zyewdall

Someone should move this to the new gen forum -- might get more good answers there. My first thought on seeing the post was that the problem with your car is that it's too new -- none of ours give more than a two digit error code at most

Question -- mostly for GD, I guess, but whoever else has experience with this. But, I am considering putting SPFI on my '82 wagon. Engine still runs great, but I'd like the reliability of my '89 wagon as far as cold starting, smooth running etc. Right now it's got the feedback hitachi, which to be honest runs pretty good, but still... Anyway, my question is -- the carbed EA81 feels like it has more low end torque than my EA82 SPFI. The SPFI definetly has more power on the highway -- no question there -- but you can lug the EA81 to 2,000rpm going up a hill and it still has power. The SPFI EA82 just doesn't do well below 2,500rpm or so and just doesn't feel as powerful crawling on dirt roads. Since the '82 is going to be my lifted rig, torque at 2k and below is important. I remember my old '82 wagon had the torquey feel when offroading too. Maybe I'm just thinking this because the EA81 is a lighter car than the EA82? Or do the distributors have different advance curves? Thanks Z

I've started running only 5W50 synthetic in mine -- and it makes a noticeable difference in how the engine feels. With 10W40, it feels sort of sluggish, and with 10W30 it burns a quart every tank of gas.

Ah. I'm somewhat jealous -- I've been reviewing all of the hatch patrol pictures in the off-road thread. I like the sun here in Colorado, but I have to admit I miss the green and rain and trees from WA (no, something under 75 foot tall doesn't really count as a tree, and it isn't really raining unless its the fourth straight day of constant hard downpour). And, yes, it's the land of subarus too. Lived up north of Spokane for 21 years.

Hmmm. A bike with roughly three times the horsepower as my EA81 I bet you can actually feel it accellerating? I don't have anyone who tells me what not to buy ... maybe that's because I have too many subarus already

True, true. I forgot that. You have to stick around the area for a while, and I'll bring it to the Colorado meets.

My Ipike snow tires stick pretty well in the wet too -- but if its JUST wet you want, I wouldn't use them, because they will probably only last 20k miles at most. Soft rubber. Z

There's different types of JB weld too http://jbweld.net/products/index.php

Hey, the snow here is melting, so I'm starting to work on the wagon again. Got a set of 14" alloy pugs (no tires on them yet ). And I decided on a paint sceme for it, and have started working on it. Black hammerite from the rubber door strips down, dark metalic green above (1999 Volkswagon color), and white roof. Here's a pic of it today. I was doing some landscaping in my yard to reroute the drainage ditch from the highway and decided to see if I could park it on top of the hill behind the ditch. Yes! even with lousy street tires. click the picture to make it bigger And John gave me a 5 speed dual range tranny for it. So I might put it in there sometime. Old EA81 is still running great though.

Did you check the vaccuum actuator to see if it's actually moving? Perhaps one of the vaccum hoses came off or has a leak. Z

Hmmm. I wouldn't think the intake manifold would get that hot. I've used it to glue a temperature sensor to the top of the block and it was fine. But there wasn't any pressure there.

:lol: Yeah, but the shifting will still be hard. Very hard.

I don't know exactly, but that's one symptom of an old clutch cable. My old '82 wagon had to be tightened further and further about once a month to remain driveable. I think maybe the cable housing starts compressing as it gets old, which also makes it hard for the cable to slide inside??? Just a wild guess. But the solution is a new clutch cable.

Haha. 13th of what month? May? Maybe I can have the '82 wagon going by then (actually, I've been driving it around Ward, but I just don't have any plates on it yet -- which is frowned on by most law enforcement officials :-\ Just got my pugs for it, and it's getting a new paint job.

If it's like mine, going up a steep hill will put it into the Bi-lev position automatically, because the vaccuum that moves the doors drops. I think that Bi-lev gives alot more airflow than defrost. You could try relocating one of the windshield washer sprayers to spray on the radiator. Turbo guys do this all the time on their intercoolers and radiators (well, actually, they add a second tank and dedicated sprayers). In my VW rabbit, I have to shift to 3rd on hills, not because of lack of power in 4th, but because it overheats. Just take it slow up the hills.

Apparently the driveshaft center bearing cannot be replaced. You need a new driveshaft.... I got a used one for mine, for $100 instead of $275 for a new one.

My driveshaft carrier bearing was going out for the last year or so -- and I just had it replaced. Maybe that's the cause of the 2 - 3mpg jump I just observed. Certainly got rid of alot of vibration.

Wow, what a B______ . I feel sorry for her husband. I've never even seen a cop that grumpy when I've broken down -- "It'll be out of here by tonight". "Fine. We just don't want it blocking traffic tomorrow morning" The fact that she had the road paved up to her driveway should have been the first sign... people who live on paved roads -- because they had it paved themselves -- tend to not be ones you want anything to do with. Citifying the country, instead of getting a $200 subaru. I bet tracking mud all over the paved part would really get her goat. That's why I'm switching to an EA81 for my offroader. I had timing belt covers on my EA82 untill recently (had to break them off to do a roadside change of the timing belt when the idler pulley siezed -- all the little bolts were stripped), and I am ALWAYS bashing through snowbanks -- ask me how many times I've gotten high centered this winter.... :lol:

I haven't bought anything subaru from them, but they're the same place as 1stvwparts.com I think, and I got an engine mount from them last summer. Seemed okay.

Eeeesh. The only time my D/R SPFI EA82 has gotten that low was plowing through deep snow for almost the whole tank. I average about 28 usually, but the last three tanks, I gotten a little higher than 30. Alot of highway driving, and some mountain and offroad, but very little city traffic. The only thing different than normal is that I've been driving faster recently -- you'd think that would make it go down.... Z

Yeah, melted timing covers is a sign..... and not a good one. My EA82 had service records back to 30k when I got it, and it's got 225k on it now. Still original head gaskets from what I can tell.

WOW. you are king of the dancin nanas.... What is that last one, a giant lime green llama???

I totally understand. And, I'm planning on putting them on my EA81 wagon's hood (which is the same as a hatch, right, or not?). So.... I did the thing lining it up and taping the hood where the edges should be to show where my wheels are. But, I wanted to see some photos of EA81 hoods with functional racing stripes. Anyone got some? Thanks Z

I second this. Also, did they replace the pilot bearing with the clutch? I had one that would squeal whenever the clutch was out. Since the noise is dependent on road speed, not engine speed, I'd say it's transmission related rather than clutch related though.

Pushbutton or dual range 4wd? If it's pushbutton, maybe the vaccum solinoid has died and won't pull it back into 2wd.