TomRhere

That would be me, the one who chopped-up my poor old way rusted '86 BRAT, and shipped parts of it to Wolf Steel. Have been way busy here between work and doings around the house, and haven't contacted them much since I sent the parts in, way back in Feb-04. http://www.alfaparts.net/subaru.html Web site allen@alfaparts.net email addy

This is after removing wheel/tire, caliper, E-brake cable, and loosening the axle nut. I remove the pinch-bolt for the ball-joint, then pop it out of the knuckle by placing a crowbar over radius rod and under engine cradle and prying down. Then I turn the steering wheel towards the side I'm working on. This will give you plenty of free-room to remove/install axle, and a few less bolts to remove/replace. No need to loosen the top strut bolts at all. I pop the ball-joint instead of the pivot bolt cause living here in the salt-belt, those bolts like to rust into the bushing making removal a real pain.

Posted on the Older side, want to cover the newer side also, details with-in, http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=40876

Just finished loading up Mother-in-Laws belongings onto a trailer, she's heading home to Kentucky. Mom be 75 years young and in failing health, we've done the best we could for her, youngest Brother-in-Law and his wife came up here to take her back home. Need eyes out there watching for them on their way back to Kentucky. They be traveling outta here using M-99 south into Ohio where it turns into O-15. They will either take 15 to US-127, or take 15 to 115, both end up on US-30, which they will take East to get to I-75 South heading to the Frankfort/Versailles area of Kentucky. Just a bad feeling here on the trip for them. I had to re-wire the trailer lights 'cause they were wrong. Then as they went to leave, the battery was dead, as in nada, nill, O, zilch. I put a brand new one in and sent them down the road, 20 minutes later they call from their cell and say they just lost the trailer. Nothing major, just came un-hooked in-town at low speed. Got it back like it should be, and they're heading down the road again. Just feel like there's a bad omen about this. Would like anyone that could to keep an eye out for them, offer assistance, what have you, just tell them that I sent you,, Tom, Del's husband. They're in a Reddish, late model Chevy Trailblazer type vehicle, towing a white home-made single axle, non-inclosed trailer, about the size of a car-hauler, with grey tarps covering things. Thanks,,

You need something that will "cut" the Anti-freeze mixture off of the bearings in your engine, ATF or multiple oil changes will not do this, and you run the risk of damaging the bearings if all of the Anti-freeze is not removed. Anti-freeze will remove the coating that is on bearings, (I can't recall what all of the layers are right of this moment), but there's a couple coatings on the bearing that help protect it along with the oil. Once that protective coating is gone, the bearings will not last long. The use of Kerosene is recommended by many Professional Mechanics for doing an engine flush after popping a head gasket. A product sold in alot of the Parts stores around here is, Rislone Engine Flush. It's for flushing the oil system in an engine. Not 100% on what all it is, but it has a redish tint and smells very much like Kerosene, sells for something like $2.30 for slightly less than a quart. Kerosene around here goes for something like $1.95 a gallon, you do the math. If you can't find Kerosene around your part of the woods, Deisel fuel is just as good. Call one of your local garages and ask them what they use or recommend for flushing an engine after popping a head gasket.

http://homepage.powerup.com.au/~camncath/retrofitting_the_weber_dgav_32.htm

I've always used 1qt oil & 3 or 4 qts kerosene to flush the oil system on an engine that blew a head gasket. I pull the drain plug and let the goo drain into a catch can as I work on the engine. When it's ready to go, put the oil/kerosene in and let it run 10-15 minutes, drain it, re-fill with fresh oil. Change oil filter before doing the flush, and once again after the flush. Do another oil & filter change after driving for a week or so.

I like the Spitfire ones myself.

The attachment point at the firewall is a square-shape with two of the sides being the retainer part of it. Somewhat of a pain to get to if you're my size, but you get to there from the inside of the car. Follow cable from pedal up to firewall, you'll feel it better than you'll see it. Squeeze the tabs towards each other and push it thru to the engine side. Tabs may be on the left/right, or top/bottom, just depends on who put it in, factory or Joe Blow down the street.

If you plan on using the EA-82 engine cradle vs the EA-81 cradle, it will be wider so you have to take that difference into account. Don't have my notes infront of me, but it's something around 2" wider side-to-side at the mount holes, the front-to-rear spacing of the holes are the same. The XT-6 cradle is even wider, and the front-to-rear spacing of the holes be wider also. If you were to cut-out the EA-82 strut towers and include the frame-rail section for the engine cradle, then bolt/weld it under the BRATs frame-rail and use the EA-81 cradle, you'd be good to go, just need to figure the attachment of the strut tower top to the body of the BRAT. This would raise the front by the depth of the EA-82 frame rail, say roughly 3-1/2" or there abouts. Then raise the rear suspension accordingly. This would let you use EA-82 front-end parts, (struts, knuckles, brakes), but you'd still need to use EA-81 axles for proper length. Haven't checked this yet, but thinking the EA-81 ball-joint will fit the EA-82 knuckle, so you can use the EA-81 lower control arm. This will still give you stock width of the front wheels basically. If you use the EA-82 engine cradle, then everything will have to be off-set wider from the BRATs frame-rails. This is the way I plan to do mine, but I also will be raising it some 10-12" at the same time, so it will be worked into the lift-frame at that time. I have the complete engine/tranny cradle assembly out of both the EA-81 and EA-82, along with the engine cradle out of an XT-6, laying out in the garage. I've measured, pondered, measured somemore, flipped them one on top of the other just to see how things line up. I've yet to stuff anything under the BRAT to see what needs to be done for the strut tower attachment, but thinking along the lines of some 1/4" plate welded from strut tower to either the lift-frame or the BRATs body. Time will tell on that one. I may even remove the strut towers from the BRAT completely, just to clean-up the engine bay area. Got lots of work to do, but little time to actually do it, need to clone myself, atleast once. Can tell you this, when you go to cut the frame-rails betwwen the engine cradle and the firewall, there be a sheet-load of metal in there, like to killed my saws-all and my arms/hands.

I too, have toyed with the idea of EA-82 suspension under my '82 BRAT. My thoughts are around cutting the whole front section out of an EA-82 car, and adapting it into the 10-12" lift I'm planning for under it. This would use the frame rails forward from the forwardmost bend as they come from under the car, plus the strut towers, continuing on forward to atleast the bumper attaching points. The EA-82 strut tower tops would be re-enforced and attached to the EA-81 body, (method still to be decided), to help in taking any "flex" out of the picture. Haven't had much time to work on the BRAT, but have had a few moments to do some pondering and measuring, and alot of "what-if".

Yep, shop-vac. If you can tell which side it is in, pull a sparkplug and turn engine by hand so intake valve is open, you just might be lucky and get it out.

I'm thinking you're real close on that one Brian. I would check the "main" negative battery cable out real good, especially at the end that attaches to the engine. I have ran across afew that have corroded to the point of breakage, inside of the crimped-on terminal. The fact that the smaller engine to body ground wire burnt, is a real good indicator that the "main' ground isn't right. I've seen the braided engine to body straps glow red on a couple of vehicles due to a bad "main" ground cable.

Ok, home from the job now.... Belt is a Goodyear MatchMaker, #'s are 15361 and 11AV0900 (not sure what that ones for). I didn't do the delete myself but can tell you what was done. All the AC stuff was removed, except for the bracket that bolted to the top of the AC compressor, as the Alt is also mounted to it. I never had problems with belt, but it would have been better to have a spacer of some kind to install atleast one more bolt in to help hold things in proper place(s). You could try looking for a Soob that had Dealer installed AC added, as the brackets for having the Alt inboard of the AC unit would be there, well maybe should be there. Factory AC Alt is outboard, Dealer AC Alt is inboard.

I have an EA-82 with AC delete here, out in the garage. I'll try to get my feeble mind to remember to look at belt size after I get home from work, and post info here. I thought I had put that info in one of the Logs I have on the different 'Rus here, but me no find it.

I've towed many a vehicle using tow-dolly, and have always had the steering wheel un-locked. Helps with making tight turns in the City, and I've never had any fish-tailing problems doing so. It is actually recommended to leave wheel un-locked to lessen chance of damage to steering system. As for getting the non-running BRAT up on the dolly; Block the back of the rear tires, lift front wheels off the ground by placing a small jack under the engine cross-member, go as high as jack will allow. Back tow-dolly under vehicle, best to align dolly with front tires by hand, then hook it to tow vehicle. Dolly will lift vehicle off of jack as the tires roll up the ramps. That's how I got the dead XT-6 that Miles and I bought up on the dolly, and have done afew others since then. Ain't easy pushing a vehicle up onto dolly by hand, been there done that.

The PCV system can cause seals to leak if it's plugged. Check all of the hoses for it, making sure they are clean, also check where the PCV valve goes into the intake for gunk there. As for the high oil pressure, the only thing I can think of is a faulty pressure relief valve in the oil pump. Either the spring is of a way high spring rate, or there's something keeping the valve seated, IE: gunk, dirt.

If yours has them, you'll need to block-off the 1" dia tubes that are right above the exhaust ports in the heads. This will keep it from burbling and back-firing.

Nice!!! Next time they want to do the bike on the roof trick, a couple pieces of plywood and or OSB will help save glass and sheetmetal.

Yes, you can replace bearings on one side only. 2 reasons for doing both sides at same time; 1. eliminates possibility of replacing the non-bad side. 2. peace of mind knowing both sides have new bearings/seals. With brake components, shocks/struts, one is strongly advized to do both sides at the same time. This is to keep vehicle "balanced" so to speak, doesn't really matter much with bearings really.

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=27370 Link is to electryc_monks thread where he had same thing happen. Tells how he got it back in without tearing anything apart. Didn't stay, but he did get engine to run for a while before it came back out.

I could store your ride here, but it's more in the middle of the State then the SE side. Send me a PM if you're ok with my area.

Can't recall who it was that posted it, but someone posted that the rear shocks from a Chevy Chevelle are 4" longer and a direct bolt on to the EA-81s. Sorry, don't recall what year either, maybe doing a search will turn up the info.

I'd check the fusable links 1st. Check for voltage on each end while connected, or un-plug them and check for continuity.

My '88 GL-10 Wagon, and the '86 Sedan both have single light per side, was thinking that the EA-82 bodies were all like that myself.