pyromanic

Yes, why are you wanting to do this? I have never heard of doing this, and also can not think of a reason to do so. Pyro

Well I can't believe my good fortune. HTI-Johnson showed up late last nite with my weber and brakes. HTI agreed that from the carbs appearance, it could use a rebuild. So this A.M. I jammed down to the NAPA. Zippo on Weber anything. They made some calls, and nothing. I wanted a kit and the adapter. So off I go across the street to the local "discount" parts house. Huge suprise, they had both, some one had ordered them , and then changed their mind. I jumped on both since it appears to me that this stuff is getting hard to find. Jammed home. Pulled the Hitache, slapped on the adapter. Should have done the rebuild, but thought I'd just stick on the old DGV to see how bad bad was. Much to my suprise, it ran! I made no attempt to tune anything. So I got the linkage wraped up, and went for a drive. HOLY CRAP! I really had no complaints about the Hitache, it ran fine, but the improvement in 1st, 2nd and 3rd are really noticable. Lots more grunt. Not much change in the higher range, but thats not really where I needed it anyway. Heck, I'm half scared to do any tuning or rebuilding. Maybe I should leave well enough alone! So far, I am totally happy with this change. I have no idea what has happened to my miliage, but thats a secondary consideration for me. So thats my story, and I'm stick'in to it. I suspect that when I increase tire diameter by 2 inches, to 26, I'll be right back where I started, which was the point in the first place, so thats ok. Pyro

So I'm trading for 32/36 today. Thought I'd try to gather some (local) knowledge. Checked the yellow pages. Found a Soob "specialist". Called his shop. You know, just to gather another opinion. Told him what I had in mind. He went to a lot of effort to discourage me. I explained that my rig is lifted, want to run bigger tires. Maybe no bigger that 26 inch, (which was PKs recomendation for a dual purpose rig.) So I told him (the Soob "specialist"), that I was just looking for "little" more grunt to run the bigger tires. Basicaly, he said "don't do it" Here is a partial list of his reasonings: Webber 32/36 are no longer being made, where ya gonna get parts? You won't really get any more power. Hard to tune. Hard to get jets right for your altitude. And where ya gonna get them ? Even if ya do, then ya hange altitude, then it won't run. Actually, he went on and on. He seemed unfazed when I offered that on the USMB, there were bunches of guys doing it successfully. I even offered that no one was saying it was particularly easy. But many many saying it was worth it. He was still not impressed. So how full of it is the guy? Or not for that matter? What do you Weber enthusiasts think? Pyro

Although it's maybe because I installed newer coilovers and strutts when I installed the lift, my girl actualy drives better than before the lift. Pyro

Hey HTI, I bought mine from this outfit in Bend, but I see that they have a presence in Eugene, (I only saved a few bucks over NAPA) Applied Maintenance America 3150 W 5th ave Eugene, OR 97402 (541) 485-0022 I have not searched to see if they have a web presence, but that may be an option. Pyro,

Well, thanks for thoughts guys. These are the chrome wheels you can see on the USMB Wheel page, I guess they were a factory option on some '85 rigs. Seems like the puzzle is solved. Apparently they were crap to begin with 20 years ago. I have plenty of 13 inch white spokes laying around, but I'm not gonnal spend any money having tires swapped onto them. Just need to hang in there untill Shady Irishmen comes through with those 15" rims. She's running true for now, as long as I can keep these last two straight front wheels out of the potholes!

My 85 GL wagon came with those chrome spokes found on some of these older Soobs. a Couple months ago, after I rebuilt the front suspension, I still had some shimmy and pulling to the left, so I took it back to Les Schwab, where I had bought the tires, to see if perhaps it was a tire problem. They put the left front wheel/tire on the computor, and showed me the graphic which was indicating a bent rim. I wasn't ready to buy rims, so we just put it on the rear. Shimmy and pulling to left was gone. All was well. Fast forward to last two weeks ago: Even though when I replace the tie-rod ends I had got the alighnment close enough to correct for the car to handle well, I took it to a shop for a professional alighnment to make sure. An hour later, shes handling perfect. Last week, I take come out of a parking lot in town, and don't see a storm at a curb on my right. 5 inch drop, BAM, only going a little less than 15MPH, but she did hit kinda hard. So all last week she's pulling to left again. More of a drift than a pull, but very irratating. I figured I ruined my alignment, maybe bent something, even though I couldn't find anything bent with the naked eye. So like I'm way pissed. But last night I'm thinking about shelling out another 59 bucks for another alighnment, then I thought, well, if it was a bent rim the first time she pulled, maybe now? This morning I swappedtires on the right, front to rear, rear to fron. Went for a drive. Drives straight. No drifting, no pulling. So apparently, I now have two bent rims on the rear. Fortunately, I have ordered new rims from Shady. So whats up with these Chrome Soob 13" rims? They soft or something? Poor materials? The shouldn't bend that easy should they? I mean come on, these cars are pretty light. (On the other hand, I'd sure rather bend rims than suspension components) Any body else have any issues with these rims? Pyro

Wish I had a welder! I had to use a big axx hose clamp. Pyro

Really great information guys, much appreciated!! Pyro

As has been said, apparently there some of this camber issue from the factory. Also, the more I drive it, the less noticeable it became. It is still visable. My tires are 24", so I guess thats a small amount taller than stock. The physics of the situation would seem to indicate that there will indeed be some premature tire edge wear. We shall see. No biggie. I got these Goodyears for like 28 bucks a piece from Schwab. There single ply on the sidewalls and handle like crap. Can't wait to get Allied Armament 15s!! Then comes the what will be the hard part for me, deciding what tires to put on the 15s. I could keep the little Goodyears for the road, put big meats on for coyote, deer and elk. Or maybe try 26'x15 for everything. Sure wish I could drive sombodys lifted rig a few miles to know first hand how our gearing handles bigger tires. I'm still running stock (de-emmisioned) hitache, so she's no power house. Trying to get a weber at this time. Losing the clutch fan helped a little, as did makeing her breath better. We'll see. Pyro

No, 3x3. I'm not gonna let it bug me. I'll run cheap tires till I find out how long they last.

Thats for a pr-heat tube. Not really to do with choke. Exept that if you have one it may help the engine warm up faster. I see few old Soobs that still have the tube. They seem to do fine without them. They are a aluminumy/papery/cardboardy wierd stuff, flexible, shortlifespan, disposable, too expensive don't need it in the first darn place kind of a thing. On the other hand somepeople probably like them. That other Y-pipe should work fine. Pyro

Yes, it's true, I don't know negative from positive. But from the front it looks a bit like this \ / Not bad, and I've read they all do somewhat anyway. Strut extentions are installed correctly. I was just wondering. Pyro

Thanks. Wonder how long it will run like this. Compression is great. Sure wish there was an easy fix. Pyro

Is your lack of negative camber because your PK lifted Soob is EA81? I see it's 1984, that's EA81 I think? The negative camber on mine is not extreme, but visably noticable when sitting on level pavement. Maybe it was there before the lift, and I just didn't see it. Pyro

So I'm standing in front of my lifted 85 wagon, and staring at that negative camber, and I'm thinking to myself, "jeez, I bet that's gonna eat those front tires!" Will it? Pyro

Hey Richierich, a lightbulb just went off in my head. I'm trying to understand what you said about not torqeing the front crank bolt properly can damage the crank. I've never been into one of these engines to see how the crank thrust bearing and such work. So my question is could a too loose crank cause the crank to have end play? If I take a pry bar to the flywheel, you can see the crank pully slide forward a few thousandths. And the motor "clacks", or knocks a bit. So does the pully bolt hold the crank tight in the bearings? I'm not doing a good job of posing my question, sorry. I'l go out and try to re-torque it this morning. That would be great if my clacking goes away. Been stressing over this for a month. End hijack, sorry Pyro

Well congratulations!! But you didn't say if it runs now???

Yes, what he said.

Can't do pics at this time, but will try to describe what I've done. I consider the wireing temporary for now, since I used no relays, and also have yet to solder the joints. I was just trying to figure out how to get it all run. Also have yet to have any hot weather, so I'll have to keep my fingers crossed that I don't have similar problems! Ok, for the stock subaru fan on the passenger side, I found the hot wire to the stock themo switch, (which I ignored for the time being) extended it into the cabin, where it is switched, then from switch back back fan. This has an in line fuse. Then grounded the fan. Then for the NAPA fan, I found a hot (only with ignition on) wire by the passenger headlight, ran it with inline fuse to the fan. Wired the thermoswitch in the ground line. Fan comes on at a little over 200F. I was in a hurry and experementing, so all joints need to soldiered. (Used those clamp on cheapies for the time being), and I think I should have a relay in both circiuts. Oh, and I used a cheap toggle, which I think should be upraded as I've read stuff about those burning out. I shoudn't have said I was satisfied, cause it's not done, or safe yet. I should have I am satified with my progress. Soryy. There is much to do yet. Another thing about the NAPA fan, is I don't like how it mounts, it mounts with plastic through the rad thingys. I need to fabricate steel brackets and bolt it up solid. I'm just so strapped for time, sometimes I juryrig stuff just to get started and try get things working, then go back and improve it based on what I have learned, and I've got a lot to learn. Hope this helps, there sure is a bunch of good reading regarding electric fans when you search.

Rreally off topic, sorry, but a Power Punch story. Better than twenty years ago (30?) I was living in a 1955 short Chevy school bus (had Corvett 283 in it) drove to various firebases during wildfire season. Any way, the third member started getting growly, so my brother and I rebuilt it. So I'm down at some NAPA or other parts house to buy 90 weight to fill her up, and while I'm waiting the parts guy sees me spinning the little Power Punch thingy on the counter. When he finds out what I'm up to with the bus, he say what ya want to do is run that new diff with 1/2 Power punch and 1/2 dino. I remember my college educated,millright cerified mechanic brother trying to talk me out of it, but no, I went for it. I got about 2000 miles out of that diff. Then it started to sound like the Hubs of Hell. Of course maybe my brother screwed up the job. Who knows. Of course you know what HE says happened. Still, I stay away from power punch. Dumb story over. Pyro

Yea, plastic milk crates are one of the most versitile and useful containers known to man! (and women) Also come in a miriad of colors for your decorating needs! Seriously though, they can be difficult to aquire. Not that there arn't plenty of them around. I've aquired a dozen or more over the years. Can't say how. fYou know, "found them" shall we say. Know what I mean? Pyro PS-- They come in two cofigurations. One square, one rectangular. TIP: The square ones fit a five gallon propane tank snugly, and give the tank a nice stable footprint so they don't tip over in the back of your wagon or pickup truck. Heck, Ive got a square one bolted to the top of my pickup's canopy as a tank rack. and rectanguler one bolted next to it to carry "stuff" for camping.

The reason the mechanical ones are difficult for me to remove is because of quite large hands. Also, hands a bit clumsy after decades of taking a beating. (long story from a universe far, far away, has to do with career descisions, and a former life of HD's, choices of company and low life late nite seedy dens of iniquity, all lubricated liberaly with alcohol) Be that as it may, you guys are right about the electrics not being that loud. The first Subaru fan I tried was obviously shot. Squeeled. Second one did not squeel, but was still loud in it's own way. Problem was I had no frame of reference as I've never heard what a good one is supposed to sound like. Since you guys kept saying they SHOULD be quiet, I then tried yet a third one. Yup, nice and quiet. Of course, the first two were very high mileage. And I have since purchase a nice big one from NAPA, found a good thermoswitch, and got it working. So now I have two. Tne stock fan is on a toggle, The NAPa on the thermo. I'm finaly satisfied. Thanks for all yer help guys. Pyro

Ah, thanks Miles. Now I get it. So I'm stuck. The EFI motor in the donor car is like very tired. My NA motor in my driver runs great. Real good compression. The only issue it has is "crank walk", apparently from a worn thrust bearing. One can see the end play if you pry forward on the fly wheel. So it clacks a bit. I have no idea how long it will run like this. I think maybe if it gives up the ghost due to this problem, I'll swap in a CCR EFI motor, and run a weber carb. Actually, if I could talk somebody into doing the EFI conversion with/for me for a price I could afford, I would consider that swap. But from reading the conversion manual, it looks like a lot of work. A lot of hours. Probably out of my price range. But then if my NA motor takes a dump, I'd already have the EFI installed and a CCR EFI motor would be well withing my capability. Ah, I'm just dreaming. Pyro

Ok, I don't understand everthing I know. I have this "87 SPEFI parts car. My driver is an "85 NA. At first I was considering swapping the EFI system into my wagon. But since all my life I have been "electronicly challenged", I have changed my mind. Not only do I not have the wherwithall to pull of the swap, but then if anything goes wrong with the system, I'd prolly never be able to diagnose and fix it. Might go to a weber, might not. Regardles of that: I am being told that the EFI EA82 has higher compression heads. So what I want to know is would I want to put those EFI heads on my NA engine? Any performance gains availiable in that? Enough gain to be worth it? Thanks