I have been having various issue's with my 1987 Subaru GL of the past year regarding performance. I have, in the process, replaced the carb and, most recently, the fuel pump. Before the fuel pump was replaced, it would start up and run, but when pushed it would bog and sounded like it was starving for fuel. I decided the fuel pump needed to be replaced so I bought a basic pump, not a Subaru pump, but it said it should work. I initially wired it backwards, but once I fixed it I tried to get it to turn over. It cranked for a bit, getting the fuel to flow, then when I tried again, all power was gone. The lights on the dash were gone, it wouldn't even click like when the battery is dead but still has that little juice to make a click sound. I checked the fuses under the dash, all fine. I looked at the 3 fusible links I have by the battery and they look fine, but I don't know how to visually see if they are burned out. 

I attached a battery charger to see if that would help, left if over night and got the same result. Nothing. I just today attempted to jump the car, same result nothing. If the car sits idle for a day or so, the lights on the dash come on initially when I put the key in, but once it gets to the Start position, it all gets wiped out. I'm about at my wits end with this car. I love it and want to keep it going, but this is getting ridiculous. 

Is it possible the fuel pump is causing this ignition issue?? 

Not likely.  Sounds like a bad / corroded connection somewhere. 

Time for a schematic and a volt meter or  test light.

1 hour ago, soobie87 said:

Before the fuel pump was replaced, it would start up and run ...I initially wired it backwards, but once I fixed it I tried to get it to turn over. It cranked for a bit, getting the fuel to flow, then when I tried again, all power was gone.

Double check your wiring installation.  Sounds like there's a wire grounding out somewhere.

Edited August 21, 20187 yr by Dee2

Look into the ignition switch as well. Recently had the ignition switch stakes loosen causing switch to come apart slightly, separating start-run contacts inside switch.

Symptoms were exactly what you described - fully charged battery, jump start battery, checked starter by jumping solenoid to pos term & engine turns over. But won't start with ign sw.

Only a few clicks then nothing. And yes battery terminals/cables were clean.

Gently hold it together with shop rag in a vise & punch the 3 stakes a little tighter. Operative word here is gently to not crack the plastic insulator.

Easy peasy. 

Ignition switch is easy to get to. Only held into column lock assy with one screw.

You can see how the brown switch insulator has moved away from the shell in this photo.

Edited August 21, 20187 yr by czny

I've had a problem like that before and the battery posts just needed cleaning. Simple, easy fix. Worth a try.

The battery posts are clean, I tried a new ignition switch with no change. I'm going to go back and check the connections with the fuel pump. I don't know how it could have effected the starting in this way but it all started after that.

CHECK YOUR FUSIBLE LINK AGAIN WITH THEM WITH A JUMP WIRE OFF THE POSITIVE AND THEN CHECK BOTH SIDES REVERSING THE CONNECTION FROM THE POSITIVE SIDE  CHECK THE FAR END TOO SEE IF CARRIES JUICE  USING A 12 VOLT TESTER THEN  IF IT CHECKS OUT PULL EVERY FUSE AND DO THE SAME THING WITH EACH FUSE SOME TIMES A FUSE WILL BURN NEXT TOO THE END CONNECTOR RARE BUT IT CAN HAPPEN SEE IF EACH FUSE WILL CARRY 12 VOLTS AND LIGHT UP YOUR TEST LIGHT  ITS A PROCCESS OF  FINDING THE BAD PIECE OF EQUIPMENT..,,// THERE IS ALSO A FUSE IN THE WIRING ON TOP OF THE MOTOR THAT CARRIES JUICE TO THE DISTRIBUTOR IT IS NOT IN THE FUSE BOX IT IS IN THE WIREING ON TOP OF THE MOTOR YOU WILL HAVE TO LOOK AT A WIRING DIGRAGRAM TOO SEE IT, ONE ONE THEM BURNT OUT ON  MINE WHEN MY GIRLFRIEND WAS DRIVING 35 MILES AWAY AND I HAD TO DRIVE  70 MILES TO CHECK ON IT AND REPLACE THE FUSE TOO MAKE IT RUN AGAIN  I FOUND BUY  PROCCESS OF ELIMBINATION AND SEARCHNG IT TOOK A WHILE BUT THERE IT WAS ,,..// 

everything work before you wired the pump? is the 87 fuel pump controlled by its own system not a relay if it was wired backwards could he have shorted that box  out i know the pump should prime and stop till the distributor starts spinning long shot but if it was working before the pump and not after it was wired backwards id start there if you already checked fuses do a parasitic draw test something is drawing alot of power do the test on your fusible links also

 

Edited August 30, 20187 yr by pbilt

My cousin, who has worked on vehicles for some years was visiting and helped out on the car. The new battery terminals I installed, which did work initially, decided to stop working due to some minor corrosion. He cleaned them off and the power was back. It makes no sense to me why they worked fine one instant but then not another, but I guess thats normal.

It is very common for corroded / bad / dirty connections to do weird intermittent stuff.