GeneralDisorder

In case anyone goes searching for the info and finds this thread - the correct tilt column ignition switch part number is 783131020. Got mine today so they are still availible through Subaru. www.1stsubaruparts.com lists them for about $29. I paid a little more but got it next day and no shipping. GD

You need a steering wheel puller to remove the wheel - about $10 to $15 from most auto parts places. Then you can remove the lock, etc. - they unbolt and slide off the column after the wheel is removed. GD

Some after market belts don't come with marks..... and all I have to say about that is if you have done dozens of belts (which I have) it's not a problem. For a first or third-timer I would fork out the extra $10 for the belt with marks already on it. I have never seen one where the marks were wrong and in any case it should be obvious if they were since once you line it all up there will be just enough slack on the tensioner side for the tensioner to take it up and no more..... I guess that's a bit cryptic but that's the mental gauge that I use. GD

Could be part of it, yeah. Those do fail sometimes as well. A simple check with a DMM would rule it out. Cam and crank sensors are pretty common fail's on Impreza's for some reason. I haven't had that failure on a Legacy but I don't see what the difference would be. GD

You can use a cable-clutch tranny - just have to swap over the fork's and hardware, etc. You CANNOT use a turbo transmission unless you also swap over to the turbo clutch system. Just FYI in case you run across a fabulous deal on a Forester XT 4.44 tranny and are thinking about that.... What you want (ideally) is a 97 to 99 OBW transmission. That will be the most direct swap with correct gear ratios and final drive of 4.11. Though a 97/98 will be a 4-bolt bell housing vs. the 8 bolt on the '99. Not a big deal though you just leave the unused 4 out. Also the '99 has a different center diff system. More advanced I beleive. This does not affect the swap but it might affect how it drives (slightly). The other way you could go is with a 90 to 94 Legacy transmission - they were also 4.11 final drive but the gear ratio's will be different due to the smaller wheels/tires. Additionally you would have to either fabricate a center exhaust hanger or swap the rear output housing off your old tranny in order to use the fancy 95+ exhaust hanger that bolts to the side of the tranny. Also on the 90 to 94 transmissions you would have to use some of the linkage parts from your old tranny as they changed ear spacing on the linkage bushings, etc. Notably the shift rod peice that is roll-pinned to the tranny shift rod. I'm about to do the same swap on a '99 OBW I aquired with a blown 5 speed so if there's anything beyond what I just outlined let me know or I'll let you know - depending on who gets there first GD

You didn't, by chance, forget to hookup the tach signal wire did you? It's the yellow one off the negative coil terminal. It also runs the fuel pump control unit - which runs at key-on and would fill the float bowl then cease to run after being started (with no tach signal) and the engine would die after the bowl empties. GD

Holy bed-chrome abuse Batman! GD

Experience with the phase-II EJ25 head gaskets would seem to agree - the stop leak works great on head gaskets that are only leaking externally. I have the Subaru stop leak in a Forester with 238k on it and it stopped the RIVER of coolant that was pouring out of the driver's side head gasket. I just haven't seen an external leak on an EA. I've done plenty of head gaskets on EA's, but it's always been an internal leak with no outward signs. Sadly I don't know of any way to tell. But on the bright side you have to remove the manifold for the head gaskets anyway - so perhaps you get a little surprise and find the manifold gasket didn't seal. Hard to see that happeneing with properly prepped surfaces and bolt torque - the OEM gaskets are really excelent and not known for leaking. GD

I haven't checked to see if an EJ turbo up-pipe would fit the EA81T x-member but it certainly can't hurt matters any . The EA81T x-member is already power steering with the lines on the left so they don't interfere with the turbo. GD

I've bent front strut tubes on my lifted wagon. If you haven't done that yet then you aren't even close to being rough on your car. I don't think there's a part I *haven't* replaced except the body, fuel tank, and welded rear diff (lucky I guess). Engines, transmissions, axles, control arms, struts, wheel bearings, diff hanger, trailing arms.... the list goes on. The stock dampening from the struts just isn't enough. The solotion is to add an extra shock at each wheel with custom brackets. That's the only way you are going to get your rig to catch serious air and not break the struts. GD

It's the short on-ramps to our interstates that are the problem. Built in the days of powerful american cars and with a designed speed of 65 to 75 MPH. The on ramp from my own neighborhood is too short (and uphill) for my EA81 hatch with a Weber. I can barely get up to freeway speed and that's with me taking it right to redline every shift. Now they have installed traffic lights halfway up the ramps to control flow onto the freeways - when those are turned on and traffic is flowing along at 65 I'm totally screwed trying to merge. I nearly get run over by semi's and frankly I can't blame them cause the people who designed this crazy system should have to drive an air-cooled VW in it IMO. See how they like it..... GD

I didn't want to reply and tell you the resistance value that I know work for the EA82's in case the EJ one's were different - I was 99% sure they were the same but I figured someone would tell you for certain. Nice to know they are the same as the one's I've used for the SPFI stuff. GD

Clean the PCV lines, replace the PCV filter inside the air-box and repalce the PCV valve with one from the dealer for good measure. GD

How much play? That could defnitely be causing some of those symptoms. You can find a used one through the "wanted" section of the board and then send it to these guys: www.philbingroup.com They can rebuild and test it out, etc and the price is generally cheaper than a reman from the usual sources. Rockauto has reman housings with vac cans (no module) for $115 if you wanted to swap your module over. The bushings are tricky to install and require that the old one's be machined out I'm told. I wouldn't try that yourself. GD

4WD struts and springs will give you that and it's bolt-on. You don't need a lift kit. A lift kit will make it look silly with those little pizza cutters on it. GD

DOH! Yeah I fogot about the non-tilt cars. I ordered the correct one so now I should be good. GD

Ok - so I've got a Subaru ignition switch for my '83 Hatch. It is part number 783131010. It's got male spade terminals on it (no wires like the stock one) and my assumption is that they intended for the installer to cut the wireing harness away from the old switch, crimp on some female spade's, and slip the wires over the new switch terminals. Unfortunately the new switch doesn't fit inside the column covers as the spade terminals make it thicker than the cover will allow Did they superceed the lower column cover as well to make it fit with the new switch style? I'm doubting that it would be cool for the dealer to cut out a section of the columnn cover and leave the wires exposed Here's the new style: So what gives? GD

What carb are you running? Has it been cleaned/rebuilt ever? Could be igntion related - how's the distributor shaft play? Electronic or point/condensor inside? Check the coil resistance on primary/secondary windings? GD

Typically FWD's are not lifted - due to their obvious innability to make use of the larger, more agressive tires that lifts are done to accomidate. It will also hose your mileage - which is the primary benefit of a FWD Subaru. It would be much easier to just dump it and find a 4WD that's worthy of a lift. At which point there are plenty of people that can do lifts - a couple that even sell kits online that you can install yourself, etc. GD

I said nothing the first time you did this - but this time - NO ONE CARES. Rudimentary spelling and puctuation are acceptable around here as long as we can read it and understand it. You are adding no value to the conversion. If you have nothing useful to say - just don't reply. Got it? GD

That's a Frankenmotor - it's a fairly common performance upgrade on cars equipped with 2.2's. It should be quite a bit more powerful if properly done (increase of 40 to 60 HP), should pass smog without a problem, and yes it will most likely be an interferance engine now (2.5's are stroked compared to 2.2's in addition to their larger bore) so you want to keep up on the timing belt. It will also be a high-octane engine now - you have run premium due to the increased compression. Sounds like a good buy to me - if the work was done right. GD

Do you have a good source for just the contacts? I know Subaru does not sell them but other manufacturers like Toyota use similar starters and they sell contacts for theirs. I'm sure something is out there that will fit our Nippon starters it's just a matter of cross referenceing it and I haven't done it because I haven't run across many bad one's. Must be the cold where you are. I haven't seen a bad starter - contacts or otherwise - in years. GD

Valve clearance is very easy to do with the engine out - all you need is a 10mm wrench and a feeler gauge - and I am of the school that replacing head gaskets should ALWAYS be done with the engine out of the car. It makes everything go easier and smoother. Engine removal/installation is only a couple hours and is worth every minute of it. Borrow or rent a cherry picker and buy an engine stand for $40 (engine needs to be on a stand or in an old tire/rim to break the head bolts loose). I've done EJ head gaskets with the engine in place and it's no fun in comparison to pulling it. Pulling the engine and putting it on a stand is far and away a much more pleasant experience. It gives access to everything to do a proper reseal (rear main, etc) and makes cleaning of things like the oil pan and engine block so much simpler. I usually steam clean the engine bay while the engine is out and do things like axle boots and transmission mounts, etc. GD

Load from the alternator. The alt only makes about half it's rated amps at idle - something like 25 amps. When you turn on accesories you are asking for more power from the alt and that drags against the engine causing a drop in RPM's - same as if you were to turn on the AC compressor. Higher draw = more mechanical load on the belt. When you press the brake you are using engine vacuum via the brake booster -this affects engine speed momentarily as you are creating a metered air leak in the manifold to replenish the vacuum in the booster lost through the braking action. Basically it's a vacuum leak for a split seccond - that causes the RPM's the drop, lowering the output the alternator, and causeing the speed of the fuel pump (relative to voltage) to change. If you are noticing these things then you probably have a borderline battery and possibly a weak alternator or corroded connections, etc. Check for voltage drops, check the amperage draw off the main junction and compare to the specs of the alt at idle.... a strong battery will have a capacitor like function when you are idleing - it will fill in the neccesary amps that the alternator is having trouble with and make this problem much less noticeable. But everything has to be working well for this to happen correctly. GD

Yeah - I've done probably half a dozen relay installs to various late 80's and early 90's Subaru's - it invariably cures the problem forever and I haven't had to replace a starter yet. The stock starters are very reliable - I have cleaned contacts in them and reassembled but I've never had to actually replace one. You will read 12v to the solenoid wire in a test with a DMM, but once it tries to draw the amps needed to actually engage it then there is resistance in the ignition switch and in the harness that sucks all the punch out of the wire. GD