Syonyk

So if I wanted to use the EJ25, a standalone would be the way to go? I've got no problems with that - part of my goal is highway economy, which would involve using a standalone to tweak mixture and timing into "interesting" ranges (lean and advanced at cruise). EJ20G - will the EA82 transmission take that kind of power, or would I have to do a full drivetrain swap? Ignoring the question of hooking up that kind of power through 2x185/70/13s... -=Russ=-

I've found someone who has an entire front clip from an '03 RS - engine, ECU, harness, etc. How easy would this be to put in a '92 Loyale? I know I'd need the transmission adapter plate (who makes those anymore?), and I'd probably need to get the exhaust custom made. Another issue is AC - I want to keep working AC, somehow. I've gathered I can either build an adapter to use the EA series AC compressor, or modify the hoses to use the EJ series compressor with the R134A or whatever the environmentally friendly junk is. I'd probably need to put in a larger condenser, though, to keep cooling performance the same. Would it be worth trying to use the '03 ECU, or is that new enough that I'd be better off just using a standalone (Megasquirt or such)? I gathered that the newer Megasquirts can decode the EJ crank angle sensor, so it seems like it wouldn't be that difficult. Also, what's fair market value for a 60k mile EJ25 SOHC? He wants around $1000 for it, which seems a bit high, but if that comes with the ECU/harness/etc, it might be reasonable. And, what can the EJ25s make with some mild cams and intake/exhaust work? I'd be putting a slightly hotter cam in, free flowing exhaust, cone filter, and then possibly the standalone. Thanks! -=Russ=-

^ Fram is the ONLY brand of oil filter that I've regularly heard of coming apart and filling the engine with paper. On various boards, I've probably heard 5-10 stories of Fram filter failures. Zero failures from other brands. I put Wix on my cars. It's a few $$ more per oil change, but engines are a lot more expensive than that. -=Russ=-

Clutch cables are really optional... just start the car in 1st (starter will get the car moving and start the engine in 1st gear), and mesh the gears properly for all subsequent shifts. And try not to stop. -=Russ=-

I may give this a shot this summer - I'm going to get a set of Delta cams (260 degree) for my EA82, if this helps upper RPM power, that should combine well with the cams. How much louder is it? -=Russ=-

An O2 sensor socket has a slot cut up one side to let the wire out. If you had a socket you didn't care about, you could make your own by just grinding a gap up one side. I've replaced the O2 sensors in a few EA82s, and I've always had to drop the exhaust system down and pull it out from under the car to do it. Then again, I've never had a Subaru with a complete exhaust system when I replaced the O2 sensors, so... YMMV. -=Russ=-

I've had my Loyale for about a year now, and it's never run quite right - it feels like it's down on power compared to my old '87 GL, fuel economy has never been the same (23-24mpg vs the 30+ I could get with the GL, even with AC off), and it has an annoying dead spot in the middle of the throttle response when it's cold. I figured this was because the inside of the engine was filthy - when I pulled it apart to reseal it, it was an "Eeeewwww...." moment. I figured I'd let it run till the summer, then swap it. Well, I compression tested it today, and got 165/165/170/180 - engine's in good shape (though still pissing oil out the rear main, need to fix that). So, since the issues aren't compression, what else would be causing problems? The spark plugs had white deposits on them, and the fuel pump has been making more noise than usual. I'm thinking it might be going bad, which would cause it to run lean. I've got a spare I'm going to swap in. I'm also planning to send my spare injector in, get it cleaned, and get some new plug wires (I have cheap O'Rileys brand wires) - any suggestions on brands that work well? Finally, has anyone actually tried running a MSD6A in their old gen? It seems like it would help a good bit, but I haven't heard from anyone who has tried it. Thanks! -=Russ=-

I'd say try a set of NGKs. I've heard of Subarus having serious issues (major hesitation/etc) with other plugs. A bad misfire will usually show up as lean on a wideband - lots of O2 being dumped out the pipe with plenty of fuel, but the O2 sensor won't detect the fuel. -=Russ=-

I'm looking at doing something similar on my wagon. Basically, what I'm seeing is that I need a spare XT6 laying around for parts. What did you use for the front struts, specifically? I'm hoping to find a set of coilovers for all 4 corners so I can drop it down in the summer/raise it up in the winter. How's the handling with the rear swaybar? I haven't decided on that aspect yet. -=Russ=-

I may get a straight spade tomorrow & try. I had a snow shovel today, and it wouldn't fit very far under. -=Russ=-

And... I'll be pulling it out sometime next week after the snow melts. Or collecting it from a tow yard, if the police somehow manage to remove it (HAH). It's firmly high centered front to rear on a sheet of hard snow/ice. A 3/4 ton Suburban almost got stuck trying to pull me out (and moved it maybe an inch with a running start), there was an Explorer stuck in the middle of the road ahead, and... yea. It's not moving. I think I wore 10k+ miles off the life of my clutch trying to get the wheels turning as well. What kind of damage should I be looking for when I pull it out? It has oil pressure, so I don't think the oil pan is damaged, and the snow was reasonably soft when I went in, but... suggestions would be welcome. I'm hoping I didn't destroy anything too terribly expensive in the process. -=Russ=-

As those above have said, the roll pin is not normally subject to any significant forces - the splines handle ALL the load. The roll pin is there to prevent the axle from sliding along the splines and possibly falling off. That said, anything that can prevent it from sliding will work. I actually like the ziptie idea, myself. Another thing you'll want to do is to grease up the splines when you're putting things together - Molybdenum is good to use on metal to metal joints like that. It helps make things go together easier, and they'll be easier to take apart down the road. -=Russ=-

Well, those who said "No weight on the wheels" were right. It's sitting in a ditch outside of town right now. It was just fine on the roads, just fine in the snow, but the 50mph crosswind (coming out of a heavily wooded area) just took it into the ditch. So... I'll be trying to shovel it out this weekend. Or find someone with a tractor. -=Russ=-

I'm curious. '92 Loyale, 4 Blizzaks. I've been driving in all sorts of nasty weather this winter, ice/heavy snow/etc, going through fields with a foot or more of snow, up ice covered hills, etc. I haven't managed to get myself stuck yet. I've had some times (foot and a half of plowed stuff thrown into a parking zone that I tried to park in) where I needed to slip the clutch a bit (I miss my low range!), but I was able to pull out without much drama. Even climbing iced hills in 4WD isn't difficult - I just... drive up them. No tire spin, no nothing. I'm not sure how well I'd do with 2+ feet of snow, but nothing else would be running then either, other than some lifted trucks. Between the ground clearance, 4WD, and Blizzaks, I can definitely out-bad-weather most other things on the road. I haven't found it's limits yet. So... what exactly does it take to get a Subaru stuck? -=Russ=-

Would it be possible to use the EJ compressor with the EA system, then? I need to maintain AC for this car - Iowa summers are too hot for my ferrets without AC. Interesting. I'm going for about 180-190hp, so the stock ECU should be able to handle that? Can I use a SAFC-II on the EJ motors? I've used one on my RX-7, so I'm familiar with it, but I didn't even think about it, since the EAs have a 10v sending unit for airflow & don't play nice with the SAFCs. -=Russ=-

The Loyale is a bit short on power, and the local junkyard has a 1995 EJ22 lounging around. Gears start turning... I've looked over the PDF of the swap directions, and it looks fairly reasonable, but I still have a few questions. 1. This is my year round people/stuff hauler. I'm a BIG fan of the AC. How do I go about keeping the AC with the EJ22 swap? If I can do it without breaking the system open (using the EA compressor), I'd like to do that - I like my R12. I haven't seen much on this discussed, it seems most people just pull the AC out. 2. If I do keep the AC, how do I feed timing data to the Megasquirt? The normal Ford pickup seems to go where the AC belt runs. 3. How much difference in power is there between the Legacy ECU (with a cammed EJ22) and a well tuned Megasquirt? Thanks! Hopefully this will be my summer project. -=Russ=-

Not a chance. If he was able to get traction, he'd smoke me. -=Russ=-

*grins from ear to ear* A friend of mine got an Infiniti G35 last spring. For those unfamiliar with it, it's similar to the Nissan 350Z, same engine, etc. All wheel drive with a ton of sophisticated electronics controlling power split, throttle, brakes, etc. And sporting about 300hp. And, oh, 3500 lbs. I proceeded to look at it and ask him if he was going to get snow tires for the winter. He said that he was sure the electronic wizardry would be sufficient. So I told him that I'd be faster than him in the snow. 2700 lbs, 90hp, and Blizzaks on all 4 corners. Fast forward through 6 months of the occasional smack talking to today. A few inches of snow on top of ice. I finally put my Blizzaks on, and we went to play. The main area of testing was a ~3/4 mile straight chunk in a parking lot that wasn't being used. Test 1: Drag race, standing start. I launched at about 2000 RPM, no wheel spin, beat him by around 2 car lengths. Test 2: Drag race, standing start. I launched around 4000 RPM, little to no wheel spin, beat him by about 3 car lengths with minor wheel spin. Test 3: Drag race, standing start. I launched at 5500 RPM (trying to find out where exactly what I could hook up), spun for the first second or so, and only won by about 1 car length. Test 4: Brake test. Braking from about 20-25mph, I stopped about half a car length sooner, and I'm pretty sure I could have stopped faster with a few more tries. His braking electronics are actually pretty impressive. Test 5: Front wheel drive, standing start. Lots of wheel spin, he won by about 3 car lengths (in AWD). Conclusion? Snow tires rock. -=Russ=-

Last time I had my Loyale doors apart, there wasn't *anything* in them other than window/lock gear. Outer skin : window/lock gear : inner web : plastic layer : interior panel. -=Russ=-

Ah, thanks for the correction. All my EA82s have been FI. -=Russ=-

It doesn't. It receives power for a blip when the key is first turned on, when the key is in the start position, or when either the airflow or crank angle sensor (not sure which one) indicates that the engine is rotating/pulling air. This prevents the fuel pump from running if the engine is dead (say, in an accident). It's a safety thing. However, if you jumper the two green plugs together (diagnostic plugs), the fuel pump will pulse when the key is on but the engine isn't turning. Useful for debugging things. -=Russ=-

The axle nut is a castle nut. There should be a cotter pin of some sort going through the axle nut & through the holes in the axle. If the nut is able to back off, the cotter pin has left. A good condition cotter pin should not leave. -=Russ=-

Axle/half shaft refers to the entire assembly - all three segments. And if the boot is split, you're probably going to be better off replacing the entire halfshaft. If it's been split for a while, dirt/grime often gets in & will chew up the joints. Also, there are companies that make split boots that go on without needing to pull the axle - they wrap around it and secure together somehow. That might be worth trying as well if the joint isn't making any noise. If you're getting clacking during corners, replace the axle, but if not you'd probably be fine with a replacement boot & repacking the joint with clean grease. -=Russ=-

One thing you could try is pulling the fuel line on the throttle body side of the fuel filter, connect the green test connectors, and turn the key on - this will pulse the fuel pump, and you'll be able to see if you have fuel spraying out (obviously have something to contain it in, and be careful). If the fuel lines are frozen, you won't get any fuel flow (or not any significant flow) from the filter. -=Russ=-

Or a frozen fuel filter? I never really believed in using HEET or such in my cars up until a few years ago. I had several cars that would start when it was cold, but had to warm up for a while to be able to go anywhere - they'd idle, but that was about it (and this included a Subaru). I tried a bottle of the ultra-mega-super-HEET stuff (red bottle), and... WOW. They'd start right up, be able to pull away after just a short while, and... yea. I had a lot of water in my gas without realizing it. You might want to try that. A frozen fuel line will cause a no-start condition in a hurry, and a splash of fuel down the intake might not vaporize well enough to do anything. -=Russ=-