GeneralDisorder

Cracks between the valves are extremely common. So common that subaru issued a service bullitin to ignore them unless they actually extend into the coolant passage. If you can't get a fingernail inside the crack, it's fine. Some have peened them shut only to have them come back anyway. Don't worry about it. GD

There's some excelent threads on here about it. You need a Weber 32/36 DGV series (DGEV, DGAV, etc), and the subaru adaptor plate. Last one I did cost me $190 total - that's including carb ($85 used - ebay is a good source), complete rebuild kit, couple new jets, new choke, and new adaptor plate. Would have been about $160 without the choke, but I wanted a new one. The conversion can easily be done in a few hours. First time I did one it took me about 4 hours on a saturday. Really one of the easier conversions to do, and many, many folks on here have done them so there's always plenty of help if you get stuck. GD

CTS - give it a test with your MM. GD

Huh - that's not the same stuff I bought. Mine actually IS Mass Airflow Cleaner. Same brand, but in a grey can. My first stop at autozone I saw that stuff and passed it up as it said nothing about MAF's on the can. GD

Save a ton of money and put the SPFI on. Or - spend probably close to what you are considering, and go LPG. Either option will run at any angle = much nicer for off-road. Here's a better option than that edelbrock pump if you go the fuel system replacement route: http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.asp?autofilter=1&part=CRT%2DP4070&N=700+115&autoview=sku GD

Sure - ebay. They are on there all the time for less than $100, and the adaptor is about $40 online. Last one I did (EA82) cost me $190 total. That's with a full rebuilt, a couple new jets, brand new choke ($35), and new adaptor plate. Got it from a member of this board for $85. I could have done it cheaper if I had used the existing water choke, but I had the money and the desire for the electric... Search ebay for "VW Weber" or "Weber DGV" or "Weber 32 36" "Progressive Weber" etc, etc. I would NEVER pay for the Redline "kit". For one it's a waste of money, and for another it doesn't contain anything you "need" for the conversion. Plus rebuilding the weber (which is a simple carb) gives you a much better understanding of it's workings, and more confidence in your conversion operation as a whole. GD

Empty tank is probably around 20 pounds I would guess. Dimensions are roughly 2.5' x 2' x 1'. That's a rough estimate based on last time I had one out though as I don't have one currently to look at. GD

Just picked up a can of this stuff - CRC brand. I too am wondering if it's any different than Brake Cleaner.... I shall find out. The guy at the parts store (some kid) actually told me I shouldn't waste my money on it. It *was* about $2 more than brake cleaner, but as I couldn't find a can of brake cleaner with a contents listing, I figured what the heck. Can't hurt too much to give it a whirl. I'm experienceing a periodic rought idle, and some hessitation off idle with my transplant SPFI in the Brat, and I would like to rule this out. I did clean the existing MAF with like an entire can of brake cleaner, and it's nice and shiny.... so if this stuff helps I really will know it's something different. GD

Thats the one - you need the twin blade style sender. One side is for the guage on the dash, and the other is for the ECU. But if you live in WA, then just get a Weber for it. That feedback Hitachi is just a mess. You will get a very decent performance boost, quicker easier starts, no hessitation, and better mileage. It's not worth the investment, or hassle to make the Hitachi work when the alternative is better on all accounts. GD

Tighten all your axle nuts and check for play in your wheel bearings (with the hand brake off) GD

People have modded the SPFI intake as it seems to be the best flowing of the single port head intake manifolds. The EA81 D/C flows probably about the same - the manifold isn't so much the problem as the heads and valves. The D/C heads have the same valve arrangement as the EA82, Larger valves, different cam, and dual exaust ports too. The best setup would really be to just slap two carbs on - one on each head. Much easier to fab the "manifold" as there wouldn't be one - just two carbs, and a cross-over vacuum hose to equalize pressure. WAY easier to cast or mill, and you just need a hose for the coolant passage. Plus it all fits under the hood. If you are going to the trouble - thats the way to go IMO. GD

Sure - it could be done. The older military trucks used a canvas boot on the front axles. Actually it's not regular canvas - it's a treated oil cloth. It was a BIG sucker tho, and it had a zipper to facilitate instalation. We would silicone the zipper to keep them from leaking. Pretty cool since it required no dissasembly to install. GD

It's a flat looking weird thing that says "boost sensor" on it. Not a solenoid in any sense of the word, and it doesn't go on a turbo engine. It's used for manifold pressure readings for the ECU on the EA82 feedback carb models. And every one I've tried was a fail..... not sure why they go, but damn they are expensive. Didn't really hurt the mileage, but I still hated the Hitachi. Slow, and complicated. GD

Virtually impossible to find tires for. Well - you *can* find them, but sizes are limted, and the cost is extremely high. Most of the pug owners get rid of those rims in favor of the non-metrics. Sorry - those are scrap metal here in the states. GD

Difficulty level..... meduim I suppose. There's lots of little parts, but as long as you leave the carb on the car, it shouldn't be too much of a problem as you can't really drop anything. There are some very, very small cotter pins that need removing to dissasemble, but the kit should come with replacements. I can tell you that as far as difficulty, installing a Weber is easier. GD

Your's are staked - his 84 u-joints are easily replaceable. Big difference. GD

Again - replacing the EGR itself will do nothing. The code is telling you that the egr SOLENOID is bad. Trace the rubber vac hose back from the EGR to the little black thing with the electrical connnector on it - that's the solenoid. Any old solenoid will work - some have used ones from older toyota's, etc. Frankly, no EGR is needed, it will not help your mileage or anything else for that matter. Replace the solenoid with a resistor, clear you codes properly, and you will NEVER have this problem again. GD

Coolant temp is probably your hessitation. Those are pretty cheap. Check www.thepartsbin.com. You need the two blade version for the feedback carb. The code 25 is the ugly one. That's the $300 part (it's actually a "boost sensor" located on the passenger side strut tower), and I tried about 5 of them from the junk yard when I had that code and none worked. It's a nasty little bugger and can't be fixed either. I took one apart and well.... don't bother. If you want that code to go away..... well sorry since you live in CA you are either stuck with the code, or you need to do something like swap to a Weber and keep your old manifold and setup for passing the emissions tests. If you swap out the carb with a weber it's an instant fail as the Weber isn't street legal. Same problem with swapping to the SPFI - not orginal equippment so you can't swap it over unless you are prepared to swap back each time you need to test it. The code 65 is just the vent solenoid. Those are easy to find, or replace the thing with a resistor that will shut the code off. Does not affect your mileage or the emmissions test so don't worry about it. GD

I just use a standard relay like is used for the headlights under your dash. Rating doesn't matter much - any old relay will do for the crank circuit. Just make sure you use at least a good 14 guage wire for it, and probably a 10 amp fuse. 15 if you blow the 10. Bracket? Hose clamp sheet metal screwed somewhere to the firewall works fine, and a bit of foam or a peice of a rag wrapped around the relay for vibration dampening. That's my usual operation anyway. I'm big into functionality - not much into looks. As long as the relay is somewhat protected from the elements and is secure that's really all that's needed. I'm sure there is expensive cool plastic crap you could buy too if you are into wasting money Usually I just snag a relay and it's harness connector from another soob at my local yard (or whatever other car make is handy). I solder my wires to the existing wireing going to the connector and call it good. I HATE crimp connectors. I solder the wire, put a dab of RTV on the connection, and then heat shrink it. Waterproof, and permanent. GD

You need to add a relay into the crank circuit. The wires melt after prolonged starting attempts, and basically the problem will keep comming back unless you add a relay to switch the starter solenoid power. You can try replacing the switch and/or harness under the dash where the intermediate connector is between the body harness and the switch, but last time I did that it didn't help. I think it was probably melted back at the body/engine bay harness connector - and I wasn't about to dig that far back into the harness. Besides - putting the relay in is a permanent fix. The original wires are not up to continued starting attempts - they just get hotter and hotter and eventually fail somewhere - usually at a connector. GD

You have to dissasemble the carb. It will require you to remove the top of the carb, and pull the plunger out. It's the thing with the rubber bellows on it. It's pretty easy to spot. GD

Definately check your ground wire to the engine from the battery, and the power wire to the starter. I've had them rot out from corrosion, and it can be hard to tell. Also the EA82's have a common failure of the ignition switch harness. Basically the way to fix it is to put a relay into the crank circuit. Replaceing the switch doesn't help, as the problem is somewhere in the harness. Probably could track it down, but it's easier (much easier) to just add a relay. Should have had one to begin with. This may or may not be your problem, but I figured it should be mentioned. GD

There's some that have a gear reduction inside them, and some that are straight drive. The difference seems to be associated with CA or 49 states vehicles, and in some years auto vs. manual. One spins faster than the other, and personally I like the faster spinning one. Although it's so much of a non-issue to me that I haven't even taken the time to figure out how to tell the difference between them. They all work just fine on any engine I've tried them on. I noticed I had a faster spinning one on my wagon, and transfered it to my daily driver because it "sounds" better. It doesn't sound like my battery is about to die.... There's some different brands too that look a little different from the outside. I have a few that are black with zinc plated bits, and others that are silver. I've seen a few painted ones. Bosch, Denso, Hitachi, and I've even seen some Delco rebuilds. Strange stickers abound, but they all mount up the same. GD

Yeah - while the rest of the subaru is pretty reliable, those older Hitachi alternators don't usually make it much past 100,000 miles. That's Hitachi for ya. But then alternators and starters are like that it seems. I've had toyota, GM, Ford and everything in-between and always about the same mileage for alternators. At least they are SUPER easy to get at on the subaru.... unlike that toyota paseo I did not long ago. Wow did that suck. GD

+1. The reverse gears are far more of a problem. The problem is the linkage on the 4 speed. It wears, and does not fully engage reverse. Then you are running on only half the gear, and being a straight cut gear the edges start to bevel off. First it just starts poping out of reverse, then after a while reverse will just strip off completely. The 5 speed has the exact same problem, but has a VASTLY superior linkage so doesn't exhibit it as much. It has another problem however, as the linkage sometimes goes the other direction and the gear travels too far and extends off the back edge of the driven gear for reverse. This eventually results in the same destruction. The 5 speeds are virtually unchanged to this day, and the RX FT4WD tranny is more or less a legacy/impreza transmission with a different bell-housing. Fairly tough unit really. Subaru was putting 175 HP through them on the race-spec EA82T's.... Just watch the linkage and especially the reverse gear engagement. It NEEDS to be fully engaged. That goes for the rest of the gears as well. GD