Caboobaroo

I work for an independent Subaru shop and all we use are the Six Star head gaskets. Only time I have seen them fail is either from improper installation or something catastrophic happens to cause the engine to overheat like from a blown radiator.

Don't see why it would be. It should be a tight fit using a rubber grommet which will probably be unusable once you pull it out. Sometimes they can be reused but with age, they can become fragile.

Then it looks like I'm bringing the sedan and my XT6

Use a small OEM filt and it might barely clear. Be careful though, I have seen one that rubbed on the filter and would cause it to leak eventually.

14 - Injectors 1 and 2 21 - Coolant Temperature Sensor or Circuit 22 - Knock Sensor or Circuit 23 - Air Flow Meter or Circuit 24 - Air Control Start by checking all the electrical connectors to make sure they're plugged in properly. Then disconnect the battery and way about 10 minutes for the ECU to clear the memory, reconnect and see what codes come back. CTS is usually because the connector on it is corroded and making a poor connection. I recently had to replace mine along with the connector as they were green from corrosion.

I'll be there with the XT6, maybe my '04 Outback 3.0 sedan, or..... My '89 RX if it ever gets finished:rolleyes:

Have you checked the cracking hard vacuum lines that go to the boost controller on the passenger side of the engine bay? I'd start there. Also, pull the codes as it will also help to figure out the issue.

Yes, there was a recall but no, you're car is now too old for it to be done. The symptoms are the steering light coming on randomly and loss of steering assist. The recall is to replace the steering signal controller, power controller and a couple harness adapters for them. The recall lasted for 20 years and I found out my '89 hadn't been done but when I called SOA, they couldn't locate anymore of the recall kits, even though I believe they are required to fix it. I'm just trying to find the parts on another vehicle so I can do the recall on it myself but haven't had any luck yet...

What I did was after the intake piping is removed, I unbolt the intake from the heads while leaving most of the plumbing alone (like the fuel lines) and swing it upside down and rest it on the driver side fender. I have a picture of it that I will upload when I get home. I also did something similar with the A/C compressor but the lines are very short and an extra person to hold it up while pulling the engine helps. Underneath, drop the exhaust off of the heads and unbolt the engine mounts from the subframe. I also removed the radiator fans, drain the coolant, you will have to remove the alternator and the belt and I also removed the timing belt covers and belts for a bit more clearance, remove the radiator hoses, heater hoses, and bell housing bolts and nuts. There's going to be more small stuff but you will come across that when you get into it.

It'll lift it about 2" or so. If you look where they bolt to on the 2wd trailing arms vs the 4wd, you'll notice on the 2wd they bolt in where the axles go on the 4wd.

I've seen cars that have over 100k miles with them now with no issues yet. Only time I've seen them fail is when something else severe happens and they overheat it (ie a bad water pump or a blown radiator end tank).

We use the 6 Star MLS headgaskets on almost all the 2.5 SOHC engines we do. Screw those OEM single layer gaskets, they'll fail faster then you can shake a stick at.

EA Subarus run a positive camber, negative toe. Should have over 1 degree positive camber and -0.30 total toe in the front. Caster should also be 0 or negative, just make sure its even side to side. Camber and caster is NOT adjustable and there's really no way to make it adjustable without custom parts or custom fab work. Take it to an alignment shop and have it adjusted if need be. Then come back and let us know where it is.

If its just oil, you're still doing ok. When you get coolant leaking from the same spot, then it's time to do them. Just keep an eye on the oil level and the coolant level, checking the head gasket status at every oil change. You can also add the Subaru coolant conditioner that is sold at the dealer to help prevent the coolant from starting but its really more like an over glorified stop leak:rolleyes:

I can break into an EA82 in less then 5 minutes with a metal coat hanger..... It's not rocket science, just takes practice. Before I had made copies, I had one key for my silver RX and locked it in there while I was on a date. Got it open with a coat hanger I got from a 24 hour grocery store. Since it WAS 12:30 in the morning:-\

Nice score! A few years ago, I lived in Laramie and sold some gen 1 Brat parts to an older gentleman that I believe owned that same Brat! I remember the door and fender damage pretty clearly and the color scheme. Looks like its still in great shape though and glad it found another great owner:headbang:

Ok guys, let me give you some advice about using only silicone as a pan gasket. As a rule, I always let the vehicle sit overnight without any fluids in it to give the silicone time to set up and harden. I have seen ones that haven't let set and they will leak fairly quickly. So if you plan on going this route no matter what engine you're doing it on, give it time to set up before adding fluids. Same goes for automatic transmission pans too which I use genuine Subaru Three bond (the pink stuff). Many years ago, I did a new oil pan gasket on my '78 Brat and it leaked bad after a few miles of running it. Wasn't kinked or folded, just didn't have enough time to set up. This happened on the day I was supposed to head to WCSS6 and ended up leaving the car at home.

The vehicle speed sensor has gone south on you. Also, if the check engine light has been on, find out how to get the codes out of the computer and post them up! Some of us can help figure out the problems.

Blower motor working on only #3 sounds like a bad resistor pack. For the engine never getting to operating temp, I would suspect the thermostat has been removed. Make sure to use a good thermostat as most aftermarket ones seem to not work or not work for long. The HVAC controls run off of vacuum from the engine. On the passenger side strut tower is a white plastic tank about th size of a tin can which should have engine vacuum fed to it and another line that goes across the firewall and into the passenger cabin on the driver side. Oh and only way to clean out the HVAC system properly is to remove the dash. It's not too terribly bad to do, just take your time and take pictures as that can always help the reassembly process.

We sell our cores back to the transmission rebuilder for $50 each. Probably the only place that will give more then scrap over private party.

My guess would be worn starter contacts. Common issue. You can replace them yourself if you find correct contacts.

Got it, just got my years incorrect.

An EA81 hatch will look like your EA81 Brat except one has a bed, the other does not. The EA82 3 door has a sloped back roof like an '82-'92 Camaro/Firebird.

On decel only? With the amount of miles, I would think its a rear diff. Wheel bearings make noise whenever the vehicles moving, especially when they're real bad. Granted I also have seen wheel bearings make no noise and be totally loose but that's usually impact related. Try swapping the rear diff and see what it does.

If its not getting spark, my bet is it probably had the distributor crap out on it.