edrach

I was "shopping" again yesterday (8/24) and found two new Legacy wagons at the Lynnwood PAP. Both AWD; a '90 with a 5 speed manual and a '93 with an automatic tranny. The '93 could be a bargain for someone; it has 119K on the odometer and enough body damage on it so that the engine is very likely intact and trouble-free; alternator is already missing. Both cars are in row "T". Both cars have open diffs...sorry.

If at all possible, just find a set of disk brakes for it. Take everything: backing plate, caliper, rotor and hub. I even take the brake lines and all hardware just to be sure. An easy conversion and worth every penny you spend on it. Also, take a rust penetrant to the yard when you go to help remove the backing plate.

A ball joint tool does it for me. I put the "Y" portion around one stud and prop the rest of it under the opposite stud and hold the whole thing from turning by putting a wheel underneath the tool while I wrench off the nut. An electric impact driver would do the trick also.

If you have one lug nut for the steelies, can you bring it to WCSS6 for me? I have a set of 15 and could use the last one. ---Ed---

If anyone wants anything off of it, better hurry, it's only a few rows left before they move it to the crusher. I'd guess middle of this week or a day later.

You know, when I pulled the rear diff it was still there. I didn't check on it today but I'd be surprised if it was gone. There was definitely some fine fabrication and it was a custom lift. Jason was quite capable in making that stuff work.

I took a peek at it today. Driver's seat is junk; passenger seat is acceptable and black vinyl. Dash is tan and significantly cracked. Can't tell much from the axles other than the boots are not split and the boots are not original. I wouldn't consider the rear axles. Shift linkage is gone also.

I'll take a peek at it the next time I'm there, but don't hold your breath. It was in pretty shabby shape when it arrived there and the only thing I found useful to pull was the welded diff and I posted it on the Board about a month ago so it's likely to be pretty well ravaged.

It's been there a while. Jason moved to Forks; sounds like he left the Brat behind. I mentioned it when I first saw it there since it still had some worthwhile parts in it...like a custom lift.

Three "idiot" lights glowing is almost always a bad alternator.

GD is right on the money with that. At one time I bought two axles from an ARI wholesaler for my '86 wagon and installed them at the same time. The first axle gave me trouble within a week and I replaced it with a "selected" junkyard axle. Two months later, the 2nd re-manned axle started to make noise and I replaced that with another "selected" junkyard axle. Both junkyard axles lasted another year or two before needing replacement. I brought both of the remanned axles back to the wholesaler. I expected an argument; instead I put them on the counter and said they failed within two months. The counterman turned around and without comment went back into the shop and came back with two more "new" re-manned axles....no questions asked. I did have more luck with the 2nd set; but sometimes that is just the case as GD said.

Mary, I just tried their website and it's still up. Try the 'phone and see if you get an answer: 800-889-2953 352-351-9557 Mary, I just called the 800 number and Kevin answered the 'phone although they are normally closed on Saturday. He disavowed that they are not there anymore. He also said he would have no problem supplying you with axles for your '78 Brat.

Mary, I'd be glad to find parts for you. If you're specific and we can agree on a price beforehand AND I find a '78 or later gen1 Brat we can certainly get it done. I'm sorry to hear cvaxles.com is no longer there. That's a disappointment. Among other things they've done axles well and $55 per axle plus shipping and returnable core charge was a good deal. If you have specific needs, drop me a PM and I'll look around for one. Also, since I don't know the older brats too well, let me know when the same part is available on an older sedan or wagon. Also, try moosens; he's closer and may have a fair inventory of older brat parts for you. I hope the axle replacement directions work for you. They are lifted from HTKYSA and modified with my own experiences on the early and mid-eighties cars. I suspect it's not too different for the older cars like yours, but I honestly don't know.

Two things that I have found cause pre-mature alternator failures until they are resolved: A bad battery, terminals or cabling. An open circuit(intermittant or not) will almost always kill an alternator when the engine is running. Excessive oil in the engine compartment to the point of coating the alternator will also cause the alternator to fail.

I have to second GD's comment; it's too hard to go to the yard to "stockpile" parts. Too much time involved, not enough storage in my garage, and by the time I sell it, I've forgotten how much I paid for it and am probably losing money. However, I go to the yard often enough and if I have a list (very specific) of pieces, I will pull what I can and ship it off. The key here is "specific" and a comitment from a buyer to buy the part as soon as it's pulled or shipped. Some parts that I know I can sell eventually, I will pull them if I have the time....e.g. rear disk assemblies (complete), y-pipes that they forgot to cut up, turbo down pipes. I've given up on stocking composite headlamps since no one seems to want to pay the price for them. I pay $24 for them and charge $30 plus shipping for them; I don't think $6 profit for the time spent while I'm in the yard is unreasonable, but they don't sell at that price. It took me almost two years to get my "inventory" of headlights down to two from the eight that I had...and half of those went into my own cars. I go to the yards to get what I need; and when I can, parts that I can sell at a reasonable profit so I can support my Subaru addiction. Just my 2 cents worth.

Cone washer and flat washer under the Castle nut could be bad; also the flat washer goes on only one way...it's sort of a spring washer I guess. Lastly, it could be worn splines in the brake hub. Less than $10 part from the local junkyard. I'd suggest you replace the hub (used is okay), cone washer (new), and flat washer (new) before you go overboard on something else. This is less than a $15 investment total and less than 30 minutes to do. If the problem is still there, it wouldn't be the first time I've heard of a re-manned axle being bad. My personal preference is www.cvaxles.com or "selected" axles from the junkyard.

ASV--Air Suction Valve. Original part is about $70 from the dealer, but a newer version is available for under $20; all you need to do is remove the reed valve from the newer version and install it inside your older version. Search the archives for the write up on this.

I'm with GD as far as his last sentence about it running richer. Judging from the numbers the car is running too rich. HC might be within limits, but just barely. Generally when the car is running as required, the HCs are well within limits, not at the hairy edge. Check out the parts that GD mentions since the default condition when the part fails is for the carb to run richer. Another thing no one has mentioned and I haven't since it's so basic....make sure the air cleaner is replaced and/or clean. A clogged air filter will make your car run too rich.

I have an '84 FSM as well as a Bentley Manual which will cover your car. I don't have a scanner. If someone local to me can scan the appropriate pages, I'd be glad to lend them the manual for that.

I'm certainly not the expert here, but "running rich" is not your problem. A rich mixture means unburned fuel and results in high Hydrocarbons and not high CO. It might help someone to help you if you just list the emissions results (all of them including what' s passing). For example, WA state testing is done at both idle and cruise (2500 rpm). Is your CO high at both speeds? Are the HC levels close to failing or just very good? An '85 Hatch with a Hitachi shouldn't have any trouble but three areas I would look at since I've been down this road a few times before is check all the vacuum lines for leaks; spraying a can of starter fluid around fittings and lines and look for an increase in rpm and you might find a vacuum leak. Nextly, check the vacuum advance on your distributor; if that doesn't work your emissions at cruise go to heck. Lastly, check the PCV valve and the large hoses going to your valve cover gaskets. If you replace the PCV, use an OEM version from the dealer; some of the aftermarket ones don't work/last. Good luck with it.

Hot wiring or fuses indicate a bad connection somewhere. Make sure the fuses are tight in their holders. Make sure metal connectors are tight (plastic in the connector housing can turn brown from the heat indicting a poor connection).

Local PAPs in Seattle area and Tacoma don't cut the brake lines. Every set I've pulled has come with the original lines.

You might try looking for the Robert Bentley manual (ISBN 0-8376-0270-X). A re-write of the FSM for all Subarus from 1978 and up to and including 1984. Hard to find but worth it if you can get one.

Turbone helped me replace the entire console/dash in my ´84 Brat. Since the new console/dash was out I managed to install small Blaupunkt speakers on both sides. I don´t think the left side speaker is removable without taking out the console/dash....no, you don´t want to do it if you can avoid it.

Jason, you´ll have to explain the WRC co-driving thing for me. Correction: Jeanne won´t be bringing her guitar. I forgot that she´s going in for rotator-cuff surgery as soon as we get back from Bolivia....she´ll have her arm in a sling for a while....no driving, no guitar playing....