bratman2

I also used Bosch plats in my Brat once, for about two weeks until I installed the old NGK v powers that I had failed to throw away yet. This was the only way to solve a miss at steady cruising that happened the same day the bosch plugs were installed. Glenn Taylor.

Mike, Me neither because you just can't walk into any store and purchase it. Also they love to kick Mobile around alot. I have used synthetic on most all our vehicles since 1978 without any issues at 10k changes when the warrenty ran out. Glenn Taylor

I would first question the TBN of Mobile1. In the neptune spacebears extended oil change test Blackstone Labs gives Mobile1 a 11.8 compared to 12.5 for Amsoil. I don't doubt that Amsoil is an excellent product but have trouble with any test they conduct. I know people that use Amsoil and swear by it. The hydrocracked oils are becoming great products that are closing the gap between "true" synthetics. In business college I was taught to question the goal or objective of any test or research as to what the desired end results would be. For Amsoil it will always be to come out on top because they are running the test. Glenn Taylor.

Edvanp, I purchased my daughter a 93 Legacy fwd auto with 114k miles. 2 1/2 years later and at 158k we have had no real issues with the car except for the front right caliper get stuck and frying the rotor, thanks to Legacy 777 for helping me out with that problem. I am in the process of replacing the timing belt, front seals, water pump and oil pump O ring for preventive maintaince right now, well tomorrow morning. The 93 thru 95 fwd might be a cheaper and less troublesome choice and the autos in those years are very reliable if serviced regularly. I have the service history for this car from 37k on and very little repairs have had to be preformed, mostily brakes and axle boots. Glenn Taylor.

Northguy, I run 195-75-14 Cooper Discovers on my 87 Brat. it has a 1-inch body lift, had to trim some of the inside edge of the mud flaps and tap a small piece of the front fender lip in. The tires have not touched any part since. With no lift I would say a 185-75-14 or 195-70-14 is the best you will get to work without some scrapping when turning and hitting holes or bumps. Your tire choices are limited to all seasons at those sizes also. Glenn Taylor

Alias 20035, You are pretty much correct about midprice speakers. i went with polks first in the Brat because Crutchfield was clearing them out, discontuined models with the price greatily reduced and free shipping. They replaced 4 year old JBL's that hadn't gave any real trouble. decided to stay with Polks because they sounded so good in the Brat. The seal around the speaker is a good point and advice that would be well taken, on the 2003's thay have a rubber ring mounted on the door that seems to be a good seal. The 6.5 polks come with a sticky sided foam seal in the box. I'll add one thing that I have had trouble with, Blaupunkt speakers. Installed 4 in my daughter's 93 Legacy, one was sent back in a week due to internal rattling, 18 months later another started rattling internally. They were overdrives which are suppose to be their former top of the line. I made an adapter and installed my old JBL's in her front doors. I think they are pieces of crap and would only buy their CD units personally. Glenn Taylor.

I just did the left front one on my Brat this morning. Basically did it the way Miles Fox suggested. Used crc oil and beat the crap out of the lower arm till it poped loose. A friend suggested heat also if to much resistance to the jacking method but didn't have to go that far. Glenn Taylor.

I would not disable the tweeters, I would use the bass blockers on the front and adjust the sound out with the fader. You could also bump the bass up a couple of clicks since it is already reduced to the front speakers. What you hope to achieve is a surround sound of sorts. This worked out good with my Brat, Polk 6x9s behind the seat, Polk ex3550 component speakers in the door and dash. You are kind of surrounded by music with out being able to pick anyone spot it comes from. The bass blockers are wired into the positive lead on the speaker. You will have to cut the factory connector off any ways and add your own crimped on spade connector, just use a couple of butt splices and crimp it in. The blocker only blocks like 150hz and below, not all of the bass. This will allow the front speakers to produce more midrange and high end. The rear takes care of most of the bass, if you up it a couple of clicks. Of course this is the way I have set my Brat up and it works great, our Legacy does not have the bass blockers installed because my wife wanted them in like RIGHT NOW, if you know what I mean. We are close to 30 miles from Radio Shack. Glenn Taylor.

I would recommend changing all four speakers as all four stock are pathetic. You might want to consider base blockers for the front, Polk recommends a 200 microfad capacitor which is available at Radio Shack. The ideal set up would have most of your midrange and high end up front with most of your bass in the rear. For info of those interested I dug up the polk book for the EX's, 60 watts continuous, 180w peak, with 92db sensitivity. It nearily sounds like you have added an amp to the stock system, intricate back ground instruments are heard that did not exsist previously. They will fit the baskets and windows will clear. There are not many 6.5 speakers that will clear and fit. I believe these may be the best drop in fit speakers you can get. If you do it yourself be extremely careful with the inside door handle trim as I cracked one removing it. Otherwise it was a straight forward installation taking about 2.5 hours with a tea break and phone call in between. Glenn Taylor.

Definatily Redline rocks, switched my Brat to it about three years ago. I can't compare it to Alaska winters but have seen the difference when it was in the teens. The difference between night and day. Do not use Mobile 1 gear oil as it is too slippery for our transmissions, will cause gears to scrape etc, I know this from personal experience and was deepily saddened to have to dump it out of my transmission after only a couple of weeks. I forget were I ordered it from but seems like it was around $7 a quart but worth every penny. As a side note newer model Mustangs come with 30w motor oil in the manuals, I also know this from personal experience. Also the viscosity of gear oil is rated differantly than motor oil, 75-90w gear oil is similar to 15-40w motor oil viscosity wise. Though I wouldn't try it unless recommended by manufactor, definatily go Redline. Glenn Taylor.

Snowman, do you have a fuel pressure regulator in your fuel line? I had the same problem with my 87 Brat, started the year before last and got much worse last winter. If the old girl had heavy frost on it it would flood with one touch of the gas peddle. My theory is that when it is warm the motor would fire up so much faster that it never got a chance to flood, when it was real cold it would take longer while the gas was being pumped past the float by the fuel pump flooding the engine before it fired off. I have a Mister Gasket regulator that I set at 2 lbs during the winter months which cured my hard starting problems. Glenn Taylor.

Try some Polk audio Ex 365s,. I just got four of them new of EBay for $140 shipped to our house. Installed them in my wife's 2003 Legacy in which she already had one rear speaker rattling. The windows clear the magnets, they fit right in, can handle loads of power if you decide to ugrade the head unit, allow you to aim the tweeters toward you and are the differece between night and day(truely). The stock speakers are paper crap with tiny magnets that cannot be worth more than $5 a pair. Glenn Taylor.

I'll second the 3/8-inch wide ty wraps. I use super thick ones from work, borrowed from the local electrical-instrumentation shop, and that last longer than the boots. Glenn Taylor.

Bushbasher, cut the metal bands off the outside boot. Slide the boot out of the way, in the grooves that the balls ride in there is a large metal band just inside the cup. Insert a small screw driver in one of the grooves and you will be able to pop the metal clip out, then the whole joint will slide out off the cup. Balls should stay in the joint if joint is good. I must of got lucky as my axles came right off my 87 Brat with little trouble. You have removed the pin on the doj at the wheel side right. Glenn Taylor.

We switched my wife's 2003 Legacy at 3.5k, the first oil change. Have been using Mobile 1 off and on for over 25 years with no problems. Corvettes and Vipers come from the factory with Mobile 1 so I would think they break in. Glenn Taylor.

Ed, go to petrocanada's site and they will explain hydrocracked oil fully. I have seen the same things you have with star ups. Sometimes even here in eastern NC it drops into the teens and the Brat starts very easily with Mobile1. Also noticed much easier shifting with redline gear oil, totally eliminated scrapping I had going from third to fourth gear. Walmarts full syn oil is actually Quaker State synthetic hydrocracked oil. Glenn Taylor.

Jack, I switched my Brat to Mobile 1 at 140k. I presentily have 184k with no leaks at all. I have replaced the oil pan gasket do to leaking, was leaking when I bought the Brat. I replaced the rear seal when I did the clutch as preventive maintaince since I was already there. The front seal when I put a new radiator in a couple of years ago, again as preventive maintaince. The Brat uses about 6-8ozs of oil per 3k miles and I have been changing it a 7.5k. After reading an in depth test on Mobile 1 I am changing to 10k. In the test they replaced the oil filter at 13k and saw no real reduction in oil contaminates at 14k. They ran the Mobile1 for 18k miles in a SS Camero with 1k oil analysis. I know this will start something but hope it helps you, Glenn Taylor.

If you can find it Rustoleum Road Warrior is a two part epoxy with rubber in it. I have used this on my Brat's bed and my 2000 f-150's bed. Been in about six months and looks great and is heavily textured. Preparition really means alot with any product you use. I sanded the beds down with 100 grit paper, blew them out with my gas powered leaf blower and wiped them down twice with enamel reducer. I think they will be there six years from now. Have used Duplicolor bed liner and it does not compare to Road Warrior. Glenn Taylor.