Hey guys I'm new to mini trucks all together and this is my first experience with forums....so here it goes I've got a 94 Subaru Sambar. It has the clover 4 engine it. I don't know it's history at all. I did send the carb out and had it rebuilt, installed on a motor, tested and tuned before getting back to me and installing it on my truck. Other than smoking like a tar heal(which it always has) it's been running fine for the past 10-12 months. Recently it died on us in the pasture while checking cows. I got it to the shop pulled the plugs and found them black as coal dust and covered in fuel. I replaced the plugs, wires, cap, rotor button and fuel filter. It still smokes like crazy, but it will idle Fine, however once I put it into gear and try to drive it, it Boggs down and dies. In my past experiences I've seen a stopped up catalitic converter cause simular symptoms. I don't think a stopped up exhaust is my problem. I guess I maybe intimidated by this thing. As a service manager of a local shop I have access to tons of info on the vehicles I've repaired, such is not the case with this thing. Any ideas? And is there anywhere I can go to get info on this vehicle?
you have a enriched fuel mixture as indicated by the sooty spark plug tips. two causes: one a carbeuration (air/fuel mix) issue or you are getting so much oil into the cylinders which may be the case since you are saying the thing smokes like crazy. another possibility, but i cant say for sure, is the timing belt may have slipped, depends on mileage and age of timing belt. gerald
Turns out that my idle was way low around 600rpm and my carb was filthy. Just took some carb cleaner and really got in there and adjusted the idle. Problem solved!
another problem for the subaru's is they run cold. will stutter and shudder and even die when started cold. once the water temp is warm and circulating most of that goes away. i dont know if it can be adjusted out or eliminated by changing a thermostat or some other kind adjustment. just putting out the info based on my carbeurated trucks experience and info i got from a minitruck mechanic.
