Quidam

You just passed the torque peak and are now making horsepower.

Today I fabricated a flanged spacer/adaptor plate to go from SPFI to carb and installed one 28 32 Hitachi to it. Will do more work on it tomorrow. I'll be able to install a 32/36 Weber when I get my hands on one. Found a vintage dgav with oval K and N filter for $98.00 but I'll pass on that one as it needs a lot of work. I'm going to order a Weber 32/36 gasket so I can fabricate a plate/mount for one to this flange spacer/adaptor. Looks like a new bare Weber can be bought for about $200.00, Nothing else comes with them for that price. I'll get some pictures in the next few days. Doug

Ben, What you might do is find some Hitachi jets from a smaller carb, ie EA 81, 71 etc if you can find someone that would part one out. The Hitachi, Weber, and others share a lot of the same threads on these but the seating can be different. I'm not sure what's what right now... For instance, I read and confirmed where the Hitachi/Weber powervalves share the same threads, but the seating is different. Wish I knew more right now about this, what jets fit what. Good luck, I think those smaller Hitachi jets will work for you if you can find some. Doug

Yea, but you wheeling guys have those big rump roast tires and wheels. Big difference from what this car will be. My target weight is 2500 lbs soaking wet, with me in it. We'll see but I can get it close to that or lower for the drag strip. Doug

The heads are "Orange"...what they're painted on the underside from the factory. Carb heads and I still need to find 1 plug for the EGR port in the manifold. One that's in there is brass I had from somewhere, 16 1.25 thread. Those Bosh wires are stainless with a set of Super Plus spark plugs. Adjustable cam gears...looking for a set of MPFI XT cams for it. Email me floydstoverATmsn.com if you have a set for sale. Need to finish a short block for it. Doug

Hth, just some thoughts on cams and lifters being different animals than HLA's. A lifter contacts the cam lobe, a LA doesn't. With a reground cam it's best to use new lifters, as you're rolling the dice as to whether the cam lobes will get wiped out. And I've witnessed two camshafts getting wiped out. I'm a gambler if I like the odds, but I lost the bet with those two. You adjusted the valves, ran it, then this happened. You said the valves needed adjusted again when you surveyed the damage. You could check the clearance again to help diagnose what happened. Compare your initial valve lash with those lash readings. How much difference between the two? Again, just HTH. Doug Edit: If you don't have a magnetic drain plug, I suggest you stick a strong magnet to the bottom of the oil pan. But, I suggest you install a magnetic drain plug, insurance.

No. It's going in a carb car with either the 2 wire Hitachi or Denso, as I have both. I have a 4 wire large cap Hitachi with the spark box I could probably adapt. Oh, all these distributors have a vaccum advance can, adjustable. Doug

I've got several of these intakes and they are clearly superior to the carb intake. Compare them side by side and measure them. If some company made an upgrade aluminum intake for the EA carb motor, it would probably resemble this. I'm not doing that much fabrication when this is what's in my hands. There's nothing wrong with it and it's a slam dunk easy. Much better than that POS adaptor to a small intake. I've never seen flow numbers for Subaru heads and I doubt they're all that bad. Some people talk but I don't see it, considering it's a 109 cubic inch motor. I've been looking for a 350 cfm Holley as I know them inside and out. More flow than a carb intake isn't in doubt. A simple quality adaptor and mount any carb you want. Doug

Hey Dude, The SPFI intake has a larger I.D. than any EA manifold I know of and I intend to install something like a DCH 340 Hitachi on this one. I started looking around for a good used rebuildable Weber to bolt to one of these as I've got about 10 of them. So yea, why am I doing it? It will flow more air and look better doing it than any of the carb intakes. Once I make this one and go through the motions I'll know better how to do it for any carb I care to bolt on to it. I want to adapt a Holley. Doug

Here's what I've got, it's a start. Shows the flange you start with. This will be a one off deal, probably made of composites, for the Hitachi.

I went out and sat in it and later went and worked on the motor I'm putting together for it. I'll post pics after another day working on it because I got a few parts delivered today. Colorado 1987 GL 5 speed DR carbed wagon. I parked it after the previous owner didn't get the crank pulley tight enough and it slipped without comming off, blew a head gasket. 180,000 miles white with blue interior, GL 10 seats. New mid pipe and muffler, clutch, tires, motor. Doug

I read about your TT and clutch smokin thing. I have a Beck/Arnley XT6 kit. Genuine Subaru XT 6 pressure plate has about 280 lbs. more clamping force than the standard clutch IIRC. The XT6 has a Flywheel Spec: -0.815 which is different from a GL. I'll have to check again, but the different specs probably yield different clamping pressure specs. I believe any clutch could be sent to a clutch place and that pressure upped with a change of springs. End up with higher load on the clutch cable tho I don't see that as a problem. Sometimes, you just need to keep feeding them fresh clutch discs before damage is done to the pressure plate and flywheel via overheating. Here's the current Beck/Arnley XT 6 offering, comes with the clips. Here's anothe Rock/Auto listing for a RHINOPAC set. Looks like a generic pic tho. Current offering from Delco, most expensive of the three. Doug

Well, I do have the 3 speed auto Jatco trans from a 86 GL 10. For the quarter mile, I think three speeds might be plenty with tall tires. Higher stall converters and shift kits are available for them. I believe that trans would take some punishment...might be an option. Doug

Yea I hear you on longevity. I've got front axles and 5 speed with diff lock from an "88 Turbo Traction Wagon. Rear LSD and axels to match from the same low mileage car. Doug

Thanks. However, I don't give a F*** what GD thinks, he's on the ignore list. He isn't a school trained automotive tech who graduated at the top of his class of 26. I am and he plays one on Ultimate Subaru Message Board. Doug

Yes, I cut the rocker cover and cam case, but I need to cut another cam case because the first one was cracked in two places. Those purple rocker covers are either Plum Crazy or Deep Purple, depends on how you look at them:) Yea, the red ones are on a SPFI motor now. I've got another set prepped for a carb motor, not sure what color they will be. Doug

Thanks, It's red and purple VHT brand, (very high temperature) anodize paint over a silver base coat with clear. I sprayed it heavy so there's more pigment then you would usually use just to get the anodized look. Experimental as I haven't painted anything in a long time really. Vinegar/water mix to etch before spraying. Takes 7 days to cure or you can bake it at 200* F for an hour. I did a set of red cam sprockets at the same time. The purple rocker cover isn't cleared in this pic but it is now. Doug

I worked on the intake today and those golf balls fit the first couple inches. I plan to hog the other end tomorrow and I'll order a ball hone to finish them off. I can only make the intake ports about 43 mm diameter, that's it. Ports in the heads will be about the same, I guess. Need to finish those up too. I've got 2 1/2 EA 82 T's and five of their distributors, Both kind. The original engine management but those long plug wires on this motor give me the creeps. Realy. But I could possibly drive something off that gear and still have room for the drivers side turbo. Anyway. I ordered a few different kinds of shims for the lash adjustment and they've been shipped. I'll have shims for the inside and outside of the old lash adjuster buckets. Still need to pull 4 cam carriers with the turbo cams. I've got 140,000 cams to work with, probably the best ones I have. Doug

Hey, Just wanted to add here, as this is what I'm doing right now. The EA 82 pistons you're using should give the EA 81 more compression and less piston to head clearance. Exactly how much I don't know, but you could measure it. Less piston to head clearance is better for detonation resistence. I put a flatop EA 81 piston in an EA 82 block and with a .060 thick Genuine Subaru headgasket, and have .100" piston to head clearance. I put a 9.5:1 CR SPFI EA 82 piston in the same EA 82 block with a .060" thick Genuine Subaru headgasket, and have .059" piston to head clearence. I put a 7.7:1 MPFI Turbo piston, like the ones you're using in the same EA 82 block, a with a .060" thick Genuine Subaru headgasket, and have .041" piston to head clearance. Now, the lowest I'd want to go is about .025 piston to head. Right now I have that .041 piston to head in the motor I'm working on. Could you measure how far your piston sticks above the block deck with a dial indicater. And let me know how thick your headgasket is? It's all good unless the piston smacks the head or valves:) I've got about .140" clearance piston to valve at TDC with a stock cam. Sincerely, Doug

"Compression is 100,95,90,75 ." And the standard is 145 for this engine. I'm wondering if the excess fuel is washing down the cylinders. Probably is, but still, those numbers should be higher. Doug

I know it's been said that piston slap is "rather benign", but it's not like it's a "desirable" thing. It's not and the pistons are getting hammered with the cylinder walls when it happens. It's the same on this board with people saying hydraulic lash adjuster noise is "rather benign". It's not either, as you can have about .040" clearance in the valve train and the cam lobes being softer than what they are rubbing against, get hammered and beaten badly. I just tore down one of those "tick of death" engines. The cam is worn beyond specs. and you can see exactly where it gets hammered. I do have an engine with mild piston slap on start up. I just let it warm up untill it dissapears. hth Doug

The history does make a difference. It's still a turbo car tho. You may need every seal, gasket, hose and belt replaced. Timing belt kit, thermostat, water pump, fuel filter, pcv valve...possibly a fuel pump too. Pull the injecters and have them cleaned, tested and replaced if necessary. Don't skip this step! A turbo motor with dirty, clogged injecters will cause you grief. Believe it. And that could be a short list. I just see too many young people get burnt with turbo cars. I know of one right now who is having problems with a Dodge. Poor knowledge, lack of maintenance, and not enough money to even put synthetic oil in it. Not a good combination. Forget the port and polish, it's a station wagon? It's not a race car. The turbo was put on these for the extra grunt for the weight it has to drag around. The heads may very well be cracked and unusable. Or they may be cracked and usable. Won't know untill inspection on that. Still, it could work out for you. Doug Edit: If you can, do a cranking compression test. 145 psi is the standard for that car and depending on what you get, it may need rings. The turbo puts way more pressure on them than a N/A motor has on it...and a lot more than 145 psi.

Just some thoughts from reading your post. That many miles on any turbo Subaru is a lot of miles. I don't think this is a good first project to dive into. You may need to replace the whole motor. If this is your first auto project, I'd advise you pass on this one. Doug

Yea, the XT MPFI is the most powerful N/A (normally asperated/non turbo) EA engine produced. 97 hp @ 5200 rpm and 103ft. lbs. torque @ 3200 rpm. (Edit: From a post by Hatchsub, the EA 81 Twin Carb RX produced 110 hp @ 6000 RPM.) The XT MPFI cams have 12* more duration than the SPFI/Carb cams and 6* more duration than the Turbo cams. From the FSM, Carb/SPFI has 244* duration, MPFI Turbo has 250* duration, and N/A XT MPFI has 256* duration. All these cams have the same lift and I measured a SPFI cam installed with new pumped up lash adjusters. I got lift numbers in the .360 range measured at the valve spring retainer with a dial indicator. This from a 1989 SPFI cam in excellent condition. The best factory cam with 256* duration and about .360" lift is still a pretty tame/mild camshaft. A bigger cam than that would really wake this motor up and use the RPM it's capable of. But "that" cam doesn't exist. Doug

On this one, I removed some silicone from the end of the vaccum can to get to the screw. It's a very small screw and takes a jewelry type screwdriver. I have several out for inspection right now and the vaccum cans physically screw on to either type of distributor. The actuator arm is of different length tho. Doug