GeneralDisorder

The Fuel pump ONLY runs when the car is either cranking, or running. Plug the green connectors in next to the drivers side strut tower, and turn the key ON. This should cycle the pump every few secconds, and you'll be able to hear it run, and see the fuel comming out. GD

Most batteries can't be "topped off" anymore. Some can, but it's comparitively rare. GD

That's a nice procedure! Too bad the y-pipe isn't on a car yet. ...... and I already tore it out with my impact. Hooray for air! Quicker to cut the thing off, impact it, and then chase the threads. Whole countries have been overthrown in 24 hours. GD

Worth is relative. Water is valuable somewhere on earth. Value of a Brat is what someone is willing to pay you for it. If that's three goats then your Brat is worth as much as an AK47 in most of the world. Did you see the Brat that went for over $7,000 a few months back? I don't know about you, but that's not a paltry sum to me. GD

It's all good - I'm just worked up over all the typing I did ealier in the thread that fell on completely deaf ears. Nothing against you Dole. The EGR thing is poking fun at BDG - he has an EGR fettish. Mine all work fine FTR. You guys do what you like, and if it works, cool. I just don't like the damn CEL flashing at me. Makes me think something is *really* wrong, and when I go to sell my cars it's with a free concience knowing I did all I could to make it possible for another person to work with. Having worked with badly written, poorly documented code, and electronics I'm painfully aware of how my work will impact others. I usually write manuals for cars I've heavily modified with usage/maintenance instructions, and parts lists of any non-stock components. *your* car may be an old subaru, but my project happens to be a pretty decent Brat, and while it may not be worth a whole lot, it's not a $200 beater either. GD

Stock Hitachi carb I assume? Check to make sure the air filter isn't just full of oil.... The Hitachi floats like to stick partialy closed. I had one that did that as long as I owned it, after being rebuilt 7 times, and on two different cars. I threw it away in disgust. Being stranded randomely with a problem that dissapears as soon as you pop the top off the carb, and may not return for months..... for the record it's not cool. GD

4 speed 4WD diff ratio is 3.9:1 For the 81/82 4 speed transmission: 1st gear = 3.636 2nd gear = 1.950 3rd gear = 1.266 4th gear = .885 83+ they changed them a bit: 1st gear = 3.636 2nd gear = 1.950 3rd gear = 1.193 4th gear = .769 Then the 5 speed D/R came out in 85: 1st gear = 3.545 2nd gear = 1.947 3rd gear = 1.366 4th gear = .972 5th gear = .780 So as you can see there's not a lot of difference, and *by definition* overdrive means the output speed is faster than the input. Anything that's higher than 1:1 is overdrive. In fact, the 83+ 4 speed is *taller* than the 5 speed. Also the 5 speed technically has two overdrive gears as both 4th and 5th are taller than 1:1. GD

If the CEL is on, then a code will output to the 02 monitor LED. Warm up engine. Turn off ignition. Connect test (green) connectors. Turn on ignition (do not start it. CEL should be ON). Depress accelerator to the floor, release to half-throttle and hold for 2 seconds. Start engine. Drive at greater than 5 MPH for at least 1 minute. Stop and rev engine above 1500 rpm. Check for codes. If the CEL is blinking there are stored codes, and you need to go to read mode. GD

Almost sounds like the front diff is stuffed.... in which case the tranny is done, yes. I've had gear bind where one of my 4 speed's would bind in 4th if you came to a complete stop while in gear, but I ignored it and am in the habit of going to neutral for full stops anyway. Brakes are not your problem - clearly since it rolls in neutral. That also rules out the axles, rear diff (it will spin when the car rolls), and rear driveline...... which leaves *the tranny*. So, yeah - he's probably right. Jack the front up and put it on jack stands. Play with the front wheels and see what you can hear going on inside the tranny. Might pull the drain plug and see if you have a shavings forest or maybe some chunks in there. It doesn't happen often, but more so with the 4 speed than the later 5 speed. I personally own two 4 speed boat anchors, and have yet to fail a 5 gear unit. GD

No question that you *can* run it without, but the ECU complains about it, and being a software engineer myself, I don't do half-a$$ed computer hook-ups - it's not in my nature. How many other things has Subaru put on the EA engines that's superfluous? Those pesky oil pumps sure are a peice of work eh? Maybe we should just rip those off too. *And NO comments from the peanut gallery about ripping off the EGR - I've heard quite enough about that, thank you* GD

They really are hard like a coffin nail. I've driven a lot of vehicles, and only with the older soobs have I seen wheel bearings that could be driven making a terrible racket for thousands of miles to no effect. My ex-GF showed up one day with a rear wheel bearing that I really couldn't beleive - the whole wheel moved about two inches in and out at the top and she had been complaining about it for a week . Still wasn't in danger of the wheel comming off. The bearing was starting to disintigrate and was full of sand, and the inside edge of the tire was a little chewed. Had it been a hondar, or a yota that wheel would have fallen completely off. The front wheel bearings in an EA knuckle are nearly the same size as the bearings I'm used to repacking in Hummer H1's with 38" tires. And I HAVE seen the wheels fall off the H1's. Lieutenant Dan wasn't pleased that day . GD

Heh - if one plug doesn't do the trick, it's off to the tool department. Last time I took one of these out, it actually came out (big fight tho). This time it just ate the threads. Pretty ugly really. GD

Yeah - I should probably own one anyway. But I'm all about "feild expediency" as we used to call it.... you should see the neutral switch I created today.... any excuse to use my welder I suppose. GD

Hhhhmmmm - old spark plug with some grooves cut in the threads, and a slight taper ground at the end? I'll take a look at that. Thanks a bunch! GD

The FSM actually reccomends against EVER removing the pickup tube. Apparenty it's just not easy to get it sealed up again. GD

Great! That's exactly what I needed to know. For reference, this is one of the major differences with the Loyale SPFI vs. the older GL SPFI. Pin 15 is used only for the auto "park switch" on the GL's, and is not connected in a manual tranny vehicle. The Loyale ECU uses both a neutral switch, and a clutch switch, with the clutch switch using pin 15 on manual cars. The really, really crappy part is that 85 through 87 dual range transmissions are not equipped with neutral switches, and without dismantling the tranny, there's no way to add it. I had to get really creative.... Good stuff. GD

Use the highest rating you can get your hands on - they are backwards compatible. GD

What size tap am I going to need to clean out the threads on the stock EA82 y-pipe? I've got to do two of these things tommorow. I shattered the first one, and took an impact to it. The sensor threads just disintigrated - left all the thread metal in the cat. So I'm going to have to buy a tap for it since my set doesn't go quite that big.... GD

Anyone? GD

Carbonized oil - pretty normal. Every engine I've torn down looked pretty much the same. Castrol super clean will take it off easily. GD

It's a rheostat, and it needs to be cleaned. You can take it out and try, but usually I just work them back and forth rapidly a few times to knock the carbon off the contacts. GD

For what it's worth, my haynes manual shows the same diagram for "1990 - 1994". All my FSM's are EA81, so I am just as blind unfortunately. GD

Time to run a D-Check diagnostic. Check out the 89 FSM pdf for details. GD

1. It's not cheating. 2. That is better than a "butt splice". You'll notice that the wires have no corrosion at all. The electrical tape sealed it from oxygen, and using a copper clip with copper wire prevents any dissimilar metal reactions. It's actually a very effective, effiecient way to build a harness. GD

The choke hits the power steering reservior - the fix is to beat the power steering reservoir with a ball-peen hammer till it clears . Use the stock plastic Hitachi spacer under the adaptor for additional height, and beat it back just enough so the electric choke clears without touching. It does not hurt or effect the PS in any way. Mine has been like this for 20,000 miles. Also the EA82 still has plenty of room for the large air filter. Turning the DGV backwards is a paint in the butt - you have to replace the throttle cable, and lengthen the fuel lines, and then the AC idle up doesn't work, the base adaptor isn't the right shape, etc, etc. Major PITA. GD