exister99

Thanks for the input. I adjusted the float according the rebuild specs and the needle valve assembly is new. The choke is also adjusted exactly where it should be.

I always use the carburetor rebuild kit from Napa since it comes with a new needle seat assembly, so I don't have to worry about trashing the old one. Both times that I have torn down a Hitachi carb I have resorted to the following technique. Find a Torx driver bit that will just sit snuggly in the needle seat assembly. Then very carefully tap the Torx head into the assembly so the teeth bite into the soft brass. Now put a socket and ratchet on the end of the Torx bit and crank the assembly out. If the Torx bit slips give it a few more taps with a hammer to get it to bite down. Do not try this unless you are sure you have a new assembly to install!

It actually doesn't matter what position the distributor is in when you take it out as long as it is in the exact same position when it goes back in. I usually take a digital picture and make an accurate drawing of the position of the rotor relative to the housing before removal. This technique saves me the trouble of have to turn the engine by hand. Since the position of the rotor is controlled by fairly large teeth it is impossible for the rotor to be "a little bit off" unless of course the crankshaft has been disturbed while the distributor was out, in which case you are hosed. Anyway, if the rotor is off then it will be off by at least one entire tooth which will translate to a noticeable difference in the rotor position. When I reinstall my distributor with the technique above I just move it back and forth one tooth at a time until it looks exactly like it did before I removed it.

A couple of years ago I replaced the original carburetor on my '84 GL with one I got at a junk yard and rebuilt. I was pretty happy with the results and the thing ran like a champ for the last two years. The original carb was still working when I removed it but was coated with a grimy film from leaking fuel mixing with dirt and gunk. Then a few weeks ago my junkyard carb lost one of the screws on its choke linkage and the electric choke heater plate worked its way loose from the rivets. The engine was idling ridiculously rich before I pinpointed the problem and shut the whole works down. This past weekend I decided to do a complete rebuild of the original carb. I took it all apart Satruday and soaked the big parts in degreaser overnight. Then on Sunday I carefuly and tediously put the whole thing back together. While I was reassembling I noticed that the throttle shafts were a little loose due to some clearance that had been worn between them and the throttle body. When I was done rebuilding I put the carb back in and correctly reconnected everything. I noticed the lower tube on the vacuum switching valve was broken. This is the tube that comes from the thermo switch that is supposed to open when the engine warms up. Once this happens the vacuum switching valve opens up and vents the carburetor's bowl, I think? Anyhow, multiple attempts at starting up the Soob were unsuccessful. I took a peek at the sight hole on the side of the bowl and the fuel level is just above the center mark, which seems fine considering the car is not running. After my multiple attempts at starting I noticed fuel leaking from around the loose throttle shafts. So my question is, can loose throttle shafts be to blame for my engine not starting? The engine started just before the rebuild so I doubt it is a spark problem as I haven't messed with any of the electrical stuff. Has anyone else here had an engine that would not start due to loose throttle shafts. My current theory is that when I soaked the throttle body in degreaser I cleaned out whatever gunk was stuck in that bit of clearance between the throttle shafts and the throttle body and created a great big air/fuel leak. Since the throttle shafts are below the venturis the engine is probably sucking air around the loose throttle shafts and not sucking enough fuel through the venturis, which then makes it unable to start. Alternative theory number 1 is that the broken vacuum switching valve is to blame, but my understanding of those vacuum lines is that they usually impact idleing and running conditions, but shouldn't really cause a no start condition. Alternative theory number 2 is that the rich running melted my catalytic converter, which is now clogging my exhaust. The whole business was running when I shut it off to remove the carb though, so I don't see how the condition of the catalytic converter could have changed since then. So, my main question is: have you ever had a car the would not start because of leaky throttle shafts? Any comments or answers to my other theories are also appreciated.

No, no. I'm saying that the tie rod ends is where the alignment is adjusted. Just settle down and let's focus. I know it sucks to get ripped off by the man, but that is the whole reason you are an aspiring Soob guru to begin with right. First thing I would check for is any bulges on the front tire opposite the side it pulls to. I know you said your tires are new, but if you 4 wheel like the rest of us it doesn't take long to destroy the cables inside of a passenger radial. When you get pulling to one side it could be almost any component of the front steering and suspension system, so I would get her up on jack stands and inspect everything. Of course it would be helpful to get an alignment done to rule that out. The guy at the shop probably just told you that because he thought you looked gullible. I would call and talk to the shop owner/manager and discuss the incident. He may be surprised that his employees are telling ppl you can't align FWD vehicles.

That's the silliest thing I have ever heard. Of course you can align a FWD car. Take a peek at your tie rod ends. You will notice that they have threads and a bolt along the shaft. That's where you adjust the alignment. If the guy at the shop won't do it with his fancy laser equipment then you can do a decent job yourself. I think there is a procedure for doing it manually in the "How to Keep your Subaru Alive."

So what am I looking at modification wise in my '84 GL? I am thinking of buying the Weber K730 kit. Will my spare tire still fit under that hood with that air filter? Will I need to modify my distributor? Still on the fence until I have a better idea what all is involved versus just getting a new Hitachi. Any help is appreciated.

Hello, The Hitachi Carburetor in my '84 wagon just suffered a broken choke. I am trying to decide between replacing it with a new Hitachi unit or using this opportunity to take the plunge into a Weber conversion. I am all for the Weber with the one caveat that I have to pass both emissions and safety inspection here in Austin, TX. There will be a visual safety inspection as well as a Two Speed Idle test every year, so I am not sure if it will be legal for me to disconnect and cap off all of the emissions tubes if I convert to a Weber. If anyone else has passed these sorts of emissions tests with a Weber please relate your experience and any advice regarding the feasability of passing emissions with a Weber. Thanks!

It is also possible that you are stripping out the splines on one of your front hubs.

To give this thread some closure, I scored a hub at a junkyard for $35, took it home and cleaned it up. I recall now that when I last changed the halfshafts there was grease from the bearings on the splines of the halfshaft. I suspect this may have helped with the initial slippage of the splines which then became a slippery slope leading to complete spline strippage. This time around I applied generous amounts of thread locker to the splines and the castle nut threads, then tightened the whole mess to about 150 ft/lbs. I don't mind any extra effort to remove it next time as long as it stays put for now. While I had the Soob on jackstands I went ahead and ran it in 4 WD and the rear wheels did in fact spin. Maybe I was just goofing up before.

This is another interesting topic for discussion. When I took the left front hub apart the castle nut was indeed loose, but it was still in the same location relative to the threads on the halfshaft as it was being held in place by the cotter pin. The looseness actually was due to the fact that the cone shaped centering piece had been ground down by having the washer under the castle nut spinning on it. My theory is that the loose castle nut is a symptom rather than a cause. The weird front end noises started shortly after Memorial Day when I enjoyed a rather sporting 2.5 ft deep water crossing near the Rio Grande. I think the sudden contraction of the metal hub in the cold water may have allowed the half shaft to break one of the splines on the hub, thus starting the process that eventually led to the whole hub getting stripped. As it was getting stripped there was grinding motion between the washer and centering piece leading to the previously noted looseness in the castle nut. So, yes check your castle nut tightness, especially after a fun deep water crossing. Another interesting thing to note is that I experienced about a 25% decrease in gas mileage over the last few months. This makes sense if you think about the half shaft spinning momentarily in the hub before catching again. This represents lost motion and hence lost gas usage. So, for the second lesson, if your mileage drops suddenly check your castle nuts!

That's correct my friend. I put it in 4 Lo and 4 Hi and nothing. For whatever reason that spinning left front shaft sucked up all the torque.

I replaced both axles because the boots were leaking, then I burnt out the passenger side DOJ on a 4-wheeling/deep water crossing trip. Both axles are fine now.

You sir are the winner! I put the Soob up on jackstands, started it up and put it in first. Lo and behold the left front halfshaft was spinning away and the wheel wasn't moving. I took off the hub cap and the nut was loose, but still in place due to the cotter pin. I took off the hub and the splines from the halfshaft had bored out the splines on the hub. Fortunately I don't need to take out the half shaft, but I do need to find a new hub. Any suggestions? The centering piece is pretty worn down too so I may need a new one of those. Maybe I'll have to go to the dealer. It is interesting to note that with this spinning halfshaft I was unable to get power to any of the other wheels. I'm sure this has something to do with the design of the front and rear diffs, which the more experienced among us might be able to shed some light on. Well, it's off to find a hub I go!

I replaced the front axles a few months ago and all of the boots are still intact. Besides, if it were the front axles wouldn't I still be able to get power to the rear wheels?

Sounds like your passenger side cylinder head may be leaking. Do you see any green coolant leaking with the oil? You may just need to retorque your heads. If you look around this site you will see a procedure for fabricating the special socket needed for this job. I did it a few months ago and it wasn't too bad.

I will lay out exactly what happened before speculating about the cause. I was driving along in my '84 GL when suddenly every time I turned the wheel slightly left there was loud clicking that made the whole car lurch. About a quarter mile later I made a 90 degree right turn and the sound and lurching occured while driving straight forward. After a few hundred yards of this there was only a faint grinding sound and I lost all power to the front wheels. I put the manual tranny in first gear, revved the engine and let up the clutch, but got no forward motion, only the faint grinding. I was on a fairly busy 4 lane road so I put on the flashers, went to the sidewalk and called AAA. After a few minutes of directing traffic away from the Soob while waiting for the tow it occured to me that I might still be able to get some power to the rear wheels, so I put the car in 4 low and what do you know but that it went! I pulled into a parking lot and stopped. Then when I tried to get going again I got no forward motion at all. Nothing in 2wd, 4 Hi or 4 Lo. No faint grinding sound either. After a few minutes the tow truck showed up. We got all four wheels off the ground and he towed me home. Now for my reckless conjecture. I think my transmission is shot. I just recently changed the fluid in it and the level was good. I put the recommended Redline Brand fluid in it. I did notice that the metal part of the gear shifter was getting kind of hot frequently. It is a 4 speed standard transmission. Based on my story, what do you think it is? If it is the tranny then what are my options? Has anyone here rebuilt their own manual tranny? What is a good source for rebuilt Subaru trannies? I am confident that I can take the unit out myself, and I won't let the AAMCO folks touch my Soob (or any other vehicle for that matter). Any pointers, questions or humorous comments are welcome.

This may be up for debate and is not exactly cheap, but switch over to a good synthetic oil. I switched over to Mobil1 and felt a noticeable increase in acceleration, though it may have just been the placebo effect trying to justify the $20/gallon. On the other hand, tests have been performed that showed a measurable increase in horsepower when an engine was switched to AMSOil. Makes sense when you think about it: slipperyer oil, less drag on the pistons, more power to the crankshaft.

If you want my advice, just show up at your local discount parts store with the old axle and $60 and get a remanufactured axle. Opinions differ widely on axle maintenance, but when you look at all of the hassle of rebuilding and repacking your own joint $60 seems like a pretty good deal.

Have you punched out the roll pin that holds the shaft in place? You need a specific size of punch to hammer it out. If you search this site I am sure you can quickly find the Sears part number. Good Luck.

Now for a historical discussion: The front half of that Brat is identical to my '84 wagon, but it is my understanding that the wagon bodies were redesigned in '85, with sharper corners and bigger headlights etc. Did Subaru keep that body style on the brat for a few more years?

I would just get new bearings and seals then make a fun greasy day out of packing them. Napa carries them for pretty cheap.

Sounds like someone tore through it like a bull in a China shop. Might I suggest a little more patience and attention to detail?

I just changed my transaxle and diff fluids lastnight. I don't think they had been changed since the car was built in '84. They both had a thick grey metallic goo at the bottom. Put Redline 75W90NS in the front and 75W90 in the rear. The book says the front takes 3.5 qts, but it was more like 2.8. Do not just dump 3 qts in! Anyway, drove it to work this morning and it is silky smooth. Now for the next test: 4 wheeling on a soft sandy track at the beach! Redline rocks! So far...

You can also find voltage regulators and graphite brushes at partsamerica.com in case you are handy with a soldering gun. And yes, definitely get the regulator fixed before you nuke the battery!