DaveT

Here is an inside view of the $300.00 + OEM EA82 SPFI Fuel pump. Nice little DC motor turns nice little roller pump. The whole thing, brushes, armature, and all, is in the gasoline! While there are only 2 of the 3 items needed to make fire, would you ever think of running a motor with a comutator in a combustible liquid? Looks like the comutator is worn a bit, 180K miles or so, the pump had become intermittant to start running.

That's what I was trying to say - mind blank at the time... The modulator is on the passenger side of the transmission, down low. There is 1 vaccume hose connected to it. Slightly behind it, is the 4WD solenoid, with wires. If you pull the hose off, and find transmission oil, it is bad. IT unscrews from the side of the transmission. Usually pliers will get it to turn, but damage it. It seals with an o-ring, so the new one does not have to be over tightened. Oil will come out with it removed. There is a small pin / rod in the hole that touches the diaphragm in the solenoid and the mechanisim in the transmission. It usually stays in the transmission, but could come out with the solenoid, so watch for it. You could plug the vacuume line and take a drive - the shifting will be wrong, but the engine would not get oil in the intake. But you would be loosing ATF if it were leaking bad enough to make the engine run bad.

I have an engine from an 86 carbed running with a 92 SPFI intake.

I took a ride to PipeSmith today. http://www.pipeSmith.us/ They can custom build an all 304 stainless exhaust for my EA82 wagon. 304 is the type that does not rust. Ever. From the engine to the tail pipe. Put a "standard" 3 way cat - sepearate from the Y pipe, so only the cat needs to be replaced when it goes bad eventually. Keep the muffler flage in the standard place. First system $1000.00. Second copy $650.00. Do I get 1 or 2? Barring any catastrophe, I could be driving my "new" wagon for 10 more years. I am still debating about my 2nd EA82 - It will need body work - or I need a non rusty one from out west.

Not usually to bad. Make sure the beads are clean, lube helps. Clip on tire chuck, not hand held. Decent air supply helps - more CFM makes it easier. Sometimes I have had to put a ratchet strap around the center of the tread to make the beads touch the rims to get it started. I prefer to use a backhoe to break beads.

Check the vacume modulator. Check ATF level. A typical failure of the modulator is the diaphragm leaking. Bad enough, it will make the engine run crummy. Also, uses up ATF... Does the RPM "stick" to the forward speed, or is the transmission slipping? 4000RPM at 65MPH is normal 3rd gear. Below 3000RPM I downshift if I want power with my SPFI EA82s. Upgrade to SPFI. Much better than carbed.

EA82 Wagon, 3AT 65 MPH 4000 RPM = normal in all 4 I have owned. They are made to spin fast.

I don't think it is those solenoids. That problem almost sounds familiar, but I can't remember the cause / solution right now...

Looks like the typical stuff I've come across. Someone who doesn't know electronics design, misinterpreting / not understanding how to make basic electrical measurements or circuits, Quoting Tesla's (and other inventors, from before electricty was understood) wackier theories. Water is burned hydrogen. The energy is already released. The energy required to electrolyze hydrogen from water is far more than you get from burnming the hydrogen. The "cell" is not big enough to generate hydrogen at a rate that would power a car. Yeah, the video has the engine running. But that is easy to fake. Hydrogen is also far more dangerous than gasoline or propane and the like.. Hydrogen burns with an invisible flame. Has to be stored at high pressure to be used in a vehicle. If even a little oxygen gets mixed into the hydrogen it is unstable. Like explosion unstable. Pinto gas tanks were safe by comparison.

If I decide to do tires again, I will get a set of tire spoons - I think JC Whitney lists them, I 'm sure others do also. Back when it was $5.00 to have a local guy dis / mount a tire, I decided it wasn't worth it with tire irons / screwdrivers / crowbars. Now that they want 20.00 to do that, I might try to find an older used tire machine - a friend told me they can be found for 2-300. I am always ending up with usable tires on crappy rims, or dead tires on good rims, and I always have trouble with the tire shops giving me stupid short tire valves. I'm sorry, but I should not have to remove hub caps to check the air pressure, and the extension things are junk also. What is really no fun is changing the big 4' OD loader / backhoe tires.

I used synthetic gear lube in my '78 & '76 4 speeds. Shifted smooth & easy, winter & summer.

I have fixed a few with large o-rings. Takes a few experiments. Turn past friction, then back to seal.

Vinegar is mildly acidic. Baking soda is a mild caustic. So it makes sense that they remove deposits. Which would remove a particular type of deposit is beyond my knowledge of chemistry. Baking soda did remove the crud on our kitchen floor - build up of hard water deposits that regular washing had laid down. Both are mild enough to not harm anything in a reasonable time frame.

I have had them run fine with a bad O2. I had one burn out the catalytic converter - the ECU didn't know the sensor was out of spec.

From stuff I picked up here and there, I think the International & Cummins are more rugged & reliable than the V8s. They were designed as Diesels from the ground up, not converted from existing gas designs.

I have used fenders from GLs & Loyales, but never kept track of them as different, so I am not 100% sure. Some of the trim pieces might be different, but I think the bolt holes are the same.

Good to know. I always thought the SPFI had more engine brakeing than my older carbed wagon, but wasn't sure why. If I could find a way to let some air in without turning the fuel on, would I get more engine braking?

I am thinking a key thing to increase the airflow - through the existing air handing system - is the static pressure at the output of the blower. At some point, as the static pressure rises, the blower just can't move air. The design of the blades of the blower and the houseing will determine the staic pressure capability. If the bigger blower you mention is designed for the same static pressure as the existing one, (and the system backpressure is close to the maximum for the blowers) the bigger one won't move more air through the system.. So the first thing to test is the back pressure of the Subaru and any theoretical upgrade blower. A draft meter might work for this. The bigger blower likely moves more air through the system in the bigger car because the whole system is bigger. So they need a bigger blower, and bigger motor to turn it. It all could work with the same static pressure as the subaru, but move more air. Just some things to think about..

All of mine (except one accident) were retired due to rust. All disassembled for parts. Except my last 78, which I sold to the scrapyard, since I had moved on to the GL / loyale style. A few were only bought for parts. On guy came up to me in the parking lot & sold me his old 78 wagon for $1.00. Years later, I was informed of a garage where there were some Subarus. Turned out there was a GL-10, regular wagon, sedan, and I think an XT. I tried to arrange for a rig to haule a whole car, but the plans fell through, so I just stripped everything I could get and filled up my wagon w/parts.

I'd have to check the schematic to be sure, but the charge light might need the alternator to be in and not working to light. It is just a lamp wired into part of the regulator circuit. The other common failure mode is one of the brushes for the field wears out and starts to intermittantly go open.

The PWM I have (& found the unit) is near 0 to 100%. A buck - boost converter could do the 10-150%, but like you said, shorten the life of the blower. And be a lot of work to design. It might not move much more air through the ducts, that would need to be tested first. I am working on re-creating the schematic for my existing controller. I could design a PCB....

Years ago I did an unplanned 180. 1976 4WD wagon. All season tires. On 3" solid snow pack. Gentle downhill, back road with bad crown at 40MPH +/-. A combo of the bad crown and undulation of the road started turning the car. When I "regained control", I was facing the opposite direction, back end in the snow bank, engine stopped. Pressed clutch, shifted to 1st, restarted engine, drove away. No damage to anything but snow. I always take & took it easier when other cars are around.

Now all I need is a way to restore the mirror finish.....

I pulled a spare blower, harness & switch from my "stock pile". Hooked them up. Partially blocked the blower output to simulate the ductwork. This matters a LOT. The lower backpressure on this type of blower, the higher the load is on the motor. Supplied 12V to the harness. Measured V & A. Speed Motor V Motor A Resistor Res V Res Power High : 12V 16A 0 -- -- Med : 6.6V 9.5A .46 5.4V 50W in the .46 Med : 4.7V 6A .46+.6 7.3V 44W total, 22W in the .6 Low : 3.5V 4A .46+.6+1 8.5V 34W total, 16W in the 1 Motor V = Volts across motor. Motor A = Amps through motor and selected resistors. Resistor = ohms and chosen resistors by the speed switch. Res V = Volts across the string of selected resistors. Res power = total power and power for the individual resistor that makes the tap for the selected speed. It looks like the 3rd resistor is a made by me replacement, slightly lower resistance than a stock one, so the low speed would be lower RPM, lower motor V, etc.

We can't be talking about the same thing. I have measured the current draw on an actual blower from an EA82 / Loyale / GL wagon. It is over 10 Amps when directly connected to 12V (full speed on switch) I don't know how starters get into this, but they draw hundreds of amps while cranking an engine. I never had reason to measure that, but I do have the equipment. Where are you getting 120 Watts on a resistor? None in the blower circuit would see close to that during normal operation.