azdave

Working to replace the front struts in my 87 DL wagon mentioned above. I see posts from ten years ago about how parts are hard to find. It's not any easier today. I got one set from Rockauto and they are not correct but close enough that I could make them work. They each have a manufacturing defect so they will be returned. One has the brackets welded on the wrong side and the other has apparently leaked out nearly all the nitrogen. These struts are Sachs made in Mexico but I can't find a date code. One strut has almost no compression resistance compared to the other. The bad strut I removed from the left has an odd failure mode. When all disconnected from the car and spring assembly, I can push the rod down easily but it will not come back up, even when I pull on it. Something locks it in the down position but it eventually rises back up, either slowly or sometimes with a bang when the spring was still in place. I have a new pair of struts arriving from another vendor to try my luck with their stock. I'll bet it is all old and dusty too but that should not in itself mean it is bad. The struts I'm trying are Sachs 031172 (R) and 031173 (L). The car is going to sit a little higher since I can't locate the exact struts I need. See the photo of where the spring perch will be compared to the old. I've seen posts about this on other threads here where manufacturers try to make a one-size-fits-all solution. Sourcing parts for 35 years old cars sure can be an adventure but I enjoy the challenge.

Thanks! I've got about 30 miles on it since getting the engine back in and so far, so good. Before the long test drive to work and back yesterday, I installed all the missing/worn out shifter bushings and got the shifter throws back to spec. I swear I could move the shifter over a foot left or right when I first got the car. It was light the shift rod was barely attached to anything. The past owner really let this thing go to the dogs. I also had a bad fuel leak at the fuel line damper at the output of the pump. The pump was not that old but the rubber disc in the damper was leaking. To stop the leak, I installed a very short 8-32 screw and gasket to seal the hole. I'll have maybe a little more pump noise in the lines now but that's better than leaking fuel. I discovered that the 4WD option is working, I just don't see the lamp on the dash so probably an easy fix The exhaust really needs attention next. Someone tried to weld up rust holes while the pipes were in the car so it leaks still as you can imagine. I also discovered a bad front strut on the driver's side so a fresh front pair are on order. Sometimes, the strut will not compress at all and yet it is not collapsed. I can sometimes get it to compress and bounce but I hear an odd gurgling noise instead of the normal shhh,shhh sound. Odd. I'm happy with the purchase so far. The A/C is working after adding about 12 ounces of R152a but I think think it has way too much lube and leak detector in the system so a good flush and fill will be in the future. For now, I have cool air so I'll work on more important stuff. Fuel pump assembly https://photos.app.goo.gl/ofobbzqY65rFdtVK6 Fuel pump pic showing where I installed a small screw in place of where the rubber damper tab was located. https://photos.app.goo.gl/8HoGV6XNUNRGP2Ae9

Why are you not using a steering wheel puller? I don't think I've ever seen a steering wheel that didn't have holes already drilled and tapped exactly for that reason. It's way better than damaging the shaft with hammering, heating or possibly cracking the grip plastic covering by forcing it back and forth like a cavemen during the process.

News stations act like it's the apocalypse or something because it was 110 yesterday here in Phoenix but that is quite typical for June. They issue special "HEAT ALERTS!" just in case you don't know it's another summer like the last one and the thousands before that. Quite comical really. They make it sound like we should shut down the city and "shelter in place" or something until the heat passes after September ends. Monsoon season is next. That brings in a whole new round of media hype. Ultimately, anything that convinces people not to move here is okay with me, even if it is over-hyped drama about seasonal weather. I got off work at 3:30 PM yesterday, which is the hottest part of the day, and within 10 minutes of getting home I was out working on the DL. Wear sunscreen.

Got the water pump flange pulled out to the correct position so now I can remove the stack of washer someone used under the pulley to hide the misalignment issue of choosing the wrong pump. I installed the repaired radiator, hoses, coolant then let her run. All sounded great and I let it come up to about 180F before giving it a rest and calling it a night. By the weekend, I should be able to drive a few laps around the neighborhood and see what else needs attention. I have this crazy idea to try to get it to pass the emissions test so I can daily drive it and not have to use classic car insurance which limits your driving. Pics show the hub puller I made from scrap 1/4 steel plate and some assorted hardware. https://photos.app.goo.gl/VJsyzEHKr366Yj929 https://photos.app.goo.gl/HgPy4dPnioq5whTv9

Do you have a can of Dust Off? The contents are R152a which is a great refrigerant. If you think it might be the ignition module (which could fail in the heat as you describe) then invert the can and spray several short spurts to cool off the part and then see if you can drive much further before the failure returns. Even cooling it with a handful of ice might prove or disprove this theory. My 87 Mazda B2000 had an ignition module fail in this same manner and an Icee slush drink from the convenience store got me home. Cherry flavor works best.

The EA82 engine went back into my 87 DL over the weekend and I even fired it off for a few moments to verify it runs with no bad noises. Before I connected up the fuel lines I drained the nasty, stale fuel (smelly but no particles of rust or debris seen), filled the tank with 5 gallons of fresh fuel, jumped the fuel pump at the rear plug and then cycled fresh fuel up the engine and let it flow into a jug for about a minute after it ran clean. With no radiator installed, I only ran it about 20 seconds. I went to install the radiator and right away found a leak at the upper neck. This is a clean, dual-row, all brass aftermarket from Indonesia and all metal so worth saving. I pulled it back out, cleaned it up and soldered it with my vintage American Beauty soldering iron. Decided to do it right and pressure test it and found a tiny leak on one horizontal tube. I was very fortunate that it is on the front and was easily cleaned and repaired as well. It sat overnight with 10 PSI on the gauge and was still reading 10 PSI 24-hours later so good to go after a quick touch of black semi-gloss paint. I also installed a new drain petcock as the old one had been twisted off. Next up is the water pump pulley flange that I discovered is too low. The previous owner had installed the wrong pump and then used a stack of washers to "almost" get the pulleys to line up properly. I hate fixes like that but didn't recognize that error when the engine was out so I'm building a simple in-car hub puller so I can pull the press-fit hub out about 1/4" without removing the A/C condenser that prevents the use of a normal puller. https://photos.app.goo.gl/88Jg2A8TSNC9Fici6 https://photos.app.goo.gl/6DNHpuT5r7Gzx81LA https://photos.app.goo.gl/Qc2Vzt5etqxg34se7

Probably no reason to look me up when you get to Phoenix unless you are really bored. I have the typical blue 2003 WRX wagon @ 200K and the recently acquired 87 DL wagon (240K) that I'm still working on. My wife and I live in Gilbert and I work in Tempe west of the ASU campus. We could even do lunch. We have 13 cars between the wife and I including eight 1965-66 Corvairs in various conditions. We don't care for modern cars cost/payments/insurance so even our newest vehicles are approaching 20 years in age. Sorry about the heat when you arrive but it is June in Phoenix.

Same here (except for the low mileage). I bought an 87 DL wagon with 240,000 miles a few months back and just last night test ran it for a few moments after repairing a bad head gasket and other neglected engine items. Now I'm installing the radiator so I can safely run it longer and also doing lots of cleanup work along the way. I hoped a one-owner car might have received proper maintenance from the seemingly proud owner but I was mistaken. Either he or his mechanic performed a lot of questionable repairs. Don't know if it was lack of funds or simply didn't care to do it right. I've had to use 4-5 vendors including eBay to find parts and you really have to check them closely when you get them. I got a matching set of rear wheel cylinders last week and luckily removed the dust covers to check them out before I installed them and found the bores where two different sizes!

Rebuilt the master cylinder and hill hold valve the last few days on the 87 DL. Also pulled out the brake booster and cleaned it up. While those parts were out I freshened up that corner of the engine compartment and did some touch up painting too

Old post I know but this thread came up in a Google search and was questioned by others discussing it on FB today. I just checked the crank bolt thread pitch on the original EA82 engine out of my 87 DL and it is without a doubt a M14 x 1.5. I happen to have a metric tap of that size and it threads perfectly into the hole and lines up exact when laid alongside the bolt. I assume other EA82s will be the same.

Installed the idler bearing last night. Tolerances were a bit tight pressing it into the pulley but it slid onto the compressor hub properly. I adjusted the gap between the clutch and the pulley and now it's ready when re-install time arrives. Today, I'll work on the related mounting brackets and the alternator. Those just need a good cleaning I hope.

I must be getting old. I would not have bought my DL wagon if it did not have A/C but then again, I do live in Phoenix so tough to do without it. The system was still holding pressure when I picked it up so at least I know it was not sitting around with open plumbing. I'm installing a new idler bearing in my compressor pulley while it is out. Hard to find any not made in China but at least it is easy to change if the new one fails in a few years. I plan to use R152A (Dust-Off spray) when I put it all back together. For refrigerant gas, I have normally used a propane/butane blend for my 87 B2000 and my 65 Corvair (Enviro-Safe or Zeror as seen on eBay, etc.). I've been running that hydrocarbon stuff in my old R12 cars for well over 15 years. I do all of my own A/C repairs so now I"ll be trying R152a in my second vehicle. I can easily buy it by the case at Costco. No normal repair shop would touch my A/C system if I told them I wasn't using a "proper" refrigerant so don't use this if you ever plan to have a pro work on your system. You'll contaminate their evacuation machines and they will not be happy.. I believe this is the Panasonic compressor (S1150X3) and it will be receiving a good cleaning soon and then a new idler bearing.

I've been slowly working on the EA82 in my 87 DL wagon I picked up last month. I work as time and funds permit. The engine came out for repair due to a head gasket leak on #3. I surfaced the heads, lapped the valves, decked the block, etc. I hate to return greasy, grimy parts to service so a general cleanup has been going on too. New timing belts, idlers, tensioners, oil pump seals, new water pump, crank seal, all coolant hoses, A/C compressor bearing, oil pan dropped and resealed, 19 stripped holes were helicoiled, etc. You guys have seen all this before but it's new to me and fun to undertake something different. My experience the last 30 years has been with air-cooled flat-6 engines. The DL's engine compartment is being cleaned as well as the accessories while I have good access to reach in there and scrub everything. There was quite a bit of surface rust below the battery but also under the master cylinder where the past owner failed to fix a brake fluid leak. I'm treating that rust and then will paint it all while I'm there. So far so good. I may have the engine back in place in a few weeks but with the heat in Phoenix I'm not out there working all day long.

Curious here too about a dual-range for my 87.

I have never worried about the flammability of any automotive refrigerant I've used. They don't ignite as easily as people think and certainly are far less dangerous than the 20-30 gallons of gasoline in my fuel tank. Some people who have complained about the dangers of using 6-8 ounces of ES-12a or HC-12a seem to forget there an thousands of motor vehicles running around with huge LP tanks onboard. Good substitute refrigerants that are banned from automotive use are due to highly paid lobbyist in our political system, not because the danger is real. Ever notice that when a refrigerant patent is about to expire a new one comes along that is freshly patented and protected from competition?

I've used HC-12a for at least the last 12 years in multiple R-12 systems but now use R-152a as it is cheaper and easy to find. I can buy it by the case at Costco as it is the same thing as Dust-Off spray cans. Works fine in my old R-12 systems. Google it and you'll see it's been used in old cars for years with few concerns. No hose or oil changes needed. Drop-in substitute in my vehicles but it takes less gas than R12.

I'm doing more of a refresh than a rebuild on my 87 EA82 and sourcing parts from eBay, Rock Auto, etc. I'm buying seals and parts anywhere I can find them because one vendor won't have it all. Mine was a running engine but had low compression on one cylinder and found it was a blown head gasket on #3. It was down about 30 PSI during a standard compression test. I hate greasy, grimy engines so I pulled it completely out to clean it all up but I will not be splitting the case or doing a re-ring. I see no reason to go that deep when I had good oil pressure, compression and no smoke.

I much prefer the quad glass DL headlights for durability. Also, the manual window cranks and simplicity of the DL work for me. Less trouble as the car gets old. The Corvair 4-dr under the cover is in nice shape but my wife's 65 with working factory A/C is the good one in the family.

So I went and did it. That 87 DL is sitting in my driveway now. I'll be posting in the 80's Subie section soon I'm sure.

Welcome! My 03 bugeye wagon will be staying down low for now but the more I hear about them being lifted the more intrigued I am.

Seller is asking $3000 for the DL wagon. More than I want to pay having a few issues that need attention. I made him an offer. If he counters, I'll pass. No big deal since a week ago I wasn't even looking for another car.

I've owned a 2003 WRX wagon for about 3 years. Typical World Rally blue with gold rims. It just turned 200K miles on the original, untouched engine. A few bolt-on mods and lowered slightly. Only major thing done to it since I bought it was a new center diff at 195K. Also have a EJ20T going into a rear engine 65 Corvair but still very much a project under construction. That setup mates the engine to an old Porsche 5-speed using a Kennedy adapter. So I recently ran across an 87 DL wagon for sale and trying to decide if I should buy it. That is what brought me here. I'll ask further questions and be reading up on that platform in the proper forum section. Reading about the EA82 engine hasn't scared me off yet and I will not consider a swap. I would be buying it from the original owner with all paperwork saved from Day 1 so want to keep it very original if at all possible. It's a dry desert car too so no rust but some paint and interior UV damage for sure.