GeneralDisorder

You can replace *just* the clutch pack. There's no need to replace the whole tranny, or even remove it from the car. The transfer clutches are in the rear output, which can be seperated from the rest of the transmission. Do a search here for "torque bind" as this will detail the procedure for R&R'ing the transfer clutches. That's very low mileage for a 91 overall. Besides the transmission I would be looking at making sure the timing belt has been done (should have been due around 120k). If not then the oil leaks can be addressed at the same time. Maintenance is a reality. If you can't handle it and see the obvious benefits to that course of action (no payments, low insurance, etc) then perhaps a new car is right for you - you will get a warrantee, and a gauranteed monthly payment. Instead of you deciding how to spend your money the bank and insurance agency will decide for you. Invest in some tools - you'll save money, and know the job is done right. Plus it gives you a freedom that most car owners never experience. GD

Hhhhmmmm - the only time I've had that happen (and I've lost count of the number of these EA axles I've done ) is when the axle was 180 out. It's just close enough that you can get it about halfway in (it's a spring pin, so it will compress slightly) before it binds. Not trying to be rude either, and I'm sure you know very well what you are doing as I know you are very careful about such things..... as am I. But I can also say with some reservation that this has happened to ME on multiple occasions. They look real close when they are 180 out. I find that it's best to remind myself that the roll pin should go in almost without effort. Light tapping from a ball peen hammer is all that should be required. Whail on it and trying to get them back out if they bind is a real mess. GD

Yes - AWD is the standard, although 2WD "L" series were produced. The 90 to 94 Legacy's are your best bet. Both because they are inexpensive, and because they have the bulletproof EJ22. They are the "gen 1" Legacy body so aren't as desireable. 95 saw a body redesign and the introduction of OBD-II computer systems. More complicated, and more expensive due to the desireability of the body style. If you *want* an automatic, the 4EAT is a good transmission. All the Legacy's had them. Again both 2WD and AWD were availible. The older AWD's sometimes suffer from "torque bind" but it's pretty easily corrected if you are handy with tools. Personally I stick with manual's - the AWD 5 speed is arguably more bulletproof than the engine - the EJ22 + AWD 5 speed combo is EASILY good for 300,000+ miles. Timing belt changes every 60k, and make sure you change the water pump every other belt change. 130 HP, AWD 5 speed, comfortable seats, non-common ground radio's and DIN sized decks, more leg room, AC that works, radiators and cooling systems that are well designed, lots of room under the hood, 5 lug wheel pattern, 14" wheels, etc, etc. GD

Probably.... since I've done it, and wrote about it in my SPFI coversion. GD

Yes, with SPFI, and more features than a Loyale. DL's were pushbutton, GL's were dual range. Loyales are stripped down GL's with the DL transmission (so they wouldn't compete with the Legacy). If you want a commuter then find a Gen 1 Legacy. Seriously there's no better time. Got my 94 with 132k on it and a bad water pump for $750. Cost me $200 in parts and 3 hours to fix it. There's no comparison in comfort, power, handling, etc. Plus the Legacy wagon is bigger inside with more leg room than the GL/Loyale. AWD is great too - don't have to worry about being on a "slick" surface, and for a commuter you aren't ever going to need low range. Decent snow tires is all you need - the Legacy has plenty of low-end grunt with that big engine. And I get 25+ in town with mine. 4WD EA82 will get about 27 (that guy's claim of 30 is high). The difference isn't enough to bother with. GD

The ENTIRE US non-commercial transportation sector is estimated to be responsible for 1 half of one percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions of the human race. That's 0.5%. Nearly all of those vehicles are less than 10 years old, and unmodified. Most run well. Lets say that 10% don't (that's probably a huge overestimate, but lets just say...), and that those that don't run well are polluting, on average, 50% more than if they were properly tuned. Lets do the math shall we? 50% * 10% = .5 * .1 = .05 = 5% So all the "gross polluter" vehicles will increase the total emissions of the non-commercial transportation sector by an additional 5%. BUT that's 5% of 0.5% of the total emissions of the population of the earth! So that would be: 5% * 0.5% = .05 * .005 = .00025 = .025% .025% increase.... that's 1 quarter, of 1 tenth, of 1 percent.... statistically insignificant, and not even measurable. Additionally, human activity AS A WHOLE is responsible for only 1 third (1/3rd, or 33%) of the total greenhouse gas emissions of the planet. Most of the emissions are from animal waste, volcanic activity, and a HUGE amount from the micro-organisms present in the Oceans. So total emissions of the earth are increased by: .025% * 33% = .00025 * .33 = .0000825 = .00825% I'm not even going to translate that into something readable because it's not, and never will be. It's insignificant, and worrying about it, or buying a Hybrid because of it.... well what do YOU think? There needs to be more rational thought put into this stuff - right now it's a lot of knee-jerk reactionary politics and "buzz words" making it "fashionable" to worry about the environment. I for one am totally sick of our society's propensity for this stuff. Not that it's any different from the history of other civilizations - but it does give you some idea why I have so little patience for people in general...... GD

Probably. Put the old disty back in - just swap the vac can over to it. Replace it - the throttle cable is probably wearing through it's nylon inner sheath and is binding. They are only like $15 or so from the dealer. It's worth getting one while you still can. Trying to lube them is messy, and at best a temporary fix. Why bother when they take 10 minutes to replace and are so cheap? GD

That's just a bit too expensive in WA state for a Loyale with that mileage. Especially with the push-button (All Loyales were push button). Plus they are stripped down models compared to the GL's. Look for an 88 or 89 GL - prefereably with a bad clutch or axle or something. Get it cheap though as these are a dime a dozen. GD

Without some mods, the EA81 will net you 10 less HP. Probably not too cool in a heavier vehicle. But I agree that the later 80's EA82 with a high-po EA81 would be nice. Still prefer an EA81 hatch for off-road though. My Legacy wagon can turn basically the same. Both can just barely turn a full 180 in the street in front of my house. At most it's a few feet difference. True, but you don't know what you are missing - the EJ is even easier to work on - by a goodly amount. No - that would be the Justy engine, and the ECVT. GD

Once the covers are off, take pics from under the car pointing up. You should be able to get enough to give us an idea. GD

I won't argue that a converter isn't beneficial. Clearly they are. But I would like to say that there is a lot of hype and paranoia about "the environment". Very little of it is hard science, nor are there many voices of reason out there on it. Here's the deal: We aren't going to "destroy" the planet. We may cut into our own out-of-control breeding habits, but that is perfectly natural. We WILL sooner or later cause a few disasters of biblical proportions that will (hopefully) wipe out a few billion (mostly through famine and disease). But this is an entirely natural course of events - as seen thoughout history on smaller scales. To which I say: Why NOT global warming? I have my sceptical doubts about it's validity (the boy who cried "global cooling" a few decades ago might have something to do with that huh?), but really if it's not global warming it will be something else. Besides, global warming has some pretty nice benefits besides all the hype about the famine, drought, and weather. Increased growing seasons for one! Not to mention all the new ocean side property in Arizona! No - I don't delight in the pain and suffering of others. But I also don't beleive that discounting all of recorded history is wise. And I seriously doubt that anything a few individuals do, or however loudly they may shout that the sky is falling, will stop the inevitable march forward by madison avenue and the rest of our society that is only concened with bread and circuses. Anyway, I suppose it's partially a philisophical issue. But I can't see the point in spending tons of effort trying to avoid something that 10,000 years of human history says is basically inevitable. If it's global warming that I get, then I'll greet it with a Mai Tai and a lawn chair! GD

He means the Air Injection System (AIS) system. (Anti-Afterburn is a seperate system). But yes, you can (and should) eliminate it/them. GD

Which EA81 shaft? And the EA82 N/A MPFI didn't even have 25 spline axles - only the Turbo models.... Please clarify. GD

I too think it would be wise for you to remove the timing belt covers and take some pics for us. If the valve timing is off that will definately cause your problem. Even a few teeth and it won't run at all. We need pictures of: 1. Crank position. 2. Both cam posistions. Probably close up's of each would do. GD

Generally it means the solenoid is bad. Replace it with a 33 Ohm, 5 watt resistor and call it a day. The solenoid performs no function that you or the testing people will miss. GD

I used PB blaster to ressurect some pretty badly rusted jump seat belt retractors. You can actually dissasemble the unit and get to the guts. That's what I did. Took a couple hours of working them - work like new now. GD

The SPFI EA82 will bolt in, yes. The carb manifold from your old engine will have to be used unless you also retrofit the wiring and ECU. MPFI and MPFI Turbo will not work. GD

Anecdotal evidence about how "such and such" EA82 works fine with it's stock radiator means nothing at all. Of course they work fine.... when they are working. Subaru couldn't have sold them if they overheated new.... The problem is that the EA82 cooling system (single core) has very little reseve cooling power. It's got enough so long as everything is perfect, but one tiny pressure leak and the temp will shoot up quick. There wasn't enough "safety factor" designed into the system. An N/A EA82 with a dual-core radiator like the EA82T Automatic's got would have been a better design choice. The fact that there's plenty of them out there that are "fine" with their single core radiators in no way indicates that it's a wise idea to beleive that the car hasn't overheated at some point in it's past, or that the single core will do for South American temperature and humidity ranges. There's a reason they sell 70/30 water/antifreeze premix for "tropical" climates. At any rate - as I said there's plenty of folks that like them and will find reasons to defend them. But it's often a case of wanting to feel that what *they* own is justified. And often their arguments go something like this: 1. "I've NEVER had that problem!" 2. "I did THIS and nothing bad happened to me" Neither of those arguments really holds any validity. Just because people do things that aren't terribly wise and get away with it doesn't mean we shouldn't consider the possibility that next time they won't. I don't "hate" the EA82 (well - maybe the Turbo's ). I'm just willing to admit it's limitations. I've owned them, and driven them as much as anyone else here. What I dislike about them.... a lot of it is pretty trivial. But side-by-side to either an EA81 or an EJ22 from the "mechanics" standpoint you can really *feel* the difference. By that I mean that almost everywhere you turn in the EA82's design things are more difficult to maintain, and more difficult to repair. Most any job will take a lot longer. Bolts are hard to access, accesory belt tensioners are poorly designed, timing covers are a pain, water pump input pipe is crap (held in by one bolt), heater core by-pass hose is pooly designed and innaccessible, valve covers are hard to get to, oil pan gasket is cork (junk), valve cover gaskets leak, cam towers leak, etc, etc. The list goes on and on. I've had each one of these engines down to bare blocks on many occasions - time and again the ones that make me wish I were on a sunny beach somewhere are the EA82's. The EA81 is devine simplicity, and the EJ22 is not far behind - for a timing belt engine it sure is a pleasure to work on - part of the reason for that is the size of the Legacy engine bay - it's larger than the EA82 bay, and the EJ22 is smaller. Lots of room to work on a properly designed engine. We could go on ad-infinitum, but you get the idea. Rather than relate to you how "reliable" my EA81's or my EJ22's are (duh - I'm a mechanic!) - I would rather give you the info on what to expect from these various engines and let you decide for yourself how big of a headache you want. They all can and do break down - my metric is always how easy and straightforward they are to fix, and how reliable those repairs can generally be expected to be. GD

EA81 and EA82 distributors do not interchange without swapping the drive gears. One is run off the overhead cam, and the other off the single pushrod cam. The placement of the gears is different as well. The FI models (except 83-86 MPFI and Turbo) use a crank angle optical sensor distributor, and will not work with the hall effect ignition used in the carbs. The others (83-86 MPFI and Turbo) *may* work although I don't have first hand experience trying to wire one up. GD

Outback struts and some heavy duty tires. But yeah - long before I would do it with an EA82. I would drive it around a bit and get to know it's quirks. And probably still take a few spares. But as for reliablility, the EJ22 is real hard to beat. If the history is unknown I would replace the timing belt/tensioners/water pump etc and some of the seals in the front. Fresh oil, etc. Really it depends on what you find. I got my 94 with a blown water pump (neglected maintenance) - 132k on it, new tires, new brakes, all records. Cost me $750 for the car and $200 in parts to do all the maintenance items. Amazing deals out there... Not hard at all - many, many L series wagons had AWD 5 speeds. I don't own auto's either, and both mine are AWD 5's. Take a look at craigslist - they are all over the place. EA81's are getting long in the tooth - get a Legacy, and all you need is some strut upgrades and bigger tires. Should be good to go and will be real comfortable for a long trip. I've driven my 94 for 10 hours straight and it does great. Been to Reno and back to Portland 3 times with it and not a single thing done to it besides brake rotors (previous owner warped them), and wiper blades. GD

I would say (at the risk of being stoned by the EA82 lovers here) that is a more or less fair analisys. The EA82 was a conglomeration of old tech, and new tech. It was Subaru's first Overhead Cam, and their first with timing belts. Most of it's problems stem directly from these "firsts" The belts don't last long. And there's TWO of them - unlike almost all other belt designs. The plastic covers suck massively as well. Add to this that all EA82's other than the turbo models (avoid those like the plague) came stock with a single core radiator, and now you have an engine that is undercooled as well. This contributed to their tendancy to eventually need HG's. The EA81's and the EJ22's for some reason both came with dual core radiators, and the EA81 was the product of 20 years development of the pushrod engines - it's the culmination of everything Subaru new up to that point. They are dead reliable units. The EJ22, although the first in the EJ line, turned out to be arguably the best engine Subaru ever made, and some consider it the best to date. For the EA81 you are looking for an '80 to '84 - Brat's were made till '87, and Hatchbacks till '89 with that engine as well. EJ22's start in the '90 Legacy. '90 to '94 are the simplest as they have no OBD-II system. I drive a '94 as my daily. Consider finding a 90 to 94 legacy wagon - put outback struts on it, and fit you some big 'ole shoes on there. Add a LSD rear end and you should be able to go anywhere you like. Guess what I own? Two Legacy's, and Two EA81's.... got rid of all my EA82's as they just don't "do it" for me. GD

Granted - assuming a trail BIG enough for the 4Runner There's always situations where smaller and lighter wins the day - and of course virtually any Subaru would look exceptionally good in those circumstances. GD

Anywhere you would likely be going you would probably not even need a lift. Maybe a slight one to allow for a bit more aggressive tires. Frankly a stock 4Runner probably *could* outwheel all of the stock Subaru's and a good portion of the lifted ones as well. BUT - you're objective being mostly to get to/from your surfing spots - not to take the vehicle to it's extreems and see how stuck you can get.... you should be fine. There ARE Subaru's that could outwheel a stock 4Runner. Quite a number of them actually. But the time investment to get one to that point, the stuff you will break, and the number of times you will get stuck learning what works/doesn't work.... you really have to love it. And a lot of the one's I'm refering to aren't *all* Subaru anymore - having seriously custom fabrication done, and usually some parts that are nothing Subaru ever intended (additional transfer cases, etc). There's even some folks that have put solid axles under one or both ends - but it's debateable how much "Subaru" is really left in them at that point - mostly sheet metal. On the plus side they are excelent in snow, and are simple/easy to maintain. The gas mileage will be a lot nicer to you than a 4Runner too. I say go for it. But be aware that the EA82 engine (the one in that 88 GL) isn't without it's pitfalls.... they do eat timing belts about every 50k, and some of the higher mileage examples generally need cooling system care at this point, and they will eat an occasional head gasket. They leak oil like mad (poorly designed seals), the oil pump seals are garbage, and the lifters tend to tick if there is any hint of air in the oil system (we call it the "Tick Of Death" [TOD], but it's not fatal at all - quite the opposite as it won't ever really harm anything but the lifters themselves). It's popular to either "downgrade" to the EA81 (pushrod motor) or to "upgrade" to the EJ22. Both have their benefits in different ways, and don't have a lot of the drawbacks that the EA82 had. All that said, the EA82's can easily do 250 - 300k before they actually die. The blocks themselves are near identical to the EA81 - it's everything from the heads outward that tends to give people trouble. There's probably going to be people that will vehemently defend the EA82....but you are contemplating taking a 20 year old vehicle on a road trip to Mexico?! Check my post count and note that there's no WAY I would do that - not by January. I would have to go through the thing top-to-bottom before I contemplated something like that with an EA82. There's almost no parts availibility down there, and breaking down in the middle of nowhere in Mexico sounds like a bad time to me. I've done many thousands of miles in EA81's, EA82's, and EJ22's, and I would take an EA81 or EJ22 if I were going to a third world country with it. And I would still take plenty of spare parts, and enough tools to do just about anything short of splitting the short-block. That is the nature of old cars - wouldn't matter if we were talking about an 88 4Runner.... I would question your sanity on buying something that old and taking it on a trip that soon. GD

Since it cranks with the key, and you had the engine out.... Almost a guarantee that you forgot to hook something up, or a connector isn't tight. Go over each connector in the engine bay and make sure you didn't miss anything. A thorough check of everything.... several times is the quickest way. If that doesn't work then you will have to start going through the ECU inputs and power leads. And that's a lot more complicated. GD

It's got nothing to do with "Subaru's" - I don't expect you will understand that, but in a few years perhaps you will. 1. You are driving a 20 year old car. You can't restore and drive at the same time. 2. You caused the problem by your own inexperience - rather than checking for oil leaks you just drove away after working on the engine. That's a no-no. It's also not the car's fault, or Subaru's fault - If you had owned a Nissan would you swear you would never own another one if you had done this to it? 3. Learning to wrench is fine - but you have to understand that it's YOU that is causing a good percentage of your problems, and the need to work on it every weekend. Not always because you are doing things wrong, but often because your inexperience leads you to misdiagnose things, to fix things incompletely, and to either not notice impending failure items, or to not have the resources to take care of them in a timely manner - often causing further related, or collateral damage. 4.Your Subaru is a poor example of Subaru's in general. Without a doubt it was one of the worst engines they ever made. That's not to say it's a bad engine, but they are problematic - even for those who aren't 17 and have no experience with troubleshooting and mechanics. Likely you will blow off my post anyway - like 99% of the people out there you are going to have to learn the hard way. But maybe you're the 1% that listens.... GD