88RxTuner

1lo-2lo-2hi-3lo-3hi-4lo-4hi-5hi... Not worth splitting 1st or 5th... Takes some creative shifting to get the 3hi-4lo shift right, but I've pretty much got it down. Technically, you could do the same thing with the Brat, but with the hi/lo shifter placed significantly more awkwardly, I would think it would take more practicing... Glad you figured out your linkage. 88RxTuner

Mud... Or Sand. I run into that problem a lot out here, the jack base tends to sink right through the dirt/sand/substrate... Easy enough to keep a piece of plywood in the hatch, tho. I've amazed a number of people with the abilities of these jacks, including wiping a smug smile off a Heep owner's face when I had to use my jack to lift him up and my RX to pull him out LOL! (No hard feelings, TXA....) I agree, these jacks are wonderful tools.. +1 on keeping them lubed, tho. Once they rust out, it's pretty much over... 88RxTuner

+1 on head gaskets... they dont necessarily just flop open and start dumping coolant, usually they start small... then when you run out of coolant and REALLY cook your engine is when they tend to take the big dump. Ummmm, a 300 dollar RX??? Get it anyway!!! Who cares about the turbo? VF7s are a dime a dozen, somebody here probably has 3 or 4 or 19 laying in his garage. I used to.. +1 on using the search button.. Now would be an ideal time to upgrade the stock turbo on an RX!! 88RxTuner

1. Perform a compression test. This is essential, and in my opinion should be standard any time a tune up is done or a combustion problem is suspected. This test will show you whether you have enough compression to allow the engine to run, and it will also show you if you have one or 2 low cylinders which could possibly be due to a jumped or broken timing belt, or timing gears on the EA81 Engines, bearing in mind that gears dont usually jump time and then work correctly... 2. Check ignition timing. Yes, you can do this without the engine running. Set up your timing light like normal, and just check it with a buddy cranking the engine over. it will still be quite close to correct, if you factor out any ignition advance by the vacuum pot or electronics (depending on which particular car you are working on.) Keep in mind, if the ignition timing is off, it could once again be due to a jumped or broken timing belt or timing gears. 3. Go grab a can of starting fluid. If your compression test comes back OK, and your ignition timing is where it should be, and you have spark at the spark plugs, starting fluid (Ether spray) will make it fire. Nipper put it quite plainly... Suck, Squish, Bang... If it's not sucking, the engine will not draw any fuel / air from the carb. If it's not squishing, it wont compress the mixture enough to let it explode. If there's no spark, or it's in the wrong spot (timing off), obviously there's nothing to light the fuel and make it go bang... Hope this helps!! 88RxTuner

Ummmm... Naru, arent you the one who suggested going to the electronics store in another post and finding something like this? "I`m guessing it is a NPN about 10 amps,450V range.Probably low gain?" - Naru To the best of my knowledge, the NPN T03 is fairly universal... But, as I stated before.. I have not tried it yet. I still hope it works... even for a little while, it would be a band-aid to get you running again while you source the correct one. 88RxTuner

Hey, do you have a radio shack near by? I have a radio shack part number, it's like $2.79, and may very well fix your problem...Radio Shack P/N 276-2041, 2n3055 type transistor, NPN Silicon. This is what the guy sold me, I HAVE NOT TESTED IT YET!!! But for $2.79 it may be worth looking into, I pulled the transistor out of my ignition amplifier and swapped transistors, but I have not had a chance to re-install and test this yet... I matched transistors based strictly on physical size and application, the electronic's guy told me this was the one to use... It's identical in physical dimensions, rated up to 60v and 15A, which seems appropriate for an ignition controller. Maybe this helps, but for 2.79 I thinks it's worth looking in to . 88RxTuner

YES, you can run without it. Cap off the manifold side of the solenoid at the manifold vacuum source. By the way, I believe that's the Purge Control Solenoid from the EVAP can... Someone will correct me if I'm mistaken??? If you plan on having it smogged in CA, NO, it will not pass without that device... experience tells a fine tale. Off road only, Forget about it!!! Cap it off, keep it till next time.. or whenever you decide to get around to it. 88RxTuner

Yup, that last picture is exactly how they go, with a little more tension to keep the T/O bearing tight up against the fork. Good Job!!! 88RxTuner

It's possible you had the cam off a couple degrees which will impede the installation of the belt. I usually install the belt on the crank first, then with a wrench turn the cam the wrong way till it lines up with the closest tooth on the belt on the pulling side.. proceed to install around the rest of the stuff from there, using the wrench on the cam sprocket bolt as a "tensioning" tool to assist in the rest of them in a clockwise direction.. Glad to hear you got it running.. More effort necessary or not, the belts got on and the timing's correct, right? A success..... 88RxTuner

Here in the USA I've found a couple would-be parts cars, but before 86 the Turbo engines did not use the transistor-style ignition amplifier. I have found 86 and 85 turbo engines that do NOT have the same system as the 87-88-89 turbo engines do. It may be worth your while, since I'm assuming you have internet access (since you are posting here...) to look up a number of transistors that may fit your bracket... I dont know how available an electronic parts store is around you, but there are a number of online vendors selling NPN - T-zero-three (t-03) type transistors that may very well fix your problem if it's an amplifier failure. These cost between 2-5 U.S. dollars each, and depending on where you are I guess maybe more or less?? Hope this helps, and good luck!!! 88RxTuner

S'ko, I love my sunroof... it's nothing fancy, just a pop-up... but still very cool. Dude, I tried to pick up a shovel... Then my father in law tried to put me in jail for trespasssing and attempted theft. That's the kind of relationship we have... Oh, well. I got his daughter, so he can kiss my >>insert proper terminology here<<..... S'ko, I'd love to get together one of these weekends when time and money come together... If for nothing else, just the time spent on old Subies... But, the point of me keeping the EA engine was simply to keep it original. I dont necessarily want to do an EJ swap if I can avoid it, So many people have done it that its not FUN anymore... Anyone with enough time and money can do it. I once wanted to build an ER27 Twin Turbo, and was well on the way when the project kind of crapped out on me, and swap THAT into my RX.. now, there would have been some fun times.. But, the EJ life I think is not for me, not until I've done all I can do with the EA engines....... Thanks for all the input, guys.. Oh, yea.... And How DO you know it's bearings?????????? Does it make noise? All EA engines make noise.... LOL!!! HAHAHAhahahahah 88RxTuner EDIT: By the way, that hood scoop took a lot of thinking and beer to make it happen... LOL Wait till you see it in person, the damned last minute contraption that it is... EDIT 2: S'ko, by the way... I renew smog and registration at the end of August... hehehehe

Uhhhhhhhh, Yup... Tha'd Do It... Did ya fix it? LOL seems like everyone kinda missed that one.. Occams Razor at it's best, the simplest solution is usually correct... If the dizzy aint spinning, it isn't gonna sparky.... 88RxTuner

Well, the first post brings up a good point.. I dont owe anything on it, I own it outright... I guess it wouldn't do much harm to sit in the backyard until I get around to having more money... But just the same, as I stated before if it's a question of feeding my wife and kid or getting rid of my toys, it's gonna be bye-bye to the toys... Hopefully it doesnt get quite that far, and I DO have every intention of keeping it as long as I can. I went through this (well, sort of...) once before. My wife, when I first met her, had an 88 Rx JUST like mine.. Literally, they are like 9 VIN#'s apart or something crazy like that. Me, being the dumb kid I was, blew it up... Then fixed it, and blew it up again... And again. Finally, I couldnt afford to fix it, and her father said I'll buy it from you guys for 100 bux. Well, he bought it, proceeded to use his backhoe to dig a large hole, and buried it in the ground..essentially making it disappear. This, for 100bux... = not worth it, pissed off g/f / eventual wife, etc.. not a pretty situation. It took me 5 years to come across another one, and here I sit, needing the money more than the car, but now I know all you guys, and I'll be DAMND if it's gonna go to waste.. Worst case, someone who appreciates it will get it. Hopefully it doesnt even come to that. Thanks, guys, for reminding me why I spent 5 years of my life looking for a 20 year old "sh#*ty Jap Car"... and why I want to keep her. 88RxTuner

Have you checked for cranking spark at the coil? If there is spark at the coil but not at the plug, it's a problem with your distributor cap and rotor. As stated, it's not uncommon for the screw to come out of the rotor. If there is no spark even at the coil, it may be the ignition amplifier. A few weeks ago I had a similar problem, Car ran fine, came home, parked it, went out the next morning, it cranked, fired and died in 2 minutes and wouldnt start again. I nearly went nuts over this, thanks to the good people here I eventually figured it out, and it was the ignition amplifier transistor. Took 2 weeks to figure out and 3 minutes to fix it. On the coil bracket there is a transistor, this is the ignition amplifier. I suppose it's possible to take that transistor out of the bracket and match it up with one at radio shack and maybe fix it that way. I know the housings are riveted to the coil bracket but the transistor itself should be replaceable. Following the diagnosis procedure outlined in the manual, I would check the pickups in the distributor as well. 88RxTuner

Hello, guys.. Everyone knows, times are rough right now.. I might end up having to sell my 88RX if it keeps up. How many people would be interested in this car, and give me an honest estimate of what I should be asking for it... I really REALLY dont want to sell her, but my family comes before my toys, and if I end up having to sell her I'd like to give you guys first shot at it. FYI, she's kind of beat up, currently it will not pass emissions due to engine modifications and lack of catalytic converters on the 3" exhaust.. I was thinking of Green Sticker'ing her next year, but I may not have the luxury of keeping her that long... Pictures available on request, and the car is in the Southern California area. Thanks for the input. 88RxTuner

Yes, they will fit, but NO, not with new brake pads.. Are you planning on finding half-worn pads when you replace brakes? The calipers hit the wheels when fully extended, as stated it has nothing to do with offset, but the EA81 wheels have less radius on the 'spokes' of the wheel. If you look at the EA82 wagon wheels, the outer part of the 'spoke' is bent almost 90 degrees to provide a larger interior diameter to fit the brake calipers. Hope this helps. 88RxTuner EDIT: NO, I would not file the caliper any...

Not sure on the 3AT, but a number of transmissions have a vacuum modulator that requires a vacuum line to go to the transmission from the intake manifold. I didnt think the 92s had this, being electronic transmissions, but I could be mistaken. I'd visually inspect for any vacuum lines or connections that go between the transmission and the intake manifold. If there is, that's probably where your transmission fluid is going if it's not leaking onto the ground. The vacuum from the intake manifold will suck the trans oil through the modulator if the diaphragm on the modulator is bad, and it goes into the engine. Hope this helps... 88RxTuner

<< thinking gary needs more sleep too... ^^that was a double doosey! (j/k) Seriously, though... Once every 40-50k miles, spend a few minutes changing the belts.. A chain drive would be cool, but unfortuntately due to the above mentioned lube issues is somewhat unfeasible... Besides, I like belts better than chains. They are easier to replace, and when they do fail, there's usually less carnage. 88RxTuner

Is this noise you speak of speed related? i.e. does the airplane propeller turn faster as you speed up? I know you said it changes as you change speed, but how does it change? Is it louder when you accelerate or when you slow down? How about left and right? Potentially, it could be the OTHER side rear wheel bearing... or a rear diff problem, unlikely to be an axle issue.. they usually click and pop instead. Is there a vibration in the car when the sound is there? My best advice is to put it up on a car lift, if this is available, and spin all the wheels, and listen to the components with a stethoscope.. this would very quickly isolate where the noise is coming from, but it requires the vehicle to be safely lifted up on a car lift. 88RxTuner

After sitting overnight, or for any long period, the oil drains out of the engine oil galleys, cam covers, etc. wherever it may be collecting during normal operation. If you check your engine oil first thing in the morning, all this oil will have accumulated in the pan, and it will read higher. Now, you start the car, run it for a while, and slosh oil up into all the little holes, oil galleys, and everywhere else it collects, you turn it off and immediately check your oil, and find that it's lower even though it's warmed up. This is because the oil has not had the chance to re-collect down in the oil pan. I start my engine, run the car for 30 seconds, shut it off and wait for another 30 seconds-1 minute, THEN check the oil... using the lowest reading on either side of the stick, because they will probably be different. As stated above, consistency is key. It could be a little low, or a little high, but if you are consistent about how and when you check it, it will never be MORE than a little low or a little high. Hope this helps... 88RxTuner

Sounds to me like there's a bit of dried up goo in the friction bearing that makes the needle move. These speedos (cable driven) use a friction bearing to translate the constant roundy-round of the cable into a one way movement of the needle, the faster the cable spins, the more friction is on the needle side of the bearing, and the higher it moves in it's range. If there's dried up lube in there, it obviously generates more friction at a lower cable speed, causing the needle to read higher. This is most common on cold days, due to the lubricant being more viscous when it's cold. If the cable is binding, it will either read a tad slower than normal or twitch the needle as the cable binds, builds spring pressure, and releases, which roughly translates into the speedo needle going down, waiting half a turn of the cable, and popping up. This would translate into the above mentioned suggestion that maybe it's time for a new speedo... or a good thorough disassembly and re-lubrication of the friction bearing assy, if that's within your capabilities. Hope this helps!!! 88RxTuner

If you apply your sealant with some discretion, it comes up to perhaps .001" thickness.. I have found it really doesn't matter what you use, providing you apply it with DISCRETION and assemble your parts while the goo is still wet and "flowing". The compression of the parts, in this case the engine halves, will indeed squeeze the vast majority of the sealant out of the joint. The sealant, in all actuality, simply fills the machine marks and bonds one side to the other for a liquid-proof seal. If you inspect the engine case when you open it, or any other "goo-only" joint, I suspect you will find that the sealant has only filled what is necessary... I've found on every sealed part I've ever disassembled, the only accumulation of sealant is actually IN the machining marks of the part.. the majority of the surface contact is essentially metal to metal. Hope this helps!! 88RxTuner

Technically, yes... Provided that you : 1: Address your fuel pressure. Carbs dont like 50+ psi, they tend to flood... all over the engine compartment! 2: Have or install a mechanical (read: Points) distributor, with associated Non-Electronic ignition system. 3: Ensure that the ECM does not control any dash functions, gauges, lamps, etc. (unless these are of no concern.) Personally, I'd drive the turbo engine till it dies, then fix it and drive it some more... but I dont have a spare N/A engine laying around. 88RxTuner

I should think that because the case is not pressurized, any of those would work.. I tend to favor UltraGray Permatex myself, unless you could get your hands on some Honda Engine Case Sealer ( from the motorcycle shop...) 88RxTuner

"What should I NOT be doing with a subaru trans?" "(btw this is a 2wd 5sp)" Ummmmmmmm.... You should be NOT driving in 2wd! Seriously, tho.. Clutch drops, Burnouts, full throttle transitions from dirt to pavement, etc... lol Anything that shock-loads your trans. <<I speak from experience...:-\ 88RxTuner