GeneralDisorder

It's just your sender, and your guage. Probably not all that accurate. A brand new EA81 will usually peg the guage out, but most that I have seen run at around 45-60 at hot cruise. It's the hot idle reading that matters most - should be no less than 20. Higher is ok, but once they are broken in, they generally will not peg the guage out like that unless there is some electrical issue in the guage or the sender. The senders like to fail, and they like to be different as they age. In fact I doubt any of them came very calibrated anyway. I've replaced senders and gained nothing, and other times I've done it and gained 5 to 10 pounds. You have to understand tho that the pressure reading is AT the pump. If there are restrictions somewhere in the system (sludge, contaminates, bits of filter), your reading will be high. GD

They usually come off pretty easy. BIG vise grips work well. Whenever I pull an engine I rip that stuff off. Just cut the pipe going to the spacer under the head, pull the threaded pipe end off, and weld it up making it a plug. I generally select a washer about the same size as the hole in the fitting, and weld that in and then fill the center of the washer with weld too. If you don't have a welder, go to your local nut/bolt house and find a plug the right size - it's some large metric thread I'm sure. The other method is to remove the spacers (need a star bit, or a lot of grinding, swearing, ect - and use an EA82 y-pipe. GD

I knew it would see the light of day eventually. I offered to setup to PC interface and make it run.... I guess the previous owner figured it was just too fast to drive Glad to see it on the road. Looks as nice as ever. GD

EA81 will fit (would actually be a straight bolt-in if you find an engine/tranny cross-member from an 81 GL Brat), and the TBI (we call it SPFI around here) can be fit to that engine. The later OHC EA82 is too wide, but if you notch and weld plate into the frame rails they can be fit as well - it's not as easy, but it can be done. The trans tunnel may need a little pounding if you aren't lifting it, and the linkage will be interesting. Engine cross-member should line up fine - engine mounts are basically the same. With the EA81 or EA82 you would need to move the steering linkage slightly in order to clear the bell-houseing. GD

http://www.phantomgrip.com/ GD

Probably bent the bolt-on hanger that hangs the rear of the y-pipe under the trans. It's a hard mount, so no rubber - take it loose and it should come forward. GD

NOT a locker. That's the same design as the Phantom Grip LSD units (which are overpriced IMO). Here's someone installing an R200 version. (They sell R160's too). http://z31.com/phantomgrip.shtml It's cool that you made your own, but you can't go calling it a "locker". It's an LSD, and it WILL slip given enough torque. That said, I would love to put one in the front and rear diff of my street Brat. And the front of my wagon. I'll keep my welded rear diff for off-road tho. GD

Only if the rectifier diodes are bad. If the regulator goes over or under voltage, you'll just have higher or lower alt output. If the brushes go, it will just die and not charge at all. Totally depends on HOW the alt fails internally as to if you get the christmas tree effect. In order to see it, you have to be putting out AC current. GD

I have seen plenty of bad alt rectifiers, and NEVER has it caused the tach to behave like that. If you were putting out any significant amount of AC current, the various dash indicators would glow faintly - the diodes in the power feed and ground circuits for the indicators will not function properly when the current flow is reversed and thus the incandescent bulbs used in the analog clusters will glow. That's all the indication I've ever seen on a subaru of AC voltage output. You alt output does seem a little high, but that may or may not be related to the calibration of your VOM - ~14.5 is the correct alt output. Although I've seen higher in cases where the remote sensor wire for the alt is corroded at the main junction (the fusible links are the main junction on the older subaru's). You should also be checking the voltage AT the main junction not the alternator. The alternator voltage may increase if the circuit draw at the main junction requires it. 15 or 16 volts is perfectly normal for GM remote sensing alt systems if measured directly off the back of the alternator. GD

Reseal - takes 30 minutes to pull the engine - maybe 45 to 1 hour for the turbo. Get the Fel-Pro gasket set, and buy OEM intake manifold, oil pan, and oil pump seals. If the engine runs good, then you will be better off doing the reseal - you don't know the history of a used engine, and it may have seals that are just as bad or nearly so. The gasket sets are cheap, and doing the reseal will familairize you with the various engine maintenence items - would be a good idea to just replace the belts and tensioners, and toss the old ones in the trunk for spares. Check the water pump too. Leave the timeing belt covers off - they are junk, and when your timing belts snap it takes 15 minutes to put the spares on. (or two hours with the covers in place - you choose). GD

You'll just keep having weird problems unless you rebuild it properly, and check your jet sizes. Mostly the main and secondary jets, and air bleeds. You need to completely tear it down, and adjust the choke interlock to spec, adjust the float level to spec, as well as replace all the gaskets - especially the accelerator pump diaphram, and possibly the power valve (although they usually are good, and do not come with the normal rebuild kit). It's not a complex carb - probably half as complex as the Hitachi. Trying to pinpoint the exact problem on a dirty carb from the junk yard and *only* fix that is an excersize in futility. You may have two or more problems all exhibiting similar symtoms. Fixing an obvious problem and having no detectible decrease of the symtoms is maddening - just do it right and buy the $35 rebuild kit. GD

Works fine for me - and many others on here. You'll probably need adaptors to step the return line and pump feed lines to the correct sizes. Not a big deal. GD

They are 50 amp, and that's at like 3k RPM. Not very much. GD

I wouldn't drain the gas, or bother with the filter. Just check your compression first. Harbor Freight sells testers for about $10 GD

It's possible you have a bad ignitor inside the disty as well - perhaps it's gone too sensitive or something. It is usually tough to notice the shaft play once it's out of the vehicle. With it in there, the thing is held solid, and it's easier to notice the movement. It really doesn't take much. The shaft oscillation might not set in till the shaft starts spinning faster - this is all sounding pretty normal for the beginnig stages of shaft play. Slightly abnormal tach readings at higher RPM, and weird effects with accesories turned on are just the start. Most people who have this problem don't notice till it gets REALLY bad, and starts making noises, and the tach starts jumping around at idle too. I knew something was up, but being poor at the time I had to drive it. Eventually it go so bad I had to find a solution - I found philbin, and was out my ride for a grand total of 48 hours. Oh yeah - and the coil is right - black/white stripe goes to +, and yellow goes to -. I always remember it cause the yellow tach signal always goes to the negative side of the coil..... GD

When the fan cuts on, it draws a lot of amps out of the system - the reluctor air gap is fireing too often (any VERY close together). The coil isn't charging as much durring this very small interval, and when the plug fires a second time, the spark is weak. Multiple sparks - some weaker and some stronger are causing the distributor to have dis-proportionate forces on the shaft bushings. They start to oscilate, and in the case of mine, it was actually audible - sounded almost like a lifter tick, but much faster. The sound, and jumping tach came and went together. High draw on the electrical system can induce this behaviour.... at least that's my theory on the matter. Can't see what's going on in there unless I could lay hands on a clear plastic disty cap (wouldn't that be neato? ). GD

It doesn't take much - just a tiny bit on the ND's - little more on the Hitachi. His is only jumping about 1,000 RPM's. Mine (being a ND) didn't have much play either - maybe 1/32" or less. Still jumped thousands of RPM's all by itself. It was random - wouldn't happen at all sometimes, and then one day it got so bad I could barely drive it home from work. Wouldn't go over 50 MPH without a fight. Too much random plug fireing. Bad juju. The reluctor air gap is meant to be set with a feeler guage, and is a close tolerance component. Small fractions of an inch are important. GD

Hope it's easier on the EA82 than it was in my EA81. Boy did that suck. It mostly works tho. I made the mistake of trying to put the "cooler" 80/81 dash in. I should have just used an 83/84 cluster and I wouldn't have had so many issues. Took me a month of hand wringing and teeth gnashing to get it hooked up where I was ok with it. Wasn't my daily, so I didn't work on it all the time - just kept walking away, and spending hours stareing and tracing lines on the diagrams to figure out where I needed resistors in circuits that didn't have them, wire colors, connector pin numbering, etc. No thanks - I'll not do it again. My advice - do enough wireing that your indicators work, and the tach, fuel guage and speedo (but that's mechanical anyway). Get the backlights working, your door indicators (have to, or your dome light won't work - all part of the same circuit), high beam, turn signals, etc. The other guages - just replace them with some nice Autometer aftermarket guages. More accurate, simple to wire. The 2.25 inch three guage "sets" are nice. Get one with Coolant temp, Oil Pressure, and Voltage. Digi's don't have the oil pressure sender anyway, so you would have to add one, and the wire for it - better to add an aftermarket one with a readable scale, and do the wireing for that. GD

Like I said - I'll lay money on it - $10 anyone? Who's got paypal? Naru's right on the disty (though not much else I'm afraid ). They gave you one for an 86 Hatchback or Brat. You need to ask for one for an 86 Wagon - that will not confuse them so much. And make sure in the parts catalog they show it's for an overhead cam, and not the overhead valve - OHV is the EA81 version that you have. Incidentally, the disty itself will work, but you would have to swap the drive gears (need to drill a new hole in the shaft), and enlarge the adjuster slot. It *would* work just fine tho. I'm using an EA82 SPFI disty in my EA81 for the fuel injection - works great with the right drive gear. This happens to be an extremely common failure on both types of subaru carbed distributors (do a search if you don't beleive me - I've personally answered a couple dozen threads like this). The ND in my wagon got so bad at 148k original miles, that the tach would intermittantly read 7,000 RPM at idle. Had phiblin (they are local to me) replace the bushings and re-diapham the vac advance. Has been beutiful ever since. They did an awesome job for only $55 too. I've since sent a number of people their business and everyone has been pleased. GD

It's got GOBS of torque, and once I get it tuned and the throttle cable properly adjusted.... well I would say it's at least as good as a weber, possibly better. I got it up to 90 pretty easily last night. My idle is a bit high at about 1,000 RPM or so, and likes to wander around maybe 100 RPM seemingly randomely. I suspect the CTS is shot. Other than that, it runs great. Starts up perfect when cold, and idles back once warm. Runs surprisingly well considering the whole mess came from a wagon with 254k on it. GD

First off - we need more info. What type of carb (Hitachi or Carter/Weber), and if it's computer controlled feedback or not - check for an 02 sensor. GD

More accurate? The heater core gets coolant right from the block directly off the intake manifold - it's going to be the same as the thermostat housing where the stock sender is. Besides that, coolant temp isn't going to change much no matter where you test it. GD

Ran for the first time yesterday. I've cleaned up a few things with the limited time I had today. It's still a royal mess in there, and far from complete visually. But it runs, and drives. Here's some pics, and notes on what needed to be done (so far). Note that all the mess was just to get things ironed out, and running. Cleanup hasn't really started yet. Here's an overall shot of the engine bay just to get oriented. Had to do a lot of work in the area of the distributor, and idle air control valve to get things to play nice. First I eliminated the purge control, and EGR systems (left the solenoids so the computer isn't savy). The ports under the IAC I bent outward and blocked with screws and a dab of ultra gray RTV. The IAC itself I turned around, and used a u-bend bit of PCV hose (no idea what this came from - probably some EA82 carb ASV if I had to guess), a union, and right into the stock IAC hose. Had to remove the front engine hoist hook to clear the IAC with the hose pointing down. Distributor now has plenty of room to fit. The harness for the disty has to have it's metal cover removed from the bottom of the disty to clear the crankcase bolt, and then the modified (more on this later) EA82 disty slides right in. Slot on the disty had to be enlarged a bit - no problem with a carbide bit in the die grinder (Dremel works if you have one). Upper radiator hose is interesting - turns out the lower EA82 hose is a perfect fit - just cut about 1/2" off one end. Had to grind away part of the EA81 fan shroud so it would not rub and cut into the hose. Works amazingly well. One of the cleaner parts of the install so far. For ease of troubleshooting, and wireing, for now I just stuck the fuel pump on the spare shelf. Here's a shot of the messy hoses. It works just fine up front, but it's loud, and I'll be moving it under the car. I have the tank vent line blocked off from when I was running a Weber, and I noticed when I went to fill up with gas, the tank was pressureized (or under vacuum). I'll get a vented tank cap and leave the vent line blocked, or I'll leave the vent line dangling under the car - not sure which just yet. Close up of the adaptors used to step the fuel pump inlet up, and the return line down. Somehow I have to shove this under the dash :-\. I have removed everything from the ECU that is not needed. I punched out the pins I didn't need (automatic related, neutral switch, etc) and removed all the wireing for that stuff. Couple fuse holders I accumulated from various junk yard trips. 80's and 90's GM products tend to have random stuff like these I've noticed. Snoop around the engine bays in the GM section and you will find all kinds of cool conectors, and fuse holders and other sacreligous wireing. These are the fuses for the ignition switch powered circuits. The ignition switch harness - I tapped into the large black wire - it's hot in run, and that's what is feeding the two above pictured fuses. The blue/red wire on the top of the car side of the connnector that runs to the light green/white wire is the start signal to the ECU. Apparently it needs to know when you are cranking. Anyway, that pin doesn't exist on the car side, so I found a pin on the donor EA82 harness in a plug that was unrelated to the SPFI system, puched it out of the harness, cut the wire, and slipped it into the Brat's harness. The ignition switch already supports this feature - it's just not used by the car. Interesting.... anyway worked fabulous. Any questions - feel free to reply or PM me or hit me up on messenger or whatever. GD

It's what we refer to as the "EA81 body", but you could get EA71's right up till 89 in the STD hatch. Many low end DL's and such had the EA71 in the early 80's, but mainly it was the STD hatch model. In other countries, the "EA82 body" style vehicles came with such exotic combinations as SPFI EA71's, and dual carb EA81's. Saw a picture posted not long ago of an EA71 in an '89? three door coupe. Good on gas apparently. EJ series engines came in the 1.5L EJ15 in other parts of the world - in some countries they even had distributors driven off the cam. EJ series transmissions came with Dual Range levers in some models - not in the US..... you get the picture. Strange stuff out there - more than most know about. GD

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/80s/specs/mechanical/engine-specs.html GD