GeneralDisorder

Yeah - my engine bay used to be "pretty".... I don't even try anymore. I spend my time making things water/corrosion proof, and vibration/shock proof. To hell with the paint. Haven't washed my wagon in well over a year, and I have no intention of ever doing it.... I'll scrub it before I paint it OD green maybe. Either that or I am considering orange/blue/white camo. Not sure i want to attract that much attention. Likely I'll just get some carc paint from surplus and spray it with a thick layer of OD over black rust prevention. GD

Wire wheel chucked into a drill works very well. Just be careful not to chew into the aluminium too much. GD

Pretty sure you'll find that it IS a 1980 as the GFT hard top I don't beleive existed as a Gen 1 body style. It will be the "EA81" gen 2 body style almost certainly. GD

Dual carb - high compression (9.5:1) 1600. Pushing 77 HP. That's more than a stock US 1800.... only got 73 HP. Interesting. GD

Clutch? GD

I tried turning on the fan - that's what ate the blower motor. With AC, there is no place for the stuff to go when it's on the wrong side of the AC evap core (think AL radiator, but smallish). So it was trapped. Mouse...... correction MICE (too big to be a single occupancy dwelling ) were displaced when I drove it home 20 miles from the guys yard. Gives a new meaning to "mobile home" GD

*edit* - you bought that off another board member didn't ya? It's been to my house before - he bought a hitch from me for either that wagon or his dads wagon - can't recall. Hitch came off my Brat. Ah..... yes well..... mine isn't quite like yours. Mine was originally 2WD actually. Probably would have been a GL-10 if it had the 4WD. Yes - factory sunroof equipped. Be VERY VERY glad you don't have a digi-dash. I converted it to 4WD (I'll never do another one!), and now it's well.... I'll let it speak for itself. The digi-dash blew one day, and I always had a yearning for the 1980-81 orange cluster, so I converted it to analog (never do that again either.... probably. heh). GD

Oh contrare - there are more models out there than you know son. It's probably a dual carb 1600 or something. No on the turbo tho - those came later. Here's some examples from my archive: And these are in my collection: GD

Yeah they do - take the valve cover off and you'll see them on the head. GD

It's not rubber - it's a "carb spacer" and it's made from some kind of fiber-board material. I generally just scrape them clean and use new gaskets on either side of them. If it's broken..... get one from the junk yard. GD

Sounds like a typical EA82 - you realize that engine only has 84 HP right? 90 HP if it's the SPFI engine (fuel injection). If it has a carb, check the vacuum line going the secondary barrel actuator - these are usually cracked, and the secondary won't open at all. Seen that several times. Makes for a very slow car. GD

Don't lose the accelerator pump check ball - they may or may not give you a new one. It's plastic and about the size of a BB. Make sure everything is VERY clean. The hitachi doesn't like any amount of debris in it. replace the float needle and seat - they are hard to get out, but old ones sometimes stick closed randomly. Just stuff I've noticed..... money better spent in my opinion is on a weber or SPFI setup. The price really isn't a lot more if you spend wisely. Get a used weber, order the adaptor, rebuild kit, and proper jets, and it should not cost more than $200 GD

Next time use a peice of rope (small diameter nylon works well), or some thick shoe strings. Seriously, it may take a while to get it on there and tight, but it will work for a few miles in a pinch. GD

Are you getting any codes from the fuel injection computer? It's located under the dash - drivers side kick panel. There is an LED that will flash you the codes. Connect the two green connectors under the hood by the wiper motor near the firewall on the drivers side - this will get you into "test mode" and flash the codes through the computer. Perhaps your coolant temp sensor is on the way out - or your MAF may need cleaning/replacing. Both fairly common. See what the computer says first. GD

Get a remote starter switch from Harbor Frieght for 9.99 and run the cable through the window. Disturbing eh Skip? GD

EA81 right? The valve adjusment procedure needs to be done when the valves are both closed with no load on the lifter. If you do it at TDC on the compression stroke then it will be correct for both valves of that cylinder. Pretty simple really - if you can move the rocker justs a tiny bit (or a lot if it's really in need of adjustment) then it's unloaded and ready for adjusting. GD

I used a little febreez in mine - sprayed it in the A/C evap housing. Seems to have helped. If that doesn't work, then pine-sol will kill the smell. Pine oil will kill just about any smell - even sewage. GD

Yeah - you can tap AL easy - do it all the time for the exhaust studs. Works quite well. A bigger bolt will not break as easily either. GD

I said "shoot the dog" - it was a toung-in-cheek ejaculation intended to inject a little comedy in the situation. I wouldn't shoot the dog - sell it perhaps to some hapless dog lover that will supply it with and endless supply of couches, slippers, newspapers, and a nice yard to crap in and then roll on it. Typical animal with no brains. GD

Yeah - this one was so big that it clogged up the blower cage, and destroyed the blower motor. Burned up the bearings in it. Good stuff. GD

On thing to realize is that all gasoline is transported through pipelines not owned by any of the oil companies, but rather they each rent time on the pipeline. They each feed gasoline into the lines, and it has to meet federal specifications for each octane rating. You have to understand tho - the company pays to put a specific quanitity into the line, but they take exactly that same amount out the other end immediately.... so it's not the same gas they specifically produced. It could have been made by any of the refineries accross the country. It's only tracked by octane rating, and nothing more. So brand makes zero difference... unless they are putting water in it or something silly at the station. That would be considered illegal tho. Don't get me started about octane - suffice to say it's measured differently here in the states than it is abroad. 87 will do you just fine. GD

All the block markings are inside a box - even the EA71/EA81. The EA82 head castings were made different to distinquish them. There is no "gen" for EA82 blocks. For that matter there isn't even a difference in blocks - they are all interchangeable - different pistons on some tho. GD

I've cleaned out a lot of nasty stuff from cars, but this was pretty gross. The mice made a nest in the blower motor, and the A/C evap housing. Was able to get the junk out with a peice of hooked wire, and some acrobatics under the dash - didn't have to remove the dash, just opened up the evap housing by removing the 5 front clips that hold it together... GD

I fail to understand why people keep animals that destroy property, run away, roll in feces, etc.... Way I see it, if the dog is that dumb that it can't recognize and have some respect for it's food source and owner, then it's not a dog that I need. Shoot the dog. GD

Drill and tap it to the next size up - go with a standard rather than the next metric and it should be fine. Cheaper than the heli-coil, but either would work. I do that for a lot of bolts - especially the exhaust studs. GD