zstalker

I was wandering about our local scrapyard, and happened across a 1985 GL wagon with an EA82, but it was a MPFI, and NOT a turbo. I hadn't really realized Subaru had done this. Is there any particular advantage to this motor? Certainly they could have advantages for things like fuel distribution and so forth, but would there be any reason to yank this motor out and hoard it for myself because I've come across something desireable (a la EJ22T)? I saw Grossgary was looking for a head for one recently...what's the story with this motor? I wonder why Subaru dropped this idea for another 5 years till the EJ's came out. ~Erik~

if at all possible DO NOT DRIVE the car when the check engine light is blinking. blinking MIL means the ECM has detected a misfire bad enough to damage the catalyst

obviously depends on what code it is, but I suppose having an exhauist leak before one of the O2 sensors would throw a code, yes. also would likely run very poorly. if you can get it, post the code up here...a lot of people say a lot of crazy stuff about their check engine light sometimes.

just throwing these out there, but could we be looking at a timing belt off a tooth, or a plugged cat? both of those can seem to run just fine at idle, but fall on their face when they get into the revs...

with the lack of timing services done, it's very possible (even likely) you could be hearing one of the timing belt idlers or tensioner pulley bearings failing. Try this: completely remove the two belts from the outside of the motor (pretty easy, loosen the slider part of the tensioner, then turn the verticle tensioner bolt to loosen them). Start the motor without the belts on it...is the noise still there? is it coming from the front of the motor? that's where you'll hear grinding noises from the pulleys. Even if that's not your noise, after you get the noise fixed (or during), it really would be a good idea to get the whole list of things Nipper suggested from 1st Subaru Parts or somewhere like them (almost always cheaper than the dealer), and get them replaced. My personal feeling is that with timing parts and water pumps (engine parts that are really important that they work reliably) OEM parts are going to be a good invenstment. Also thinking, if your timing belt is off one tooth somewhere, it very well could be doing what you're saying about "chugging" and hesitating when you drive it. Being just barely off timing can be incredibly frustrating, since it's so close to running well, but just not. eh, don't. these cars can be frustrating, but once the wrinkles are smoothed out, you'll get a lot of joy from it.

you check your oil level? I don't want to doubt your abilities, but overfilling the sump can easily result in masive clouds of smoke following you

coming from a background restoring old Mopars I've always felt that changing a car's color, especially when restoring the car, is robbing the car of its history. Even if it's a kinda lame color, you'll grow to love it. That while looks really good anyways (i.e. not a lame color), I say restore her to her original glorious white.

found an EA81 Brat cruising around Google Streetview in Boulder, CO

I still wonder why it's ok that even newer Subaru cars have a brass transmission fluid cooler inside the radiator. Is brass (an alloy of copper) chemically different enough from actual copper that it's not an issue?

for sure...they're really not concerned about EA motors...those that have survived till today aren't their concern anymore. the using only Subaru coolant sounds like just a "for sure" safety measure for their cooling systems (especially while under warranty), but the mandatory use of the additive (basically a high-quality stop-leak), does indeed seem like a "oh crap that was a bad design...what are we going to do instead of replace every headgasket we've built?" move. ~Erik~

Here it is folks, the actual TSB from Subaru of America regarding the recommendation to use proper coolant, no flushing machines (since ammended to allow one specific brand/type), and instructions to use their specific additive every time coolant is replaced. Also notice, the TSB is addressed to apply to "all vehicles"...and "for all Subaru vehicles with aluminum engines and radiators"

LL Bean and Subaru have chosen not to renew their partnership, and have parted ways, final as of...like a month ago. I actually had an '09 Forester come in driven by a Subaru rep of some sort who had me take off the exterior LL Bean badge because of the separation (Forester was a Manufacturer plate car, official Subaru promo of some sort)...now it's hanging on my tool box :cool: there still will be an H6 model, called something else...Limited or smoething.

I'm not positive...the headlights and signals are different, and the corner of the headlamp housing extends into the fender. it might be the same, but I would have to really check

that page is amazing...I'm reading the whole thing, and the facts and figures they're using are so carefully worded and based on half-truths that it's amazing. what a massive pile of BS. for someone who knows nothing about how the internal combustion engine works or how chemical reactions are performed, all their blabbering would spin them around till it makes sense. this "un-used fuel" that you could wipe off from inside your taipipe? yes, it's an unused part of the fuel...it's called carbon. It was part of the fuel you pumped into your tank, but it's not fuel anymore...jeez. on that same idea, we could say that 100% of your fuel is leaving the back of your tailpipe...because it is, it's just been broken down and reacted with other chemical components. wow, that we can live in a place like this, in a time like now, and this happens so easily, and apparently to so many hapless consumers, is amazing. why hasn't this been stopped? it's still going so strong, they're getting sponsorship of a major race team? AAAHHHH!!!!! their "info" page is so full of half-truths, facts out of context, and blatant lies it's amazing. sorry to rant, but for someone with an ASE Master Technician certification, an associates degree in Automotive Technology, a couple years of college-level chemistry classes, and (I'd like to think) just a little fragment of common sense, this whole scam is dumbfounding to me...... ~Erik~

grammar cleared up, let's see if this helps Zach get a few more answers...

somewhat related to this, it would take a heck of a lot more torque on the crank pulley than 54 ft/lb to hold the distributor drive gear by pulley pressure tension alone. The Suzuki Verona, which I have the distinct displeasure of working on, has a torque specification of well over 400 ft/lb, and it drives the timing chain and the oil pump by tension from the dampener pulley alone. really retarded idea... seriously. just a thought I had that makes me thankful Subaru uses easily worked with and reliable woodruf key. ~Erik~

are you sure you asked for the "severe" service recommendation? Jiffy lube uses that instead of the "normal" service. "Normal" service intervals are carefully spaced just short enough to make the components last 'till the end of the warranty (i.e. 100k mile transmissions fluid change recommendced on some new cars...yeah right), where the "severe" recommendation is really closer to what the car needs to last forever (severe service recommends fluid changes at closer to 40k or 50k for those same cars). ~Erik~

keep dousing the whole thing with PB Blaster every day for a few days, let it work its way in. If rust is your issue, that'll eventuall crack through. if you can't get anywhere, maybe I'll swing by and see if I can help sometime...you're over really close to my in-laws' house. ~Erik~

how many miles have you put on it since it sat for a year? sitting for long periods of time can have large effects on passing emissions...get some fresh gas in it, drive the crap out of it and see if that helps....couldn't hurt. ~ERik~

what car (year, model, engine) are you putting this into, and what headlight setup is it? that'll help...

run the cooler in line with your factory fluid cooler (inside the radiator), but have the new external cooler before the radiator. It may seem odd, but here's why: the transmission fluid cooler in the radiator isn't just a cooler, it's a temperature exchanger. if the trans fluid is cooler than ideal, it won't perform correctly, so (for instance on a cold start) the coolant is actually warming the transmission fluid as it passes through. Run the new cooler first, to get rid of as much extra heat as possible...then to the radiator to regulate the temperature to what it should be, then back to the transmission.

they're talking about the point where the wiring harness goes into the transmission. it's on the left side of the trans, right above the pan, towards the front of the mid-section of the trans. there's a plastic block that clips into the transmission body to direct the wires inside the transmission, and it has an o-ring that can go bad and leak fluid. There's a whole range of possibilities for repair, best possible being if the plastic clip is still flexible enough to release without breaking, a new o-ring can be installed with just a pan drop. what they're quoting you is for a new transmission wiring harness and the labor to install it, since in all likelyhood the plastic piece is so brittle it will break and require replacement of the whole harness section, with a new o-ring on it...they don't have to call you back and say "sorry, the repair is actually going to cost many times what we quoted you before." Quoting the $400 makes it easier for them, so if it does break (more likely than not), you're prepared to pay what's needed to repair the leak. IF it doesn't happen to break, and they can install just the o-ring, then they'll call you with some really great news, that the repair when smoothly and will be MUCH cheaper than expected. They're not trying to rip you off, just being careful (coming from someone who's installed a couple that broke and had to be replaced).

yeah, a couple different oil filters will fit, but they are not the right filter. The element is different, and transmissions operate at totally different pressure levels. There's a reason they're a $30 or $50 filter, when the current Subaru H4 engine oil filter (that looks almost identical on the outside) is more like a quarter of that cost. Interestingly, Subaru doesn't have a specified replacement interval for that AT filter, but my feelings (shared by others I speak with) is that if a filter is there, it's filtering something, and as it does, it should be replaced at some point. 100k certainly would be a good idea, if not 60.

it's so refreshing to hear a majority of people on a board actually evaluating these things with their brains, not saying junk like "Mobil is the only oil you should ever use" or "Pennzoil is full of parafin" (a really retarded statement on multiple levels). I agree totally with the above statements, just wanted to voice my gratification for the objective, intelligent nature of this board as a whole. ~Erik~

ARE YOU KIDDING? we've come so close to achieving electric cars for the masses (again), and this is the best detractors can come up with? TOO quiet? that's like saying the microwave cooks TOO FAST, or complaining when totally-free-electricity-producing windmills kill birds...oh wait, people complain about that too. they're really grasping at straws here. we'll get used to it, people...seriously. that's the lamest argument I've ever heard. ...too quiet...jeez...