DaveT

My 86 4WD wagon had front struts with hight adjustment nuts built in, factory original equipment. I also picked a pair off a car at a scrap yard a while back. Theis summer, they go into my 2 Loyales. They don't go all they way to 2", but it is an option. Dave

Also, check the timing belt tension, and the little bearings on the idlers. Make sure the belts are tracking correctly, not rubbing on things they shouldn't. Every time I have heard those kind of strange noises from the engine area, it has either been an idler bearing, alt. bearing or lead to a broken timing belt. I use a piece of 1/2" hose as a stethoscope to probe araound. Also, a long screwdriver touching things with the handle end pressed on the bone forward of the ear hole can help discover the source of bearing noise. Sometimes the screwdriver works better than the tubing, sometimes the other way around. Be careful of the alternator fan with the tube, and any moving part with either method. THINK carefully about what is moving, etc. before actually doing these tests. Dave

The other good thing about the jiggle pin is that you can tell if the coolant system is full without opening the cap. Checking the overflow bottle does not count. I blew the head gaskets once due to the bottle being full, and insufficient coolant in the engine / radiator. When the eengine is cold, grab the upper radiator hose, and squeeze it. If the system is full, you should hear the pin jiggle. If there is a little air, you can hear the bubles. Bad low, you hear nothing, since air won't jiggle the pin. Dave

I have had good luck with Stant brand thermostats. I have Run 100% glycol, 100% water, 50/50 normally(recomend that). Never noticed a difference in normal conditions. Dave

My #1 criterion, if you are planning to make the car a runner, is how much rust? No-very little = buy. I would rather replace all the gaskets, and replace the tranny than do body work. It is normal for all of the gaskets & oil seals to be leaking on that model, that old. The diff in the front is in the same housing as the automatic transmission, but the transmission parts are seperate / sealed from the diff, which uses gear lube. The diff can be replaced / repaired without opening the transmission part of the case, as long as the pinion shaft / gear / seals are good. Always check the gear lube dipstick periodically, as the seals like to develope slow leaks, and no oil will kill the diff. Talk about horrible noises! The shifter just moves a rod that moves a valve inside, maybe the linkage, maybe not. I have heard that turbo engines must be handled with care. Head cracks are common. Most of my non turbo heads have cracks also, but seem to run fine. I never had a turbo. Dave

I put never seize on the cover bolts early on. Never have trouble getting them out after that. Also, I came across an update on the timing belt interval. It was changed to 40K miles. I only had one make it past 60K, and could not figure out what I was doing wrong. They had all made it past 40K. Dave

My experience with these solinoids is that they don't last long. I get toyota or honda soliniods from a scrapyard and put them in. Subaru 'noids ~ 2 years, Toyota >10 years, still working. You have to adapt wires, and figure the vaccume lines, and bracket, but pretty simple. The purge 'noid is near the EGR one. It pulls the gas fumes from the charcoal canister that catches them instead of letting them evaporate into the atmosphere. Unplug the connector and use an ohmeter to see if the coil is open, the usual failure. Or hook 12 V to the 2 contacts and listen for the click. Dave

I have 5 EA82s none turbo. all but 1 SPFI. Most heads have the crack. They seem to run fine anyways. I check coolant and oil every weekend, to avoid overheating, which, in my experience, at minimum, blows a head gasket. Dave

I bought the 87 w/*NO rust*. I will have to drill the holes to mount the rear differential bar (the one at the back). The tube that mounts the rear suspension does not have the little bracket for attaching the front of the differential, so I will either make one and weld it on, or use my spare 4WD one. (it is rustier than the car, so I don't really like that option) I have to add the wiring for the 4WD switch and all that stuff. Stripped my dead 4WD wagon, started cutting tape and labeling connectors. Dave PS should I update on this thread as things progress, or put up new ones? There may be shorter and longer intervals between the updates.

I found a set at one of the scrapyards where you pull the parts you want. I tried to get new ones, but the aftermarket suppliers just make fixed ones, with the height set half way between the "high" and "low" end of the adjustment. Subaru wanted a lot of cash for them. This is what I found a few years ago. Dave

This is the "normal" state of these solinoides... *Every*single one I've had has failed. My solution is to go to the junkyard and find mid 80's Toyotas. They have a few each of a similar solinoide, and they are easily accessiblke to remove. Save the little "filter/caps" also. You have to figure out the airflow paths to make them work the same. Modify the mounting bracket a little. But they do not fail. Cut the Subaru connector off the dead one, solder it to the wires from the toyota one. Polarity doesn't matter. Subaru units fail <5 years. Toyota units still in cars >10 years. The EGR solinoid is off while the engine is warming up. At some engine temperature, the ECU turns it on. So it is on for most of the time the car is running. When it is on, the EGR valve can function. When it is off, the EGR valve is closed. Dave

The bushing for the diff has a much bigger center hole. I may ahve an extra part #13 in the diagram. The rod and bushings will make the shifter sloppy if the bushings are worn. You could also have problems inside, but you might as well fix the bushings if they are loose. I also have a set of them, from a parts car - I do not know how good they are, but I don't htink they are shot either.. Dave

e4rfv Yikes! I have an extra spacer from a 76-78 wagon. It is .985" long and 1.390" ID. Loyales and earlier that look the same (GLs) use a spacer the same ID on the front, but they are longer, so you would have to cut them shorter. PS they are hard steel, so that would be no fun. I use them to help re assemble Loyale CV shafts into the bearings. I also used to know where a 78 wagon was sitting... It may still be there. Dave

Hi, I know this isn't why anyone swapps out an EA for an EJ, but how does this effect MPG? Obviously, if you use all that power, it will use more fuel, but if you don't *always* use all of the power? Since the EJ turns below 3000 at 65, and the EA is right around 4000.. If I were to use the tranny that goes with an EJ, that would match better, but now the wheels are "too small".. Or maybe an XT6 tranny or touring tranny, since they have an overdrive gear? (I prefer to use AT transmissions) How much more does a Legacy weigh more than a Loyale? -In other words, does makeing this kind of mod get you more acceleration than a sock Legacy? Thank you, Dave

I was looking through my FSM the other day, and saw the section on the 4 speed AT. All my Loyales & GLs are 3 speed AT. The ratios are just a hair higher on the first 2 gears, same on 3rd, and 4th looks like overdrive. So if a swap a 4 speed AT into my car: 1. would I notice a difference in acceleration?? 2. get better milage on the highway? 3. have more or less reliability? What car was the 4 speed AT normally in? Thank you, Dave

This (smoke) drove me nuts for a while. Finnaly found out that Subaru has a modification kit for it. About $50.00 from a dealer. If the big rubber duct that goes to the SPFI throttle body has 2 seperate hoses on the rear side that go to each rocker cover, and the driver's side one is thinner than the passenger side, you need the mod. All it it is 2 "T" connectors and a piece of hose that replace the thin hose the same as the passenger side hose. Also included is a small plug for the small hole where the seperate thin hose went into the duct. No more smoke on long high G right turns. Dave

For tools, also check http://www.mscdirect.com. Don't break like craftsman, don't cost like Snap-on. I have a mixture of all, but no "no-names" Had a set of Kobalt screwdrivers - the chrome chipped off on the first screw I turned, they went back, never again. The Snap on screwdrivers I have are far outlasting any others I have had, mostly Sears. I tride the platinum plugs in my fleet of loyales- made them PING like mad. Even with 93 octane. Dave

I have an oportunity to buy a 1987 wagon - looks like a Loyale. SPFI 2WD non-turbo automatic <90K miles, garaged all its life. Here is what makes it interesting: NO RUST! $1000.00. Has anyone ever converted / attemped to convert a 2WD to 4 WD? I have 2 complete drive trains for the 4WD wagons, so I have all the parts. My experience with 86-92 models is everything is pretty much there, all you do is bolt on the optional equipment that is missing. If this is the case, much less work than fixing the rust on my existing 4WD cars. Any thoughts? Dave PS I read about the 2.2 / 2.5 "engine upgrades" and could only think how it wouldn't be woth it on my existing rotted out cars....

Heating depends on the copper - soft copper, just bend it. Hard copper, heat it red, let it cool to room temp in air, don't quench it. It will be soft then, and need to be cleaned. I have not done the link thing here yet, but if it works like my web pages, you do this: "<IMG SRC="http://www.yourpictureurl/yourpicture.jpg">" ( remove the stuff outside of the <> characters) (inside the <> replace &quot with the double quote mark - shift single quote) The reason for NOT using a used starter from another car is that it is most likly in similar state of wear (or getting there) and you will need to do it also. Dave

Forget home depot. I can't think of anything they sell that would have a piece like that in it. Actually, I have a scrapped buss bar from a $4,000.00 Mark Levinson amplifier that I have been making them from. But here are some real ideas: Scrap yards that specialize in the more valuable metals, Copper, brass aluminium, etc. Metal suppliers - look in the yellow pages under metals or copper. This place might work: http://www.metalexpress.net/cgi-bin/index.pl?mod=catalog&ac=acDisProdList&material=Copper&form=Flat&cat=110%20%28etp%29&min=0&max=0&sid=0267e9af91bfcf535ba5e663e8c6f15d Anything 1/8" thick will work. Cut it to width, bend it, cut the ends to match length. Clamp the original "back to back" to locate holes and drill. Dave

It is the piece that holds the injector in a SPFI throttle body. Dave

I have had this problem at various times with my cars. One of the contacts in the solinoid burns away faster than the other. It is just a small thick piece of copper in the shape of an "L". I make my own and replace it. One time i found an intermittant in one of the connectors in the wiring harness - htere are a few of them. I have an LED (with a resistor) and wires that I use to find intermittants like that. One end to GND, the other end slips into the back of the connector to test. Tape the LED top the dash. Just watch it when you turn the key. Light & no starter, move it to the next connector. During the hunt for that one, I also made up a switch with a clip on one end and connector for the starter on the other. A few times I had to use it to get home. Dave

Do you still need this? Stuck on anything in particular? Dave

The AC in my 88, 90 and 92 all still work. When the 90 system started to loose cooling a bunch of years ago, I got the test dye from NAPA and put it into the system with a little added freon A longwave UV light lights up the dye so you can find the leak. It turned out that the seat for the o-ring on the sight glass on the acumulator / filter rusted and leaked. I put in a new accumulator/filter. I use a rotary compressor from an old window AC as a vacuume pump. You have to suck all of the air out of the system after repairing it. Also good to know if you got the leak sealed. More details on this if you want. Then take it somewhere and just have it charged. I buy a few sets at a time from a local bearing supply house. I get the ones rated for higher temperatures. BTW, I saw some kind of service update on the timing belts a long time ago - They changed the replace interval to 40,000 miles. It was 60,000 in the manual and I always wondered why they rarely made it! Dave

Not sure if you want to save the AC or remove it, but: I have swapped engines without discharging the AC system. Just un mount the compressor and bend / flip up and back, maybe tie in place with a wire. If you want to remove it permanently, you might need an idler for the belt. Years ago I turned spacers to allow me to use standard bearings with the idlers, so I only replace 3 +-$5.00 bearings to get new idlers. Dave