thealleyboy

Stephen: The alt would explain some, but not all of the symptoms. If the car died while being driven, it would tend to rule out most of the electrical system, including the alt. Is this what happened when the car "died"? Now, if it was parked and wouldn't crank over, it could very well be the alt. (The bad alt would have worn down the batt, resulting in the "click" while you were trying to start it. I would try jump starting it if you haven't already. If it starts, you can safely focus on the electrical system. good luck, John

Stephen: Don't jump to conclusions just yet. It could very well be the timing belt, but you need to be methodical about troubleshooting one step at a time. I would check for spark first. That'll cut the job down to size in a hurry. Negative spark could be loose wires or a bad coil (my hunch). Positive spark would seem to indicate the timing belt, which you can verify (or rule out) by popping off the access hole plugs on the timing belt cover, and feeling around with your fingers. Replacing the timing belt isn't fun, but you only have to do it once every 60k. May as learn how to do one if you plan on driving Subes for awhile. As far as being "reliable", a Sube is as good as any make, and better than most. The secret is to get the car up to a baseline standard (ie catch up the maintenance schedule). Sounds like you have a good start in doing the ignition and cooling systems. Just keep at it, and do EVERYTHING on your maintenance schedule for the amount of miles on your odometer. good luck, John

Might want to check for spark too... A bad coil could give you those symptoms. A timing belt can be checked easily, but you'll want to grab as many tools as you can if plan to replace it. You might want to find a source for parts near where the car is located before heading out there. I don't think it's battery/cables/alt if it died while running. Good luck, John

Jason: I'm glad to hear the Harbor Frieght welders are getting some positive feedback. As a rule, I NEVER reccommend cheap import tools, but I haven't really had any bad experiences with HF. I have ordered stuff from them mail order for years, and they recently opened a store here in Columbus recently so I've spent a lot of time checking out their stuff. They seem ok for tools you might use occasionally, but American-made professional grade tools are still best for your basic mechanic set. One plus is that HP offers extended warrenties on certain tools (pneumatics, electrics, probably welders). Again, worth a look for tools you use occasionally. Personally, I plan to buy a Lincoln MIG cause I will be using it often. John

I agree with Glen, it's likely an antenna/ground problem. You can confirm this by pulling your antenna cable out the back of the radio, and jumping the antenna socket to chassis ground. You can use a wire with an alligator clip at each end for your jumper. Your reception should come to life as soon as you touch chassis ground if you are anywhere near where the radio signal originates. good luck, john

You'll need to get to the back of the latch somehow, in order to push the spring activated lever. You might be able to reach it from underneath as mentioned above. If not, you'll have to remove the grill, and then you can easily reach around with your hand to push the lever. An original pull cable is best, though it can be a pain to route it as it came from the factory. Practice on the junkyard car you get your replacement from before tearing your own car apart. Another way is to fabricate a "pull chain" type of release that hangs under the latch out of sight. You could always use a chain and padlock to secure the hood if you are worried about theives stealing your battery. good luck, John

Cole: Mill's Supply carries them. Their # is 1-800-781-2700. Bill at ext 116 can fix you up. Welding is best, but there are other ways to attach them with simple hand tools. I have done them successfuly with rivets. On the rockers, especially, its easy to disguise the attachement points. If you plan it out right, you'll only need to do a minimal amount of finishing work. Eastwood Supply carries a nice "dimpling" tool that'll allow you to rivet flush with the metal. You'll also need several pairs of vice grips to hold the panel in place while you install the rivets. If you go with rivets, use aluminum (not steel) since they will not rust. Regardless of how you attach the new panel, you'll need some cutting tools to cut out the rusted areas, and a chisel to break spot welds. You'll want to do a good job of treating surface rust, and seal it well before installing the new panels. I like to use heavy oil based paints like Rustolem in areas that are not visible. After the panel is on, you'll want to seal the seams all the way around to prevent moisture from collecting. I always hit the undercarriage side with rubberized undercoating to prevent new corrosion. IMO, this is a good alternative if you dont have the $400-$600 to buy a good MIG welding outfit. I don't think a $100 Walmart welder will give you kind of the results you want. good luck, John

Dave: That's really a good question. Alot depends on what type of emission equipment is required n Austrelia. My guess is you guys probably don't have the pollution problems we have in the US, and that would translate into a lighter vehicle. Another would depend on options. Things like electric window motors don't seem like a lot, but all those gadgets collectively along with the wiring, probably add a few hundred pounds to the car. I've always wanted to strip a Subie down to the bare essentials to see how light I could get it. And to see what those +/- 90 HP's are really capable of doing... good luck, John

Orey: You could remove the heat shield to get a little more room. If it's not rattling yet, it will be soon. The heat sheild is nice to have, but uneccesary. You can use a chisel to break the welds attaching it to the y. Better yet, you can remove the y from the heads AND exhaust system. Why you ask?confused: If the car is a keeper, and you plan on doing your own work, you'll want to keep these fasteners in good working order. Major engine or exhaust work will require you to remove the Y, so you should plan on removing it occasionally. Each time you get in there, make sure the fasteners are inspected, and replaced if needed. The threads should be well-lubricated at least. Nothing worse than a snapped/stripped head bolt, or having to replace that Y pipe cause you can't remove the rest of the exhaust from it. good luck, John

Whitey: Sure sounds like a blown HG too me... Not sure exactly what you mean by the fluid being pushed out. If you are talking about the coolant, and you mean it's not "pressurized", it could be due to low. But in any case, oily residue in the coolant is a sure sign that you have a leaky gasket. A second opinion from a mechanic doing some diagnostics should confirm it. Not the end of the world, but you've got a job on your hands. good luck, John

Tok: A couple of things to consider before doing anything on this car: #1: Why did it overheat? Whatever caused it to overheat must be dealt with BEFORE doing your teardown. Better to figure it out now than after you install a rebuilt motor. #2: How bad did it overheat? Head gaskets might only be the beginning if you really cooked it. You may have to recondition the heads (not a bad idea anyway) or even replace them. It is very possible (if you reacted appropriately when it overheated), that a cooling system overhaul, and head gaskets is all it'll take to put you back in business. But you won't know for certain until you tear it down. A straight edge will tell you immediately if the head is warped. If you are willing to invest that much time and effort to pull the old motor, you may as well be prepared to go all the way with it, even if it means rebuilding or replacing the old motor. good luck, John

Skip: A trick to getting the cylinder out is to use a right angle drill (or attchement), if you have access to one. You can drill out the rivets and replace them with screws if you are careful. I you want to go the remote switch route, a footswitch mounted out of the way on the firewall is my favorite spot. good luck, John