Back in a GL

[bushytails]

You should always hit the gas pedal at least once before cranking, to close the automatic choke.

[el_freddo]

On 1/13/2026 at 1:13 AM, Durania said:

Since it's his personal and I'm buying the filament with my money, we don't really have to as work doesn't own it

Yeah fair enough!

On 1/13/2026 at 1:13 AM, Durania said:

Old girl did start on the 3rd crank without hitting the gas pedal.

You didn’t do the “mandatory” double pump if the throttle before turning the ignition on? 
Or the other way to do it is ignition on to prime the fuel bowl, ignition off, double pump, ignition on and start. I do this one when I haven’t driven my brumby in a while, especially in summer when it seems the bowl evaporates and needs filling again. 

[Durania]

None of that, hahaha. 

This thing stays in my shop so it's never really below 40* unless I have the heat on out there. 

Hope to find some time this weekend to take it up the road. We stay so busy with my son and basketball and work BS, Plus, I have 3 other cars of my own, not including the wife's. 

[DLGL8388]

On 7/11/2025 at 2:40 PM, Durania said:

First joined this forum 20 years ago when I had an 84 hatch that I had bought sitting in a field while I was in high school. At the time, I had a 91 Legacy. Drove that till it blew up and then picked up an 83 Brat that I found for sale on here and picked up another 83 for parts. Had a 2000 RS coupe in college, then a 95 Outback beater. Sold the RS and got an 05 STi, sold it in 2016 and got back into an 04 WRX in 2022. Picked up this 84 GL 2 weeks ago as if I needed another project but I am not poor on vehicles - also have a 2019 Tundra and 2015 Rav4.

This thing was in surprisingly good shape for being an east TN car. With that, it does have its issues. I have on my work bench a new rear wheel bearing to install, hatch struts, will need a radiator as I see it dripping. I am also trying to nail down why the blower isn't working. I pulled the fan resistor switch last night and it showed continuity but I need to see exactly what ohm values it's supposed to have. Nothing like reading 20+ year old USMB posts. 

We still like pics on here? 

 

 

She's a beauty. Sure it's not an '83?  Maybe they had the same color in '84. I have an '83 that color. Cosmic Blue. 

 

[Durania]

Nope. It's an 84. it has the honeycomb grill where the 83 would have a horizontal. I had an 83 Brat in the same color as well. 

 

[Durania]

Not much of an update but the wife got me a roof basket that I had on my Amazon wish list for Valentine's Day. More of cosmetic thing but I like the way it looks.

 

 

Edited February 22 by Durania

[Durania]

So, what's the correct method for getting new brake pads to slot in correctly to the calipers? I have tried following this guy's video but he makes it look stupid easy. I'm either not holding my mouth right or doing it totally wrong.

 

 

[el_freddo]

Long video! 

I leave the caliper bolted to the hub knuckle and flip the caliper up by taking out the lower slide bolt. 

That piston can be really hard to rotate. You need some pressure on it too. Once you get the first rotation done they usually become easier. 

I have a multi tool socket that fits the grooves in the piston face. This allows me to apply some pressure as I rotate the ratchet in one hand. Works a treat for me. 

If the dust boot is damaged you might have dust that can grip the side of the piston. Worse you might have the side of the piston corroding. 

All the best with it. Not the most fun job on the MY and L series. 

[Durania]

Thanks Freddo. I will try next time I'm out in the shop your method of putting it back on the knuckle and see if that works better. I have one of those caliper screw in tools and I did see the boot on it was trying to twist on me so I was being super easy with it. I had been running back and forth over to the passenger side to look how it was installed as a point of reference. I was missing all the pad clips on the caliper on the driver side but luckily the dude I bought this wagon from had a ton of parts that included an extra caliper/rotor that I scavenged the clips from and threw in the parts washer for a few minutes. 

[moosens]

A little Marvel Mystery Oil in that boot before you turn it. 

[bushytails]

I hate trying to remember things.  It's not like I've done this several dozen times or anything.  lol.  I'll try... 

The thumbnail (I haven't watched the video) shows the drive flange and caliper mount removed.  Don't need to do that if just doing pads.  The only bolt you need to remove is the little one on the bottom caliper slide pin, then rotate the caliper up.

Squeaker goes on inner pad bottom.  If you use the pad from the other side of the car, the squeaker will end up on top, and gets mushed by the caliper and makes noise instantly.  Pads go in bottom first, push the spring clip in so it goes in the notch in the pad, angle the top of the pad in, do the same with the upper spring clip.  The pads will sit perfectly flush and solid on the rotor when the clips are all properly sprung.  Any wiggle at all means one of the clips isn't in the right place.

Regrease the slide pins every time you do brakes.  On the top one, slide the caliper off, wipe the pin clean, coat with fresh high temperature grease (ceramic, often purple - not wheel bearing grease), put a bit of grease in the caliper, slide caliper back on.  For the bottom pin, pop it out from the boots, do the same thing.  Failure to regrease will cause them to get sticky and trash your pads.  Work back and forth and pop boots back on once sliding nice and smooth.

A bit of brake fluid also works well for lubricating the boot.  Spin the piston in with any available tool until it's almost flush with the casting.  Align the piston so the V notches face parallel with the claws, that is, the short way across the caliper, which will be radially in and out when the caliper is installed.  When you rotate the caliper back onto the pads, there's a bump on the back of the inner pad that needs to end up in one of the notches.  If you have the piston rotated the wrong way, it will end up on top of the bump, and may mush the piston or your brakes will suck until it self-rotates until it lines up.

If the piston is difficult to spin in, the caliper is crusty, and may also drag.  If you spin it in, then step on the pedal three times to push it back out, then spin it back in, etc, a few times, you can get it sliding a bit better.  Or wear your seal out more.  One or the other.

Spring clip kits are still available and are dirt cheap if you need them.

After you put the new pads in, and spin the piston back in, making sure it's rotated to the position where it'll sit over the bump when you tilt the caliper back down, tilt the caliper down and reinstall the bolt in the lower slider.  You'll usually need to push the slider pin back a bit to get the caliper down, then wiggle it around to line the bolt up with the hole. 

Then, with the car off, step on the brake pedal several times until it gets solid.  Then do a visual inspection to make sure the pads are still sitting perfectly flush on the rotor.  Then put the wheel back on.  The brakes will suck at first; I usually power brake for a little on a quick test drive.  You may need to step on the pedal hard a few times to get the e-brake to adjust, depending on caliper crustyness level.

 

 

Edited 2 hours ago by bushytails