1986 Subaru GL
1986 Subaru GL
1986 Subaru GL awaiting reconstruction when I get the time(as if). I plan on converting this car from a front wheel drive to a four wheel drive using parts from a 1988 Subaru GL donor car.
This automobile has almost every option available. It has air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, power door locks, power duel mirrors, AM/FM cassette stereo, tilt wheel and others. The tilt wheel I found particularly convenient, it has two controls, one to set the position and one to flip the wheel up when you enter or exit the vehicle and you just pull the wheel down to return it to the preselected position.
This Subaru was powered by a four cylinder 1.8 liter(1781cc) engine. The cylinders being horizontally opposed (flat) gives the engine very compact dimensions as well as make it run smoother than an inline four. The horizontally opposed configuration also provides greater strength against bending and torsional stress as well as reducing the total length of the crankshaft. The Subaru engine is water cooled unlike other well known flat fours. Water cooling provides two benefits over air cooling: the engine is quieter because the water acts as sound insulation and the water cooling makes it easier to provide heat to the passenger compartment.
The engine block is made of aluminum alloy. The split crankcase design incorporates.dry cylinder liners that are cast into the block. The engine also has an overhead camshaft system with hydraulic lash adjusters. The engine offers easy maintenance servicing, reliability, low fuel consumption, low noise and powerful performance.
The cylinder head is also made of aluminum alloy, with good cooling and high combustion efficiency which, when combined with the bathtub shaped combustion chambers means better performance.
The pistons are made of aluminum which features a small expansion rate. The top has a valve relief and its skirt section has an elliptical tapered design to provide heat and wear resistance. Three piston rings are used for each piston, two compression rings and one oil ring.
This 1986 GL was the 2 barrel carburated version rated at 82 net horspower at 4800 rpm and 101 net foot pounds of torque at 2800 rpm. In 1986 they also came in a single port fuel injected(SPFI) version rated at 90 net horspower at 5600 rpm and 101 net foot pounds of torque at 2800 rpm and a multi port fuel injected(MPFI) turbocharged version version rated at 111 net horspower at 4800 rpm and 134 net foot pounds of torque at 2800 rpm. The bore x stroke was 3.62 X 2.64 for all versions of the 1.8 and the compression ratio was 9.5:1 for the carburated and SPFI versions, 7.7:1 for the MPFI turbocharged version. all versions carried 43 lbs of oil pressure at 5000 rpm.
I noticed the power always increased noticably at 1800 rpm and pulled hard up to 5000 rpm, I never took it over 5000 rpm.
The speedmeter showed 130 mph max but I never took the Subaru over 95 mph so I do not know what it's actual top speed would be.
This Subaru was my daily driver until the fateful day that the timing belt failed. That is when I hatched the misguided plan to give it the only option I felt it had always been missing, FOUR WHEEL DRIVE!!! It had unceasingly been a bur under my saddle that 4X4 was available for this vehicle and I did not have it. So my Subaru sits in the weeds awaiting my attention.
With the rising cost of gas, I decided it was time to pull the Subaru out of the weeds. I found about eight inches of teeth missing from the left timing belt. I replaced both belts and the 1.8 is running great. We will drive it to Colorado Springs, in about two weeks. Then we will go to Salt Lake City. Loop up through Yellowstone National Park. Or we will go down through Lubbock, Texas to visit relatives. Down to Galveston then over to New Orleans, Louisiana.
Tent camping in the snow at Leadville, Colorado.
June 2001
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