GeneralDisorder

Oh and maybe the ground wire has lost it's ground? Some of the units have a wire comming off one of the bolts that hold the unit in the tank - that's supposed to be a ground. Maybe clean that up with some wire brushing or sandpaper or something. GD

If all the other guages are working - could be the sending unit. BUT - if it is, make SURE you repalce with the exact same sending unit part number. There are several with different resistance values for each - makes for a very funny reading....' GD

Man - that sucks that they are so rare there. If I put a sign on all the subaru's around here I would need to start my own printing company. And hire 100 employees just to make a dent. hehe GD

Not including the bolt head. And when I did it I used stainless steel so I won't have rust issues later. GD

1.5" or as close as you can get in mm or cm should work I think. GD

Ah yes - mine locks in 4th too (my Brat does). I have not yet fixed the slop in that one, so can't tell you if it's related or not. My wagon had a LOT of slop tho, and never locked in 4th, so my guess would be no..... possbily tho. To prevent the locking in 4th, take it out of that gear before comming to a complete stop. If you forget and it locks, just rev to 3 grand and slip the clutch to get in inching forward, and take it out of gear. Has worked for me so far. I do plan to investigate that little problem further - will advise when I go after that one. GD

Huh! Sweet - I LOVE that grill and headlights. Got to find me a DL or STD with that setup. Thanks for that link Hog - didn't see that one. I would really like a STD hatch for my next off-roader. I like the fact that there's no side molding, and no extra's. Dont need all that stuff. I'll just install a tach, and an oil pressure guage (I feel that the idiot light is not enough given the age of the vehicle). I have strange fondness for the DL dash..... GD

The bushing at the bottom of the shifter? It's about $3.00 and some change. Yes - that will cause slop too - also a lot of rattleing and nasty noises and so forth. My local dealership even stocks that - they only stock 1 of course, but they do stock it. Very availible. If you've got it apart - do both. Bolt it, and replace that bushing too. That will save you a trip down this road again. Apparently using an 8mm bolt will preclude drilling according to Skip. That's very nice since power tools don't fit down there well. I drilled mine tho - made the bolt fit very snug, and then cutting the slot in the side really causes the bolt to be able to clamp down on the tranny shaft. My shifting is very smooth, and very positive. It's easy to find gears now too. Grinding in third is an indication of a bad syncro. Fixing the shifter slop will not stop this. Does it do it all the time or only on the downshift? It it's only on the downshift, you can try going to 2nd first, then to third. That has worked for me. If it grinds all the time, then the syncro is about shot, and there's really nothing to do but rebuild the tranny, or buy a JY one..... You can also try using redline brand gear oil. Mine grinds on the downshift, but I find that with redline it's a little better, and seems to go away after the tranny is warmed up. Still does it when cold tho. At least it helped, and may prolong my already worn syncro's. The stuff is expensive, but a lot of people swear by it, and gear oil aint cheap anyway, so I figured what the hell. Cost about $8.00 a quart from a local place for me. The tranny takes 3.5 quarts BTW. GD

Yeah - if it's not extraordinarily expensive, I might be into that. GD

Hmmmm - maybe if enough people from Portland bought racks and bumpers from tony, you could make some $$$ ferrying them up to P town. We should talk to all the WA types and set up a swap meet here in Portland, that way everyone could attend from WA and Oregon without driving terribly far. GD

Oh - my bad - I thought that 84 was the first year for hydro engines in Auto's. Well - sounds like your lifters then - time for a new oil pump? That seems to do it on the EA82's anyway.... never had a tick on the EA81 hydro's before. Maybe 20w50, and some MMO. If that doesn't work.... then an oil pump. GD

Here's an interesting possibility - you live near Tony right? He's making me a bumper..... maybe if it's done he could toss it in the back of your car? That would give me good justification to take a trip down to Salem... have a few beers, etc. Saturday night maybe after the party at my unit gets out..... that would be cool. We would have a lot to talk about - I'm no fabricator, but I have ideas...... GD

Hogsubie - see my link above - which style is it really? A lot of people get mixed up, cause they have never see the REAL large round headlights of the STD hatch. GD

Hmmmm - IF the castle nut is tight (really, really sounds like it isn't - but you say it is, so we'll go with that)..... there really isn't a lot down there that can clunk around.... Check these (as comprehensive of a list as I can think of): 1. Axle nut 2. Ball joint 3. Wheel bearings 4. Tie rod ends 5. Lower control arm bushing Just as an afterthought - check to see that the DOJ roll pin is in place. If it fell out, I imagine that could clunk back and forth on the tranny stub.... GD

Good info on the 8mm bolt - thanks Skip. I used a 3/8" cause it's what I had in both a bolt and a drill bit. But of course I had the tranny out, and was able to drill and all. Never could figure out what they were thinking with that two-peice roll pin affair - just bizzare if you ask me. Too much play in spring steel. Who designed that?!? I really don't see why they just didn't bolt it in the first place.... GD

I'm with you on the bad PCV valve. Too much pressure in the crankcase and you blew out some seals. The bolt I would write off as already being loose, and maybe the addition of all that oil (from the bad seals) and heat caused it to work it's way out. Is that a replacement engine? If not it's a solid lifter motor..... your valves could be out of adjustment, or it could be a bad bearing maybe - the ticking noise that is. I would get some oil in it, and see if that helps first. GD

I say both. Since he already has the wagon - keep it and chop it. As was said before - he's 90, and you can get some great quality time out of a project like that. I know my grandfather tought me a LOT about mechanics and just generally fixing things by the seat of my pants. Bailing wire, and a welder. hehe I don't think you would have too many rigidity issues if you leave the roof on it over the front passengers. You might have to reinforce the sides of the "bed" to keep it from flexing over bumps and stuff. And get him a cherry Brat too - sounds like he deserves it. There out there - if you stick to this board long enough, one will come up that's perfect. I've only been here a year, and I can't even count all the Brat's that have sold through the board in that time. GD

Well - that happens to be a pic of MY shifter after I fixed that problem. She's tight as a drum now. The problem with trying to get new parts is that it's not the roll pin that's worn - it's the hole in the shifter itself that's worn. Not cheap, and probably not even easy to get. Cutting the slot, and putting in the 3/8" bolt is way easier, and will probably last the life of the car. Although I must admit that doing the repair with the transmission out of the car made it more trivial. Working under there with power tools sounds like more of a pain. GD

Solution: http://usmb.net/gallery/GeneralDisorders-Subaru-Pictures/shifter_play_fix GD

Well - I drill in Portland 33rd and Marine drv. - We have our christmas party next drill on Saturday - the 6th I think. What weekend is yours? GD

Everyone says get em from the dealer...... I just change my oil more often personally. I change my oil in the wagon after every off-road run - especially if it's been in water.... The Brat gets it every 1000 miles or so. Sometimes as much as 1500. The more often the better. And as long as you change them often, then the filter doesn't matter too much. Think I've got a WIX air filter on the Brat right now - seems fine. Better than the rag that was over the intake before..... heh GD

Then you can call it a "1985 _____ Traction Wagon" (Turbo removed for sanity purposes) HAHAHAHAHAHA. GD

Dude - EA81 time. Turbo's are cool.... just not for off-road. Unless they are brand new. Always problems with them. GD

Hehe - you think *yours* was mint when you started..... Hehehehe. You remember mine don't you Junkie? Velour interrior, power everything, digi-dash, straight body..... now it doesn't have carpet, and the doors close a little funny cause of all the wheel well beating...... it's just a wagon - who cares. I can always get another. I'm gonna beat my wagon down till it can't drive off the trail one day, and isn't worth fixing. At which point it will be dragged out and parted. (evil laugh here). I'll put all it's good parts into a hatch - rinse, repeat. GD

http://usmb.net/gallery/album72/1980_b Which one Zap? The Bottom or the top? It's always confusing cause somtimes people call the large sqaure ones "round" cause they are sort of oblong shaped really. This brochure only shows the DL with the large square ones. It's STD model has the round ones, and 4WD too! I really want a STD hatch just so I can have those headlights! They looks so cool. GD