GeneralDisorder

Umm - did you connect the little black wire to the starter solenoid? There are two wires to the starter - one BIG red wire, and a little solenoid wire that goes to the spade terminal on the top of the starter. As to what happened to me - came home to a busted pipe in the ceiling above my toilet - had to rip out half the drywall to get to it, and then make two trips to home depot, etc, etc. I'm just now mopping up. I saw you called, but I've been knee deep in soaked rags, and plumbing parts all night. GD

Pop the retaining ring out of the joint cup and pull the DOJ apart. That way you can at least work on getting the cups off the diff without lying on your back. Just cut the boot band on the joint end of the boot, and replace with a stainless steel hose clamp from home depot. If you clean the grease out of the joint cup in the bottom is a steel plug that you can pry out with a screwdriver. Allows easy access to the splines for soaking with some penetrating lube. GD

What model? EA81 is above the release lever for the hood - driver side under the dash EA82.... similar, but not sure on exact location. Take off the kick panel and you'll find it. It's a pretty obvious looking black relay-ish thing - little bigger than a similarly packaged relay. Edit - it's not a relay - it's a "flasher" module. Looks a lot like a relay tho. Blinkers have no relay to themselves. GD

No lift required - in fact the Subaru engine layout (non-transverse) is ideal to learn this type of repair on as you'll be able to see everything and even be able to touch the stuff without resorting to hireing a midget and trying to fish him through a radiator fan using a mirror. You'll need a basic socket set 1/4", and 3/8" drive - deep sockets help a bunch but are not absolutely needed. 22mm socket for the crank pulley bolt, a set of metric open end wrenches, Basic screwdrivers - couple sizes each of flat and philips. Rags of course - and a pan to catch the coolant in. You can score all of this at Harbor Frieght for cheap, and give yourself a whole weekend just for the belts and water pump. Radiator will go in when you put it back together. Brakes need adjusting? Maybe the rear, but the front are disc. Sounds fishy as the later EA82's had self-adjusting rear drums too. Clutch is slipping? Does it drive alright? Head up a steep hill at 25 MPH and drop it in 4th gear - if it bogs way down then the clutch is fine. Adjust the cable - takes 5 minues. Seriously - make a new post calling out to the CA members in your area. Someone will give you a hand for couple bucks and some beer. GD

Some people have had them for years with no problems, while others have them die rather quickly. The stock coil is also oil cooled, so that's not the issue - pretty normal for those types of coils. Accel stuff is by and large junk in my opinion, but thats just me. The issue is what distributor do you have? The resistance of the coil you use must match the resistance of the ingition module - or you'll blow either the coil (usually) or the ignition module. GD

Weird - I tried a 6mm hex, and it wouldn't fit - 5mm is just a bit too small. WTF is it so special for? Why not just put a simple square plug in there like the EA81? I wonder what Subaru was thinking. Oh well - don't need any special tools my way *edit* - I looked up that tool part, and the EA82 in my driveway is not the square plug like that - it needs an external hex key socket.... which I have - both standard and metric. The 6mm is too big, and the 5mm was just a teensy bit too small...... I'll have to get a pic I guess. Perhaps this oil pump was rebuilt at some point and instead of the stock square plug they installed a hex plug. So apparently it *should* be the same plug as the EA81 has - still would have to buy an adapter for it tho. GD

Well - he's talking EA81 stuff, so I was refering to the XT6 clutch and PP setup not being compatible with the EA81 flywheel. But yes I think you are correct that the EA82 and the XT6 flywheels are similar in the PP mounting. Not sure, but I do beleive that one of them is heavier and better for low-end. Not sure which tho. Also would be good to verify the flywheel step measurement on both. GD

First - what exactly is wrong about it? The fact that I spent no money? I think not. The plug you refer to is nearly impossible to get out most times - 5mm hex plug on the EA82, and on the EA81 the square peice is not much better. At any rate, most kits don't have that size either as noted above. Also - yes I thought about running both gauges, but after having bashed in at least two stock oil pressure senders on my lifted wagon, I decided to do away with the sender completely. Yes - you could relocate it with a right angle fitting, and some braided line - then anchor the sender to the fender, but this is simpler, and cheaper. I have a tap and die set, and drill bits already. The old senders can be pocketed or bought for about $1 at any yard and I already have a few laying around.... the wally world gauge is like $7. The object is to keep it simple and cheap - which I think I did. Argue with it if you like, but it works and it's reversible. It's not like I welded the thing in. GD

While installing aftermarket guages I noticed that they usually don't come with the appropriate subaru thread adaptor - for the oil pressure and the coolant temp sensor. I came up with a neat trick for this tonight. After being dissapointed once again by the contents of a newly aquired mech. oil guage (cheap wall mart model, but same problem with the Autometer setup I got), I had an idea - I grabbed a used up oil pressure sender (leaks from the bottom, but I kept it as a backup), and made my own. Here's what you need: 1 used oil pressure sender (EA81, EA82 are the same) 1 10 x 1.0 tap 1 23/64 Drill Bit Some form of cutting device - I used an angle grinder as it was handy and had a thin cutting abrasive already in it. Could use a hacksaw too - it's only brass, and cuts easy. Here's the pic - I'm sure you can figure out how to do it with the materials list:) Just be vary careful drilling the brass - I recommed a vise so you use both hands on the drill. Also - drill from the threaded end down that way the part you tap with threads will be perfectly round - the threaded end will wobble out a bit as you push the drill through. Unless you have a drill press of course... GD

Check the oil color, and do a COMPRESSION check before you decide it's the head gasket. The intake manifold gaskets will do this sometimes as well - especially if it still runs on all 4. GD

Here ya go - the answer is...... NO. GD

They nested IN the blower motor housing of my new-to-me 86 sedan - I bet they scattered when I turned it on after sitting for 3 years. Still remnants of it in there - got to fish out more with a coat hanger I think. It's down in there with the AC condenser. Anyone know what will kill the smell? Pretty sure pine oil will do it, but how best to deliver that? Spray bottle into the vent intake I guess - with the fan on high? GD

I concur - darwin award winner for sure. At least he would die a winner GD

We all have to stick together to keep the price rock-bottom. Parts is parts. GD

Silly hillbilly. 10 feet up? The point of going this high was? GD

According to Subaru, 1 quart every 3,000 miles is the spec limit for oil usage. So if you are using that much or less you are within factory specs. Bad PCV valves, or clogged hoses can suck oil into the intake where it will be burnt. GD

I would have to measure, but I think the Gen 2 is a tiny bit longer too. Wider for sure - not as if that matters. Definately sleepable with the seats out. Thanks for the measure. GD

4 spd is 1.45:1, and 5 spd is 1.59:1.... something like that. 5th gear is about the same as 4th on the 4 spd - don't expect to go any faster on the freeway. GD

The XT6 clutch requires the XT6 flywheel, and the release bearing is different than the EA81. You could probably make it work if you figured out a way to adapt the EA82 release bearing to the 4 spd. I've thought about doing this, but the 5 speed is better anyway - nicer shifting, and lower LO range, so personally I would rather use it. But yes - with enough work it could be done. I was thinking about maybe turning the release bearing holder from the EA81 on a lathe and using it as a bushing for the EA82 release assembly. I haven't played with it much tho as I figured it to be a waste of time since I'll be using a 5 speed anyway. GD

hhhmmm - yeah, might just be a GL and up thing now that I think on it. But definately on every GL I've had. Not a lot of DL's still around - no oil pressure guage did em in. GD

Best thing of course is to swap in a 5 speed - then you can use the stock XT6 clutch and flywheel. Stronger PP on that one. Stay away from the ones that have a lip around the PP fingers - they collect mud and will jam the clutch in the engaged position. Other than that, the pressure plate you use is the most important part. Ordering one from the dealer would be good, but probably not too cheap. The NAPA rebuilt clutches seem alright - used a couple of those. GD

The bed of a Brat is quite a bit longer than 4' my new gen friend. A Baja it is NOT. It's well over 5 feet as I recall, and definately over 6 with the tailgate. With the tailgate down, you could sleep in it - if your goal is to be off the wet ground - not going to be terribly warm, but you could string a tarp or a poncho over the bed for a rain-fly. A bit of foam on top of a carefully selected bit of plywood (both for insulation, and to cover the ridges in the bed steel) and you would be good. I'm 6'2", and I would attempt it. GD

Every subaru made from 1980 on (at least that far back - maybe farther) had a lumbar support for the drivers seat. Even stock Brats and the low end EA81 DL's had that. Seriously - take a look when you go to the JY. The Izuzu Impulse seats in my Brat have it too. Pretty common I guess. GD

Being a CA model, this should have the feedback (ECC) carburator system. Does your ECS light come on after driving for a bit? If so read the codes you get from the computer under the drivers side kick panel and get back to us. If the computer does not get you any codes, then likely you have other problems with the feedback system. It's a gigantic mess in there, with vacuum lines and at least 4 vacuum soleniods, various sensors and other junk. I would start with testing the coolant temp sensor (computer output side), and the manifold pressure sensor - both seem to be pretty common failures. I see that you have disconnected the duty solenoids - well have you plugged the ports and the vac lines going to them? Big vacuum leak if you do not. Also - the system is still connected into the vacuum array regardless of the duty solenoids being connected or not - the pressure sensor for example may leak internally and when vacuum is applied to it cause a leak that will lower your idle. Best to just replace your O2 and get the computer working FOR you not against you. It's LED reporting system is there to help you - both to get better mileage and to track down and repair faults. GD

He's smoking crack - he'll never get it. Maybe in un-wrecked condition, or if he parted it out he might get close to that from the parts alone. No one wants it looking like that for more than $100. Not here on the left coast anyway. If it's worth so much, then why doesn't he fix it and drive it himself? God I hate people like that - he should look at KBB - probably not worth much more than $450 before it was munched. Write it off - he's not someone you want to deal with. GD