Picked up the bumper last Sunday, looked just about as good as when it left me! Just needed to be re-polished and the rubber re-moisted. Now I gotta figure out how to make a 4WD bumper work on a 2WD that had the impact bumper struts (Which I removed)

 

If you end up not needing those bumper brackets that I sent to you, let me know    I'm not 100% sure yet, but it has occurred to me that it might be easier to beef up the original brackets than it would be to fabricate all new ones.

 

And that badge looks NICE. In fact, all of the paint on that car looks nice. I'm bummed that it was pouring rain when I was at your place last summer and I didn't get a chance to look that car over more closely.

Yeah man, I will see what happens. I haven't really tried to put the bumper on yet (Gotta take the fenders off and see what I can do with the mounting area) I suppose I could cut out the 2WD bumper mounting point and weld two captured nuts like on a 4WD so it'll work. If I can't make it with with the bumper mounts, I will send them back to you!

 

Also going to try and get the front brakes from an EA82/Loyale since they are 9.5" and swap that onto this along with some new Slotted rotors! The back is just gonna get all new drums, Hardware, Shoes etc...

 

So who has the some Loyale brake stuff? I'll take everything minus the Calipers. I'll get some new ones off eBay.

I don't think the Loyale stuff will bolt on if I remember correctly. You'd have to swap to loyale hubs too, which involves swapping to loyale everything and there's a bit of mixing and matching parts to make that all work. But you do get a wider front end if you do so.

I'll have to look. The Knuckles look the same from what I remember, good that you pointed that out first though!

They are close, but I know they use different bearing seals because one has a bigger opening on the back side. And i think where the caliper bracket bolts on is different as well.

Making two brackets to mount the '82 4WD bumper for the 2WD mount! Hoping this will turn out good. Pics to come.

4WD bumper is mounted!

 

 

I've always liked how this bumper tucks in about 1.5" more than the stock one.

 

 

Looking for color ideas for the Air Filter Box. I am going to clean it up real nice and respray it, question is, what color do I want to do it? My choices so far are:

Gloss White, Gloss Light Blue (Factory), Gloss Dark Blue Navy, 

For the Gloss White, I was thinking of running some sort of Blue or Red Pin-stripe around the cover. If I did the air box light blue, I would run a white pin-stripe.

 

Ideas please!

 

 

I like the light blue. Maybe because its just a familiar sight under the hood? Looks like home, I guess.

I will probably do it the light blue, I am going to add white pinstripe to it to dress it up!

Edited May 11, 201510 yr by TheLoyale

Just put on a 19lb Mishimoto radiator cap, hopefully this will keep from opening up at running temp. If I would have left the other cap on it (15lb) I'd have no coolant left after a cruise down the freeway.

Are you totally filling the radiator, or leaving about an 1-1/2" or so air pocket?

 

Only ask, because all 5 BRAT's would loose coolant if I topped the system off full.

Leaving an air pocket, kept them doing so.

 

I believe it's to do with no recovery bottle on the EA81's. Where the EA82's have one and it catches/recovers any excess coolant.

you think thats why? I can't remember if the Skiwagon did this or not. Right now its not full to the top, its right at the top of the inner core thing, but it still pisses out once hot, more so when throttle is being applied.

 

Now I am wondering if a higher pound cap is gonna be an issue as JesZek made mention of on Facebook. Hmm

It has been a few years now, but I think I left three tubes showing thru the fill neck.

 

Yes, a higher pressure cap can lead to other cooling system issues.

I plan on installing an overflow in my brat so this doesn't happen.

I installed an overflow tank in the Skiwagon and am going to do the same with this car, I actually bought the same tank lol. Its off a Mazda 323 or something. Its a Dorman part now, so its under $20 on ebay.

I guess I don't really understand cooling systems. :/

My idea on it is, you want pressure that doesn't drop, and you don't want the coolant seeping out, even into an overflow tank. What if the system keeps pushing the coolant out into the tank and then that over flows, you would be losing coolant that is unrecoverable.

 

Also, I don't really understand the point of an overflow tank. During high pressure, coolant can escape into that tank, but once the pressure drops enough, the cap will seal off the fill neck/bypass hole, so it won't allow the system to suck from that tank. 

 

Does any of this sound like it holds any truth?

 

So I wonder how bad having an extra 4lbs of force will be? If the electric cooling fan is doing its job, we should be ok?

The radiator cap allows excess pressure to be vented off, even if it allows coolant out.

 

The cap also allows air or coolant to be drawn back in when the system cools down and a vacuum is created.

 

Systems are designed with a certain working pressure in mind.

Having "to low" or "to high" of pressure from what it is supposed to be affects the over all performance of the system.

 

To much pressure on a system that was designed for a lower pressure can cause leaks, or ruptured tanks.

 

Just some basic hydraulic system info there.

And the cooling system of a vehicle, is an hydraulic system.

Good info Tom, thank you I may go back to standard pressure cap (Just new) with this information.

 

In other news, finally got a new Battery! Typical Farm&Fleet Platinum 7yr warranty. 730cca.

I put the stock cap back on, and drove it for a good distance today. Actually drove it to go by Another Loyale

 

Also got a '84+/Brat/Turbo Grille from Greenley today! Much better.

 

 

 

Liking the "New" grille.

 

Looks much better on there than the other one.

 

Tom

Liking the "New" grille.

 

Looks much better on there than the other one.

 

Tom

Agreed. I think those grills always look better. I must have at least 5 of them...

My Yonezawa Diapet 1/40 Scale Hardtop Leones!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 201510 yr by TheLoyale

Dang that's cool.

 

I wonder if anyone ever made a Ski Wagon matchbox-type car...

I really need to give credit to all the 32/36 hate posts from Gerard in Aus. He is very correct, my old Hitachi is pretty wonderful all cleaned up and simplified.

 

I don't think I would trade this for a Weber any day. Unless it was an IDF.

 

Just a word to others, don't give up on the Hitachi right away. Don't fall for the typical Weber 32/36 swap, I've done one, and wasn't happy with the genuine 32/36 DGEV.

 

KEEP YOUR HITACHI!