GeneralDisorder

Given your experience level I would highly reccoment against a swap of that magnitude. The EA81 is an excelent engine, and a poorly done swap does nothing for the value of a collectible vehicle. See my SPFI swap here for small *taste* of what you are getting into with fuel injecting a carbed vehicle - let alone an engine swap on top of it. http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/EA81_SPFI.html I would sugest doing the SPFI swap or installing a Weber. And get a new mechanic, there is very little emissions equipment on the EA81's. He's obviously scared of vacuum lines and there is no reason to be - 75% of them are not emissions equipment related and have to do with the smooth operation of the Hitachi. The stock Hitachi carb is well designed if somewhat complex - but it's driveability is excelent and they generally last well past 150k without any real maintenance. However - there are good reasons to swap to the Weber and it does simplify the engine bay. GD

That's a nice thought but you can't run u-joints on an IFS. They simply don't work that way because they aren't constant velocity. U-joints can't run over 15 degrees without severe vibration and that doesn't allow for turning without massive binding - the two joints need to be at equal and opposite angles to cancel out the velocity changes - that is only the case with the wheels straight. Porsche 930 CV's for example, can run close to 45 degrees and are quite strong - that's what most of the baja bug community is using now. GD

I'm running EMPI axles right now and they have been fine. Not sure who has them online but EMPI's web site might have some links. GD

For the record I use the control arm bolt and the sway bar link because they are easy to access, and far away from the grease boots which both the ball joint and the tie rod end have. Mess with those too much and you are very likely to puncture a boot. Plus they are often quite a pain in the butt bieng the ball joint is slotted pinch arrangement and the tie rod is a mechanical taper fit. Both are prone to rusting in place in a severe way, and both are easy to damage when removing (not an issue if you are intending on replaceing them, but definately an issue if you are just going in for an axle). With the control arm loose from the engine cross-member the whole knuckle assembly is free to pivot and move on the strut top and the leading rod bushing - both of which are rubber and afford a lot more movement than you need to pull the axle free and drop it. It rarely takes more than 30 minutes to do a single axle. That's *my* way and my reasoning - having done it several ways and found what works and what doesn't. Each car is different though and there are cases where a different approach is useful if you run into severe rust along the way. GD

Yes - there is no idle adjustment on SPFI's. You just need to clean and verify the function of the IAC as mentioned by dave. DO NOT adjust the throttle plate stop screw. It is set at the factory and according to the manual cannot be reset if changed. GD

Subaru's are picky about axles that's true. But I have yet to experience this mystical "bad new axle" that seems so common around here..... yet I have probably installed more EA axles than most. Anyway clicking is classic of poorly torqued axle nut's, worn cone washers, or loose lug nuts. I would guess they didn't get the axle seated properly and the nut is loose. Take it back in and advise them to check it out for looseness and insist they allow you to inspect the cone washer personally. ANY grooving is very detrimental to it's mechanical locking abilities. It works just like any other taper lock device and should be smooth and undamaged. GD

Roll pin. Inner control arm bolt. Sway bar link. Pull axle off tranny. Drive axle out of knuckle. Reverse for installation. GD P.S. I've done a LOT of these. In case you didn't realize it for yourself.

The whole tail light assembly has to be removed to get the lens off IIRC. All the bolts are accesible from behind the plastic bits in the cargo area as well as the bulbs if you are just needing to change some of those. GD

1. Water is a natural byproduct of combustion. As the exhaust cools, water vapor drops out and condenses at the tailpipe. It is normal for most tailpipes to drip slowely. 2. Your problem is almost certainly the intake manifold gaskets or the throttle-body/carb base gaskets (o-ring in the case of TB's). GD

I can do 80 all day long if I wish in my 4 speed hatch. It's stock besides the Weber - which really only helps the low end. GD

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