GeneralDisorder

So why aren't the accesory drive belts fully shrouded to protect said cats? Belt covers are a choice. Nothing more. No one is stopping you from running them if you like. They don't work for me, they don't work for Fox, and they don't work for a lot of other board members. We have stated our reasons. Some people insist on running them - mostly due to fear. Fear that they will break - fear that they will get a cat hung up in them.... etc. When I had EA82's and drove them - I kept an extra set of belts and a 12mm deep socket/ratchet in the car. Drove 10's of thousands of miles between all the cars I had with that engine and I never used my spare set. Not once. I did replace the belts on occasion as well as some water pumps, oil pumps, and head gaskets, cam/crank seals, etc. Each time I was super happy about not dealing with those F'n covers. I don't run front/rear outer covers on my EJ22's either. I do run the center cover on them. YMMV. GD

I'm going to have to veto that statement. I have seen MANY melted timing covers - both on EA82's and EJ's. It's actually stupidly common and it IS a result of overheating. I have seen engines overheated so badly that the rear covers melt, and so will the plastic off the knock sensor. It can be an ugly sight. Usually it's a bad sign. You have to get them aweful hot for that to happen. Usually hot enough that they will not even drive the car due to the detonation or hot enough that they actually stall out. Rod bearings are usually gone, sometimes they seize. It definitely happens. Sometimes they live again. Sometimes not. I also run the EA82's coverless. It's the difference between 3 hours to replace the belts and 15 minutes. I would rather have a broken belt and lose 15 minutes than 3 hours and a tow truck ride. But it's up to your abilities and if that's acceptable to you. They sell new covers at the dealer - I sugest you use zip-ties (quality one's) instead of the bolts that hold them together. GD

Not to worry Stuart - the cam cases we used were fine. I inspected them. The damage to the original engine was from prolonged running with a bad head gasket - the cylinder wall damage was from coolant exposure. The engine showed no signs of damage with respect to the cam case bearing surfaces, or oil passages, and they checked out flat and true.... as would seem obvious from the how clean the engine is underneath - not a leak to be found anywhere. You can thank Anearobic flange sealant technology for that miracle on the EA engines . No more cork for you! GD

The fastest ratio stock rack in the EJ world (short of the STi rack's) is the 91 to 94 Legacy turbo rack. If I were you I would look for one of those. Also change your pump and flush your lines. You probably contaminated the replacement rack with garbage fluid and metal shavings from the old rack or a dying pump. Make sure the entire system is clean - you might want to install a filter in the return line just to be safe also. Not heeding these warning is THE biggest cause of repeat rack failure. GD

Yes, quite different. GD

You can make new hardlines if they are rusted out - order the molded hoses from the dealer if they make any sharp turns. It's worth it. GD

Typically this is related to a weak ignition in my experience. The lean mixture of a warm carb is difficult to ignite if the ignition is weak. Last time I saw this a new ignition coil fixed it right up. Check/test all your ignition parts. GD

They don't need much. On the '95+ EJ's they mount the ECU in a hole in the floor on the passenger side and cover them with carpet. AFAIK - there isn't any airflow to them at all in that configuration. And not much when mounted in the dash. Hell my SPFI powered EA81 has the ECU in the glove box with no airflow other than what gets around the edges of the door. Mounting it in the engine bay is feasible if you go with a water-tight arrangement but it's not ideal. Best to keep it in the cabin - I go for the glove-box because if water gets that high on the inside I'm not going to be trying to drive it :-p GD

It sounds like either you are feeling air that is being directed through that hole from around the spark plug or from around the EGR pipe or the passage the EGR pipe threads into. Sometimes there are casting flaws that can lead to leakage even years after the car was made. It could be that some of the post-casting machine work punched into the exhaust port.... What symptoms are you haveing that would cause you concern other than this apparent leak? GD

The only way to get 4.111 or 4.444 is to go to the AWD transmission. If you get an EJ dual range from europe you can do it easily - many of them came with 4.11 in the first place. You will lose the 2WD and you will lose the 50/50 torque split but you will gain gearing. The easiest and cheapest way to get good gearing and off-road capability is to swap over to the 4EAT automatic. The torque converter acts like a low range, you can easily get 4.444 final drive from any outback, and you can run them with modded TCU's for paddle shifters as well as stand-alone without a TCU and also you can add a duty-c controller that allows anything between FWD only and full 50/50 lockup for the clutch packs. They handle more power than the 5MT - some of the first 800 to 1000 HP turbo's used the 4EAT - before the 6MT came out it was the only option for big HP. GD

Change the O2 sensor and clean the MAF. Also check the resistance of the coolant temp sensor. That's a good start. Injectors being clogged would cause a lean condition not a rich one. GD

You will have to be more specific about where you are feeling air escape. Are you sure it's not an exhaust leak? GD

You don't want to run a 2.2 in front of the 4 speed. You will want a 5 speed D/R to take the power and torque of the 2.2. And for the lower "low" range of the 5MT D/R. The 4 speed's are junk. GD

Backfireing is a result of a combination of problems - too rich of a mixture, and exhaust leaks that allow in fresh oxygen that combines with the unburnt fuel and ignites in the exhaust tubing or muffler. It has nothing to do with lifters. GD

'81 Brat with an EA81 (if it's a GL) or EA71 (DL) will not have hydraulic lifters and cannot, therefore, have the TOD. Do a valve adjustment. It's reqiured every 15k miles on your engine. Also check your oil pressure and replace the pump if it's looking chewed up inside. GD

Overheating is VERY bad for the EA82T. You should likely start looking for a new engine or plan on rebuilding yours. Either that or just get a nice Legacy and forget about that POS. They are a huge headache unless you drop some serious money on doing a proper rebuild with all the trimmings. Cost is likely more than the car is worth. GD

Looks like Subaru breaks it down to just the "Switch assembly-magnetic, starter" which is #7. Runs about $70 or so it looks like. Cheaper than a new starter at least! But if you figure out which denso starter model it is - you should be able to buy the contacts online. I've seen them for sale and looked into it before. GD

Leak down test won't tell you anything. That is purely for checking the valves and rings. Compression test and leak-down test are not going to show a blown HG or a cracked head unless the problem is extremely severe. GD

Absolutely - over 100k is questionable territory for any O2 sensor. I just replaced both front and rear sensors on a Ford with a "bank 1 lean" code at 156k - problem solved - passed emissions the next week. If you are going to replace sensors - replace them ALL. Fronts and rears. They aren't that expensive and if one is going out or has thrown a code or you suspect it's the cause of a rich condition (0420 code) then the other's can't be far behind it. GD

The ECU can't always detect sensors that have gone lean or rich. The right combination of bad sensors will throw a 420 code - if the front starts reading lean the ECU will start enriching the mixture - more fuel means more for the cat to deal with and pretty soon you have codes being thrown around. The sensors are cheap and quick to change - they are the first thing to eliminate. You don't throw the most expensive parts at a problem till you rule out the cheap ones. With new sensors you can be SURE that what the ECU is reportiing is correct. And if it still throws codes - then you probably have a leak. GD

The irony of someone on dial-up building a hi-po EA82T is not lost on the author of post #53. GD

Agreed - not an issue if the bolt is tight. The key does not "hold" anything - it's simply for alignment. If the bolt were too loose the key would chew up the front of the cam - I've seen it happen. GD

Amazon. I use www.rockauto.com to get the part number and then buy them off Amazon to avoid the shipping. If the light is always on and the non-fouler is in place - you have bad sensors. GD

Sensors - again use NTK. I don't like the Bosch stuff personally. If that doesn't fix it - put a spark non-fouler between the second sensor and the pipe. That will cure it forever. I agree - don't blow a grand on a 300k vehicle. If it's going to be a problem - throw in a non-fouler and be done with it. Cost is about $8. I do them all the time for people (for off-road use only ) . GD

Trust me - if you have to ask - you can't afford those heads.... and "shipping" will be probably 5% of the cost or less - if you think "shipping" is stopping you.... get prepared for the sticker shock of your life when/if you get a quote. Very likely he didn't reply because he knows it would be pointless..... A "cheap" engine to the experimental aircraft guys is $10,000. With the complexity of the build required to use those DOHC heads (belt, tensioner system, oil pump drive, etc) he probably isn't interested in selling them seperate. Likely it would be part of a conversion "kit" that's going to cost more than half a dozen old EA82 running, driving vehicles, or it's going to come as a complete finished engine for $15,000 or something rediculous. What's the point in that? Just buy a WRX and move on. GD