GeneralDisorder

That's an EA82 4WD clutch if the release bearing has anything to say about it. No - will not fit an EA81 of any kind. Sorry. They are smoking crack. BTW - that one also has the "naughty" pressure plate - see the gap all the way around over the top of the PP fingers? That will fill with mud/rocks/dirt, etc and render the clutch inop. in a HURRY. Been there. GD

I'm a lazy bum, and haven't got around to doing many - that one, and the axle cup mod ( http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/axle_rebuilding.html ) are really the only two I have done to date. I plan on doing an axle removal/replacement one, and I really should do something on the rear discs.... but I need to shoot video for that one. Also about to embark on EA81 SPFI, but I went and cut the wrong tab off the disty I modded . My Brat sits patiently waiting for the 100 degree heat to pass. Really I should take pictures anytime I'm out there - plenty of write ups I *could* do if I quit my job and dumped my girlfriend.... really need to start on the t-case w/custom long travel suspension. All in time I suppose. For now feel free to PM me - I'll help as best I can. GD

R-12 and R134a are both "freon" just different types. How hard depends on your skill level. If you can change out a spark plug and can read at a 10th grade level it should be within your grasp. GD

This is EA82 land - no rockers being it's OHC. EA71's are a different beast. GD

Doesn't tick when going downhill in gear.... Gets louder under load and with more RPMS.... Does it tick when you rev the engine in neutral? I'm going with either an exhaust leak at the heads, or *yikes* a rod knock. I've had both, and the exhaust leak was louder.... the rod knock caught up with and surpassed the exhaust leak in volume about a mile before it threw it out the block. Check the y-pipe gaskets at the heads for evidence of carbon or loose nuts and studs, etc. Lifters are not your problem - they would tick no matter the load on the engine, and their sound would change only with oil delivery (hot/cold, pump volume, seals, etc) and RPM. Calipers.... now it's hard to tell from your description, but there's always the potential that the anti-rattle clips on the brake pads are missing or bent... I've had those tick too - but it sounds like it's comming from a wheel, not the engine. GD

Model and year please? GD

Sounds a lot like you blew out one of the Air Injection Valves, and melted the silencer material - the plastic from the silencer will get sucked into the carb, mess with your throttle plates and cause the high idle - the noise you hear is the failed melted silencer not silencing anymore - it's like a little mini-muffler for the AIS. You can block the AIS valve with a quarter at it's inlet pipe, and remove the silencer. Clean all the crap out of the carb and your idle should go back to normal. Probably won't have to rebuild the carb since it runs, but you never know. .... or it could be an actual exhaust leak - check the y-pipe studs in the head - notorious for working loose, and stripping out. Tap them over to 7/16"x20 if they are stripped and use a bolt with a lock washer. GD

Really not that hard to make - get a snap-on socket, and grind it down (use a lot of water - you don't want to overheat it an remove the temper. You have to grind from both ends, and taper the wrench side a bit for it to fit under the cam. There's actually a better alternative however - use the Fel-Pro perma-torque gaskets. They are superior, and do not require retorqueing. I've used them on a lot of engines now, and I love their design. Not 20 yr old parts from japan. Head gasket technologoy has come a long way in that time, and the Fel-Pro's are some of the best for any vehicle application I can think of. GD

Totally different on a soob. Get one from a junk yard. And yes, you DO need it. The axle will pull apart as soon as you turn a corner without that wire. BTW - a circlip to me is smaller than that thing... but I guess for lack of a better term that's what they call it. It's really just wire - it doesn't really even have much "spring" to it. GD

You can repack the bearings in the idler and tensioners, and usually reuse them - especially if you are running sans-covers. GD

Those are some very expensive parts. Even the dealership is under $100 (in fact I think it was under $80) for both timing belts, and oil pumps are about $65 from discount import around here (OEM part).... I think my dealer quoted me like $120 for one. Last time I got a pan gasket it was about $8 (dealer only on this one, all others are inferior). GCK - good choice, and no core so you keep you old ones for spares. They don't make rear's tho. Rear's are rebuildable, so get the parts from rockford CV and build them yourself..... but then again if you are stock height they will probably never fail. At least I've never seen it unless a boot was torn. XT6 clutch - I wouldn't think that neccesary, but up to you I suppose. In fact I'm not totally sure there is any difference in the clutch itself - the flywheel on the XT6 is lighter by quite a bit tho. If anything the pressure plate may be stronger, but it's really hard to say. Aftermarket may be the same part. GD

Jeez guys - stop scaring the kid - the bearings don't often pop out like that unless you have some serious issues with the seals and they are contaminated, and thus shot anyway. Besides - if the bearing comes out it's not the end of the world. Also - if you just do the boots without removing the axle, you won't have to worry about the bearing issue - and getting the axle out of and back into the bearings is the only marginally difficult part of the axle swap. Boot replacement is easy - like changing spark plugs. GD

Circlip? I'm not sure exactly what part you are refering to.... take a look at my axle write up here, and point it out for us: http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/axle_rebuilding.html GD

Yeah - 83 grills all the way. I've confused a couple folks with that mod. :cool: GD

Really, you can just replace the boot if it's not clicking. It's easier than taking the whole axle out... you can pull the inner joint off the trans with only a punch and 12 and 14mm wrenches. The DOJ is easy to dissasemble and you can grease and install two new boots easily. For my money unless the axle show serious signs of wear or is making noise, the boots are like $8-$10 each (you'll need inner and outer), and the whole job can be accomplished in an hour if you have done it before - maybe 2 if you haven't. Mechanic isn't gougeing on the price - that's about right for a CV, but he did inflate the cost of the part to make his labor seem cheaper than it really is. That, and even $100 for labor is steep - most dealerships (and I'm talking good dealerships - Inifity, and Lexus, etc - high end stuff, not Kia and crap) only charge around $80 - $90 an hour. He of course has a lift, and air tools - he will have that axle done in 30 minutes or less if he's done them before. That makes his labor ~$300/hour figureing his cost for a QUALITY axle at $100, and I'm sure he gets wholesale from wherever he's getting his parts.... so actually he's makeing a HUGE profit from ya. Nothing that most slimy mechanics wouldn't do, but I've seen shops do axles for $175 or sometimes even less. My write up on axles will help you with dissasembling the inner joint to replace the boot if you go that route.... I haven't finished my write up on axle replacement yet..... yeah I'm lazy. http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/axle_rebuilding.html GD

I think last time I got one it was about $13.... wholesale (my local dealer rocks!), I think retail is around $17 or maybe a bit more. Depends on the dealer really. GD

It also gets the belly pan up off the ground - when you get into mud/water you'll be unable to break the suction if the floor is sitting on the muck. Beleive me - body lift is better than no lift - 100 times better. GD

I work for a drywall compamy (estimator), so I know the feeling. Surrounded by very tall fords and chevys is my little EA82 sedan. I guess since it's not a wagon I don't get as much flak, but I did for the Brat. They shut their holes when I drove in with my lifted wagon a few times. The mud spatter and body damage plus the aggressive look.....I don't hear much anymore now. GD

EA82's are not the same. Here's my write up on the situation: http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/clutch.html GD

Cut the springs, and move the strut tops out to correct the camber. 2WD spings will lower it a little if cutting sounds too harsh. GD

Yes. Drive up a steep hill under load - that's where you'll find the farthest you can take it. I've found that even 8 will ping slightly. GD

That's an EA81 cable for like 80-83.5, after that they changed the pedal end to a spring clip like the clutch fork side. There shouldn't be any real difference in the length of the two EA81 type cables. DO NOT buy an aftermarket cable - they are inferior, and the OEM one is only like $12. Get a cable for an 82 GL and you should be good. GD

Nope - no one makes ANY production parts for older gen's. You're on your own. GD

Model and year please? GD

I think he welds the EA81 4WD shifter to the EA82 shifter assembly in such a way that you retain the 4WD lever for the EA81 but are still using the superior EA82 speed selector.... GD