GeneralDisorder

If it's SPFI (should be), then that's not a horrible deal, but I've seen as-good/better deals on comparable 4WD's. If you want good mileage (32 - 35 or so) and can live without the 4WD, then it's not a bad deal. Doesn't look too rusty, and the door panels are easy to replace. You should know that these require timing belts about every 60,000 miles, but the engine is non-interferance so if it breaks it won't damage anything. Just replace and go. They generally leak a bit of oil, and the exhuast's can be loud if they have holes which isn't uncommon even in non-rusty states. The engine's are very reliable (with the exception of the timing belts, and head gaskets if you overheat them), and will easily go 200,000 miles+ before needing a head gasket or something else minor. The block's themselves are easily good for 300,000+. Transmissions are even better - no worries for 500,000 or so. Subaru still uses the same design - hasn't really changed it in 20 years. My sedan (86) for example sat for about 3 years in a yard before I got it. $100 and I drove it home. It had 208,000, and now has 230,000. I have about $600 into it total - including a rebuilt Weber ($190). I sugest you get it, replace all the belts (including timing) and hoses. Gives you a chance to check out the water pump, t-belt tensioners, main and cam seals. The complete t-belt set goes for about $60 on ebay...Biggest problems I've had with 20 year old subarus BY FAR is old belts and hoses - any belt or small hose failure will quickly result in an overheat, and likely that will do in the head gaskets rather quickly when they are that old. Basically if you care for the cooling system, and the timing belts these are pretty bulletproof cars. Especially the SPFI version as in your ad there. I should also note that should you experience a HG failure, it's not too big of a job to replace them. Cost is about $40 for both, and it takes about a day as long as you don't need to resurface the heads. They can be done without pulling the engine fairly easily. And you are correct about the axles - they are the same right to left. GD

There's no resistor on a 92 Loyale. Are you refering to the ignitor transistor mounted to the coil bracket? Could be that it wants replacing, but I doubt it. Being a transistor, it either works or does not - there's no real way for it to fail the way you describe as it's a solid state device. Accel coils are junk, and for the SPFI they aren't correct anyway, and could contribute to ignitor failure as the ignitor isn't designed for it. Get a stock Hitachi coil - they run about $40. Also check your 12v supply's to the coil - make sure they are in good condtion. GD

Watch what Lucas does to oil: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/images/lucas/lucas.htm Additives are BOGUS. All the best properties/additives are already present in a *quality* oil additive package. It's one thing to use a "flush" (such as ATF, etc) as a cleaning preperation for SHORT INTERVALS. But don't muck with your oil. There's far, far too many disadvantages to make it worthwhile. GD

My research indicates that they were shipped here without plugs, and each dealer was to install them. Thus it was left up to them to decide the brand they used. Old guy that owned my sedan had circled the champion's in the owners manual as the original plugs. GD

Excelent point - otherwise you will have to rev the engine to around 3,500 RPM for the regulator to self excite. That's how the alt is in my wagon right now cause I neglected to hook up the bulb/resistor when I converted from digi-dash to analog. GD

If you find leaks in the pump body or supply lines, use JB weld to rebuild the sections you need. If you get creative you can make something work with tongue depressors and elmers. It will work in the short term anyway. GD

Highly unlikely - the SPFI's run terrible without the MAF. Would be barely driveable if it even stayed running, and it would set off the CEL for sure. Besides - with the rust on his car, it's more likely to be fuel system related. GD

STi's use the R200 GD

Yep - lower combustion temps = less ping = more timing advance = more power. GD

I like both - for different reasons. But I'm weird that way. A Weber is a beautiful thing, but the SPFI is like a cool "gadget" that I can play with. Both are fun in completely different ways for me. Mostly tho, my idea of "fun" is an experiment in hair-loss for others. GD

No choke for SPFI. Choke's are exclusively the domain of carbs. Could be a high-pressure side fuel leak. Low fuel pressure reaching the throttle body could account for the sputtering, and the leak itself could account for the smell. As you dump more fuel in (hard throttle), the leak is overpowered by the bigger "leak" of the injector (might still be lean, but you probably wouldn't notice as much). Low fuel demand off idle - fuel pump can't get you proper pressure with a high side leak, and low speeds tend to expose lean conditions more. With the rust on your car.... have you checked the surge pot on the end of the fuel pump? Those guys like to rust out it seems. GD

Kid - you just don't know much about oil, and frankly niether do most "mechanics". See - they make money from changing it, and frankly aren't inclined to change their tune much. If they knew much they would own the shop, or would be engineers. That's the way things work. Very few grease monkeys have a proper education other than "lefty lucy, righty tighty". I've worked with enough to know. There are notable exceptions, and some of them are members here.... you guys know who you are Oil contains many things - anti-foaming agents, acid neutralizing agents (acid is a byproduct of combustion [you've heard of acid rain right?], and enters the oil through blow-by gasses}, viscosity modifiers, and many other things. Engine oil is really only about 80% oil with the rest being the "additive package". Now - allow me to educate you on oil theory a bit. First, different oil's have different abilities with regards to "suspension". This is the oil's ability to keep particulates from touching the friction surfaces (if it weren't for this property, oil would do us no good at all with regards to friction). Those particulates bond with impurities already found in non-synthetic oils and tend to settle out more quickly. Synthetic oil has NO impurities by it's very nature (it is created from condensed oil vapors rather than "refined" from a constant liquid state). Thus synthetic oil is more uniform as it's molecule sizes are much more tightly controlled. This gives it's molecule's added abilities with regard to suspension, and molecular adhesion. These features are what allow it to maintain adequate lubrication at higher impurity concentrations. This ability further reduces the tendancy for those impurities to act like "sand" and cause MORE impurities. This further enhances the life of the oil as not only does the synthetic allow the impurities to stay suspended, but it also reduces the delta (rate of change) of impurity production. So what I'm saying in laymans terms is that while you are correct in thinking that the same amount of "dirt" will be there (in some sense, reality is the production of heavy metals is lower), your uniformed conclusion is fualty because you are not aware of the differences that synthetics bring to the equation. I sugest you read up on synthetic oils. GD

Regardless of what method you use on the cross-member, the stock EA81 4WD lever will work - you just cut and add exactly 1" to the rod. Then use the stock 5 speed linkage minus the 4WD shifter part. That's what Jerry does, but all I got from him was the cross-member and I did the linkage myself per his instructions. I could show you pics of my interior, but it simply looks like an EA81 :-p. It's got the black EA82 shifter rod instead of the chrome, but that's really the only difference. It's a really simple mod to make the interior stay looking stock.... and I got to keep my beautiful new shifter boot I got from Mick.... But if you don't have welding skilz, then Mick's method above works fine too - get a 4WD lever from an 85 - those are the easiest to grasp. Oh, and the EA81 tranny mounts suck... HARD CORE. While you could definately use them..... let me put it this way. They suck so hard I fabbed up 5 speed mounts to my 4 speed cause I couldn't stand those skinny little things anymore.... here's my write up from when I did that - might give you some ideas. http://home.comcast.net/~trilinear/4speed_mounts.html GD

Clearing memory is the same procedure as D-Check just with both sets connected..... Warm engine, Ignition on, depress pedal fully, release to halfway for min. 2 seconds, release fully, start and drive till you either get a code, or the all-clear blinking CEL. You have to run the full D-Check for the codes to go away. The alternative is to leave the battery disconnected for a while and the ECU will lose it's memory. Your first, and most important goal is to make it run in D-Check and fix the codes in the order they are reported. Once you accomplish that, the ECU will be able to help you. The codes from u-check are useless as the diagnostic routines are very simple and not always capable of giving correct information if there are multiple failures. GD

No - They are R160's, and the LSD's are distinguised only by the label. They do not have the fins like the larger models. They will also turn like a locked/spooled rear when you turn one tire instead of opposite rotation like an open diff. GD

You only heat the axle cup - the idea is that it expands faster than the stub. Doesn't hurt them in any case. Just don't do anything stupid like dowse it with water. Let it air cool and the temper will not be harmed any sizeable amount. Besides which, you can replace the stub really easily too - it just knocks out the rear much like the outer joint of a front axle. And the stub is so much stronger than the axle joint cup anyway, that you will break the joint first, followed by the diff stub before you would ever break the solid outer stub. GD

There's no beating with Jerry's x-member even if you aren't lifted. You have to use the stock EA81 x-member, but you will have to fab new mounts. His is very custom with special brackets he fabs to accomidate the EA82 mounts on a lower profile to prevent it from rubbing the tunnel on stock EA81's. Being that you are lifted, it wouldn't be hard to fab some mounts for it, but you will need some welding and metal skills. GD

You should be plugging the green connectors together before you start the engine. Do you mean it doesn't start with them plugged in? If you can't get it to run in D-Check then there's really no telling that the issue *really* is. U-Check isn't very accurate, and the FIRST step in verifying any codes is to clear them, and confirm them with D-Check. I would say you have a sensor problem. Try a different MAF just in case, and perhaps adjust the IAC screw open a bit further. D-Check turns off the timing advance, and it sounds like you have a lean condition that makes it die.... GD

Sounds like a wireing issue to me. Check the plugs between the manifold harness and the main harness. Verify the continuity of the wires to the MAF and IAC. Clear your codes, and do a full D-Check. The IAC is just a resistance value to the ECU - it's just a solenoid with two wires. The MAF needs voltage, so make sure it's got voltage at the sensor, and then verify the other wires show the correct resistance and that it changes when you blow air over the element. GD

Here's quote from that page: "The dashboard indicator light circuit also typically has an extra wire with a calibrated resistance in it. This wire is run in parallel to the indicator light and has about a 10ohm resistance. It's purpose is to allow slightly more current to flow to the alternator field current system at initial start-up to make sure the alternator begins producing power as soon as the engine starts. About 1 amp total current is flowing to the field current between the light and the resistance wire, with the resistance wire supplying about 3/4 of an amp. This extra resistance wire does not affect the functionality of the indicator light in any way. NOTE: I've been informed by my readers that a Radio Shack 10 ohm 10 watt 10% wire wound ceramic resistor (part #271-132) has worked well on their GM vehicles. Use caution if you decide to do custom wiring work with resistors as they can get hot and melt stuff." Now I'm not sure what the resistor value is on the subaru's.... probably similar but I've never tested it. It's probably part of the lamp assembly/voltmeter in the guage cluster, or the lamp itself has a low enough resistance. Probably be a good idea to just go with the GM reccomendation. GD

Yes, the older ECU will work fine. They are nearly identical, with the only differences being the manual Loyale ECU has a clutch switch and the older one does not. An auto ECU will work too, but you may get a strange code about the park switch malfunctioning (or you may not). Why do you think the ECU is bad? I've never seen one fail. And if it runs then it's likely not bad. As far as the neutral switch - well that's going to be interesting. You'll have to play it by ear as the 87 tranny may or may not have the switch. You may have to use the clutch switch on your loyale pedal assembly to simulate the neutral switch so the ECU doesn't complain about not seeing it. GD

Yes! thepartsbin.com sells the shorty blue "nippon" ones same as the dealer....Anything but Fram. They are universally recognized as crap. GD

For $4 and some change you can get a Wix or Napa (same), which is even better. GD

There should be no switch for the remote sensor wire. Here's the diagram for it (stole from one of the above links): The dash light is the one that needs switched ignition power. Then the alternator will provide the ground when it's field isn't energized to light the lamp. When the alt is working properly it provides full field current to the bulb, and thus the ignition switched voltage and the field curent from the alt cancel each other out. Again, there should be NO switches involved in the two wires to the main junction. They should be connected directly to battery positive through fusible links. (ideally no wire should leave the junction without a fusible link). This is by design and will not drain your battery. It's also how it's hooked up in the car originally. GD

You need a blue wrench. GD