R.I.P. 84 GL Wagon

Well, it appears the day has finally come. My 84 GL Wagon is stuck in 4th gear. I'm not surprised, as the 3rd synchros have been toast for quite a while. My understanding had been that I'd see a continual decline in being able to use 3rd, until finally, it would be gone. So I wasn't prepared for it just failing suddenly the way it did, in 4th. It will coast when I put the clutch in, but I can't shift any longer, even at a stop.

I'm told by a few mechanics that parts are nearly impossible to come by, and the repair cost is very high, even if parts were available.

So, I'm kinda looking at options. A few Subie shops here (Denver, CO) have them for sale, starting at $600. I'm pretty leery of anything that cheap, because I figure it'd just need money thrown at it.

Does anyone have any experience with buying low-budget cars from Roos Only, S-Wings, or Summit Auto Repair?

Dunno if for-sale stuff is considered off-topic here (I searched for an FAQ). But obviously, unless I can come up with a reliable tranny fix for not a lot of bucks, I need to get rid of the GL. S-Wings will give me trade-in value for it. I could try to find an experimental aviation type who wants the engine. Or maybe somebody would want it for parts? I'm going to call CCR Enginges and see if they're interested.

It has about 134k miles. Actually, in pretty good condition, considering it's age, other than the trans.

TIA for any advice.

Reply to
fubarood
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Yeah there's no FAQ for this group. I've thought about maybe throwing together an unofficial one out of some old posts, but having a FAQ might invite the rude FAQ-thumping types to come forward and make this place less friendly.

Anyway, I've got no experience with the older Subies, but you've reached that unfortunate 20 year point that occurs with almost any car. It's old enough that parts are hard or impossible to come by, and you might even find a few mechanics who won't even touch it because your car is so old. But it isn't old enough or popular enough to be considered worthy of many of the high end aftermarket solutions that are available for classic cars and such. (So any aftermarket parts you do find might be of questionable quality.)

It's a shame because those old ones are so few and far between. The last time I saw a BRAT was about a year ago, and I haven't seen a GL in at least six months. But if I were you, I'd be thinking along the lines of parting it out or getting rid of it entirely. A sad choice, but it might be the best one.

-Matt

Reply to
Hallraker

Becaue many of thos 79 to 87 roos rusted out well before their time, there is a dirth of parts availible at local junk yards, at least in the North East. I just checked a few of them online and the average price for a tranny was 300.00. Well worth it if your car is otherwise ok.

Reply to
schema

Some parts I don't mind buying used. A high-mileage transmission? Yeah, I guess in terms of risk, it's no worse than a high-mileage used car. Still, it isn't a comforting thought. I'm assuming over 100K miles on any tranny from a car that hit the junkyard due to being rusted out.

Thanks for the suggestion. I will consider it.

Reply to
fubarood

My '81 GL Wagon had 213k miles before the water pump failed and the heads cracked. I've got an '84 I got for parts to use the motor out of, it only had 130k miles and almost no meaningful rust. I miss driving it, that cavernous space for hauling is incredible. Whole washers or driers drop right in. :)

Here in a few months I'll be getting it back on the road, and unfortunately the '84 donor is likely to go out for crushing as I can't seem to find any interest in free parts from it. :(

JazzMan

Reply to
JazzMan

Fubarood,

Have you checked out Super-Rupair in Boulder? The may have some fairly good stuff. Their used parts dept. is fairly extensive.

Mike

Reply to
Mike G

I have several GL/DL wagons, vintage 81-84. Alas, only one good 4WD hi/lo box, and that's in use. Are you planning to do the tranny swap yourself? I wouldn't think it would be worthwhile to _pay_ someone to do it, as it involves a fair bit of work; not difficult, just time consuming. Probably your best bet will be to find a tranny at a junkyard. Three manual boxes offered in Soobies of that vintage, the 4WD hi/lo as in your GL, a 4WD without the hi/lo, and a 5spd FWD only. All will fit right into the car, tho, same half-shafts and everything, tho you'll have to abandon the real wheel drive if you install the 5spd. (No big deal, the rear drive shaft unbolts from the rear diff, and everything else stays as-is) Lotsa old GL/DLs around, I would think you could find a salvage tranny for $150 or $200, maybe a bit more for a hi/lo. Alas, they're getting hard to find (the hi/lo variety). If your wagon is in decent shape, bodywise, I might be interested in it if you decide to go that route, otherwise, be happy to provide whatever help I can. I'm in Palmer Lake, Subaru capitol of the Known Universe. Call or email. Old Soobies never die, they just rust away . . . ;-)

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

Reply to
S

[snip]

It's been quite a while since I did my own wrenching, but I'm slowly getting used to it again. If it's no more complicated than putting a clutch into a Mustang II (74?) then in theory it would be no problem for me to do it myself. Of course, the difference between theory and practice is that, in theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.

According to one parts-finder site, there are trannies scattered around from Eaton the Penrose.

Should I decide to chance a junkyard tranny, I'll likely ping you off-group to arrange a peek at a shop manual, as I don't have one of those, or if I decide it's best to just sell it.

I appreciate your kind offer.

Reply to
fubarood

TeeHee. I like that.

The older Soobies are pretty simple to work on; actually, the newer ones are too. I have found it easiest to pull the engine and tranny as a unit, do any necessaries while they are out, (clutch, TO/pilot bearings, seals, etc.) and then slide 'em back in. The 4WD tranny isn't _too_ heavy, perhaps 75-80lb, but too much to work with while laying on your back under the car. 'Course it you have access to a hoist and tranny jack . . .

But assuming you're doing a driveway swap, pull 'em together. Here's a quick outline so you'll have an idea of what you're getting into.

Remove hood, drain coolant, pull radiator, disconnect hoses, electricals, AC pump, PS pump, etc, and set aside. Pull center console pieces to expose shifters, loosen rubber boot, and remove shift levers. Set car on jackstands, drain tranny, remove Y pipe and rear bracket, motormount nuts, roll-pins from axles, tranny mount nuts and crossmember (support tail with a floor jack), front swaybar, rear drive shaft (more 90wt will come out). Hook shop crane or whatever to lifting hooks on motor and lift to clear motormounts. Work engine side to side to free front axles. Lift engine/tranny free of car (may have to reposition lifting point a bit, but all will clear easily), and set on floor or cart. Total weight of engine and tranny probably ~250lb. Do whatever needs doin', and reinstall as above. This is all accomplished with basic hand tools, except for the necessary lifting apparatus. You can buy a real nice shop crane from Checker or Harbor Freight for ~$150, or rent one.

Feel free.

ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

Reply to
S

Well, with a decent floor jack, still less stuff to unplug, etc. than pulling the engine.

[snip]

Oooph! Makes the $200 I was quoted for doing the install look pretty good.

At the moment, I'm feeling stuck. Well, soon remedied, I hope.

Reply to
fubarood

While you have the tranny out you should think of replacing the rear main engine seal - they are easy to replace and not all that costly.

I've had problems with two '82s with the 5-spd leaking oil out the front tranny seal. Unfortunately to replace that seal you need to split the case.

Reply to
Ed Fortmiller

So, what happened was that I found an incredibly good deal on a '90 Ford Escort GT. Too good to pass up, so I bought it.

Thanks for your comments. I've already let S know that the Subie is now for sale.

Best,

Reply to
fubarood

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