Alexx

Why did you end up opening it then? Was it just for us!

I don't think the discussion of driving the Suburban instead of the Justy is the only issue here. Why put someone in a bigger car who may now injure someone else if they aren't more careful? I say another Justy and no cell phone while driving is much safer to all concerned than driving a suburban and using a cell phone. I know you said nothing about cell phones so maybe she didn't have one nor was using one, but this issue must be raised for all new drivers. No one under the age of 21 should be driving and cell phoning unless it's an emergency situation. Making a left hand turn is one of the most dangerous manuevers one can make. Not only must one look for oncoming traffic, but one must also look to see if anyone is in the crosswalk AND make sure all the cars are stopped caddy corner to you. I would ask your daughter to describe exactly what happened and have her identify what she did wrong, and then mention the other things she may have overlooked. What she was driving may matter less than the decisions she made while she was driving just prior to the accident.

Can you point us to what was actually wrong among the components you have pictured?

Thanks for the info. What would I actually be adjusting and where is it located?

Interesting. It does sound like the choke is choking. The other more grim possibility is as the engine warms up one of the cylinders begins firing. However, why did the car run smoothly for 15 seconds before the carb was rebuilt. What would make the choke not work properly?

Before my carburetor was rebuilt, my 81 subaru would idle perfectly when cold for about 15 seconds, then it would start to hesitate and idle roughly. I discovered that 15 seconds was not enough time to do my errands so I was concerned. Then one night the car kept shutting off, I would start the engine but it kept shutting down almost right away, over and over. I had to have the car towed. After that experience I had my carburetor rebuilt by Roo Builders. The Carb Rebuild seems to be a job well done. After installing the carburetor myself and not using anything but the sound of the engine idling as my guide, I adjusted the idle and the additional screw on the carburetor and set the timing where the car seemed to run best. Now when I start the car cold, it feels like it's only running on 3 cylinders. The car now makes great sound effects when cold like it is about to give out. After about 2 to 3 minutes, something "kicks in" and suddenly the car runs quite nicely, much smoother than it did before the rebuild. My pre-heater hose is missing, but I doubt that would cause this problem. Any ideas? Why would the car run smoothly for 15-20 seconds when cold before I had the carburetor rebuilt, and now that the carburetor has been rebuilt, run poorly when cold, and quite nicely when it has been running for two or three minutes. I do plan on taking the car to a qualified mechanic in the next few days after I have installed the pre-heater hose. I was just wondering if someone had any hunches.

Klingon bastards, you killed my sube.

Another Subaru Dealer can come up with one for $29.00. I should have it Tuesday or Wednesday.

I meant the hose was slightly smaller than the diameter of the tube I'm hooking it up to, and I can't get it to fit. The hose is slowly unraveling everytime I try to put it on.

Will a 1 & 1/2 inch after marker pre-heater hose fit on my 81 Subaru, or do I need to purchase a metric sized pre-heater hose? I have already tried and the diameter seems to be slightly bigger than 1 &1/2 inch. Subaru wants $51.00 dollars for their part. Seems a bit excessive.

Wow, great leads! Yeah, I think my carburetor just died. Because it's a california model there are three types that were made. I never did find the info that the rebuilder needs so I am thinking of just shipping the actual carburetor to Colorado.

I had a friend with a toyota corrolla who's resevoir cap blew off the reservoir. I had a country sedan wagon with a reservoir that used to boil over something fierce. I seem to rercall they had a thin rubber hose attached between the radiator and the reservoir yet their reservoir's still built up pressure.

If you want to check the water flow in your radiator, you have a couple of minutes from the time you start the car while COLD before it gets too hot in which to check. Have two hand cloths with you if you decide to try the following. Here's a disclaimer. I am not a expert and what I am suggesting is based on my own personal experience. If anyone disagrees with it, say so and I'll retract or change it as needed. ----------------------------- With the car COLD, COLD, COLD, the parking brake on, the car in neutral (if it is a stick shift, park for automatic transmission), and of course, parked in a SAFE, well ventilated area and preferably while with a friend, open the car hood and remove the radiator cap (the car must COLD) BEFORE you start the car. Start the car while the hood is up and the radiator cap already off (but not placed on the engine or in the engine compartment) of the radiator and watch and see if the water begins to circulate. Don't stick your face right up to the radiator cap opening just in case it could be temporarily plugged and gush on you! Just watch and see from a safe distance if it looks like the water is circulating. If the water does not not begin to circulate within a short time, be careful because you could have an instant gusher. You should see the water begin to circulate within a minute or two. When you are done with your water flow observation test, and presuming the car has been on long enough to warm the water, (definitely well under 5 minutes) turn the car off and wait 30 seconds to see if the coolant boils over. If the coolant boils over it might mean you have a cracked or warped head or an improperly working thermostat. Put the radiator cap back on before closing the hood. If anyone has additional advice on this technique please share it.

I've never had a reservoir on my car, which now has 256,000 miles on the original engine. So even if the reservoir cap is not on, if you have water spewing out of the radiator to the point that it is emptying the radiator, there is some source of internal pressure that is above and beyond normal. Even if you found the reservoir cap, it's quite possible it will pop off due to the extra pressure. Hmmmm, if you could find a cap for the reservoir, and it blew off, then you'd know for sure you have a problem. Maybe that's how you lost the original reservoir cap? A sticky thermostat, plugged up radiator, or a warped head may be in your future.

I'm of the opinion that the reservoir cap holds some pressure, but nowhere near as much as the radiator cap. It's disappointing to hear someone say they kept driving their car even though it was hot. Really a dumb move unless stopping will endanger your life or job.

Anymore?

My mechanic explained to me that the pump itself was easier to replace than the actual gasket seals. In other words if your going to take replace the oil pump gasket it probably is a wise idea to replace the oil pump also. Besides if the oil pump was not leaking, then the gasket would probably not be leaking also. However, I personally wouldn't do it myself, I had my mechanic do the job.

I'm probably not in the do it yourselfer category as much as I used to be. So my curiosity is based in seeing if anyone on the forum has done it before and if as a result "specializes" in converting carb Subaru's to fuel injection. I do have a couple of what appear to be excellent carb places that I will probably proceed with, one was the link you provided.

Cost effective depends on what costs are being compared. If I compare what it would cost me to buy a new car and then what I would lose in depreciation per month, plus insurance, I would be spending/losing between $5,000 to $10,000 a year. If I plan on keeping my Subaru another 5 years then "spending more than the car is worth" becomes a non-issue.

If it's been done before, I wonder why?

How intriguing. Cost analysis anyone?

What would it cost to convert my 81 subaru 1800 engine to fuel injection?

My research on these Subaru forums shows that there are master craftsmen of Subaru maintenance sprinkled throughout the country. Maybe someone will come along and tell us who it is for the Los Angeles area.

I have an 81 subaru and interested in knowing who does your carburetor and distributor work.

This sounds like a carburetor issue.