I recently purchased a 1985 subaru gl hatchback and am so far impressed. I am still looking to upgrade the motor interior etc. there are two possible problems. first is there is a slight vibration that comes up at random. I read a thread that said this could be either imbalances or the drivshaft, the tires look bald so it could also be an alignment problem. Also there is some grinding when shifting in to third, all the other gears are fine. The linkage feels real loose. Could this be a factor or is the transmission on it's last legs. Any insight or any comments at all would be much appreciated.

Welcome aboard! Most of your questions can be answered by using the search tab. Theres a great shift linkage fix (read down a few posts), I had a tranny that did the same thing, just needed a good flushing and the prob went away (search for tranny flush) The front end vibration could be bent wheel, unbalanced tires, front end probs, or warped rotors. I'd start with the easy stuff, shake down the front end, swap out tires, and go from there. Good luck

The grinding going into third is not unusual. I've had two Subarus that did this. It is usually caused by the 3rd gear synchronizer going bad. The car should still be driveable this way for a very long time, but the grinding may get worse. Supposedly you can add things to your transmission oil that can help or eliminate the grinding. One of the most promising additives is something I never had a chance to try out... Rislone Ring Seal. This stuff actually an engine oil additive and is very thick and sticky like honey. It's supposed to help the synchros get moving properly. This makes sense to me since my cars both shifted better cold than once they warmed up.

i found the linkage fix and haven't taken the time to look for the tranny flush, thanks for the ideas and I hope to stay on the board. I will look into the rislone stuff, this has already proven to be a helpful source4 for information.

i have a 85 hatchback how do i know if its a ea 81 the engine says 71 any help would be beneficial

i have a 85 hatchback how do i know if its a ea 81 the engine says 71 any help would be beneficial

The engine stamping is on the left side of the motor, on the block, below the distributor.

I recently purchased a 1985 subaru gl hatchback and am so far impressed. I am still looking to upgrade the motor interior etc. there are two possible problems. first is there is a slight vibration that comes up at random. I read a thread that said this could be either imbalances or the drivshaft, the tires look bald so it could also be an alignment problem.

 

A slight random vibration could also be slush building up inside the wheels and freezing. Had this happen on a car I had (sorry, is was a Honda CRX). Parked it in a heated garage, ice melted, balance problem gone. But yeah, of course get new tires and balance 'em. That's what's probably wrong.

i have a 85 hatchback how do i know if its a ea 81 the engine says 71 any help would be beneficial

 

If the engine says ea71, then it is. 1600, not 1800.

I would be surprized it it was an EA71 since it is a GL, I thought only the DL got the EA71 as standard with the EA81 as an option, and the GL only engine was the EA81.