Sonicfrog

Well, this suck. The catalytic converters on Murphy, the $500 87 Turbo Wagon, we're both clogged and were just replaced. This problem reared it's head this summer, and though I still drove it some, it was running so bad, I simply stopped driving it in October of last year. The reg was up anyway, and i put a non-op on it. So here we are today. This last week I had both cats replaced. After driving it around a bit to warm it up, I took it to the smog test station.... Where it failed miserably! Here are the results. At idle: RPM - 846 // CO2 - 10.3 // O2 - 0 // HC- 513 (MAX - 12O) // CO - 7.15. (MAX - 1) High RPM RPM - 2686 // CO2 - 12.8 // O2 - 0 // HC - 284 (MAX - 14O) // CO - 3.33. (MAX - 1) When I got home, I checked for trouble codes.... None. Checked the timing. At 20 BTDC w/ green terminals connected. The Ox sensor was not quite tight. It wasn't loose, but I was able to cinch it down maybe 1/4 of a turn. At this point, I can't see much else that is wrong with it. Now, I did run for a while with the clogged cats. It's possible I may have damaged the OX sensor during that time(they are sometimes sensitive little buggers), and though I can't recall exactly when I replace the cap, rotor, wires and plugs, it doesn't seen like it was all that long ago - maybe a year or so. Any thoughts on which way to turn????? PS. This spring / summer, when the cat problem started to rear its ugly head, I had thought about just ditching the car. Well, of course, I had recently put new tires on the thing, so I was already out a good chunk of money, so junking the thing was not an option. Plus.... For all the head-aches the EA82T can be (as many hear know quite well).... I love that car!!!

Have one. Will post a pic as soon as I can.

The Brat... Squirrel not included!!!!

Unfortunately, installing new cats here in California is much more expensive than it is in almost any other state in the union.

Clogged cats? The turbos need all the airflow they can get to spin the turbine. My 87 Turbo Wagon is useless due to this reason.

Yep... These things will fool you. I've had overheating / burping issues with my 94 Alpine Wagon too. I'll fill the thing, and be damned that it starts to run hot. And after the cool-down, yep, it just needed more water than I put in.

Well, I've been trolling around trying to get "pre-owned" catalytic converters for Murphy, the $500 87 Turbo Wagon. The back one is empty (had the infamous cat marble blocking the exhaust) and the front one is starting to block too. If I get new cats, the pair w/ pipe here in CA will cost about $800 if I install them. The registration is due at the end of the month, and I was hoping to find a solution before time ran out. Time is almost out. I've been looking for donor cars, but these old EA82T's are so rare here... And then I had a thought! I could do the EA to EJ swap for probably less than the cost of the converters! Legacys are much more common around here, and if I can find a donor car, I'd be able to do this swap for the same price or less than the cost of the cats! Murph is still in very good condition, and I would hate to scrap her.

PM me the price. Have to either get Murphy running again, or sell it... or do both!

Yeah... Rub It In!!!! You get shunned and just about get arrested for that here in California!!!

At the local bone yard, there is an XT with a hood vent and shroud that fits over the turbo. Did this set up make any difference in the turbo's operation, maybe act like a mini intercooler???? I can't see it making much of a difference, but I may snag them anyway ... Because that's just how I roll.

RX and wagon should be the same. let me know what you'll be asking for them and when they will be available.

But will that be California legal????? Will it pass smog????

They have to be from a turbo set-up... At least the front anyway!

Murphy, the $ 500 87 Turbo Wagon, needs both front and back catalytic converters. I live in California, and they are impossible to find. There are tons of after-market ones on line, but, of course, they DON'T sell them to residents of California, because, California has SPECIAL LAWS that restrict which ones you can put in, and, when you CAN find them, the California approved ones are, of course, THREE TIMES AS EXPENSIVE!!!!! I swear, on a daily basis, I seem to be asking myself... Why do I still live here??? I'm probably going to sell my Murph.... But I would like to have it in top running condition and get some money for her. Oh, and I just had to have new tires put on right before the rear cat melted into a ball, blocking the exhaust. So I'm out $ 400 + bucks!

Yeah. Passed just fine... Though the computer they were using crashed at the final stage... Windows. What do you expect!!! :-) My fingers are in hell from all the work restoring the Brat, but it was worth it! Driving it down to Oxnard tomorrow morning.

Congrats man! Just want to drop a line and let you know that, after two months of nipping and tucking and wrenching and rewiring... The Silver Brat Lives!!!!!! Almost all the problems have been fixed or resolved. I'll do a post with pics tomorrow.

OK. Got all the main cluster gauges working! Still not traced yet are the clock connections, and the left and right doors. Also, the diagram from the Haynes book I am using does not have the wiring for any of the FWD switches or indicators.... Go figure. I did not have any luck tracing them down by checking each of the remaining wires for voltage, but I might have disconnected the terminals under the hood when I pulled the engine, and forgot to reconnect them. Will check that tomorrow.

bump

Anyone have one with the pin configuration? I'll be correcting the faulty wiring of the 83 Brat, and though I do have the wiring diagram from Haynes, I don't have the pin configuration. Have to go cook dinner now.... Steak and roasted yellow bell peppers with olive oil and soy sauce!

OK. Alt tested good. I'm trickle charging the battery. My charging problem might have been related to the negative battery terminal having just enough corrosion on it to interfere with charging. It didn't look bad, but looks can be deceiving when talking about battery funk. When the battery goes back in, it will have new semi-shiny terminals, and all connections will be re-crimped for good measure. Miles - Green wire goes to a relay that supplies + power to stereo and amp. In this case, the person who installed it at least also put in a spare fuse buss, so I have to give them credit for that.

Naru... Thanks! That would explain why they didn't give a wire code for the connection between the disty and the FTI. Will not molest... Me No Molest!!!! Now, the next question: Both leads from the disty are hooked up to the coil (see previous photo). Is that proper?

According to the Haynes diagram for the 1982 - 83, it should have a transistor ignitor. Now, maybe Haynes got it wrong - wouldn't be the first time a repair manual and reality have gone astray - but on this project so far, it's been pretty accurate. PS. Speaking of going astray..... Bryan Adams just had a daughter. Her first name is Maribella.... Pratty name. Her middle name?.... Bunny! What's up with that!!!!

BTW... Here are the innards of the disty, with the magnetic spark inducer. It is connected directly to the coil.... Along with all those other wires!

In reverse order: The disty is the Denso magnetic induced spark.... No points. You see what I mean... There are wires just going all over the place!!!! The green wire goes to a mystery add-on relay. I won't know what it does until I disconnect it and see what fails!!!!

PS. When I say that someone went all wire crazy, here is a pic of what I'm dealing with... And this is after I've already gotten a lot of the extemporaneous wiring out of the engine bay! ... And yes, that battery terminal IS going to be replaced at the next opportunity!