spideyz

I just used the cheapy Duplocolor bed liner to "paint" the brushguard on my Brat. Looks good. I imagine you get what you pay for, so I would recommend using the Hurculiner for the bed, That's what I think I'll do eventually. Using a roller was key for my brushguard, since at first I used a brush and it had some brush marks that looked crappy. Keith

Man, I'd hate to walk up one day and find my Brat gone. I think I'll go with the fuel pump kill switch, but I dont think I'll tell anyone where the switch is... Keith

I like the vacuum leak possibility. Get yourself a can of carb cleaner and spray it on all the vacuum hoses and connections, and the intake manifold areas... with the car idling. If the RPMs change when you hit a certain spot with the carb cleaner, you have a leak. Make sure your air filter and fuel filter are fresh. You could also have an exhaust restriction. Keith

Nice work. That broken bolt must have been a pain. Do you figure that the camo tape will last long? Keith

Driving my 87 Brat to work today, as I let off the gas to slow down, the engine RPM increased to around 4000. I'm thinking "great, a stuck gas pedeal." I reached down and gave the gas pedal a yank and it seemed to be all the way up. I pulled over and played with the throttle lever. Seemed to be swinging back all the way and the cable was slack. I took off the air filter cover and looked into the carb... Let me say now that I am a novice on carburetors. So looking down on the carb, i noticed that the plate (throttle or choke plate??) that I think should be closed during idle was fully open. I tried to reach in there and wiggle it it wouldn't budge. When I put my glove over the carborator to restrict the airflow, the engine idled back down. The more air I restricted the lower the RPM. So, I assume that my throttle (choke?) plate is stuck open.:-\ How does this gizmo work and how do I troubleshoot and fix this issue? It is an ECU controlled California car. Is the choke plate controlled mechanically, electrically or what? Thanks for any advice. Keith

It is worse when it warms up after being on the freeway and downshifting is worse than upshifting. I have been thinking of trying the redline stuff in it. The guy I bought the car from said he just got used to it. Thanks for the reply. Keith

I have a 93 legacy L wagon 5spd manual AWD and the second gear synchro is going. I saw someone selling a 92 legacy 5speed tranny for $100 from a wrecked car. Not sure at this point if it was a wagon or sedan. Should these trannies be interchangeable? $100 now for a known good tranny could be better than $900 or more for a rebuilt later. What do you think? Keith

Thanks for the good pics. I wish we had this type of detailed pictures for everthing. Keith

After reading this thread, I am nervous to touch the carb in my brat. Hope I wont have to for a long time... Keith

Cool, makes me want to lift my brat, but I guess I need to get the emblems and trim back on mine and clean up the brush guard before I take on that project and spend the $$ on the lift kit and tires. Looks cool! Keith

There is a guy I took my GL-10 when I was having a hell of a time with an engine problem. I was referred to him by a coworker who had Legacy. This guy specializes in subarus, and as an independant, he actually knows how to troubleshoot a problem. Anyway, here is his info: Askim's Auto Works 22 Woodland Ave San Rafel, CA (Marin County, near San Francisco) (415) 459-3309 Keith *Edit* By the way you should try looking for a Carborator repair shop. You could probably find some one who still knows carbs. A small engine repair shop (for lawnmowers and chainsaws) maks their $$ off fixing carbs.

Seems like here in Northern California, near San Francisco, there are a lot of new subarus (mostly outbacks), with quite a few EA-82s, but the EA-81s are getting to be few and far between. And aside from one old guy driving his rust bucket brat, and mine, I *never* see other brats around here.:cool: Only three or four of us in this area who frequent this board. Keith

Yeah, it should fit fine. The orientation will shift a little, but it should be a direct swap out. I once put an 83 hatch alternator in an 89 GL-10 wagon. Keith

Still pondering my options. Do you think spray paint will hold up or will I have to re-do it every 6 months? Although the waffle pattern may actually help the paint stich to the surface better than smooth glass. Thanks for all the ideas. Keith

I'm thinking about this. Lost my last subaru to persistent overheating. Don't have a turbo anymore, so I think I'll stay on the sidelines for now. I dont want to say yes now then change my mind when it comes time to show the $$. Keith

Thanks for the ideas. I was hoping for something durable, and stickers might be hard to remove fully since the waffle pattern is on the inside and I would never be able to razor blade off the sticker or tape residue. Here's a story: I like to open the tops when its hot, since I dont have air conditioning, and I had my front licence plate (never have put it on) stuck up there over my head, wedged between the t-top and the wind deflector, but I went to open the t-top and forgot it was up there, the tension that was holding it there went slack as I opened it up and BAM... right on the noggin. I startled myself, because I forgot it was there. My wife laughed. Any thoughts on regular window tinting? Do you think it would sitck over the waffle pattern stuff? Keith

What are all the benefits of cooling the oil? Does it help significantly with engine longevity? Curious? May consider this. What does the tranny cooler cost that connects this. Can you just use heater hose to connect this or do you need something stronger? Will these fit EA81s, EA82s, EJ22? Keith

I strongly urge you to take care of this sooner rather than later. I found out the hard way when my GL-10 engine overheated one too many times. Mine was a turbo, which only makes matters worse. Is yours turbo? You should also consider swapping out the radiator if it is original or you dont know the full history. Check your radiator cap. Could be worn out causing it too lose pressure (eg, steam from the hood) at too low a temp. Next time it is time to do the timing belt, be sure to put in a new water pump. $40 well spent. Make sure your engine oil is full too. I was driving through las vegas once, hot as hell, and kept overheating. Turned out I was a quart low on the oil. Added a quart and she kept nice and cool. Funny what oil does for the engine... Keith

The California sunshine is great, but since the Brat t-tops are not very dark, I feel like I'm in an oven when I drive it around at noon. Since the glass does have some waffle-pattern tinting to it, I am not sure regular window tint will stick. Any ideas out there? I thought of painting them, but I cant imaging that would look good or hold up to the sun. Thanks. Keith

You make it sound easy Hondasucks. I like that kind of reply. Haven't had to do this on my subes yet, but I like to keep informed just in case. Cheftim, what sort of symptoms are you having. Lots of play and knocking when you rock the steering wheel? Keith

Man, am I glad I live in California. My 87 brat that I picked up in Feb is almost totally rust free. The only problem area I have is in the front area behind the headlights. Fender bender by two owners ago. Spent some $$ to get the frame pulled straight and PAP fenders and hood, and just got it back from the paint shop. Gotta get pictures on here soon, but the guy told me a shouldnt wash it for two weeks, so next week, I'll take some pice to post. Good luck with the bed restoration! Keith

I know I'm jumping in here kind of late, but I would double check that the ignition relay is not sticking intemitently. Are you certain that you are getting fuel when it doesn't start? A check of the fuel pump relay wouldn't hurt either. Seems like I usually spend all sorts of time trouble shooting this kind of problem, only to finally discover that I have a failing relay or bad ground or something simple like that. Good Luck! Keith

I've been reading all sorts of posts that refer to the lugs for pug rims. What is so special about the lugs for these rims? I am contemplating lifting my Brat:brow: , but will have to get some 14s first. So do you need special lug nuts or what? Keith

Just got the 87 brat painted:D and need to glue the subaru emblems back on. The side fender ones and the tailgate ones. What adhesive should I use? Also, now that the paint looks good, my black trim and bumpers look crappy. They are actually more gray than black. I'd like to blacken them up, what should I use. Once I get it all spiffy, I'll have to post some pics. Thanks. Keith

So my brats rear end is a little bit too high up in the air. Do you guys know what the "normal" setting is for the rear. I have moved it up and down a little, by adjusting the bolt on the center of the torsion bar, but not sure where it should be for normal driving. I kind of like the way it looks high like that, but when there is no weight in the bed the tires are pointing in at the ground. Cant be good for the tread wear. Keith