subynut

I'm not positive, but I think that sensor is the knock sensor. Have you tried getting the codes? If not, here's an article in the USRM: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/article.php?a=44 Assuming it's a three speed tranny, sounds like maybe the kickdown relay or maybe the vacume moduator. Don't have much experience with autos, but that would be my first guess. Hope that helps.

OK, I temoarally installed an aftermarket guage and it read about 19 psi at idle and around 60 psi up around 2000-3000RPM with the engine warmed up. I did a little serching and I found that the ticking is comming from mainly the driver's side. So......I've got at least one bad oil sender and/or guage, will be fixing that tomarrow. I've got good oil pressure. I think it's just a sign of poor maintenence. Will be adding some more seafoam and do some driving and I'll see if I can get this roo running better. Pyromanic: I checked for end play of the crankshaft and there was none. Thanks guys and gals!

Yeah, I don't remember when I changed her oil last. I think I'll give it a long drive and see if it will clear up. Thanks, guys!

Is it possible to drop the oil pan without pulling the engine?

Turbone: Will ATF loosen up that caked on oil in there better than seafoam? Could I mix the two? pyromanic: No, I'm not absolutely sure it's TOD, but it sure sounds like it. It appears to be comming from the heads. It's really loud initally for about a minute after the oil presssure guage comes up, then it's not as bad, but it's still loud enough that worries me. If it was my car, I would still drive it and just keep an ear on it. But, since it's my sisters'........no....I don't trust it. I'll check for play in the crankshaft and run the engine a bit longer and let the seafoam go to work. It hasn't been in there very long, so maybe I just need to be more patient. When I did that trick in my Suby, it cleared up that tick in a matter of minutes. Guess this one is gonna need a little more attention. Yes, 140k is not very old for a Suby engine. She got 200k out of her other Suby. But that was cause those were mainly highway miles. This one I think are mainly city miles. A BIG differance. I wonder if there's somthing blocking the inlet of the oil pump.......hummmmmm Thanks guys,

My sister's roo started the TOD the other day, so I did an oil change (castrol 10-w40, stp filter) with some SeaFoam in there and it made no difference. I also noticed that the oil pressure was rather low: about halfway between 0 and the 45 with a cold engine at 3000RPM and air temp around 55. At idle the pressure is 0, doesn't start climbing till about 2000RPM. The lifters are screamin' at me. Well, more like ticking at me, but you know what I mean. So, suspecting the oil pump needed a reseal, I resealed it and it made no difference what so ever. Ticking is the same as well as the oil pressure. When I resealed the pump, I noticed alot of caked on oil in the pump itself and the seals were rather hard. I do know the car was overheated a minimum of twice, it leaks oil everyware, and it's not blowing any smoke whatsoever. Power is ok, not great, but it'll get to 80 without too much work. It's got just under 140k miles. Here's my question: Does it sound like there is somthing wrong with the oil system internally? I think it just needs a reseal, but if there's any machine work, I'm outa luck cause there's no shops around here that'll work on them. Is there anything I could put in the crankcase that would loosen up that oil mess and free up the oil passages? At this point, it's looking like an engine swap because it would be the quickest way to get her on the road again. Any ideas? Thanks,

I did find a relay that's 62 ohms. I'm gonna try that and see if I can fake out the ECU. If that works, then all I have to do is find a 12V 3-way valve. Else, it's gonna be find a 68 ohm 5 watt resistor. Really want that CEL off. It's buggin' me.

Not on fuel injected models. However it might be a small exhaust leak. Very slim, but it is possible.

Looks nice! Good job!

Does the ticking get faster as the engine speed increaces? If so, that sounds like valve lifter tap. Throw some MMO or Seafoam in the crankcase on your next oil change. Do you have an oil pressure guage? Where's it sit at say, 3500 RPM? Should be around the 45psi mark. That would be my guess.

213.8k

Here's my setup: Mine's an 86, so I just mounted them to the metal part under the plastic. Man, I gotta replace that grille......stupid mesquite trees.....

Precicely. BUT if I can find a replacement solenoid valve, I would prefer to keep them enabled. Currently, my computer is complaining about the Purge, EGR and the Neutral safety switch. I may just throw those resistors in and see if I can get the ECU to run in closed loop mode. I assume you picked those resistors up at RadioShack, right?

So, they are kicked on by the ECU at a certain temp. Cool, that means I can just find another 3-way solenoid valve and drive it with another relay that has roughly the same impeadance as the original solenoid valve. Hehe hehe hehe.......the wheels are begining to turn......... Thank you!

Hummmm I guess there's no guenius in the house.

Yes, the front cat is part of the y-pipe secton. My guess why the PCV valve can wreak havoc would be when it fails it usually fails open which causes a large vacume leak. That can cause the engine to run lean requiring more throttle to accelerate.

How do they work? Does the ECU just turn them on for a time then off or is it pulsed? Such as the EGR: The ECU kicks on the solenoid valve after the engine has warmed up, then the throttle body takes care of controlling the EGR valve itself. The purge control valve is opened after the car is warmed up and the engine speed above say 2000 RPM. Am I right? I think that's how I interpret those systems. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

It runs! Turned out to be a grounding issue with the base of the ignitor. Ran a wire from there to a grounding point on the engine and whala! I have spark!

It runs! You were right. The ignitor wasn't properly grounded. Ran a wire from the ignitor base to a ground point on the engine and VROOM! WOO HOO!! Now, all I need is a Purge control valve and a EGR sol valve. I know, they're not really necissary for engine performance, but I would prefer them to be there. I took her out for a test drive and there is a little hesitation thruout the rpm range. Just slight glitches I can feel. I havn't installed the y-pipe with the o2 sensor yet, funny how the ECU isn't complaining about it. Very odd, but anyways, I don't know if that has anything to do with it. Thanks MorganM!

I agree

Ok, the wires to the coil are correct. But I'll hafta check the ignitor connector when I get home from work. I know there is a black/white wire at the ignitor connector, don't remember what the other wire color is. When I pulled the wiring harness out of the parts car, I kept everything in tact(no cutting any wires) and I made sure that the wiring looked good (no fraying or broken insulation) before I installed it into the car. What happends during the start procedure? Detects the start signal from the starter, checks if the neutral safety switch is on, what else? The starter wire is hooked up and the neutral safty switch is disconnected.

It's mounted in the spare tire area using one of the bolts that holds the A/C hose in place. I also have that ground wire that is amidst that bundle of wires attatched to the chassis also.

The Accel was in there before and I also put it in my brother's 87 SPFI car and it was good. Yes, the ditsy is electronic like the MPFI. I checked the polarity of the coil and it's wired right. I also put the original coil back in with no change.

I just converted my 86 carbed wagon to SPFI out of a 88. BUT, I got no spark. Everything else seems to work, but no spark. I started a thread in the retrofitting forum, but it's kinda quiet over there. So, here's the link to that thread: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35801 Any ideas?

Well, I took the ditsy apart, but the wires are molded into the sensor. I was hoping I could just swap the pigtails, but that won't be possible. I was going to test the ditsy in my brother's car, but unless I cut and solder, then cut and resolder the wires, I don't think I can swap the ditsys just for a test. Do you know if the ECUs are the same? One's a 87 used to be AT now MT. And the other is a 88 MT. Just trying to pinpoint the problem. Any other ideas as to why there's no spark?