Andy FitzGibbon

The three speed autos don't have an overdrive gear like the 5 speed manuals do. That's why the engine runs faster in an 3AT car vs. a 5MT. Andy

Because the three speed auto transmissions don't have overdrive, the engine runs faster (as was mentioned above). That leads to more engine noise at highway speed, more wear and tear on the engine, and decreased fuel mileage, compared to the five speed. The auto also sucks up some of the 1800's already scant power, making it even slower off the line than the five speeds are. Consequently, the autos aren't generally worth much. Andy

I could do the machine work for you, but shipping every kit back and forth across the US would be time consuming and eat into the profit margin. Good luck, hope you find someone who does good work. Andy

Do a compression test, which will tell you a lot, and inspect the oil for water contamination. Andy

Hooking both valve covers up to a single hose defeats the purpose of the PCV system. The intent is for clean air to be drawn into the passenger side valve cover and head. The air mixes with blow by gasses as it travels across the crank case, then exits through the driver's side head and is routed back into the engine. In conditions of high manifold vaccum, the PCV valve is held open by vaccum and the air/blowby mixture is pulled into the intake manifold for recombustion. When manifold vaccum is low (such as a wide open throttle condition), the PCV valve closes and the air/blowby mixture is routed into the intake duct (SPFI) or air cleaner (carb) for recombustion. There really isn't any reason to eliminate the system. The only reason I can think of is that if your engine has extremely worn rings, the system usually won't function properly due to high crankcase pressure. The whole system becomes a crankcase vent, rather than a "flow-through" system as the manufacturer intended, and you end up with lots of oily blow by in your intake duct (or air cleaner on carbed models). The same symptoms will occur on an unworn engine if the PCV valve is stuck or broken- blow by will be routed to the air cleaner/intake tube at all times and will leave an oily mess. The old time trick for worn out engines is the way the old cars did it, with the "venturi tube" mentioned above (although the venturi effect isn't really necessary with the excess crankcase pressure of a worn engine). The "environmentally conscious" method is to vent the valve covers directly into a plastic bottle, which you occasionally empty. As GD mentioned, having a properly functioning PCV system helps keep the oil cleaner by removing acidic gases from the crankcase. This won't happen if you put a little filter on each valve cover or run both valve covers into a single hose, and will only happen to a certain extent if you run venturi tubes. Andy

Yeah, you're right. Brain fart. Andy

The search engine won't do searches for queries of three characters or less. Do a search for something like "PCV Valve", PCV System" ect. Andy

As I recall, you bought the Permatorque head gasket kit. I've never bought one of the kits, just the single head gaskets, and on those there is a small "use no sealer" notation. Remember, FSM rules apply to OEM gaskets and parts only- doesn't apply to aftermarket parts that have had 20 years of R&D since the FSM was published. Depending how much reassembly you did, I'd take it back apart and put new ones in. A lot easier to do it now than to have to redo the whole job if they don't hold. The gaskets are only about $15 each (for EA82 anyway- can'd imagine they'd be much more for the EA81). Andy

I got as much as 32 in my Loyale wagon with 198K and the check engine light on. My GL wagon with a Weber will get 31 if I baby it. This is driving on hills and mountains, not much flat land around here. Andy

Well, the dealer came through. Not sure if it was the '92 VIN I gave him or if he just checked more carefully, but they're getting eveything I wanted. Maybe if I order enough old stuff from them they will get into the swing of it. Andy

It's not the threads I feel slipping, it's the body of the bolt overstretching from being torqued too many times. The manifold bolts are like the oil pump bolts in that both are long and skinny, and both have a habit of twisting off when they are stretched out. I could probably use the ones I have, just figured I'd pick up new ones since they will be cheap enough and I could then avoid the chance of twisting one off. Dealer is going to try again with a VIN from a '92 Loyale, we'll see if that works. Andy

As was pointed out, you couldn't use it in the rear because it would be turning the wrong way. Owning a Ford has made me hate Twin Traction Beams... they wear tires funny and all the parts are expensive (and there are a lot of parts). I just put around 2K into the TTB of my F250, replacing bearings, axles, drag link, ball joints, ect. As a side note, AMC Eagles also use IFS with a Dana center section- I think it's either a 30 or 35. Andy

Thanks for the exhaust gasket part number. As for the bolts, I want to go with new. The last time I was torquing these down they didn't feel so great to me, and I don't want to twist one off. Thanks for the offer though, Matt. This dealer needs the VIN because they are a new dealer, and don't have any old parts books. Their computer programs don't go back that far either. When I order anything for my cars, they have to call in with the VIN number to order stuff. Car is an '85 carbed EA82 GL, shouldn't be "too old". Like I said, they got me head bolts for it a couple weeks ago. I will try going in there with a '92 VIN and order the same parts, and see what I get. Thanks, Andy

Easy for you- here, if I want metric bolts I have to buy a box of 100 if I want anything but the most basic sizes. And the manifold bolts are not standard bolts- the body necks down between the threads and the head. I don't know if it makes a difference or not. Andy

Today I was told by the local Subaru dealer that they couldn't get intake manifold bolts or exhaust gaskets for my '85 GL because it's "too old":rolleyes: They got head bolts for the same car a few weeks ago. Maybe it's because I gave them a VIN number from an '89 because it was the closest thing I had on hand. I could try that again, but at this point I think it would be easier to get the stuff online. I know I can get the exhaust gaskets, but doubtful on the manifold bolts. Andy

There used to be one of those around here. I drove past it every day on my way to work. It's not there any more, hasn't been for a while. I always assumed it was home built, but it may have been one of these kits after all. Andy

I have JB welded gas tank leaks and that worked, but I wouldn't do it on an oil pan. If the gas tank leak fails, you're only out the cost of the gas rather than the cost of a new engine. Replace it or weld it. Andy

Actually Haynes DOES tell you to do this, but they don't make it very clear at all, and it's easy to miss if you don't already know it needs to be done. In my book it tells you to do it in step 34 of the timing belt procedure (Chapter 2 part B, section 5) but it is only one sentence at the end of the paragraph and easy to read over. They should have made it it's own step in the procedure. Anthony, I'm assuming you didn't mess with the driver's side timing belt when you took the pass. side head off. So theoretically at least the driver's side cam and distributor should still be in correct time, since it ran before. Even if the pass. side cam was out of time somehow, it should be at least trying to fire on the two DS cylinders. That makes me think it's an electrical problem somewhere else- possibly fuel delivery related? I don't have a lot of experience working on SPFIs and zero on MPFIs, so can't really give you anything specific to look for. Andy

There are two different types of rear shoulder belts, aren't there? The ones that mount to the pillar and the ones that just come over the top of the seat. Andy

As far as I know no EA82 DLs had power windows or locks. GLs were a mix. The differences varied over the years, like others have said. Andy

This could potentially work, if you had the expertise to do it or the money to pay someone else to do it. The pinning method you show in your drawing would not hold up. You'd want to have at least one longitudinal key, or preferably multiple splines. I suspect the pinion shafts are hardened, so cutting internal splines in the 4:11 pinion would entail some tricky machining (and expensive if you were paying someone to do it). Even then, cut splines are nowhere near as strong as rolled splines, so weather it would hold up would be a question. It would be best to do no welding on the part so as to not alter it's heat-treatment- otherwise it would probably just twist off at the weld the first time you took it out. You could maybe hold the pinion gear on the shaft with a large bolt into the end of the shaft, but that seems a little iffy to me (and internal threads in a hardened shaft is not a fun job). I'd probably press it on with an interference/shrink fit- that's how we put locomotive wheels and gears on the axles, and they stay put. You also have to deal with the fact that the 4:11 and 4:44 ring gears interfere with the high/low gearing because they are bigger in diameter than the 3:90 (I have heard this, anyway). Basically, it would be a very long experimental process, probably with a tranny or two trashed in the process. I have thought about doing it (I have all the equipment to do the machine work) but have so many other projects that it will probably never get done. Andy

DL's didn't come with Dual Range, did they? So I'm guessing the trans was swapped. In that case, that's probably why it's interfering. My 1985 GL Dual Range shifter doesn't get in the way at all. Andy

I used to go to NAPA a lot, but service was so hit or miss I quit going (sometimes it was great, sometimes terrible). The Autozone here seems to hire people who actually know something and are helpful. We have Autozone, Advance, Federal-Mogul, NAPA, and one other place (can't remember their affiliation) in town here. Unfortunately the non-"supermarket" stores haven't caught up to Autozone yet in price or in service. I only go to them if I need machine work or something else the chains don't do (bending U-Bolts, ect.) Our Advance is completely useless, the last time I went there it was only because I had a free gift card and even then it was a hassle. Andy

Use a sedan rear end and trunk as a couch, like the '57 Chevy ones J.C. Whitney used to sell. Or make a wagon into a guest bed:grin: Andy

According to my tech friend, you should only use OEM gaskets on EJ motors, particularly if you have the 2.5 version that is hard on head gaskets. I personally have no experience with EJ's. You would probably get a better answer if you post in the New Generation forum. Good luck, Andy