GeneralDisorder

Yeah - everything you have talked about has been done. It's VERY expensive because unlike the honda's, Subaru's are not popular with that crowd. The Aircraft guys have gotten around 200 HP from the EA81 with no trouble at all, but the parts are expensive since they have not been mass produced. Beleive me, it would be cheaper and easier to drop an EJ22T into your car, than to try and get 180 HP from an EA81. The EJ22T's are readily availible, tested, and proven to last a long time producing the HP you desire. The conversion has been done, and you would end up with a 5 speed AWD car that would smoke just about anything (except new Subaru's, hehe). Get a wrecked turbo legacy as a donor, and forget about the EA81 if you want power. Also - if you did by some method get 200 HP from an EA81, you would blow the tranny in now time, and the clutch couldn't handle anywhere near that. The tranny weakness cannot be overcome, and you would have to switch to an EJ tranny - which won't bolt to the EA81 anyway, so your back to the EJ22T again.... I thought that the DL's didn't have the four light setup? Maybe it's a 2WD trim thing.... GD

huh - I guess if the EA81 can have them, then there's really no reason the EA71 can't - thanks for the heads up Mick! GD

That car came from the factory with an EA81 - no doubt about it. If you have an EA71, then the car has been mucked with by someone. It's got 4 headlights - smells like a GL to me. GD

The EA81 is the biggest motor you can swap without changing the tranny too. If you want to go all out, get a donor legacy with the EJ22, and swap in the whole drivetrain. This is no small task tho, as you have to make big changes to the halfshafts and do up all the wiring etc. Not easy, but it has been done. The EJ22 is something like 160 HP. No - no RWD Subaru's. You could just disconnect the front axles and make one tho. Why? 4WD and AWD are better. GD

Yeah - I don't think EA71's ever had hydro lifters. EA81's didn't even have them till 83 - then they were only in Turbo's, and 84 in Turbo's and Automatics. 85+ all had them, but I don't think the EA71's ever got them - at least to my knowledge. GD

It's not a GL if it has has the EA71 - or it's not an EA71. Unless someone swapped it in. It would have to be a DL model, or possibly even a STD model to have that motor. But like I said - someone could have put it in. If it's a GL, then it originally had a EA81. Yes - put in a good used EA81, put the EA71's pistons in it, and a good cam, and get a weber for it. Then your talking 100 - 110 HP or so. The EA71 isn't without performance potential, but the cost of a used EA81 is so cheap, there's no reason no to do it. GD

You can get the adaptors for about $28 - $30 online, and the short filter cost me $10 from Discount Import Parts in Portland.... GD

I did a 2WD to 4WD swap on an EA81, and I say just DO it. Put both cars on jack stands next to each other, and start pulling parts. You'll see how it should be when you start taking it apart. You should have basically all you need between the two cars in order to complete the swap. GD

It's a pushrod engine, and thus has no need of belts to rotate the cam, since the cam is located right next to the crank. GD

There were several (three or more I think?) types of AC used in the EA81 cars. Does your water pump belt just go from the crank to the water pump and alternator? If so, then just go with a non-AC water pump. I don't think there's any difference anyway, but just to be sure, go with what your car was from the factory - non-AC. I have had pretty good luck with junk yard water pumps, and they are really cheap if you hit the right yard. Since the pump is soooo easy to replace, I don't feel real bad about using a used one. If it were hard to get to, I would install a new Subaru brand part. GD

There are a few people on the board that will build you a lift too. Maybe not in your area, but if you are interested in doing custom fab work on Subaru's, then building your own would be a good learning experience. Others will see what you have done with your car, and if it's successful, they will be more willing to allow you to build stuff for them. Out here on the west coast, we have Mudrat79 that does a lot of custom work. His design is well tested, and very strong (made it through the Rubicon!), so I opted to have him lift my wagon. The cost was slightly higher than if I had bought it, but I didn't have to install it myself either. And I wanted to support a local business, so he will keep making us bumpers and roll bars etc. I could have bought the lift, but no one is in the business of selling all the other goodies that I want. I would build some stuff myself, but as I don't have a welder, and am always busy with school and trying to make enough money to live on, I don't have the time to R/D this stuff, and I would rather have someone that knows what they are doing build it right the first time. I'll tear an engine down, or do a 4WD conversion and things like that, but when it comes to custom fabrication, I leave it to the pro's (for now) Gd

There is something else it could be - your distributor shaft bushing. Mine made an awful racket very similar to what you described when the bushing was out..... probably not, but when it makes that noise, put your hand on the disty to see if any vibration is comming from there. The noise will come and go - but mostly mine did it when it was cold, and then sometimes when it was warm. Just like what you describe. GD

That wire could be a ground - since it has coolant running through it. Open it up and look. GD

I had to swap the tanks cause I was converting the car to 4WD. the other car was put back together as a 2WD, and lives on still. Now that I think about it, I probably will swap the sending units out as niether seems to be accurate (fill the tank on the 2WD, and it goes to 3/4 on the guage....), but it does not explain your problem of having no reading at all. Both guages DID register with the tank full, and do operate fine - although they are not accurate. GD

What was the car originally? The tunnel may just be too small. Mine was REALLY tight when I did it, and what I did was to add some BIG flat washers under the tranny cross-member, and the plates that it bolts to - probably brought it down a good 3/4" - enough that I could drive it without hurting anything. It would still knock tho, but since I was lifting it, I didn't care. GD

I have personally swapped tanks from a 4WD DL with analog guage, to a 2WD GL with digi-dash. Both cars work just fine - and the tanks both retained the same sending units. I don't know if this is a freak thing, and I got lucky, but I'm betting that the guage doesn't really care one way or the other - or maybe it's a DL guage thing? GD

Yeah - definately check out the sending unit - makes sure it has a good ground wire. The sending units (I happen to know this cause I have swapped tanks) are the same for digital, and analog gas gauges. GD

Did you check the fuses? Other than that, the motors burn out sometimes - try wireing it up by hand to see if it works. GD

You say the choke does not appear to be stuck "open" - it should be completely open when warm - maybe it's toast. The carburators on the Subaru's are notorious for running badly after 100k miles or so. You can rebuild them, or replace them, or for about the same cost as replacement, put a weber on instead. I'm guessing yours is not the feedback carburator version, but if it is, then you could be looking at a bad O2 sensor, or something like that. GD

84 manual (unless engine has been replaced) will not have hydro lifters, so if your hood is original, it will say that you need to adjust the lash. GD

Run some candle wax under each belt while the engine is running, and if it goes away, then you have found the problem. You can replace the belt, and if that doesn't help, then take some emery cloth to the pully, and scuff it up a bit. GD

As I understand it, all Auto's in 84 had them, and EVERYTHING from 85 on had them. Both my 84 manual's don't have them, and my 85 Brat (manual) does. Look for the sticker under the hood that tells if you need to adjust valve lash or not - it will say no adjustment needed. Also - there should be a gold sticker on both valve covers that says "Do Not Adjust Valve Lash" or something like that. GD

Well - the EA81 has no timing belts. It's definately the simpler of the two, but the carbs tend to be a bit crappy for most of us (can be replaced with a weber tho). EA82's (at least the turbo models) tend to blow head gaskets, and crack heads if they overheat - EA81's seem to be able to take just about any heat you could give them, but will eventually blow a head gasket as well if they get too hot. As for the cars - well the EA82's are bigger, and a bit nicer inside. They were also made till 94, so your chances of finding a nice one are greater. You could put an EA81 into an EA82 car if you were so inclined.... would save you from doing timing belts I guess, but you would have less power. GD

Yeah - I can understand that. My last daily driver (before the Brat), was that damn Volvo 850 turbo - entirely too fast for me, and I guess I'm not even all that young anymore. At 24, I've been driving for 8 years, and 240 HP was much too fast for me. People would piss me off, and I would have to lay the smack down so to speak. But I knew that it was not a good car for me to have, so I got out of it, and got the Brat instead. I'm much happier now. I still get mad, but there's really not much I can do if someone wants to cut me off. Now if John talks me into the EJ22 conversion...... GD

It's hard to tell from your description, but I would start checking your ignition system components - sounds like you could have a miss or something. Try replacing your cap and rotor and wires. Maybe a new coil as well. The crack between the valves is an EA82 thing as far as I know. Never heard of that affecting an EA81. Maybe you do have an exhaust leak - the gaskets at the heads could be the culprit. EA81's don't like exhaust leaks, and you will experience a good deal of power loss from that. I am also thinking of the Air Suction Valve - those will vent exhaust gasses into the engine compartment when they get bad, and they make a similar noise to what your describing. And there are two of them on some engines - one at either head. GD