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thanks!!! heading to the junkyard...

anyone find brands/years that match up with an 84 GL wagon? my front seats are shot and I'm hoping to find something that lines up and fits in.

its the ground wire, and subaru said they strip easily.

carquest - $10, subaru dealer - $24 Edit: they both quoted me for light, not guage, even though I told them guage. Subaru:$54, Napa, 34.

I was hoping to take the screw out to replace the electrical connection, but it just spins. not sure how to get a grip on the sender unit, is there a special tool? Its not finger tight.

the transmission took a quart and a half of gear oil. fella at the counter said that if gear oil eventually gets low, then it will allow a seal to dry out and then all the oil leaks out. no signs of a leak in mine. I'll report the findings as soon as I get a chance on the open road. thanks for the direction!

84 GL, was cleaning around the oil pump and the oil pressure sender wire (copper eye) that was hanging on by a thread broke off. The screw with the rubber washers above and wire connector below doesn't loosen or tighten, and that seems like the place oil is dripping from. Is that screw sppossed to do that? do I need to take off the whole sender unit? if so, how do you get a grip on it. haynes isn't telling me much on this. thanks. quick fix?

I hope I didn't fry it. planning on taking this car from CO to OR in a couple of weeks.

Ive had elbow pain for days after driving long trips. I put a pillow on the door now.

84 GL 1800 non turbo wagon. It has 240K, Ive put the last 60 on it, mostly road tripping from colorado to Oregon and back 2x, washington to new mexico 2x. Ive had to put new studs and exhaust in it, and change an axle. that's it!!! I change the oil about every 2000 miles, and rarely take it above 3000rpms. On the highway I cruise at 65mph/between 25 and 2800 rpms. last trip from OR to CO, I got 38mpg! I thought my math was off. Travel light, travel far. I ship all my stuff fed ex (I move frequently), and carry a sleeping bag and tool kit. removed the back seat the day I bought it. Really, people drive these things at 3-4K rpms? am I being an old fart (not that I don't appreciate old farts, unless they are in my way).

I want better seats too!!! anyone find any that match an 84GL?

yes gear oil was realy low. I am feeling a little dumb. had this car for 60K of the 240K thats on it, and the front gear oil has always been fine. it has been awhile since I last cheked it - with that tire there and all. hopefully that is it and I didn't kill this car that has been so good to me.

So, I suspect the throwout bearing might be going as it is hard to downshift from 4th to 3rd unless the rpms and speed is just right - this has been going on for about 3000+miles. Now, I have an oil leak (getting under car in a minute to figure that out) and all of a sudden car is making this high pitch whistle/whine noise, but only in 4th, and only when accelerating, if I let off the gas for a 1/4 second noise goes away, comes back when I push the gas. no noise at high rpms in other gears or neutral. Is this the TO bearing, or a transmission issue? I always appreciate the help from USMB. Thanks folks!

sounds like a distributor problem. you can get a new cap, spinner, wires and plugs for under $50. I had the same problem once, car was buckin on me now and then, eventually kept doing it all the time. super easy to do yourself. hardest part is getting the plugs in and out. when you put the new wires on, do them one at a time, and make sure you get them in the right place and order. napa wire set worked ok for 84 GL. not a spare inch on them though.

1984 GL 1.8 hatch: 238,000 on original body and engine.

yup. mine are shot. folded in from the last try, but the engine seems good. how is it that an aluminum block outlasts a steel weld?

thanks for all the encouragement fellas. my hesitation working on this car is that I get into it, and need something I dont have, like a torch, to loosen up some pita bolt. the operation seems fairly straight-forward, and I might just attempt it if the snow holds off for a few more days. If it is a CV, do I attempt to rebuild,grease, and boot both ends (DOJ &CV), or do I need to get another axle altogether - if the CV is bad, can it be fixed?

thanks I75. I do have confidence in my mechanical abilities, but this car body is so rusted, that I am afraid jackstands wont cut it. all bent up under there from changing a tire. are there alternate places to put the stands?

Hello again Subaru Gods I know it's been said before, and I have read a bunch of threads on this, but wanted to ask questions for this instance. front end has been making clicking fo9r 10,000 miles, was intermittent, but now all the time. usually its when turning left. now the click is a clunking sound. originally it was on the right, but recently, after the right started making a weird sound when slowing down to around 5-10mph, like rubber on steel or other rubber, the right has quieted down, and the left is clicking. I can feel a wobble from the drivers seat. when I check the tire, there is no play up down back forth or side to side. I am thinking it is an axle. Is there a way to inspect it? I have not done one of these before, so Im sure it will take me ten hours, and I will have to buy some tools. So, I called around, and the super rupair wants 290 per axle for aftermarket rebuilds (brand is CVJ), warranty for 18,000miles or 18 months. its a steep price to pay for me, considering the rust on this one. Another garage wants about the same, but will knock the 2nd side down to 190. Anyone on the front range area want to work on this with me, or guide me along. I've read the axle rebuild post, and can get 2 axles from steamboat for 45 apiece. I can pay something to offset your time. And I want the experience, as after this car gets past 400,000, I will try to find another (238xxx now, and I hardly ever take it past 2800 rpms unless shifting on a hill). thanks again for letting me post here!

Wow! I second the awesome post. step by step, easy to follow. I have the 84 1800 non-turbo engine and it had the drip going. After narrowing it down to the pump (the drip was most noticeable on the bottom of that sensor unit hanging off the pump, tightened that screw/bolt and it helped a little, but not all the way), I decided it was time to replace the pump. Ordered the new pump, got myself all ready. When I went to take out the pump bolts, noticed one of them was really loose, like finger tight. I proceeded, but the pump seemed to be welded to the block. I beat on it pretty hard, from all directions, but the damn thing wasn't going anywhere. So, not being a mechanic proper, I decided to let someone with experience try it out, thought there might be a little trick to it that I dont know. So I put the bolts back in, tightened them good and snug. And the leak stopped. lucky day for me. no leak since then and that was over 10,000miles ago.

Senor, I'd love to post on what I find about the pedal, but other than replacing the pin with a bolt, I doubt I will take any action. it doesn't seem to affect anything. the pedal rattles around a bit, but it is functional. let's hope it doesn't pop out in traffic. it will be hard to pay for a new clutch or throwout bearing if it goes, as Ive had this car in colorado for 5 years, and the rust is starting to get a bit much. And I do not have he tools to do it. If there's a CO garage that wants to do it for a trade, or let me use the shop for a small price, I'll look into it. for now, just wait and see. (same approach on my creaky front end that no one seems to know what to do with. ball joints are new, but it rattles when I corner. CV joints are good. king nuts are tight on the wheels. I've heard from others with this rig that it is normal. maybe from the ridiculous factory toe-in. but thats another post. I can say, that if this one bites the dust, I will be on the hunt for another - same make/model.

yes I am weary to mess with it as well. the cable is routed correctly, and adjusted just as you described. Once again, thank all of you for the help and for the support. this forum is a gem! I plan on just seeing how it goes. the haynes manual said the first thiung to do to check a clutch is to try the reverse gear for noise or grinding. I only get that once in a while, and its been that way for 40,000 miles. its seems like a timing thing, like you have to wait till it 'feels' right and it will pop in no problem. otherwise there is a grind and a chunk when it finally makes the move. on another note, for those of you with this engine/model, is it normal for the shifter to be stiff when its cold, or cold out? mine is hard to move until the engine is warm. I just chalked it up to personality.

well, it seems that all the play I described before was not in the cable, just in the pedal. that pin where the pedal and cable meet is loose, or worn and the pin seems too long for the hole it is filling - kinda wobbles around in there instead of being all snug. I was thinking I can replace that with a nut and bolt, as there is only one groove for the spring clip to fit on. so I did not tighten the clutch cable at all, as it engages when I push the pedal. Any thoughts on how to proceed? If I tighten the cable, it seems that it will be overtight and just further wear on the plate. Is this a correct line of thought? thanks!

thanks for the encouragement AK. I'll get on this in the am and report back the good news (I hope).

Im having a similar problem. a friend said that she used an ionizer on an old motor home and it killed it all in 24 hours. so I am going to try it. had my 84 parked at a farm and the chickens pecked off the little gasket to the rear windshield wiper. took me days to figure out how it was leaking. parked it on a hill in a 5 day torrential downpour, and water had run all the way to passenger side floor, about 2 inches deep. try drying that out in Oregon. car just reeks of mildew so bad I am ready for a divorce.