NVBigBlue

Hey JB, I've used the "flush kit" and "tank flush" from prestone before, but never have had good results. Now, this might not be the best thing, but when I was having trouble with the hatch not making hot air, I cleaned the system like this: I had a mostly full container of CLR and another of Lime Away (quarts). I drained the radiator, (I have to pull the lower hose because the petcock broke off, so I get a lot of water from the block too), poured all of the CLR into the radiator and then topped it off with water, and then fired up the engine. Set it to fast idle, with the heater valve open, and let it idle until the radiator fan was cycling continously. Maybe 10 minutes of idle at full temp. Shut it off and let it sit for about 5 minutes, then pulled the lower hose again. I got a LOT of crap from the system. Then I did the whole thing again using the lime away. Same thing, run for 10 minutes when hot, let sit and then drain, again tons of stuff, but not as much as the first time. I pulled the thermostat, shoved the hose in outlet and flushed the block for 10 minutes or so. I plugged the lower outlet on the radiator, fill it up, then unplug. I flushed the radiator that way until all I got was clean water. Replaced the lower hose, new thermostat, and filled with 50/50. Made a huge difference in the heat from the heater. But I'd have to say that this method probably isn't that good for the block though. I think it does say NOT to use on aluminum . You might try just pulling the radiator, laying it face down with the cap on, and using a mixture of clr or lime away and water to fill the radiator, let it sit and then rinse, that way nothing in the block. I would also warm you that I suspect lime away and clr could cause pin hole leaks (that have been plugged by build up) to start leaking, although I haven't had any problems so far. So, take my advise at your own risk....:-\ Worst case you can take it to A-1 here in town. I had them boil and rod a a big chevy radiator a couple of years ago and it wasn't very much. Good luck dude! NV

aJt, Just curious, but what exactly is wrong with the radiator? You might consider taking it to your local radiator guy. I've taken some pretty well trashed radiators in and had them repaired for less than the price of new. Plus, you be surprised at the knowledge a good rad guy has. He might be able to swap the top (or end) tanks on the core of a close fit and get you back in business. If it's not got destroyed tubes, they can usually hot tank it and rod the core to get it back in working order for a reasonable price. The last rad I had tanked and rodded ran me $85. That was for a 4 row Chevy 1 ton. And they resoldered the whole thing as well. Good luck! NV

DJ, You might want to look at this: http://www.edge.au.com/buggies_6x6.htm EDIT: I found this link on the Edge site.... http://members.dodo.net.au/~badmitchke/my_8x8.htm The guy is using a suby rear end.... Maybe not exactly like they do it, but might be a good place to start. I thought about doing the same sort of thing, but just driving two wheels directly and using chain on the others axles. Two things I thought about were to use an auto tranny to avoid clutch and shifting issues....and the other was to use the tailshaft output to drive a prop out the rear. Leave in 2wd on land, 4wd on water to engage prop..... Also, unless you plan on running suspension on it, 50mph in a tire suspension only, skid steer unit is pretty hairy. My MAX II does about 40 flat out and scares the crap outta me. I normally run around the 15 - 20 mph range and the ride is acceptable depending on road condition, but I'm always leery on turns.....that thing will swap end so fast it makes your head spin! Be careful.... and good luck, NV

Hey JB, What kind of comp are they having out there?

HELL YA! That's a great idea JB! Especially if we have weather like we've had the last few days. Frickin' awesome! Hey, I have to give the admins credit.... they fixed my upload problem.....check this out: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/photos/showgallery.php?cat=807 I finally got my sons hatch running great and have almost 4000 miles on it since I started driving it back and forth to Reno.....and not one fuel problem! In fact I've busted 30mpg a couple of times, but have been running about 25-26mpg steady. At any rate, I'm definately up for another trip to the "rocks"!!

That's work good too, but I prefer the "old rag" method. Take an old rag and fold it in half, run the rag around the base of the crank, and then pull one side. Sort of like using sand paper on a round object. The little clip catches on the rag, and pops off. It's hard to describe, but try it a few times and you'll see what I mean. Usually works first time. Good luck, NV

That's EXACTLY what we did when my friends and I were in High School.... We had a dirt track race car (stock class) that we were constantly changing engines in. We took two after market housings (chevy) with straight outputs and stuck a thermo stat in the middle, bolted them together and put it about half way up the hose. Worked great! If you do this, make SURE to mark an inlet and outlet side.... we didn't .... ONCE.... it's really sad when you're leading a race and sieze an engine on the last lap and DNF!! Although if I had a choice.... I'd get a new manifold instead and not worry about vibrations, leaks etc..... NV

I think Jibs is dead on with the fuel cell idea. They're not really that expensive (SUM-290104 16gallons $115 + $20 for mounting straps). And this includes anti slosh foam.....and no rust! If you don't have seats it the back (which is where you'd mount a fuel cell anyways....), another option might be to find a toolbox/fuel tank combo that would fit nicely. Check Harbour Freight or Northern Tools.... or cragislist... I had one back in high school in my Ford Courier ('76) that held 22 gallons and a decent sized tool box, and wasn't' really that big, but I can't rememeber who made it..... If you're really serious about building one, remember that 1 gallon (US) is equal to .133 cubic foot. Or if you prefer, 1 cubic foot (12" X 12" X 12") equals 7.48 galons.... so it really doesn't take a huge tank to get a decent capacity. Good luck... NV

Here's one for ya. As some of you may remember, I was having massive fuel delivery problems getting my sons' hatch ('86) down the road. One of the many things I found, was that when I had dropped the tank to clean it, when I reinstalled it, I slightly kinked the filler neck vent line. This would prevent air from escaping as the tank filled, causing the filler neck to back up with fuel. Which of course causes the gas pump to shut off. You might want to check that vent line. I don't know why it would plug if you've never dropped the tank, but just one more thing to look for.... Good luck! NV

No offense JB, but please don't tell me there's gonna be a bunch of naked subaruers running around! hehehe.... No, we've been planning on BM for a year now.... but I don't see anything wrong with doing both.

Excellent! Hopefully I can convince the better half that we need to go. Of course, Burning Man starts on the 28th......hmmmm....

Sounds to me like it could be a water pump issue. The radiator being cold on one side is a clue. The water isn't circulating. It's possible that water isn't circulating, but is going to boiling point in the engine, steam is pushing water out into the radiator, cool water flows in, repeat process. The thermostat is acting like a one-way valve.....?? I just replaced my water pump about a month ago (ea-81) and it ran $29 at autozone, with a limited lifetime warranty.... And not to be insulting, but.... did the thermostat get replaced correctly? That is, pellet side down? I've done that before. (Yes, I had been drinking...... ) Good luck!

Ya. Didn't he say that would be his last post? Of course a little more info about what front end work was done to the car might help figure out what the problem is. My wagon used to shake like crazy because of worn ball joints, replaced them, wheel bearings and seals, and got new tires and an alignment......it still shook, turned out it was one of the inner joints on the steering rack.....

I'd beg to differ on that. When the clutch pedal is out, the throw out bearing is not under any load, and should just be sitting there not turning.... I say should be sitting there not spinning, but it seems like t/o bearings always have a tendency to just touch the clutch cover when at rest, and spin a little... which is why an out of adjustment clutch will cause a t/o bearing to fail prematurley......it will always be spinning... (it can also cause the "fingers" on the clutch cover to wear down and break, allowing the T/O bearing to not be loaded equally, and fail catastrophically...... breaking the t/o fork, clutch cover, bell housing.... I know from experience... ) When the clutch pedal is depressed, the throw out bearing moves forward, begins spinning with the clutch cover, and then picks up a load as it releases the clutch disc from between the flywheel and the pressure plate. If you get noise with the tranny in neutral and the clutch is out (pedal not depressed), then it could be the T/O bearing or a main shaft bearing, etc. However, even if the noise goes away when the clutch pedal is depressed, it could still be either a T/O bearing or some other bearing. I think the key here is that even with the car in motion, the noise goes away when the clutch is depressed. If it was a tranny bearing, even with the clutch in, if the car is left in gear while coasting, the input shaft would still be turning from reverse input (drivetrain torque), which would keep the tranny bearings spinning, continuing to make noise. But since it goes away I'd suspect a T/O bearing also. Good luck, NV

"You know, that is completely against city ordinance." If I had a dollar for every time I've heard that....... Welcome to the board! NV

I think they all have the smaller tank because of the rear diff "bump" in the tank. I think if you lift it, you can fit a 2wd tank in them though. But I'm not sure. NV

MSD, I was having a ton of fuel related problems a while back. I'm using Fram G-2 filters ($3 @ wally world). They're not exact replacements, but I'm happy with them. I ended up removing the vapour seperator/filter under the hood. So now I have a filter before the pump, and one right before the carb. (this made the best improvement in running I could have done) I did replace the pump with an after market unit, but that's another story. My hatch was acting like it was starving for fuel, but it ended up being a plugged return line at the tank. Good luck! NV

Hey guys, Brian I got your voice mail message, sorry I couldn't meet up with you and the rest. I've been sick since last Thursday, and didn't even get out of bed all weekend.....(I didn't even get to go play in the fresh snow we got... ) Hope you got what you needed. Hopefully next time. NV

This sounds like exactly what my hatch is doing. I've done the "water hose-reverse fulsh" and it got better but not fully. I do have hot water on both hoses, so I'm suspecting that maybe the heat control valve is shot..... Good luck..

Hey Brian, My son has a wrestling meet at Galeena on Sat, but I think I can make it to the sparks yard no prob (mom can cover the meet). You still planning on comming up? Let me know.... If it's going to be as cold on sat as it has been all week, I might even bring uh-hem....coffee...to the yard. wink wink... Bill

MFCx, Do what you can to finish your tune up up...... if you really need a light I'll ship one to you..... BUT......(and please DON"T THINK I"M PICKING ON YOU....) I know specialized tools can be expensive, but there are some things that, if you are going to own a car, and do your own work on, that you should invest in.....beg borrow or steal......but get them.....taken care of they will last a life time....... (granted...most of my tools are now purchased at sears or from snap-on.....but I was young and broke once too.....ah...the $13, 250 piece mechanics tool set from k-mart.....) (Last March....) When my son (16) decided he wanted a car, I got him some tools that I thought were "must have" items.....I think I spent about $50 total.... Were these these best tools I could get him? NO. Do they work? Yes All tools were purchased at Harbour Freight. Canvas tool bag....$7 on sale. Habour Freight timing light (yes, you have to use it in TOTAL darkness....)....$10 12 Volt test probe. $5 Digital multi-meter $5. Standard/Metric wrench set (don't apply more than 50lbs torque). $16 Standard/Metric socket set. (this was actually pretty nice...)$15 Metric/standard allen wrench set. (decent) $3 217 peice screwdriver set. $9 (OK, I it was only 12 pieces....but still....) Let's see...7, 10, 5,5,16,15,3,and 9.....OK $70.... but you just need the light.... hehehhe Is it perfect or the best? No Do they work? YES But hey, since I am now somehow driving "his" subaru (while he's driving my silverado ) ) I carry everything but the timing light with me....and I've used them a few times.....and it gives me a nice 'fuzzy' feeling having them there. Dude, we've all been there.....but if you're serious about doing your own work......tools are something that will pay for themselves many times over.... Let me know if you still need a light....I have one that you can have.....PM me your address and it's yours. (shhhhhhhh..... shippings on me...) Again, I'm not picking on you....(everybody on this board has, at some point needed a tool they don't have, can't afford, etc..... but even one tool at a time is a step in the right direction.... NV

Busdriver, There are a few things (and I say at least a few things because others will most likely mention more...) things to remember here, and these are the same things I tell my children (newly licensed), and myself.... After an accident, you should remember.... # 1 You are alive. # 2 Hopefully, no one was killed (I hope this is always the case....) #3 Accidents happen. # 4 Cars are material and can be replaced. People cannot be replaced. #5 You are now thinking about what might have happened. #6 You apply what you have learned...... If you were being a good driver, don't blame yourself. Accidents happen. If you're lucky, this will be the last one you are ever in. If you're really lucky, this will be the worst one you're ever in. I'm glad to hear no one was lost...... As Oscar Goldman said....(oh man, am I dating myself here....) "We can rebuild him....") I'm sure another soob is in your future..... NV

Brian, I'm in! Missed you @ the moon rocks run.....I'm about 20 minutes from the Carson PNP. Reno is definately within target distance (I work @ TMCC M-F). I don't think I'm busy this weekend so drop me line! Jibs has my number but I'll PM my cell too. If you want me to scope Carson, no prob ...but I can't get there until AM on Sat. If you need help in Reno, let me know when you get to Boomtown and I can jam up that way......... Dress warm, I friggin' hate anything below 60 degrees! NV

I agree with RalleyRuss..... Sounds like you are off by 180 degrees..... If everything is clean, you should be able to take a flashlight and look down through the roll pin holes. With the tapered side up, you should be able look right down the hole and see the top of the axle hole and the edge of the shaft hole. Sort of like this: (let me know if this doesn't look right...) \ / = Half shaft taper portion.... || = Shaft from tranny..... Otherwise it will look like: \ / | | (close...but not quite right...) If you relax and look at the parts both ways.... it will only look "right" one way. To me it's just one of those things that.....once you do right.... you'll know each time how it's supposed to go..... NV

"Originally Posted by kingbobdole Ummm is jacking off the rear diff really a good idea?" Uh....Ok.... why do I get the feeling I'm not the only one that is going to pass on making commments on this one.... hehehe.....:drunk: But seriously, I've had a couple hi-lift jacks. If you take your time, they can be many different tools, including a winch (albeit, 3 feet at a time...) BUT.... if you try and rush them, they WILL hurt you. And that's worth repeating..... if you don't pay attention....you WILL GET HURT. A hi-lift will come sideways quicker than you can blink.... A few things I have experience with...... You WILL NOT be able to lift a car by the diff directly with a high lift. A floor jack it is NOT. Bumpers? yes...Fenders, yes. Hubs....yes..... doors, not pretty,....but yes.,,,, a diff? no way... unless the car is hanging from a cliff or such. Not being careful? It WILL break/smash/tear/crush/compress something you didn't want damaged...... BUT....You can do things with a hi-lift that a normal jack can't do. Like what? Well, say your suburban is stuck in the mud (like mine was...) you lift the front end up as high as the jack will go, (both wheels in the air now....)push the jack (and lifted vehicle..) over to one side, and the whole front of the truck moves 2 foot to one side (out of the ruts it was in...), back on semi-solid ground. Do that a couple of times front and back, and you're back on solid ground.. Use it as a come-a-long.... you'd be surprised at what a 50 foot piece of cable and a come-a-long (hi-lift jack) can do......slowly.... Are they heavy? Yes. Are they worth the price? For a good one? Yes. Would I buy another $29 hi-lift? No. $159....yes I bought a $39 one two years ago, to replace the one stolen off my 'burb. I went cheap ......harbour freight cheap. I took it home, and being the paranoid b@st@rd that I am, I tested it. I stuck the lift arm in my 2inch receiver and started lifting...... I got a almost alll the weight off the tires when one fo the lift pins in the jack sheard off! Unfortunately for me, I didn't have anything else that would lift my 'burb high enouhg to get off the hi-lift. But a slight push to side....... I took the cheapo back and got my $$$ back, went down to NAPA and turned over my cash...expensive yes....but I dont' worry about it crapping out on me in the hills now. Mount0ing? I've had mine on a custom bumnpers, racks, etc. I know JIBS carries his behind his seats...heheheh..... On my '69 Willies, I used generic battery hold down clamps (j-bolts and cheapo wingnuts) to hold it down on the side of the bed..... definately..... CLAMP THE D@MN THING DOWN!!! a heavy steel object floating around in an accident you DO NOT want! A cheap one would probably be OK for something as light as suby, but you pay for waht you get. For a suby I thnk I would consider carrying a length of cable, a come-a-long, and shovel. These cars are so light compared to a 3/4 ton 'burb (~7100 lbs) that you could dig one out in a few hours. So? Friend or foe? My opinion would be that it really depends on what type of 'wheeling you're going to do, if you are going to be with other people (duh, you're not going 50 miles in the middle of nowhere by yourself are you??? ), and what situation you're going to put your suby in...... Just my 2 cents though..... NV