Snowman

In order of excellence (or at least less suckage)... Factory Service Manual: Most complete and accurate available. Not too hard to come by but not cheap either. You can usually find a set on ebay or from a board member for $50-$100 but usually closer to $50. You can download the engine section of an 89 FSM, which is nearly identical to your car, from a website that I can't find the link to but somebody here must have. I could also email it to you in two sections if you want. Chilton Manual: Nearly a tie with the Haynes manual, but I think the electrical section in the Chilton is better. Not nearly as much info as the FSM, but it covers most common procedures and is not expensive. Haynes Manual: Pretty similar to the Chilton manual, the Haynes manuals cover fewer models in each book, which is good or bad depending on how you look at (you have to buy more books, but the content is more direct and less confusing). The wiring schematics are OK for basic repairs, but sorely lacking for stuff like EFI conversions (Even the Chilton schematics might get you by for that sort of thing). Does anybody know if Bentley made a manual for the EA82 cars or if they stopped at the EA81? Edit: How could I forget about How to Keep Your Subaru Alive?! FIND THIS BOOK! It is the most useful book I have ever purchased (much more useful than my college textbooks, that's for sure). It doesn't go into tremendous detail in many areas, but it explains tons of stuff really well and provides a lot of extra information about a variety of things (including how to resuscitate a lizard - I am not kidding about that either.)

Closely examine the bolts that hold the covers on. If they are really clean and/or have wrench marks on them, the dealer must have removed the covers, and it's probably their fault. If not, then it was just a coincidence.

What boost pressure are you running? What fuel system?

That's about right. A friend of mine recently bought one, and it'll do the speed limit on flat ground, but that's about it.

The pic going through the water is sweet! Did you just hold the camera down there?

Depends on where you live. 50/50 mix will freeze up in the interior. 75% is about the mixture that I normally run in my cars. Just go buy a cheap hydrometer and check your mixture to make sure it's where you want it.

I don't know exactly how they compare to Impreza seats, but those bolted right up to my 86 wagon's rails after drilling two new holes in each seat. The rails were the same width, but the bolt spacing wasn't quite identical. Even if the width isn't the same, you can easily adapt them with some flat strips of steel.

I have been told that the TPS likes to wear out/get dirty over time on these cars, causing the exact condition you describe. My SPFI conversion did the same thing for a while but it eventually became not as bad...the sensor was probably dirty from sitting for a couple of years (and being from a car with 205k on it).

Yeah, not a good motor for power or longevity in my opinion. HOWEVER, in the Isuzu troopers, there is a 2.8 v6 that uses the same bottom end as the Chevy but with different heads and stuff that is a much better engine. Just thought I'd mention that as probably the best candidate if you've got your heart set on a V6. A WRX engine would be so sick in a gen 1 though. Or a hotted up EJ25 for that matter...Cobb tuning has them running up to 650hp reliably.

Yup. Where would the world be without the BFH?

Like Soobmater said, I would go with an EJ-series Subaru 4cyl if you want more power. Your stock engine has 60-some horsepower. An EJ22 2.2L out of an early Legacy will get you up around 140hp, and if that's not enough, you could go with an EJ20G turbo engine from a WRX that produces 227hp stock with tons of room for improvement. Either of those engines will fit without too much modification, but they're really tight. I can't imagine a 6cyl engine fitting in a gen 1 chassis without some SERIOUS fab work.

If it helps.... My engine is from an 89, and the ECM/wiring harness from a 92 mated right up with no troubles whatsoever. I think the compatibility is pretty good over the years.

Crikey! I'm amazed it ran at all like that!

Quick question: For the EA71 and EA81 subarus, how does the Bentley service manual compare to the FSM? Better or worse overall? Some info that the FSM doesn't have? Thanks.

The EA81 engine was offered in wagons from 80-84, brats from either 81 or 82-87 (sorry, i can't remember when they switched from the EA71), and hatchbacks for a variety of years during the 80's that I'm not sure of. The EA81 is rated at 83hp, so not quite as much as the EA82, but still more than the stock engine in your VW. The non-interference, old-style-ECM EJ22, the best of the EJ engines for this swap, was offered in Legacies from 1990-1994. This engine produces around 140hp, so it would be a SUBSTANTIAL improvement.

You have a couple of options for replacing the carburetor. For a stock replacement, I'd go with a rebuilt carb from Roo-Builders. They're much cheaper than a new carb, and many people have had very good luck with them. http://www.jtwebtech.com/roobuilders/ Another popular option is to convert to a Weber 32/36 DGEV carb for a bit more performace. These require some tuning to get right, but I have been told that they run very well. My personal favorite is to swap over the SPFI (single-point fuel injection) setup from an 87-94 EA82 subaru (yes, SPFI was offered in 85-86, but that system wasn't as good). It's really not that much work, and the improvement in drivability and fuel economy is worth it in my opinion.

From my 89 FSM: SOCKET WRENCH (17) For retightening cylinder head. 499987200 I assume this is the SOA part number L1-103 This is probably the Kent-Moore part number or something like that. Let me know if you have luck finding this. If it's not too expensive, I should get one myself.

SOA bearing kits are around $40-$50. You don't need any special tools...just a chisel to pop the hub loose from the control arm and a large brass drift to tap the bearings in and out.

Distributor cap and rotor?

I agree with checking the distributor for water, as well as all the connections associated with it. If you want, I could come take a look at the car this weekend and try to help, as I live in Anchorage right now.

You might be able to get to all the bolts with the cam towers on. It requires a special/modified socket though.

I'm really not an authority on the EJ22, but what you're describing sounds OK to me. As long as there isn't a ton of wear or dust, or any weird noises, it should be normal.

Go with 1stsubaruparts.com or email the person that's selling discount subaru parts in the marketplace forum for the gasket kit. I don't think you forgot anything else. The head bolts are supposed to be retorqued after the initial startup. A board member recommended that you leave the sealant off of the cam towers until after the retorque (you must remove them to access all the head bolts).

If the engine is otherwise in good shape, I'd replace the headgaskets, get the heads resurfaced, and keep driving it. Unless it was badly overheated, you should be fine. I'd be rather suspicious of that shop myself. A water pump for that car costs around $65, and if they did the timing belt at the same time, that's another $60 or so for parts. Their bill was probably a little steep for that repair. Offering you only $200 for the car seems a bit low as well...I'd say they're trying to make some make some money off of you.

Why don't we have a sit-in, like during the 1960's? Go down to John's house and sit there until he gives you the finished bumpers.