball joint stud out of it's housing. Just fit the chisel between the top of the ball joint and the bottom of the control arm and hit it hard with a heavy hammer, it usually pops right down. Last time I did it I left the whole brake assembly on. Just watch tearing the rubber boot on the ball joint.

Could be oil leaks hitting your exhaust pipe.