roadtojoy123 Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 hey! I just bought an 82 brat, and have a question about the T-tops. I am also looking for any suggestions regarding possible trouble spots or things I should look for before putting a bunch of miles on it. I read a bit about crankshaft pulley issues on EA-81s, and seems like an ounce of prevention is better in these affair. by question about the T-tops is, how are they completely removed? any preventative car suggestions and a detailed description of T-top removal would be greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 Slide the lock to open on the inside of each t-top. Pop the lifting hinge and push in on both sides of it's metal hinge pins. They are spring loaded and will disengage from the roof. Then you just lift them out. As far as EA81 crank pulley's.... I've owned a LOT of EA81's, rebuilt several, and know just about all there is to know about them.... I have never heard of anything bad beyond people loosing the key out of the shaft or forgetting it. GD Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 first thing first. PICS!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadtojoy123 Posted November 16, 2008 Author Share Posted November 16, 2008 heres a good pic of the lil beast. a little rust to speak of but shes pretty clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted November 16, 2008 Share Posted November 16, 2008 (edited) POR-15 and RustBullet are known good rust killers. Best to get any rust areas fixed now before they get bad. That's a sweet looking '82 there, don't want to loose it. Known rust-out areas are the inner rear wheel wells and front lower fenders behind the tires for the most part. Don't drive it anywhere they use salt on the roads during the Winter.............. The way the rear shock mount is attached to the inner wheel well, leaves a catch-point for water and dirt. Keep that stuff cleaned out and you should be golden. A little bit of metal work and welding skill and you can close in that area easily. There's a "how-to" on that around, I'll dig for it and post it up when I find it. Where the front fenders attach to the body behind the front tires leaves another dirt/water catch. Not a whole lot you can do other than keep that area cleaned out. Front mudflaps will help keep road debri from damaging the paint on the rocker panels. Just need to keep an eye on those areas and do some upkeep otherwise. Some bedliner over good paint will be the best ticket. http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=92751 Check out that thread and you'll see what road salt can do to a vehicle. Kudo's to ettev for doing a great job in resurecting a BRAT. I've had to put down 2 due to rust, trying to save my '82 right now.... Get some Armour-All on the dash covering. They tend to want to crack if it hasn't already. Don't lookit from the pics, but hard to tell. The one in my '86 was good, then one day it wasn't anymore... Edited November 16, 2008 by TomRhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadtojoy123 Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 I live in lake tahoe. I cannot avoid salted roads. will frequent car washes in the winter months help? I figured if i wash it once a week... any other suggestions to keep the salt from dissolving my car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bratman18 Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I live in lake tahoe. I cannot avoid salted roads. will frequent car washes in the winter months help? I figured if i wash it once a week... any other suggestions to keep the salt from dissolving my car. Yes wash often and while the car is dry..oil it. I use NAPA brand chain and cable lube. It actually soaks into the metal and spreads! Spray it into all holes on the bottom and all from the top...any you can find! unscrew the trim pieces on the rocker panels...under the door, and spray in there. And any seams that you can find as well. Mine has been oiled like this for ten yrs now and if it hadn't I know it would have ended up like all the other old subarus in Maine....Piles of rust!!! Some people also use linseed oil and cover the whole bottom of the car with it. And my uncle still sprays a fine coat of used motor oil on the bottom of his. Good Luck and nice find!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I notice from this picture that the muffler's exhaust pipe doesn't stick out from under the rear bumper. Get an extension on the muffler as soon as you can. I've seen Brats where the extension fell out of the muffer and it was never replaced or a new muffler installed. What happens is that exhaust gases mix with moisture in the air and it forms an acid (I don't remember which one) and causes the underside of that corner to rust out prematurely. Considering that the rear bumper attaches to the body at that point, rust here is pretty critical. The sooner you prevent it the happier you'll be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 I am glad I took a picture of this before I sold my BRAT. This should help you a little bit. Here is a shot from the factory service manual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadtojoy123 Posted November 17, 2008 Author Share Posted November 17, 2008 nice durania! thats pretty thorough. just got them off... they are pretty sticky, and the little plastic knobs are kind of sun-rotten. much appreciated insider tips on keeping this lil beaster running, and looking, awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 No problem man, glad I could help out. I found that airflow is better with the t-tops open and back glass open. I noticed that when they were out the airflow is decreased considerably. One thing that I wanted to do back in the summer was to buy one of those reflective windshield visors and cut it to fit the t-tops. You will noticed a lot of heat lost and heat trapped because of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Speaking of t-tops, clever design. The outer edge acts as a moat to catch any rain water and the water then drains off through the drain hole in the corner of the t-top channel. The rubber seals actually do very little to keep from leaking; it's all done by draining off the excess. It pays to take a long skinny rod (or straight coat hanger wire) and gently poke down the drain hole to make sure the drainage is not blocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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