Idasho

Interesting thread Miles. Reading all of the hoopla about "OEM or bust", and being new to the old Subaru scene, I wasnt sure what to make of things at first. Until i replaced the t-stat on my GL with an OEM. That is just one example of the DIFFERENCES you will find from OEM to aftermarket. Another good example is the quality of the EA81 oil pan gasket, OEM vs Felpro. Though due to the recommendations from the guys at the local Subaru dealer, I dont use a gasket at all anymore As far as Felpro goes, Felpro is just one branch of Federal-Mogul Corporation. A wordwide supplier of parts, seals, and gaskets with manufacturing plants and warehouses in 34 different countries. Good luck tracking down anything. Open one Felpro gasket set and it might be made n Mexico. Open the next and it might be made in Brazil. Same part, made to the same specs, sold in the same box, but different origins. Beyond being a point of discussion (this thread), I think instead of finding the origins of particular MFG parts/seals/gaskets, I think it would be much more beneficial and productive to start a simple list. A list of items that should be sourced from the dealer only, due to obvious design and quality differences.

I like that bumper. Curious though.... Have you tested opening the rear hatch? That brace holding the tire mount looks like it will be close.

Those look VERY nice painted white. I think you just made up my mind on what wheels to look for. Thanks!

If the pedal feels tight when he brakes are stuck, then something is holding the caliper against the pads. The hill holder is a good possibility. But Im still banking on slide pins, or some kind of binding in the caliper. Probably the caliper piston not quite lined up with the pad. If the pads are not installed correctly, the pad will not sit straight, and will allow the caliper to bind, and not release. The slides will seem fine when apart, but one or two pushes on the pedal and the calipers will bind. So, when it is stuck, can you wiggle the caliper at all? How difficult is it to open the caliper to get the pads out again?

Did you service the slide pins? Clean and regrease?

This thread kicks rump roast. :cool: Bravo on a top notch resto. Most people have NO idea how much time, effort, and money is actually required to do it correctly.

Mine got some love. Spring time detail. Wash, wax, and vac.

Cargo control and sleeping platform. Not nearly done though..... Lots more to do!

Ive been working on something..... uh.... special....

The spring was never removed. Just the cable. Though the thing will rotate well beyond where the spring pulls it to. I have it rotated all the way clockwise to point of it stopping, and the brakes are still a bit sticky. How easily should the valve rotate? I feel a good bit of resistance. Not binding, or rough, but a bit gummy. Im going to give the entire system a flush today. It probably needs it anyhow. Ill also tip the hill holder forward. I had overlooked the fact that it is angle specific, and this GL is newly lifted (just the front). Thanks for the help.

Thanks. Though the more I look at this photo..... The more I think I want to just rip it out and replace the entire unit with a T-fitting. But I dont want to break open the system and get wet just yet....

Then maybe you dont know how it works. There have been a couple different styles of hill holders through the years. This one most definitely effects just what he said. Front left and Right rear. This is the best photo of my hill holder I could find. It was a general engine bay shot that I cropped down. Supply line from the master cylinder connects to the rear of the unit. Output on the top goes to the LEFT FRONT. This one was easy to follow. The bottom (im assuming) goes to the right rear. This one will involve putting the car on the ramps/jackstands to follow. Regardless, the hill holder on this car DOES effect the left front. Now, due to the age of the car, Im not saying it isnt wheel bearings or a sticky caliper piston. Those are both things I havnt gotten around to inspecting on this car yet since I picked it up. One thing at a time. Right now it is the hill holder, because LEFT FRONT and RIGHT REAR are dragging.

The caliper slides have been cleaned and greased and are moving freely, and the ebrake is not sticking. To eliminate the ebrake as a concern, I drove it for a while without using the ebrake at all (leaving it in gear when parked). The problem persisted. Best i can tell, is that the front left and sometimes right rear are sticking. I can feel a drag when backing out of the garage in the morning, and can hear a slight "squeak, squeak". Ill try rotating it all the way clockwise (from the top) and report back.

Have you ever done the actual 4wd lever boot?

For some time I have been running without the hill-holder cable. The tab at the clutch fork broke, so attaching the cable is pretty impossible. Im having trouble with the brakes sticking a bit when parked, and I believe it has to do with he hill holder. Is there a specific position the arm on the hill holder assembly should be, when not using the hill holder? I have fiddled with it a bit, and sometimes it seems to free things up, but the dragging front left brake come back soon after. Thanks for any help.

Glad you made the trip okay! You are right.... that thing is UGLY As for leaks, the first thing id do is go to the self wash car wash and spend $10 and an hour or so pressure washing the poop out of it. Having a set of ramps is a plus too. Take them to the car wash with you, drive the front of the car up on them, then pressure wash the underside well. Cleaning things up well will help tracking down leaks in a BIG way. I recently finished chasing all of the leaks in my '84. It was quite the adventure, but she is bone dry on the underside now.

Is there any way to tell if a motor has hydro lifters besides popping the valve covers? My EA81 '84 GL has the flywheel O-ring, but I was under the impression it had solid lifters with the flywheel o-ring removed:

My GL is newly lifted/leveled. Just have the skidplate left to do. Front lift, rear cranked up a bit.

Ive been tinkering with the GL. Continuing with the lift, among other things. Like a simple modification to the 4-speed shifter to clear the 4wd linkage when you shift into reverse. make a pie cut from the front left portion of the shifter base. Then fold it up and weld!

Oh, nice! Count me in for one. 4wd, TAN.

Ah, that makes more sense. I heard the term PLUG, and assumed it was plugging that opening in the case. Carry on

Interesting. What are those gudgeon plugs for? 'cause my motor doesnt have them

I yanked the motor..... again..... for a few things. Including a lift. Also getting done... *new release bearing *new slider pin boots for the calipers *repainted battery tray *reseal the engine bedplate *reseal the oil pan And more Im totally forgetting

cost alone. So long as you keep the diameter similar to that of the factory tires, mileage will not be a concern. Even then, I have read that stepping up in diameter has actually improved some peoples highway mileage, due to the drop in RPM at high speed.

Sweet! I havnt been back to the junk yard here in Moscow since last fall, but there was a justy or two in there. Dont know the condition, but it might be worth a look.