85Sub4WD

And for all those who don't need to spend over $5 a quart, there is Castrol Synthetic Blend ... no probs this far, and I know someone that got over 260k on their loyale running Castrol natural and changing it every 3,000 - ran like new too when he sold it Mobil 1 is not a cheap oil, I have pulled the valve cover on an engine with 210k to adjust the valves, and it was so clean it looked like you could eat off the inside of it. That's running 10k btwn changes with a fram filter After consulting a petroleum expert that was a consultant for mobil oil company - chemical breakdowns occur no matter what - you can't go indefinately or extended periods without decay - oil must be changed Frankly if I knew an engine had more than 10k between oil changes and was not running Mobil 1 or better - I would not touch it - and even then I think even synthetics need to be changed at least every 7.5k

You may have run the battery down b/c these car's alternators do not provide enough power to keep the battery charged at idle. I think vaporlock is a strong possibility too.

there is a justy-only board around (I don't know the url) that would be able to answer the question better as most of us drive GL/DL/Loyale cars That said, I am sure it is possible to convert it to 4WD, it is just a matter of how much time and money you are willing to spend. You will also need rear trailing arms and wheel bearing assy's and rear brake assy's b/c the 2wd back end won't have anywhere for the axle to go through. Make sure you change your timing belt if it is of unknown age.

Generally, if you have worked on anything with a sideways-mounted engine, Subaurs are a godsend. Not always as easy as classics from the 60's and early 70's, but close to them - keep in mind it has an aluminium block & tranny case. That said, plop plop on cardboard held to the exhaust pipe is normal - it's a flat-four and will push the exhaust out with force, and then the cessation of the flow of exhaust gasses for that tiny period of time would probably be enough to suck the box in. Realize that the valves are controled by hydraulic lash adjustors, and these require proper lubrication. Make sure there is 10w-30 of decent quality in the engine or else stuff can happen ie weird valve behaviour. Blowing out the oil fill tube means you may have bad rings and/or a stuck PCV valve. Replace the PCV valve with an OEM one and do a compression test.

Um, I think timing for these is supposed to be 20 degrees BTDC @ 700 rpms (MT), 800 rpms for (AT). I know that is what it is for 1989 turbos (checked FSM), but 1987 is very similar. Given the symptoms, I think timing is your problem. Good Luck!! Glad to hear it's almost done!!

Congrads, I know that feeling. That feeling is the reason why I like restoring cars (college is in the way of that for now for me otherwise my 1983 BMW 528e would be done). Good luck and enjoy every mile of it!!!!!

It sounds like you may have a vacuum leak. The carbed EA82's are prone to developing vacuum leaks because they have so many vacuum hoses. But it looks like you plugged them. Rebuilt Hitachi's have been known to be faulty, so I would not rule that out either. Your mixture setting sounds about right. If the kid messed with the timing, that may be suspect too.

One common electrical problem I have found on my 1985 Subaru is that the lubricating grease put in the control switches was not of ideal nature - ie it reacts over time with the copper to form a noncondutive coating on the contacts. I have not had issues with my headlight switch and this problem, but my intermitent wiper was problematic until I cleaned it out, and I have yet to fully fix my turn signal (in cold weather it can short out). Once the switch is cleaned, it works like new. I would go ahead and put some dielectric grease in there to keep everything lubed and functioning if that is the problem.

Adding a filter CAN be good, but it also adds to the resistance on the fuel line, so I would not put more than two, and nothing too fine for filtration.

probably I don't suggest drilling holes in firewalls, and it should be easy to find a pre-drilled hole that is plugged with rubber you can use. It would probably only need a penknife to open a large enough hole up for you to pass wires through.

Using synthetic is always best, I don't feel guilty if they run 4,000-5,000 with synthetic in them. That said, I use Castrol Sythetic Blend 10w-30 because I do a lot of city driving, and natural oil gets nasty quickly. I also do mine every 3,000. I also can't afford mobil 1. NEVER use cheap oil, it will damage your engine ... period. Cheap oils lack certain stabilizers and other things to help them preserve your engine. I personally don't like 10w-40 because it has historically has had gelling issues, but in our engines that should not be much of a problem, because they are not prone to gelling.

Generally, any synthetic oil will be more prone to leaks than a natural oil, but not extremely so. I would not expect your oil consumption to spike. That said, you will notice fewer oil changes, but I seriously doubt improved performance. It will also appear to use more oil because you will a) be paying more for it, and you will have longer runs between oil changes for it to "use" oil.

I'm not, I have really never liked the PCV system, I prefer breathers because the gases exit the engine permanently, however PCV valves are what our cars came with ... I'm sorry to see an engine have to get rebuilt with less than 100k on the odometer, but things happen, and I do agree with the consensus that it appears to be rings.

1) dealer/subaru parts supplier ( www.1stsubaruparts.com ) 3) failing alternator - textbook symptoms or a bad contact (tighten bat/alt connectors) 5) in left rear panel - not the latch one but the one closest to the tailgate 6) if it's hitting something, you are probably out of adjustment, or your hill-holder is binding 7) there was a dealer install kit available years ago, if you can find one great, if not there are aftermarket kits available 8) if you pull the engine, common sense dictates you do the clutch, best to replace pressure plate and have flywheel turned by a machine shop before reinstalled

The relays are above the kickpanel on the driver's side. Are you SURE they were in "on" and not in the parking light position? (turn clockwise one step for parking, two for head, counterclockwise and in for parking lights while ignition off) Sorry, but many people get confused by the lighting controls on Subarus. (The 87 - later ones are even harder - in my opinion at least.) Also check fusible links. But if they flash the relays and fusible links should be OK, so my best candidate is a bad switch. - don't know about VW gremlins though, may have to look into that welcome to the board!! enjoy your Subaru!!

I think you're right, actually for a car that's been blown - up, I think it's in pretty good shape. It looks as though he picked the right kind of car I wonder if he survived .....

I was wondering how you routed that. Yes stock ones work ... if you don't try to bleed off excessive pressure through them! I think all Hitachi EA81s (or at least 83 and 84 ones) also have the fuel return line. It is smaller than the SPFI cars, but so is mine! If you are really concerned, you can switch stuff around because the line to the tank for the EVAP canister is the same size as the fuel line on FI cars.

What would be really good is if you could make it a pdf so that we can download it. I don't have an EA81 right now, so it won't help me, but it could help many other board members.

I would try pouring a little gas down the throttle body. That should give it enough gas to fire a couple times, and allow the fuel pump to get fuel to the engine. The 1985 FSM says that code 12 is the starter switch. Check pin 9 on the ECU (Black wire with White stripes) for 12+ V when the ignition is in start. (There should only be one wire that is black with white stripes going to the computer) If it is an automatic, there may be a problem with the inhibitor switch, otherwise the harness is open somewhere.

Sounds like BS to me, the most any fuel additive has ever done (that I have noticed) is make it harder to ping the engine under load, but there is really no power increase to that. High Octane fuel is your best resource.

We all make mistakes!!!! I just about put them on wrong when I changed them on my car The injectors fire via signal from the CAS (crank angle sensor or distribuitor) no there is no vacuum line going to or from it. To see if the injector is actually squirting requires removing it, and usually shipping it to a place that specializes in cleaning injectors. You can have someone crank it while pointing it into a cup or something .... but I would really suggest that you DON'T try that b/c of the pressure the fuel is under. Part of the FSM for a 1989 Subaru can be found at this website, it will give you better info than the Haynes, as 87s and 89s are virtually identical. http://www.finleyweb.net/default.asp?id=142

Are you running the proper weight of oil? If someone put something really light (5w-30 or less) I would expect it to start blowing out, but that does not really explain the pressure in the crankcase, and it would probably be burning it too. When my car was carbed, the breather was always getting dirty, though it never seemed a problem. I agree with Skip that it looks like rings, especially if you feel the pulsation of the cylinders with the pressure on the oil cap. I would recommend changing the oil if you don't know what's in there. If it had a bad PCV for a while, the oil will be very dirty and acidic from the blowby gasses collecting and disolving in it. As you have already put the one chemical in there, run it for the spec'd time before changing it. The oil should be changed anyway if the car has been sitting for a while. Old oil can get some really weird characteristics.

I don't know whether the manual covers this or not, but MAKE SURE YOUR ECU (computer) CASE IS GROUNDED or else you will fry it. It took me 3 months (weekends only) to figure out the problem, other than that, it is pretty strait forward. The SPFI pump runs at a higher pressure, you will need to swap the pump and intake at the same time (I still need the right pump, mine is running on BMW pump and I am having issues). The SPFI pump's pressure is far too high for a carb to handle. It would also be a good idea to replace all your rubber fuel lines, as they are pretty old, and designed for 4 psi, not 40+ psi. Make sure that you get ones that can take 50 or more psi. Conversion is very doable with a good parts car, I had a junkyard full of wrecked/worn out junk to work with, which made it very difficult for me to get good parts. (and whatever I got was in question) Anyway, a running parts car is the way to go. I like to see 85's and 86's on the road because they are very individual. Both had a different control layout from later models, and the 85's do not have the center stoplight (my parents had the dealership add it on when the 86's came out).

Big time Kudos - Great job, I bet there are a lot of jaws droping tonight ..... And they say we shouldn't stick with our old Soobs !!!! Mine ain't that good tho!!!

When I converted to SPFI, I did not properly ground my control unit, and fried it. These control units seem to be pretty tempermental. If you don't have the FSM for your car, here's the link: http://www.finleyweb.net/default.asp?id=142 yes, I know it's for a 1989, but it should be close enough to test your CAS and your computer (I tried 3 CAS, and fried 2 computers before I found the problem!!!) good luck!!