two85s

Also a great resource if the "How To Keep Your Subaru Alive 1975-1988" ...HTKYSA pdf file can be found online or it used to be available online digitally. Not sure anymore. I'm sure with some searching you can find a digital or a hard copy of the book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Keep-Your-Subaru-Alive/dp/0945465114 It's a great and maybe the best resource along with the Subaru Factory Service Manuals (FSM) for these old wagons. Cheers and take care, Aaron

Here's my post when I was doing the AC add on from the other parts wagon...

Great link here: Click on the link to the Old Ultimate Subaru Repair Manual. Look up the section: "Heating / Cooling Systems" and then "Heater Fan Speeds" and "Resister Pack Info". Your fan and blower (squirrel cage fan) and all that I think is in good working order. I had all that stuff out and gone through when I did the AC system add on and I cleaned everything, looked, it over, replaced anything that needed it with better parts, etc. from my spare parts. I put a lot into swapping in that AC and then not that long after the fan stopped working and it really was a let down. Because the wagon wasn't a daily driver, I let the fan issue sit. I'll add other links too. Cheers

Hey Newtome85 wagon, I'd like to see photos of your new to you wagon! I use the free photo software "IMGUR" and it makes it pretty easy to add photos to your threads. You upload them there first and then IMGUR provides "links" to your photo which you "copy" and then "paste" right into your USMB post. It's pretty easy once you create your free account and learn how to upload them there ...and then use the "link to the photo" here on the USMB in your threads. The USMB members really likes photos to see what's happening, what you have, what you need etc. The above post from Loyale 2.7 Turbo is very detailed about the relay problems and fixes... You can also visit my profile and you should be able to see a history and stored photos, etc. of my sweet old 1985 GL Wagon and a bunch of posts from me through the years. Hopefuly this info helps you. I'll check back here as well with hopefully some other helpful links and information as I can. There are some other links about the relay-AC-blower problems and fixes and I'll try to add them here. Also, hopefully (since I never fixed that problem) another board member may join in here to help you. Take care with that wagon and she wont let you down... Cheers, Aaron Cheers and good luck with the wagon.

My suggestion would be search online but especially ebay for Subaru parts in your year range (eg. 1980-1984 Subaru radiator, steering wheel, tail lights) and you will find wrecking yards advertising other types of parts maybe unrelated to what you need but showing a picture or two of the car being parted out. Then you communicate with the wrecking yard via "message" on ebay, ask them how much to remove and ship what you want (provide your zip code and give them a few days or right away get a ballpark estimate which they may know), then they will create a listing on ebay for that item for you including their shipping cost. You buy it. Then you have the built in protections of the ebay protections, plus they will not want bad feedback so probably pack and ship with care. Good luck on the search. Cheers

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!!

oops, what I meant to say was every two years or every other year.

Looks really sweet! Looking forward to your project.

Hey Dave, I've been through the CA emissions ringer with my 85 GL and both times, most recently, the Hydrocarbons were high. There's a thread on here about it (cant find it). Time before last ...so about 3yrs after failing, I checked EGR (was clean just slightly sooty) and learned how to test it with a finger. Not the EGR. Short story, ...the shop ended concluding I needed a new CAT, so we did that (my model has no O2 sensors) and then the wagon passed easily after $600 for testing, retesting, parts and labor. Last test ...last year, took to a test only shop (figuring the CAT was still pretty new since I don't put a lot of miles on the car) and it failed with high HC. So back to the same shop that tested and fixed it before (busy shop so had to leave it there about a week total). They run it and get an idea of the readings (without doing an official registered test) and then know where to work. EGR was functional, CAT had been replaced by them so they didn't think that was the problem. So, the mechanic said the problem was a simple valve ...that is what he called it. I don't know the name or part number but it is located to the passenger side of the carburetor and sort of next to the carburetor where the vacuum hoses meet together. After he tried sourcing it, he asked if I could source the part/valve? I said not at all likely, so what he did is got it functioning again by soaking it in WD40 overnight an blowing it out with compressed air. Then he "pre-tested" the wagon, saw good readings, tested it and got an easy pass after about $140 in labor and testing. My wagon burns a little oil, but idles nice and has no smoke, ...little 4 banger runs great (about 23mpg and 215K) and I know I'm not a "polluter", but CA keeps changing the testing to get the older non-exempt cars off the roads. ...Ridiculous, for a good little car that is paid for and gets me places I need to go. It's my property and the bi-annual smog stuff is a major pain. Anyway, the mechanic said you don't always want to get a car real "hot" before a test because it depends on what the readings are and what your intentions are. Hope this helps your situation. Good luck with it.

Well, that would be the best and they won't waste your time or money. If you get AAA with a 100 mile (free) tow like I have, the tow to the shop (if necessary) would be free. Keep that wagon purring.

Tyler, the most important point here is that the wagon is new to you. These cars were engineered to run fine without a lot of tinkering and to be easily worked on (especially the routine maintenance) by the owners with basic tools. Once they are set to factory specifications and in good operation they run and run and run usually until the owner messes with something, breaks something, or a part needs changing. In your part of the country there are shops who know these cars well and maybe specialize in Subarus, I know in Denver and suburbs there are. Look around, ask locals, find a shop that knows these older Subarus. I recommend you 1) Take or get your car into one of these shops and get the problem diagnosed and maybe fixed there. Get the wagon running decently with the help from a mechanic or a knowledgeable local USMB guru. 2) Find online and download or find online and buy yourself a hard copy set of factory service manuals (FSM) for 1985. For 1985 there are actually seven volumes/books but 1,2,3, are the main books and 4-7 are supplements and corrections to the first three books. I'll add a link to 4-7 for sale now. 3) Start going through the manual's "routine maintenance schedule" for your wagon. You will learn about the car and get things in good repair. Good luck. https://www.amazon.com/Subaru-Service-Repair-Manual-FACTORY/dp/B0090PRCXE/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1473788276&sr=8-2-fkmr0&keywords=1985+subaru+wagon+factory+manual

Was the low idle occurring before your recent work? Is this wagon (85 ...a great year) new to you? This doesn't sound like plugs and wires to me but does sound like a vacuum line or maybe a cap falling off of a vacuum line. I had that happen once to me. It was a factory cap (in front of carburetor but toward the passenger side) which I must have bumped off or it slid off. They age and the rubber gets tired, ...same for the hoses. Anyway, I did a lot of normal maintenance and tuneup work, still had the problem, very low-choppy idle and running very crappy. Searching around and about to give up I saw the missing cap, and put my finger over the tube. Presto, the engine came back to life. Then I had to go back and set the tuning back to stock settings because I was trying to correct the issue with timing, idle speed screw, etc. Good luck, and hope you find it is simple.

...me too. My fan doesn't turn on period at any speed.

Sounds interesting. I'll follow along. Cheers

Fare thee well!

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/159583-1988-dl-wagon-and-89-gl-wagon-4x4-dual-range/

Tom, very nice work (per usual)!

The other posters are correct that a copper radiator can be repaired (rather easily) compared to an aluminum one. Copper dissipates heat better but what really makes the difference is that the cooling system is internally clean and functioning well, thermostat functioning, no blockages (heater core), properly burped of all air, proper water level, etc. I don't think the heat dissipation is that different between the metals and I think the corrosion issues are nearly the same. The last radiator shop I talked with about the topic said the main problem with Aluminum is if a stone or something hits it and causes a leak the repair is rather expensive weld compared to the copper repair. Radiator shops dissemble and rebuild quality built (older) radiators all the time yet cheaply made ones with plastic, glue, etc. (like many made these days) they can't work on. Sometimes the shop can even add a row of fins to make it more effective at cooling ..sometimes not. Hope this helps and good luck on your Suby.

A good local radiator shop (best if they have been around years and years) can use your original and completely rebuild it for maybe a little more than a cheap replacement (I would guess $175 to $225) and do it in a couple days time. I would never use that stop leak crap. I recently did an aggressive flush on my new (to me) Pathfinder's entire cooling system and I learned some interesting things and used some quality products. But, the Pathfinder's previous owner had neglected the cooling system, was rusting, and contaminated so it really needed flushing. My Subaru's fluid is properly mixed and is not contaminated but I do a regular flush and fill on it every couple years still. Good luck with yours. Cheers!

Gonna be awesome! Looking forward to seeing what you do!

Sounds awesome! Manual or auto? Post photos (I use Photobucket) when you can. Yes, the shocks get tired and need replacing typically. I've replaced the rears (struts) and not the fronts yet. I would look over the engine cooling system and lubrication system, ...carefully and methodically, first. Replace filters, oil, coolant mix, etc. after flushing the systems properly. Second would be the cooling system hoses and then vacuum hoses (the Subaru originals are excellent quality and may not need replacing at all but look for cracks or weak spots). Does the car have maintenance records? Cheers!

Sorry I can't be of more direct help but this video may give you some tips. There are more you can search or look it up in a FSM. Good luck.

Post a link?

I think they (yellow square) are the AC relays .....they may have more than one purpose but likely not I suppose. Whatever you remove you might just store in box for safe keeping until you are certain it's not needed. Cheers