RavenTBK

All of the above items that I replaced, you can still get from Subaru. I didnt like the idea of paying $7 per side for the valvecover gaskets, or $19 for a front main seal, or $35 a oil pump o-ring kit. I ended up just going to my friendly Advance Auto (O'Reileys, Kragens, Schucks.. all the same thing) and bought all the above parts for $22. All Beck/Arnley brand. Doing so saved me a weeks worth of waiting for the parts to arrive at the dealership, and about $50.

OMFG LMAO! I think I'm going to have to "make some marks" myself.. thats just priceless.

Maybe down under thats the standard. In the US, you'd have to expressly purchase a "failsafe" brand thermostat. Bad thermos up in this part of the world are known to fail in just about any arrangement: open, closed, both, and neither. --- I'd lean toward a clogged radiator.. removing the thermo is a common "bandaid" to solving overheating problems. Now unplugging the temp sender? Thats just wrong. You can get your radiator rodded out (~$40 at any radiator shop), install a good thermostat, and ride out.

In the futile process of trying to find the source of my oil leaks, I decided to just do everything. Valvecovers, front main seal, all oil pump o-rings/gaskets, and a right long bit of cussing. Here's some handy tips to help you survive: Please yall, this is NOT how you install a front main seal. And no, I didnt do it. This is the view that greeted me when I removed my crank pulley. Next tip: Those of you with an EA81 with solid lifters, please dont forget to adjust your valves at least once every 15 years. The specs for the EA81 are .010" intake and .014" exhaust, measured cold. In my case, ALL the valves were >.022, but with the exception of the intake on #4 was correct at .010. All the adjusters were tight.. just way the heck out of spec. Oh my god, what a difference it makes in the sound of the engine. Now it sounds like a finely tuned sewing machine instead of a small displacement diesel. I spent four hours soaking the valve covers in gasoline/PB/soapy water and scraping trying to get the old cork gaskets off. Apparently they were OE, and had been on for the life of the engine. They came cleanly off the heads, but had "bonded" themselves to the covers. Wasnt that a biach! Next tip: Since summer is upon us, dont forget your bug spray. Cant have them nasty mosquitos giving you West Nile now can we? Right on. Since I was attempting to avoid the squall lines passing through my part of the state all day with the same forecast tomorrow, I ended up staying up till now: 0130a to get this done since right now theres clear skies. With all the rain, the mosquitos didnt get a chance to feast on me like they usually do in the evening. Boy were they pissed, and came out in force after 9pm when the rains stopped. I put on three coats of this sweet 100% deet formula repellent, which just so happens to be called "100% DEET". When you apply it, your skin experiences a warming sensation.. kinda like standing in front of the microwave with the door open. I may get skin cancer from this nasty chemical, but believe me, those lil bastards didnt get a single bite. So, that just about rounds up tonights batch of friendly tips from the florida boy. I must now go back outside to turn off the Brat, which has been running for the past 30 minutes, verify that nothing sprang a leak, clean up my tools, get a shower, and hop into bed. Hell yeah, rock on, live long and prosper. :cool:

Hearing about you having to take all that garbage off to change out the water pump makes me love the EA81 even more. Glad you got running again.

This has been discussed I dont know how many times here on USMB. Most of the users feel like you.. would buy a diesel in a heartbeat. Is it going to happen? Who knows.

Now if this had happened at home, I'd have no problem running down to Orlando to assist you. But nooo.. I know you were telling youself "It'll be fine.. it'll make it". I'm far from being an EA82 master, so I cannot hand you an answer.. but what I do know is to check the various heater hoses/bypass hoses around the front of the block. I'd hazard a guess that most likely one of those decided to pop.. which would cause the issue you describe. I dont agree with the head gasket assessment, but anything is possible. Check those bypass hoses dude.

Easy to do. Step 1: roll the engine over to TDC (0*) as indicated on the flywheel Easy way to find TDC is to remove the #1 (pass side, front) spark plug, put a socket on the crank pulley bolt, put your finger over the hole, and turn the engine over with the socket (clockwise, mind you) till you feel pressure blowing out of the cylinder. When the pressure stops, look through the timing cover.. look for the 0* mark. Line it up with the indicator. An alternate way of finding TDC is to remove the dizzy cap, and turn the engine over till the rotor points to the #1 plug wire, then look through the timing cover for the marks on the flywheel. Line em up, and move on. Step2: Undo the 10mm bolt that restrains the distributor in the block. Step3: Pull the dizzy straight out. Step4: Hold the new dizzy in your hand, cap off, rotor installed. Orient it the same way as your old one was in the block. Turn the rotor to point to where the #1 plug wire would be, then turn it slightly further counter clockwise from that point. Step5: While holding the rotor steady, push the distributor into the block. You'll notice the rotor will turn a few degrees clockwise as you press it in. Thats normal, and why I said to offset it in step4. Step6: Cap & plug wires. See if she fires up. Adjust timing as necessary to get her to run. If you cannot adjust the timing enough for a steady run, you'll need to remove the distributor and reinstall it. You're one tooth off on the gear. Step7: Once you get it running steady, reinstall the restraining bolt, and adjust timing to specs. Remember to remove the vac advance line when you set the base timing. Make sure all your bolts are tight. You're done. Typing out directions makes it seem like a chore to do, but it really is easy. Honestly, the hardest part about this whole thing is getting the engine turned over to #1 TDC. If you're able to figure out how things work, I dont forsee you having any real trouble doing this task. Good luck. edit: here's a picture of where each cylinder is, and what plug wires are what on the distributor cap. just in case.

I havent tried topping it out, but the GPS told me I was doing 83 last time I ran the nice long flat straight highway through the forest. This was a comfortable fast cruise. I'd guess I'd probably top out just over 90.

I guess I have a phone call to make on Tuesday. Outside of the EA81, my other passion is the Datsun S130 (280ZX). I've got two R200s and an R180 sitting in the workshed for the next time I blow up the 200 in the back end of the ZXT. I just might end up swapping tails on the Brat.

Tell him to stick his toe underneath the pedal and attempt to pull it back up. If the idle drops after doing that, you can replace the throttle cable ($9 at napa) and all will be well again.

Dont quote me on it, but I recall reading that the timing marks are on the front crank pulley/balancer on the EA82T.

What part of the engine are you trying to treat? Induction system, or crankcase? If you're going for the induction system (the whole suck some in, turn off engine for 5 minutes thing), since you already know where it is, the brake booster vacuum line would be fine. It'd get the job done. Or, you could remove the aircleaner, and slowly pour some down the throat around the injectors. That works as well and would probably be even easier than yanking a vacuum line. Skip was referring to the PCV line.. there would be lines running from the block to the intake manifold. I'm not aware of their locations/routing on the EA82.. else I'd give you a description. On the EA81, they run from the valvecovers to the back of the intake manifold right under the carby.

They sell ARBs for the R200?

con the ding ding sux! I dont think that I've ever had a vehicle that retained its ding ding for more than a week after my taking possession of the vehicle.

Well, when those three lights come on together with the engine running, it means just that.. your alty is kaput. Are you 100% sure you've got a good alternator? Are you 100% sure you replaced all the blown fusible links from your last *cough* error? Check that the T plug is firmly seated in your alternator. Pull the T plug, grab a test light, turn the key on, and make sure that the large diameter wire produces 12v with the key "on". Take your multimeter and verify that theres battery voltage present at the B+ stud on the alternator (engine off pls). Dont disconnect it (and start a fire this time ), just probe it. And.. uhm.. thats all I can think of right this moment. If it fails the above, we can dig deeper.

I believe $35 is a little excessive. In print, its stamped $17.95 retail on the back page of the book. I've seen copies on e to the bay for as little as $10, and I've seen the occasional one fetch $50+ from an uninformed buyer. If $35 is the best you can find in your area, well, thats the best you can find. It'd probably be cheaper to find it in the library, check it out, and pay the "buy it now" price (retail stamped in the book) when you dont return it. But I'm not saying you should go steal it from the library. Seriously...I'm not. Check this recent thread for another related discussion: http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=35797

I have the 2nd edition, as spark mentioned above. 100% useful for the EA81 and EA82.. totally rockin. It completely fills in the obvious gaps you find in the Haynes/Chiltons. The ISBN for those that want to know is: How To Keep Your Subaru Alive by Larry Owens John Muir Publications - Santa Fe, NM 0945465-11-4

I needed a good laugh today. That image did it. That is, without a doubt, the absolute worst head gasket blowing I've ever seen. I probably would've wet myself if I pulled the drain plug and saw that coming out.

Good. Now you'll remember to disco the battery before any future alternator work right?

Oh yeah.. I forgot about the axle width Q. I ran out and grabbed one of my spares out of the shed... it measures 26.5" from thread tip to the tranny end with the DOJ relaxed.

Well, since I've got the strut torn apart, the passenger side isnt sitting under vehicle weight.. however, I measured 58 inches from WMS (hub face) to WMS.. I'd go 0/+ 2 inches to account/allow for the wheel under load. So, 58 (60) is my number. Its not exact, but its something to think about. HtH.

Not really.. but its one of those things where "since you're in it this far" applies. Since you've got the engine out and heads off.. might as well. Since you'll have the heads off, you might as well port and polish the runners, do a valvejob (bigger valves!), and uhh.. "Since you're in it this far" going to the trouble of poppin pins and removing pistons to do the rings, you might as well crack the block and pop in some fresh bearings... oh yeah, also now's the perfect time to install a custom ground cam to make a lumpy idle and 50 extra horsepower between 0 and 900rpm. Eventually, you'll end up with a new motor, and no money to put gas in it. Basically, its the roundabout way of saying its up to you. Unless I see scoring or irregular wear on the cylinder walls (which you should see if rings are the culprit), I personally see no point in poppin rings.

Since I've got the Brat apart, I could measure for you this afternoon. What standard points? Rotor face to rotor face?

Bolt your bent up leading rod back to the bent up control arm. Stick it in the back of the wagon as a trophy. Hehe..whoever buys my Honda is going to look in the trunk and see my bent up arm and be like WTF?! I wanna see whatcha did first hand next time all 3 of us Florida subie owners wanna meet up. Hopefully my junk will be back together by then. psbtw: in the PAPs that you frequent down there, have you run across any EA81s? Up here in Tallahassee theres basic EA82s and Loyales out the behind..not a single EA81.