samisunjp Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Hi I am new to this forum as well as the subaru I just bought and was looking for some suggestions. The Subaru I bought is a 1988 GL Wagon with a fuel injected engine (not sure if that maters). It is in really nice shape. Runs good and drives good. However this is my first car and was just wondering if there is some stuff that should be done to it right out of the gate. I already have plans to change all of the fluids and replace the timing belts and water pump. The car was owned by an older gentleman since the day it was new and only until the last few weeks has it not been. There are some receipts for oil changes, all the break pads, something about an axle(again I don't know much about cars), and various other little things. So now that I have put all of that out there I was wondering if there is anything else I should do to it to make it a good daily driver, with the exceptions of cosmetics and something that is crazy expensive. Thanks, Kyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
l75eya Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Hoses. Coolant hoses. There two main fat ones connected on each end of the radiator. Should replace those as with age they soften and degrade and can fail. You're on to a good start with the timing belts and water pump, may as well put new accessory belts too (the ones for power steering if equipped and the alternator). Aside from all those things you're pretty much set. Let's see some pictures! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I'll add this - replace ALL of the coolant hoses. 2 big ones of course. But also the 2 heater hoses. And the 3 small ones on the engine. Make sure the radiator is solid good condition. Check coolant level frequently. If it slowly lowers with no apparent dripping, keep a close eye on the intake manifold gaskets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stratman977 Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 I would replace the heater hoses and the coolant bypass hoses (small coolant hose that goes into the throttle body, theres 2 of them). Thermostat, distributor cap and rotor, spark plugs, wires, air filter. If auto mayeb change the transmission cooler lines. Its a 25 year old car so anything rubber is dried out. The coolant hoses are the most important. If youre doing the timing belt, replace the mickey mouse gasket on the oil pump. It's easy enough to do while its apart. If you don't know what that is just search the forum it will come up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisunjp Posted September 15, 2014 Author Share Posted September 15, 2014 Wow that was really quick, thanks for all of the suggestions so far and I will be sure to get some pics up later today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sapper 157 Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 Replace Fuel filter. Take a look at your battery see if it might need to be replaced. Seat covers would always be a good cosmetic investment as they can improve the life of the seat by years, Just make sure they are water and mildew resistant. If your car doesn't already have them, grab some really nice floor mats. Also I would suggest running a can of seafoam through it. Seafoam will clean your injectors and just generally help your engine out, And improve mileage. Congrats on buying a great car! As long as you Take care of it, it will take care of you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted September 15, 2014 Share Posted September 15, 2014 (edited) Do this stuff for Subaru EA-82 Wagon immortality: The coolant system is the achilles heel of these cars. Deal with it first. Replace thermostat and gasket, heater and radiator hoses, and the little coolant crossover tube between the top of the engine block snd the thermostat housing. Replace the radiator if you can afford it, or at least check it for blockage and flush it out. Make sure the fans work - especially the electric and thermoswitch. The mechanical fan is tricky to check - it will spin even if the clutch is bad. I tore mine out and wired in a second electric fan, on a relay so as to not overload the thermoswitch current carrying capabilities. After the coolant system is dealt with, replace the timing and V belts. Change the fuel filters, there are two. Check the oil pump and pan for leaks, and make sure oil pressure ia good. Most of these engines leak, KEEP ON TOP OF IT and check/add oil and antifreeze religiously! Replace oil pump seals and gaskets if the valves are ticking - most of the time TOD (Tick of Death) is due to oil pump problems. Finally, deal with the ignition system components, new wires, plugs, cap, and rotor. New battery if the old one is tired. If you have the time and money, tear down and reseal the engine... probably around $500 in parts and a week or two of work will make these cars run FOREVER. Seriously. One last thing - check all CV and DOJ boots for cracks. If you catch them early enough, I've had good results patching with bicycle inner tube pieces and Permatex Ultra Gray RTV, after squirting more CV grease into the joint if needed.. If they've torn too large a hole, replace with Subaru OEM boots. I've used the inner (DOJ) boot on both inner and outer joints with good results, and the longer boot gives outer CV joints more flex before tearing. Edited September 15, 2014 by BirdMobile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisunjp Posted September 16, 2014 Author Share Posted September 16, 2014 I forgot to mention this but the car has 190,000 miles on it. I was hoping that if I take good care of it and keep up on maitnence that the car would still run on a lot longer.Any thoughts on the mileage of this car and how much I could still get out of it? Thank you so much for your responses -Kyle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BirdMobile Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I forgot to mention this but the car has 190,000 miles on it. I was hoping that if I take good care of it and keep up on maitnence that the car would still run on a lot longer.Any thoughts on the mileage of this car and how much I could still get out of it? Thank you so much for your responses -Kyle Only 190K? It's still young. Take care of it and replace the basic needed parts, and you'll easily get another 100K out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisunjp Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 Here are some pics! Car by samisunjp, on Flickr Car by samisunjp, on Flickr Car by samisunjp, on Flickr So what do you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisunjp Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 I kind of noticed a gas smell yesterday just after starting it up then shutting it off after 30 seconds near the muffler. I would describe the smell as either really rich exhaust or maybe mixed with a little gas. The car had exhaust work done in 2000 and a new muffler put in in 2008. Is there anything to worry about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdweninger Posted September 17, 2014 Share Posted September 17, 2014 did you replace the CTS? That helps control the air/fuel mixture - depending upon if the engine is cold or warmed up. It's kinda like a choke on carbed engines. And please, you gotta stop sniffin your tailpipe. Ha! Sorry 'bout that. There's carbon monoxide. Nice looking Loyale. Take care of it. Word is... they are not making any more of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
samisunjp Posted September 17, 2014 Author Share Posted September 17, 2014 I am not familiar with what cts stands for.... and don't worry I'll take good care of it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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