markjs

Well I am too poor and too lazy and too disorganized to even risk any interference engines. period LOL....

Actually I can say that mine were easy because they simply only line up one way, and if you get it wrong its cockeyed, (at least I am pretty sure it is), something about having an uneven number of splines or something like that.

I've replaced the drive axle, the steering knuckle, and ball joint on that side already (used parts save for the reman axle). All were in fair conditon, but it has pulled to the left since I got it and every tire on the drivers side wears like that.

Yeah I'd buy one if it was in good enough condition, trouble is I have a friend with a '85 4WD GL Wagon, and I love the way it handles the road in snow and ice, but what I can't stand is that that damn EA82 has less power and is geared lower than my EA81.....For example when I am doing 55 in the EA81 it's spinng just a hair above 2K RPM, and it has a lot more acceleration at low end than his EA82. He's spinning almost 3K in 5th gear at 55MPH. I've used his car quite abit, but I have never analyzed the gas mileage comparison. How are the Turbo models for power? Is Turbo a thing that often goes wrong and need repair? (Expensive repair that is!)

I will miss him as I am quite fond of him ('84 GL Wagon FWD), anyway..... And a Subaru 4WD is ideal for me. I'd prefer a 5 speed, but my job is newspaper delivery, so an automatic is much more suited to the work if they are somwhat durable? I would like more power than my old EA81 '84 GL Wagon (FWD) has, because if the GL was not a stick I don't think I could bear it. One thing, I HATE timing belts, but I see no way around that. Most important though is I must avoid "interference engines" (piston smacks into valves when the belt breaks and causes catostophic engine failure). So are any Subarus interference design? I have no idea how much I will be able to spend yet, but I'd like to be able to get a newer model with some more power if it becomes possible. Value for the money is key though. As a delivery driver though fuel economy is of paramount importance as well. So I need a good on gas engine. I will consider any car if its in good enough shape all the way back to I would buy a 4wd (5 speed) early 80s model with EA81 if it was in good enough shape. I don't need AWD. Basically I need a car that can handle ALL the weather. Please enlighten me on different models of Subaru. I am interested in both newish (90s to early 2K models) and older, as I say the condition is going to be my priority. I am posting this in both the older gen and newer gen forums as it applies in both.

And a Subaru 4WD is ideal for me. I'd prefer a 5 speed, but my job is newspaper delivery, so an automatic is much more suited to the work if they are somwhat durable? I would like more power than my old EA81 '84 GL Wagon (FWD) has, because if the GL was not a stick I don't think I could bear it. One thing, I HATE timing belts, but I see no way around that. Most important though is I must avoid "interference engines" (piston smacks into valves when the belt breaks and causes catostophic engine failure). So are any Subarus interference design? I have no idea how much I will be able to spend yet, but I'd like to be able to get a newer model with some more power if it becomes possible. Value for the money is key though. As a delivery driver though fuel economy is of paramount importance as well. So I need a good on gas engine. I will consider any car if its in good enough shape all the way back to I would buy a 4wd (5 speed) early 80s model with EA81 if it was in good enough shape. I don't need AWD. Basically I need a car that can handle ALL the weather. Please enlighten me on different models of Subaru. I am interested in both newish (90s to early 2K models) and older, as I say the condition is going to be my priority. I am posting this in both the older gen and newer gen forums as it applies in both.

So I have a front wheel drive '84 GL wagon and it tears up the outer edge of the drivers side tire and pulls left (no noticable abnormal wear on the passenger tire). I know the only adjustment can be done is toe-in, but will that alone save wear on my tires? Is it possible the camber or caster is off permanently? I don't have to use this car much longer but I'd like to have it running as properly as possible as I put 100 HARD miles on it nearly every day. Can someone please explain what camer and caster is? I know its about the wheel angle but thats all I know....? OH and BTW is there anyway to adjust toe-in at home to a reasonably close setting cuz I am really poor, this car is a $400 special, and I really hate to pay other people to work on it.

It's ok, seems it got low and just needed to run a lot to get its charge back.

I am no expert but I would think that spraying solvent like WD40 into the CV Joint would wash the grease out of the CV joint. I wouldn't even think too hard about it. Nothing should go on that axle but disc brake approved grease and if the boots are intact then there should be sufficient grease packed into the joints.

It's a 1984 FWD 1800cc GL Wagon.

I am beginning to wonder if I have a real problem at all. The alternator I am running checks out fine at NAPA. When the car is running with nothing on at idle I get a consistant 14 volts. The guage reads slightly above 12 when there is nothing on idling arond 850 RPM. As soon as I turn on the heater fan the voltage at the battery dips to around 12.4-12.9. It goes to 13.8-14 at 2000 RPM with everthing on. The guage reads under 12 when everthing is on at idle, like around 8-10 volts but the charge light does not come on. So basically same as before with the alternator with the loose bearings. I asked one Auto parts store about the regulator because the Haynes manual says it can be integral to the alternator, or mounted on the firewall. I can't find it on the firewall at all. That store said it's inside the alternator, and I almost believe them because when you test votage at the terminal on the alternator, and grounded to its case, it measures about the same as at the battery. The other parts store told me the regulator is seperate, because they show a part number. I have not had the battery actaully go low enough not to start the car. I am just stuck and unsure because the guage had always worked before.

I took the alternator to be tested and it's bearings are shot so I suspect it is working somewhat but not properly. The guy wouldn't even test it, he said with the bearings that shot there was no point.

Well after further testing the alternator holds a steady 14 volts when the lights and fan and all electrical is off, and the guage reads 12 even, but soon as you load the system with lights, heater and stereo, poof down to 12.40 volts. I also tried without the CD deck and just the lights and the heater make it sink. The guage reads lower and lower the longer it runs with electical stuff on. I suspect the alternator is bad and am headed out to test it post haste. I have another wrecked car to steal another alternator from, but theer's no telling how well it will work either. Unfortunately I simply don';t have the cash to replace the alternator probably til January.

I noticed this morning that my voltage guage is reading wildly. I recently replaced the Alternator with one from a wrecked Suby. For a couple of days things have been fine but this morning it starts reading like 10 volts and now at idle it reads at the bottom of the scale (8 volts). When I test the battery with my voltmeter, it reads 12.99 with the engine off, and 14 idling at about 800rpm with nothing on and just over 12 with everything on. With everything on if you take it up to 2000+ RPM it reads around 13.50 to 14. My haynes manual is terribly vague about this subject. The guage is making me very nervous is my job is newspaper delivery and I can't afford a breakdown on the job. I have a backup car but it's a gas hog and I need to avoid it if at all possible. Anyone have any ideas?

Tha basic rule of thumb I was always told is you need at least 10psi per 1000RPM. If you got that it may be low but it's ok.

I bought a $300 GL Wagon (84) with front wheel drive and an 1800 with a non feedback carb about 6 months ago and I have to admit I have a new respect for Subaru! I have beat the crap out of poor Mr. Suby (dumb rump roast name huh?). I don't know why he is a "he" and not a "she", I just know that he is one tired old man. I drive him nightly on a grueling 70 mile paper route and I don't change the oil as often as I should. I have broken the exhaust in several places always patching it with sealer goop and tin cans clamped around pipe. It stopped idling for a while so I bent the throttle linkage and installed an idle screw. I have replaced the front seal, a PCV valve, and a tune up. I had to tap and install larger studs in his exhaust to hold it to the head, and I need to coat hanger the back of the exhaust soon. I have fixed the broken door mechanism, installed a Pioneer CD deck and speakers, replaced the brakes and clutch. Mr. Suby has taught me a lot about front ends! His was the second drive axle I changed in a subaru, and the third. In that process I botched a steering knuckle by snapping the ball joint retaining bolt, and drilling it out so poorly the knuckle was ruined, so that was replaced....It squealed cuz of wheel bearings and got replaced again. Then I fell asleep at the wheel! I ended up in a ditch and bent the rim, blew a tire and bent the passenger control arm back 6 inches (it sure drove funny like that LOL), and had to cut the damn arm out because it was frozen to its bolt. In the process the ball joint got hashed and I replaced that sides knuckle at the same time. Seems I over torqued the castle nut because I was grinding bearings. I backed it off a touch and like magic it seems fine again. Today I slammed Mr. Suby's right fender into a tree and I had to bend it out by hand so as to not contact the tire. Oh I ran into another tree the other day and had to replace the stop/signal lens. The heater works now that he has a thermostat, and it runs pretty good considering the 140K+ HARD miles he has seen. I only hope I can replace him with a newer Suby in better condition, but my fondest hope is that he reties to light duty with someone who will value him for the incredible beats of burden he has been. All in all I have abused him badly and he has delivered, and more than paid for himself. I marvel that he still hauls my butt from point A. to point B. at all anymore. Well he's off to work again tonight.....Did I forget to mention I have had to have him towed twice? He has taught me a lot about cars thoug, Long live Subaru!

Well what I've done is tapped both manifolds to fit 7/16ths/14 so it now has studs on both sides with matching nuts and lock washers. Let's hope it holds.....As for my motor mount I see no visible issue but that doesnt mean much considering you have to be very careful where to employ a jack under this car as it's lived in WA a while and is badly rusted.

Thank god I have not cracked a valve yet that I know of! This thing just throws it's exhaust bolts out all the time. I had to fix it because it was all stripped out so I used bolts instead of studs and that stripped finally. On one side I used a 7/16ths tap to tap out the hole and used a 7/16ths stud in place of the original. It held pretty well and I am doing the same for the other side and hopefully that will hold. I am a little concerend though because I have noted that both holes are completely stripped out of the head and it would have to be heli-coiled to fix it properly. Is it enough to have the inside of the bolted on manifold peice threaded and have the studs screwed into? PS I am DIRT POOR and I am trying to get another month or two out of this car (I run a motorized newspaper route). It gets great mileage and the engine seems good, but everything else is falling apart. I have actually had to use exhaust goop on the inside of a tin can (both ends cut out and slit up the side) and clamp the thing down to hold the two halves of the exhaust pipe in place together. I simply cannot afford a new CAT and the parts cars I have have been so raided for wheels and steering knuckles that they are sitting on the ground now and thats probably very bad for the exhaust systems.

I have an '84 GL wagon 1800 FWD and there was an ugly, nasty griding noise when turning hard right circles. It sounded just as if the tire were rubbing the frame. I had recently changed the steering knuckle and packed extra grease into the bearings before I aseembled things. At first the axle castle nut backed off or the bearing loosened up to where I'd get a "clunk clunk" noise when travelling in gear at speed. I torqued the castle nut to specifications but had to go even tighter to get the cotter pin hole lined up. Soon after I got this ugly noise. I was told that too tight of a castle nut can be as bad as too loose. So I removed the nut and torqued it once again this time taking care to get as close to spec as possible without going past or having issues with lining up the cotter pin hole. Now it turns fine with no noise at all. Very few miles were put on the car with the nut too tight and only a few more with it too loose. Is it possible my car will be ok for a while or am I gonna have to put new wheel bearings in it ASAP?

This thing is driving me nuts. First it seems that the idle stop screw that has the vaccuum to it stopped working so I had to put in an actual screw that goes through the throttle linkage and stops against the manifold. That worked for a while but the damn thing now fluctuates from 1500rpm to 500rpm and still dies outright on occcasion. Goosing the throttle will sometimes knock it down but not always. As far as I know it's a non feedback carb. Can anyone help?

Sorry had to catch your eye that way but trouble is sometimes when I come to a stop after high speed travel in my ea81 ('84) the car will die and be really a *************** to start again. At no other time is it ever hard to start and it rarely dies like that but when it does its really annoying. Told ya you couldnt answer it.

I just changed the clutch in my GL wagon but it slips when you try to get the main pulley off. No matter what gear or what the clutch adjustment. Funny thing is though no matter how hard you gun it or burn the clutch it will not slip when the car is running, so what gives? I got the pulley off and the leaky seal changed but it was a royal pain to get it done.

I tried to drill out one of those things the other day.....NOT going to happen for me! The damn bolt was so hard taht a titanium bit simply chewed a nasty hole in the steering knucke and did nothing to free me of the stuck bolt piece.

I had a nasty rump roast "clunking" sound when I would be in gear and a "clunk....clunk....clunk, clunk" when I'd be roling down the road in gear. My inner CV joint boot was ripped and trhe outer one was about to go, so I pulled a decent looking axle off a parts car and slapped it on, but I notice that when I held the steering knuckle and pulled on it there was an eighth to damn near a quarter inch of play! The ball joint was TERRIBLY sloppy! But the funny thing is that the boot on it was intact?!? Anyway for the second time in 5 knuckles I have dealt with I have seen that someone let that poor ball joint get that way because the bolt that holds the top of the ball joint to the knuckle was sheared off. I replaced it with a knuckle and ball joint that was tight and in decent shape that does have a ripped boot. I packed the taer with grease and hopefully the small tear andthe extra grease will shield the joint from dirt for a while til I can properly replace it. So whats the deal, do they make new boots for em? How coul;d one be ripped and intact and one intact and badly worn out?

I just changed the clutch in my GL wagon but it slips when you try to get the pulley off. No matter what gear or what the clutch adjustment. Funny thing is though no matter how hard you gun it or burn the clutch it will not slip when the car is running, so what gives? I got the pulley off and the leaky seal changed but it was a ***************.