Snowman

Is yours SPFI or carbed? If it's SPFI, you could just cut off power to the ignition relay, which would turn off spark and fuel. I'm not sure how the carbed systems are set up, but since there is already fuel in the carb, you won't be able to do anything about flooding. You could cut the ignition by installing a switch in the black and white wire going to the coil. Probably the easiest solution would be to cut the starter control power. It could still be roll started, but it would still be a significant deterrent.

Roo Builders, or SPFI CONVERSION!

Wow Shawn, I had never thought of that and now it seems so obvious:banghead: . Gravityman, you can get the sealant at any parts store.

The ratio of the auto diff is 3.7, whereas your manual diff is 3.9. It might be possible to take apart both trannies and swap the diffs, as well as changing the rear end over to the one from the auto car. This would be a lot of work and I would recommend looking in J-Y's for a complete 5 speed tranny.

This probably isn't the answer you're looking for, but I would go with the NGK plugs. Shop around to see if you can get them cheaper, as I don't remember them being that expensive. If you're running plugs for 50k, it's really not that much of an expense when you think about it, and if you get cheap plugs, they probably won't last as long before performance and economy start to degrade. My general rule of thumb (which I picked up from this board) is to use plugs from the same continent as the car came from. Those plugs are most likely the ones that got used during the development of that engine, so the car should be happiest with them. Japanese cars get NGK, European cars get Bosch, and American cars get Autolite because Champion just sucks.

I found it works well to wedge a pry bar into the front main seal area, pushing against the seal so as to not damage the block. Be very careful when doing this. You can also give it a good whack with a deadblow hammer. When reassembling, DO NOT USE RTV SILICONE!!!!! Permatex Anaerobic Sealant is the stuff to use. I can't even begin to imagine the havoc RTV could wreak if it were used in place of anaerobic sealer. It would clog the oil return passages from the outermost main bearings at least. There was no gasket from the factory. A product called Threebond was originally used, which is now all but extinct and has been replaced by Permatex Anaerobic Sealant since.

Either get a donor car or CCR sells rebuilt turbo motors with all the stuff for the conversion for somewhere near $2000.

Yeah, the wedge-shaped car is the XT. In that case, the swap should be easier since you don't have to clearance the X-member for the exhaust. If you know anything about electrical, this would be an easy swap with good gains in performance, economy, and just about everything else.

Those look really cool. I too would like to know how much they might cost.

The ECVT or non-electronically controlled versions are very good for some applications. In my opinion, cars are not one of them. This is the type of transmission used exclusively on snowmobiles and now on lots of four-wheelers. It's very light, has almost unlimited tunability for shifting characteristics, and outperforms automotive-style automatics because there is no real power loss through the transmission. The biggest issue with CVT's is that under extreme conditions, they eat belts. I usually get one season out of a belt on my snowmachine. Guys with more powerful sleds burn them up every other weekend. The new ECVT trannies are pretty good from what I hear. Performance and economy are similar to a manaul trannied car, without having to shift. However, there are still some issues inherent to their design that can never be overcome.

Do a search for GM alternators. Somebody found one a while back that bolts right up after you file one of the mounting tabs a little bit which produces at least 90 or 100 amps. He found it online for less than $100.

Actually, the Subaru PS pulleys bolt on, so no special tools are needed. Gotta love Soob engineering:headbang: .

Are you sure about the non-turbo part? All RX's came from the factory turboed. That really doesn't make much difference as far as the swap is concerned though. The engine will bolt right up. I think the clutch is the same but I'm not positive. You may want to consider taking the drivetrain from the RX as well, since it's fulltime 4wd with a limited slip rear end. A notch has to be cut in the crossmember to allow the turbo exhaust to fit. You will also have to swap the engine computer and control harness, which really isn't that much of a pain to do. I have not personally done this swap, but I did put an SPFI system into a carbed car, and it was very easy with the factory service manual in hand.

That "grandpa's subaru" article was really cool. I agree that it should have been built up while leaving the exterior alone.

Here's the $10 version. Might not work quite as well because of only two attachment points, but it's really easy to make. And here's Skip's version:

That's hilarious! "Uh oh, looks like you've got a problem with the engine computer, time for a new system. That'll be $2000 please."

As far as I can tell, the ECM controls the pump by grounding the relay on ALL EA-series FI systems. It was that way on all the schematics I could find for SPFI, MPFI, and Turbo cars.

Oh man, so many great ideas are coming to mind. I think I'm gonna have to put together an EA-powered jetboat this summer!

Actually, the EA82 carbed cars only have one filter. None inside the engine compartment. Pull the line from the carb and see if you're getting fuel. If it sat for a long time, there may be junk in the tank that got sucked into the fuel system.

Now everybody hates you!

It really depends on what you want to do. For pure offroading, probably a lifted hatch with an EJ18 or EJ22 and a welded rear end would be the most capable. However, there are more things to consider. That model isn't necessarily practical for everyone, and just about any soob with a lift, d/r tranny, and maybe an LSD is a pretty capable machine. Note to moderators: Can we PLEASE either get a version of this thread stickied or summarized and posted in the USRM?

Here's a good thread discussion tire options: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24979&highlight=tire+write-up Yes, you will have to get larger rims. They don't make tires much larger than stock size for 13" rims, and nothing that would be considered an "offroad" tire.

"Maybe quality will improve now that GM owns a piece." Not only is that a bad thing to say in a Subaru forum (I am amazed that nobody has flamed you for that), but I think it's simply not the case. Please tell me that you are kidding. Um, let's see here. How many GM cars do you see on the road with over 200k? Now, how many Subarus do you see on the road with over 200k? 'Nuff said.

My basic rule of thumb for emissions control devices is to either leave them fully intact or completely remove them. Improperly operating systems can wreak havoc. Basically, leave the EGR system alone, make dead sure that the vacuum line going to the disty advance unit is still intact, check the line that runs from the middle/passenger side of the carb over to the secodary diaphragm on the driver's side, don't touch the PCV system, and don't mess with anything that looks like a fuel line, bowl vent, or anything like that. If you want to strip off the emissions stuff, remove and cap lines one at a time and make sure that there are no adverse effects before moving on to the next line.

Detroit Diesel uses both sensors to calculate their injection pulse width!