DJ_Kuehn Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 I posted this in the "subaru transplants" forum, but it's not getting any traffic, so I'm asking here instead. I'm trying to get this going by the weekend... Hey guys, I have two questions regarding wiring on a 1980 EA81. I build and race hovercraft, so this is by no means an OEM installation (in other words, I can't simply hook up a wiring harness and be done!). I know there are alot of very knowledgeable people on here, so hopefully someone can help me out. 1. There are a total of 2 wires that go to the distributor. One obviously goes from the center of the coil to the center of the disty (high voltage to rotor). The other wire comes out of the bottom/side of the dist. It is a single, braided wire with a loose vinyl sleeve around it. Now, if power goes from the voltage regulator to the positive side of the coil, it seems that maybe this wire should go to the negative side of the coil. However, this isn't really shown on the wiring diagram i have. To make things more confusing, this wire's construction makes it look like some kind of grounding strap, but I don't see why you would need a grounding wire to something that is physically connected to the block! Since I'm a noob with auto wiring , can anyone tell me how this coil/distriubtor/voltage reg thing is supposed to work? 2. The attached diagram is from the Chilton book for early 80's soobs (yes, I know it sucks). I think the root of this problem and possibly the first problem is that the wiring diagram is not correct. Anyway, there is a wire on the voltage regulator that is labeled "starter". On my wiring diagram, there are two wires shown going to the starter; the main positive from the battery, and one going into the regulator. From the voltage regulator, two wires are shown going to the ignition switch. One is for the charge light, the other splits to both the positive side of the coil and the ignition switch. There is NO wire shown going from the ignition switch directly to the starter. My question is, how the the starter get a signal to crank? Am I just missing something, or is my diagram wrong? Thanks a ton for the help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_Kuehn Posted April 20, 2005 Author Share Posted April 20, 2005 Won't let me repost images so here are the links: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2440 http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=2441 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hooziewhatsit Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 have you checked out the EA81 stuff on this site? http://www.finleyweb.net/default.asp?id=142 I don't know the answer to your question, and I'm not sure you'll find on that page, but I guess it's probably better than your Chiltons good luck, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_Kuehn Posted April 20, 2005 Author Share Posted April 20, 2005 Thanks for the site, that engine manual will be pretty useful. I've been looking for a factory one. Unfortunately, the stuff he has posted doesn't have any electrical Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 20, 2005 Share Posted April 20, 2005 It sounds like the wire from the minus side of the coil to the distributor may have a shielded wire. The shield would tie to ground and the center lead would go to the distributor. There needs to be some sort of connection between the points. As far as the starter solenoid lead goes, you need to find the contact on the ignition switch that makes connection to the battery in the 'start' position. Using a test light probe will help with that. Tie that point to the solenoid coil contact connection point on the starter. I assume that the solenoid is built into the starter for this advice to be relevent. If there is a seperate solenoid then just tie the wire to the coil contact on it. In either case, that will be the small contact on the solenoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_Kuehn Posted April 20, 2005 Author Share Posted April 20, 2005 Cougar, 1. I don't know that anything ties to the neg side of the coil, that was just a guess. Are you saying that the wire from the bottom of the distributor is supposed to go to the neg side of the coil? It sounds like you are referring to two different wires coming out of the bottom of the dist, which I've heard before. I'll look again when i get home, maybe there are two but one is buried inside the insulation. 2. That's what I think should happen as well, but why does this not show on the wiring diagram? What is the point of the wire from the volt reg to the starter? Is that wire in ADDITION to the wire which goes to the start terminal on the key switch? Man, I should've got an alternator with the reg already built in! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 I was refering to one wire that was shielded. Shielding is used around wires to keep noise entering or escaping the wire. For the distributor connection there needs to be at least one wire from the 'minus' side of the coil to the distributor. That wire would tie to the points if you have them. I'm not sure how your distributor is designed. You just need something to signal the coil to fire the plugs as the proper timing occurs from the distributor. In the old days the points would be closed to 'ground' and then open the connection when the time was right to fire a plug. As far as the wire between the starter and the regulator is concerned, I assume that the wire is tied to the battery hot lead and always has power on it. This is most likely normal. It probably is there to make the connection to charge the battery. Why there is no wire to the solenoid coil is a mystery to me also. Is the solenoid integrated with the starter motor? It sounds like you know what to do despite what the diagram shows. The solenoid coil has to be supplied power from the ignition switch somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_Kuehn Posted April 21, 2005 Author Share Posted April 21, 2005 Thanks cougar, I think that wire must go to the negative side of the coil then. I have no points, but I still see what you're saying. Most people seem to have 2 wires coming from that lower part of the distributor, so i'm not sure what I'm missing, but I'll hook it up and see if it works, hopefully without frying anything. Regarding the starter, I never considered that being the charge point, but it's possible. I assumed since there are two connection points on the starter and two on the wiring diagram, one must be the big battery lead and the other the regulator to solenoid. But, if thats the charge circuit, then both of those wires must go to the same terminal (where the batt connects). That means the Chilton people must have forgotten to draw in the solenoid to switch connection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar Posted April 21, 2005 Share Posted April 21, 2005 What kind of system do you have that replaces the points? They do run the 'minus' lead to the ECU and or a tach also at times. I am just guessing that the lead from the regulator to the starter is the charge lead. If the alternator's main output lead goes to the regulator then I would assume that is correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ_Kuehn Posted April 22, 2005 Author Share Posted April 22, 2005 As I said, I'm a noobie at this, so maybe i'm way off base, but i'm pretty sure there are no points in the disty, just an electronic control module. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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