GeneralDisorder

EA81's don't have the cam tower o-rings because they are pushrod engines. No one around here uses the cheap gaskets - especially for the intake gaskets. That's a well known issue with anything but the dealer gaskets. GD

The milkshake inside the valve covers is often normal on cars that are driven short distances a lot. Doesn't get hot enough to drive out the moisture. It condenses from vapor to liquid near the valve covers where it is being cooled down due to the air flow of the PCV system. It mixes with oil there and turns to that goo that you are seeing. If there's no mixing with the oil then the milkshake isn't a good indicator of head gasket failure. But the dissapearing coolant means it's going somewhere. I would pull the manifold and inspect the gaskets closely looking for any signs of wetness or fail - are they OEM gaskets torqued to 12 Ft/Lbs? How are the plugs? Have you verified spark at all cylinders? The rough idleing concerns me since you should have plenty of compression for combustion - that's why I'm wondering if one of the intake gaskets is sucking a bunch of coolant into the cyliner and causing a misfire..... GD

Really? Even with the LSD in them? I thought they were still pretty scarce as non-dually's with the Power Lok option, etc. It seems most came from dually F-350's. But then again it's not like I'm big into that market so I wouldn't know other than what I've read on a few sites while researching my truck. At any rate I don't think I'll ever break the thing GD

It probably doesn't need a rebuild. In any case used engines are cheaper. Buying rebuild parts is sort of a peice here and there kind of deal. I don't know anyone that sells kits that have all the pieces I would use though a lot of the stuff I use is Fel-Pro and Sealed Power, etc. Actually - if you want FI you can bolt on the throttle body injection from the later EA82 engine's. Here's my write up on it: http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/EA81_SPFI.html GD

Probably not - how much smoke are we talking about here? Crankcase vapors do have a smokey apperance to them very often. GD

If it's low, then you could just be seeing the effects of the pump sucking air...... GD

Something has changed it sounds like. If it's a head gasket leak it would seem as though (from your description) that the compression should be much lower than what you are reading on the gauge. I have one low cylinder on my hatch (110 psi while the rest are 145ish) and it doesn't run any different - still idles smooth and has good power. Been that was for several years - probably a burned valve, etc. I would pull the valve covers and inspect the action of the valves on all the cylinders. Something could be not openeing - last time I had an issue just like your's on my 350 SBC one of the rockers had blown apart (bottom of the rocker just ripped out) and the intake valve for that cylinder wasn't opening at all. It was pulling oil past the rings and burning it causing exhaust smoke and rough idle. I replaced that rocker and it's back to it's usual worn-out self . Maybe you have a push-rod issue, etc. If you don't see anything there - run a leak-down test on it. Is it drinking coolant? Could be a very bad intake manifold gasket that's pushing a lot of coolant into one side of the engine causeing a misfire condition. GD

Run a compression check for sure - if it's blown so bad that it won't run on that cylinder it should show something on the gauge. GD

Tow rig - buy or build a trailer to haul your Subaru trail queen with . They are good trucks - I have an old 2WD, 4 speed, '69 GMC Custom Camper (3/4 ton+). With a 350 SB and a 4 barrel. It's a monster - hauls like nothing else with the camper package suspension overloads, sway bars, and a Dana 60 Power-Lok rear end. I put 1.25 tons of roofing in it a couple weeks ago and it just about leveled it out - actually touched the overload springs with that load . I'm wondering (because you mention the rear end is gone) if it had a Dana 60 in the back..... 67, 68, and 69 had it as an option ("Max-Traction rear axle" was the option name on my GMC) and then GM went with one of their own corporate units that wasn't as strong in '70.... A Dana 60 non-dually (because most were dually's from 1 ton Fords) Power-Lok rear axle will bring $1000 to $1500 in used but rebuildable condition - people throw them under rock crawlers as they are built like tanks. Turns out the axle in the back of my truck is worth more than I paid for the truck. Was it one of those years by chance? A truck is a really useful thing. Depending on the age it might not have to go through state testing - 350 SBC's are a dime a dozen and great engines and often come with the Rochester Quadrajet which is an excelent 4 barrel carb IMO. GD

If it's an EA81 with a 4 speed D/R then it's a great car with a legendary engine. The transmissions are less than fabulous but we just swap those out for the later 5 speeds. Yes you can lift it and lift kits are availible through several sources. Parts are getting harder to find. Mostly this board and other places on the internet are the best sources. There are some Subaru wrecking yards here in the NW. But a lot of parts don't have to specifically come from an EA81. There are lots of options when it comes to parts and there's actually very few times when *only* another EA81 part will do. Engine parts are still plentiful and availible though many channels including the dealerships. Motor swaps have been done. I've helped install an EJ22 into that body. It's possible though time consuming as anything newer is going to be fuel injected and that's a whole lot of wireing and plumbing that most people don't want to do. GD

The SPFI cars had no serviceable filter before the pump. I'm sure there is a sock on the pickup in the tank but that is all. They are rotary vane pumps and as such they tollerate a good deal of small debris without much trouble. Thus the mounting of the *real* fuel filter in the engine bay on all FI Subaru's. GD

83/84 they offered them with the EA81T engine's. Sadly only with Automatic's though. But still 95 HP instead of the stock 74. It's purely weight. Other EA81's are typically heavier - the closest to the Brat being the Hatch. Where does this information come from? The interpretation of "sport" could be anything. Probably refers to the decal package . As far as drivetrain and suspension though - a Brat is a Brat unless it's a turbo. There were never any official upgrades as far as I know. At least I've never heard of such a thing and it's closing on a decade that I've owned them now. GD

Yeah - some of the early stuff has funny connectors as well. The distributor pin issue is something I should add to my conversion page. GD

It's been modified - lots of them are like that. I've even cut a few myself. GD

Based on the pictures that would be the "right" head. Right/Left is always as if you were sitting in the car. Looks good thus far. I'm surprised they didn't pull the engine - makes head gasket type work a lot easier. But then I hate bending over an engine bay - kills my back. GD

The 170 AC should be on the primary, not the secondary. Likely you will need a larger primary idle jet. Have to tune it and see. GD

There are no Subaru's that are enough wider than your '90 to make any real difference in the width. The differences from the Legacy on up are a matter of fractions of an inch if anything. Not enough to bother with. You'll have to do it the hard way - the suspension components aren't the hard part - that's just machining and welding. The hard part is going to be figureing out something to replace the struts - they aren't going to cut it for the kind of travel you are talking about. GD

I've looked at a lot them - Toyot's, Mazda's, and some other's. I've found stuff that is similar but would need modification - and they are still plastic. GD

Should run fine - just get a code eventually if you drive it. GD

I think my first move would be to replace the knock sensor and if the code for it is still there (should clear immediately) then return the sensor and get on with the wireing diagnostics . That is the quickest way to narrow down what you are dealing with. GD

No - they are not interchangeable. GD

Auto belts came out in '90. Silver and Black ECU's are interchangeable - the only difference is that on manual transmission silver ECU's have a clutch switch in addition to the neutral switch in the tranny. But other than that they will still work - just might get a code about it. GD

They don't fail - don't worry about it. GD

Really? Can you get a picture of one? I've looked at many other latches and haven't found anything that would easily fit. GD

Bump and update for installed pics! GD