SpeedairDude

Wish I'd found this thread sooner, been doing alot of research trying to replace the roasted outer window belting on my '80 Brat. No one here is talking about door rubber, yet, so I'll share what I've learned. The slanted "T" rubber used on the 1978-80 Subaru products is rare, but can be found new. The same profile was used as - "Outer waist strip" for the Jaguar XK150, - "Outer door window squeegees" on the Datsun 520, 620, 720 trucks and - "Tailgate window outer weatherstrip" on the rear of the 1st Generation Toyota 4Runner/Hilux. Replacement rubber kits can be bought for the Datsuns -but even the largest size doors are 25 cm shorter than the Brat doors. (Meaning they might work for 4 door DL/GLs -but I don't have the exact measurements of their doors... since I don't have one. ) You can find these manufactured out of Thailand on eBay. Replacement rubber kits for the rear can still be bought directly from Toyota dealerships, just do a part number search. You'll need two and the original Toyota part number is 68160-89111 They come longer than you need, so you'll have to cut them down to Subie length. You can modify the new Toyota clips, or clean and re-use your Subie clips. Lastly, for the hard-core DIYers (aren't we all) - you can buy fresh rubber from several sources... unfortunately none in the Americas. This is just the rubber so you'll need to carefully remove and re-use your Subie clips. After 30 years in the Arizona sun, my clips nearly fell off the disintegrating rubber. 1) ScottsOldRubber.com.au part number 216.033 Approx AU$33 per meter (you need 2) and then AU $40 for shipping from Victoria Australia 2) COHBaines.co.uk part number IRS1656EPJ Approx 7 pounds sterling per meter and then 20 pounds for shipping from England These guys have several other styles of weatherstripping that look like they might work including IRS0421EP, IRS1126,and OWS1 - if you're not a purist. 3) Sealsdirect.co.uk part number ATJ1937 Approx 4 pounds per meter and 19 pounds for shipping They also have several other window belt options like product AT2007 I went with Seals Direct because they were the only folks who have anything close to the center rubber tailgate seals- product AT1991. This isn't a great fit -but it looks closer than what I have now. Lastly, this thread started out about replacing -not restoring rubber. But I'll add an additional $0.02 on restoring: Eastwood makes a product "Rubber Plastic & Vinyl Restore" Nothing fixes cracks, but if your rubber is still in one piece, this will bring it back to shiny and flexible life. I think it's new and it's flat out amazing.

Trying to accommodate the PCV lines into the filter that comes with the Weber 32/36 for my EA71 So the little filter that comes with the Weber works great for the passenger side crankcase breather line - but what do you do with the dirty, oil and fume-rich driver side? Rather than adding to the spaghetti nightmare or just letting the crankcase vent to my engine compartment, I elected to use the stock GL air cleaner. Plus, being a maintenance hoarder, I'd like to get some use out of all those oval GL air filters I've stocked up on. The problem was going from the rectangular weber intake to the round opening in the air cleaner, allowing for the tilted angle of the stock air cleaner, and providing clearance above the alternator whilst closing the hood. I probably could have fabbed a connection between the bottom plate of the rectangular Weber filter housing and the top of the round hitachi spacer. But trying to braze chromed sheetmetal to aluminum or pot-metal is not my idea of fun. I elected to use the Omix-Ada 17704.02 Performance Carburetor Kit Adapter. This part is normally US $80 via most of the normal sources (like Summit Racing) - but i found it being cleared out on Amazon for US $13. SCORE! 1) 20 minutes of grinding and polishing with a Dremel to take off the sharp edges in the air intake of the adapter to allow for better airflow. 2) Then a little grinding round the top edge of the adapter to allow it to nestle into the bottom of the stock air cleaner. 3) Lastly I used a rubber toilet flush valve ring ($2 at your local hardware store) between the adapter and air cleaner. They come in a variety of thicknesses from paper-thin to almost an inch and in a variety of tapers. Take the adapter or the old gasket off your hitachi carb with you to get the diameter right.. although it appears that there is only one diameter and it is exactly right. I found a 1/2" thick hard rubber O ring allowed the stock air cleaner to mount on top of the taller Weber carb without rubbing against the top of the alternator or being pinched by the hood. The vacuum tubes from the manifold to the old Hitachi all get blocked off. Keep the breather and vacuum tubes that run into the air cleaner.

Adding my experience trying to get the hood to close over the Weber 32/36 Just completed a Weber 32/36 conversion for my '80 Brat GL. Saw another thread where the industrious owner did a killer job cutting up and re-welding the stock GL air cleaner to make it fit, but my replacement alternator prohibited me from dropping the air cleaner so low. I elected to use the Omix-Ada 17704.02 Performance Carburetor Kit Adapter. This part has a Weber equivalent - either of which run approx US $80 via most of the normal Weber sources (like Summit Racing). But I found it being cleared out on Amazon for US $13. SCORE! As of today there were 2 left at this price. 20 minutes of grinding and polishing with my Dremel to take off the sharp edges in the air intake to allow for better airflow. Top it off with a minimum 1/2" thick rubber toilet flush valve O-ring ($2 at your local hardware store) allows the stock air cleaner to mount on top of the taller Weber carb without resting on alternator or being pinched by the hood.

Weber 32/36 for my EA71 Just completed a Weber conversion for my '80 Brat GL. Saw another thread where the industrious owner did a nice job cutting up and re-welding the stock GL air cleaner to make it fit. I elected to use the Omix-Ada 17704.02 Performance Carburetor Kit Adapter. This part is normally US $80 via most of the normal sources (like Summit Racing) - but i found it being cleared out on Amazon for US $13. SCORE! 20 minutes of grinding and polishing with a Dremel to take off the sharp edges in the air intake to allow for better airflow. Top it off with a 1/2" thick rubber toilet flush valve O-ring ($2 at your local hardware store) allows the stock air cleaner to mount on top of the taller Weber carb without rubbing against the top of the alternator or being pinched by the hood.