thealleyboy

So what JY do all you single Subie chicks hang out at anyway:brow: Props to ya for not being afraid to get your hands dirty, and don't be intimidated by all the "posers" on this board. Your questions are not dumb at all. Fire away, anytime... good luck, John

If you were happy with your car before (and it sounds like you were), I wouldn't fool around with a 4wd convesion. It is a fairly major undertaking on that car, and you'll need a good supply of parts. Doesn't sound like the hayseed mechanics in your area will be able to handle it. Also, as mentioned above, a 2wd 5speed should be an inexpensive score since no one wants them. And definitely do the clutch too while you are in there. Yes, the car has some miles and is getting up there in age, but these repairs could get you another 50-100k if you keep the well car maintained. good luck, John

I would contact the Subaru corporate division for the region you live in. For example, "Subaru of America" would cover the US and Canada markets. You should be able to find contact info on the web. Their tech support people will be able to look up your vehicle, and tell you how it was originally configured from the factory. They usually field questions from dealers and service techs, but will answer consumer questions too. Subaru of America has been very helpful anytime I contacted them. They were able to identify manufacturer recalls - and whether the problem was ever corrected. Also, info on past owners of the car. good luck, John

The best book for beginners (IMO) is "Reader's Digest Complete Care Care Manual". It has been out of print for 20+ years, but it covers cars of this era better than any other book. An excellent combination of theory and practical information. Well worth the effort to track down a copy. This along with the Haynes manual, should be enough to get you started. As far as tools, if you are starting fresh, I would buy a quality basic metric automotive set, and add to it as needed. Don't be discouraged if you spend a lot on tools early on - they will pay for themselves very quickley. Listen and be open-minded when seeking advice. But always educate yourself enough to make your own decisions. good luck, John

I have a set of those too...Came off an 89 GL AWD AT turbo...just a notch below the gl 10's in terms of trim level. Wonder why my 89 doesn't have the full body colored grill everyone else seems to have??? My T-Wag is all original except for the d/r conversion and motion alloys, BTW. John

Yeah, you'd think a car like the GL10, would be loaded to the hilt. Not the case (with the 2wds - at least). Just curious, which style alloys came with your car? Mine (an 89 model) originally came with hubcaps. I replaced those with a set of "motion" alloys, which is one of 3 styles of alloys correct for that year. As far as the grill, it is body color with black bars in the middle. Not sure if this is what you mean by "body color". John

My cherry red 89 T-Wag is a GL-10 Turbo. Started off as a 2wd A/T, but is now a D/R 5 speed. Standard equipment on GL10's: digi dash, deluxe interior, trip computer, upgraded stereo. Not Standard Equipment on these cars: factory sunroof, alloy wheels, body colored grille. Wish I had some pix to share. This one is my pride and joy... John

Did your xt come with factory fogs - or are you attempting to retrofit? John

Very likely that it is a grounding issue. Only problem is if it is the antenna, a new one might not get good contact either. The area where the antenna mounts is prone to corrosion, and the mounting screw may not be making good contact with metal. You can troubleshoot this by connecting an alligator clip with a length of wire to the antenna socket on the radio, and then grounding the other end to the chassis. If the static goes away, you can simply run a dedicated wire from the radio unit to chassis ground. If your reception is not strong, you'll have no choice but to replace the antenna with an OEM - or better yet, an aftermarket. The aftermarket gives you the option of choosing your own mounting location. good luck, John

Not sure about any of the common lubricants. Products like Armor All may actually cause more harm than good. The best stuff to use on vinyls and hard plastics (IMO) is "marine grade" protectant. This is what is used on motorboats. It's harder to find, and somewhat expensive, but if you are serious about keeping your interior looking good, you can't beat it. good luck, John

Nare, it's obvious that you are a big EGR fan, and if you choose to run this system on an EA81/82, that's cool. But to imply that these emissions systems are essential to cars of this era is just plain wrong. These motors were designed to operate without this equipment. Emissions controls evolved after these motors were engineered, and Fuji updated the cars to meet the particular regulations in effect in the markets where the cars were sold. These motors were never redesigned to be emmission compliant. Instead, this was accomplished by bolting on whatever anti-smog equipment the EPA said was necessary, and tuning the motor to these specs. This design was old in the 80's, and is downright ancient if you want to talk ODBII. Your lecture on emissions systems would be perfect for the New Gen forum... John

If availability and price is good, you cant go wrong with a used OEM. If you need something remanufactured, it's a little more complicated. Rebuilding yourself is rarely worth the cost of parts, time, and effort. There are much better alternatives. If your town has an electrical rebuild shop, I'd give them a look. A recommendation by a mechanic is as good as gold. Often times they are competitive with the cheap import discount stores, and the quality is infinitely higher. If you are into this car for the long haul, may as well get it right the first time... good luck, John

OBDII is the standard ECU protocol on 1996-06 vehicles. The older motors (ie EA82's) were not designed to coincide with this modern system. The older ECU's had limited "override" features, were not very effective, and are easily disabled. John John

The "soup-can solution" would certainly do the trick. On mine, I eliminated the pipe - with a plate on one end, and a threaded plug on the other. Again, I'll reiterate my point that these motors were not specifically designed for anti-smog apparatus, so these devices are not integralto the engine performing properly. Maybe some of the international Sube Board members will back me up on this. You won't find nearly as much emissions controls on vehicles intended for 3rd world markets. All this smarty-pants talk applies only if you intend to utilize this extra equipment. If you have made a conscious decision to elimate the system (and by this I mean completely eliminate), those items become irrelavent. As complex as these cars have become, it still comes down to the basics when you strip away all the extras... good luck, John

I can't speak for FI vehicles, but eliminating the EGR (and other emissions crap) on a carbed intake didn't seem to hurt anything - and possibly improved performance a little. I fabricated block-offs using thick stainless steel electrical "blank" plates. Worked great and very inexpensive. As far as the necessity for emissions systems, remember, most of these were "add-on systems", adapted to motors that were engineered before the era of emission controls. Eliminating something that was added on, brings you back to square one. Fuel injection may be a little trickier, as this system is much more dependant upon the ECU, sensors etc. I would definitely study, and understand the system thouroughly before starting to disable anti-smog devices. However once again, if you remove a system in it's entirety, you should be back to "sqaure one". good luck, John

Miles: Looks great!! You are starting to get that "7" theme down...Or is it that you raped the sedan? Is that Danny's old Loy? John

The absolute worst is when your wheels are down, and you have to special order a part that turns out to be incorrect:mad: !! Another example of why it's important to take charge of matters regarding your car. The time spent researching, or removing a part will pay off when you get the right part - the first time. The person behind the counter can make or break you - especially if you are unprepared. And any more, getting good counter help is the exception. A lot of the parts stores (especially discount) are run like supermarkets, and they are overly dependant upon the software to track down parts. As a result, the staff is not trained for oddball situations like you'll run into with Subes sometimes. Computers and part # databases are no subsititution for experience. There is a definite trade off between price and service at the cheapo parts stores, so you better be looking out for yourself. I used to recommend the "professional" type places for parts, and while they are generally a cut above, I've noticed that they are starting to rely on those computer programs - and making the same dumb-rump roast mistakes. Look for a parts dealer that still looks things up in catalogues, and has multiple sources for parts. Those are the guys that'll take care of you. good luck, John

Totally agree with this school of thought... If you are in this for the long haul, do yourself a favor and ditch the covers. The only purpose they serve is to prevent lawsuits for Fuji - and to make $$ for Subaru dealerships. Once you get to the "baseline" level of maintenance on these cars, it's smooth sailing. The timing system is a weak link, and running naked covers is what nullifies this deficiency - at least from a maintenace standpoint. good luck, John

Some good advice above, and let me reiterate a couple of points: - This is clearly a timing issue. Any mechanic who starts making xpensive diagnosis without exhausting the {less expensive} basics first is an incompetant, a crook, or both. - You should attempt it yourself first, to get a feel for your car - if nothing more. If it does turn out to be something you can't handle, at least you'll be the one calling the shots, and not some dumb-rump roast mechanic who doesn't even know how to open a service manual. - Fox's write-up on timing belt servicing is the best information on the topic available. Read it so you can fully understand the system - and diagnose the true problem very quickly. - A "backup Sube" almost comes with the territory, {especially turbos} so you should think about finding another one so you have your wheels during down time. Not that the turbos are bad cars, but you'll be tinkering with it a while to get it where it needs to be. A EA82 SPFI would be a good choice. - Ditch the GF. If she's ***************ing now, it can only go downhill. Trust me on this. Find a girl that isn't jealous of 20 year old Subes!! good luck, John

Probably got some warpage, Jim... Instead of doubling up the gaskets, you might want to use a hot temp sealer. If that doesn't work, you'll have to grind the surfaces on that y-pipe down smooth. Or change y-pies altogether. good luck, John

Gary: If you run into technical issues email me. I have wiring schematics and other info for those cars. John

thanks for clarifying that!! John

The lines to the cannister are pretty a commen fault when you fool around in the engine bay... The pic you posted are not coming up. I'm kind of curious about what you are referring to. Maybe some sort of "dealer-add-on" option. John

Have you checked your vacuum cannister in the engine compartment? It is located on the pass side, mounted near the back of the shock tower, against the firewall. good luck, John

I've used a universal carberated fuel pump from this company with excellent results: www.mrgasket.com You may be able to get one thru mail order. They are about 1/3 the price of an OEM pump. You could relocate the pump in the engine bay as mentioned above, but I would reccommend leaving the pump underneath, and moving only the filter to the engine bay (some models have the filter located next to the pump). Besides the wiring issue, the pump would probably have to work harder {and wear out faster} if it were further upstream in the fuel system. Maybe it was just my imagination, but but fuel flow seemed stronger and smoother with the seperation between the pump and fuel filter. good luck, John