edrach

Early EA81 wagons ('82 to '84) used the same axles (except for the turbo versions). '82 to '87 EA81 Hatch used many of the same parts (fenders, doors, engine, transmission and rear diff).

These are the correct numbers. Funny how there should be so much mis-information out there. I use 80 ft-lbs on my Impreza since I have a 75 ft-lb torque stick and then I tweak them to 80 with the torque wrench.

Sounds like you may still have air in the system. Next time the car is cool, pull the radiator cap and start the engine. Make sure the coolant is up to the top of the core or just above it. Put the radiator cap back on and start the engine and let it warm up at idle. Allow it to run long enough for the fans to turn on, then off twice. That'll ensure that there's no air bubble in the coolant.

Good, I was hoping we could identify the gearbox, but as long as it works that's all that's important.

They will bind up that easily even with a properly matched set of tires. There's a reason for the center diff in the AWD models. Our second Subaru (first one with a dual range gearbox) was a 1986 GL wagon with 120K on when we bought it. It was in perfect shape and very clean and I thought I had checked it out thoroughly during the test drive. After paying for it and driving it home from West Seattle I realized I hadn't checked it in 4WD and engaged it as we approached the West Seattle bridge. Going uphill, the car became very sluggish and didn't seem to have any power. I had to drop it into 2nd gear just to maintain 25mph! I managed to get it back into FWD and made it home without any issues. I thought I had gotten a lemon until I found this Board and got "educated" on the dual range transmission and the technique for getting it out of 4WD when it seemed stuck. As to your JDM transmission, find the identification label on it (something like TY752VB4BA) and post it here. Someone may be able to identify which ratio it is for you. The label is located on the bell housing near the starter motor.

4WD with a hi-low gearbox should only be accessed on snow, ice, gravel or mud; or any really really really slippery surface. Pavement, whether wet or dry will cause the drivetrain to bind up; don't do it since it will damage the car if you leave it long enough. The downside to the gearbox you have is that you'll normally always be in FWD; the upside is that it's great on mud and snow. Live with it.

If you get lots of deep snow in your area, the 155s would be better. If not, I would go with the 175s. What's the suggested tire size for your model? Check out the owner's manual or the plate on the driver's side door pillar.

Manuals.....Is there a Half Price Books shop in Casper? Or any used book shop? The Haynes manual can be had for around $5 if they have one. How to Keep Your Subaru Alive (2nd edition) will be excellent up to 1987 models and is a slightly better manual than the Haynes. Drop me a PM with a mailing address and I would send you HTKYSA on a CD. I know someone here could even email the digital version (someone more tech savy than I).

As to the transmission, sometimes what looks like a syncro issue is simply a clutch that needs a minor adjustment. But, first things first, get the brakes done. Then look into the clutch adjustment (lots of advice on that here). Best of luck.

Here's another hatch that recently sold with a bum engine; might help establishing a price for yours. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=128933

I was looking here for specs on a '87 Hatchback. Unfortunately, I didn't find the curb weight here, but the low retail price for this model is $2100 (Hopefully I found the correct version of Hatchback); add it to your list of comparables. Also, in the fine print it says to get a carfax/autochk report since it supports the established cash values that they list. If you haven't done it yet, do it now (easy to get a free one since someone else here in the board has listed a free vin check link. http://www.nadaguides.com/Classic-Cars/1987/Subaru/GL/3-Door-Hatchback/Values

If the thermostat is okay and it's not loosing coolant, and it overheats under load (higher speeds and long uphill climbs) I would suspect a partially clogged radiator. I don't suggest a backflush on the radiator since you can spend that $50 on a new radiator which is about $100. Fans have nothing to do with it since you're travelling fast enough to get proper air flow through the radiator. Fan only comes into play if you are stopped for any length of time with the motor still running. Sorry, just re-read your original post and you already replaced the radiator. Just a long shot since you've had quite a bit of work done on the car already. Check the air flow with the fan(s) running. If your mechanic inadvertantly reversed the wiring on the fan and the fans push air forward (against the direction of travel), then this would give you those symptoms. The car starts to overheat, fan comes on to get more air flow through the radiator but instead it pushes air forward causing worse air flow through the radiator causing more overheating. Unusual, but I've seen it happen. If you want a very experienced Subaru mechanic to troubleshoot/fix this problem, drop me a PM with your number or email and I'll pass along that information. He's located in Snohomish which isn't too far from Seattle and he's well below the cost of a dealer or any quality independant I've seen.

A couple of years ago I came across pictures of two or three Brats that had been extensively retrofitted with Impreza suspension and drivetrain. It was a shop in England that did the work and there were many pictures of completed Brats as well as interim pictures of the work being done. I've lost track of these. I think I posted the URL here on the USMB but haven't found it yet. I'm hoping someone else with a better memory (or computer skills) than I can find this. Thanks for the help.

Allstate is good. The bigger the better; and you have recourse to another adjuster. No need for him to cop an attitude since he's just a working stiff. Someday, I'll regale you with my story trying to claim a fair compensation for our 1969 BMW (of course this was in 1971) while dealing with Allstate. Back to topic, it's in Allstate's interest to get claims off the table in a prompt and fair manner. You can certainly ask them to get you another adjuster who will not "cop an attitude" over your asking for fair compensation for a loss. Collect as many comparables as you can from the URL (there are more); forget the ones under $800 (that's Allstate's job). If it goes to arbitration, the arbitrator will average your comparables to Allstate's and then "split the difference." In either case, you'll get more than what they're offering now. Also enter NADA, KBB, and others' valuations; they might not be applicable to Allstate, but they'll carry weight since that's how car dealer's set their prices for used cars. And fair cash value for your car is what it would have cost you to buy another '87 Hatch.

Here, I did a search here on the USMB for Hatchbacks in the Vehicles For Sale forum. I found three over $1500 in the first ten hits. Maybe a PM will get you a statement as to whether it sold or not and for how much. Better yet, just print out the first post and let the insurance company do the work of checking it out. I'd willing to bet there are lots more listed here: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/search.php?searchid=1416827 The point is your car is quite rare and it will take time to find a replacement for it. But in the meantime you deserve to get a fair price for it; not some lowball figure that a contentious adjuster tries to con you into. Fight to the end!!!

All the more reason to keep negotiating. I know it's difficult to find one since they are so rare, but I think that with the adjuster copping an attitude there's more here than meets the eye. Can you share with us what insurance company you are dealing with? Have you gotten any information from the insurance commissioner in your state as to how to determine actual cash value. Also, has anyone else ever gone to arbitration? Strikes me as odd since that was never an option when we were dealing with the company on our claim with the Brat. If anything, I would think that an arbitrator would compromise UP on your case, not down. In any event, you still need comparables to present to the arbitrator. It all depends how long you want to keep fighting this battle. You have until the statute of limitations (which in my state is 3 years). Trust me, the insurance company will not like keeping a settlement open like this for that long.

Amanda, You keep moving east. I wish you the best and hope that you'll be back in the NW sometime. Have fun in Denver!

Welcome to the USMB and the NW Washington group.

Oh, I almost forgot. Here's our gen2 Brat doing rallycross when there was still a "Truck" class. So much fun going head to head with the Jeeps. If it was a wide open course, the Jeeps won; if it was tight or really muddy I had a better chance. Brat was box stock except for the weber DGAVand rear LSD.

My Impreza is actually pretty stock by rallycross standards. Most of my modifications are suspension related. EJ22 with a PP6 ecu (which doesn't help much....put it on a dyno and it actually has less WHP with the PP6 active). KYB adjustable shocks (set on soft front and rear); rear clutch type LSD; and rally tires. The video shows me running with the Silverstone mudders. I see you're in Spokane. Are they running the snowcross events at Deer Park yet? Seems like there's not enough snow for that yet.

There are videos of a converted gen2 brat (check out renob123) but I don't know of any gen1 brats that rallycross in Seattle and Portland areas. Gen2 Brat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-G5c4IA6o0&feature=related That's renob123 and I believe he had the EJ22 engine installed then. My Impreza: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbnYDCxWO4I&lr=1&user=pdxrallynw Both of these videos were taken by pdxrallynw at an ORG event in Hillsboro, OR on October 10th, 2010. Among the best videos out there from many I've seen. He has many more if you do a little searching.

I don't understand how a coil swap can take you out of Stock class. Also, tires certainly will; especially Silverstone S505 tires; not likely to find actual rally tires in a 13" size; only ones I know about are 14" and 15". Are the rules you have "local" rules or from SCCA which serves as the foundation of most rallycross rules nationally? Here's a copy of the 2011 rules/regs; so far the 2012 version hasn't been published yet. http://scca.cdn.racersites.com/prod/Documents/Rally%20Rules/2011_RXR.pdf

I absolutely agree! Weber carb is just great and with proper tuning will have no problem passing any emissions test other than California (emissions are well within spec there, but CA insists on OEM parts and the weber was never OEM on any Subaru I know of). Aside from being emissions friendly, a properly tuned weber is just great on gas mileage and driveability. I've had two Brats and a GL wagon weberized. Never regretted any of them. As an aside, in an earlier life, my rally car was a '71 Datsun 510 with the two liter engine and weber. Greatest combination ever for TSD rally (except for my 2002 BMW which preceeded the 510; I couldn't afford to keep the BMW in spite of the fact it was a dream to drive). Message to OP: you should put the jetting info into the USRM. Really useful information which seems to be hard to come by.