DaveT

I've never had to replace or rebuild an oil pump, just replace the seals. With proper maintainance, it should be ok. Yes, parts are going to be harder to find. I am expecting that. I have a lot of spare parts to keep my ea82s going for a long time. How practical it is to run 30 year old cars depends on your situation. Do you have space to store spare engines, driveline parts, etc.?

The wiring in GL and Loyale is quite long. Lots of connectors. The starter solenoid draws 20 plus amps. It doesn't take much drop for it to not be fully pulled in, thus the click no crank. The relay draws maybe 0.2 amp. And the short wires on the contact side ensure full battery voltage to the solenoid.

12.6 v is normal fully charged battery at rest. When you get the click, if the rest of the electric stuff stays on, and doesn't dim out significantly, the connections are probably ok. Relay, or another connection in the crank circuit can be intermittent. FSM will have all the details of switches fuses, connectors. All need to be checked. Intermittents are a pain to find.

The relay I used is a black plastic cube about 1" with a metal mounting tab, and 1/4" push on tabs for the connections. I bought it at NAPA. I mounted it using one of the bolts that hold the fuel filter bracket. One end of its coil connets to the wire that originally plugs onto the starter. Other end of the coil goes to gnd. Run a 12 awg wire from battery + to a fuse, then one of the contacts. Othe contact goes to back of starter.

Later tonight I'll be where I can try to find a fsm online. The fuses look good... by testing with a voltmeter? You cannot tell by visual inspection. I have had failed fuses that look just perfect visually.

I need to know the model and year engine size, etc. of the car, and have the link to the fsm to be that specific.

Look for rhe engine electrical schematic. Find the alternator section. It might take a little tracing of lines, etc. To figure it out, but it should show what fuse is in the circuit. It should show what pins go where. On gemeral, 1 wire has to be going to the alternator light or indicator lights. One has to be fed power via the ignition switch. Those circuits have to be intact and functional for the alternator to work.

I worded part of that oddly. The fuse isn't likely specific to the alternator, it is likely for engine systems power, and the alternator just happens to be one of the things fed by it.

Probably depends on the year and model of the car. I know the older Loyales and GLS best, the fuses for the control wires would be in the cabin. Having the factory service manual schematics of the wiring would be helpful. I have seen links to online download able ones for most Subarus in other threads.

Oh, the small wires, there are usually at least 2 small wires from a connector on the alternator that go to the alternator light, ignition switch, etc. What exactly depends on the car. Going by the readings you gave above, the voltage is way low for with the engine running. The voltage on the alternator terminal reading lower than the battery post indicates no output from the alternator. So either te alternator is dead, or one of those small wires isn't doing what it supposed to. It would be worth checking fuses. Not with an ohm meter, not by looking at them, but by measuring each end to ground. With the engine running. Both sides / ends of a good fuse should read close to the same voltage.

12.3 at rest is very discharged. The alternator is not making power, for sure. Could be the alternator, or one of the small wires isn't doing what it should. One of those has to be a "turn on the regulator" / "key on" kind of control. I can't be specific without the fsm. The reason to measure voltage between the alternator frame and negative battery terminal is this. It should be near zero, but a few 10s of milli volts indicates current flow. Also, for high current paths, an ohm meter can give misleading results. An example would be a poor connection that will read zero ohms with the fraction of a milli amp that the meter uses, but goes open when you try to push 20amps through it.

Don't have to drain the oil to pull the heads, or anything above them. The first time I saw a TOD thread on here, I didn't know what they were talking about. I had already had lifter tick and fixed it. I can only guess someone new to cars thought it was a horrific going to die soon sound.

+1 What GD wrote.

Well, that all makes sense. I'm avoiding letting it shift with lots of slip.

Fel Pro head set and conversion kit. Except dealer oem intake manifold gaskets and cam tower o rings. Timing belts and all 3 idlers. Avoid cheapie kits. I rebuild the idlers, so I have no info on a good kit.

The reading for the alternator output is the one big bolted connection, fat wire. The last reading is voltage also, with the same conditions, idle, reved, off.

The readings on the battery, probed right on the posts. Yrs everything wired as it should be. Alternator terminal to alternator frame. A bonus / double check put 1 probe on the alternator frame and the negative battery post

You need a voltmeter. Need measurements to diagnose . Voltage at alternator output terminal Voltage on battery posts. At idle. At 1500 to 2000 rpm. And with car off.

Low fluid is not good. What model transmission?

I have had good luck with the 3AT also. I dont know why. I don't drive them easy. It's been a while, but I've towed 1000lbs on a trailer with them. I use synthetic ATF. I shift them manually, and let off the gas at shift time a bit, to avoid shifting with heavy accelleration, because they tend to upshift just before the engine really starts to make power. Not that you can really get that in an ea82 / 3AT driveline.....

The egr pipe can only be removed along with removing the intake manifold.

Probably not. I've driven an intermittently ticky one for quite a while. Reseal the pump, tick fades away after a good few drives.

Are you referring to EA82 with 3AT ?

My sample is smaller, but the handful of ea82s I've fixed lifter tick on all that was needed was the shaft seal on the oil pump, and possibly the other seals. Orings, cam tower, head gasket leaks.

What GD wrote. Added a relay to both of my wagons. No more click no starts.