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What Have You Done to your Soobie lately? (Please post in here and keep it going)


Ricearu
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Waiting for my parts to come in to make a USB to SSM cable so I can have factory diagnostics on the laptop! Much cheaper than the $400 or so people are asking for a semi-complete SSM setup.. O.o

 

All in all, the parts only ran me $30... can't complain. :D

build 2 or 3, sell the xtras and yours will be free!
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Drove the Brat about 10 miles yesterday, the most in several months, ran super good so I think I draining and flushing the fuel system solved that problem.  Then put some engine oil flush as directed and changed the oil again, now have a bigger oil leak.  Oil leak is sparotic, sometimes virtually no drips, then other times a nice dollar size puddle.  Changed the oil pan gasket with cork gasket and ultra grey but looks like its coming from the rear main.  May end up pulling engine once it warms up to deal with the leak.  Just need it to be a little warmer. Let the good times roll!

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Found a topper for the Brat locally for $50 that I will check out tomorrow.  Gonna strap to my roof rack on my h6 and hope for the best on the 45 mile trip home.  I don't think the Brat is ready for a highway trip of that length yet.  But at least now I can take my dog in the brat without worrying about her tearing up the interior.  And keep her out of the my Outback, even though the dog gate has worked very well in keeping her in the cargo area.  Also will allow me to put some miles on the Brat when I take the dog out for hikes.  I will post some pics once I get the topper installed. 

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Drove 30 miles to check out the camper shell, ended up buying it, its a little rough, but for $50 couldnt turn it down.  The seller helped me get the shell on my roof rack, then we secured it with some hd cargo straps.  Drove it one mile on the freeway and got nervous and pulled into a parking lot and redid the cargo straps, then drove an extra ten miles out of the way to avoid highway speeds.
Had my wife help me unload and put it on the Brat.  Then went to Home Depot and bought some J bolts to bolt it to the bed.  My dog will love riding in the back with the side windows open tomorrow.  WIll post some pics tomorrow, too tired to do much more tonight.

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post-49712-0-71337600-1393122093_thumb.jpg

Edited by mcmillonbe
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Few weeks ago I bought an 88 GL Wagon 5spd dual range 4x4. Stickerbombed the grille, fuel door, and the black strip above the rear license plate. Cleaned it to the best of my ability in this time of year. Plastidipped the roof white and soon will have black up there too for a checkerboard. Painted the wiper arms black (I really don't like all the bright work everywhere on this thing). New fuel pump should be here Monday. Next step will be for a new deck, speakers, (they're all blown and the wiring is awful) and I will be covering the visors shift boot and the vinyl on the top of the door panels in a patterned fabric.

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That sounds brilliant! I havent looked into the ER27 but how reliable are they? especially after turboing them?

The er27 was only offered in the xt6 and are extremely reliable. Idk about the turbo part, few have attempted it and idk their long term results

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Just get a generic trailer adapter and wire it into the tail light harness. It's not really too complicated. The one I got was kinda crappy and it uses power from the light harness to run the trailer lights which causes the BRAKE light on the dash to come on when you hit the brakes. Other than that, it works fine.

On a subaru I used to have, I made a trailer light controller with 4 or 5 relays. Essentially made an AND gate and an XOR gate, so there's that option, too.

 

Now that I think of it, the wagon may have a place to plug in a trailer wiring harness. My sedan didn't, which is why I had to tap into the wiring harness.

You've tapped into the wrong brake light wire. Those models that had the brake light fail warning lamp have 2 brake light signal wires (on RHD models, this is the right side lamp, I'm not sure if this is reversed for the LHD models).

There is the wire from the brake pedal to the lamp, and then one wire out of that lamp to the other side lamp. You need to get the one from pedal to the lamp, not the one going between the 2 lamps. This then taps in before the "sensor" thingy, not after it.

BTW, this extra wire

On the sedans, the wire just goes across the back of the car. for the wagons, it goes forward to the back seat & then runs across the back floor and then to the back.

Edited by wagonist
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Replaced the evap can on the 87 gl 4wd wagon. Just trying a cheap fix to a CEL that's bugging me. Intermittent CEL only on during hwy cruising speeds. No codes except in history(34 - VSS but reed switch is OK). Fuel trap in back is OK too. New gas cap.

Searched the local PAP for evap cans.

Found that '97 Nissan Altima evap can is same diameter & length, same 4 connections(including bottom) as for EA82 SPFI NA setup.

Didn't fix the CEL. Black electricians tape time until I can do an EJ swap.

Edited by czny
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Drove 30 miles to check out the camper shell, ended up buying it, its a little rough, but for $50 couldnt turn it down.  The seller helped me get the shell on my roof rack, then we secured it with some hd cargo straps.  Drove it one mile on the freeway and got nervous and pulled into a parking lot and redid the cargo straps, then drove an extra ten miles out of the way to avoid highway speeds.

Had my wife help me unload and put it on the Brat.  Then went to Home Depot and bought some J bolts to bolt it to the bed.  My dog will love riding in the back with the side windows open tomorrow.  WIll post some pics tomorrow, too tired to do much more tonight.

 

Haha wow talk about Subaru pooch love, it doesn't look perfect but it does the job. Now you can put a smile on your dog's face, speaking of which, damn you fit the stereotype!

Kudos!

 

I have a q, what does the VDC stand for on your Outback?

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VDC is the first generation of traction/stability control for Subaru.  Keeps the fun factor down since it won't let me whip any donuts unless I insert a fuse to deactivate it.  Also cuts power when the tires starts to slip.  I must be getting old, but I do like it, especially when I'm coming down the icy canyon after a long day at the mountain. It has saved my butt a few times when Im cooking down the icy corners, but not really anything that driving a bit slower wouldn't cure.

 

Finally got the go ahead to start working on the body on the Brat.  Going to weld in some patches on the wheel wells and some other spots that need attention.  Then I will move to pulling out a nice large dent in the passenger door.  With the sanding, priming, and filling in small body dings, I should be busy over the next couple of weeks.  Going to paint in my garage when it warms up with a base/clear keeping the color pretty close to what it is now, also will get the topper painted while Im at it.  Even if the paint doesn't turn out perfect, it will still be a huge improvement over the current condition.  And then maybe someone will buy it.

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Picked up a cheap Harbor Freight mig welder today. I know its not the best in the world, but will allow me to patch up the wheel well liners.  Spent an hour or so cutting and grinding away the rust so that I can actually get a patch to hold a weld.  Bought some way too pricey metal at Home Depot for the patches.  Going to order the wheel well arch for Subarus from Smiles auto parts, im sure it will not fit perfect but will make the adjustments.  Someone way before I owned the Brat did a typical bondo patch about an inch thick to cover up the cancer on the wheel arch. 

Should be a fun project to keep the old Brat on the road for a few more years.  A few more weeks and should be able to get some new paint on the old girl.

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Picked up a cheap Harbor Freight mig welder today. I know its not the best in the world, but will allow me to patch up the wheel well liners. Spent an hour or so cutting and grinding away the rust so that I can actually get a patch to hold a weld. Bought some way too pricey metal at Home Depot for the patches. Going to order the wheel well arch for Subarus from Smiles auto parts, im sure it will not fit perfect but will make the adjustments. Someone way before I owned the Brat did a typical bondo patch about an inch thick to cover up the cancer on the wheel arch.

Should be a fun project to keep the old Brat on the road for a few more years. A few more weeks and should be able to get some new paint on the old girl.

Let's see some pics when you get a chance, hopefully you have a better hosting site than photobucket. Ha

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Scooner, will be taking my '88 GL Baby to have catalytic converter probably replaced in a couple of days, as soon as this town thaws out... ( the muffler shop can't get to work...).  Is it O.K. to just remove these on this model. or better to replace them? It sounds and feels like a front converter is plugged... 

 

No pictures yet, possibly tomorrow... 

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Oh, by the way... some dash gauges don't work... the fuel tank and the oil pressure.  Is that fuses?  Didn't see either one listed on the fuse panel???

 

Oh, we also found a CLEAN 87 Jeep today..., although I know that is not part of this most beloved Subaru forum..., just am excited!

Edited by LovemyGLWGN
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