GeneralDisorder

Yeah - tell me about it. Even the FSM's are woefully inadequate for this kind of a job - they deal with how to "fix" it, not how to redesign it. In order to swap it, you will have to remove the dash - the dash harness ends on the passenger side where the "rear-end" harness starts. That's a huge nightmare too, and even then if you swap it, you won't be able to use the push-button 4WD system without wiring that up - it's not going to match up with the gauge cluster wireing, and I'm not even sure the dash harness will work with the rear-end harness..... you travel into uncharted territory if you go that route. If you piggyback the SPFI harness, it will just work, and you won't have to worry about anything other than giving it power, and hooking it into a half a dozen wires under the dash that are easily accesible. GD

Yeah - that one is shorter, but only the front portion. The rear section of the driveline is the same for all Gen 3 vehicles. GD

Pipe wrench. It *should* be 22mm, but who knows - drain plugs get changed out all the time for random sizes. GD

Pull out the level sender - you'll have to clean it through there. GD

The driveline is not a different length. I have a pushbutton driveline behind the D/R in my Brat, and I just did an auto to manual swap using a D/R and a pushbutton driveline. All 5 speed 4WD tranny's use the same driveline - even the XT6 Basically going from a push-button to D/R is just a matter of swapping the trans and the 4WD shifter linkage into your car. It's very easy. Your only real challenge will be the ECU's neutral switch IF you use a transmision from 87 or earlier. 88 and 89 have the switch, and will hook striaght up, but older units do not. You can use the cruise control clutch switch for this function instead to keep the ECU from throwing a code. In any case, the switch will not prevent you from starting or driving the car, but the CEL will light up after a few miles without it. GD

I can definately help you with the SPFI wireing, but this is going to take some work, and I might need to talk you through it over the phone or something... You have two options I guess: 1) try and make the SPFI harness work without taking it apart. I don't have a complete harness for reference just at the moment, but I'm pretty sure your problems are associated with the dash harness pin-outs - the fuel pump relay supplies power to the fuel pump through the dash harness, and at least one of the ECU power circuits (there's 3) goes through the dash harness as well.... 2) strip out the ECU, power, and sensor portion of the harness and piggyback it to the MPFI harness. Basically letting the MPFI harness handle the "car" (including your transmission, backup lights, 4WD button, and all the other myriad stuff that's going to be a huge PITA with trying to use the MPFI harness) and running the engine with the piggyback. If it were me (and because I've done this before), I would choose #2. It's much more predictable and you are almost gauranteed that it will work. It has the side benefit of being 100% reversible if anyone ever wanted to put a turbo motor back in.... I'm actually working on a wite-up on exactly this sort of thing. My write up deals with specifically converting carbed engines to SPFI, but as many carbed engines were also computer controlled, it's nearly identical to what you are doing, except it will be easier for you. Here's a picture to get you oreiented to what you need exactly from the SPFI harness (you can lose over half of it by taking out only the engine section). My complete write up isn't totally ready yet, but I will help you with whatever I can... GD

Sure - but do both sides if you are going to do it, and get some Fel-Pro HG's too. The rocker bolts slip through holes in the frame - there's rubber plugs you remove, and retrieve the bolt from behind the wheel well. The heads will slide right off no problem. GD

Any decent parts store should have it, or a similar product. It's in a can that looks just like the rubber cement that smelled oh-so-good back in grade school. It's a red can with the edelbrock logo.... Baxter's auto parts has it around here, but I don't know if you have them where you are. Heck - you could probably just USE rubber cement.... it smells very similar. GD

Nice paint scheme! Looks.... 80's and.... Russian for some reason. I like! Anyway, you should convert that thing to 4WD. All the knowledge is here on this board should you want to do it... Then again, 2WD Brat's (or is it an MV over there?) are rather cool too - we didn't get them here. Is it a 4 speed or a 5 speed FWD? More pictures! GD

You can - but they are just cardboard, and the material likes to absorb coolant and eventually fail - similar to the cheap aftermarket manifold gaskets. If you coat them first they are usually fine, and as a side benefit, the gaskets will come back off clean even years later using that stuff. So if you have to remove it for some reason it won't destroy the gaskets. GD

Oh yeah - tuning: If it's been profesionally rebuilt *correctly* you shouldn't have to mess with ANYTHING except the idle speed screw. The idle mixture is not supposed to be adjusted, and the choke is held in place with a brass pin and riveted - it should not be moved either. That said, it may be neccesary to change things as often rebuilds on these are difficult, and it's not uncommon for those rebuild places to screw something in too lean or something. GD

Vacuum secondary is a small hose from one part of the carb to another - you won't have to touch or mess with it in any way. Make sure you use NEW gaskets between the base and the plastic spacer, and between the spacer and the carb. And make sure you use gaskachinch on them (it's made my edelbrock - it's kind of like plastic cement) or you will have a coolant leak. Prep the surfaces really well with a razor blade scraper, and a wire wheel. While you are down there, replace the small 1/4" coolant hose from the thermostat housing to below the carb - 1/4" fuel line will work. And drain about 1/2 of the coolant out before you remove the carb, or you will have a mess on your hands. GD

There's TWO DIFFERENT planes listed there, and you are reading the second one, which actually says he had a turbo EA81 GD

I have the free time right now. I'm in West Linn.... I've got plenty of "GM" experience in the ARMY . I would be happy to do it for cheap.... GD

First link shows a CGI image of a plane, and lists it in the specs..... but I don't see that anyone has ever built one. Second link is clearly a mistake - the picture is of someone else's plane, and it looks like it's got a EJ in it.... GD

Extra cost = have to replace axle 10,000 times. GD

Actually - it's not all there, and the missing part is (drum roll)....... MPFI turbo troubleshooting section :-\ GD

I doubt that very much. 78 is gen 1, 86 would be gen 2. Not to mention the 78 is a wagon, and your's is a hatch. GD

Right on - I hope it holds on for you. Now do a write up on how others can do the same so I can link people to when they ask how to get power from one GD

How many miles have you put on it? GD

Sure - but would you trust it at 10,000 feet? Oh wait.... your engine wouldn't make 200 HP at 10,000 feet because your FI computer isn't altitude compensated..... you lose 3% for every 1000 feet above sea level. So knock 30% off your HP. Again - you are not buying just an engine - you are buying peice of mind that it's done right, and done right the first time (might be the only chance you get). The engine itself is secondary to reliability. Try pricing out a FAA approved power plant sometime.... REALLY expensive, and much shorter maintenance intervals. Just parts for these things can be more expensive than a whole new EA81.... GD

Lo light is controlled by a switch on the lever. The contacts on them get bent - look under the plastic shifter cover. Dim glowing of indicator lights (especially that changes with engine RPM) usually means AC output from the alternator - check your alt. GD

Correct. GD

Lots of engines are now switching back to chains. The 350 HP Audi V8 is chain driven.... GD

Belts are pretty specific. I get mine at Autozone - I like their belts - nice and soft, and I like the ribbed style myself. I think they are made by gates but I could be wrong. GD