DaveT

My 87 I removed the entire dash, cleaned the whole hvac system with bleach, etc. Put 1/4" hardware cloth in the ports where the plastic ducting meets the body. Chicken wire is not small enough to stop them.

The description of starting with a jump points to battery / charging problems. A portable voltmeter would help figure out if the electrical system is working properly.

A pump that makes higher pressure and higher flow has to draw more power, unless it is a lot more efficient. Wiring in cars is not usually made any heavier than needed for the original designed loads.

Decent battery properly maintained should go 5 years. I've had some go longer. A battery left partially or fully discharged is not being maintained properly, and this will shorten the life. Any deep discharge to a starting battery (typical car battery) does damage. The car starting after putting in the recharged battery, and then not, does point to the alternator not working. Also, a good fully charged battery should be able to run the car and restart after a few drives even if the alternator is dead. Which of course, is not good for the battery. ..

Yes, after installing, turn engine by hand a couple revolutions. Then set tension. Run for 10 or 20 seconds. Check how they track on the pulleys. Re check the tension.

When I swapped mine, I swapped the speedometer. The black center plastic cap pulls off. There is a nut under it. Not sure why I bothered, it has a different engine and transmission in it now anyway. The miles are on the body, and wheel bearings. Resale won't likely be a problem, I've never sold one of these cars. Except vary rusted out bodies to a scrap metal dealer. ...

T in a fuel pressure gauge after the filter? Check power to the fuel pump? Run fuel pump by connecting wires from the battery to it?

With the engine cold, and the intake boot off, you can see the injector spray fuel while someone else cranks. At least a burst for the first cold start attempt. IF you try this, beware of the possible fireball if it backfires, so don't be watching from too close! Use light and or mirror to have a decent view down the throat. Also, check for spark.

+1 to what naru wrote.

Does it sound like a normal cranking rythm? RRrrRRrrRRrr? Or is it kind of uneven? The description you give is common for timing belt failure.

The cam pulleys are hard to turn by hand when you are at the position to open a valve. Normal.

I did this for my 93 Loyale. It had only idiot light for oil and no voltmeter. All of my earlier Loyales and GLs had all meters. you need to get the oil pressure sender for the engine, and move the wire from the switch sender. The same wire works for the signal. The voltmeter is just wired into the circuitry, so it will just work.

Ct failure can do that. Once you replace it, the CEL should go out.

What jono wrote

That dead, I'd think timing belt. Very surprised the pieces didn't take out the other one.

What amp rating of the fuse? Are you talking about a fuse from the battery to the relay contact? The other relay contact goes to the start terminal on the starter?

Especially if you are starting with a cat that was neglected, there is a bit of work to get it all back working properly. But then it should be good for a while. I've gone through a few cycles where I had to fix one thing then another, etc. But there have been long runs of almost nothing going wrong.

what kind of transmission? I mostly know the 3AT - s speed automatic,

The cracks are normal. I have never ran one that dry / hot. I have never seen clear signs of totally blown head gaskets by examining them after diss assembly. If it was run low on coolant, and heated over normal, that's it, the gaskets were damaged or blown, so you would be replacing them sooner or later. That's what I have experienced with these engines. I am not certain of this - but if it got so hot it stopped running, the piston rings might be damaged? What about the bearings?

My SPFI EA82 powered wagons with 3AT transmissions turn about 4000RPM at 65MPH. A little higher going uphill, a little lower down. They handle typical hills on the highways around here ok. I have one 3AT from an 86 which was carbed. It has slightly different ratios, and bogs down on hills noticeably, even with a SPFI engine.

All of the ea82 engines I've sent have a regular lip shaft seal for the oil pump shaft. There is a big o ring around the body of it that goes into the block. Also the mickey mouse o ring.

The small crack between the valves is very common in EA82 heads. There was a Subaru bulletin about it years ago.

If you are constantly loosing coolant, steady bubbles in the radiator with the cap off, that has always been blown headgasket in my experience. The bubble rate will get higher and higher the more you continue running it. You could cheat a few weeks or even months, but it's inevitable. Once you run over normal temp with low coolant, it's just a matter of time.

I've found most of the heads I've been running have the crack. Doesn't do anything noticeable. I did have one that developed a crack that got progressively worse, until it would drip 16 oz of water while sitting for several hours. The water leaked into the exhaust port.

I've found most of the heads I've been running have the crack. Doesn't do anything noticeable. I did have one that developed a crack that got progressively worse, until it would drip 16 oz of water while sitting for several hours. The water leaked into the exhaust port.