wagonist

Some pics of your stuff would be good too If you can get us a pic of the front of the engine where the current idiot light sender is, we can give you some ideas. The cars that had the factory gauge have the sender screwed in just to the left and at 45 degrees of this. The factory sender uses a tapered thread, so you'd prob need an adaptor.

You've used the word "sender" a lot there. Can you clarify which one you are talking about? It's a bit confusing.

how cruise systems usually work: there will be an electronic brain somewhere. it has inputs from the speedo, sometimes tacho, brake pedal, sometimes clutch pedal, an on/off switch, "set" & "resume" switches (newer ones also have a "cancel" switch. Newer versions also have a neutral switch. output to the vacuum solenoid (in this case) When on, and then hit set, the brain monitors the speedo to keep it constant. slow down and it will get the actuator to open more to suck harder, therefore pulling the gas pedal, accelerate & it does the opposite. Mostly, the clutch switch & brake switch are normally closed switches in series so that when you hit either pedal, the circuit is broken, and the brain knows to deactivate the cruise. The factory brain for these is over the glovebox on RHD models, don't know about the LHD versions. he previous owner had to do that with the clutch, I'd suggest checking the rubber stop on top of the pedal to see if it's intact. The switch is on an adjustable thread. If that switch isn't closed, then the cruise won't "set" because it thinks you've got your foot on the clutch.

You should have more than 80hp, but then it also is older & has a few miles. The A/C does that on all lower powered cars. Either get used to it, or rig a switch on the gas pedal to have the compressor cut out when you're trying to accelerate. The alternators on the are only just ok. A new one should run all the stuff just fine (I used to run 4 spot lights on the front on mine back in the 90s). Do a search on here about upgrades (there's a version from a Maxima which fits apparently). You say there were problems with the TPS, but have you checked the idle motor? And the vacuum lines running around the engine bay? But a dropping voltage wouldn't be helping spark either. How's the fuel filter? Can't comment about the 02 sensor. Never seen working SPFI.

I think you need to open your hood, and then open the hood of other cars before you continue your grand ideas.

The white canister is a vacuum reservoir which is used by the heater box vent controls. Do your vents work? You've checked all these hoses are plugged in & not leaking? Some pics would be really helpful you know. We're still not sure if you've got the factory fit or dealer fit version...

You'll have to break them to get the bolts out, unfortunately. Try to chisel out the front covers instead of twisting the bolts (which'll break the rear covers). If you find a good set of donor covers, use zip ties instead of bolts to hold them together.

Most of the stuff should be big bolts, and it won't matter if you snap them, so long as you save the ones from your car. Unbolt each side front suspension (struts, radius rod, lower control arm, driveshaft, steering tie rod end) complete. are the E-brake cables different? If you want the rear sway bar, then unbolt the 2 suspension arms complete, otherwise you're going to have to dismantle the calipers, rotors, etc

Also, is this the earlier EFI with flapper style MAF sensor on the airbox, or hot wire? 87 is when Subaru changed, so it makes a difference. The earlier ones have a problem with the fuel pump electrical circuit through the ECU., so the fuel pump stops working. Just need to connect the earth wire from the pump to the body instead of letting it go through the ECU.

Careful about using hose clamps for this job. The inside end of the overlap tends to dig into the rubber (look at an old rad hose that's had one on for a long time) & give the potential to cut the boot. Most kits now just come with a plastic zip tie. It only needs enough pressure to hold the boot on while there's some flexing. The rear CVs flex less than the fronts, so having them pull off is unlikely unless you've already got longer springs/shocks.

Transmission fits, but it's nowhere near a direct bolt on job. Ditto the engine. Anything can be made to fit with a cutter, welder & big hammer

And on a 9 year old thread... I was going to fit one to an early EJ20T. I found a hole in the front of the block behind the power steering. Modified the bracket & got a fitting so that it could screw in. No idea if the other EJ motors have this or not.

If such a thing exists, it'd be like unobtainium in Aus. The only thing I can think of is someone fitting a later model STi box with 4.44 diffs.

I think there's a write up on here somewhere. A search should show it up.

I've had a fuel injector specialist replace the rubber lines when they did a service on them. Considering they way they are fitted, I think it would take specialist tools. Considering fuel spraying around a hot engine bay is bad, I'd leave that one to an expert. It's not that expensive.

The terminals in the switches get "corroded" over the years. You need to pull them apart & clean the contacts. Be careful undoing the screws though, the plastic gets brittle over the years. And for the passenger side to work, you need to ensure that both that switch & the master switch are clean. The power comes though both in series. Considering your master switch doesn't work, I'd start with cleaning that one. I've heard a rumour that the 2 doors never got power locks, but can't confirm that.

turbo is MPFI. You can swap in an NA MPFI engine with it's matching ECU, but the SPFI will be a completely different wiring harness throughout the car. ditto with the carb wiring. If you've got a complete SPFI car, then just swap the lot over. It's not hard, just need time.

You've said that the fins are straight on your rad, by how clear are they? I've taken rads out of cars here and you can barely see through them. And that means no air flow, and hence no cooling. If you do want to clear it this way, a garden hose sprayed from back to front will clear it. Is your electric fan kicking in when the temp gets up? Take the sender out of the rad & dunk into a bucket of hot water with a thermometer & a multimeter (or test light) connected across the wires. Leave it in the water until there's no more signal & check the thermometer. Aside for any issues with the engine, if your temp gauge is only going that high, what is the problem? It's not in the red zone yet. Metal tank rads, despite popular belief, aren't better than metal tanked ones. The end tanks get heat soaked & they're not in any airflow to cool them back down again. Plastic is less prone to this absorption (which is why they sometimes get brittle & break). Really, if you've got a perfect system & still have problems (we get this in Aus also as our air temps can be higher than what you've described) is to get a a twin core rad (never avail in Aus ...) or a custom one made with 2 cores. I've run one of those in 100+ temps & didn't realise for a week that my electric fan wasn't plugged in, nor that the viscous fluid in the mech fan was gone BTW, have you got a "return" style rad cap which allows coolant to bleed back into the rad when it cools? Otherwise, you're just going to pump the coolant into the overflow bottle & never let it back into the system.

Why the big round reservoir mounted to the strut tower? Isn't that only for the operation of the vents? The cruise on my 85 model wasn't connected to that and had a separate pump.

I've got one of a slightly different design sitting at home. Goes straight up the back of the diff instead being further back & then bending in. Looks stronger IMHO. And I think it's got the 2 round hole also. Wouldn't be too hard to make at home really. Will try to get a pick on the weekend.

That looks sweet. Did you do that yourself? Been trying to get one made to do the opposite. Fit an EA MAF sensor onto an EJ airbox. I'd originally planned to fit an EJ20T into mine, but that got scrapped. But not after I'd cut out the support bracket that holds the airbox in. So either I put the bracket back in or adapt the MAF sensor...

The clutch switch is only for the cruise control, nothing else. Have you checked the 2nd switch on the brake pedal? Does the cruise power up when you turn the system on? Get someone to do this while the engine is off and the hood up, you'll hear the pump start up to make air pressure.

Find an automatic trans specialist. Unlike the manuals, the front diff and gear ratio areas are separate & have a seal on the shafts to keep their fluids separate. I'd bet that seal has worn out.

The "buzz" is caused by the loading up of the circuit as the failsafe to tell the driver when a globe is blown. As the resistance of the circuit descreases (or increases, I can't remember which) the flashing rate increases. Having all the bulbs gone means it flashes really fast If you can get access to another working combo switch (most ideal to get off a working car), to plug in and check your car, that it the easiest way that part. On the pre 87s, at least everything is together. The later models, with the relocated hazard switch are more difficult to trace.

You've still got the Subaru charcoal canister attached to the engine (front left corner in you pic on the previous page). On the right side of the engine where the fuel lines attach are 3 metal lines. 2 are for the fuel supply & return, the other goes directly to the charcoal canister. This line went to the back of the Subaru for it's fuel system. Hidden inside the passenger rear quarter fender is another "separator" which loops up there to be higher than the fuel filler. It's tall & skinny. It's been a while since I had one apart enough to check which line attaches to what (I think it's the line from the engine to 1 side & then the other to the tank), but you may be able to use that system instead. Subaru has a separate thicker line from the tank to the filler without a separator. But then, the Subaru is newer with a better sealing cap.