GeneralDisorder

Les Schwab, Tire Factory, etc. Got mine for $25 each from a local tire factory. Just tell them you want the basic white "trailer" rim in a chevy 6 lug. It's going to be cheaper from a tire shop as they will order them and get them with their usual shipment - shipping for online purchase would be spendy.... probably more than the rims themselves. Try Mazda rims for a more subaru like offset, or stock Toyota rims. GD

Sammuri t-case can be geared up to 6:1... that's 132:1... that's my route anyway. More gearing will put more strain on the axles, but such is life. That's what everyone deals with - Ford, Chevy, Yota, Suzuki - they all break em. But I can tell you from experience that 22:1 with a soob and "powering up" to get over stuff is just as bad - in fact it often breaks more than just axles. Slower is better. GD

What is your oil pressure at? Should be ~20+ hot idle, and 50+ at cruise. Before you do ANYTHING else, adjust the valves. Yes - I know you are thinking they don't require it, but the EA81 was retro-fitted with hydro lifters later in it's life. The adjusters are still present, and there is a procedure for adjusting them - such as when the heads are milled, etc. Do a search on here - I posted it once I think. It's not difficult, but involves waiting 15 minutes with each set of valves compressed for them to "bleed down" to adjustment pressure. Most likely either the lifters are in need of adjustment (perhaps someone didn't heed the warning labels on the valve covers and did a solid lifter adjustment procedure to them. Milled the heads and didn't adjust them, etc...), they are shot (unlikely), or the mains (more likely) and/or rods are shot and thus the lifters can't get good pressure. You can remove the lifters with the oil pan removed - they slide out once the pushrods are removed. The hydro lifter block is cast different to allow their removal where the solid block is not. I had to adjust the ones in my Brat after milling my heads. They tapped ferociously for a couple hours till they were bled out. Officially Subaru states it can take up to 2 hours (of running!) for lifters to expel all air and stop tapping. GD

Shawn has a good point - might be that your secondary barrel is jammed closed by melted silencer. GD

www.philbingroup.com Distributors are all the same shaft size - EA71, EA81, and EA82. Brand doesn't matter. 2WD and 4WD are the same curve. Use whichever one you like, but note the ND fits the Weber choke better. EA71 pistons are almost not worth the effort unless like me you had to actually pull a set to measure them and compare against the EA81 pistons since no one else on this board bothers to check their numbers. They are about 15 thousandths taller.... or the wrist pin is that much lower. SPFI pistons would be a better choice and easier to find. The 1600 ones will work, and will increase compression slightly, but the rings and ring lands are smaller, and weaker. I'm hoping this is not a problem - especially since I'm not going for more than ~100 HP. I'm going with SPFI and EA82 y-pipe (already has the O2 sensor as well) for my build. The MPFI EA82 is good for 95 HP, and that's about what I expect to get from the EA81. 100 HP or so. SPFI will scale to that easily, and the EA82 y-pipe will flow fine for those numbers. Reality sucks, but without major head modifications or forced induction the EA81 is not capable of more than 100 HP. Getting from 74 to ~100 is a pretty big accomplishment when you think about it. As for all this OHC talk - yay for all you folks. I'll laugh when all your belts and bearings lock up and eat themselves in the mud. I have enough problems with my power steering idler, and alternator bearings. GD

I totally agree with the EJ swap for street. I plan one for myself in fact. My beef is off the street. Not really the belt itself - the tensioner and ilders and the general lack of easily maintained accesories. Water,Mud,Dirt and dust just don't mix with the timing belt system, and I don't see that changing. GD

Ghetto. If you really want the hitachi to work, rotate it a bit - have to slot out or relocate the mount tho. Or get a LOT of spacers to lift the Weber up out of the way. No more power - seals out water better tho. The cap seal is one peice instead of four. That and the Weber fitment are why I use them. But be ghetto if you must - I don't want pics tho. GD

No - they are not related to power. But your exhaust leak is. No exaust scavenging. Fix your leaks. GD

Last two posters: NOT AN EA82. Big difference. GD

Timing belts :-\ GD

Most likely, or the belt could be loose. Check the alt for AC output - it should be zero. Probably the rectifier is going on it. GD

Feedback carb's - ah yes. Feedback's (carb with ECU, temp sensor, O2 sensor, vacuum modulated enrichment controls, etc, etc) came on all 82 and up 2WD's, and ALL California models. This includes EA81 and EA82's through 87. They came with either the Carter/Weber single barrel (early EA81), and the Hitachi. They actually get very good mileage, and in the case of the EA81 Hitachi version, are decently easy to repair and troubleshoot. The EA82 version is a total mess, and I never did get the one I had to stop throwing codes. It wanted a part replaced that I was unable to locate a good used replacement for, and the dealer wanted my first born for it. I deemed it disposable, and threw on a Weber. GD

NipponDenso. The "other" manufacturer, besides Hitachi, of soob electrical bits. I'll get pics tommorow evening. GD

No rumor Ed - you want pics? Which car shall I take the pictures of? GD

Agro tires - expecially Bias-Ply make a horrific racket. Especially when cold/new. But if you have radials it's probably a wheel bearing. Humming is generally wheel bearings - tires may vibrate, but unless they are the aformentioned type, they should be quiet enough. GD

Wives tale - doesn't change a thing. They fit better with the Weber, but that's all. 84 will already have the large intake valves - so your engine is 74 HP stock. Weber and better exhaust from the y-pipe back will help - probably worth about 2-3 HP. It feels like more by "seat of the pants" but it's not. The progressive linkage, and larger main barrel the Weber gives it a more sporty low-end. Top end is almost unchanged. You can get nearly the same effect (not quite as good, but WAY cheaper) by wraping a bit of coat hanger around part of the linkage in the Hitachi to give it a progressive opening like the Weber. Still - the Weber is easier to work on, more rugged and reliable. Not to mention a lot simpler. If you want 100 HP, you need to port and deck the heads, change the pistons, and most of all - change the cam, and recurve the disty to match. Mileage will be crap, but you can get there. You are looking at about $500 in parts to tear it down and rebuild it to 100 HP specs. That's assuming you do it yourself.... there's a couple special tools needed to split the block as well but for a one off you could make do with a coat hanger and cheap auto-parts store junk. 140 HP is possible, but will cost you about $5k in parts. It's done for the experimental aviation community all the time, but they pay $10k for an engine and are ecstatic about how "cheap" it was. They make custom dual port heads (milled stock heads - TIG welded intake flanges, and flow-benched...), dual plug ignition systems, custom MPFI intake, extra powerful lubrication, etc, etc. GD

Sounds like wheel bearings to me. Maybe the other one is going. Jack it up, and try to move the wheel with the parking brake OFF. GD

It's a nice idea really - but being tall, my knee is about in that location... although still might give it a whirl. I'll carefully remove the original vinyl from the door panel and recover it in cheap blue garbage from the fabric store first tho. Can't be too careful about saving the hard to find parts.... You realize that someone would have paid you pretty good for those? This is why you are getting a perfect ignition lock WITH door locks and original key from ME.... GD

Your timing is off. Do a search in this section of the forum for the proper porcedure. You have to have the cams rotated 180 degrees from each other, and make sure you are using the valve timing marks and not the ignition timing marks on the flywheel (there are two sets of lines). Also with the timing off, you cannot accurately check the compression since the valves are not opening and closing at the correct times. GD

www.rockauto.com $8.56 each - look under 1984 GL. It's listed as a rear engine mount for a manual trans. They have Beck/Arnley ones too for like $31 each. GD

To bad you just ruined two perfect blue door panels. Sorry - it's just that it's the same panel that fits a Brat - Hatch/Brat/Coupe. Hard to find in good shape. GD

Every weber filer I've seen does. Should be a 1/2" hole on the bottom of the filter, and a white or black plastic screw-in fitting. Go to a VW (import) shop and get another filter - they are like $10 with the element, and the covers and clips. Comes with the breather fittings. GD

Use the fitting from the (or maybe anoter one from the junk yard - some don't have it) Hitachi on the Weber - that way the return line will hook up. Run the breathers to a T and into the weber filter. Same with the PCV valve. GD

What's the specs? 4WD? Power steering? What's it got that's rare enough to warrent the work to keep it? EA81 wagons are a dime a dozen, but if it's special in some way you might consider keeping it. And if you decide to get rid of it at a junk yard, at least let us board members pick the parts from it first..... like if it has power steering I could use that.... GD

Great - that sounds like your problem. Not often do I see those fail. I always put them on the Weber's that I use as well - well worth the $30 for it not to diesel in the summer. I hate that sound. GD