GeneralDisorder

EA81 right? The valve adjusment procedure needs to be done when the valves are both closed with no load on the lifter. If you do it at TDC on the compression stroke then it will be correct for both valves of that cylinder. Pretty simple really - if you can move the rocker justs a tiny bit (or a lot if it's really in need of adjustment) then it's unloaded and ready for adjusting. GD

I used a little febreez in mine - sprayed it in the A/C evap housing. Seems to have helped. If that doesn't work, then pine-sol will kill the smell. Pine oil will kill just about any smell - even sewage. GD

Yeah - you can tap AL easy - do it all the time for the exhaust studs. Works quite well. A bigger bolt will not break as easily either. GD

I said "shoot the dog" - it was a toung-in-cheek ejaculation intended to inject a little comedy in the situation. I wouldn't shoot the dog - sell it perhaps to some hapless dog lover that will supply it with and endless supply of couches, slippers, newspapers, and a nice yard to crap in and then roll on it. Typical animal with no brains. GD

Yeah - this one was so big that it clogged up the blower cage, and destroyed the blower motor. Burned up the bearings in it. Good stuff. GD

On thing to realize is that all gasoline is transported through pipelines not owned by any of the oil companies, but rather they each rent time on the pipeline. They each feed gasoline into the lines, and it has to meet federal specifications for each octane rating. You have to understand tho - the company pays to put a specific quanitity into the line, but they take exactly that same amount out the other end immediately.... so it's not the same gas they specifically produced. It could have been made by any of the refineries accross the country. It's only tracked by octane rating, and nothing more. So brand makes zero difference... unless they are putting water in it or something silly at the station. That would be considered illegal tho. Don't get me started about octane - suffice to say it's measured differently here in the states than it is abroad. 87 will do you just fine. GD

All the block markings are inside a box - even the EA71/EA81. The EA82 head castings were made different to distinquish them. There is no "gen" for EA82 blocks. For that matter there isn't even a difference in blocks - they are all interchangeable - different pistons on some tho. GD

I've cleaned out a lot of nasty stuff from cars, but this was pretty gross. The mice made a nest in the blower motor, and the A/C evap housing. Was able to get the junk out with a peice of hooked wire, and some acrobatics under the dash - didn't have to remove the dash, just opened up the evap housing by removing the 5 front clips that hold it together... GD

I fail to understand why people keep animals that destroy property, run away, roll in feces, etc.... Way I see it, if the dog is that dumb that it can't recognize and have some respect for it's food source and owner, then it's not a dog that I need. Shoot the dog. GD

Drill and tap it to the next size up - go with a standard rather than the next metric and it should be fine. Cheaper than the heli-coil, but either would work. I do that for a lot of bolts - especially the exhaust studs. GD

Well - there's these guys - local for me, but they will ship. They rebuild a lot of stuff for local shops. Have used them three times myself now, and I've had several friends go there. Excelent work, and they can do the vacuum advance unit as well. http://www.philbingroup.com/ Might be someone local that does this sort of work too - good luck. GD

It's right on top of the engine - just follow the plug wires and you'l find it bolted right on top of the intake manifold in the center. It's just a black flat looking thing. I hear they are rather expensive new, so get a used one from the junk yard and give it a whirl - if nothing else just to make sure that is your problem. GD

So - the EA82 u-joints are not replaceable eh? Weird. I've replaced several u-joints on the EA81 drivelines, so I'm pretty sure those are all serviceable. The aftermarket ones usually have a grease fitting as well - the stock ones do not however - still removable tho. GD

There were some oddities in engines made for other markets - there very well could have been an SPFI EA71 somewhere in the world. They made EJ series engines with distributors in some places, and they did make EA82 body cars with EA71 engines in some parts of the world, although I thought they were carbed - I think there was a guy from Barbados with a loyale such as this on the board for a while. Hard to say, but If you have it then you have it - no way around the fact that it was made, and fits. Only possible conclusion is there existed at some time, in some place, a fuel injected EA71..... it also may have been some sort of special raceing peice from japan. EA82 SPFI fits on the EA81 and it's hard to believe that it was never used on it.... I would venture to guess that Subaru created the SPFI before the EA82 came to the US. It's like the rear disc brakes - they came on EA82T's here in the states but will bolt to the EA81 because it's a design that was not changed, and DID exist on JDM EA81 RX's, and JDM race spec vehicles. It's clearly listed on the literature here on the board as factory equipment on the EA81 RX models. GD

You will have to change the drive gear, and remove one of the mounting ears, but yes. You need one from a carburated EA82, and the electrical will be the same. On the other hand - I have a few extra Hitachi EA81 disty's - sell ya one for cheap.... $25 plus shipping... or $100 plus shipping if you want me to have Philbin Manufacturing redo the bushings and vac advance. GD

Run ATF through it for about 50 miles. GD

Yep - time for new bushings. Take it to a disty shop. GD

Not as hard as you think - I've done timing belts and what not on stuff as new as 2004 - Audi's mostly, but some toyota's and Nissan's, etc. It's really about the same - in some ways easier.. GD

2WD Low range doesn't really seem all that usefull - you won't harm anything to run in 4WD low on pavement, and you'll get more traction. I've done fast take off's in 4WD Low on pavement - never hurt a thing. GD

Correct - any EA81 will work similarly - but best fit will come from an 83/84 wagon, sedan, or coupe, 83-89 hatch, or 83-87 Brat. 80-82 can work too, but are going to look slightly different, as the interrior colors were changed after 82. GD

How much of it is still Subaru... besides portions of the body? If it's just a GM drivetrain under a Subaru body.... that's neat and all, but we've all seen similar stuff.... saw a dodge neon on a yota frame a while back. Looked cool, but still a yota. Now on the other hand if you have used the Subaru independant suspension and worked out custom axles to handle the punishment.... would love to know more about it! GD

That's the oil pressure idiot light switch - probably a bad switch if it went on while driving. As long as you trust your guage change the idiot light switch.... or just ignore it since you have a guage. GD

Remove it and look at it. Remove wheel, and the axle nut - then you can check both the outer CV joint, and the cone washer under the nut. It's probably either the CV joint, or the cone washer.... if the washer is wore out then you may have a situation where the axle has chewed the splines out of the hub, and it will just continue to destroy cone washers and hubs till you change the axle, hub and washer with good ones. Once the splines are chewed the hub AND axle are toast - even if the splines look alright on the axle they are not - within a few K miles the same failure will occur. GD

Pull the hub off as it might be the axle nut was not tight enough and chewed the splines out of the hub. Pretty common - almost as much as bad CV joints. GD

Sounds like the gear that drives the modulator perhaps.... pull the modulator and check the drive gear for wear. Front diff gear oil? GD