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Mostly wanted to just update anybody interested on my 83 Brat project. I just got it painted and some of the trim back on. I originally wanted a tan cream color rather than the factory "Harvest Beige" but made a last minute impulse decision to go with more of a yellow/buttermilk color. It's kind of growing on me because it catches the eye, isn't *too* flashy, and most folks think it might be a stock color. Obviously I am not restoring it to factory original, I'm going for a daily driver that will last a while. I completely and literally scrubbed the under body, hosed it down with Rust Mort, and them covered it with truck bed liner. The bottom lips on the rocker panels were pretty beat up so I welded some angle iron to strengthen them. There were a few serious rust issues on the body but I was able to deal with them and seal both sides of the metal so I think it will last a while. Oh, and it started out in life as an automatic but I put in a 4MT dual range. It just seems wrong to have an automatic Brat, and the original transmission had issues anyway. The previous owner was kind enough to rebuild the engine but the carburetor crapped out so I put on a weber. The plan is to tow it behind my RV, so if you see a buttermilk Brat rolling down the highway behind an RV it's probably me. The next thing to do is to refurbish the bumpers and other exterior plastic trim, and I'm debating just cleaning them up good and clear coating them or else actually painting them black with the super duper SEM stuff. One big thing I am missing is the tail gate trim, and I'm going to use aluminum door threshold (M-D Building products low dome 49") as a base for that. I've also dug up some part numbers that I think would be useful in one place: 791017090 - Large side trim clips. (Obtainable and fit) 791017130 - Normal bed trim clips. (Obtainable and fit) 791017200 - Corner bed trim clips. (Unobtainable, I rigged something from plastic push rivets) 759114020 - Fender liner clips. (Haven't tried them yet) 901120005 - Fender liner bolts. (Haven't tried them yet) After that I should probably do something about the interior but I'm honestly not feeling it. The interior is definitely showing it's age but if I can't restore all of the interior I'm inclined not to do any of it. Then there are some other odds and ends, like the previous owner removed the computer so (among other things) there is a currently a button for the starter on the dash. Finally, there are a few parts I would really like to get my hands on and I was hoping somebody could either guide me towards a part number or source: There are two round holes on the sides hidden by the rear bumper that need plugs. I only have one original plug. There are some rubber grommets (I guess you call them) that go around the rear bumper mount arms to mostly plug the gap. The are sort of squarish, about 2 inches across. I only have one original grommet. There are some rubber bumpers for the tailgate when it is closed. They are short thin rubber, sort of like weather stripping. I only have one of those. There is some rubber that goes on the tailgate supports where it hinges, I assume to keep them from vibrating. They come in two pieces and I need two sets. Also the rubber on the outside edges of the T-tops are a bit chewed up, so if anybody has any ideas what can be done about that I would appreciate it.

I'd drain the diff first and check for metal... Use Amsoil when you fill it. See if the noise changes.

So, with the engine in my shop, I looked at the bell housing and had an idea. I grabbed a Volkswagen engine stand (we build air cooled VW engines at our shop), and held it up to the EA61. Lo and behold, it bolts right up! The EA61 bell housing has the same (or very very similar) dimensions as the old air cooled flat four VW. So, I got it all set up and started stripping it down. The oil was definitely 45+ years old, I can still smell these pictures. After pulling the heads, I was pleasantly surprised to see everything was very gross, but in very serviceable shape. The one cylinder that was stuck doesn't have any pits in the cylinder wall, the piston was in poor shape however (more on that later) Bonus picture of the car after a few rain storms, it is really in good shape overall. The rear most piston pins were tough to pull, and I don't have any factory tools, so I came up with this little trick. I'd already removed the pistons by the time I took these pictures, so imagine the piston is still in there. I snuck a narrow 8mm thread nut between the piston and the rear of the block with a magnet, then I screwed a long threaded rod into it (this happens to be a head stud from a VW engine). I threaded the rod into a slide hammer, and gently hammered the pins out. After everything was removed, I was left with these super filthy coolant passages to deal with. Here's the pile of parts after pulling the whole top end. I made sure to keep the liner shims with their corresponding liners, since replacements look to be IMPOSSIBLE to find.

Subaru book time is 12 hours. *exactly* what they are doing the other 5-13 hours? I mean list it out for that 10 hour up charge “wiring or mechanical hiccups” is insufficient, and meaningless. There are no wiring and mechanical “hiccups”. Anything like that should be addressed as they proceed not paid for ahead of time like insurance you probably won’t need. Shops don’t upcharge your tires before they’re installed just “in case” studs break, TPMS crack, or a wheel is bent - they encounter an issue, tell you the issue, options to resolve it, and you both work it out. Same here check exhaust - note if there’s rust and potential costs if that’s problematic. If you’re ordering a JDM engine then SAY it specifically, there’s maybe 1-2 hours extra work for potential wiring or shipping damages. But you didn’t say JDM so we cant even be generous with a minuscule 1-2 hour up charge. It seems like they’re trying to make it sound like particle physics so you sign and trust their Einsteinian skills. This sounds harsh but mostly for illustration and clarity since all we have is a text screen - Why are you paying top dollar, praising their skills, and come here to ask for advice on what parts to get? That’s just bizarre. I’m not even a trained mechanic never worked in a shop and I’ve already made more sense and given more quantitative Subaru specific information than they have in 6 minutes. They should be leading that charge if they’re that good and qualified and expensive.

You can feel free to email me at my shop. Go to the contact us page - it has both the shop phone number and the sales email (this goes to me as well). We get a LOT of phone calls so it would be better if you emailed me. http://superiorsoobie.com/ Rick

That would cause a loss of power. Hope you didn't bend any valves!

You can clear the codes and see what comes back.

There's no good options for retaining the power of the 25D without using another 25D. If it's just head gaskets that's the problem - swap the pistons out for 2000 - 2004 pistons, and use the 642 STi head gaskets. I would seek QUALIFIED professional assistance. Tell them what you want (EJ251 pistons, heads properly resurfaced, and STi 642 MLS gaskets installed) and if they don't IMMEDIATELY know what you are talking about - call another shop till you get a place that's reputable and understands these common modifications. I wouldn't jump into doing this yourself given the limited experience you have. GD

What you need to know @faunjoustino: - GD owns and runs his own Subaru specialist workshop. His advice is worth gold in our community. - while it was your dad’s vehicle and you’re precious of it, what you plan to do to get it up and running could be an exercise in wasting money - only because you can’t definitively explain why it was overheating. Personally I would’ve done as GD said as a matter of course for me. Getting it started on the old fluids won’t hurt it so long as there’s oil and coolant/water where it should be. Once it’s running then work out where any issues are - coolant leaks, split hoses or if it is the dreaded head gasket, which being the DOHC EJ25D seems highly likely. Once you know it runs and what needs what, that’s when you start spending your hard earned to keep it running sweet and to daily drive it. This is when you change the oil and the coolant etc. I hope this puts a few things into perspective. We understand it’s sentimental to you, but this doesn’t mean you have to waste money on it for no good reason. Trying to catch all of your new coolant when you need to pull and tear down the engine due to HG replacement is not fun. Many of us have been there and done that! Cheers Bennie