GeneralDisorder

I have an EA82 y-pipe on my Brat - had to grind some on the cat's heat shield to make it fit but otherwise it's fine. Alternatively you could just put an O2 bung at the crotch of the y-pipe - that's where they are on SPFI's. GD

It's more a matter of wanting something that I'm NOT tempted to tune/restore/wrench/improve on. I have my 84 lifted wagon as an off-road toy: terrible mileage, poor handling on-road, expensive tires, etc. And my Brat I can't drive daily if I expect to tear it down for a complete restoration. With those needs I wanted something that I can "just drive" on a daily basis that won't attract the attention of the police, and that I can haul tools, parts and friends in. Sure I look like someone's mexican lesbian cleaning lady, but I've never been much into looks - it's mostly about function for me when it comes to a DD. I also wanted to familarize myself with the EJ series as I plan to swap one into the Brat as part of it's overall restore. GD

Exactly - and the funny part is that my friend had a 92 Paseo (sport tuned tercel basically) that is still going (primer spots and almost no maintenance) at like 240k. He gave it to an aunt and her son is still driving it into the ground as far as I know. Rock on - just got a 94 myself. Loving the trouble free-ness. Thanks to this board and my ability to think for myself I have a rig that will probably go near 300k and I got it for a song. It's funny how people love to adopt the latest tech only to get burned and then go right back out and do it again GD

I think this is definately something to consider. People are very small-minded when it comes to consumer products and tend to judge the entire brand based on their own small experience. I takes years of mechanicing to realize that each model is a bit different and in some cases it makes a huge difference in overall reliability. Right now those are the years hitting high mileage in the hands of people prone to purchasing new cars without either the ability to work on them on their own, or the knowledge of what those "new models" are going to act like in their "golden years". It's a flighty group of consumers - they buy things on a whim and without proper research or care. Sometimes the engineering just isn't there and sometimes it is - with the fast pace of the modern automotive development cycle things are sometimes pushed to market before they are quite ready and the "new adopter" gets burned. This happens with all brands and just because the current crop of Camry's and Accords are doing well doesn't mean that they will continue in this way ad-infinitum. A friend of mine had an '01 Accord that dumped the automatic tranny at 78k - to the tune of $4500 - am I to assume that all Hondas are crap? I don't think that likely. People are too quick to assume it's not their fualt for buying the peice of crap without doing some research first. Buyer beware I say - do your homework - buy cars that are 3 to 5 years old that you can still find low mileage examples of - and let others be the guinea pigs. Not at all - I recognize the problems of the early 2.5 and I tell everyone I speak with who is looking at making a purchase to stay away from them. GD

There was a recent thread about Subaru gauranteeing the seatbelt for the life of the car. Perhaps your dealer isn't aware of that, or how to go about doing the paperwork for the warrantee. The belt and all components should be covered as it's a serious safety hazard if it should malfunction - doubly so since the auto belts are have been banned for a while due to various chokeing injuries and such. You could contact corporate through the Subaru web site and perhaps they could guide you on this more appropriately than I. GD

"a car of this age"?!?! Wow - some people's idea of old cars sure is whack. You have a 98 (and you should have posted in the "new generation" forum). I've seen plenty of wheel bearings last into the 250,000 mile range on 80's Subaru's! Get the bearings and install them yourself. Probably be about $50 in parts (per side), and I doubt there will be problems with the hub or axle. For the price they are asking you could buy any needed tools, the parts, and still save money. GD

Like clockwork every 60 thousand Easy job - remove the radiator to make room. Leave the belt covers off if you like - makes a belt change a 15 minute affair with a 12mm deep socket. Lots of us do it - search for "belt covers" if you want the whole long, drawn out postings on it. There's an ebay auction for the entire belt/idler set here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1986-1994-Subaru-1-8-GL-DL-Loyale-Timing-Belt-Kit_W0QQitemZ230168868986QQihZ013QQcategoryZ33625QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem And you should do the water pump as well - preference is for the Parut pumps (OEM). Dealer or wholesale house will have them for about $50 GD

Yeah I see your point - probably a throwback from the days when hydraulic brakes first came out - drums all around so master and wheel cylinders makes sense. Now we have cylinders for all kinds of hydraulic stuff, and drums are getting rare so it's now more important to specify I suppose. Tecnically I suppose you could call the "pots" in a caliper cylinders - that's certainly what they are in hydraulic terms. Weird how the nomenclature stacks up around cars isn't it? GD

I figured - I call that a drum brake cylinder. GD

Huh? You talking about the drum brake cylinder? Or the actual drum itself? "wheel cylinder" really doesn't mean much - as far as I know there's no such thing. GD

Was it a DL? Those are different than GL's and a lot nicer to take apart (no tilt column). GD

You're a moron if you think two specific models are indication of the brands as a whole. I can name off Toyota's that sucked just like I can name Subaru's that suck. Try the early 90's toyota V6's for example - they had as many headgasket problems as the phase one 2.5's. Then there was the T100's . As a mechanic that has worked on many brands and many models it's pretty easy to see that it's not simply a matter of brand, but of specific models. Yes the phase one 2.5's suck - which is why I would never own one (unless it was CHEAP). You bought a terrible example and that's on you - just as it would be if you owned a yota with that early V6. GD

Yeah - Sun Sport was a 2WD - dissapointing and probably why there's few left. GD

Yeah - that was interesting even for me, and I've done lots of engines with hydraulic tesioners. Not hard but definately different. In the Audi and VW world the hydro tensioners just compress - no waiting or slow compressing. And they look very similar. Kind of different. GD

For some reason. in the US people just don't seem to get that everyone is for sale. In virtually every other country in the world all you have to do is slip someone a bill or two. Here it's *really* the same, but it's not nice to talk about it. Politicians, corporations, media - they are all in bed with someone. Want to know what kind of thought went into a product - take one apart and put it together again. More people should rely on their own senses rather than those of everyone elses. GD

Call CCR - if anyone will know where to source one they will. GD

I humbly point out that one does not need to take money directly nor does one even have to accept money per say to be in somoene else's pocket..... sure, they may not accept money - but I bet they don't turn down all that free swag, or invitations to such and such party with free booze and food, etc. It's all about how you butter them up. Doesn't have to be money. Their readership is clearly biased - for one thing it's entirely made up of people too scared to make decisions for themselves. While I'm not knocking the practice of researching a product before you buy, you also have to have some variety in your sources for your research - if you rely on CR for everything then you are just living out of a pre-packaged box, and if you don't think they won't give a favorable review to the company who got them plastered in Vegas last week..... well you would be wrong. I've read the occasional CR in a dentists office, but somehow have managed to surround myself with quality stuff despite being entirely out of touch with the sheeple (their publications, and media as well) I seem to be surrounded with. GD

Pretty much whoever is cheapest. As long as you get the right core for your year you should be fine. There were a few different arrangments for the EA82 line - dealing with mostly how the brass lines are routed behind the duct box under the dash. Personally, I would pull it and then find one similar at the junk yard - doesn't take too long to get them out and if you have the time it's worth saving $50 or so as you can usually find good ones. Figure a SOLID day to do a core - the whole dash must come out to get at it. And you will probably want to get some marine grade foam weatherstripping to redo the core box and some other duct bits. Lysol the hell out of the duct work too GD

No, not even close. Not terribly hard - it's a lot of cursing. There's nuts or bolts (can't remember) that have to come out and you can only get at them with a needle nose pliers - use a pair of needle nose vice grips to break em loose, then a regular pair to unscrew them 1/16 of a turn at a time I think you should at least give this a try - new leys can work wonders. He *should* be able to rebuild the lock cylinder if you take him the whole assembly as well. It's a standard nissan tumbler setup and you just drill out some pins and pop in a new one. Shouldn't give him much trouble. GD

Your buddy's experience may be clouded with time. It's the EA82's that are often fixed with reseal kits - they have a "mickey mouse" gasket that gets hard and sucks into the oil passage allowing air into the system. The EA71 and EA81 do not have this failing. Also, in the "early 90's" he wouldn't have been working on too many EA71's and EA81's as they hadn't really been produced in numbers since 84 for the main lines, 87 for Brat's (EA81 only), and 89 for the lowely hatch. The EA71 was even more rare due to it only being used in the STD model hatch - which was quite uncommon really. But any way, the EA71/81 pumps rarely benefit more than a fractional amont with a reseal kit - when the pressure drops it's nearly always a faulty sending unit, or a bad pump. My experience is that the EA81 pumps last around 100k to 150k pretty well. Once the pressure drops below 20 psi hot idle it's time for a new pump. GD

Sweet - so sounds like Exedy flywheel and 2.5RS clutch set. Now to save some pennies for it. The Exedy is made both for the 91-94 turbo EJ22T, and for the later NA 2.5RS.... I'm guessing I want the 2.5RS flywheel?? GD

Someone at legacycentral has one on an NA 22 so pretty sure it's a direct bolt on. GD

I would have to say that given naive way in which you approached the qustion, and then didn't understand the request for clarification that you are in WAY over your head for a swap of this magnitude. *Making* a 4WD from a 2WD involves a lot more than most people realize, and more changes than the reply's you get here will indicate. It's not just getting the 4WD in place - that's relatively easy. It's knowing ALL the parts that will make it a TRUE 4WD as Subaru designed them to be - sway bars, struts, springs, alignment settings, exhaust, gauge clusters, interior trim, etc, etc. There's a laundry list of stuff if you want to do it right. GD

I like a Toyota, and I recognize the Honda reputation but have not had any remarkably good experiences with them. Subaru's, like many other brands, have their share of quirky models. What they lack is consistently bland, cookie cutter cars produced in huge numbers for the masses. Subaru's are a specialty brand targeting very specific niche markets. They really don't have any models (anymore) that are "just transportation" like the Camry, and the Accord/Civic. The people looking to buy a cookie cutter civic are looking for something entirely different than those that look to buy a Subaru of any kind. If you want variety and innovation in your cars, you ARE going to tade some reliability factor - Subaru does this better than a LOT of other manufacturers - If they wanted the cookie cutter market they could have just stuck with the EJ22. That's just not what Subaru is about though. GD

Correct - the VIN reads it as a BF chassis. And I notice that the headliner is a different color than the rest of the interior . GD