Caboobaroo

Sorry to give you the bad news but, from the sounds of it, its a headgasket. If it were an intake gasket, it would eat coolant into the intake and burn white smoke. Never fear though, headgaskets are fairly easy. Just search around! There's a few people who have asked how the easiest way to change a headgasket would be and stuff like that. Here's a quick rundown though. Pull the engine, best move you'll make. Then, pull the intake and the lines/electrical that goes with it. Set it aside but make sure you label where all the lines and connectors go! Then remove the valvecovers. Then the camcases. Then the heads. Swap in new headgaskets and reinstall heads, torquing to the required amount. Then install the camcases and valvecovers. Remember, the rockers WILL come out when removing the camcases so make sure you know which lifter they go on and use some assembly grease when installing them (just a dab on the lifter and stock the rocker too it). Then install the valvecovers. Required gaskets to do the job... valvecover gaskets and grommets, headsgaskets, and intake gaskets. Might as well, while its out, replace the exhaust gaskets if not done recently, and reseal the oilpump and oil pan. If the front and rear main seal look to be weeping a bit, might as well replace them too. If you've done one a basic reseal on a Subaru engine before, it'll take about a day to do. If not, a weekend if you have no problems with parts.

Also check the smoothness of the steering rack such as lateral play in the tie rods. I'd check the rag joint on the bottom of the steering column, where it meets the steering rack, for possible weakness.

Ok, finally decided she's not going to be on the backburner much longer. Since my RX is having serious problems, been thinking of parting it out and using some money from it to put back into the Brat. This winter, she'll hopefully get media blasted, bodywork done and painted. I have a complete EA81 with 100k miles on it which I recently did a full reseal, new oil and water pumps, and will be mated to a single range 4wd EA81 tranny. Thinking of a blue, probably a bit darker but not too dark. Now I just gotta source a few parts for it but I have most of the parts to put it back together. I'm excited!

yup but make sure you only put a thin layer on it or else it'll seep into the coolant passages and make its way around the system. Bad juju...

IIRC, all Full Time trannies have a diff lock, regardless of single range and dual range.

Yes, EA71 and EA81 carb adapters are the same. I was running an adapter from an EA81 on my FE 1600 in my Brat.

I guess I can chime in here since I work in a bodyshop. Anyways, rust is bad, we all know that. Thing to do. Grind out the rust firs off. Get some One Step or other rust inhibitor. Apply to the area that has the rust on it. Usually, the inhibitors will have a "rust into primer" sort of deal. I've been using some at work recently and works awesome. Next, roughen up the area with some 36 grit on a grind wheel if the area is a little lower then the surrounding area. Apply some Evercoat or other glaze filler to the area, since it shouldn't be deep enough to need the application of a rough filler (like Bondo). Next, sand the area down to make it smooth, apply some Etch primer (apply to bare metal to prevent rusting as well), then use regular, sandable priner to the area, block out the area if needed and reprime, then use 400 grit wet/dry paper before painting. When painting, if using a two stage setup, apply a sealer to the area, spray the base color (3 coats IIRC), then 3 coats of clear, let sit for a few days or a few minutes if in a bake booth, then call it good. But like said before, you'll never truely get rid of the rust, you can help prevent spread of it and such but that spot will always be there and if exposed to the elements again, it'll start to rust...

Look in the marketplace Jeff...... I have a thread I started there:-\

Keith, how much would that SPFI engine go for?

Maybe I should help you and you can have two there:brow:

Well one thing you'll have to do, if you just plan on swapping the tranny, is to pull the engine and put an EA81 bellhousing onto it. The EA71 in your Brat has a top mounted starter where the EA81 engine has a side mounted starter. Another thing is, lifting it is going to be tricky, not with th front, but the rear. Unlike an EA81 4wd car, the torion bar tubes, are seperate from the trailing arm pivot tube, whereas the EA81s have the torion bars inside of the pivot tube. This will present a problem since the torion bar tube mounts on the underneath of the body, will require some ingenious mathmatical engineering to figure out the angles and lengths of the lift blocks. Overall, sounds like a fun project! Can't wait to see some pics of it done!

I'll try to make it. I got my Bronco back, guy backed out on me leaving me with it (damn...). However the plates are expired and so risking driving it that far would be a baaaaad idea. I don't know if I feel like renewing them yet or not.

looks like it could be in relation with our Loyale RS's. They came very simliar to what you have. Basically it could be upgraded to an RX wannabe, but not a TRUE RX. Doesn't look bad though;)

Shag?

Yess an EA82 will bolt up to an EA81. People who own EA81 4wd cars, tend to bolt up a EA82 5-speed dual range tranny for the better gearing for freeway driving and such.

Yes I am interested as well! I'm planning on restring my Brat this winter and would like new carpet!

mine seems to have a little more oil coming from the driver side, but the passenger side does it almost as much. It started doing it when I got hard on it one night. I didn't have any breathers or hoses on it, just open valve covers.

easiest way to get it open, and if you're replacing it, is to get an air hammer with a special sheetmetal bit on it. I've used one to get to the inner workings on a Avalanche door that was smacked so hard in the side, that the mechanism was FUBAR'd and door wouldn't open.

Yup, my RX is doing the same exact thing. I think I'm going to go with a stock turbo shortblock if I decide to keep the car. If not, part out city...

AND you need a gen 1 caliper my friend, not a gen 2. You can however, swap some vented rotors and calipers over and they'll bolt onto you stock hubs. Much better braking performance.

Gotcha. Let me look around, I think I might have a couple laying around!

Have they checked the vehicle speed sensor? I believe that is in the tranny and if its bad, it'll make the speedometer not work and will throw a code for a VSS. Also, you say it puts the CEL on. What code do you get when it's pulled? That should help determine the problem right there.

You have to remember, the plumbing to put the intercooler in there is going to be different. Its not going to be a bolt in deal. You'll need to figure out the piping you'll need to get it to work. Also, plumbing to go from the airbox to the turbo, another deal that has to be worked out. Then plumbing to go from the intercooler to the throttle body. Its not exactly the same on the Imprezas. You'll need a reducer the right size, to go from the intercooler to the throttle body since they are not the same size.

Thought of doing an EA81 electronic disty swap into it? Might be the easiest, and cheapest way to get around it...

I'm gettin some moola set aside for you Austin. Should be sending you another big lump here in the next couple weeks;)