bgd73

There are good engines and bad, everything good has some bad.... the ea82 happens to be good. I would rather drive a 250k deiseling v8 ford around from 1968 before I even set foot in a legacy. For the overpriced cost of a legacy.. I would go get a beat up pickup with a v8 get same gas mileage. Some areas hang onto dainty vehicles, mine isn't one of them. I don't even want to get a newer soob dirty. That dainty EJ crankshaft makes me sick... back to thread- The clutch fan is doing great, I did find a site that has a 15inch that will fit the clutch, I don't know if it would fit, and seems extreme anyway. The same site has a 13+ inch direct drive, no clutch, and even spacers to make it fit and I may try one of those. The only thing missing for 20 years and I am just getting to it. Is Amazing ok to say? edit: the title of this thread, took out another alternator in the said storm- a lightning bolt off in the distance. Be it a rusting soob or whatever the reason, 20 years again, for an original part is long enough for me. I just traded in another for a lifetime warranty swap and this old soob is back to life.

After all the tinkering with body work some saving catastrophic endings.. that raised roof has raised my eyebrow with decent thoughts.. nothing a strong roof rack and 4 rails on the roof couldn't do, but it is interesting. I did note on my wagon, there is holes in the tops of the back seats for what I think is headrests or other gadget I am not aware of. Subaru kept making little extras and labeling them the same for these years, only the owner and enthusiasts would really care indeed.I want the raised roof.... Just to have it for my own contentment.

I agree with gd! Too much over oem will target another area. The wagons especially have a signal game to work with each other as one body. My area breaks the body, I see from photo yours targeted something very strong by the rest of the body's standards. Road poison or something ... I just fixed back end in front of bumper with some sheet aluminum.. one hole needs whole back end symmetrically covered to keep conquered the bad signal targets. Odd injury you have there.. I am going to bang on mine soon to verify integrity.

My 1987 d/r is very tall on the low 185/70/13 tires. Just when I though the old pushbutton 4wd wagon I had was the tallest geared 4 banger on the planet... along comes the one I just purchased. I even thought there was something wrong with the engine due to the need to keep it in 4th above 55mph many times more than not. At 65mph I am at 2900 on the said tires, will be taller to 185/80 or AA wheels @15 inch (if all goes as planned). Strangely the 15 inch around 25inch diamater with tires will gain the 3mph my speedo is slow with. The fuel mileage is not very good as of yet. it seems the carb has a mood swing (float sticky I am certain) but it has gone freak into the 30's often enough to keep me from taking it apart in this cold weather. 20 year old soob and untouched in places I am used to cleaning/tinkering or repairing, the mid 20's average is all I can't complain about.

1500 is a rarity... There are 3 spotted in my neighborhood, with spots of primer and going on 20 years. The one I found was plane jane inside, except for d/r... no a/c buttons, typical full guages. I checked out the underside and found the usual spots needing attention. The garage is selling cheap. I am sure it is the back end of body keeping it from "mint" condition selling price. It may have the exact same interior as my regular wagon, the dash colors and bezels etc are identical, exterior is no doubt unique color. Nothing real special going on however.Would like to work something out really for the spfi being oem in the 89 chassis...

The part I am referring to is just the plastic handle to open the wagons tailgate . I'd like to order more than one. I could not believe they were all plastic as structure for thier job after taking apart. I don't even know where to begin to look that up aside from "body exterior" categories. Anybody have a part number handy? The parts places I find on web aren't easy to browse and may have a different name for what I am searching. any custom ideas? I have a part of a bungi cord without the hook clinging on to the metal pushrod that opens gate- it will work for now. I could not drill original handle, and unintentionally banging it with a hammer proved it to be like glass... I suppose 20 years will petrify anything.

old soob + ice storm == priceless. Your words reminded me of one of my favorite soob tales... The first time I drove around in one, was for the few hours that perfect ice was being created on anything colder than 32F. The car just happened to be one of those areas. After 40 miles down the highway in steady freezing drizzle at a speed passing everybody (I mean everybody- confidently, on my tall skinny jeep willies lookin 13 inch unstudded) I stopped, went to get out of the car, had to force the door open, due to icing,and found fangs (icicles) up front dangling even down the grill nearly closing it off from air, icicles starting to go sideways off the steel roof rails, the bumpers, the edge of the hood in front of the 4 sqaure headlights (Hence: buglenses are good) and the car overall looked like it had completed an impossible mission. I could only look out the driver and passenger windows and most of the windshield (even that, with defrost on high and staying warm in the car did not stop this perfect storm). On/around the 100th mile and several long hours, I had to park under a bridge and let the ice go away from the carb area, air filter plenum. It was missing and coughing and I thought I was going to be stranded. It was a good idea to stop and look- I learned the carbs with no a/c can use a direct driven engine fan as much as the others that have it oem- just for the Warm air from rad, and moisture dispersal. It seem it went still too long and ice found ways to invade the engine bay... I am ready now with that engine fan, the only thing missing from not only a safe ride in that impossible weather- it was well above average in comparison to any vehicle I have ever driven. The sense of low center of gravity, etc etc, can only come from a soob (and rarely others). I have only assumed the tall tires got warm enough to be a tall skinny knife cutting like traction- I had to try to make it spin:) I am almost looking forward to another scenario like it...

That is interesting. It has a similar color brown and nearly identical interior as I just bought.It was what caught my eye going by... The garage that made it inspectable has it reserved for another buyer, but may go by the time limit. Seems a good one to pursue... I haver seen them here almost as much as the regular wagons. There has been a light silver one with loud exhaust and valves smacking for well over the year I have been here driving by alot (oh how that simple noise unfixed frustrates me). It looks really jacked up in the back end with that few more inches of roof.

Found a 1989 raised roof gl wagon d/r for sale and oem spfi to boot .. what is that roof about? I did personally learn on my own that a strong roof rack right where the raised part ends was a strengthener for my regular wagons I don't like to drive around without. I can get a photo, but I am sure there is a pro soober here who knows what the oem reasons may be for its design? Simply extra cargo? would this mean stronger springs etc? Subaru has been elusive here with explanations, I make up stuff... Such as both my 87 wagons always staying jacked up and riding tougher than the loyale equivalent.. there was never a reason out loud officially. I think I may be pursuing this yet another...

I just got done thrashing my old rusty soob around like a toy with repairs that normally leave owners giving the car up for junk.... today wind whistles once and awhile through the old roof racks and I am warm and dry, fighting off a quick sway in the wind leaving a storm of my own behind me. My old gl 4wd wagon turned 20 this month. I just have to mention how big that little wagon gets sometimes... in times like today. Next step is ice and snow. I AM READY. Can subaru just make 1,300,000 more of the ea82's with minor improvements for xmas? placing a Clutch fan from an a/c loyale on this carb model is fantastic. My old 87 dl didn't have one and hated the rain, and liked rusting the hood. Any ideas where a direct fan cheaply could be located?

A swap on the fuel pump with same pressure better volume was a miracle on my 87 DL. Will be doing the same for my 87 gl. I took the carb apart went for factory specs and cleaned it up, and still problems after the usual tune-up. My bro n law was a manager at the local parts store and took time to cross match a fuel pump. Miraculous. It was a larger pump by volume, not pressure.Even with tight exhaust and air plenum filtered oem, it started perfectly at 25 below zero and bellowed like an old holley four barrell when floored.. the strangest part of this upgrade, knowing it was getting crammed with a thing called fuel... the gas mileage sailed into the 40's on the highway and changed the synchros ability to go tall, to really tall geared (more power in other words). The tinkering beyond oem is avoiding the original problem on any carbed engine.More fuel same pressure seems to help old parts. I have found strange anomilies with oem pumps looking and sounding good, but wearing down in non-obvious ways. I have used a 5-7 lb successfully that was big enough volume to power a v8. The old ea82 took it all flawlessly. 2 inch exhaust was a must have- I blew apart the oem setup annually (for 7 years annually! before I figured out what 2 inch saved), just when I thought it was sealed- kaboom!. There goes yet another dainty "lifetime" oem muffler... If you try the pump would love to know what it did for you.

I am going through the same things in my second 87. The first one went air cooled at over half gallon antifreeze low all summer. The one I just purchased worked its way to a low level on fluid due to a sae 13 pound cap that leaked when no one was looking .I have a metric original- but I keep getting the idea to change it when engine is full warm- come morning, when car is cold I am in a half awake daze with a cup of coffee in my hand to think of that wrong cap again at the wrong time, after the car is down the road several warmed up miles. The heat being a bit cool hasn't changed for me, going on my 9th year with an 87 model.Even with a clean system and proper fluid level (that made it even cooler). A half covered radiator, like a diesel rig in the winter seems to be good. 2 fans I cover the lower half, one fan, the side that has no fan. I even forgot to take cardboard out that survived a winter well into the 60's F outside and hardly noticed. I spotted it spring cleaning one day.I wonder if it is the 9:1 compression doing this, as the spfi I ran was a roaster in comparison. Whatever it is- It is no doubt part of the ingredients that make it's durability incredible. It is the carbed years ea82 that I have seen go over 200k and still running with no doubts about it continuing to do so (another reason why I just bought a 20 year old savable soob ). The cardboard idea isn't a bad one. I have learned the top part of rad, especially passenger side absolutely must be open. My carb went psycho for mysterious reasons when I did that- it may have even been getting zapped statically with lack of air. The carbs have to have it externally as well as internally. The temp diff between the intake inches or less away and the barrell of the carb is amazing. I have found ice on the carb on a 195 full warm intake-- a storm maker of physics, as it sat there perfect idle and whistling like a tea pot.

I have searched the net and found "xt6.net", I can't find the simple info that I am looking for. I see an xt6 rotting into the ground every time I go to work it is for sale cheaply. I stopped and looked at it, I am fairly certain the rear end has busted away from the body (How about that?! There is the "mythical" horror story of steel in Maine again.). Anyway, was curious about oem numbers of power. I am not a fan of out of balance engines, but my curiosity has got the best of me, and the retrofit of a usmb user the flat 6 into a wagon. Speaking of steel in maine winters... a local mechanic has stepped up in a local paper about the legality of certain winter road solvents tearing apart the undersides of even newer cars...in places that shouldn't be happening structurally. Whip out the cans of undercoating, and hope it holds up to calcium carbonate.

That seems to be the best educated guess... a 4wd will stay tight enough to make a bizarre noise and still stay true for its job of spinning the wheel/tire straightly. A 2wd rear bearing in sad shape is very obvious as the wheel will attempt independence- the soob 4x4 really can't do that. I will go with just bearings first, the hubs seem to be strong enough for a sherman tank. The miles for my locale seem about right for needing them, and 20 years sure as heck is a good indicator that it must be time for new, even if it is the third replacement or more. The ujoints are excellent, I even had a hot exhaust pipe touching the center carrier- it would reveal quite a vibration if it was bouncing around. No slop from front to back of whole shaft when I gave it a twist back and forth, it is an easy check. The rear diff even after high speed 4wd mode on highway for 30 miles resoved to a slight whistle I have come to expect from a differential (like a car/truck rear end). I would even let the fluid go a bit longer before a change. That is something I like to do after a month or more of consistent warm weather. Steel is already tightening, do not want to attempt new thick viscosity in the cold. As it is, I needed almost 2 months on the previous times I have dramatically changed original oil to synthetic, on my old soobs, it was well worth the wait, but it does need alot of natural heat as welll as its own (I have found this to be true in alot of tight tolerance vehicles- ironically summed up with "foriegn"). Having patience for this tighter tolerance is well worth the 20-years-and-still-strong results. Thanks for reply of AGREEMENT.

I have sincerely had enough out of you. I am either done here at usmb or finding a way to ignore you. You don't know maine, you don't know me or my skills (especially mechanical- with a real miltary history to back it up). I would swear I've got at least a decade on you as well mentally to say the least. And the story about your missile mechanic skills in the military is not showing here, especially communication. This is derogatory from you again and again and again to say the least. I learned what a flame was in 1987- on a first of usable pc's for dummies I don't want to mention. What some of you do here, especially you GD is beyond a "newsgroup flame", with no facts and it really bothers me. You aren't even worth mentioning what I do by nature. The subject of old Subarus is really good for me here, you aren't (GD). I have even aplogozed for something you did... enough is enough I say no more. Time for factual action just by looking at some of your replies, and some of them have truly hurt (I am not joking) .I took and take some of your advice- which is always without a doubt already thought of and dismantled btw, and accept everything stated- without the degradation in reply. If I am somehow regarded a reverse accusation about this final talk of this- I will go as far as legal action. I had a similar case of this in a chatroom that I ran years ago- there really is rules and even laws, starting with an open minded moderator

That is good idea.It is about all one can do. I just went for a ride, now above freezing (almost 50 f! its spring again ). The shuttering is minimal, the brakes at slow speed still have it- never under acceleration does it do this aside from a bit of noise cold, today silent. Will swap all according to what I budget, but it seems hubs and bearings is possible, will have to hang onto the axles/tires/wheels in it for now. They seem good, no clicking and bends. If any of you folks have any idea what a real winter is, the prejudice about what steel in it does would stop. I am assuming your "stupid" to return the favor,when I get the ridiculous replies. From large rigs to rinky dink soobs, the steel does something in all of them- unlike the balmy northwest or japan for that matter (I know damn well they didn't account for serious cold in thier engineering). To mention again the soob I am dealing with is 20 years old is astonishing to see no fractures in firewall or a belly that dropped out from under it like I have done already to a SUBARU , just by existing. Hubs and axles can bend just sitting in the car here.... any other comments?

You got the rare soob! Very worth fixing with another loyale body. Finding one that is 2wd has never had the stress of 4x4, seek that body. The 2wds had a crappy 84hp engine, they just might be even easier to find too.Good Luck- non matching numbers for your setup will destroy a collectors value of it, but it is no doubt worth it to keep running. Do not use the gl/dl body

You all have good ideas. I have an event here I often forget I call the "winter buzz-in". Everything steel does it, moving parts have a bit of noise sometimes until spring, even engines and exhaust systems that were once quiet in the driveway at high idle can be heard like a laser beam of sound bellowing off hills a mile+ away. It's bizarre. I do not like this, as I have had cars that have things barely noticable in the cold and keep going fairly quietly.4x4's are especially difficult. I did notice on my 2wd sedan, changing bearings was exactly the answer. I found oem bearings did not pass the standard to survive, and now I have a 4wd that needs even tougher.A particular brand name "fedral mogul" had something slightly different and it worked. All it takes is thousands of an inch out of tolerance...The ujoints are great, the middle moves freely where driveshaft splits. The front end is no wobbles, handles great. Did find one loose axle nut- the only way for that to happen is not enough grease chomping what was tight into a sloppiness. It is very good now after repacking and retorquing. No creaks at all in turns anymore, so suspension and ball joints and overall tightness part of it is all good. I slept on it to conclude the rear bearings first, even on what I think is bad hubs. Good hubs will bounce on an out of round bearing. The car has been sitting an undetermined amount of time. The soob just don't like that where I live. Also, I took driver side rear apart, taking hub off- all looked normal no chunks missing, and yet again eveidence of hardly any grease. I repacked put it back together and sure enough that side I did this too is almost silent, no wobbles. One wobble anywhere from the back there is an attack all the way up the driveshaft after shaking the whole back end. All or nothing seems to be the way to go with these. It is actually fatiguing when it decides to bellow that perfect nuisance. Will start with bearings non-oem brand. Worked once, may do it again. I was quite content yesterday with the thought of scrapping the whole rear 4wd setup for the 2wd- but it just wouldn't be what this car was made for. At best when all is good, the rear can make a slight whining noise and not bother people inside after running awhile in 4wd at high speed. I still considered it discomfort, but thats all I can work towards I guess, if to keep an old 4wd.

I am frustrated... I do not know where to begin this chore. I want my wagon for long highway trips very precisely comfortable. I even think the driveshaft has a wobble. I am certain of 2 rear hubs repulsively shot- I do not even want to think of the previous owners comfort while driving above 55. I need an expert advice. No grind from bearings yet- but have had this hoax me before into thinking they were ok. The wheels and tires are all the same and balanced well, they came off my very smooth riding sedan and they are painted, do not like to attract sticky things (like mud chunks, etc) that make them out of balance. Can the driveshaft cause the "wa wa" elongated noise at 55 and above? My other 87 did this and I literally gave up, could not decipher it.I even changed the driveshaft in my other 87 and it did nothing but fix the reason for changing.. So I am concluding it to be something else. Axles, hubs or bearings, or all three. The struts and spring combo could take alot of weight, very stiffly. Here is what it does Sometimes at slow speed to very slow, you can feel a wobble that moves the back end around. Most of the time it doesn't.checks: Torques of everything, free spun rear by hand. Could not visibly find anything wrong, and it even spun straight, including driveshaft.I even had both wheel wells open for repair (had holes big enough to see tire) and watched the tires up to 25mph- nothing abnormal visible On the highway: an elongated "waaa waaa" offset "circular" noise from front to back, then all the way around- almost a vibration. I put it into 4x4 to no avail. pressing brakes always without fail has a bad wobble from back end. The advice needed is where to begin. What one fix would conquer most of it right away. The tires and wheels are good so far- that is all I have done. I must shamefully say- I have yet to be comfortable in a soob 4x4 wagon, my own or friends. Young and old ones. Do I just have bad luck or my butt too sensitive? My dad's tractor trailer is more comfortable than this bobtailing down a dirt road. I still can't complain about that little engine at 35+ mpg... Would like to keep it going, any advice apppreciated.

fight the omen of the "soob killer"! . It seems there is unusual bad luck lately.... I wrecked my sedan not long ago. Good luck on another find, they are out there

My 87 does this too but keeps idling at 250 or less vibrating things only when cold. The idle when warm and high idle screws are different and have to be guaged to each other. I don't personally guage it, I tinker back and forth between the 2 until it reaches a happy medium. This time of year is good for that as it dips below freezing and climbs well above it. I did find there is a small prob below freezing, so to assume water is in there somewhere would be something to consider- lurching when cold could very well be water if all adjustments are good. I may change the metal antique float for the carbon replacement at napa. The below freezing prob has been on every carbed car I have ever owned since 1987 when I started driving. Taking metal away where possible is a good idea for the carb- they run frigid even with subarus oem "heat rising gadgets" all over the engine and waiting until full warm as you dive into traffic first thing in the morn is not fun..That is where I am at now. They do get going quite well if everything is adjusted and fuel is and air is good. EDIT: almost forgot ... I did take one apart and it was the float sunken past the limits not filling up the bowl properly- a warm engine can handle this, a cold one cannot. The metal continues to work fine adjusted, but after getting water, then ice, something was too dang stubborn in the carb and associated with the metal float. Everything mentioned is of course knowing there is no vacuum leaks, etc.

The 200k photo is inspiring after fixing my 87 gl with some rust that could have sent it to a junk pile... but to remain optimistic of times ahead it only has 105k. If I drove until i was exhausted every day, it would still take quite awhile to get to the 200k club. I guess I got 20 yr old "baby soob" (12/86-12/06)

I strengthened another rear wheel well, it wasn't nearly as bad as the drivers side, but smashing things with a hammer revealed 20 years. After fixing, a fairly long ride revealed a permanent shake from right rear, the toughened wheel well signalled it stronger. I am definately trying hubs first, bearings are no grind noise and I spun wheels by hand- no sign of slop. The hubs can shake the car without brakes applied as they are doing more than braking on the old soob- they carry the whole should-be-balanced-setup. The 4wd mode doesn't help anymore to stop it. I am still impressed after knowing what my area does to the back ends of the wagons.I Definately saved it today. Thanks for tips.

It was indeed easier than I thought ( I hope) . I got up close to the rear driveline while car jacked up. I spun things around, after adding grease and noting both sides were tightly torqued, no axles had ripped boots. I put in 4wd hi and drove around for awhile, and there is now there is no shuttering when braking. The rear end got warm on a 25 degree evening so next step is synthetic gear oil for the rear.It seems "polymerization" is a possiblity with normal gear oil where it gets very cold here sometimes. If that doesn't work, I am going for new beck/arnley hubs (middle of the road quality- better than the cheap, cheaper than acdelco). and having new bearings pressed in. It is an odd setup even with the torques correct. The shutters even made sense if the rear is tight from sitting. Weather left both sides untouched, no water or even dust (except for its own brake dust). Another note is how smooth and quiet it is under acceleration,and throttle level, it only happens in 2wd and when rear is cold while pressing brakes - (when 4wd hasn't been used for awhile). This is similar to my other 87 that made noise with bad bearings, this one makes no noise at all, very comfortable even after long trips on highway, bearings must be good as well as axles.No shakes even into the 80's mph on the highway with an "iffy" tire.Hubs are rusty, pads are good. at 105k I wouldn't be surprised if they are original, as subaru and rear drums are minimally used on the past 3 I have driven for many miles- and alot of city braking. It is a good idea to second guess a major repair. Thanks for replies. P.S. Enjoy the turkey (if you celebrate thanksgiving dinner- being a native northeaster, I am so full I could pass out at any moment )

I found the trannies to get tighter in time, but I do live in a cold place more than not. The top end seems to get taller and taller as things loosen. I took one to 161k and the other to 166k, and now a dual range "thick as a brick" tranny that seems to be the tallest geared stubborn out of all of them. I go to 4th gear after engine is warm into the high 60's mph at a decent rpm before thinking of 5th. I don't know if that means syncros warm or syncros synching- rebuilding one never crossed my mind.I just keep driving it gets better. I am willing to guess the 4wds will take 200hp forever- as we know the ea82s aren't quite there for alot of us oem drivers. Fluids unchanged past 150k is not even a problem where I live, and the fluid is nothing special for the years it has it.