Caboobaroo

the car is now sitting outside on 4 wheels again. Its almost done, just a few things left to button up plus payment to some people for parts (you know who you are;)) Still left are the XT6 tie rod ends, install front calipers and finish installing rear calipers, bleed brake system, a few nuts and bolts here and there, and XT6 front and rear swaybars... sounds like a lot but in all reality, its not too bad. I'm just happy to have it outside once again. Pics to come!

they came off of a '95 Impreza wagon with 73,000 miles on it. 2WD I believe but they are in good shape. Car smacked into pole right in the front center so all sheetmetal was screwed up but nothing mechanical. Shipping would be about 15 bucks as well...

Basically there's a clamp on the knuckle that "clamps" the strut into the knuckle and then there's another bracket on the strut that a bolt runs through and into the knuckle. If I remember correctly, I turned the EA81 strut into the same direction as the EA71, bent the bracket a little bit and it worked. Even if you don't use the bracket, I'm pretty sure the clamping force of the knuckle would be sufficiant enough for everyday street driving. As for the axles, the EA81 axle is about 1/2" longer then the EA71...

10 bucks plus shipping;)

wow, thats a nice site! I, like a few people, have not a clue about MS&EDIS and how it works when it comes to the board and how to make it. I probably can figure out the software but I'm not a computer genius. I would need someone to help me pick out the right one for my mods and help me get set up... I'm gonna look into that site more, thanks Will!

Well I got the driver side done! Spent a little time trying to get the coil spring back on since it was kinda lopsided from the spring compressors BUT it worked with the EA82 top hat. Now all I need are XT6 tie rod ends and I should be sitting back on 4 wheels in no time!

well I guess no one knows and so I got a set of ebay coilovers as well. I'm gonna use the strut spring compressors today and see if it works, if not, I guess I get to mod the strut tower a bit:-\

yes the 25 spline axles besides being stronger, are also a larger diameter shaft between the DOJ and the CV if I remember correctly

Skip, yours would be considered a '78 since the build date is after the beginning of the '78 model year. As for the "4WD" vs. "4 WHEEL DRIVE" badges, I believe they were different between '77 and '78 vs. '79-'81. My '78 Brat has it spelled out whereas my '79 4wd wagon had it "4WD". Also the grilles were basically an option I believe. You could order a DL with the quad headlights like both of my gen 1's whereas the GL had them stock. Everything the GL came with was an option for the DL from my understanding but correct me if I'm wrong. My Brat was a pretty plain DL besides the quad headlights. My wagon had a bunch of extra things like deluxe interior, woodgrain paneling on the dash, and the quad headlight setup but wasn't a GL...

well here's a list of things needed to do the 5-speed conversion transmission flywheel and clutch shift linkage for a 4wd center console to make it look proper driveshaft instrument cluster crossmember clutch cable pedal assembly speedo cable for a manual since your car is an automatic, it has the 25 spline axles I do recall so no need to change axles. Also, the automatic is a 3.70 front diff so the rear diff will match any turbo manual transmission. All I did on mine was drop the automatic out, take out the auto shift linkage, cluster, center console, drifeshaft and replaced it with the RX FT4WD d/r 5-speed. You can use a driveshaft out of any manual EA82 (got mine from an SPFI wagon). If you need any other help, PM me and I'll be able to help. The only difference on my RX that is different from yours is mine was the 4EAT, not the 3AT...

ok first off, I'd pull the front timing belt covers. This will also require removing the accessory belts and the crank pulley. After you do that, you'll be able to determine where the leak is coming from. A few places to look are the oil pump which you already mentioned, cam seals, and front crank seal, all of which is pretty easy. Now also since its on the oil pan, it could possibly be that as well. Best way is to pull the engine, hands down. Its pretty simple, just unbolt/unhook everything and pull out with a cherry picker. If you have it out, best thing to do would be to replace all of those seals, plus the rear main seal as well just to be on the safe side. If it is the oil pump, cam seals, or front crank seal, you will have to remove the timing belts but no worries. There's an excellent write-up with pics in the USRM about it as well http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/article.php?a=24 If you still have some issues with it, you'll find plenty of people here that can help walk you through it. After the first time, its pretty easy! As for the seals, you can go to any major autoparts store to get them. If you have to replace the headgaskets if/when they blow, I would recommend OEM Subaru headgaskets.

So I finally got everything to finish converting the front end of my RX to 5-lug today. Here's a list of what I got: 4 14" steels with ok tires front knuckles front hubs/rotos front calipers front strut assembilies Anyways, I was wondering if I have to change the top hats on the Impreza struts with the EA82 top hats. Damn overpriced junkyards suck but hey, it all came off of an Impreza with 73,000 miles on it:D

Damn Will... with all the people wrecking their turbo'd Soobs, maybe I should have mine running this month since I got the parts from you yesterday. Anyways, the RX will live on in other forms by donating parts to other vehicles. Is the passenger side rear quarter window still good? Oh and that box-o-parts should be coming to you the beginning of June

If I were you, I would swap in EA81 struts for the front since they're a lot easier to come by and you can get the adjustable ones. Almost a direct bolt in but one of the brackets that holds it into the knuckle is different then the EA71. Also, you can use EA81 front axles in place of the EA71, just about 1/2" difference in length but can be used.

I think you should snap a few pics of the junkyard for everyone to show them how many EA82 vehicles you've got. 5 wagons, 2 3-doors, 1 RX, and enough parts to make like 2 more cars in the van aka the "Parts House":lol:

yes, that sensor is the knock sensor, found on all turbo'ed EA82s... I unfortunatly don't have a spare:rolleyes:

I'm going to be parting out an '84 4wd wagon to make the '81 wagon thats here at my house 4wd. If need be, I can send you both top hats for shipping:D

search around on the board, lots of people have hopped up their EA81s. For starters, a Weber 32/36 carb, Accel Super Coil, Accel Super Stock plug wires, and the electronic disty swap if your car is a points disty. If you want to get more into the internals, there's always getting a custom ground cam from Delta Cams and pistons from an EA71 to raise compression.

I would recommend using either Simple Green or the purple Castrol degreaser in a pressure washer or spray it on by hand and scrub it till its clean. A lot of work yes, but I did it on my Brat and wow, it made a difference!

For more info on parts for the 5-lug conversion, check out the USRM or clicky this link for a list of parts from donor cars in junkyards... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/article.php?a=50 If you need any other info on 5-lug conversions like how hard it is, etc., etc., etc., PM either Calebz, Dr. RX, myself (Caboobaroo), Subaru_Styles, or SubaruTex since we've all done the swap, some more then others:D

it shouldn't change anything with the alignment, just make it sit a little lower in the rear. Give it a better stance for a street car IMO. I've put 2wd suspension in 4wd cars before, changed nothing for me:D

yes, '85 was the LAST year for the jumpseats. Check out Seahag's post in the Historic Forum...

yeah and lots of them are at Stans house too:lol: Dude we can pull the core support off of that maroon wagon that I got the gastank from and weld it onto the front of the turbowagon if yours is too bad to fix. Looks like it can be repaired though...

I will hopefully be aquiring two more gen 1 Brat with some extra goodies. One is an '81 GL, d/r EA81, low rollbar, jumpseats with handles, seatbelts, headrests. The other is an '80 DL, s/r EA71, stock A-bar, low topper. Its all in where you look to find stuff like this. I'll probably be getting both Brats CHEAP since the guys appears to also be kind of a Subaru fanatic but his wife wants them gone... so I'll prolly snag them for a few hundred bucks after my RX is running:D

the fuel tank is easier then thought but it does require dropping the rear diff and mustache bar assembly. Just unbolt the two large nuts holding the mustache bar to the underside of the car and drop the assembly down so it sits on the ground. Next, jack the car up on the passenger side in the rear and remove the rear tire. This is a needed step! Next, look inside the wheelwell and remove the guard that protects the filler next, remove it and disconnect the filler neck. Now you can also remove the hoses from the front and passenger side of the tank, undo the 14mm bolts holding the tank in and pull out. As far as the fuel pump, I'd look for an aftermarket fuel pump that can handle larger amounts of psi and fuel flow instead of trying to rely on a stock EA82T fuel pump.