Ryker

So on a bit of a whim, I decided to take the girlfriend out wheelin' last night: Anyone in or around Tucson should be familiar with Redington Rd. and what a great off-roading area it is... Well, everything was going smoothly for a couple miles on the trail (we were giddy with how well it was performing), when I bogged-down at the top of a hill. No problem, I'd just back down and build up more momentum on the way up. Second attempt: made it to the crest, but the front wheels spun out and I started sliding backwards. My mistake: attempting to surmount the hillcrest on the same side that the hill drops off, just because it looked easier. I slid backwards, off the road and stalled; the engine wouldn't start again because the PR corner of the car was sticking up in the air -- none of the fuel was being taken in. I tried 'lurching' the car back toward the road by cranking the starter and then letting out the clutch, which worked, except for when I started to slide down the non-road part of the hill again. I finally conceded defeat and rounded up the water and other valuables. We hiked the two miles out the trail and a good five miles down Redington when we were fortunate enough to encounter a fella driving up the mountain willing to give us a ride into town (we were not fortunate enough that he was willing to brave the trail and help rescue the poor Subie). With the help of another Subaru :-p, I'm confident that it can be pulled in the right direction toward the road with my tow strap -- there is, I believe, a sufficiently flat spot to yank from. If there's anyone in or around Tucson who would be willing, generous and courageous enough to spend a morning or afternoon helping me retrieve my distressed Subaru, I'd be endebted. I'd be happy to reimburse you with gas money and lunch or dinner (and beer), as well. Thanks, Ryan

I pulled my water pump last fall to replace the gasket that had ruptured... (Don't ya love $1 repairs?) My AC compressor is held in place by only two bolts, I believe. (There may have been a third at one point, which I may have deemed extraneous .) One is the long bolt that holds it to the bracket, the other is the tensioner bolt. With these removed, the compressor can be tucked out-of-the-way. I do not remember needing to remove the bracket assy. in order to pull the pump, but I could very well be mistaken. However, as semyonlibman mentioned, you do need to pull the front cover from the crankcase -- I removed my engine fan and shroud in order to remove any pulleys that preceeded the crankcase. That should be it. :cool: Ryan Christopher

Victory! It may have been a combination of air in the lines/MC and the shoes not fitting snugly enough into the drums, but after 'expanding' the shoes as far as I could and still get the drums back on, I've got normal brakes again! Thanks again for the help!

Ah-hah! Yes, the rear brakes are drums -- the adjusters are ratcheting. I added some slack to the shoes in order to get the drums back on. (The brake pedal achieves normal resistance after three pumps. Bingo!) ...Reckon I'll go back in and make the drums' fit more flush. Fortunately, the MC reservoir never ran dry. As for missing the gravel lot, do you also miss the gravel in your hair, clothes, and sheets? Can you tell I work in a gravel lot? Thanks, GD and Syonyk, for your responses!

Ah, thanks for the heads-up. If you're able to track down those photos, I'd sure appreciate being able to take a look at 'em.

Alright, so I'm figuring that line 3 is being brought in from the brake booster, so I should leave it the hell alone. Since I've busted #1 loose, I am now able to loosen and bleed it with #2 still locked down. I've bled the MC and the lines at each wheel twice and now get pressure, but in order to properly engage the brakes, I have to pump the pedal three times. So now I have just one final question: Is RR-LF-LR-RF the correct order for an '88 GL Wagon? Thanks again.

Any chance you could upload these pictures again, to a new host -- say, locally at USBM?

Alright, there are 3 lines leading out of my MC (see points 1 thru 3 in the photo). I presume 1 and 2 are the brake circuits that split to the 4 lines; however, I tried bleeding each of them. The trouble is, in order to loosen line number 1 (having stripped the top of the nut), I had to disconnect line 2, which didn't allow me to pump the pedal more than once without introducing more air into the MC (at open point 2). There is nothing connected at number 4 -- there is a steel cap here. Will the only effective way to bleed the MC be to improvise two speed bleeders attached via tubing? Thanks, Ryan

Howdy, happy, helpful USMB folk! As you may have already guessed, what follows is the plea for help that comes from a dejected backyard hack mechanic at wits' end... A rather long time ago, I dropped my rear diff. on a bunch of large rocks and ledges and logs, etc. and, despite my best intentions, killed it. Naturally, I continued to drive around on it like that -- it would seize intermittently, making grating spats of noise that'd scare the bejesus out of pedestrians, and resulted in a warped brake drum. So I yanked the half-shafts, replaced the warped drum, hub and the wheel cylinder, then bled the break lines, but have not been able to return pressure to the brake system. I was sure to loosen the cap to the MC reservoir before disconnecting/reconnecting the brake line. I've tried bleeding in three different orders: RR-LF-LR-RF; LF-RR-RF-LR; and LR-RF-RR-LF. Of note: when the engine is off, the fluid expelled from the bleeder valves merely trickles out (I'm having a second person pump the brakes slowly, and not all-the-way-down, twice in a row, opening the valve during the second brake pedal depression for a couple seconds and closing it again before they begin to let the pedal out). Doing the same thing with the engine on, the fluid barely spurts out -- approximately an inch from the valve. I've checked the MC seals and along the lines for any leaks and have found none. The only way I can get resitance in the brake pedal is to pump it several times, but the pressure will have gone by the next depression -- thus, I don't think I can effectively implement the 'brake booster' test: checking to see whether an already depressed brake pedal sinks further when the car is started. I hope I'm not , but is there any surefire way to determine whether the master cyclinder is to blame for this situation, without replacing it? In my searches, the thread that comes closest to an answer is this one, but it's really rather roundabout when it comes to the actual business of an answer. Thanks in advance for any help, Ryan

I'm there. I beat my poor 'ru bad, but I'll have/keep her running by/till then. Anza Borrego sounds fabu -- trail drives/camping, BBQing, and some bocce ball! Ryker del Tucson

U-joints look good; still think it's the diff. Another malfunction cropped up when I went to put the rotor back on, though: I noticed that the wheel cylinder piston no longer retracts. Does this necessarily mean that it needs to be replaced? If I pop it off of there and tinker with it, is there any chance I could fix it? Thanks for the help!

:-\ Will check the U-Joints this afternoon... Don't even wanna think about the possibility of the front diff. going out! It seemed--from driving with my head out the window and the like --as though the noise was coming exclusively from the rear end of the car.

Ah, thank you! Your method worked like a charm. I'm removing the halfshafts because the differential is (I believe) shot -- I get occasional, horrible spats of grinding when driving around in FWD, or constantly if I put in 4WD. I reckon removing the axles for the time being will at least save me (and others) from the painful racket, until I get a chance to figure out how to fix/replace the diff.

Howdy, all. In the attached image, I've circled a set of bolts in blue that I want to be sure need to be removed before I continue trying to , in order to get the axle halfshaft off. I've managed to break one of these bolts free, but the other two are pretty damn-well fastened (I've tried lube+heat+breaker). I knocked out the spring pin and tried removing the diff. end first, but no go. Also, will any of the bolts circled in orange need to be removed? Anything else I'm missing? Having read some USMB posts, as well as the hardly-useful-Chilton's, I'm still stumped: I figured a picture's worth... well, you know. Thanks!

Well I don't know how to feel -- lucky or foolish. I finally took the time this afternoon to tear in... and guess what? Having presumed all along that the gasket had gone, taking off the alternator I was bowled-over to find that I had forgotten to bolt down the water pipe (that leads to the radiator outlet)... Popped her back in, bolted her down, and added water -- leak plugged! I appreciate all of the responses, though! It's information sure to prove useful. In conclusion:

Nicely put.

Alright, I've read conflicting things regarding gasket installation. The gasket for my water pump recently ruptured... I pulled the pump, bought a new gasket, and installed it using "Ultra Black" RTV silicone. Inside of a week the new gasket had ruptured. I've since checked the service manual for instructions: "Replace the gasket with a new one." (This is an '88 GL wagon.) Hmm... good. It doesn't say anything about using RTV; however, threads on the board have suggested doing so (and, for all I know, it is implied in the manual). I used a razor to scrape clean the contact surfaces... Should I also use brake cleaner? How say you to using RTV? Thanks in advance! Ryan

Hear, hear! ...I'd started to think you'd died, Eli.

Actually, that sounds spot-on -- sorry I missed the thread. Thanks for all the input. Still no AC. (Rather, I have the monsoon to thank for a reprieve from the heat/misery.) I've checked the relays and the fuse; all good. After checking the refrigerant pressure, I think the system could stand a recharge... just one problem: I don't know which type! How can I tell whether it's running R-12, or has been 'converted' to 134a?

Howdy. Earlier last week, while driving between Tucson and Phoenix, my AC cut out on me... :-\ (This was before pretending Subie was a creek ferry.) When I press the AC switch on the dash (returning it to 'off'), and then try to turn it back on, the system will kick on and stay on until: a.) if idling, I depress the gas pedal b.) if driving in-town, 30 seconds to a minute lapse c.) if driving on the highway, 5 to 10 seconds lapse I can hear the -- I believe -- compressor audibly kick off in each of these scenarios and the airflow gradually turn warm/hot. Because I'm in Tucson/Phoenix and it's summer, it's too darn hot and dry to tell whether the air coming in varies from the air temperature/humidity outside. Hmm. Taking to the forum, I searched high and low for any comparable instances, stumbling upon this strikingly similar one. Some of the various potential culprits suggested in that thread are: 1.) a relay going bad 2.) the pressure switch going bad 3.) the compressor clutch going bad Do these culprits still sound applicable to y'all in my case? My Subie's an '88 4WD GL wagon... that enjoys evening drives around and off of eroded desert escarpments. Right now, driving during the day is . I'd like for it to be :cool:. Any suggestions or pointers are greatly appreciated! Thanks, Ryker

certain hazards -- sudden drop-offs, namely -- are a little more difficult to identify: I thought I was Suba-screwed (i.e., was going to slide off or flip over). After managing to climb out, I had to abandon her for the night, get a ride home, and then return the next day with SuBrat84. Wish I could have gotten some pics/footage of the extrication, but had to man the helm. Lurch saved the day... twice. (Shamaru later decided to beach herself.)

It is a magnificent invention!