SiriusBlack

@Step-a-toe when you break it down like that, it makes sense. I still need to test it and see if the air control valve is actually bad, then I'll go from there.

Can you tell me exactly what that air control valve was originally for? You said yours runs great with the one line to the intake plenum pulled and plugged.

Alright I'll check that. I also had to replace the fuel pump and the new one lacks the fuel damper. Can you tell me if that would cause my idle issues? I have to suspect that it would since without the damper the fuel flow would be less smooth.

By device I assume you mean the actual air control valve on top of thermostat housing?

The rubber line from the air control valve on top of the thermostat housing is brand new. The one that runs to the barb on the underside of the turbo intake plenum. No clamps though...

@Step-a-toe yeah I did dig deep again. I got my EA82T running like a dream today except for the idle. It wanders when idling and in gear, if I put it in park it stays solidly at 900 rpm. Main issue is it likes to die occasionally as it wanders. I was digging around for a solution.

From all the research I've done, these engines wind up getting killed due to the owner trying to squeeze more power out of it by simply increasing the boost pressure. This generally results in blowing the head gaskets which overheats the engine. Biggest thing about these engines is that they overheat, if you want to prevent this I highly recommend installing a dual core radiator, oil cooler and an air charge cooler. If you have an auto tranny give it a separate cooler as well, so the radiator doesn't have to deal with the heat. Apparently the dual core radiators for a modern BRZ will fit these with minor modification. Also keep up the regular maintenance on the cooling system, run some radiator flush every other year to clean the radiator and coolant passages. As for the getting more power, it can be done but don't just crank up the boost. If you can, just leave the boost at the stock 7psi. Injectors from a Nissan 280ZX are direct bolt in with double the flow capacity vs the stock injectors. Hook them to a megasquirt ECU for better tuning. Change the air filter housing for better breathability. Some people have said that advancing the ignition timing to 28 degrees was good for adding power too. All the little mods add up. I'd bet you could get this engine up to 150hp without ever touching the boost. Hope some of this info helps, best of luck.

I have a digital dash in my 87 XT turbo, and it seems really dim and hard to read in the sun. The dimmer switch only affects how bright it is when the headlights are on. Does anyone know how to make the Digi dash brighter when the lights are off? I'd really like them to be easier to read in the daylight. Thanks in advance.

@Rampage the number I got off the housing is, TX86K362FC-TW. That's on an automatic with part time on demand push button 4 wheel drive.

@Rampage I got that part number off the bell housing, where do I go to decode it into the actual part?

Well, when I get it running again I plan to count the gears. However I double checked the factory owners manual and it says it has a 4 SPD. However I have a factory service manual for the 86 model year and it says that the 86s at least had 3 SPD. It's just baffling. I'll have to count them when I get it running again.

Well my XT is an 87 not the 87.5. It has the part time push button 4 wheel drive. Many of the original articles and magazines i found said that all XTs that came to the US from the start of production in 85 have a 4 spd electronically controlled transmission. Ones sold in their home market of japan apparently had the 3 spd. So as far as i can tell mine has a 4spd auto, but since it isnt the half year with full time AWD i have no idea if it has the lock up torque converter.

@Step-a-toeIf you can find the article or whatever said that i would absolutely love to read it.

The patch worked for the most part. As is the case with rust i had another couple leaks spring up but they were outside of the area i patched. The patch material and solder hold back most of it, but you will end up with some small leaks. To seal those up i used fiberglass resin from a fiberglass repair kit, just apply the resin without the fiberglass cloth and let it bond and cure. Did a beautiful job of sealing the smaller leaks around the patch. Make 100% sure you have it fully clean though, clean the area you are soldering and applying the resin to THOROUGHLY. I used an angle grinder and a flap disc, slight grinding so you don't remove too much metal. Solder on your patch then coat the entire thing in the resin, should do the job. Best of luck to you.

I have an 87 XT turbo with the computer controlled 4 speed auto tranny. I was wondering if there is a direct bolt in lock up torque converter for better efficiency? As far as i know the torque converters they came with were not lock up and thus not as efficient at higher speeds. If anyone know of one that is a direct bolt in, i'd appreciate it. I also plan to install a magasquirt 2 ECU later, so keep in mind it will have to be compatible with that. Thanks in advance.

It won't be stock, but they make electric fans that essentially zip tie to the radiator. Your main problem will be getting a replacement for the radiator itself.

I would do the basics. Drain the tank, my 86 has a drain plug so you don't have to drop said tank. Refill with fresh fuel. Pull all the fuel lines, add a little carb cleaner and blow them out with compressed air. Clean the carb really well. I recommend adding a full can of sea foam fuel additive to the first 2 or 3 tanks of fuel you run through it. Change any and all fuel filters, most of the 80s subis seem to have 2 filters, one under the hood and one by the fuel pump underneath. I would probably do a complete oil change too. Hope this helps.

I have an 86 BRAT that has a leaky fuel tank. Now as many of you probably know you can't get new tanks for these. I've cleaned it up and repaired it about 90% of the way, I used some sheet metal and solder. However my solder joints leak in a couple places and refuse to seal. Does anyone know if something like red line tank sealant is safe to use? The insides of these tanks have a web of fuel pick up lines, which is why I haven't used a sealant even after all this time. For fear of it sealing those lines and ruining my tank. Any help is appreciated, thanks in advance.

I fixed my fuel tank on my 86 BRAT recently. I used some thin sheet metal as patch material, and soldered on the patches with 60/40 acid core solder and a propane torch. It looks pretty damn good, going to test for leaks soon, then if there are none going to anti rust coat it and reinstall it. Wish I could share the pics, but the files are too large apparently. Thought I'd share the idea here though for others that want to try it. Make sure to purge the tank of all fumes before applying flame. I put a block of dry ice in mine then let it sit for probably 2 weeks, did a good job of ridding it of fumes. Good luck to you if you try this method.

Not sure, like I said when I started work on this door it was missing these parts. I can try to check my shop manual.

I found several motors on eBay, but it's missing the regulator too. Anyone know if the regulators from the other 80s models will work?

Hey all. I am repairing the door to an 87 XT coupe, and it is missing it's window motor. I have already checked Rock Auto for a new one and they don't have it. So my question is, does anyone know if a different window motor will work for this door? Thanks in advance.

Hey all, I got the loyale rocker panels from Mill supply and am getting ready to put them on my 86 BRAT as the originals are practically non-existent. I heard on another thread someone put up a guide on how to modify these to fit? Can anyone post a link to that guide please? I want to get this right the first time. Thanks.

Brand new, with a chrome air filter housing and everything :).

@GeneralDisorder I took a much closer look, and see how it could fail in the future due to the gasket simply being unable to seal fully. As for the rubber line, I apparently never did pull and plug it like I thought. I've put around 4000 miles on mine with the gasket sealing that passage. I'm now trying to figure out another way to seal that passage in a non permanent way, as I am hell bent on being able to set this vehicle back to factory if need be. Thanks.