GeneralDisorder

Yep - not worth it. A rusty EA82 is worth basically nothing. It's a sub-$1000 car in mint condition and in rusted-out condition it's worth scrap value - around $250 - and thus not worth putting any real energy into rust repair. They are plentiful here for $500 or less (totally rust free) and can be shipped (as noted above) for about $1k give or take. Just call a car shipping company and arrange for them to pickup and deliver your new rust-free west coast gem. Then use your old rust-ball as a parts car. GD

Hot tank, resurface, valve grind, and stem seals runs me $80 per head. If a valve needs replaced due to being burnt, etc it's about $15 per burned valve. Usually $160 for a "normal" set of heads or about $180 to $190 for a burned valve set. GD

Unlikely - cost for full head rebuild is only about $80 per. Junkyard+rebuild is the way to go IMO since these heads never really "fail". Maybe burn a valve, etc - but that's only about $15 for a new valve. New or reman is likely going to be more expensive. A good used block isn't too hard to find since the Phase-I 2.5's often wreck their heads durring a timing belt break, or can be had with blown head gaskets for cheap. GD

Does that work for both EA81 and EA82? And do you know the range of cross-member lift-block sizes that it will work for? Like 3.5 to 4.5 or only 4.... etc? Good to know. Funny this has been brought up just now - I am actually in the process of building a new steering coupler for my lifted wagon due to a failed (rusted) u-joint. A bolt-in stock peice is certainly attractive over custom building something. I have 4" blocks on my cross member so I'll head to the yard and pickup an OBW coupler and check out the fitment. GD

Could last for years - especially if you remove the boot and repack it with new grease. There's no telling really. The clicking is because there is wear to the internal components. If they wear too much they will jam and the inner race or the cage will fracture and the joint will come apart. How long this takes is dependant on too many variables to give you an accurate answer. The dealer would tell you to replace it..... If it was me I would base my decision on two factors: 1. Is the axle an OEM or aftermarket unit? 2. Is the boot torn? If it's an OEM with an intact boot then I'm likely to remove the boot, clean the joint, and inspect it for wear. Depending on what I find I will either toss it or repack/reboot it and reinstall. If it's an aftermarket or the boot is torn and the grease has been contaminated/lost then I'm very likely to just toss it and get another one. They aren't expensive in the scheme of things and regrease/reboot procedure is more time consuming and messier than installing an axle assembly. GD

You need a relay. The fan pulls too many amps for a cheap switch. Use the switch to close the relay (take the power for it from an ignition switched hot) and then run fused battery power through the relay contacts and to the fan. GD

That's a good point. I think either one will work fine.... just something about the secondary O2 sensor stuff rubs me the wrong way. I don't like extraneous sensors on my wheeling rig.... I guess in the scheme of things it's minor. I haven't done an OBD-II swap yet but I do see the attractiveness of the OBD-II port. I like the OBD-I port's ability to interface with an old laptop with just the free utility that the guy over on LegacyCentral built. It's neat to be able to read sensor output's, etc in real time with inexpensive hardware. The right scanner can do it on the OBD-II stuff too but it's not quite as targeted and definitely not as cheap. GD

Yeah - I fought with plug wires on mine as well - since I have an HEI distributor you actually can't buy plug wires that fit the distributor and work with the rams-horn exhaust manifolds. I had to get the MSD wire kit that you cut to fit and use the boots of your choice on the distributor end ($80 - ouch!). With some stand-offs on the valve covers they work no problem.... I still think the rams-horn manifolds are silly things the way they cover the plug holes but what do I know? GD

I generally use WIX filters or OEM depending on application. For your application I would go with a WIX filter. BTW - don't change that engine to synthetic or anything - you'll just make the oil leaks on the heads worse. FWIW, I have a '99 Forester (same engine as your OBW) with 240k on it. It does weep a little oil (basically looks like your's there) and was leaking a TON of coolant. The Subaru stop leak (two bottles as reccomended by my Subaru parts guy) fixed it completely and it hasn't lost a drop in the last 6 months. GD

Since you have a carb model - the best upgrade you can get is a Weber carb. GD

Yep - that would be the feedback carb. Definitely swap that out for a Weber. EA71's didn't come in wagons in '83. GD

'83 GL would be a 1.8L - the EA81. 5 speed D/R is the standard swap since the 4 speed's are junk. Has to come from an '85 to '89 wagon/sedan/3 door coupe. If it came from CA then it will probably have a feedback carb. Rip that off pronto! GD

Well - no. Stricktly speaking my choice of the manual adjust valves actually opens the possibility of that occuring where it's virtually impossible on a hydro lifter head. But the roller rockers are really nice.... not sure if they would bolt up to the first gen heads. The roller rockers provide just a hint of more power along with the manual valves which don't drag against the cam. So there's slightly more power potential with them. Plus they are newer and the single-port exhaust header has less going on so should be easier to build custom stuff for, etc..... there's many reasons. GD

Quick boots are worthless - get a regular boot. They aren't hard to install. GD

Not on that engine. Typically they weep oil and coolant. The oil doesn't usually get much worse than what you are seeing now. The coolant is another story but if you run the Subaru additive it should take care of most of it. That model engine will not mix coolant and oil and will not overheat unless you let it run low on coolant. GD

I would use the '96 to '98 EJ22 heads (roller rocker/single port) because I like the manual adjust rockers and the rollers, as well as the single port exhaust header/J-pipe fits better into an EA. Harness and ECU need to match the manifold - 90 to 94 EJ22 is the simplest and easiest to use for this. GD

Power steering and manual steering have completely different requirements for shaft extensions. None of those would work for a manual rack. That said - a lifted EA without power steering is lame - and your pictures and ideas are excelent and I completely approve of all of the designs you have come up with there. I hadn't noticed the Legacy double-u-joint units before in relation to a lited EA so that's something I will definitely take note of when I need to do this again. When you have those welded - make sure to wrap the joint in a wet rag to prevent the heat from welding damaging the u-joint rubber boots, etc. GD

ECS light indicates a fault with the feedback carburetor system. It could be any of a number of sensors - O2 sensor is only one of them. It's a very hard system to work on - it is very primitive and if you need a part like a duty solenoid, etc they are hard to find and can be expensive. The best approach is to replace the entire carburetor with a Weber 32/36 DGEV and forget about the feedback system. At this point they aren't worth dealing with unless you have to. GD

The nomenclature deal is troubling - how do you explain an "Outboard motor" for a boat? The term "motor boat", etc. Truth is they are entirely interchangeable and the whole argument is basically superfluous. Everyone knows what you are talking about based on the usage. If I were building for a lifted rig - EJ25 shorty, EJ22 roller rocker heads (single port exhaust), and Delta RV Torque cams. Using the EJ22's manifold from a 92 to 94 Legacy as well as the 90 to 94 EJ22 timing belt and tensioner setup. The torque is amazing due to the high compression and cams, and no turbo lag - easy to adjust valve clearances, etc. Best combo I've seen yet. GD

This one has none of that stuff - it's a Weber swap. Check the fuel lines at the firewall? Maybe a hose clamp is leaking and the fuel is running back into the cabin there? Are you sure it's not an exhaust leak that you smell? Sometimes when running rich (choke on, etc) exhaust can smell of gasoline.... That's weird - if you get a chance to bring it by I can look it over. GD

Stop in at a discount tool shop or hardware store, etc and grab a multi-meter. Check the voltage - should be about 14.5v DC and should NOT increase beyond that with throttle. Then check for AC current off the alt. Should be no more than 0.25v AC (higher indicates rectifier failure). If either of these tests come back higher you risk damage to circuits and devices on the car including the battery. GD

With the Subaru coolant additive I would bet you have more miles left in them. 200k? Maybe..... speculation. Minor is any leak that doesn't form a puddle on the ground overnight. If the leak can be managed - IE: you can drive for days or weeks at a time without having to top off the fluid(s) - then the leak is minor. GD

And then there were some being broken on test drives.... They weren't all bad eggs but the gears weren't shot peened, they were thinner and the quality control was clearly off. Some seem to be a problem right away while other's just last forever. A single instance of lasting reliability here or there is to be expected - it's not a 100% failure rate - if it were they would have had to recall them - the consumer backlash would have been too intense. GD

No issues - excelent engines. Avoid the first two years of production. They required premium fuel. GD

They are known for leaking oil and coolant but that doesn't always mean it's time to change them The oil leaks are usually very minor. GD