GeneralDisorder

Cool - thanks! I suspect that Thermo valve (I).... think I'll test it. GD

AAAHHH! Your links don't work! No - not an emergency. I just think that the disty isn't getting any signal through the normal vacuum lines. The can is working tho, as I can connect it directly to the carb and get it to work fine. But nothing is happening when it's connected to the hard lines. Looking won't help me - I know it's connected right - something is broken! So I need the diagrams to know what parts to test.... GD

I'm guessing it would be the same as an 84, so could someone scan the diagram of the vacuum advance system from section 10 of the FSM. My FSM is for 1980, and has some weird distributors that have both advance, and retard in the vacuum can.... and it talks about timers and solenoids and junk that I don't know if I have or not. GD

I agree - and who wants timing belts anyway!?! GD

Once again - this depends on the 5 speed. The AWD (full time 4 wheel drive) 5 speeds are different than what Jerry's kit was designed around. And installation is VERY possible without his kit. People were doing it for a long time before his kit existed. But depending on the car, and the tranny that are involved, it may indeed make the install easier. It is not, however, "NEEDED". GD

Wow - the vacuum advance must have an advance, and a retard line then I should think... maybe check the retard logic to see if all is working properly?? I'll have to remember that spec for when I put the SPFI on an EA81.... GD

You are a former Subaru tech? What years did you work on mostly? GD

20 is still way too high for an NA motor. My EA81 spec is 8 (I run at 10), and your EA82 has higher compression. Hood sticker or no, you should reduce it to about 10. GD

20 sounds like a setting used on a Turbo.... which they didn't even produce in 92 on the loyale line.... could you have a replacement hood? I'm with Zap - 10 - 12 should be more in line with a non turbo motor... GD

I always wondered if you could do that - move the lifters to a solid block that is. Good to know. GD

No - they're different - the white ones I have from shwab have more of a triangular cutout in them. Basically a 13" version of the chevy trailer rims I have on the wagon (US Wheels 70 series)... GD

There's no books on the subject that I know of - you just have to hang around places like this, and do a little tinkering in the garage. As for cam's - a lot of people around here use Delta Cam up in Washinton.... I'm sure if you search the board here you'll find their info. It's about $80 for a cam for an EA81 I think... Carbs - you can do a lot of stuff, but the easiest is a Weber 32/36 DGEV. It comes as a kit (kit number K730), or you can just buy a carb from ebay, and buy the adaptor plate seperate from Redline.... call around for pricing - any import performance shop could order you the kit, or just the adaptor. Price's on the Kit range from $300, to $400, and the adaptor plate by itself is about $40. You can often pick up the carbs on ebay for $100 or so.... might need rejetting tho. You need to start with the Hitachi manifold, as the carter/weber manifold that some 82's used isn't compatible with the adaptor plate. As for the 1600 pistons.... only way I know to get them is from a used 1600 engine. They can still be found in the junk yards now and then. Depends on the tranny weather you change the diff or not. Changing it is a 20 minute job, so no problem there. A 5 speed from an RX would be a 3.7, but a 5 speed from an XT6 would be a 3.9 - which is what you already have. You should do some searches on this board - there's lots of stuff you can do to your car - too much for me to list here. Rear disc brakes comes to mind as something you probably would enjoy.... GD

Better is a relative term. What do you want? Are they both solid lifter engines? If so, I personally would use the Brat's cam, just because it's ground for torque, but if they are not both solid lifter engines, then don't swap any parts - they won't be compatible. If you want high end, then use the non-brat cam..... GD

The major change over the life of the EA81 was the intruduction of the hydraulic lifters. This also came with an increase in valve size (the so-called big-valve heads), and brought the rated HP up to about 80 (I've seen charts rating it as high as 85 on a dyno in stock form). Hydro lifter engines can be found in 83/84 automatic's, and 85+ Hatch's and Brat's. There will be a sticker on the valve cover that says "Do Not Adjust Valve Clearance". Solid lifter, small valve EA81's are rated at 73 HP I believe... Also - Brat's have a different cam - ground more for torque I believe.... so while not techinically a difference in HP, it's a difference that should be noted. Another thing to note about cam's is that the hydro cam's and the solid cam's are not interchangeable.... GD

Nice! Could you do that to my Brat? What would you charge to make my Brat look that sweet before it's paint job? Sounds like your not far from me.... GD

gregbrat - count yourself lucky it wasn't an EA82 water pump like poor caleb. EA81's are a 20 minute job. Easy stuff in comparison. GD

Don't save the EA82 for a Brat - you want an EA81 for a Brat. Simpler, and more reliable.... GD

Lesson learned - always disconnect the battery before doing major work. Disconnect the negative first, then the positive. Installation is reverse. GD

1. Dump the automatic. 2. As for engine - this depends on how much work you want to do. If you really, really want the EJ20T (although, I would go with the EJ22G personally - if you can find one), it can be done. You'll basically need a whole donor car to do it, as you'll need it's tranny as well, and all the wireing too. Custom engine mounts, and custom axles will have to be fabricated to make it hook up to the existing suspension, and the cars fuel system would have to be upgraded to handle the pressure of the fuel injection pump. The best solution in my opinion, is have a better cam ground for your EA81 - rebuild it with 1600 pistons, and put a Weber carb, and free flow exhaust on. The EA81 with a few mods is good up to 150 HP or so - which is about double what it has stock. Also much easier to do than an engine swap with a new car. Install an EA82 5 speed tranny (4WD or AWD - depending on what you want), and get rid of as much wieght as possible..... GD

It's too short, and would pull off I should think. GD

Some metal's do burn - Magnesium for example. Titanium too, although you have to get it really hot. It's classified as a Class D fire. There's some types of foam that will put one out I think, but not much will stop a burning jet plane from burning right through the deck of a ship. They just push them over the side when that happens, where they continue to burn under water! The metal is an oxidizor - in other words it produces it's own oxygen as it burns. Thus is needs no air to burn in. GD

All Gen 2 cars have the same ball joints - same knuckle, and control arm too - even 2WD's. GD

As in solid axle? People have thought of it, but I haven't seen any pictures of a solid axle conversion yet. Subaru's, much like Hummer's before the silly H2, are four wheel independant suspension, and that makes them unique..... take that away, and you might as well get a chevy LUV or something. Leaf springs are heavier, and weight is not the friend of an 80 HP car/truck. The bed is too small anyway, and the chrome on the sides is flimsy. Hauling and towing is best left to *real* trucks in my opinion. Besides - Brats are to be collected and saved, not beat up and used to haul stuff. Also - you can increase the capacity a bit by using the EA82 rear coil-overs, and lifting the rig 3". My wagon has a much greater capacity now, than it had stock.... GD

Yeah - I remember Miles mentioning that technique. Not a bad idea in my opinion, but then I've never tried it either. Excelent if you don't have an alignment tool in an emergency. I'm really laid-back, but I'm a mechanic, and when I see or hear of people doing something that might cause them more trouble than they are fixing, I get a little agitated. Sorry about that. The damage (if there is any) is done now, and you might as well drive it. If it fails, then you'll know better next time. GD

Good to know next time I need one. I'll check the EA82's at the yard too.... At first when I saw the non-sealed type, I thought I had a different trailing arm on my hands, since the race didn't look like it came out - I used one of the bearings and a socket, and beat it out of there tho. The sealed one's don't have a seperate race, but the center "spacer" section is loose on the bearing, and can be pushed up and down when it's not installed. Other than that bit of movement of the spacer, the bearing itself does not come apart, and by all apearances, the sealed ones last a LONG time. I pulled it from that Brat at 198k, and installed it in my wagon where it's still working fine. I know it was original to the Brat since the notched ring on the back had never beed unstaked or removed. I'm guessing that the dealership could get you one. Probably be expensive tho.... Just looked it up on SubaruParts.com - it seems to cross-reference to the EA82 part number.... possibly superceded, so this might not be a sealed unit (maybe only the EA81's had them): http://www.subaruparts.com/cart/?pn=621014111&submit.x=2&submit.y=6 Part number for EA81: 621014111 Part number for EA82: 906100007 GD