SuspiciousPizza

No transmission work done this weekend, I had a graveyard shift Saturday and Sunday so I stuck to interior work. Also going through all the nuts and bolts. De-rust, ultrasonic clean, and sorting the damaged ones out. And cleaning all the emissions and coolant plumbing. The pedal box is also getting cleaned up and lubed. I just stuck to work I could do in my pajamas and not get all greasy. On a transmission note - One thing I did notice was my two Loyale ('91 & '93) SR4WD also have those two upper dowel holes. Even more interesting that the '85-'90 parts manual I have doesn't show those dowel holes on any of their transmission diagrams. I found a shop in town to get my D/R resealed and synchros bead blasted. I had to go through and make a list of all the seals, o-rings, bearings, and bushings. I bought all the seals and o-rings I could. Pretty cheap to buy all the seals (sans 2 o-rings and the weird "top hat" seals I believe). Think it was around $50. I'm taking the transmission in this week. The RTV on the spare trans is going to be an issue. They really laid it on thick, I cannot get the T-case cover off. :]

There is a market for these cars in the Midwest, it's small and niche so not exactly the easiest market to get into. You gotta know someone who's looking to buy and you gotta be selling what they're looking for. The reason you can get some decent scratch for a DL/GL/Loyale (especially a BRAT) is because a lot of the cars rusted to bits. They make great hunting rigs (they're small, quiet, and a D/R trans does well on logging roads), they're great winter cars, they're great farm vehicles. I'm not looking for a disagreement, just pointing out that if anyone is looking to sell, there are buyers up North willing to shell out for these little cars. :]

I have a 3 day weekend coming up so I'll be taking the time to begin trying to take it apart then. I found a section 1-3 FSM for cheap on eBay so I don't have to wait around to get my other one back. I tried taking the T-case cover plate off last night to see if there was anything obvious. The RTV is gonna be a headache, it seriously doesn't wanna budge. Glued, screwed, and tattooed down. My idea for dealing with the RTV was getting it hot with a torch and gently using a razor blade to cut into the softened sealant. I do worry about residue from burning. I'm just going to have to be very thorough with cleaning the internals. I'll be recording as much of the disassembly as I can/remember to. I'll be posting links to the videos when pertinent. I'm kind of glad I got a "broken" box, now I can practice servicing one without the stress of potentially damaging a good transmission. There'll be more to come :]

Early Model Dual Range 5-19-25.m4a Also attached is some front diff noises from the mystery box. :]

Yes that was center to center. I'll take some photos of the boxes after work to show the mounting hole patterns. Based off the T-case, it looks to me like an 85-87 box. I'm mainly looking at the big blob in the casting on the T-case and the switch locations. I will have to wait before I start tearing into the spare box, my engine rebuilder has my hardcopy of my FSM at the moment so they can check tolerances. The downloaded FSM I have doesn't have any content between sections 2 & 6. (Jumps from engine to electrical) Do you have any pointers for the T-case disassembly, Benny? That's the main thing that is a concern for me. Thanks :]

Bolt holes have a different spacing (EA box: 7 5/8" or ≈194mm - Mystery box: 7 9/16" or ≈192mm). I did have to eyeball with a ruler as my caliper only goes to 6" so I may be a bit inaccurate. But the mystery box doesn't have the same dowel pin holes the EA box does. She's dry as a bone. After fiddling with the differential more, it does sound like a box of rocks. Definite audible grinding noise to it, this could be due to improper gear alignment/ lack of lube(?) If I have an EA box, does that mean I can get those fancy Aussie D/R internals? Not that I plan to, but if due to parts issues it becomes my only option. :]

When you get the engine to TDC, what landmark in the engine bay does the distributor rotor point towards? It should point towards the brake master cylinder/brake booster. If it doesn't - lift the distributor an inch or two and rotate it (I forget which direction). Remember the distributor gears have a spiral to them, so the rotor will rotate as you insert the distributor. Bolt it down, it shouldn't be rattling around. Just back off the bolts when you set the ignition timing. This way the distributor doesn't accidentally move when you tighten it down. Be sure to have the proper RPM's (≈750, I believe) when you do the ignition timing. :]

So as it turns out the previous owner had the same idea as you, Bennie. He wired the cheap switch into the A/C fan relay in the engine bay. Doh! Well that's good news, less wiring for me to do. Does anyone know if these rear wiper switches are illuminated? If so is it illuminated all the time? Thanks :]

I lay my case for why my spare transmission shouldn't be installed as is. Here are some side-by-side photos of the transmissions for reference. First off they're different models, the spare is an earlier model year (any ideas?). This in itself isn't an issue but the earlier trans did have issues popping out of gear. There are fixes for this of course, but have those modifications been made? The diff on the spare feels sloppier. Not horribly but when comparing to a 280k trans, makes one wonder. The shift shaft on the spare does absolute bupkis. It almost glides freely. There is, as shown in the photos, a liberal amount of sealant to say the least. If it looks like that on the outside, what's the inside like? The previous owner claimed he planned to put it into his Impreza GT, but it was an inch or two too short. If he did get it in and working, I can't imagine this transmission could withstand that power reliably. The GT "was my race car". Any thoughts are appreciated. :]

One of the previous owners before me installed an aftermarket switch for the A/C condenser fan (now used as an auxiliary electric radiator fan). The switch did not fit well and it would fall into the dash if I pressed it incorrectly. It also felt of very suspect quality. So my idea was to use a spare rear wiper switch and install it in a switch slot that was otherwise filled with a plastic blank. However, I worry about the amperage rating of the rear wiper switch. The fan pulls 10A max but the rear wiper motor and washer only pull ≈5.4A collectively. Would it be worth it to give it a go? I just don't want to burn out the switch and damage a good OEM part. Thanks :]

I'm curious about this engine it sounds like it's had some work done. If this rough idle began to occur after the work was done then it may be a timing issue. If this just started occuring out of the blue, then the first thing that comes to my mind is electrical/electromechanical. Checking the timing wouldn't hurt, cylinder #1 is the front passenger-side. Be sure to check your cam timing as well otherwise you're only diagnosing half of the timing. Check the diagnostic table in the FSM for rough idle symptoms. Don't go throwing parts at it, it may be tricky finding something you may not really need. Although it is a good idea to have spare parts. :]

I guess I hadn't clarified why I'm willing to go the less thrifty route with this rebuild (jump off the boat and swim with the sharks, eh?). I'm in my early 20's, still with my folks and this GL is my car... My only car. My window of time living with my folks is quickly closing and I knew I needed a car that was reliable, and easy to work on. However the issues I had with the car were just one after another. It makes sense, the car is old and tired. So my plan is to get the car to somewhat of it's former glory, deal with the big issues (mainly engine and drivetrain) while I don't have a bunch of bills and have the extra parts stashed away for when some smaller issues come up as I start getting my feet under me and navigating life as an adult on my own. Basically I'm taking the "buy once, cry once" approach in the hopes that in the end I'll have a car that will get me through my 20's without a bunch of debt. And no offence taken, in hindsight I shouldn't have bad-mouthed anyone's business. I'm young and learning, I have plenty of mistakes yet to make. I appreciate all y'all's input, I just don't have much experience so learning from other's experiences is very much appreciated. :]

Well I am waiting on my engine rebuilder to contact me about how my engine inspection went and what work will need to be done. I'm having them measure everything (not cheap but if it's worth doing it's worth doing properly). Once they contact me, I'll ask them about the transmission (the one I pulled from the car) and if they'd be willing to have a go at it. I've heard very good things about this shop and they work on anything, they're just busy so progress can be slow. I just gotta have patience. If they aren't willing to work on it, then it's basically up to me to pull the synchros. I've been quite unimpressed by the lack of willingness to work on older vehicles at most shops in my area. I've been told "if we can't plug a scanner into it, we can't work on it". I don't mind getting my hands dirty, it's just when I'm working on something outside of my known skill set on very rare parts, that's where I start to get cold feet. Either way I gotta make a decision. I'll keep y'all posted. :]

I don't intend to do the transmission work myself. I have a FSM so I know the steps, but reading through it, it seems like a nightmare. The main thing I worry about is these vehicles haven't been in my area for nearly 20 years so finding shops/technicians with experience with these older Subarus is difficult. Between the positions of the shift linkages, the very specific steps needed to remove the transfer case, and all the ball bearing detents and springs just waiting to go flying I'm reluctant to send the transmission to a shop and trust it'll be reassembled properly. Even if I give them my hardcopy of the FSM. Right now my trans is just sitting on my garage floor, I've been at a bit of a loss on what to do. I have a spare D/R trans but I don't have a history on it so I'm reluctant to just throw it in and send it

https://jdmfsm.info/Auto/Japan/Subaru/--Old Models--/ Full service manuals, so anything you'd want to do with the car can be found here. I'd recommend saving up for a hardcopy as it's nice to have on hand. They pop up on eBay from time to time and sometimes for a really good price. Also if you're serious about repairs, keep your eyes peeled for a parts catalog as this will make tracking down parts easier. Good luck mate :]

Now that numbers are being thrown out, I'll give my 2¢. Without seeing the car in person, the most I'd offer is $500. Even if it's had work done, without seeing it with my own eyes that'd be my top dollar. However, if you sell if to a yokel in the Midwest you could get $7500+ but that's assuming it's been completely redone to factory spec. As Moosens pointed out, the value determination is a buyer's game. These cars are truly cheap and made to stay that way. These aren't your typical classics that you can put a couple grand into and get your money back. They're a money pit. The value is in the emotional attachment. Still a sick ride though.

I'm with Moosens, enjoy it. Loyales have a lot going for them. They're bare bones. Simple and reliable. They're not fast but it's a lot of fun getting them to keep up with traffic. Only thing I'd watch out for with any southwest cars is rubber parts dry rot, so keep an eye on your bushings, vacuum hoses, and especially your fuel hoses. Subaru has given up on these cars, it's up to us crazies now to keep em going. :]

Also consider quality of parts. CV axles, gaskets, hoses, boots, electrical mods. The quality of all these matter greatly. A fully rebuilt Loyale (engine, drivetrain, suspension, weatherstripping, etc) is worth far far less than the sum of it's parts. Photos of the car in question would help. :]

Double clutch helps but there is still resistance and noise when downshifting to 3rd. I'm more inclined to just leaving it be. A new throw out bearing, cable, and shift linkage bushings will help. Although if it'd be best to rebuild, then I'll go that route. I live in a hilly area so smooth downshifting is nice. These cars aren't safe nor fast. Turning onto a blind uphill 55 zone from a stop sign can be sketchy. It'd be preferable if my transmission operated as it should when I needed it to.

I have been progressing through my engine rebuild and the time had come to pull my transmission for a reseal. Additionally, I would like to address what I believe to be a 3rd & 4th gear synchro issue. I can only upshift into 3rd smoothly above 5k RPM and I cannot downshift into 3rd without a minor grind followed by an audible 'click'. My clutch cable and throw out bearing were shot, compounding the down shifting issue. Question: Could I take the 3rd/4th gear synchro out a '92 Loyale S/R 4WD trans and use that in my '89 5M D/R trans? Is there a specific oil (ATF flush?) I could use that would potentially resolve this issue? The case has to be split for the reseal anyways so if a synchro needs replacing, you're already in there. Thanks :]

A "more gentle" option may be an induction heater. If you don't have one yet, I'd recommend saving up for a decent Chinese one ($200 range), they work wonders. That way you're only heating up what you need to and you're not affecting the temper of the steel as much. I've never removed an EA81 cam gear, just my 2¢. Any machine shop worth their salt would tackle that no problem. :]

Parts are out there, but they're not common at all. If it were me, I'd pull the turbo engine and keep it around. Then pull your NA EA81 and convert it to TBI using an EA82 SPFI intake and throttle body. There is documentation out there of how to do this but you'd be looking at a bit of work. Either way I'd say it's worth it, save these cars and SAVE YOUR PARTS! Good luck mate :]

Ahhh, I see. I'm mechanically-minded so electronics isn't my forte but I can wrap my head around it. Thank you for the explanation I didn't realize RPM correlated with current. I'll be installing a '90 Loyale radio/cassette deck and removing my rear speakers in hopes to mitigate the whine *it's annoying*. Stock radio is 10 or 15W and my aftermarket was 50W. Also makes sense. Thanks again. :]