Roundeye

Out of the 9 EA82 Subarus I have owned, only 2 of them worked on all 4 speeds. 2 were inop on the #1 and #2 settings and one was inop on #1,2 and 3 settings. The remaining 4 were inop on #1 only. I'm sure it has something to do with environment. The more you run the system with the switch on on anything but "4", the more you heat those resisters. Subaru tried to help strengthen these things by putting a ceramic-type bead along the tops of the windings, but those crack and allow the coil to disfigure and break. Then your friendly neighborhood mouse takes up residence in your blower housing and decides he does not like them. I have ran a thin bead of high-temp RTV on top of the factory ceramic bead to hold it together when the ceramic cracks. Been working good for years. If you try this, MAKE SURE you do not get any RTV on the wire itself. It would likely smoke it off. Subaru didn't locate the resisters in the blower box for the heck of it, they get HOT and need the airflow accross them from the fan. (BTW, this was done on a GOOD set. You cannot patch a broken set) Another thing to consider is keeping the resisters clean. Do some cleaning in the blower box every year. Any debris (leaves, rat nest) that gets piled on them will cause them to over heat and fail. While you are in there, clean your fan and reach over toward the drivers side in the box and get out all of that crap stuck on your evaporator. Mine was completely covered with leaves. After cleaning, the airconditioner was easily 10 deg. cooler.

Whoops, looks like you posted when I was typing. Can you get them new? (let me guess.....dealer only and they cost $299,995.99)

Very common Subie problem. Fan speed is controled by a resister set located next to the fan. take the lower pass. side panel and glove box out. You will see the blower fan and HVAC box. Right next to the fan is a small component held in with 3 screws, one of them is on a leg that also holds in the fan. It has a small harness with blue wires running into it. That is the resister pack. These things are VERY delicate so don't pull it until you have a replacement. No new ones that I know of so go to a junk yard and pull every one you find. Look at the coils on the resisters and find one that is not broken.

Check for presence of AC voltage. If your diode(s) fry, you can still have near correct voltage (in DC) but it will put out AC voltage. That means destruction of sensitive electronics designed for DC. I believe that is what GD is also refering to.

Are you talking about toe-in or camber, perhaps? Explain what your wheel looks like compared to the other one. A "taco'd" rim is one that has been folded over onto inself from a violent force as seen on bad bike/motorcycle wrecks and looks like a taco.

Where at?

Yep, it's mine and it's for sale. That picture was taken at the last place around here to go 'wheeling. Now everywhere is "off limits", "no trespassing", etc. That's why I'm considering selling it. Built it to raise hell off road, now I'm forced to remain on pavement.......and pavement sucks. Anyway, here is what I've done to it: 4/4 OZified lift, Toyota Tacoma rims, 29x8.50x15 TSL Super Swamper radials. Since that pic, I've added light bar and lights on roof, snorkel, cleared the front bumper and trimmed the front fenders getting it ready for custom front bumper. If I keep it, it's getting a roof rack, nasty bumpers and a winch. (in case I get stuck on private property:D )

Well, if you are sure you will never remove it, use some large enough pop rivets. If you go that route, use stainless steel, NOT aluminum. Aluminum rivets in steel can cause dissimilar metal corrosion.

My roofrack outers on my '85 and both '87 wagons came installed with "nivet" style threaded rivet/nuts. Similar to a rivnut but flush mounted. The center slats are regular pop rivets. (why, I don't know). I've used both rivnuts and nivits while working on aircraft and they use the same install tool. ATS (Aircraft Tool Supply) has some fine install tools, yes a little pricey, but a quality tool will keep you from doing it twice. (keeps all your hair in your head too:D )

Rivnuts came to mind, but not everyone has the install tool. Would work though, just like the factory roof rack rails on wagons.

Yep, I'd make clearance to fit a socket, but that's me. I'll go out of my way to use self-locking hardware rather than use sheet metal screws and be back doing the same job over when they pull out/loosen. Got air? A die grinder would be most helpful with a grinding bit. Maybe even a Dremel would help. Don't forget to spot paint anywhere you drill/grind. No bare metal = no rust. You are in a bad area for car cancer:D .

Was it a Superstat? There is a difference. Used 'em in my last 4 Subes, one has been in around 60K and 5 years.

Set the rack on it and measure everything out where you want it. Mark screw holes, remove pieces and drill. Get MACHINE screws with washers and self-locking nuts. (If you can't find them anywhere else, go to a local airport. Any hangar should be full of 'em). Before you install, put a dab of RTV on each screw hole. Lay pieces down and install hardware. The dab of RTV seals every hole. The self-locking hardware ensures you will never have to do this again. When it's all mounted, run a small bead of RTV around the base of each part using your finger to remove excess (like caulking a tub only smaller). That'll keep water from getting underneath it causing rust. Lay masking around the base of each piece leaving about a 1/8 inch gap for the RTV. This will keep excess sealant off of your paint. Remove tape immediately after smoothing the bead. It'll be there for life + 2

Times two. I have not heard of the fail open thing, but I have been using NAPA Superstats (ones for Oldsmobile diesel 350) (forget P/N) on all of my older Subes. No failures. GD: You're on to a wierd one there! My only guess would be something corrosion-related. I would see see how many pounds of force is required to open them and compare to a new (control) one of the same manufacturer. Use a push-pull gage, or a fish scale would even give you an idea of what it takes. If the force required is the same, then it could only mean the temper of the bimetalic spring has changed. If the force is more on the failed one, then it could be physical interferance in moving parts or again, sping failure. I hate problems like that. Something so simple that seemingly defies logic.

Sweeet. One thing needed: tinted windows.

Yep. I did not drive it at any speed for fear of glass fragments in the eyes:eek: . The whole inside of the car was coverd in glass fragments/dust. It donated some good parts and kept a few other Subies alive, so it's death was not in vain.

You should see what a tornado does to one. I bought a 1991 Loyale that took a major azz-whooping from a F2 here a few years ago. It was parked downwind from a bank that HAD a gravel roof. Pieces of gravel went through the dashboard. The seat backs had gravel imbeded in them. I found pieces of the tail lights shoved under the dashboard and in the front floorboards. All windows were dust and the entire rear side of the car looked as if it had been shot hundreds of times with buck shot. I didn't find any spiders on that one.

If you can get that close to take a picture of it, you are close enough to vaporize it. Do this: 1. Use a CO2 pellet gun (with NO pellet/BB:rolleyes: in it) and blast it point blank with just the air charge. 2. Wash back of car. 3. Enjoy.

With my OZified 87 GL Wagon, I've pulled out 2 stuck 4x4 Cherokees that got high centered trying to follow me, climbed a hill that a Z71 could not (in front of alot of his friends and GF:lol: ). At the same place several months later got farther up a hill than another Z71 (with lift and 33's) in front of many other 'wheelers. This guy could not stand it. He HAD to redeem himself. So he went for the biggest mud hole in the place and promptly sunk it to the headlights. Truck died and would not even attempt to start when it was pulled out. I guess he showed me:D .

Is "it" anything like static build up on aircraft? I've seen strange electrical anomolies on customers' aircraft that were missing static wicks. Maybe you could install bonding jumpers on hood, trunk and doors along with static wicks trailing from the rear bumper? Any local F.B.O. should have regular old static wicks on hand.

Did it smell really nasty, like hot brakes? Sounds like you smoked a clutch.

Did you ever stop to think that this guy could be waaaaaay over you instead of crazy? Indeed, some things do sound drug-induced, but look up what a "corposant" (Saint Elmo's fire) and "sprite" is.

If it's really rust-free, put the purchase on it. Look under it real good. I had a 1987 GL SR 4WD wagon that looked rust free on the outside, in door jam areas and under hood, but the front subframes were almost missing:eek: .

I hear ya. Check your PM.

Wow. I can see you guys up North ripping out the A/C, but that's unheard of down here. You would die in a nasty egg-frying way down here without it. Carnot, isn't it still hot/humid up there in Huntsville? I see you are ripping out your A/C too like the rest of the Yankees:grin: Anything above Troy is Yank territory, isn't it?