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What Have You Done to your Soobie lately? (Please post in here and keep it going)


Ricearu
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Finally got temp tags today so I could take the Brat in for the 3rd emission test. It did not pass but down to 500 on HC(limit is 220) was 3800 when I first tried a month ago.  Passed on the CO, so looks like a lean misfire.  I had turned the idle mixture screw too much in, did not realize it until I hooked up the vacuum gauge, adjusted the idle and mixture and the vacuum is around 20(compensated for altitude) and the gauge is steady

 

I think I will try to back off the timing to 6 degrees and get a couple of gallons of e85 to burn through, at this point it cant hurt anything.  Already tried denatured alcohol, and the emissions stuff from autozone. Also will change the oil again, I am sure that it is pretty dirty again.

 

I took on the freeway for the first time today, and it was able to keep up with traffic just fine. I still need to do something about the exhaust, I smell like an auto shop after driving it for more than 15 minutes, will probably just order a y pipe and cat from ebay for $150, and redo the rest of the exhaust with something more quiet that the farting cherry bomb.   And still need to make time and replace the leaking oil pan gasket, the oil is dripping on the y pipe and smokes a bit when idling in traffic.

 

But overall, after over a month of wrenching on the old car and spending around 700, I finally feel like this might turn in a fun daily driver.

Edited by mcmillonbe
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  • 2 weeks later...

Started tearing apart the interior to deal with the disgustificated crud the P.O. slathered almost everything in. Carpet will end up coming completely out tomorrow, as it seems I managed to soak the passenger side front area when I was power washing the undersides of the engine. Apparently water shot right through the firewall where the a/c evaporator drain pokes out, and as I washed it about ten days ago, it's a bit....musty. And the stuff I'm finding in, around, and waaaay under the carpet even.............dirty slobby people should be humanely shot in the temple.

 

Hopefully I can get the stains out, either by hand and the shopvac, or renting a Rug Doctor from up the road. But I may end up just replacing with generic aftermarket automotive carpet; my OEM is blue, whereas most of my replaced interior is grey, and most of that is probably going to get colored using one of the vinyl dye/coating products that are available. Probably removing the headliner at some point to recover too, I got it surprisingly clean but there are some bad gouges in a few places from the vinyl-eating pitbull puppy the P.O. had who is the reason I had to replace most of the interior was replaced. I also popped open the a/c evaporator core box (we'll see if I can get it back together without undoing the lines) and a good thing I did, there was enough linty crap piled up on it to make a mouse family very comfortable (but luckily no sign of mice) so IF I had working a/c it wouldn't have worked very well.

 

OCD is fun.DSCN1088_zps232e50d3.jpg

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well  :D:banana:  :clap:  :headbang:  :grin:   i just ordered my 2" lift for my '93 loyale from subarugllifted.webs.com tonight and found some 14" rims from a '92 Mazda B2200 to re-drill. car is going in to the shop tuesday for the rear wheel bearing (would do it myself but in wisconsin atm i have about 1/4" of snow and no garage :o ). i recently put on a thrush turbo muffler on  B)  (quiet at idle lovely boxer rumble when getting on the gas) kicker speakers in front with off brand in rear doors with a kicker 10" sub in the back and a jvc head unit. plugs wires cap and rotor a few months back, fluid exchange in trans and rear diff. curantly have new tires on it (well about 5 to 7 k on them) el cheapo off roading lights in the grill (p/o broke the grill). freed up the rear window wiper, it was rusted in place.

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Today I did my rear drum brakes on my 93 Loyale Sedan (FWD). They were squealing every time I pressed the pedal. Finally after enough turned heads from the screeching, I decided they needed to be done.

 

Compared to a lot of drum brakes out there, the ones on the Loyale are quite simple to work on. I discovered on one of them that Midas, who did the last drum brake job way back when, had left out one of the upper return springs. Oh well, now that I know how easy they are, no brake shop will ever be doing my brakes again.

 

I was originally going to have it done at a shop so I got quotes from several "Independent Subaru Shops" in the Seattle area. One was as high as $620. After looking at how drums are done on Youtube, I decided I could screw it up for a lot less money. So I bought the shoes, two drums and a spring kit for $90 at Autozone. Turns out I didn't really need the drums so I reused the old ones. Total cost Less than $40. I took lots of pictures and discovered some handy thins to make the job go easier. I will do a writeup in a few days.

 

 

 

 

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Seafoamed! Heard much about the stuff, never actually tried the stuff.

The stuff works. Did all but eliminate a 3/4 go pedal stumbly fall on its face kinda scenario..

 

Oil change on both cars. Fixed trim on Loyale...egr solenoid from a tempo went in, check engine light out (win!)

 

Flushed heater core, much better heat now. Topped strans fluid.

 

Oh yeah! Sea foam DEF made a difference as the Loyale peeled out in 2nd gear while climbing a hill. Hill that I have climbed countless times and always go up at WOT. Never did that before. Didn't. Chirp them, no, actually broke one completely loose. I let it spin for awhile (whole hill. Laughing all the way up)

Loyale is automatic BTW. :)

 

EGR Solenoid from a Tempo? You got me curious. Are they cheaper than the ones made for Subaru? I ask only because I KNOW sooner or later I will need one...again.

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Continued on with the "clear the 26 years worth of crud out of the car" saga. All panels, as well as carpeting, pressure washed (backsides of every piece were covered in a thick layer of Colorado dust'n'dirt...as well as doggy hair) after padding was removed. Car body itself was scrubbed, wiped, and vacuumed by hand, with everything that could be unbolted or moved out of the way.

 

 

DSCN1106_zps2b843df3.jpgDSCN1107_zpsf394a4ec.jpg

 

The padding under the carpet got tossed, as the passenger side had gotten soaked and gone moldy, so it's getting replaced with new (and MODERN, mold-resistant) padding from local carpet store. Tried as hard as I could with carpet cleaners, laundry detergents + Oxy, and scrubbing before pressure washing, to get the staining out of the carpet but no luck. I highly doubt a Rug Doctor is going to budge them either, so I'm leaning towards dying the carpet black. This is as good as I could get the stains:

 

DSCN1105_zpsd3f977f2.jpg
Edited by SmashedGlass
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Removing everything actually went pretty quick and smooth; I've had plenty of practice pulling panels on several different cars back when I lived in Colorado, at the UPull'n'Pay yards  :lol:

 

Hardest part of this was pulling the carpet from the passenger foot well. I had to unbolt  the a/c evaporator core to get it out, was stuck up in there by the firewall pretty tight.

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Awaiting a buncha brake bits for my '83 GL 2WD. Pads, hoses, caliper rebuild kits, new M/C.

Gonna replace all engine mounts and regrease axles. Gathering parts for a Weber swap.

Eventually discs for the rear and a set of freshly powder coated EA81 spoked wheels. And some mud flaps & center caps.

We'll see how far I get across the winter. Wish I had a car sized shop.

 

And this:

TopSecret.jpg

Had a cold and did some homework. Anybody got a spare EJ22 & transaxle?

 

NE

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EGR Solenoid from a Tempo? You got me curious. Are they cheaper than the ones made for Subaru? I ask only because I KNOW sooner or later I will need one...again.

 

I couldn't put a price on it, to be honest. I grabbed it from a friends shop, the Tempo was just there for parts.

You can grab it from basically any vehicle with a vacuum operated EGR valve, just trace the vacuum line from the EGR valve back and you'll eventually get to the solenoid. All solenoids work pretty much the same way so they're pretty much all interchangeable. I remember reading elsewhere on here somebody grabbed theirs from a Cadillac Fleetwood. 

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Finally got the wagon legal again. Had insurance 2 weeks ago but, had bad weather come in and all the tag offices closed because of it.

I got it today, and it is great to have it back on the road. Especially since had a lot of snow come in and cover the whole area. My Nissan pickup is crap on ice and snow, the Soobie acts like I am driving on dry pavement.

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Fuel pump swap, then had re-rebuild the hitachi, & still having choke issues, egr ?, afterburner had to go -was full of crud. EGR light came on, swapped ground plugs @ fuse box to make it go away. Running just in time for the snow and ice storm :)​  but bonus: Now the heater blower is not getting power! Kind of taking the fun out of it! :angry: The thermoswitch  or something is wrong w/the cooling fan, too. I wish someone would come take this rag top out of here-I need my garage!

Finger is on the trigger for a Weber swap, got the Hitachi blues, giving it one more chance, deleting extra stuff....

Edited by rrgrr
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For the last couple of weeks when the morning temps have been below 40*, Wedge has been exceedingly difficult to get started. Once I'd get him running, the throttle is very mushy and stalls very easily. CEL was on, complaining about the coolant temp sensor. What?!? I replaced that last spring, it should not be bad already. Well, it finally failed above 55*. But this time, the CEL kept flickering on and off and the idle would go up and down as the CEL would flicker. So, determined to find it, I popped the hood and started wiggling wires and well.........I found it:

 

1472835_223082927864100_608487385_n.jpg

 

Appears the head shrink got a wee hot and fused the two sides together. When the air temps would drop below 40*, it would short out and the computer would throw a fit. Once the engine bay temp would warm up, it would break contact and all was happy! :huh:

I pried the two wires apart with a screw driver and rewrapped each side separately with electrical tape. All is happy again! :banana:

 

Next time I replace a pigtail, I will offset the joints to prevent this from happening again. :unsure:

Edited by subynut
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85 brat started stock now msd box and coil, weber swap siting on a ea82 intake manifold, oe intake manifold gaskets, front wheels seals and bearings, cv axels, ball joints, lower control arm bushings, stay bar bushings, anti roll bar bushings, motor mounts, trans mounts, rear diff mustache bar bushings, projector headlights, led conversation inside and out, 2002 outback heated leather seats. That about covers it I think. All parts replaced have been OE.

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Just picked up this 97 legacy from oregon.Thing is crazy clean. Needed a ton of work

All new timing belt stuff

ATF

Oil change 

Front and rear diff oil

coolant

E-brake shoes and hardware 

rear calipers,rotors, and pads

front rotors, and pads

legacy GT hood (the stock one had lightning bolts painted on it) 

snow tires 

buffed it 

fixed exhaust manifold studs stripped out of the head 

I'm sure there's more, but thats what I can remember for now. 

 

1_zpsf972c05f.jpg
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Finally got the wagon legal again. Had insurance 2 weeks ago but, had bad weather come in and all the tag offices closed because of it.

I got it today, and it is great to have it back on the road. Especially since had a lot of snow come in and cover the whole area. My Nissan pickup is crap on ice and snow, the Soobie acts like I am driving on dry pavement.

lol I'm almost in the same boat, I'm driving a taurus and anything like a snow slick road is enough to send this car sliding.. I've made myself very spoiled with my Subaru I'm in a bit of a rush now to get it up and running.. we are getting like 4-6 inches today.

 

I still have to do the swap, I'm just left with swapping heads over to the Ej22 and powder coating the intake manifold as I'm taking the car a different route over the summer

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Yeah ugh I drive a ups driver and those trucks get stuck so easy.. and the crazy thing is as long as the highways are open you are expected to be at work... a lot of the people I delivered to today all were saying how they did not expect us to be out today..

 

I do miss my baby lol I see it everyday when I park in my spot, when it's done it's going to be worth the wait :) I just get so tired when I get home I have almost no energy left to do anything... I still have the intake manifold sitting on the floor waiting for me to take apart so I can clean it.

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