bratman2

I removed the factory tape deck. Cut a 1/2" piece of plywood and beveled it. Painted it gray to try and match the factory color. Left the old radio in place.

Maybe I wasn't clear. I do not unbolt the knuckle. I don't remove the disc or caliper either. I unbolt the strut rod from the A arm and take the bolt out of the hinge of the A arm. This gives you enough room to pull the DOJ off the stub. Then I turn the nut around on the axle and pop it out with a 3# hammer.

Forgot to add then I drive the axle out of the knuckle. With the nut reversed and a 3# hammer. Sometimes I use a claw hammer to help pry the axle back in until I can get enough threads to show and finish with the nut. All this is best to my feeble memory.

Been a while since I have done some on my Brat. Bought brand new Empi axles a couple of years ago. But I have pulled and rebooted many since I have had my Brat 17 years. I do the same thing to taking the wheel off. Best of my memory is I drop the inside A arm bolt and unbolt the strut rod from the inside top of the A arm. Drive the roll pin out, be sure to drive it out the correct side. The beveled side is in, the flush side is to drive out. Using my foot push the knuckle out while pulling on the DOJ joint. I have had them out and back in with the Brat on the ground in around 20 mins or so. Not counting rebooting!

My Brat did a similar thing many years ago. I called it a lazy alternator and replaced it. May not be your problem but the alternator replacement solved mine. By the way I drove it like that for several months with no issues. I live in the sticks so it always had time to get up to charge, usually took about five miles.

I saw some new on Ebay for $40.00 apiece with free shipping. Search KYB 4183A shock.

Also sounds like you may not have vented the crankcase hoses properly. You shouldn't have that kind of base pressure if the motor is in good condition. It's dark and raining, plus I am getting ready to leave for work. And I can't off the top of my head remember how mine is vented. I installed my Weber maybe a dozen years or more ago. A quick search should show you if you have it correct or not. I will say that when I went from 195 Coopers on the steel pug rims back to 185/80-13 tires on the factory rims I noticed more difference than I thought I would accelerating. I am back to the pugs but w/ 185/75-14 Uniroyal's.

First I have ever heard of synthetics not having a lower powering point per viscosity. I remember years ago seeing an oil chart that list dozens of manufactures and synthetic lines would be 10-20 degrees lower power points than conventional within same brands.

I am guessing you are running 195/75-14 BFG's. When I had 195 Coopers on my Brat it was 15% off on the speedometer. So your 65 would be closer to 75 if the same as my 87 Brat. There is variances from one to the other on many things. I would imagine that they are fairly heavy tires which would impact performance somewhat and kill a little more mpg. A Weber has instructions to set the carb right and if you got the model specific for an EA81 it should have the right jets. I would first verify the baseline settings externally and see what works best. If you still have doubt verify that the right jets are installed. I would think your mileage is low even if you added the 15% correction. Do you have a fuel regulator installed? It could be just enough pressure to override the float making it dump extra fuel. I think I have my regulator set for 2.5lbs. The extra returns to the tank via the return line at the separator filter.

The front edge hit under the hood with the 2.5" on my 87 Brat. Eventually it kind of made the front of the filter deformed. So they are not all the same. May fit or may not, the short filter will always fit.

Carpet kit that I got 7-8 years ago sucked. It was poor fitting and faded rather fast. I would like to replace it but would gladly pay twice the price for a proper fitting, decent quality carpet.

I have had NGK Iridium plugs in my 87 Brat for 5 years or so with no issues.

First timing belt I ever changed in my life was a Subaru Legacy. Took way less than $100.00 and about 2.5hrs. under the carport. The 2.5 hrs was because it was my first and I was taking my sweet time. Have owned 5- Subaru vehicles over the years and still own two. Only had any trouble beyond service items with one. No way any FWD car comes close to Subaru all wheel drive system, it is top rated! Just Google best all wheel drive system and see what hits you get!

Andrew, I went through a terrible drivability issue with my 87 Brat many years ago. Like you I felt it was the carburetor and replaced mine with a Webber! It fixed the problem even though I don't think the carb was the problem. I might get the name wrong but there are exhaust recirculating valves (I think that is what they are) on the bottom of your exhaust manifolds. They can hang up and cause all kinds of problems. Mine were capped for the Webber install and why I think that is what really fixed my Brat. My problems if memory serves me was similar to yours. When cold it seemed to do okay, as it got warm it would lose power to the point you would have to down shift to maintain speed. Sometime it would backfire when shifting also. Might want to try blocking those off first! A Webber will give a little better performance just the same but if your carburetor was properly rebuilt it would be a shame to can it!!

If you go to Crutchfield and punch in your vehicle info they will tell you what will fit. Almost anything would be an upgrade over old factory speakers. I like Polk Audio myself!

Subaru has three different all wheel drive systems. Some are more capable than others at overcoming a loss of traction on 2 or more wheels. This video shows that better. Hopefully this link will work! http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e05_1384810870#1v7oheuKRBoM9exD.01

If my memory is correct when I replaced my U-joints the front and back were the same! On a 87 Brat! Rear was shot but why go through the trouble to replace one when the other will be next!

That seems to be a good price. I paid about the same nearly 15 years ago!!!!

Would love to have an EJ22 SOHC in my Brat! Purchased a 93 Legacy FWD years ago for my middle daughter with 115,000 miles on it. Sold it years later with 192,000 miles after she smacked a bear and crinkled the body from driver's front fender all the way to the back door. Up to that point the only item I had to replace was a temperature sensor and I did one timing belt. It used virtually no oil and averaged 28-29 mpg when sold. Co-worker bought it just to commute to work. It died from overheating (thermostat stuck) blowing the head gaskets and cracking the intake manifold at 212,000 miles. Think she was hot!!!!! Stone reliable engine!!

I had to take a business trip to Canada a few years back with an associate from our head office in Chicago. A snow storm blew through so he did all our driving. I noticed he always cracked a back window a half inch or so when we started out. When I asked why he told me it defrosted the windows faster. Seemed to work and I have done the same with my Brat, cracked a rear glass just a hair or so. I also have removed my compressor many years ago and the cracked back window does help defrost and remove condensation.

The 28" tires look nice on it. I would look for the dual range transmission and get a set of 195/75-14 tires. I know BFG still makes an offroad tire in that size!!I had a set of Cooper 195/75-14 all terrain tires years ago but pretty sure they don't make that one anymore. The Weber may give you 3hp but that is about it and only on a good day. You would gain more with a 2" exhaust and a turbo oval muffler, like a Magnaflow.

I also have a 2" from the Y pipe back exhaust with a SS Magnaflow muffler. Love it!!

That is not the price for four. Four available to be purchased. $532.75 for four delivered to N.C. Makes the Michelins look like a steal!!

A blow out is exactly what happened to me. Heard a light tapping sound up front, then nothing. A few hundred more yards down the road I lost the left front tire. Had about a third the tread left but if you can't find them what difference does it make. I saw the Maxxus street tires on Ebay but one tire was almost what I paid for this whole set four years ago, around $140.00 plus tax for all four. No way am I paying that for one, I could be riding on Michelins with money left over or a China tire that will not be available again in a few weeks. If you get any from Schwab they will be some of the last few Maxxus left or BF Goodrich Silvertown which run around $200.00 a piece and are made for collectors with the super wide whitewall. My tire dealer is great. I have dealt with them for 33 years, first the father and now the sons. They are a Michelin, Bridgestone dealer but will gladly order anything you want from two different distributors. None of those two had any 185/80's and didn't know if they would be able to get any ever. They offered me these tires in 195/70-14, Michelin Defenders for $400.00, Cooper CS4 $356.00 and then Uniroyals in 185/75-14 $276.00. That was installed with tax. I took the Uniroyals because they had three there already and I got the feeling the son really wanted to get rid of them! They have been good to me so I kind of paid them back. I have to admit the Uniroyals ride outstand compared to the 185/80 Hankook tires I replaced.

I had installed Hankook 185/80's about 4 years ago. Took the tire dealer about 3 months to find them. He told me I would be lucky to find anymore when I was due, which ended up being a couple of weeks ago. He couldn't find any. I had a set of Peugeot 14" steel wheels so I went with Uniroyal 185/75-14 tires.