Idasho

Thats not a rod knock. Have you done a compression test? That would rule out valve train problems. But that noise is FAST, so look to valvetrain first. If no problems there, as many have mentioned, look towards the timing tensioner for probable cause.

IMO if the body is straight and the rust isnt too bad, any subaru is worth the time and $$ to bring it back. You just need to decide if it is worth it to YOU. As far as the seals go, yes, it is all MUCH easier with the engine removed. As for the overheating, it might be engine related (headgaskets) or the radiator simply needs to be replaced. The knocking... not so good. If it is indeed a knock, repair will require a complete motor tear-down. At that point you might as well rebuild the entire thing.

Im in love

Great idea for a thread I think My take: The good thing is that these cars are old. Thats the bad thing too. :-\ Being older they are MUCH more simple. In theory this makes them more reliable, or at least less likely to actually lave you stranded. But being older also brings maintenance into the picture in a big way. IMO as long as the car is properly maintained, it is LESS likely in every way from a new car to leave you stranded. Though since picking up my '84 GL I have been on a mission to modify it in a way that not only makes it more driveable by todays standards, but also makes it more reliable. * Maxima alternator upgrade (OE alternators have a nasty habit of failing in a BAD way) * Weber carb (toss that overcomplicated hitachi in the dumpster) * 5-speed swap (much better trans, no 3rd gear issues) * full-size spare IMO those 4 items are big ones, everything else is simple maintenance as the car ages and racks up miles. Only additional one Id like to add to that list some day is a mod to eliminate the damn ignition module setup in the distributor. As far as spares go: *ignition module *upper and lower radiator hoses *cap + rotor *coil wire + one plug wire *radiator car See a trend there? LOTS of ignition crap. Hence the interest for an upgrade/retrofit there. Thats it. But as old as the car is, I still roll with a small tool kit. A basic end wrench kit from 8-16mm, jumpers, zip ties, electrical tape, small cheapo multimeter, 2 qts of oil, and a few other odds and ends. I have a fire extinguisher in every vehicle I own. Always have. Small road-side firstaid kits too.

New catback installed today.

Small update.... Last week the Subaru left my wife stranded. She has been using for winter commuting, and the ignition module gave up the ghost. Ah well, easy fix. I keep a few spares. Today the car was dropped off at the exhaust shop. New cat-back Stock (but catless) y-pipe, then 2.25 all the way back with a cheapo muffler. Vid....

All hardware is stock. Lifters, rockers, and pushrods, valves, all stock. The heads were worked over. A good cleaning, fresh valve grind, a few thread-serts and shaved .015 Im thinking my pushrods are a bit too long. You mention shims, where axactly are you installing them? Im thinking at this point I could experiment with a small shim under the rocker assembly, though I do not want to negatively effect total valve lift. If the one lifter doesnt shut up soon, Ill have to drop the pan. Last resort at this point though.

For serious LED lighting, they are VERY inexpensive. And I said off road. Perhaps you should read better.

If you guys are looking for inexpensive but absurdly bright off road LED lighting... http://blitzpro.com/

Hey guys A bit more than 2k miles on a freshly built high compression ea81. From the get-go I had some valvetrain noise, a bit more than stock. Very solid "sewing machine" with intermittent ticking at idle, from one lifter regardless of oil/engine temp. Much of this chatter I attributed to the hydro valves, and figured it would work itself out. Kicking myself now, I didnt tear them down for cleaning. They all felt good, so I simply hosed them down with fresh oil and installed them into the new motor. 2k miles later the noises are still there. I do believe I have at least one lazy lifter. But the rest of the valvetrain noise Im wondering about. All valve lash has been adjusted, and readjusted, and readjusted. Noise never changes. The heads were decked .015 So Im considering the possibility of improper rocker arm geometry. .015 isnt much, so I didnt think of it during the build. All hardware was reinstalled without measurements. All I did was loosen all the adjusters, and do I baseline hydro lifter valve adjustment. Currently running 1 turn from "zero lash". pretty long-winded I know, but for those with shaved/decked heads, have you noticed additional valve train noise? If so, have you done anything to address it? or just run it? Thanks. :cool: BTW, the motor runs out great without any odd noises at revs. Valve train noises are only apparent at idle. Slightly noisier at hot idle.

Thanks guys. A forum member built the strut lift blocks. I "fixed" them, and built the rest of the lift. The "fix" included not only re-welding the blocks to the plates due to crap welds, but also offsetting the plates another 1/2" to correct the alignment. Built it myself? You decide I do like the stance. I think it is PERFECT for a daily driven rig that you can still have a blast with off the pavement. Even with stock tires. I do have a set of 14" wagon wheels in the shop..... and as soon as budget allows, this GL will be getting some BFG A/Ts

Mileage report! The motor currently has just shy of 2000 miles. This week I was able to get the Subaru into the shop for inspection and service. No more straight dino oil for this thing. It was fed a nice crank case full of quality 10w30 synthetic-blend. I took some good photos, to show just how clean the motor has remained. I have done no cleaning since install. Im sorry to say though that the re-man water pump I put on it is already weeping slightly from the weep hole. So an OEM brand new pump is on the way. Other than that, things seem to be doing great. A while back I scored the last 2 cases of motorcraft oil filters from Rockauto for less than $2 a pop, so that's what this thing will be running... forever Only evidence of a leak Ive been able to find. Some moist oil pan bolts. At first I thought it was oil, but it was actually trace amounts of coolant that had dribbled down the block from the water pump. Valve covers staying dry Dry oil pump weber staying clean I also took the time to open up the last oil filter that was used, just in case. I couldnt find ANYTHING.

All a heavier rotating mass does is make it less likely to stall. Adding weighs simply slows the speed a motor can change revs. It does NOT increase (or decrease) torque. Even though it may feel like it does.

Mine is a bit of a cream puff, so it does go off road much. But its lifted! 1984 GL High compression ea81 weber 5-speed D/R swap 3" lift Custom bull-bar

Awesome! Glad it worked out!

Thanks. If youd like to see more check out my thread in members rides Lots of fun pics of a super clean '84 GL http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=135361

You are doing it all wrong if you are concerned about REMOVING the oil pan when installing it.

It shoud be clean, that's the result of a zero mile rebuild I expect it to stay relatively clean, but it is still a Subaru Still, with 2k miles on it now, not even a hint of a leak, anywhere.

by far the best Ive used is Toyota Black RTV. It does cost $25 per tube though. Not even a hint of a weep after 2k miles

look closer. Unless your brat happens to not have them, the engine cross member should have access holes. For example: See those 5 small holes? Thats them.

Holes in the cross-member and a long philips screw-driver, thats how :-p

If you have that much play I would inspect the hub and cone washer VERY closely.

Fortunately oil temp is not directly related to ambient temp. When you DO NOT have a cooler anyways.... But I will be watching it, and am currently eyeing a few different style setups. It would be nice to not have to drop the skid plate to do an oil change, so a removed filter wold be cool. I just need to decide on which particular t-stat relocation plate to get. So it will be a remote filter, with a t-stat cooler. Unfortunately many of the t-stats I see start opening at 180 degrees or so. Id rather have one that opens closer to 200.

Front calipers were sticking, so I re-greased the slider pins and guides. Then installed a new sticker

Yeah, thats a napa reman. Less than 2k miles on it. Definitely wasnt that bad when installed. I think part of the plate actually broke.