GeneralDisorder

Yeah - it's the closed deck 2.2, so it's good to over 400 from what I hear. I may make some adjustments after it's been fitted - probably at least an IC - that's just easy power. First though, my friend who owns the car needs to decide what will replace it. Currently it's his daily. Gonna make some people sick when I cut the car up for it's drive-train. Hehe. Only has 110k on it. AFAIC, all Subarus are parts for my Brat.... GD

He should have a single ASV on the drivers side. Pretty much a fool-proof system. The reed valva can fail.... but that's pretty obvious when it does. Big increase in noise - smell of exhaust gasses. Not pretty. I do now recall that the ASV on the feedback's is vacuum operated.... check the vac signal to the top of the ASV. Or just replace with one of the non-vac style that work all the time. The Hitachi feedbacks run REALLY rich when they have a malfunction in the control system. The gas mileage will go in the toilet. As in you will run 20 MPG in a car that should be getting 35. GD

Next time: pull spark plug, fill cylinder with nylon rope (on compression stroke). GD

Just wait till they see my Brat with a 93 Leg turbo in it. I'm thinking I won't even bother lowering maybe..... just adds to the insult. 160 HP, AWD, and 50/50 weight distribution will launch a Brat HARD. I only *need* about 135 HP to top my friends Audi A4. :-p GD

Those numbers are way rich. Last time I had a feedback Hitachi tested it blew like 30 PPM in HC.... GD

Manifold gaskets don't usually drastically fail like that. Usually it's much more gradual.... certainly possible tho. Either way the manifold has to come off. Remove it and see. You should be able to tell from the condition of the gasket and the surface when you do. Cheap manifold gaskets are not good. Dealer or Fel-Pro only on those. GD

Actually, the O2 sensor being bad wouldn't neccesarily cause the engine to run badly, or set the CEL. It depends on how bad the O2 is. The ECU can only tell that the O2 is bad if it does not signal at all, or if it's signal is out of the allowed specs. If cannot tell if the signal is just plain wrong. The O2's get "dumb" after a couple years and their effectiveness is reduced considerably. Same with the coolant temp sensor. These are relatively cheap parts.... about $25 for the O2, and about $12 for the coolant temp. Checking the O2 output can be done with a simple mixture monitoring device - you can find plans all over the net. The coolant temp is easy. You just remove it, and put it in boiling water while watching the resistance value. Or even just check the resistance while the engine is running. If the carb runs good, then it's probably not the carb. There are only two adjustments on the carb itself - idle mixture and idle speed. If your idle quality is good, then likely the carb is fine. The signal it's receiving from the ECU however, makes all the difference. Without any signal, the feedback carbs natuarally run extremely rich. If the ECU thought the engine was cold, or that the mixture was wrong, your signal to the carb would be to run richer. GD

Depends on what size tires you want to run. The general rule for off-road tires is to use the smallest width you can get away with to keep the wheel away from rocks, and promote a stronger seal with the bead on the tire. Rubbing becomes an issue with certain tires - any wheel that is allowed by the size tire you choose will be fine in that respect, but as noted above, you want the narrowest rim allowed for the tire your are looking at. As for installing a lift, it's not hard. You need basic hand tools, a jack, and a set of jack stands. A BFH comes in handy for beating the fender wells and a nice long breaker bar is nice for the stubborn bolts. Basic wrenches and sockets metric are a must for any undertaking such as this. GD

Well - you do have a point there. I suppose it does serve both purposes - prevents icing of the carb, and gets the engine to operating temp faster. Which would indirectly effect the emmissions by changing the time interval that the engine was in open-loop mode. Interesting. Still stupid - aircraft pollute far more than cars. I hate emmissions, so I need to understand it as best I can to find the weaknesses in the system in order to fully exploit them. GD

Yeah - Subaru's have a reputation for leaking, but I've found that it's not really deserved. They don't leak badly until mechanics start putting in aftermarket seals and gaskets. A lot of them SUCK. I've had almost zero luck with any brand of gaskets besides Fel-Pro and the dealership. I bought some intake manifold gaskets online, and they started leaking coolant just a month after. When I pulled them out I was horrified at their appearance. It looked as if the coolant had actually disintegrated the gaskets. I also installed a cheap oil pan gasket. Not only is this a crappy job to have to do anyway, but the gasket leaked worse than the one I was replacing, and litereally fell apart when I tried to torque the bolts for the third time (kept loosening due to the gasket comming apart under the stress). The cork they used had zero protection from oil, and once it had soaked up the oil, the cork itself just came unglued and turned into a pile of cork-chips. Bad times. I could have saved myself a lot of effort and money just buying this stuff from the dealer in the first place. Actually - since my dealer gives me wholesale on all my parts, the oil pan gaskets are only $5.02 anyway. I think I may have actually paid MORE for the aftermarket crap that failed. GD

Well Moose, you're in luck. I am the proud new owner of this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7916131210&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT Rob is getting the engine, and I intend to use the cross-over pipe for a custom exhuast on my lifted wagon. As for the rest of it.... it's yours if you want it. Buy me a half rack, and pay the shipping.... The car is a hulk and will be crushed anyway. Didn't see any rust on it tho. I'll take a closer look at the exhuast tommorow when we pull the engine. Is there any differences between this thing's exhaust and what you need? This one is an '88 turbo FT4WD Auto... I don't know EA82's, so you tell me..... GD

Fel-Pro did their gaskets right on the EA81's - I have had great luck with them, and I know others that have too. Don't see why the EA82 would be any different. Fel-Pro is just as good as the dealer HG in my opinion. They are not terrbily cheap for the EA82's tho. Probably a bit cheaper than a dealer HG set. There's a LOT of little gaskets that go into the HG set for the EA82. GD

They can be found cheaper than that online. Around $35 for the rods, and $25 -$30 for the ends. GD

Download the service manual for the EA81 here: http://www.finleyweb.net/default.asp?id=142 Page 42 has some info that may be usefull to you. Find someone with an 83 or 84 FSM for all the gory details of testing the feedback system..... if you are really nice to a local dealer they may photo-copy the appropriate pages for you. My friend has an 83 manual as well. He's out of town till Moday. GD

It could be that you are running rich, but you have a cat that is cleaning up the extra HC and not the CO. It's hard with those feedback Hitachi's, but there are only really two sensors in there that matter - the O2 sensor, and the coolant temp sensor. You should check both of them for proper signal. Next you should check the feedback solenoids mounted to the manifold. They regulate the fuel in the carb, and need to be signaling properly. There is a HUGE amount of information in the FSM's about this system, and how to properly tune it. Have you changed the carb? If so, you need to completely retune the feedback system. Unfortunately it requires an exhaust sniffer to perform the proper tuning by the book. :-\ GD

That's no air cleaner. That's just to prevent icing of the carb in the winter..... which CA doesn't even have :-\ Those Nazi emmissions idiots need to read up on engine theory. GD

Well - there is backlash adjustment on the side of the rack for the rack and pinion gear clearance - you might check the adjustment on that, and you can replace the tie rods and ends.... after that, unless the gears are horribly worn (never seen that), then there really isn't much else to it..... I suppose you could have a really bad steering u-joint, or a torn rag joint in the linkage. Do a complete inspection I say. Pull the boots back and check the play in the tie-rods, as those tend to get wonky after a while - especially if the boot is torn. The tie rod ends you should be able to inspect by getting under the car. I don't know for sure, but maybe Ed was just saying he replaced the whole rack+tie rods+ends because a JY rack for $15 is cheaper than $100 in tie rods and ends??? GD

They are super easy to rebuild too. Carb cleaner (dip style) and some pipe-cleaners are all you need. I just rebuilt one that was under salt-water for about three days. Runs like a top. Just have to pay real close attention to the small passages - especially the idle jet, and the emulsion tubes. GD

Yes, you should do a compression check first. The heads can be removed without pulling the engine - no problem there at all. Assuming compression is your problem, then you probably did blow a HG..... and just about every time you overheat them you'll warp the heads. If it's the original engine, and you will have the heads off anyway, you might consider a new set of 83+ heads with the larger intake valve's. You can get a set from Aluminium Head Rebuilders here in Portland for $75 each (so their web site claims). Having the heads machined and pressure tested will cost basically the same as a new set. And haveing the larger intake valve is good for another 7 odd horse power or so. I really like the Fel-Pro head gaskets I've been using. I lost all my coolant from a blown hose, and they held just fine after overheating it terribly. Plus they are cheaper than the dealer - you can get em online for $14 each. GD

Assuming you can find a set :-p. Them're even more rare than that wagon he's got. And if you find one of those engines, you might as well drop the whole thing in, with a newer 5 speed. The 85-89 EA71 has the bell-housing like an EA81. Wacky stuff. GD

You are lucky that they slide in easy. Some do, and some don't. That's all I can really say about it. There's no ryhme or reason to it. Different manufactureres of the bearings and the axles I suppose... it doesn't indicate a problem with the bearings tho - just that it happens to be easy on that hub. The axle nut is 36mm. Get a socket - they are only about $5-$8, and the proper torque should be 150 ft/lbs. Over is better than under here. The VW bus rear axles are the same size nut, and are torqued to 250. Use the fattest 1/2" breaker bar you have and reef em down tight. I doubt a crescent would get them tight enough simply because it's not long enough. Unless you are built like a brick buick and can really lay down the smack on it. GD

I can get any of those parts fairly cheap - for example - the yards here charge $10 for the linkage bits. And they are plentiful. But I'm not just going to stockpile them in case someone needs them. If you need something from the no-rust zone, feel free to proposition me. I make trips to the yard fairly frequently, but sometimes I don't hit one for several weeks at a time. Then all of a sudden I'll hit all the yards near me in one day. Depending on how difficult the removal of the part is, and if you want me to make a special trip just for that part, I may want some compensation for my time, but probably not more than a 12 pack or two Unless you want a short block.... then we'll talk.... about me spending my whole darn day getting the silly thing removed, packed, and shipped..... But I'm fully willing and able to pull anything you might need given the proper motivation. GD

PS is good for a lot of stuff. For one thing, the Subaru PS pumps rob almost nothing power wise. One need only turn the pump by hand to see that. For RallyX action, the PS is great because you can control the vehicle with one hand, and have the other free for shifting, hand braking and so forth. This keeps you from haveing to switch tasks with your right hand all the time, and that saves time. For off-road, PS acts as a dampener so the wheel isn't jerked out of your hands, resulting in the vehicle not going where you want, or worse - broken wrists and fingers. And as Jared pointed out, PS makes life on the rocks, and deep ruts actually possible, where it nearly was not before. In short, it helps to better control the vehicle, and that will save you time on the track, and allow you to go slower and be more careful on the trail. That said, it really makes no difference on a stock rig driven on the street. I run without PS on my Brat as my daily driver, and don't really notice the difference. But that's only because I don't put that vehicle in situations where PS would benifit me. I have it on my wagon, and have driven plenty of lifted rigs without it. And both myself, and everyone who has driven my wagon agree that PS is like a whole different world. Driving my wagon off-road isn't "work" like it is on manual rack rigs. It's actually fun! People on here can say whatever they wan't, but you talk to the people who have driven both, and every single one will tell you that PS is the way to go. I should also point out, that if you are comming from manual rack EA82 land, then you have it MUCH better than the EA81's. The EA82 manual rack is FAR superior to the EA81 manual. It turns almost like it IS PS. Credit to Subaru for getting the design that polished. The EA81 manual racks are hell on the rocks. Seriously, I have driven 1960's military trucks with easier manual steering - at least they have a HUGE steering wheel. GD

I'm just down in Portland, and would be happy to do the water pump for a LOT less than your quote. Have them call me if interested. I would say around $100 plus the parts would get the job done.... Rick (503) 880-4084

Weber DGV with electric choke. Often refered to as the DGV, DGEV, 32/36 DGV, etc. Also search for "VW Weber" and just Weber to see what you can find that people have listed badly. I often see people just list "VW beetle Weber carb", and they generally don't command a huge price because people have no way to pull it up in a search. Often they will come attached to the VW manifold even.... in such a case I ask the seller if he's willing to remove that POS for cheaper shipping.... DON'T tell them you want to put it on a Subaru - just say you already have a better manifold.... which is true - it's just not a VW one. heh It's really funny to see a Weber advertised for a Jeep go for 5 times the price of the exact same carb advertised for a VW.... GD