I have two motors that I purchased as spares (EA-82T MPFI). One I bought sight unseen and the other I pulled from a car myself. They are both EA-82T's but they have different distributors. According to my 85 FSM they should be Hitachi D4R84-20's. The one I bought unseen has a D4R83-33 and the one I pulled myself is a D4R84-51. WTFO! Is this something like "D4R" is the number, "83" or "84" is the year of manufacture and the "dash" number is the production batch series?

BTW I did try to search for "EA-82T distributor" and didn't get any hits so I must have done something incorrectly.

Anyway, any help would be greatly appreciated,

 

Subpilot

Do you know what years the engines are? An '85 FSM would only cover the older (85/86) engine that uses a standard hall-effect distributor in conjuncion with a stand-alone ignition module that incorporated knock control (the "knock control unit"), which the '87+ EA82T's uses an optical pickup distributor that is the same part as the the SPFI/MPFI distributor but with a different connector.

 

Does one have a vacuum advance and the other have nothing? That would be my guess.

 

Basically that engine ran from '85 to '90 and there were changes over the years so the distributors had to change. There were only two types though and interchangeability within those types is fine regardless of part number if you make sure the pinout of the connector is the same, etc.

 

GD

Thanks for the quick response GD. Both engines are 85's and both distributors have vacuum advance although the vacuum diaphrams are slightly different. OK so I will not worry about the exact numbers matching my FSM as the connectors match as they should.

 

Subpilot

Could have been replaced with an '86 unit, etc. Should still work fine.

 

GD

The 10 digit Subaru part #s on the distys may provide more insight.

Parts book shows 3 different "correct" distributors for an 85 ea-82t.

22100 AA062,AA220 and AA221. I suspect these correspond to the 3 Hitachi #s quoted.

 

For some reason,book says,the higher #s sub for the lower ones but not vice versa.Also says,AA220 is for build dates up to oct 84,AA221 thereafter thru the 86 MY.

 

Seems suspicious that the vacuum diaphragms are different on yours.

 

Additionly,book shows 3 different non-interchangible distributor wiring harnesses for 85/6 ea-82ts.

Could be wrong,but,I faintly recall someone mentioning having to move wires around in the connector.

I would check that the wires are routed identicaly.

 

Just found a D4R84-51. I can confirm that it is also Subaru 22100 AA221.

Edited November 11, 201015 yr by naru
part # correlation.

Could be wrong,but,I faintly recall someone mentioning having to move wires around in the connector.

I would check that the wires are routed identicaly.

 

You are probably remembering the pre-'87/post-'87 FI distributor connector pin-out change. But definitely check them just the same as it's possible they are different.

 

Generally speaking there is less knowledge out there about the '85/'86 setup because it was used for such a short time and most of them are off the road now.

 

GD