GeneralDisorder

Thread is from March. Resurrected by a noob. GD

That is not correct. The curves are identical between the two. GD

Yeah - sounds like your converter may be shot. Cut it open and check if there is even anything left in there. Wasn't in mine - just some metal bits and some dust. GD

Best bet is to weld it, but you should also be asking WHY did it crack in the first place? That's not a typical failure point. GD

The item on the coil bracket is not a condenser, it's a transistorized ignitor and if it's bad you won't get any spark. They do fail, although not often. The coil bracket has to be grounded. Make sure the grounds are clean. Check for codes - if the distributor CAS isn't working you'll get a code. The coil or the ignitor will not give a code. GD

Pull the steering wheel - the column can stay if you have a GL with tilt and can lower it as far as it will go. If it's a DL then you'll want to drop it. It's only two bolts anyway so no big deal. Behind the rubber button in front of your left knee, behind two plastic bits on the left and right vent's that are installed with double-stick tape, and one more behind the right inner vent. It's a friction fit, push-on variety. It's usually necessary to reach up under the dash and pull it free. The gauge is adjustable for zeroing, but other than that they are not serviceable. You can put 12v to it and see that it rises and falls. Most likely if you are having problems with it you have a faulty sender or wire. The gauges rarely go bad. And frankly they suck anyway and a regular mechanical pressure gauge would be better. The gauge comes out the front of the cluster once you remove the nuts holding it to the PCB and the plastic cover's. It's pretty simple really. Just start pulling screws. GD

Of course that could all be done, but the parts/knowledge to do so is not something you'll find here I'm afraid. Perhaps talk with a distributor shop, or check the nissan communities as they used similar Hitachi and ND distributors. GD

Subaru rod knocks are very strange beasts. The one I had was so slight that I didn't concern myself over it. It got extremely bad and blew in about a 1 mile stretch of freeway. That's all it took. Prior to that the sound wasn't enough to even concern me. Although I'm hyper sensitive now. It very well could be exhaust related. Have you opened up the cat? I opened the one on my hatch to find no catalytic honeycomb - just the metal straps and the chain-mail stuff they wrap it in and some dust. All jammed into the discharge port of course. Gained 3 MPG that day. The 'comb burned away and left the metal bits. You should check it out. Mufflers also like to rattle when the insides get loose. Pull the whole exhaust and go through it. GD

Confirm - all seats tilt forward. I have late model Loyale seats in my hatch and they work just like stock. I too was being poked by metal and had to get rid of them. GD

They don't bolt in. You have to make adapter brackets. Split the difference in the rail width and weld tabs to the EA81 rails then bolt them to the seats. It becomes pretty obvious when you have them both out of the car upside down. GD

EGR shouldn't make any difference at all. Are you SURE it's detonation? Could be a rod knock too. They sound very, very similar on the EA's. Can't hear them at idle, and it's a slightly metallic tap under load just as you describe. Those generally end with the rod comming out right under the manifold. GD

I don't know what you are referring to here. EA81 axles are fine unless you over-extend them with a lift.... but it's generally the rear that people do that with. EA82 axles are too long. EA81's are narrower by several inches. GD

It can be done. You would modify throttle body to mount a carb (weber, etc), and then put the whole carb inside a pressure vessel. You then pressurize the whole thing with the turbo. You have to deal with fuel pressure issues - for every pound of boost you need another pound of fuel pressure to correctly operate the float bowl, and getting it all sealed up and running correctly is a real mess. Anyway - yes, turbocharged carbs have been done. It's nothing new, but it's very ugly. GD

Could be. That would be the first year of the D/R, and the 81/82 D/R has a lower 3rd and 4th gear. Makes them better for lifting. The headlight setup plain sucks. The big single sealed beams are worthless. Lots of little differences in the pre-82 stuff. Electrical (lights don't go off with the ign., externally regulated alternator, fuel pump up front, etc), different interior colors. Ugly paint codes too. But if it's a GL it's worth a look. GD

That will be an EA71, single range, 4 speed with the top mount starter. Only thing it's good for is the body. The engine isn't compatible with dual range trannys and the tranny isn't compatible with the EA81. No tach, no oil pressure gauge.... no amenities at all. And with some rust? Yeah I would be passing like a freight train. I might take it if someone GAVE it to me.... and dropped it off. My '83 GL hatch was $250 with a bad clutch cable - not even a year ago. GD

They sell just parts too, but I know what you mean. They aren't cheap. I have way too many projects myself. Setting up my garage/machine shop has taken most of my spare time lately it seems. That and fixing broken cars for friends - which I'm taking a serious look at no longer doing for the majority of them. I simply do not have the time between the lady, the best friend, work, home, garage, and everything in between. Sometimes I just wish I could go back to pleasing no one but myself. I want to divorce the world - throw my cell phone in a lake and just sit in my garage with the things I love. I think I could be happy as a hermit.... as long as harbor freight was nearby GD

All that will cost a good bit more than an EJ22 with more power out of the box. Contact RAM engineering - they will set you straight with what you need as far as internals. The head gasket/stud setup should be fine without modifications, but you will need a cam, roller rockers, and you might consider the dual port heads if you want that kind of power. They build 200 HP EA81 Turbo's for the experimental aviation community. GD

The steel for a small lift is pretty inexpensive really. If you do it yourself all you really need is the (borrowed) use of a welder for three items, a harbor freight chop saw ($50) and small drill press ($40). Plus the channel and the bolts. Easily doable for about $200 to $250 in the 4" category including buying the necessary power tools. But it also requires the skills and the knowledge, which I admit doesn't come easily. I spent thousands more, an aweful lot of years, and most of the used axles on the west coast getting that together. GD

Contact Rguyver for the details of how he built his hatch back in the day. It had an SPFI powered EA81, EA82 turbo, intercooler, NOS, and he used a second boost triggered "dumb" injector to enrich the system under boost. It ran like a madman apparently, but the SPFI doesn't like positive manifold pressure and goes all funny trying to compensate - thus the extra injector - plus you'll need to reinforce the stock intake bootie - it will blow off under positive pressure. Interesting project but I would be using MS if I tried some nutty stuff like that. And I wouldn't go much over 5 lbs on a non-turbo engine. If you are going to use the low comp. turbo pistons you should use the EA81T pistons as they are a better match for the EA81 block. EA82T versions might work as well but I have no reference for any top shape difference due to the valves being reversed.... I simply don't know for sure. EA81T pistons should work fine and yeild the same ratio. The SPFI will not like the low compression nor the positive pressure under boost so if you do both I would sugest doing MS so you can customize the tune. GD

I have the 84 to 89 version of that manual for the non-turbo's. It details the differences in the 85 through 89 EA81 wireing that the final 84 FSM's don't cover. Very handy. I will be scanning it as well as time permits. GD

When does the noise occur? Heavy load? I would be checking fuel pressure and injector spray pattern if you suspect it's pre-det. That's usually a result of lean mixtures under load. Has the fuel filter ever been replaced? GD

Yes - you can (I have) successfully run for quite some time with only two bolts on one side. Clean the mating surfaces up well with a wire wheel, or scotchbrite. Use a new OEM gasket, and chase the two remaining threads. Use some anti-seize and use new bolts. Torque them to 15 Ft/lbs. Even if it leaks it will be a very small leak and you'll get by till you can replace it and do the job right. And when you do, DO NOT use an easy out. You'll break it off - they suck. If you have access to a welder have someone weld an appropriate sized nut to what's left exposed. You may have to weld it half a dozen times and keep working it back and forth to get it out but it will work. GD

I don't think that's the fuel pump. For one your loyale has a rotary centrifugal pump that is in the rear and is much quieter than the old carb pumps. And for another they don't run for 4 seconds. It's about 1.5 seconds. Could be a faulty seat belt chime. That's all I can think of at the moment. GD

Lots of folks have done that swap actually. What he is referring to is the 5 speed's height as it relates to the height of the transmission tunnel in the EA81's - the 5 speed will contact the tunnel in a pretty serious way on the top - it's the 4WD shift linkage cover plate that is the most problem. There are several solutions, but none of them are simply "spacing". 1. Beat the tunnel (air hammers are what most use). 2. Cut and enlarge the tunnel over the offending plate by welding in a section. 3. Build a custom cross-member to lower the transmission. This also angles the engine backward a degree or two which is easily adjusted with the factory adjustable pitching stopper. Jerry (bratsrus1) makes a kit for $100 with a nicely designed custom cross-member that uses EA82 mounts (better and stronger than EA81's). 4. Lift it. GD

The power valve is rarely needed. I've never had to replace one. That's why they don't come in the normal kit. GD