DaveT

I got a pump un stuck. Didn't take as much as I thought it might, but this could vary depending on how crummy the fuel was, etc... 10,000uF charged to 15V connected to the pump with less than 2 feet of total wire. [Low resistance is part of how to get a big impulse of energy in a short time] This pump didn't run when I had tested it with straight 12V a year or so ago. Using the capacitor, I could have gone to 24, 36, or even higher. The shortness of the pulse would limit the heat to avoid burning out a winding, But the short burst of higher voltage would give it a bigger kick of torque momentarily.

The stock pumps get stuck if they are allowed to be dry. Don't have enough tourque to self free. There is no way to get at the moving parts without cutting the case open. I just had a thought. .... I'll have to try on one tomorrow. ... hit it with a pulse of higher voltage from a capacitor. There is a chance that might work.

Not if it is stock. Check voltages on both sides of all the relevant fuses. First, Che ck voltages on both sides of each fusible link. In a rectangular black thing near the coolant recovery tank.

#1 thing to keep old Subarus running without major repairs is keeping the cooling system in top condition. All of the cooling system hoses, not just the radiator and heater hoses. The radiator in good condition. Checking the coolant level in the radiator and the recovery tank frequently. All of the parts are getting harder to find. So you have to seach, scroung, collect. Mechanics who know these old ones and thier quirks well are rare. So you have to DIY or pay big. Not a great choice for a daily driver unless you have another vehicle for backup when it takes a week to find a part.

That makes it sound a bit more like something dirty / corroded in the switch, or the wires and connector right near it.

The intermittent click no crank is almost always a high resistance connection in the wiring to the starter solenoid. Easiest fix is to add a relay. One other possible cause is that one of the contacts in the starter solenoid has eroded down to where it barely touches when the solenoid pulls in.

Your belts are too loose, but that won't cause the running problems. Loose belts are at more risk to skip timing. I do is correct, read and follow the FSM procedure for setting the tension. I add the step of a 5 second run and then reset tension. The belts inevitably move to the location they want to run, and end up loose. You have to connect the green test connectors before setting or checking the timing. If you don't, the ECU will be adjusting the timing and you don't end up with the proper position / angle.

Possibly a loose connection. burned contact. failing relay. Not a common problem, from my experience since 1988, or what I have seen on this forum.

As far as I remember, it just wires in. Power, maybe a signal to the fuel pump shutdown? It still has electronic points. No ECU.

SPFI distributor does not have vacuum advance, so the timing will be fixed. SPFI needs 21PSI fuel pressure, or it will be very unhappy. The CTS main function is to tell the ECU the engine temp so it can act as the choke / fast idle. The ECU will need the MAF and the TPS to function in anything like normal mode.

I am not 100% what year this change happened, but somewhere between 86 and 90, they changed the final ratio in the 3AT. Just a little. My 86 ran at 3600 3700 at 65, my loyales ran at 4000rpm at 65. Makes a big difference, as did the spfi vs Hitachi carb. The ECU running ad you describe is most ikely operating in limp mode, which is less than ideal. When they first switched to the SPFI I worried about the reliability. ... 30 years later I am still running the same parts. Collect some spares..

I had a carbed 86 4wd 3at. It takes a while to get to 65. 4000rpm at 65 is normal. Steeper hills would need close to full throttle. This is with stock tire size. Running bigger diameter tires is like a higher top gear, so slow everything down, especially with the marginal power from a Hitachi carb. Iirc, the SPFI makes a little more than 10 more HP.

That is one of a few coolant hoses that many overlook. There are 7 hoses involved in the cooling system for an EA82 enine. They should all be treated as you would any other radiator hose, they all age similarly.

Every day more parts are nla. Start collecting parts cars, etc. Whenever you see them.

Get a similar thickness piece of wire, splice on to get length, add a 1/4" connector. Splice and use heat shrink on the joint. I clean the Flux off, then put a little rtv on the area, slide the shrink over it. Shrink it, the rtv will set and make it more water tight than just dry. If you have a scrap / spare harness, any of the connectors that use the 1/4" contacts will work. You can make a release tool from one of the metal strips.on the side of windshield wiper refill blades.