carfreak85

More work being done today. Passenger's side is fairly straight forward, but the driver's side is still a bit of a mystery. :-\ This is also proving to be a perfect opportunity for me to reroute aftermarket wiring that previous owners and myself have done. I also found a few nice places where the control boxes for my turbo timer and EBC could be stashed. I suppose it would be a good time to get those things put in so I don't have to rip things apart later... Darn, more work... Has anyone else made progress on their conversion projects?

Put on the stickiest tires you can find. You will not be able to lock them up again with the tiny EA brakes.

If I remember correctly, I just dumped the whole 4 oz. tube in the diff then topped it off with gear oil.

I don't know where else to post this, so I figured here was as good as any other forum. My wagon is in pieces right now. The digi-dash blew out a month ago and I'm up to my ears in an analog gauge swap that might not even get the gauges working again. There were a ton of parts that were supposed to be on my car for this years show (intercooler, EBC, turbo timer, VF11 turbo, etc.) that just aren't going to make it now because of this stupid dash thing. On top of that, I've been taking summer classes 100 miles from where the car is, so I've spent very little time working on it. I guess the point of this thread is to vent and to figure out who else is feeling the WCSS crunch...

It for sure did. Why were you running winter tires anyway?

More pics, we must have more pics!!!

Depending on price and my fundage when the parts are ready, I'd be interested in lifted and stock EA81 plates.

Just because its got wagon wheels doesn't mean it's a GL. Colorado is and was pretty heavy Subie country, so spare like that would be just as easy to come by as they are around here. Evan if it is a DL, the smaller engine and fewer amenities would make for some great gas mileage numbers. With a weber and some other treatments, I bet it could turn some larger tires just as easily as an EA81. It does have 9.0:1 compression ratio so that would make it able to make more power potentially than the lower CR EA81. Plus the rust makes it lighter! :cool:

It's not that simple. There are a few different shaped connectors for the analog dash that just aren't present on the digi-dash harness. There are two round connectors, I believe on the analog harness and three round ones on the digi-dash.

I'm one step ahead already. Thats the manual I've been using to try and figure out how direct a swap the harnesses are.

I'm running them on my lowered EA81. I like them, go find some!

Be patient with the flanges, let the tool do the work. Reminds me of when I installed my header. On a side note, I would suggest moving your jack stands to the pinch rail along the side of the car and not under the engine crossmember.

The swap has begun. Digi harness is out and the analog harness is about halfway installed, and I will probably know tomorrow if things are going to work. Things look to be identical between the two harnesses except for the gauge wiring. This is going to be a large period of down-time for the wagon. Because the dash is all apart right now, I figured now would be a good time to redo a few mods I rushed the first time around. This will include larger front speakers in the factory locations, new wiring for my gauges along with shuffleing their positions and some other suprises.

I think he ment the steering wheel. Grant makes one and MOMO USED to make one, but good luck finding one...

XT springs WILL lower your EA82, but by how much, I'm not sure.

That means it is probably not the same thread. I forget the names, but there are two threads that are very close and will thread together, but they aren't the same. Maybe someone else knows.

Nice job Eric!! Send my best to the rest of your family!

I didn't take the time to see if anyone else suggested this yet. I had the exact same problem. I could get power until I tried starting the car, then I would loose everything. Turned out to be a corroded positive battery terminal/wire. Check that before tearing your dash apart.

Now for the real question, do I go for the 185 or the 205.....

I still have my front bar on my hatch, but I don't wheel it often enough to notice the difference when I do go offroad. I think I will take it off now that I have RX front springs on my hatch.... WAY TOO STIFF. I've recently had the inside front wheel pogo'ing on rough, up-hill corners, and it is a real buzz kill.

I've done a few things in my own quest for "handling." I have an XT6 rear anti-roll bar and DIY mounts that have yet to be installed. If you want to make your own mounts, get some 1" square tubing and cut it into 2 seperate 3" lengths. Then cut it down the middle lengthwise, giving you four U-shaped brackets. If you saved the EA82T brakets and bushings, it is an easy job to drill a hole for the nut/bolt combo and a slot for the... Better yet, here are a few pics: Here is where the brackets need to be welded on your semi-trailing arms: Like I said, I haven't done the install yet, but the pictures were e-mailed to me by a fellow board memeber who had. As for the front anti-roll bar, try to grab one from an EA81 equipped with and automatic transmission, or a turbocharger, or both. If it is a turbo, the front springs will lower it a little and are a tad stiffer too. Or you can source a front or rear bar from Addco. They will even give you a deal if you order both, and they pop up on ebay from time to time. About $150 each if I remember correctly. 2WD front struts have a spring perch that is mounted lower on the strut housing, which will lower you front end another small amount and at the same time increase your front suspension travel. Reclock the rear torsion bars to lower the rear end. This will also have the effect of making the rear suspension slightly stiffer. Be aware that you will probably have to trim your rear bump stops if you reclock the rear torsion bar. I only rotated the bar one tooth, and I was nearly resting on the bump stops. I have done all this, minus the rear bar to my EA81 turbo wagon, and it is pretty entertaining to drive quickly. Much better than it was origionally, and would be even better with some additional negative camber, but as it sits, I'm around 0* at the front which is unheard of for an early Subaru. Good luck with your quest for handling!

I will never own a FWD subaru, if I can help it. 4/AWD

The previous owner of my new brat said that with the original Hitachi carb, he would get 30+ MPG on the highway. After installing a weber carb, the mileage dropped off 5-7 MPG, but was easier to drive. This was going between Seattle and Pullman, Wash. After installing a tonneau cover, he gained 1-3 MPG on average. I'll have to see what kind of mileage I can squeak out of it once it re-gains road worthyness.

Bump. Whats the word good people?

Nothing yet. My digi dash is on its last legs so the car is getting to rest until I can figure it out. Mucho mods going on when it's done though!