86 Stock GL 4X4 Wagon - Original Owner

[Subarule]

I am the orginal owner and it's been my only vehicle since I purchased it new in August (or was in September?) of 1986. It's a 5-speed, gunmetal gray. I don't know much at all about car repair or Subaru repair, but I do have questions, as I want to keep my faithful friend happy and on the road forever.

 

The car is as reliable as they come and runs wonderfully well. It does have its cosmetic problems, although it has never been hit or been in a wreck, never been in a floodwaters, and has zero rust.

 

I don't know if this makes it "un-stock", but back in 2000 I replaced the engine, for no other reason than I was making good money & didn't have any debt, and I wanted to keep my Subaru running forever. I did not get a rebuilt engine, but rather a used one from Japan that had very low mileage on it. I understand/understood that at the time (maybe still) in Japan people aren't allowed to run their car engines longer than so many thousands of miles, due to pollution in that country. Or, I may have been fed a line of bull. In any case, the engine in it now has probably less than 50K miles on it, as I don't need to drive anywhere more than a couple of times a week and then only for a few miles at a time.

 

When the engine was being replaced I also had the clutch, the timing belt, the radiator and a few other things replaced, just so I'd feel that everything under the hood was in good shape.

 

Does replacing all that make it "un-stock"?

 

The steering seems sloppy, loose, a little on the "trembly" side. It used to be so tight and responsive but little by little it's lost that lovin' feelin'.

 

What are the obvious things that should be replaced (I don't want any band-aid fixes) or should I just go for a whole front-end job?

 

I need to have the interior redone. The carpeting is stained from using it as a truck and hauling dogs all those years. It has cloth interior but the vinyl on the seats is splitting and the foam inside the seats is brittle and leaking out like crumbs.

 

Should I have all the seats reupholstered and the carpeting replaced, or should I just exhange seats for some others in good shape that will fit, and replace only the carpeting?

 

What is the best place to order good-quality carpet (that matches the original in color and density) from?

 

I carried a load of 12" X 12" x 4" cement blocks (40 of them) not long ago and the rear end has not been the same since. When it gets bounced any it squeaks and groans. Rear struts? If I replace the rear struts should the front ones be replaced as well? I like everything to be matched and in 'sets" where possible.

 

I want to replace all my vacuum hoses, every single one. I'm pretty certain I have vacuum leak somewhere. How long does it take to replace all the vacuum hoses? I'm trying to get an idea of what I'll be looking at as far as labor cost goes, for that job.

 

That's enough questions for now.

 

Thanks for any input.

[TheLoyale]

Wow you had it since 86! Anyhoo no replaceing parts is fine. It's still stock! But if you droped a EJ20 in it (90's Legacy motor) Then it would be un-stock. And if you put a after market exhaust or anything then it's not stock!

 

So i'm glade you want to keep your GL forever! Hope you can! Tom........

[Bucky92]

As for your interior..as long as the seats and carpet are not torn you can clean them up easily...( I owned an auto detail shop and this was the easiest way to clean interiors) Bucket of hot water with laundry detergent in it, a scrubby brush, some Simple Green...and a wet/dry shop vac.

 

Spray the Simple Green on the stains and let soak for a few ...scrub the spot with the brush....then just start scrubbing everything with the hot water and laundry detergent..soak it...dont be afraid ..this is what the shop vac is for...scrub scrub scrub..then take the shop vac and suck the water out....take your time and get as much of the water out as possible..for the hard stains go over it again...once done..find a nice sunny spot...on a good warm dry day and let it sit for a couple hours with all the windows open...it will dry out any moisture that the shop vac didnt get.

I just did similar to new/used carpet for my XT6..cept I had it out of the car..hung it and used the pressure washer ..but it turns out looking like new...and it smells good too.

The Simple Green is a degreaser and works wonders. ( just re-read about the seats..shame..but replacing is fine)

 

The sloppy steering could be bushings and/or tie rod ends and ball joints

 

If you have some pics we would love to see them.. I know out of my 3 Subarus my favorite is still my 92 Loyale wagon ( pic of it in my avatar)

[ZRX Doug]

If you really want it to last forever, go nuts and put some real miles on it once or twice a week. Short trips with no extended heat cycle are really murder on an engine over the long haul..get it out on the freeway and let it stretch it's legs to boil off all the condensation in your crank case.

[daeron]

If you really want it to last forever, go nuts and put some real miles on it once or twice a week. Short trips with no extended heat cycle are really murder on an engine over the long haul..get it out on the freeway and let it stretch it's legs to boil off all the condensation in your crank case.

+1, I will quote me brudder again and say that "japanese engines like banging off the rev limiter."

 

Try to find a good cheap junkyard near you, and keep your eyes peeled for an XT6 or a GL-10; those front seats will bolt right in and they are AWESOME seats, among the best factory seats I have sat in (CERTAINLY the best for this vintage and price class!!)

 

You could also rent a carpet shampooing machine and possibly do some serious wonders with the carpet; spray cans of carpet dye are also commercially available to cope with any awful fading. However, I can see that there is a good chance that your prognosis of "dead carpet" may be right; my parents have a ford van that we bought new and the carpets in that were barely salvageable after only ten years use as a family taxicab (five sons) I can definitely see how 20 years' service as a truck could kill them

 

Regarding the front end, it sounds like you likely need tie rod ends or possibly steering rack bushings. Anyone have a link to HTKYSA handy? How To Keep Your Subaru Alive is a great book, and to ME the most valuable parts of it were the suspension/steering system "checkup" procedures in it. Try jacking the front wheels up, putting the car on stands, making sure that the key is in the ignition and the steering wheel isnt locked, and grab each wheel one at a time and jiggle it side to side (ie, move it thru steering motion a bit, back and forth.) Watch the link to the tie rod end (the tie rod end is the piece that connects the steering rack to the steering knuckle, and if these terms don't make sense to you then jack the car up and look; its pretty easy to ID the steering rack, and the steering knuckle, just from what I've typed here) There is also a possibility that your bearings are going south, but I doubt that. Checking for that would involve wiggling the front wheels back and forth, but with your hands at top and bottom, trying to wobble the wheel on the possibly loose bearing.

 

How many miles on the vehicle??? Do you still have the original engine? These engines, if cared for (which is simple and easy) can EASILY last 300K miles or more; however, the radiators aren't so hot. Any engine with 60K on it or more is only as reliable as the radiator that cools it. You seem to be one who is happy to spend some cash on the car simply for reliability's sake; Go buy a new radiator now and save yourself some hassle. Its probably more important than the engine refresh that you did. (just the swap; the other seal and clutch work you did at the time was just common sense. and yes, your car is still plenty "stock;" it just isnt what they call "numbers-matching" which only matters if its like, an Edsel or a 57 T-bird, or something)

 

on your "since new" ownership and welcome to USMB! We can teach you all you need to know. The USRM in the top right corner of your screen is a helpful resource, and here:

http://ch601.org/engines.htm

go there and look for subaru EA82 parts 1 and 2; that is most of the more important bits of an 89 GL Factory Service Manual; all of it is applicable to your car unless you have the N/A MPFI system with the flapper door AFM instead of hotwire MAF, which I can't see as likely.

[samneric]

Regarding the front end, it sounds like you likely need tie rod ends or possibly steering rack bushings. Anyone have a link to HTKYSA handy? How To Keep Your Subaru Alive is a great book, and to ME the most valuable parts of it were the suspension/steering system "checkup" procedures in it.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=65743&highlight=how+to+keep+your+subaru+alive

[Subarule]

Wow you had it since 86! Anyhoo no replaceing parts is fine. It's still stock! But if you droped a EJ20 in it (90's Legacy motor) Then it would be un-stock. And if you put a after market exhaust or anything then it's not stock!

 

So i'm glade you want to keep your GL forever! Hope you can! Tom........

 

I'm glad I've kept it all its life too. We're partners, buddies, he's myfaithful sidekick (I'm sure it's a 'he'). No one can understand my attachemnt to it, not my family, not me friends, not my coworkers. They keep telling me I need a new/newer car. Why? It does everything I need it to, and it's so inexpensive to run. I haven't had a car payment since 1991 and plan on keeping it that way. I have other 'luxuries' I can spend money on.

 

I try to keep everything stock, and use OEM parts wherever possible.

 

I have the Chilton book for 1970-1986 Subs, and I read it faithfully over and over. But it seems to have gaps about things I want to know.

 

I figured here is the best place possible for learning everything else.

 

Subarule

[Subarule]

As for your interior..as long as the seats and carpet are not torn you can clean them up easily...( I owned an auto detail shop and this was the easiest way to clean interiors) Bucket of hot water with laundry detergent in it, a scrubby brush, some Simple Green...and a wet/dry shop vac.

 

Spray the Simple Green on the stains and let soak for a few ...scrub the spot with the brush....then just start scrubbing everything with the hot water and laundry detergent..soak it...dont be afraid ..this is what the shop vac is for...scrub scrub scrub..then take the shop vac and suck the water out....take your time and get as much of the water out as possible..for the hard stains go over it again...once done..find a nice sunny spot...on a good warm dry day and let it sit for a couple hours with all the windows open...it will dry out any moisture that the shop vac didnt get.

I just did similar to new/used carpet for my XT6..cept I had it out of the car..hung it and used the pressure washer ..but it turns out looking like new...and it smells good too.

The Simple Green is a degreaser and works wonders. ( just re-read about the seats..shame..but replacing is fine)

 

I have the super-duper Bissell hot water steam cleaner (great invention and a necessity!) and some very good products (the dogs, you know) that can take out everything. However, the carpet is in no condition to be salvaged, I'm afraid. Long ago a bottle of bleach in a grocery store bag tipped over and leaked bleach in the rear carpeted area (I usually keep the back seat folded down), making a bleach spot about 1' X 1'. So beside being bleached out it is also a very weak spot in the carpet due to the bleach eating the fibers. You can probably imagine how I was at the grocery bagger who didn't secure the bleach bottle inside a tied-off plastic bag.

 

Also, some years ago a gallon can of white paint tipped over while sitting on the floor behind the driver's seat. About a 1/2" thick swath of white paint on the carpet and the floor/door molding because the lid wasn't on properly (my fault). Too much trouble to scrape it off because the rest of the carpet in the rear has to go.

 

If that isn't enough, the carpet is very faded in the hatch area from keeping the seat down and the sun pouring in on it. No, the carpet isn't worth the effort of cleaning.

 

The sloppy steering could be bushings and/or tie rod ends and ball joints.

 

I'll definitely look into that. The Chilton book isn't very helpful in that department.

 

If you have some pics we would love to see them.. I know out of my 3 Subarus my favorite is still my 92 Loyale wagon ( pic of it in my avatar)

I'd be ashamed to take any photos of the way he looks now. The bumpers are faded and the long piece of black rubber exterior trim that runs horizontally along the sides is missing on the passenger side. All I have are photos from when it was new. I purchased it in Colorado for snow & ice driving, which it excels at.

 

Subarule

[Subarule]

If you really want it to last forever, go nuts and put some real miles on it once or twice a week. Short trips with no extended heat cycle are really murder on an engine over the long haul..get it out on the freeway and let it stretch it's legs to boil off all the condensation in your crank case.

 

I would, no problem, but I'm a bit concerned about the way the rear end is groaning and the looseness in the steering. I don't want to put any undue stress on it until I get those things taken care of. And I don't want to use up good tread on my tires if things aren't good on the front end.

 

Believe me, I'm not afraid to drive it (I love to drive!) and put miles on it. My buddy and I have been all over Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Idaho, Oregon & Washington, including off-road (many logging roads & hills). That was on the previous engine.

 

Subarule

[Subarule]

Try to find a good cheap junkyard near you, and keep your eyes peeled for an XT6 or a GL-10; those front seats will bolt right in and they are AWESOME seats, among the best factory seats I have sat in (CERTAINLY the best for this vintage and price class!!)

 

I have one, and that was my plan, except I needed to know which models & years would be a good match.

 

Regarding the front end, it sounds like you likely need tie rod ends or possibly steering rack bushings.

 

And what about front struts? Wouldn't a 21-year-old car be due for its first strut replacement?

 

Anyone have a link to HTKYSA handy?

 

What's that?

 

How To Keep Your Subaru Alive is a great book,

 

After reading some posts in here about that book last night I started searching the Internet for a copy. I found one for sale at $999.00 - for real! Not that I'm thinking about buying that copy. I have a line on a couple of them, sounds like a must-have.

 

and to ME the most valuable parts of it were the suspension/steering system "checkup" procedures in it. Try jacking the front wheels up, putting the car on stands, making sure that the key is in the ignition and the steering wheel isnt locked, and grab each wheel one at a time and jiggle it side to side (ie, move it thru steering motion a bit, back and forth.) Watch the link to the tie rod end (the tie rod end is the piece that connects the steering rack to the steering knuckle, and if these terms don't make sense to you then jack the car up and look; its pretty easy to ID the steering rack, and the steering knuckle, just from what I've typed here) There is also a possibility that your bearings are going south, but I doubt that. Checking for that would involve wiggling the front wheels back and forth, but with your hands at top and bottom, trying to wobble the wheel on the possibly loose bearing.

 

Ummm, this seems to be the place where I make the confession...I'm a little old lady, retired for several years. Not white-haired quite yet but getting there. I've always loved cars. I was raised and lived the life exactly like the ones pictured in "America Graffiti". Not the 'Terry the Toad' character, but like the John Milner character. I was the age of those people at the same time the movie was brand new. I grew up in Southern California, as part of the racing set, both street racing & at the drags.

 

So I won't be putting any cars up on blocks and doing any inspections myself. However, I have a nephew that can do all of that, who has the garage shop, tools and lives only a few short streets away. It's just that he's a Chevy guy.

 

How many miles on the vehicle???

 

Don't really know for sure. You see, and this is freaky, the odometer cable BROKE when it turned 18K miles. How bizarre is that? I didn't get it fixed right away (I mean, it was dead winter in Colorado and I needed my car every day to get back & forth to work). It was 60 miles to the Subaru dealership in Denver where I bought the car. And when I did get whatever replaced that needed replacing, they replaced the whole odometer assembly. So I always had to add on 18K miles to its reading.

 

Then I had the engine replaced in spring of 2000 and the mileage on the replacement engine was uncertain, but somewhere between, say, 35K - 45K. Remember, it was a used engine and was shipped over from Japan as used - had never been in an American Subaru. My auto shop couldn't alter the odometer, of course.

 

I needed to know how many miles I drove per year after I retired, for my new auto insurance company & a best rate. So I called my auto shop (they've been around forever and I trust them implicitly) to see if they could give me an idea of how many miles I started with on the replacement engine so I could do the math, but they had had a big burglary that took all their computers and the records on them (I know that was true because I had read about it in the paper). So I was left to do some rough calculations.

 

As for miles on my vehicle, the body & interior are original and have maybe 225K? It's almost always been garaged.

 

Do you still have the original engine?

 

No, the auto shop took it.

 

These engines, if cared for (which is simple and easy) can EASILY last 300K miles or more; however, the radiators aren't so hot. Any engine with 60K on it or more is only as reliable as the radiator that cools it. You seem to be one who is happy to spend some cash on the car simply for reliability's sake; Go buy a new radiator now and save yourself some hassle. Its probably more important than the engine refresh that you did.

 

The radiator is fine. I live in a very mild climate so it doesn't have to do much in the way of hard work. I would be surprised if the radiator has even 5K miles on it. I'm pretty sure I don't drive even 1K miles per year. Our summer months have averaged in the mid-to-low 70 degrees. Cold winter days here means it might get down in the 30s a few times. I don't go anywhere in the car when it gets much over 85. The car has working AC but the places I go don't. We have maybe as many as 15 days a year when it gets over 85, and that's when I stay in my air-conditioned house.

 

on your "since new" ownership and welcome to USMB!

 

Thank you.

 

http://ch601.org/engines.htm

go there and look for subaru EA82 parts 1 and 2; that is most of the more important bits of an 89 GL Factory Service Manual; all of it is applicable to your car unless you have the N/A MPFI system with the flapper door AFM instead of hotwire MAF, which I can't see as likely.

I don't know what any of that means but I'm willing to learn.

 

Subarule

[daeron]

I have one, and that was my plan, except I needed to know which models & years would be a good match.

 

 

...

 

After reading some posts in here about that book last night I started searching the Internet for a copy. I found one for sale at $999.00 - for real! Not that I'm thinking about buying that copy. I have a line on a couple of them, sounds like a must-have.

 

...

 

Ummm, this seems to be the place where I make the confession...I'm a little old lady, retired for several years.

 

.......

 

The radiator is fine. I live in a very mild climate so it doesn't have to do much in the way of hard work. I would be surprised if the radiator has even 5K miles on it.

 

.....

 

I don't know what any of that means but I'm willing to learn.

 

Subarule

Seats: if the car the seats came out of looks like your car, they will fit. Or if it was an XT. They called them GLs, Gl-10s, DLs, Loyales, Leones, RXs.. Lots of things, but they were all the same car.

 

HTKYSA: go to the link that was posted above; in the thread that was linked to there is a link to a place you can download the HTKYSA. It is written to be understood by us mere mortals; in fact, it is almost so easy to understand that it isn't the greatest technical manual in the world, but it is a GREAT "first bite." The Factory Service Manuals I linked you too are almost certainly applicable to your car; all that gobbledygook I typed was disclaimer to prevent anyone from coming and correcting me on the one obscure possibility, since your car is an 86, that it JUST MAYBE MIGHT not fit under the umbrella provided by those files; 87-94 GL/Loyale (collectively referred to as "EA82s" because that is the engine that is in them) hardly changed a bit, and 99% of that change was options packaging; in 86 about 90% of the vehicles made fit under that umbrella but a handful don't. Of course, turbo cars are a whole nother bag of fish.

 

Little old lady: no confession needed! we are female friendly, and plenty of our best members have a few more decades under their belts than I. The more active users here tend to be the younger ones, but there are SEVERAL noteworthy exceptions to that rule, and many of those exceptions are "founding fathers" of the USMB, heh... My dear old mum is a sixty year old lady herself (still as red as the day she was born though) and that doesn't stop her; she drives a fivespeed Mitsubishi 3000GT SL She doesn't do much mechanicking anymore, but time was that she swapped the engines in our VW van (my dad's leg was busted, he coached her but she did it.) Seriously, though, this is one of the friendliest and most accepting and forgiving groups of people on the internet, bar none.

 

Radiator: Has it been replaced since you bought the car? Do you use ONLY anti-freeze? If either question was answered "yes" then you are probably OK, but my point was this: these engines run GREAT as long as you change the oil regularly and keep it full,* and as long as the radiator is working well and the engine doesnt get overheated. Typically, when one buys a used soob, if you feel like spending a couple hundred bucks to give it the spa treatment to help it last as long as possible, that spa treatment includes:

 

- a thorough flushing and inspection of the radiator (check for fin rot, and if thats good, and clean, then run the car until it warms up and feel across the radiator for "cool spots: which indicate a clogged area; no cool spots means youre OK)

 

-A good oil and filter change, possibly a 3-way seafoam treatment (suck some up into a vacuum line and let it sit, then burn it off; add some to fuel as an injector cleaner, and add some to oil 3-500 miles before changing it to flush out the crankcase)

 

-air filter, belts, fuel filter;

 

-Radiator hoses, (ALL of them, but there aren't THAT many) thermostat (subaru brand only)

 

- Possibly timing belts, water pump, and oil pump reseal, but the T-belts and water pump are only due at about 60K engine life... history tends to suggest that the timing belts and water pump each last about 100K before finally blowing up.

 

Overheating these cars WILL lead directly to a headgasket failure; other than that, (and the possibility for broken timing belts) the engines are nearly bulletproof. Even broken timing belts are not disastrous; on some cars that can spell the end of the engine.

 

* I want to make clear one thing: you engine will almost certainly TICK TICK TICK real loudly if there are any issues with the oil system like low oil, or buildup of crud. This is called the Tick Of Death (TOD) jokingly because it is VERY common. I could get into the why of it, but this is already a long, "bookish" post and I don't want to make your eyes fall out of the sockets It isn't good, but it isn't fatal.

 

What those acronyms mean, etc:

 

Go look at my comments about the applicability of the FSM above; a handful of 86 cars had an onscure, less modern type of air metering system. This only came on the Multi-Point Fuel Injected cars, the VAST majority of which were turbos or XTs.

 

Next, download that EA82 FSM part 2 file, and find the Fuel chapter. Read the beginning of that chapter and it explains how your car's engine sucks in air, and how the computer measures that air intake, and a few other factors, and uses that to squirt the right amount of fuel, and spark the cylinders, all at the right time. It really is a simple system; you can PM me any time if you have specific questions about it. If "real time" conversation is easier for you to grok (grok: wrap your head around, fully understand) then I am on the AOL IM as TarDaeron. Fire away; I am good at explaining.

 

 

You are RIGHT!!! the people telling you that you need a new car are WRONG!

 

HAIL FUJI!

[Subarule]

Seats: if the car the seats came out of looks like your car, they will fit. Or if it was an XT. They called them GLs, Gl-10s, DLs, Loyales, Leones, RXs.. Lots of things, but they were all the same car.

 

I'm pretty sure it's GL-10. 5-speed, 4X4, power everything, non-turbo

 

HTKYSA

 

It just dawned on me what that stands for: how to Keep Your Old Subaru Alive. I'll just buy a copy of it.

 

the umbrella provided by those files; 87-94 GL/Loyale (collectively referred to as "EA82s" because that is the engine that is in them) hardly changed a bit, and 99% of that change was options packaging; in 86 about 90% of the vehicles made fit under that umbrella but a handful don't.

 

According to the VIN it's an EA82.

 

Radiator: Has it been replaced since you bought the car? Do you use ONLY anti-freeze? If either question was answered "yes" then you are probably OK,

 

Yes to both. Radiator has less than 5K miles on it.

 

-A good oil and filter change, -air filter, belts, fuel filter;

 

All replaced this summer (the new Quaker State high mileage oil), as well as new plug wires, new alternator, new starter, transmission oil drained & changed, power steering fluid replaced, new PCV valve, new fuel filter, a couple of other things that escape my memory right now.

 

-Radiator hoses, (ALL of them, but there aren't THAT many) thermostat (subaru brand only)

 

Don't need, all are in newish condition. I check my hoses all the time.

 

- Possibly timing belts, water pump, and oil pump reseal, but the T-belts and water pump are only due at about 60K engine life... history tends to suggest that the timing belts and water pump each last about 100K before finally blowing up.

 

Nah, this engine isn't anywhere near that mileage.

 

* I want to make clear one thing: you engine will almost certainly TICK TICK TICK real loudly if there are any issues with the oil system like low oil, or buildup of crud. This is called the Tick Of Death (TOD) jokingly because it is VERY common.

 

I know, that's why I replaced the original engine while I could easily afford it.

 

Go look at my comments about the applicability of the FSM above; a handful of 86 cars had an onscure, less modern type of air metering system. This only came on the Multi-Point Fuel Injected cars, the VAST majority of which were turbos or XTs.

 

Don't have turbo, don't have EFI.

 

how the computer measures that air intake, and a few other factors, and uses that to squirt the right amount of fuel, and spark the cylinders, all at the right time.

 

Computer, uhhh, don't think it has one. It doesn't give error codes and that kind of stuff. Just a straight carbureted model. Wouldn't have any other kind.

 

Subarule

[daeron]

Carb'd GL-10? in 86????

 

Vinyl seats??

 

and apparently sealed beam headlamps???

 

 

You have a very strange car, it seems to ignore most of the rules... 86 and 87 were both kinda like that, though.. changeover years.

 

find later GL-10 seats, they are OH SO comfy and will bolt in.

 

oh yah, regarding the carpet.. I kinda thought that might be the case, I cant help you with replacement, but maybe a trip to a junkyard??? any idea if the carpeting changed, anyone?? its possible that you could find a very recent loyale (~92-4) to yank the carpeting out of.....

[Subarule]

Carb'd GL-10? in 86????

Yes. I have every single piece of paper ever generated about the car from the day I bought it, including the dealer's page of particulars that goes in the window of every new car on a lot. It says "1986 Subaru GL 4 Wheel Drive MPV Wagon".

 

Vinyl seats??

No, "premium grade tricot seat material". It's gray cloth trimmed in black vinyl.

 

and apparently sealed beam headlamps???

 

All it says on the dealer's invoice list or whatever that thing is called is "Dual Contoured Halogen Headlights". That means...what???

 

You have a very strange car, it seems to ignore most of the rules... 86 and 87 were both kinda like that, though.. changeover years.

 

I sure am glad I got the no-fuss carbureted model. My salesman talked me out of getting a turbo model, for which I've always been thankful.

 

ind later GL-10 seats, they are OH SO comfy and will bolt in.

 

I'll look for them. I'll need them in gray. so that might make finding front seats and a back one a little more diffilcult. Although there is nothing wrong with the back seat - it's barely been used. But everything has to match like it did when it came from the factory.

 

oh yah, regarding the carpet.. I kinda thought that might be the case, I cant help you with replacement, but maybe a trip to a junkyard??? any idea if the carpeting changed, anyone?? its possible that you could find a very recent loyale (~92-4) to yank the carpeting out of.....

 

Nah, I'm not interested in carpet from a junked car. For one thing, in this climate (practically a rain forest), the chances of finding ones I can use that don't smell like mildew will be slim-to-none on a junked car. If there's one thing I can't handle it's the smell & effects of mildew on my allergies. I am majorly allergic to it!!!

 

I already had carpet samples sent to me from this place:

 

http://www.stockinteriors.com/items.asp?MakeId=26&ModelId=401&MainCatId=1&Desc=Subaru_Impreza_Carpet

 

I ordered & got samples in dark graphite, dark slate, gunmetal gray and dark gray/charcoal. It looks like one or two of them will work perfectly as far as matching. The carpet will have to go in before the seats are changed out.

 

Subarule

[daeron]

Are you absolutely positive its not single point fuel injection?? is there a big blue air filter assembly on top of the engine, or is it a big black rubber boot, going over to the air filter on the side of the engine bay??

 

SPFI is essentially an electronic carburetor; a throttle body, with an injector mounted inside of it, perched at the top of the engine right where a carb would go. It just works ten times better. I am not trying to doubt you, I just have been mulling it over all evening and cant believe a GL-10 is carbureted in 1986. 85, yes, but I would have SWORN that all EA82 GL-10s were at LEAST SPFI. Anyhow, whatever, the important thing is that its not turbo so its simpler.

 

Regarding the seats, You could always put seat covers on any seats of the wrong color. My bad on misinterpreting the vinyl comment, now it makes perfect sense. I really cannot see any reason to replace the back seat if it isnt damaged; a Subaru seat is a Subaru seat, as long as colors and patterns match I wouldn't fuss with the rear. Just added expense. If you want to, by all means, but it seems a bit frivolous to me; after 20 years you simply are not going to keep the car all original, some parts have worn out. Replace what has worn, but unless there is a fundamental mismatch (ie, different cloth patterns) it seems an utter waste to me; almost like replacing a full set of steel wheels with another full set of steel wheels because one of your steel wheels got bent.

 

as far as the carpet goes, thats your call. Anytime anyone mentions the "a-word" I thank my lucky stars that I was born with healthy, well-adjusted sinuses and immune system.... A day or two out in sunlight usually kills any mildew type creatures; they kinda have this problem with UV rays :cool: Trust me, I live in a quite literal rainforest.. except its not a forest, its a meadow. (Everglades) Then again, you know your nose better than I, so I won't argue that point.

 

Try posting a few wanted ads; there is a separate sub forum for that. We are all really karmic about hos things get traded around here; when someone is in dire need for some part that they cannot get ahold of, another board member usually comes through with the bit that is needed, and it is often free/gratis.

 

This is good people here, and we are ALWAYS happy to welcome and assist another lady member; ESPECIALLY if she is striving to convince her peers and loved ones that her car is TOTALLY worth saving and driving for a few more years.. or decades...(because it TOTALLY is!)

 

 

PS

I believe your probly have the wagon wheels.. like, six or eight spoke steel wheels? Very common, again.

[Subarule]

Are you absolutely positive its not single point fuel injection?? is there a big blue air filter assembly on top of the engine, or is it a big black rubber boot, going over to the air filter on the side of the engine bay??

 

SPFI is essentially an electronic carburetor; a throttle body, with an injector mounted inside of it, perched at the top of the engine right where a carb would go. It just works ten times better. I am not trying to doubt you, I just have been mulling it over all evening and cant believe a GL-10 is carbureted in 1986. 85, yes, but I would have SWORN that all EA82 GL-10s were at LEAST SPFI. Anyhow, whatever, the important thing is that its not turbo so its simpler.

 

Since I bought the car new in late August or early September 1986, could it have been a late-production '85 model? Would anything in the VIN tell me that?

 

No, nothing blue around the air filter. I'll go out later, pop the hood & get some photos of what's under the hood, with a clear shot of carburetion area.

 

Would the shape of the air filter tell us anything? It's about a foot long (give or take) & oval.

 

Subarule

[Subarule]

 

Regarding the seats, You could always put seat covers on any seats of the wrong color. My bad on misinterpreting the vinyl comment, now it makes perfect sense. I really cannot see any reason to replace the back seat if it isnt damaged; a Subaru seat is a Subaru seat, as long as colors and patterns match I wouldn't fuss with the rear. Just added expense. If you want to, by all means, but it seems a bit frivolous to me; after 20 years you simply are not going to keep the car all original, some parts have worn out. Replace what has worn, but unless there is a fundamental mismatch (ie, different cloth patterns) it seems an utter waste to me;

 

My objective is to have everything match, staying as faithful to factory release as is possible. I am pretty passionate about that, having spent some years as an antiques dealer & collector. I have a deep regard for "original". Original is not practical in a car as old as mine but it still remains my goal.

 

Anytime anyone mentions the "a-word" I thank my lucky stars that I was born with healthy, well-adjusted sinuses and immune system.... A day or two out in sunlight usually kills any mildew type creatures; they kinda have this problem with UV rays

 

We don't have the intense UV rays like a lot of other places in the country. We don't have the intense heat. What we have is about 8 months of steady rain. And any car that's sitting wrecked in a junk yard, with portions of it exposed to the elements year in & year out, in this climate, is going to have deep-down mildew in any of its fabric areas. If there's one thing I know well, it's mildew. I can smell a couple of atoms of mildew from 20 paces.

 

Try posting a few wanted ads; there is a separate sub forum for that. We are all really karmic about hos things get traded around here; when someone is in dire need for some part that they cannot get ahold of, another board member usually comes through with the bit that is needed, and it is often free/gratis.

 

I will be browsing there. The thing is, I'm kinda' "isolated" here in the northwest corner of the nation, near the ocean. It's not what you'd call centrally-located. That limits me a bit.

 

This is good people here, and we are ALWAYS happy to welcome and assist another lady member; ESPECIALLY if she is striving to convince her peers and loved ones that her car is TOTALLY worth saving and driving for a few more years.. or decades...(because it TOTALLY is!)

 

I have been lurking here for many months and just felt it was a forum worth registering with, in order to get help.

 

PS

I believe your probly have the wagon wheels.. like, six or eight spoke steel wheels? Very common, again.

 

Wagon wheels, OK. I always think of them as "rally wheels" but I was sure that wasn't the correct name for them.

 

Subarule

[daeron]

I like your brain. Your responses are well thought out

 

 

My objective is to have everything match, staying as faithful to factory release as is possible. I am pretty passionate about that, having spent some years as an antiques dealer & collector. I have a deep regard for "original". Original is not practical in a car as old as mine but it still remains my goal.

I was trying to lead you into saying something like that.. I will shaddap on that front now, heh :-p Seriously though, to the best of MY knowledge, most of them were simply options and not model year changes.

 

 

We don't have the intense UV rays like a lot of other places in the country. We don't have the intense heat. What we have is about 8 months of steady rain. And any car that's sitting wrecked in a junk yard, with portions of it exposed to the elements year in & year out, in this climate, is going to have deep-down mildew in any of its fabric areas. If there's one thing I know well, it's mildew. I can smell a couple of atoms of mildew from 20 paces.

I am a pack rat. I try to save anything salvageable. Please forgive my over enthusiasm

 

I will be browsing there. The thing is, I'm kinda' "isolated" here in the northwest corner of the nation, near the ocean. It's not what you'd call centrally-located. That limits me a bit.

You are in Washington; for old Subarus, that IS centrally located! PNW has the rest of the country PWNed when it comes to old subarus around. People have parts.

[Subarule]

You are in Washington; for old Subarus, that IS centrally located! PNW has the rest of the country PWNed when it comes to old subarus around. People have parts.

 

That is heartening to hear.

 

I'm going to replace the headlight and then get all the vacuum hoses replaced. I'll feel so much better knowing that they are all new. And hopefully I will get rid of that pesky vacuum leak in doing so.

 

Can someone help me with the vacuum hose replacement project, as to how many individual hoses there are in my model? I know there are different diameter hoses, but how many different O.D.s are we talking about? And where can I get all the sizes I need without buying a mile's worth of extra feet of hosing that I won't use?

 

Will anything large have to be removed from the car to access all the hoses?

 

Subarule

[Gloyale]

Daeron, GL-10 is an interior package and not nessecarilly tied to motor option. In 85 you could get a GL-10 Carbed, MPFI, OR MPFI Turbo. In 86 they where offered in Carbed or Turbo, but the non turbo MPFI was dropped(except XTs) SPFI was available on 2wd ones only, but I assume still offered in GL or GL-10.

 

With that clarified, Subarule, I want to tell you something important about vaccum hoses.

 

Some of the vaccum hoses contain small metal pellets that have tiny holes or *orifice* in them. If you are replacing Vaccum hoses, you must fish out these little plugs and insert them into the new vac hose. They are indicated by 2 little arrows and an *orifice* label on the diagrahms, but it doesn't show what they are actually. there are just a couple, and it's easy to put them in the new hose. Buit if you don't you're vac system will be messed up.

 

*note*: on the diagrahm, There is an *orifice* shown at the T split going into the Anti-afterburn valve(passenger front corner of engine bay. Looks like a very small barbell on end) There is not a pellet in that hose, the blue T connector itself has the smaller opening built into it. All other are pellets in the hose.

[Subarule]

Daeron, GL-10 is an interior package and not nessecarilly tied to motor option. In 85 you could get a GL-10 Carbed, MPFI, OR MPFI Turbo. In 86 they where offered in Carbed or Turbo, but the non turbo MPFI was dropped(except XTs) SPFI was available on 2wd ones only, but I assume still offered in GL or GL-10.

 

I'm not sure what you're saying about mine in particular. That it is very possible I could have a carbureted non-FI model?

 

With that clarified, Subarule, I want to tell you something important about vaccum hoses.

 

Some of the vaccum hoses contain small metal pellets that have tiny holes or *orifice* in them. If you are replacing Vaccum hoses, you must fish out these little plugs and insert them into the new vac hose. They are indicated by 2 little arrows and an *orifice* label on the diagrahms, but it doesn't show what they are actually. there are just a couple, and it's easy to put them in the new hose. Buit if you don't you're vac system will be messed up.

 

*note*: on the diagrahm,...

 

Do you mean diagram, or diaphragm?

 

There is an *orifice* shown at the T split going into the Anti-afterburn valve(passenger front corner of engine bay. Looks like a very small barbell on end) There is not a pellet in that hose, the blue T connector itself has the smaller opening built into it. All other are pellets in the hose.

 

Thank you very much for that alert. I am adding it to my notes for referencing when we actually get into the various sub-components. I do know that some vacuum hoses need to be the ones that can handle gasoline, and some don't.

 

Subarule

[Gloyale]

I'm not sure what you're saying about mine in particular. That it is very possible I could have a carbureted non-FI model?

 

Yeah, I was just saying that Carbed GL-10s exist. You have one so you know:grin:

Do you mean diagram, or diaphragm?

 

Subarule

 

this is what I meant

[Subarule]

Yeah, I was just saying that Carbed GL-10s exist. You have one so you know:grin:

 

Well, I'm not going to bet my life that it isn't SPFI. But it looks to me like a normal 2-bl. carb when the air cleaner housing is pulled off. Which, with my car, hardly ever happens.

 

 

this is what I meanthttp://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb29/Gloyale/86CarbedVacuumDiagrahm.jpg

 

Oh, OK, a diagram. Because we were talking about carbs and fuel systems and they have diaphragms. Just wanted to be clear on which one it was.

 

Subarule

[86BRATMAN]

From your description of the air cleaner, you definately do have the carb'd ea82.

 

And welcome to the site, and I must say that I admire your dedication and love for your car. Does he have a name?

[daeron]

Daeron, GL-10 is an interior package and not nessecarilly tied to motor option. In 85 you could get a GL-10 Carbed, MPFI, OR MPFI Turbo. In 86 they where offered in Carbed or Turbo, but the non turbo MPFI was dropped(except XTs) SPFI was available on 2wd ones only, but I assume still offered in GL or GL-10.

 

Really??? Hmmmmmm..

 

upon further examination, I guess I was prejudiced by the 89 FSM pdf; in that FSM the only non-turbo GL-10s are the 3at FWD sedan and wagon.. I NEVER noticed that the 4x4 GL wagons were available with turbo engines, I thought it was RX or GL-10 only.

 

Regarding the air cleaner, I cannot recall ever seeing one in a JY that was any color other than blue; and when I made that "blue thingy" remark I suppose I was underestimating your knowledge level, my apologies. Single Point fuel injection (also called Throttle Body Injection or TBI) is often very easy to mistake for a carburetor, to the under-informed *and* I was totally clueless that your car (not very different from my own model and year) could be purchased with a carb.

 

 

 

 

..and I have been tempted to correct Gloyale's mis-spelling of diagrahm (diagram) every time it comes up for just that reason, but I had no excuse to,