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my '84 hatch...


scoobyclimbs
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Ok it's official ..my hatch is lifted..thx to SJR for the lift...and Teamcf for the install help..!

 

I used the SJR 4" lift (ea81), rear shocks (rancho RS5241). It's off the ground .

However, I still have to finish the radius /trans mounts/shift linkage/steering linkage, brake hoses lengthened.

 

I did find a "pug" spare at upullit today $19 (my core tires/blower motor paid for it...It's from the same Pugeot I got the others from..

 

I also found a set of 2 snow tires on honda rims for $40 on craigslist Friday..that are old school meats...w/ a few studs...they looks like A/t's( Toyo rally & snow) 185/70/R14's... ok so they are small ...but my funds are low..I'll get these mounted on the rear...That welded diff. will dig in....!

 

I took a pic of the tires plus the other set I purchased(Cooper weathermaster STII's studless (which are mounted on the fronts)

 

so here's some progress pics..

 

tires.jpg

liftedfront.jpg

liftedhatchr.jpg

Edited by scoobyclimbs
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Nice. Now it needs lots of decals.

 

You'd really do well to wait till funds are available and get a set of the exact same tires for it. 2 different sets will fry the transmission or axles or both, same as your AWD. Or, just never put it in 4X unless you're in the snow.

 

They are the same profile.... the tread pattern is different..

So if I ran the current snows up front and the regular radial tires in the back...how would that affect the Trans..

 

Note: the studded snows aren't mounted yet..

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Sounds like I should get some new tires as well.

My rear diff ate up my rears, but the fronts are new...ish. (sliced both out at the dunes, at different times so they are also different amounts of wear... why I never put them on the back)

 

I would have kept rotating but with damage happening it threw it all out of whack.

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:eek: JEEEZZ, as if I haven't been trying long and hard enough to get to Oregon for the last few years!! Man, I NEED to get up there to hang and play with you guys...

Once a year for x-mas with the folks in K. Falls just doesn't cut it!

 

The parts availability, the availabale and willing knolwedge base, the trails, the woods!!! DOOHH!!!

 

So is that an airplane hanger you have to work in Gregg, are you really sure you have enough room to do your car work there?? :grin:

 

Nice work on the hatch BTW, this's been coming together nicely and QUICKLY!

 

-mark-

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:eek: JEEEZZ, as if I haven't been trying long and hard enough to get to Oregon for the last few years!! Man, I NEED to get up there to hang and play with you guys...

Once a year for x-mas with the folks in K. Falls just doesn't cut it!

 

The parts availability, the availabale and willing knolwedge base, the trails, the woods!!! DOOHH!!!

 

So is that an airplane hanger you have to work in Gregg, are you really sure you have enough room to do your car work there?? :grin:

 

Well may not a hanger but close...we have a '49 cad. fleetwood(customers) right next to my rig so I have to be carefull..!

 

Anytime your up here give me a ring...I'm always in the mtns..

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Sunday I replaced the headgaskets,valve covergaskets, intake gasket, stuffed the ea81 back in...a few hoses, radiator and shift linkage...it'll bee done to wheel it...:grin:

 

 

Woo Hoo! :banana:

 

Now I just have to get mine moving again.

I broke a little of everything sunday.

Axles. (got the whoomp whoomp whoomp up front again, inner joints)

Engine is hard to keep running.

Needs all of the exhaust pipe that lives between the engine and muffler replaced. (flattened, including the CAT)

 

I may or may not be done for the season. With all that needs attention I may just take it off the trails and gut it. Rebuild it better.

 

Glad it wasnt lifted though, Or I could add bent driveshaft to the list. Good thing it was tucked nicely up in the body. :eek: (Ya had to be there)

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Woo Hoo! :banana:

 

Now I just have to get mine moving again.

I broke a little of everything sunday.

Axles. (got the whoomp whoomp whoomp up front again, inner joints)

Engine is hard to keep running.

Needs all of the exhaust pipe that lives between the engine and muffler replaced. (flattened, including the CAT)

 

I may or may not be done for the season. With all that needs attention I may just take it off the trails and gut it. Rebuild it better.

 

Glad it wasnt lifted though, Or I could add bent driveshaft to the list. Good thing it was tucked nicely up in the body. :eek: (Ya had to be there)

 

Jason,

I know upullit in Tigard has a complete exhaust on an '84 Gl wagon...It would be a cheap fix ...I would jump on that..!!! If I had the time and cash I'd pick it up for ya...(gotta pay mortgage..)

 

I think if you were lifted and had bigger tires adding more lift to the suspension you could've avoided some of that...:dead:

 

call me if ya wanna pick up that exhaust..it'll fit in my outback..

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Here's a pic of the ea81 block as you can see the one cyl. headgasket was going...Note : the clean area in the carbon(right side)on top of the piston.( I had already started prepping it the block..)

 

and of course the motor installed..

engineinstall.jpg

ea81block.jpg

 

Here's the steering shaft modified 3 3/32" longer(welded w/ 1/2" steel rod) and painted with a zinc coating

steershaftA.jpg

steeringshaftb.jpg

 

gettin' closer..

hatch1.jpg

Edited by scoobyclimbs
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Jason,

I know upullit in Tigard has a complete exhaust on an '84 Gl wagon...It would be a cheap fix ...I would jump on that..!!! If I had the time and cash I'd pick it up for ya...(gotta pay mortgage..)

 

I think if you were lifted and had bigger tires adding more lift to the suspension you could've avoided some of that...:dead:

 

call me if ya wanna pick up that exhaust..it'll fit in my outback..

 

I'll let you know. Proly just going to replace the log straight piece in the middle with a length of pipe from the local shop. I can weld it in myself.

 

Thats what took most of the damage. And it follows the DS angle down to the diff.

My shaft is all banged up but still looks doable other than toasted universals.

 

I'm starting to think I like my small wimpy tires to be the weak link. Traction goes away before rear drivetrain. I can live with that, but not blowing up increasingly hard to find drivetrain. (The Damascus u-pullit has no EA-81's that are of use to me. Only one FWD) And it's more satisfying to run up a rutted hill that broke a Jeeps tranfercase a few minutes earlier on street tires with a stock Soob. With his redneck "I have a Bronco" friend looking on like his whole world was just turned upside down. (never did see him do the hill in his Bronco)

 

It was an interesting day. :grin:

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Is the car still up on jack stands in the last pic? Reason I ask it the camber on the wheels. If the blocks are in correctly, they'll sit pretty much as they did before the lift. Should be little or no camber. It's easy to get the blocks backwards on the struts, even the best of us let it happen to us. (just ask Jeff) :-p

 

or me. lol

 

The front is still on stands in the pic...

As far as blocks I hope they are in right as per no instructions....That's where my install pics/video will come in...

It looks like they sit right on the ground...

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  • 1 month later...

I ditched the Hitachi that was giving me issues (worn throttle shaft bushings).

 

I found almost new Weber 32/36 DGEV w/elec. choke w/75miles that was on a 22R toy powered sand rail for $175. I purchased an adapter plate $39 / rejetted to Subaru EA81 spec.

 

Primary/secondary

 

Main jets 140/140

Air correction jets 170/160

Idle jets 50/50

 

I eliminated all the smog stuff as they don't test deq here...otherwise a weber 32/34 dft(smog legal carb ) would work fine...I had one years ago on my Chev luv 1.8l Isuzu it ran great!

 

I took the old right side air cleaner mount and cut it just above the plug wire holder and welded the stock throttle cable bracket to the appropiate height and bolted it down in the stock location of the original mount.

 

I used the old Hitachi throttle linkage and tack welded it to the offsetted weber linkgage(clears the choke lever). For my throttle return spring I used the stock Hitachi spring and attached it to a ziptie wrapped around the weber(see pic).

After abit of tunning she runs like a rocket and sucks you back in the seat in 1st/2nd/3rd gear...:headbang:

 

weberizedside.jpg

weberized1.jpg

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The previous owner I bought the car from said the guy he purchased it from was abit more portly than myself say 400lbs..so the drivers seat was broken down..much to my suprise the mounts and towers too...!

 

So it was time to upgrade..I was trolling the local u-pullit and found a nice pair of '98 outback seats in grey cloth $48 pair . I also nabbed the seat belts from a '95 impreza .

 

First the mounts on the drivers side had to be reconstructed..so I cut/fabbed and welded them. The left rear tower was completely unsafe...! I later cut /fabbed & welded the outback seat brackets to refit to the ea81 chassis mounts.

 

I first set the seats in just to see how much I need to cut off as the outback seats mounts are taller..I'm 6' so I used the drinking method..(how many fingers)lol..

Stock ea81 seats I have 4fingers horizontally from the top of my head to the roof(safe) . The outback seats in (just set in place no mods yet) I had 2fingers clearance...being a wheeler & I didn't need the headaches..

 

After a couple hours of cut/fab/welding I got the seats in and I also had to trim the plastic inner sill cover(seat side) to fit the seats in also the drivers side hatch lever/cover abit. It's a tight fit but works great.

 

The seat belts I had to retro fit (impreza belts) by reversing the mount postion(belt/barrel assembly) and welding two pieces of 1/8" flatbar for setback and length & then drilling a hole for the mount. They tuck nicely inside the frame pockets.

I will post more detailed pics of this later..

 

here's a pic of the seats mounted with reconstruction..I also steam cleaned them so they look almost new..

I have some safety and comfort now...:headbang:

mount.jpg

nutplate.jpg

recon.jpg

rustmount.jpg

cutout.jpg

recon2.jpg

newseats.jpg

Edited by scoobyclimbs
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After all the work done it was time to take the virgin hatch out wheelin'..

 

A nice cruise out to TSF(Tillamook state Forest) we hit some trails..

The hatch performed flawlessly all day...:headbang:

I was happy until we got to the infamous hill that took out Chaz's diff..!

I cleaned it the first time no problem..I did the second time with a bad line..and too much throttle ..{{{bang}} the left rear axle inner cup exploded..DOH!

 

No biggie I removed the axle and we wheeled all day after that...

 

 

hogsback-1.jpg

shatteredcup.jpg

rockhop.jpg

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Greg

 

In the pictures you sent looks like you set the rear diff at 3" , I suggest you place it at 4" , may help the axle issue

 

So your experience is that it is important to match the lift of the rest of the car, with the rear diff? I haven't wheeled mine yet but I only dropped it 2'' on a 4'' lift. I haven't had any problems on the road but like I said I haven't really tested it yet. Just wondering what your input is?! Thanks!

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