subeman90

I can think of one reason not to do it..... Cost! If you want to preserve it why don't you do the bottem of it too? Just make sure you open up the drain holes in the doors etc so you don't get water being retained in places you don't want water.

wife got my impreza key stuck in the 83 a few months back. I took a pair of long needle nose pliers and put them right at the edge of the key (just outside the tumbler) and in one quick snap i cranked the key backwards (like I was turning it off) and poof it went back and even came right out. (yeah I was lucky). Atleast your car wasn't running like mine was...

if you didn't overheat the engine I would just put new HG's in the motor and go for it. If you freshen up the spare would you put new ones in it....because if you wouldn't then I would hate to think if that one blew its HG then you'd be pretty pi$$ed.

Welcome to the Board! Congrats. on the forester.....and don't trash the other car before offering up parts for us board members especially the fuel tank. What color is the 83 inside and out? By the way, I know where patton is. I am from out your way...I grew up down in Everett.

This writeup is from our member Andyjo This car he specifically did is his Impreza Outback. A lot of the things he did to the impreza in this mod would be done to other newer Subaru's like Legacys, Imprezas, Outbacks, Bajas, and Foresters. Enjoy So for some time now every once in a while someone comes on the forums looking for information on how to lift their new gen. subaru. I've descided i'd throw together some of the pics i took when i lifted my impreza for a little help to those who can't quite put it all together. So here it goes: (For all bolt removeage, it's good to soak all of them in some PB Blaster for a day or two before attempting this opperation.. either that or have a very large breaker bar....) First you'll need some suspension components (Fig. 1)from a taller vehicle, i chose a 99 forester. I only got the struts from it, but if you got the springs, already installed, this whole thing would be alot easier. Figure 1 If you have the springs already installed on the struts then skip this step, if not, get yourself a spring compressor (Fig 2). I went to Advenced Auto, and asked if i could rent one, they said sure. Charged me 49 bucks, and if i bring it back, they give me the 49 bucks back. Figure 2 Next you need a vehicle to lift, most likely if you're reading this, it'll be a subaru. I chose to use my car (Fig 3), which happens to be the only car i own. Figure 3 Our next step will be to pop the hood (if you don't know how to do this, turn back now...), take the hub caps off, loosed your lug nuts, and lift the car and put it on jack stands (Fig 4). If no jack stands are available, utilize the local universities supply of bricks, found convienently in the dirt pile on the back side of campus. (Note: Users without hubcaps may skip the hubcap removal step) Figure 4 Your next step will be to disconnect the brake line from the hub, so you don't end up ripping the brake line out when you pull the strut (Fig 5). You will also have to remove the clip attaching the brake line to the strut (Fig 6). Make sure you plug up the brake line (Fig 7) when you take it off, also, because you'll get brake fluid EVERYWHERE. (Note, if you have friends that like to mess with you, keep them away from your brake pedel from this step, till the end) Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 __________________ Now for the fun part, get our your breaker bad/impact gun/10lb hammer, because now we get to remove the Strut-to-Hub bolts! Yay! Simply remove these two bolts (Fig 8) with your chosen anti-bolt weapon. My method was to shove my 1/2 rachet on there, lay down on the ground with my feet up in the wheel well and make alot of aggonizing noises until it came un-done. Figure 8 You're going to want to loosen the large bolt in the center of the strut cap now, or else you'll never be able to loosen it later on. With that done you can now remove the 3 Strut-to-Body nuts (Fig 9) holding the strut in place now. It should look something like Fig. 10 When you get the strut out of the car, this may require some very interesting controsions of your body and the strut-spring assembly. I found it easier to push the strut back into the car, and then pack towards the rear end of the car. When you get it out it should look something like Fig. 11, if not, please seek professional help... not this tutorial... Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Now, i've found that many people are afraid of spring compressors for some reason... I've found them very easy and enjoyable to use, you just simple put it on the spring (Fig 12), lock the little tabs, and crank down on them w/ a rachet somewhat evenly.. Once you do this you should be able to unbolt the top strut bolt without it flying across your driveway and almost taking out your neighbors Figure 12 Now you should have a bare strut just waiting to be left in your front lawn for a week. It's now a good time to compair the hight differences between your new suspension parts, and the ones you just ripped out of the vehicle. (Fig 13) Figure 13 You can now take the boot off of your old strut and put it on the new one, or you can put a new one on (Fig 14).. but who buys new boots if the originals arn't ripped? :-p With the new boot on and zip-tied to the strut you can line up the compressed spring you just took off, or you can uncompress the stock spring, and compress a new spring (Fig 15). Either way, slap that puppy on there and throw the strut top on, and bolt that sucker down. Now you can experience the joy of trying to uncompress the spring while lining it up with the strut cap. Good times... Anyhow, after you get this done you should have a complete Spring-Strut assembly, ready to go right back into the vehicle (Fig 16). Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16 __________________ Now to get the spring-strut back into the car, it pretty much the same as taking it out, except you've got a little more length to deal with. I found that bolting the strut cap up to the body first, was much easier than connecting the hub first. Also, make sure when you put the parts back in to look up the torque specs for your components. (Note: KYB Strut tops have a MUCH LOWER torque rating than standard subaru strut tops). So, now throw in the strut, bolt up the top, line up the bottom, and bolt on the hub (try to get the camber as good as possible..), re-torque the main strut nut, run the brake line back threw the strut, and connect that bad boy back to the caliper. You'll want to bleed your brakes afer all of it is done, because... well. because that's what you do. It also might be helpful to disconnect your swaybar when putting the new strut in, because it's taller, and your swaybar won't like that. So that's about it, do the same thing for all of the struts, and when you get it all done bring it in for an allignment. After you get it all alligned & pretty you should test out your new lift by driving up a large sand pile (Fig 20) Figure 20 Enjoy your new lift! Disclaimer: This is how i did it, i'm sure i forgot stuff, but it'll get you started! Note On the Strut Caps: When installing this lift to an Impreza, you should use Forester Strut Caps in the Front, and Your Impreza Caps in the Rear. This will keep you from buying stuff you don't need! (ie: the rear Forester Caps) All Impreza caps Worked for me.. but it may differ car to car & by the year.

********** this subject is in the USRM now. I put andyjo's post in about the mod with the pics too. Enjoy and thanks again to Andyjo. ***************

totally understand.....totall cheap a-- here too sometimes. There is a guy that had a problem with his legacy on here....He thought it was a bad HG but it was just a bad cap...I hope you get that lucky.

This writeup is from one of our members Andyjo. This writeup was done while he was working on his Impreza Outback. I believe you can do this mod to any 4EAT transmission (4 speed electronic automatic) but there could be some minor differences...that being said...Enjoy! So here goes, the first task was to find the damn wire. I did it on my Impreza (obs), the two connections spoken of are located below the airbox, and a pain to get to. There are two connectors down there, the one we're looking for was the one in the front/drivers side (it's sort of at an angle), i used a screw driver to pop the connector off the frame and have better access to it. Then i figured out the orientation and tested pin 4 and 11, and bingo! 13ohms! pin 4 is GROUND, 11 is the solenoid. I figured out which wire was which i ran up to radio shack, and grabbed a switch, came back and dropped the wire bundle down under the car (car on ramps), there's alot more room to work down there than there is in the engine compartment. My soleniod wire (pin 11) was brown, i chopped it, and spliced 2 wires to those segments and ran that up into the car where i wired the switch up. I got a the wrong switch, but it still worked, i got a STDP (single throw, double pole), center off (oops). I wired that sucker up and gave it a go. If you start the car in 4wd mode the 'AT OIL TEMP' light will flash at you alot, so don't do that. And here are the pics! Passenger side looking at wires Drivers side, the wires The Pins Ohmage of pins 4 and 11 Splice into those wires Cover up those exposed wires mount that switch right up somewhere...

This writeup is from one of our members Andyjo. This writeup was done while he was working on his Impreza Outback. I believe you can do this mod to any 4EAT transmission (4 speed electronic automatic) but there could be some minor differences...that being said...Enjoy! So here goes, the first task was to find the damn wire. I did it on my Impreza (obs), the two connections spoken of are located below the airbox, and a pain to get to. There are two connectors down there, the one we're looking for was the one in the front/drivers side (it's sort of at an angle), i used a screw driver to pop the connector off the frame and have better access to it. Then i figured out the orientation and tested pin 4 and 11, and bingo! 13ohms! pin 4 is GROUND, 11 is the solenoid. I figured out which wire was which i ran up to radio shack, and grabbed a switch, came back and dropped the wire bundle down under the car (car on ramps), there's alot more room to work down there than there is in the engine compartment. My soleniod wire (pin 11) was brown, i chopped it, and spliced 2 wires to those segments and ran that up into the car where i wired the switch up. I got a the wrong switch, but it still worked, i got a STDP (single throw, double pole), center off (oops). I wired that sucker up and gave it a go. If you start the car in 4wd mode the 'AT OIL TEMP' light will flash at you alot, so don't do that. And here are the pics! Passenger side looking at wires Drivers side, the wires The Pins Ohmage of pins 4 and 11 Splice into those wires Cover up those exposed wires mount that switch right up somewhere...

you put all those new parts on it and didn't spent the extra $6 on a new rad. cap???? shame shame shame... :-\ Go buy a cap and tell us what happens.... Welcome too by the way....

Very nice van you have there.... and the motor looks pretty clean too.

Caps are cheap..... start there.

EBAY!!!!!! I made a killing when I parted out my vanagon. Sell every light out of it (tail light corner lights etc.) and the door handles and mirrors. Anything I could rip out of mine in 10 min. I sold on ebay and $$$$$$$$$$$$$

when I had my 02 OB I broke one offroading and went to buy a new one. I got the new one and I couldn't get it to go back on right so I took the other one off and sold them both on ebay. So if anyone in the Lehigh valley area (PA) sees an 02 OB (blue) without fog guards....tell the new owner.... sorry

I would have thought bucky was a girl....you know tempermental and all.

SteelyDel Brush Guards History.... As many of you know accessories for 80's model Subaru's are pretty much nonexistent or its search for a junkyard one (if they even ever made one before.) Brushguards were a dealer available accessory for the 80-94 Style Subaru's. They didn't sell all that well from what I have found. A few different ones were available but they were very heavy and very expensive new. If you find one in a junkyard today it will likely be a rusty hulk but if you sandblast it and paint it you will be happy with the results. Only problem is that you will likely have nearly the amount of $ a new SteelyDel guard costs invested and you will have a lot of work and time invested as well. A Subaru and VW nut from California named Rodel created the first brush guard and mounted it on his vehicle. (See prototype page on Ultimate Subaru Website here)He created a jig and made a few at a time for persons like himself that loved their Subaru's and wanted to give it a distinct look. The guard has a definite factory look when properly cleaned, prepped and well painted or preferably power coated (electrostatic coating). I recommend you read about powder coating/electrostatic coating on the internet prior to making a decision to paint. USRM topic here as well: Powdercoating Rodel found the creation of the guards to be time consuming and the number of interested parties at the time he shut down was very much dwindling. He made a final run, a last call of sorts and made between 5-7 more and then quit. He then offered the jig up to the USMB members in hopes that somebody would take over making them for the Subaru community. Living in Southern California where there are very few Subaru enthusiasts that can weld, the guard jig sat for many months. Then a few people offered to go after the jig, and I being nuts and wanting to pick up some other Subaru parts in California made the 2000 mile trip to California from Iowa and picked up the jig (and a topper and set of color matched brat doors I had wanted). Now the jig and manufacture of the guards is being done in Colorado by a professional with 40 years experience. If you are interested in owning one please email ShawnW@ultimatesubaru.org.

Using Center Light W/O Relay Written by Wagon78 from the USMB. You can make a working centerlight with a DPDT switch if you don't have the "official" relay, switch and harness. I got a 10A DPDT switch at Radio Shack that works fine. The wires below are what come from the center light braket assembly. Connect to the switch as listed below: Black - Lamp (-). Connect to chassis/Batt (-). Red - Lamp (+). Connect to Pole#2A on DPDT Switch. Black/Red Stripe - Door Motor Power. Connect to +12V Green/Red Stripe - Connect to Pole#1 common on DPDT Switch. Green/White Stripe - Connect to Pole#1A on DPDT switch. Green - Connect to Pole#1B on DPDT switch. You also have to connect +12V to the Pole#2 common on the DPDT switch. There are some slip rings inside the motor unit that provide power to the door raise/lower motor. Gaps on the slip rings are what stop the motor when the door is open or closed. If the door opens when it should close or vice-versa, swap the green/wh and green wires. Editors Note: DPDT means double pole double throw. Radio Shack is an electronics store that is in many parts of the USA in malls.

Tire Pressures Recommended tire pressures can be found by opening the drivers door and look on the frame of the vehicle near the door latch either on the body of the car or on the door. It should show a front and a rear pressure.

Spare Tire Upgrading Compact or Temporary Sized Spare tires are annoying. They drive weird, look weird, are heavy, cant exceed 55mph, and make the car drive funny. Solution: Replace it with a full sized tire. These can be had quite cheap. Just go the the junkyard, and find a steel wheel off virtually any 4 lug Subaru. Preferably one that is similar to the other 4 on your car. A wagon wheel works good with the hold down clamp. The alloy wheels don't work wit the clamp but a full size tire wont have any room to move anyways. Try to find a wheel that has a good tire with good rubber and the same tire series like 185 70 R 13 for instance, as an added bonus. The only problem is what to do with the temporary tire. Id say give it to the junkyard, and maybe get some money off your new wheel? I just stuck mine in my wagon that I never drive anymore.

Wheel and Tire Upgrades for 4 Bolt setups. A FAQ on the Ultimate Subaru Message Board. A great website made by USMB board member McBrat is here. It will be referred to as the wheel page in this page. Mick has put a great deal of time/effort into this page and his services to the "subaru community" have always been excellent! Subaru uses a 4x140 mm bolt pattern. This pattern is exclusive to only Subaru's and the Peugeot 504 and 505. Subaru never made a wheel larger than 13" (at least that was imported to the USA) in this bolt pattern. There are many 13" alloys that are Genuine Subaru available, see Mick's page for images of them. As a rule wheels that are older than your model car will probably not work without altering/grinding the calipers. See this photo made by McBrat for info. Jackman wheels are wheels like the wagon wheels but the spokes go straight out toward the tire instead of making a bend. Jackman was the manufacturer if you are wondering about the name. Jackman wheels have a J stamped into one of the spokes. Choices on wheels are as follows. Peugeot wheels or wheels that can be imported from Australia such as the ones made by Scorpion Automotive. Beware of sticker shock though, as the Scorpion wheels are around $150 each and are heavy to ship as well. $600 without any tires is in many cases not worth it to owners of Older Subaru's. Peugeot made models designated as the 504 and 505. Wheels from a 504 are typically not prefered because they require the use of special washers that are placed onto the wheel stud before the lug nut after the wheel is on the hub. This leaves very little stud left to put the lug nut onto. 504 wheels typically require special balancing machines once tires are made and many have found the ballancing machines hard to find in shops. 505 wheels are available in steel and alloy. Alloys are less preferred if you plan to do any 4wheeling but can make a good look on a street machine with lower profile tires. The steels are quite popular among members of the Hatch Patrol a west coast group of Subaru 4wheeling guys. Check out their site when you can! Lots of great pics of older Subaru's doing their thing in the great outdoors, as well as alot of great pics of the final product of the wheel upgrade. This page is a work in progress and anybody that wants to add info please feel free to email me.

Nonfunctional Heater Fan Speeds Non functional heater fan speeds are normally caused by a burned open resistor block. This block is mounted in the duct work ( for cooling purposes as the device does get quite hot.) This duct is behind the glove box and can be accessed from below after removing the plastic panel. The block will have four or five wires going to it. Submitted by Holigans Likeus

e-mail Shawn Subaru EA81 Heater Core Swap Okay, here it is. With inspiration from SubySwamper assuring me that it could be done..... 1. Remove panel on left side under the dash 2. Remove the defroster duct from the left side of the console 3. Remove the heater control valve 4. Move any wires out of the way if you have any hanging 5. Cut out a side access hole around the heater core. Because of the cramped area, and thickness of the plastic, following SubySwampers lead, I used a soldering iron to perforate the plastic around the core. 6. The plastic is "rounded over the edge of the core, so you will have to make sure to get the "cut" as far back as possible to allow room for the core to come out. 7. Remove computer so core has a spot to pull out into. 8. Remove core by pulling out from the side. 9. If the core will not come out, see #6 above. 10. Core still will not come out, you may have to remove the top edge of the opening for the defroster duct (like I did) 11. Core is removed... here is the rough opening... ...and after a little clean-up.... 12. Here's the comparison of the 2 cores. you will notice that the new core is all aluminum, and thinner which makes it easier to get in... 13. Here's the new core with the new foam installed around it... (you may need to trim up some around the end opposite the pipes to ensure a good fit back into the hole... 14. Here's the new control valve (dealer only)... 15. Always test fit to make sure everything lines up (there's a reason there is 3 pics ) 16. And the final pics of the install... And this is done to avoid this... plus a whole lot more mess of pulling the dash out too...

Troubleshooting A/C Problems Symptoms: Pure clean water dripping into passenger side floor from under dash. Water is condensing onto the underside of the dash area on passenger side. Problem: A/C drain hose may be plugged up. Solution: Find short rubber drain hose coming out of the firewall inside the engine compartment on the passenger side. Run a wire coat hanger (or similar device) up into the drain tube to free blockage. Be sure to rotate hanger around good to totally clear tube, so blockage does not re-appear quickly.

Rear Disc Conversion Jerry I thank you for mailing these pictures. Text to follow if somebody can do that it would be great. Email me the info if you can at. watsonshawn@hotmail.com Rear Brake Disc Project Qman Sent these to add, help as well. Thanks Guys! As always you are super helpful.