benjamachine

Sigh...

So here's the deal. A company on eBay says it has Hitachi-to-Weber conversion kits for carbureted late-80s EA82s. Sounds good, but do the Webers really give you added power AND fuel economy? Power isn't really a concern, but fuel economy is. Will a Weber give me better mpgs, or will the extra ponies it gives me be thirsty ones? The car is registered in California (and may have to register it in New York or some other smog-testing place before too long), so it has to get smogged every couple of years. I don't mind hanging on to the Hitachi as long as redoing all the vacuum lines and electrical connections isn't too much of a hassle. Here's the link to their site: http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Subaru-1985-1987-1-8L-OHC-EA82-Weber-Carb-Conversion-/270770060261?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3ASubaru&hash=item3f0b273be5#ht_3623wt_1165 Ideas?

Do you have to get a catalytic converter with your Y-pipe? I have a FWD carbureted EA82 wagon and aside from being all rusted, the front pipe got crushed on some rocks. The seams split, and JB weld isn't doing the trick anymore. Time for a new part. Any suggestions?

Is it possible to put a dual range 4wd transmission from a late 80s GL wagon into an early 90s Legacy wagon equipped with an EJ engine? What kind of wiring and/or bracket modification (if any) is involved? Cheers, -b

can you pass CA smog with a weber?

oh, and can i put some slightly larger tires on the aluminum H rims, or would it be better to go with the white steelies? (i think the H's look cool in an ugly sort of way...very 80s)

where do i get one?

i've been reading up on lift options for 85-91 EA82 wagons (GL and the like), and all i've been able to come up with are the expensive kits (which are actually pretty cool). if i only want 1-2" of lift and to keep my stock alloy H rims, what's a cheap way to raise the li'l subie up a little bit? also, what are reasonable tire sizes for those 13s? cheers, -b

is there any aftermarket stereo option available for an '86 GL that won't stick out of the dash? the one that's in there now doesn't work, but the hole isn't seep enough for most applications.

this might seem like a silly question, but if my rear shocks are totally worn out, could that be the reason why the entire car drifts when i'm going 70 mph, especially on bumps? i have a front wheel drive '86 GL wagon, and everything in the front end is new (struts, balljoints, axles, etc) except the bushings and tie rod ends, and those seem tight when i shake the wheels by hand. i just took a trip through the desert, and now the rear shocks are DONE. i guess i just answered my own question. perhaps this would be a good time to slap in a 4x4 axle setup. it looks pretty bolt-in. i wonder if the clutch is the same?

will a garden hose work ok?

hey all, so i've determined that my 23 year-old radiator -- from a FWD, carbureted '86 GL wagon -- is clogged and needs to be replaced. seeing as how this is reputed to be an easily clogged radiator, are there any easy upgrades i could make without overdoing it (e.g. making the car run TOO cool and damaging engine components)? my thoughts are getting a radiator that's meant for a turbo motor (the GL-10, or EA82T, that is, if they are in fact beefier than the non turbo ones), but maybe it's better to stick with what was slapped in by those ol' japanese engineers. they seemed to know what they were doing, for the most part. thoughts, anyone? cheers, ben

so i've replaced every part of the cooling system i can think of on my 1986 GL wagon. it's a carbureted, manual transmission, front wheel drive model, and the hoses, thermostat, water pump, radiator cap, etc, have been replaced. yet, when the engine is under load — e.g., i'm going up a long, steep grade — the engine temperature starts to creep up. when it's really hot out and i try to run the a/c (which miraculously still works), the temperature creeps even higher. therefore, i don't use the a/c, but seeing how it's summer, i'd kind of like to. is the fan clutch the problem? can i fix this problem by putting in another electric fan? so many questions... cheers, ben.

i concur.

never mind. i removed the hill holder cable. problem solved. those things are stupid!

hey all, i recently installed a clutch kit in my 2WD '86 gl wagon (after having to replace the transmission case because the throwout bearing sleave had sheered off, but that's another story), and now that it's back together, i noticed that with the clutch pedal depressed, it's almost like there's a brake on the engine. EXAMPLE: i have the car facing uphill, with the clutch pedal depressed and the engine running. the car won't roll backwards unless i release the clutch pedal. having the transmission in gear doesn't make a difference. acceleration from takeoff requires a little more throttle than normal, as i have to "break it loose." what on earth can this be?? is it possible that there's too much oil in the gearbox? i put in a new pilot bearing, torqued the flywheel to spec, and replaced all of the clutch parts and associated hardware. to reiterate: with the clutch open (pedal fully depressed) it's as if the parking brake is lightly depressed. With it closed, it'll roll ok. and by the way, what's that little cable attached to the brake reservoir that is also attached to the clutch cable? (did i answer my own question here?)

sweet ride, man!

thanks all very much for the responses! ok, so increasing power decreases economy. does that include advancing the timing and installing a weber? i read somewhere that despite a host of performance mods, you can only get about 100 horsepower out of these mills anyway.

greetings, friends! i have an '86 GL wagon with a normally aspirated, carbureted EA82, and am hoping someone can shed some light on a few facets of engine performance that might be tinkered with to get better mileage, and maybe even a little more power (don't worry, i have no delusions that this will ever be a speed demon of a car). the main thing is, as i am in california, i can't afford to do stuff that messes with the emissions controls, and don't want to anyway, as i've found that tinkering with hoses and isolating vacuum operated devices degrades fuel economy and makes me fail smog testing. it gets 30 mpg on the freeway, but it would be kind cool to get a couple more mpgs. 1. ignition advance: it's set at the factory-recommended 8-degrees BTDC. will advancing it a bit make fuel economy suffer? will it make the engine run too hot? 2. exhaust: my muffler fell off, and i think it sounds cool. as long as i warm it up before putting a heavy load on the engine, it doesn't backfire...too much. (hmmm...what IF i had a swappable exhaust - y'know, for smog - that somehow didn't include a cat, but did have a solid turbo muffler to maintain backpressure?) 3. intake: if i fashioned an open back and side scoops on the air box, would that improve performance at all, or just lean out the mixture? 4. any other little tweaks i could make? i want to stay conservative here so that i don't get into huge mods to balance improvements made. cheers, -b