Syonyk

I'm in Iowa City now, with my trusty 87 GL wagon. Anyone in the area feel like a bit of a Subaru meet? Also, if anyone in the area has an engine lift, I'd love to borrow it so I can change my clutch & oil seals. -=Russ=-

Was it, by chance, the horn fuse? I've blown that more than once screwing around with eletrical stuff, and it seems the horn fuse is the one the ECU runs off. Why the fuse box doesn't list the ECU on that fuse is beyond me. -=Russ=-

Just to kind of make a point about the stock cooling system, I've run my 87 GL through mountains with 4 pretty good sized guys, a full toolkit, a rotary engine shortblock, a spare battery, and a bunch of other stuff in the back (all at once). Going up was basically wide open throttle in 5th, downshifting to 4th if needed. The temperature gauge didn't even move. The tiny little radiator, if flowing properly, is more than enough to keep the engine cool. It's also only $90 or so to replace it, and for around $150 you can redo the entire cooling system minus the water pump (radiator, hoses, thermostat, radiator cap). It's worth it if you're having problems. :-) -=Russ=-

You also don't want to drive it much if at all until you fix it. The system should be around 14.5-14.7v normally. Much above 15.5-16.0v and you run a risk of damaging stuff (like the engine computer, stereo, etc). -=Russ=-

You should fix the problem rather than try to bandaid it. My 87 GL has no mechanical fan, and the electric fan has a bad bearing so it absolutely HOWLS when it comes on. I've heard it come on... maybe 5 times in the 6 months I've owned the car. Replace the thermostat first. If that doesn't fix it, replace the radiator. They're cheap. The EA82 is *not* a difficult engine to cool - it doesn't make enough power to have that much heat to get rid of. -=Russ=-

100% agreed. The voltmeter on mine doesn't ever show above what I would assume to be 13v or so, but I get a solid 14.5-14.7 at the battery terminals, so I don't worry about it. Check the battery terminals with a voltmeter. If it's above 14.3v or so at the battery terminals while the engine is running, the charging system is fine. It should ideally be 14.7v or so, but anything in that area is fine. Much below 14.3v, and much above 15v spell trouble. -=Russ=-

Check the cap, rotor, and plugs. When my cap's center button decided to take a vacation in the bottom of the distributor, it would barely idle, but ran decently at high RPM (though lacking a bit of power). -=Russ=-

They will most likely total it. An old Subaru isn't worth that much anymore, and it sounds like the 20% or 40% or whatever will easily be exceeded. If they total it out, you should have the option to buy it back (and you'll have a decently nice check as a result). Deposit check, fix car, profit. Unfortunately, this may take a while. :-/ -=Russ=-

Any chance you could pull the right rear fixed window & send it my way? ... and it has the standard 4-lug wheels, right? I could use another rim for my spare tire (so I can have a full sized spare). *ponders* What condition are the front and rear shocks/springs in? Mine are kind of shot. I think that's it that I'd need from a DL. Ooooh, unless it's a 2WD model. Then I'd like the distributor for the better advance curves. And maybe the Y-pipe? I want one to work with to make a totally cat-free exhaust system. And, just because I seem to have issues with them failing, if the rear wheel brake cylinders are in good shape, I'd be interested in them. Drop me a PM or email - hopefully we can work something out. I'm not looking forward to shipping costs, but the parts would be going to a good use :-) -=Russ=-

*blinks* I've always seen 4 bolts/studs being used to hold my exhaust onto the engine. If it's stripped, you could just helicoil it. -=Russ=-

Check the rear wheel cylinders. Both Subarus I've owned had leaking rear wheel cylinders at some point in their lives. -=Russ=-

I've changed the brakes on a bunch of cars, and I have NEVER had grinding noises afterwards. Before, sometimes, but that's what backing metal on rotor sounds like, and that's why the brake job happened. Jack the front up, rotate the tires, and figure out what's causing it. -=Russ=-

I used vasoline. -=Russ=-

^ Think of it as an external dipstick. If you don't see a big enough puddle, add oil. I don't have much to add, but I wouldn't worry about that leak unless your wife/landlord is pissed about the marks in the driveway. Also, you'll probably want to replace the O2 sensor. They get lazy, and I went from 22 to 28mpg just by replacing the O2 sensor with a $20 replacement. -=Russ=-

Been there, done that, as well. It sucks. Crank that sucker down. -=Russ=-

It's getting to be winter soon, which means snow autocross! I'm thinking an EA82 wagon would be halfway competitive at one of these, at least against 2WD cars. How well does the ability to put all the power to the ground compensate for the lack of power in the first place? -=Russ=-

4WD on anything with less than 10-15% slip is really bad for the drivetrain. Pavement, concrete, packed dry dirt, are all not things to engage 4WD on unless you *really* need it. Loose dirt, gravel, snow, ice, etc - those are all fine for 4WD, and the car will behave a lot better with 4WD engaged. Another trick I use for getting out of 4WD on gravel or dirt or such when it doesn't want to disengage (and I don't feel like stopping to back up) is to hit the brakes hard enough to start sliding a bit. At least with the rear drums, as the front tires start to slip a bit, things free up and it'll drop right back into FWD. -=Russ=-

You spy several. I have 17 Indys in varying states of together, 2 R10k O2 chassis (neither one has a fully working mainboard), and 3 fully loaded Indigo 2s for sale. PM me if you're interested. Plus the I2 & Octane I use daily. -=Russ=-

That's the worst I have a picture of. I did take my GL wagon out to West Virginia, over mountains, with 4 big guys & a motor in the back of it. Plus, I've hauled a lot of stuff back and forth between Ames & Iowa City. I love my wagon - it just takes the load, doesn't complain, and hauls my stuff around. I'm sold on Subaru wagons :-) -=Russ=-

Welcome to the club! I love my 87 GL. The engines will leak an amazing amount of oil at times. The rubber seals are, in your case, 18 years old, and just don't do a great job of sealing anymore. I did a writeup a while back on things you should fix, or at least consider fixing, or just know. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32721 Feel free to ask if you have any questions! They're great cars. -=Russ=-

If the tank is in that bad of shape, you may just want to get a decent condition replacement. -=Russ=-

Glass & transmission internals are the two things I don't do myself on my cars. -=Russ=-

I have a 27" glasspack mounted where the stock cat goes (behind the junction of the Y-pipe). It doesn't fit that well, and it hangs kind of low, but it works and sounds better than the unmuffled exhaust that was there previously. It's straight through, and has a nice deep rumble to it around town. It gets a bit loud on the highway once things warm up, but that's because it still exits under the car. -=Russ=-

Ah. Engine gasket kit. Right. Next question, should I really replace the throwout bearing and pressure plate while the engine is out, or can I get away with just replacing the clutch disk & resurfacing the flywheel? -=Russ=-

Ugh. Do they have a kit of everything, or do I have to go through and order everything separately? I'm not sure I know the engine well enough to know what all I need to order. -=Russ=-