benjamachine

Hey all! I've been having this problem for some time now. The brakes on my '87 Subaru GL 4WD wagon are just terrible (not as snappy as the ones on my old '86 GL FWD). The pedal is a liiiittle spongey, and the "stop lamp" light comes on half the time when I depress the brake pedal. Here's what I've done to fix: -replaced master cylinder, front hoses, calipers, rotors and pads -replaced hill holder (the old one was leaking) and disabled the mechanism -bled brakes in factory-correct X-pattern -checked rear brakes for leaks... nothing! I'm at a loss here. Also, when I bled the brakes, I often didn't get fluid out of one side or another after a while. Where could the hole be? Doesn't look like I'm losing fluid or anything. Thanks, -b

Maaaaaannnn... That's what I thought I was gonna hear. The car's just getting to the age when all the plastic stuff is getting crumbly. I think I might just JB Weld the clip in there and see how that works.

Hey all! I have an '87 GL 4WD wagon, and it's in great shape. Unfortunately, the plastic inside the metal drip rail trim (that long strip that runs up the A-pillar and over the doors and rear window toward the back hatch) disintegrated. I bought new clips for it, but there was nothing for them to grab onto, because the trim piece's plastic liner was gone back there. Of course, the first wind storm that came along grabbed the loose back end of the trim and folded it over toward the front of the car. So now I have a bent trim piece and no way to attach it to the drip rail. Two questions: 1. Has anyone dealt with this problem before, and if so, how did you fix it? 2. Does anyone know where to get the trim piece and, more importantly (because I think I can re-shape the bent part of the trim strip), the inner plastic lining for the trim? Thanks, Ben

Thanks, all!

I was driving my EA82 1987 GL (Weber carb) today, and all of a sudden, the tach needle went all haywire, started reading 4-5k rpm (even though the engine was still at about 2k). On top of that, the timing was all screwy, and the car pinged badly under load. Less than a minute later, the issue was gone, and only came back later in the day, under hard acceleration. Again, only for a minute. The car is running a bit hot, but is not overheating or anything (need to replace the radiator, I think). I was thinking that this could be the coil, but the tach is connected to the distributor, not the coil. Do I need a new distributor or something?

Check the vacuum line on the cruise unit (it's up under the dash, attached to the accelerator pedal with a length of bathtub stopper chain). The vacuum line goes through the firewall near there and routs under the spare tire to the R side of the engine compartment.

Yes, please show me where the fast idle adjustment screw is (although I've never had problems with it before, and nothing has been changed…I rebuilt the carb in November and drove it all winter without problems). I put Napa's highest end thermostat in it, as the Subaru dealer in my area didn't have the part listed. Thanks.

Yes, it is a rebuilt Hitachi carb. I replaced the thermostat with the best one Napa had, but not an OEM subaru one (the dealership was having trouble locating the part). Thermo sensor… Hmmm. What does that do, where is it, and could it be causing problems with the carburetor's idle stop solenoid?

…and if there is air in the upper hose, what's the best way to purge it?

I don't know if there's air in the radiator hose. How can I tell?

Hey all! I have an '87 Subaru GL wagon, and have been having a couple of problems. 1. Overheating. This has been consistent for the past few months. I put in a new thermostat (then a better one because the Stant one was a POS), hoses, water pump and poured water through the cooling system. And still, when I'm cruising at 3,000 rpm, it starts to run hot. Especially now that summer is here. I can't really figure out what the problem is. The coolant looks clean and all… 2. High idle. I thought this was causing the overheating, but that appears to be a separate issue. The high idle came after a 12-hour snow rally, and I thought I found a vacuum leak around the gasket where the EGR pipe attaches to the intake manifold. So I replaced the gasket. No change. I took the carburetor off multiple times to check that none of the screws holding it together were loose (I had rebuilt the carb last year). I checked the base of the carburetor, and the carb itself, for vacuum leaks by spraying carb cleaner around it. Nothing. The difference came when I unplugged the idle stop solenoid. When it's plugged in, the car idles smoothly, but races. So I unplugged it and it runs like spoob, and even then still a little high. Honestly, I just need the thing to run well enough not to blow up until I throw in an EJ22 next month. I'm done spending money on gutless EA82s. But I'm getting a little help from a more experienced friend, so I'll have to drive it on the EA82 for about 250 miles. Ideas, anyone? Thanks, Ben

Hey all, I have a full wiring harness from an EJ22 ('95 Legacy wagon donor) that I need to strip, but don't have time to get done. I'm doing an EA82 to EJ22 swap on an '87 GL in a few months, and would like to hire the wiring harness-weeding job out to someone who's done it a few times. If you're up to the task, I'll ship you the full harness and you name your price (within reason). But I'm only interested in working with someone who knows what they're doing! I don't want to find out, mid-swap, that the thing's not right. Thanks, Ben 7576452136

…or would something like this work pretty well? http://www.ebay.com/itm/90-98-2-2L-Subaru-Impreza-Legacy-SOHC-EJ22-Full-Gasket-Set-Head-Bolts-Silicone-/221031897242?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item337687189a&vxp=mtr

Hello all, I need to re-gasket an EJ22 from a '95 Legacy wagon (it's going in an '87 GL). Are there any reputable suppliers from which to purchase an engine gasket kit for the engine, or should I definitely go with genuine Subaru parts? I'm going to be driving this car long distances at speed, so although I'd rather not spend $300 on the set, I'd rather do that than have an on-road failure in Alaska next winter. Thanks, Ben

Thanks!!

Where can I find a replacement for the movable idler pulley that tensions the a/c belt? The bearings in the one on my 1987 EA82 GL wagon are gritty and noisy.

I got the axles from autozone, and have had good luck with their parts in the past. I was thinking that it could be the top rubber bushings on the left side strut mount. I replaced the front struts, too.

Last week, I replaced the CV axles, ball joints, tie rod ends, and struts on my '87 Subaru GL 4WD. For some reason when I apply a lot of (engine) torque when the wheels are turned hard to the left, there's a huge clunk as soon as significant torque is applied. This baffles me, because I've taken it apart to inspect (again) and could find nothing wrong. The CV axles, ball joints, struts, etc., are brand new. The ball joints, strut mounts, hub, axle nuts, brake calipers, sway bar mounts, etc., are tight. I took the wheels off today and re-checked all this stuff. The wheel lug nuts are torqued properly and everything, and I also checked the strut mount screws and the nut that secures the end of the strut into its top mounting plate. The wheel bearings also looked good. They were smooth and tight, and I packed a bunch of grease in there before putting the axles back in. The car makes no weird noises whatsoever when I'm running down the road at 75 mph. It's only when I start a sharp left turn. At this point, I'm standing around scratching my head. Other than the clicking the old axle did (because the outer boot had a rip in it and a bunch of grit got into the CV joint), it didn't make the big CLUNK when I was turning. Anyone have ideas? Thanks!

Thanks!

Ah so they are! I spent a number of years in Southern California, where there are lots of freeways. Anyway, I'll be back in town Sunday. I've already been living in Red Hook for about a month, and parking there is a breeze.

So here's the low-down: I will be cruising by the U Pull and Pay in Denver, and they have a mess of Subarus on the lot right now. Sadly, there is nothing before 1984, but there are plenty of GLs, Loyales, Legacies and even an XT (someone should really throw one of those into a Corvair one of these days!). Here's what their inventory looks like (the price list for parts is also linked on their side... pretty standardized, so the more accessory parts you can do without, the cheaper the parts)...just use the drop-down menus to find Subaru models: http://www.upullandpay.com/denver/search-inventory You can also peruse Craigslist. If it's in the immediate Denver or Boulder area, we might be able to work something out. Sorry, I can't drive up into the Rockies to get parts. Unfortunately, I'm still on the hook for work this week and have to file online while I'm on the road. Anyway, happy hunting and please do shoot me an e mail (benjamachine at gmail dot com) if you think there's something here you need. Oh, and here's a pic of my BQE-smashing whip, looking all belligerent in front of my crappy Brokelyn apartment building. Let me tell you friends, a Weber carb, glasspack muffler and slow traffic on New York's awful freeways work wonders in making an 85hp car feel sporty. https://twitter.com/benjamachine/status/330710566962356224

Send me an email at benjamachine-at-gmail.com.

Hey fellow Subie fans, I'm going to be moving from Boulder, Colorado (near Denver) to Brooklyn, N.Y. (NYC...) and will be stopping by Denver's Subaru-filled junkyard on the way out to stock up on parts. Do any of you East Coast Subie people need anything while I'm there? If so, give me a call and we can work something out vis-a-vis shipping costs. You chipping in on gas (and maybe a little labor) will be hugely cheaper than having something shipped. Personally, I've had poor luck finding parts and parts cars on the East Coast (they all rusted to pieces years ago). But the Denver U Pull and Pay always has nearly a dozen GLs and Loyales in the yard. If you need something, give me a call at (757) 635-2136. I'll be in Denver until Friday afternoon (May 17, 2013). Cheers, Ben

Yeeeauhp. I'm a board member. Been here since I bought my GL in '07.

I did. Thanks!