man on the moon

I did charge the battery between attempts. I did not try it with the MAF undone. It's at a garage now, I had to move it or risk getting nasty phone calls .

You should be able to do something like this: (quick paintbrush image, not exactly picasso, but hope it helps). The single red line is roughly how the thing should be wired right now. The black lines should (in theory) allow you to input an aux something. You would have to experiment with resistors and whatever else you needed, this is just a schematic and not a wiring diagram. https://picasaweb.google.com/hobbit.moon/October312011?authuser=0&feat=directlink ETA: for some reason the picture doesn't show up as an image, guess you'll have to follow the link.

In theory the wires out to the speakers shouldn't care where the signal is coming from, just that it is coming. If you are clever enough with a solder gun you could (theoretically) put a Y-split into the signal out line, pre-amp. You would have to put a selector device in there (I don't have a picture, sorry!) so you can switch between which part of the Y is sending...the radio or whatever aux option you go with. Not in a Subie, but I have seen the headphone wire from an iphone snipped, soldered, and run so the plug end was in the pull-out ash tray in the dash. The ipod lay in the ash tray which was able to close, leaving a totally stock look to the thing. I think that radio had an aux-option already built in, though.

There should be no exposed bolt holes on the cylinder head that penetrate into the engine block, much less the cylinder. Perhaps you could highlight which hole you are referring to in the picture? On second thought, perhaps you are referring to the intake manifold, where it meets the head? I would ask if it is a turbo engine, but I don't see any sort of turbo stuff and that is the side it would be on if you had one (iirc).

So I have an update, but not a solution. I learned today the motor will turn over even if the key is not in 'run' (screwdriver on the starter), but the injector, etc, will not fire...I wonder if I made the same mistake before??? Either way, it fired every time I tried it today after I set the key to 'run'. I undid the fuel-in line at the injector and drew half a gallon of fuel just from the fuel pump running. It looks good, but that is not final, could still be weak. Cleaned up the spark plugs, they were pretty fouled. Now they aren't. Still can't start the car. So I had a choice, I could drain the tank into a variety of milk-jugs, buckets, etc and risk them blowing up while I tried to figure out wtf to do with them...or I could go to a mechanic. I had her towed . We'll find out next week what the deal is when the mechanic calls me, I guess.

Your Loyale gets to 80? And beyond? You lie! Ok, kidding. I hit 96 once, going downhill (ok, down a Nevada mountain) with wind behind me, but yeah--it is solid the few times I've pushed at and looked down to say "Oh! *$&$%^#)(, how the h*ll did I get to 80?" As to the original question, being in 4wd at highway speeds will do it. At least the first couple times I hit snow or rain storms on a road trip, I tried 4wd (slowed down to 45/50ish, but still...) and yes, it got squirrelly. The transmission/front diff are essentially locked to the rear diff/axles when you are in 4wd. There is a single drive train connecting the front and rear axles, no center differential. Newer Subarus have a center differential, thus the All-wheel drive (vs. four wheel drive) and can handle dry pavement--the center diff compensates for the different needs between the front and rear axles. Your GL/EA82s doesn't have that center diff. If the car is doing anything other than going in a straight line with all four wheels rotating both in line with each other and at the same speed, you'll feel a bit of binding at slow speeds, or squirrelliness or skipping at higher speeds. That is the wheels trying to accomodate the difference in direction and/or speed between the wheels. The difference is small, but not zero--and it's very noticeable. Any time you turn even a little (one side of the car is now going faster than the other) or have the wheels off that sweet spot where all four axles are turning at the same rate, the wheels will try to compensate for the difference in rotational speed and/or direction. On snow or wet pavement, or gravel, or dirt, or...any surface with some give this happens by the wheels shifting or drifting a bit on the driving surface. On dry pavement neither the tires or the road want to 'give up' so you end up with skipping, binding, squirreliness...does that make sense? (ETA: wouldn't hurt to check your tire pressure, alignment, and suspension/bearing related stuff too as others mention)

Might be cheaper to offer to fly someone up to BC for a weekend, put a blanket on the couch, and offer some pizza/beer/music/weekend in the mountains....if it's not your daily driver this might be a good time to take stuff apart and learn about it. Or just replace the whole car, imho there are very (very) few cars worth keeping if a single repair bill exceeds the cost you paid for the car/its market value.

That should be ok then (or at least not a trannie problem). There is a little play built in that has to do something with the movement of the axles as the suspension is working. Someone else can explain it better, perhaps? If you have a lot of play you should probably change the axles, but just a little snug wiggling doesn't require the huge effort of changing the trannie. Clutch is way easier to do with just sliding the motor forward, as others have said, if you/the shop is willing to do that instead. Waaaayyyyy easier.

I'm working on an axle FAQ as there is a lot of info on axles scattered all over the place that takes ages to sort through if you need to know, well, almost anything. Do keep this updated (it's already great), and I'll throw the link to this thread in somewhere even if you don't.

The axles have a wee bit of play when they are on the transmission wheel stubs. Not much but it's there, has something to do with something (I could find the exact wording with a search), but that in itself is not the end of the transmission. Do you mean the actual stubs themselves are moving in a direction other than 'spin'? That would be bad...

Shoot me a message if you do, and try to plan for a warmer'ish weekend . There might be guys closer in Salt Lake but whichever.

First...how the heck does one put heads on backward? Were the intake/exhaust ports reversed? Or the valves facing out? Or just one the wrong side of the block? I am most curious! Second...oh I remember what I was going to say. I had CCR remill my heads when I did the headgaskets a few weeks ago. Came out fine...but it was only milling. Can't speak to their engines but the couple tech guys I talked to were knowleadgeable and at least one was a forum member or was familiar with the board somehow (he recommended me to come here until I told him I already read/posted/asked questions like a pita n00b). I would still go the head gasket/find the oil leak route first, though. Way cheaper, and if it doesn't fix your problem maybe keep an eye on Craigslist until you find another EA82 being parted out or with some problem that's not the motor. I got mine and could hear it run for $250, pulled it myself and took it home without telling the guy his only problem was $15 in transmission fluid....I'd have taken the whole car if I had a spot for it.

I don't remember when all the rear part of the hatch stuff changed for EA82s...the Loyale has a compartment in the wall on each side, a big center compartment in the floor with a hatch lid, and a smaller compartment in the floor on each side of the big compartment. The smaller ones have cardboard-ish covers. Pretty sure my jack was in one of the small floor ones. Other EA82 gens had either one or two side compartments in the wall, and one or none in the floor--I'm not remembering precisely which had what as it is something I observed in passing while wandering through the junkyard looking for odd things I might want for my Loyale. I feel like at least one had the spare in the back in a big hole in the floor, but I'm not sure. (Mine is under the hood/above the motor). FTR, though, I ditched the scissor jack and picked up a small lifty one at Harbor Freight. Way better--I've had too many scissor jacks fail or threaten to fail or tip for me to trust them as a primary lifter. (Ok, only one, but that was enough). Little lift jacks can lower on their own, but at least they're still in a position to re-lift the car (or at least be jammed under in such a way as to keep the thing from being a total catastrophe).

Scenario: I live in a downtown apartment with street parking. Decide it's a good idea to do head gaskets and other big things now as opposed to when it's snowing. Borrowed a friend's (well, two friends over two 'weekends'). Did the headgaskets, timing belts, clutch, axles, did a transmission swap. Fuel pump. Patched and swapped hoses/lines/etc, ************...I still got to check the coolant mix so I don't freeze the block this winter because!...D'Oh! After I did the headgaskets, the motor developed a funny water leak that sometimes would leak like a sieve and I'd stop every few miles to top off. Other times I could get to work and home again and only loose a cup. After finding a water pump gasket I started taking off the accesories on top of the motor so I could reach the water pump and "Hey!", I said to myself, "why is this pipe loose?". I had fogotten to tighten down the pipe that runs between the 'top' of the water pump and the lower radiator hose. Tightened it down and no more leaks! And the other (I'm still laughing at this one) D'oh moment...after said transmission swap and clutch and axles I was on my way home from the second friend's driveway and a three week weekend when, everything running more perfectly than I could have dreamed of when...I ran out of gas! Felt like a real dumb*ss, but it happens so I laughed at myself and called a tow truck. Now I'm fighting water in the line and/or a faulty injector, not sure which just yet.

Sigh...another tool to purchase. Pretty soon I'm going to need a proper garage and tool box/bench. Right now she's parked at the auxillary lot for the local grocery store/apartments/mini-business district in the next block (I have street parking). My tools are in a canvas bag in the car, but quickly outgrowing that as I acquire more and more. Plastic and gauges are in a smaller container but quite nearby. I've also acquired jack stands, a pipe, a few hammers, I forget what else.

Loyale: Timing Belts. Head gaskets. Front axles. D/r 5 speed Transmission. Clutch. I have a long list of things to do (driving lights, maybe EJ, second battery, onboard air, onboard hard drive/computer, communications radio, etc) but I guess the most pressing one is to get the defrost function working--right now I only get air out the vents that blow AT you, and not up or down to the windshield/floor. I should hit up those driving lights before winter gets too close, but that's optional. Rawlins is a fair drive (300 miles?), but if you wander down to Denver I'll give you a hand.

My sense of smell for gasoline and similar odors is very weak to non-existant. That was due to my being stupid and leaving gas/oil smelly clothes in my laundry once while I slept. Realized what had happened after 1--I woke up high as a kite and put the stuff outside, and 2--a dog sprayed my skunk and I had no clue whatsoever (he even came in the house) until someone else commented on the fact to me. There is a light smell of gas but I have no idea how strong it is as both weak and strong concentrations are identical to me. It's been...yesterday was day three, but may (?) have been compounded by a weak battery. Didn't check the tail pipe, but there could be quite a lot of water. If a new filter doesn't clear it up tomorrow (day five) I guess I get to drain the tank? Joy. Any other ideas?

@Peter: How long did it take for the water to clear the system, so to speak? After yesterday I went down in the evening and got someone to try and jump start me, and the injector fired just fine, though still no start. Perhaps it's a water issue I've compounded by running the battery low enough to make things not fire fully? I pulled every gas connection in the motor: at the fuel filter, both in AND out at the injector...guess that's it, actually. I loosened the gas cap, too, so the lines can drain (I blew through them) back to the tank without fighting whatever pressure may remain in the system. Water remover in the tank. Today (Sunday) ordered a new fuel filter at the parts store, and grabbed a battery charger so I don't have to flag down a passerby for a jump every time I'm ready to test something. Guess I'll just keep trying things until either A--it works, or B--I've tried everything and decided it's the injector or whatever part that failed.

You can run 4wd on the highway, just be careful and pretend it's rear wheel drive. Every time I've done it the car has gotten squirrely until I put it back in front wheel. Of course, that was a somewhat curvy road with slick new snow/sleet/rain--in a straight line you should be ok (though if you're able to hit highway speeds do you need 4wd???)

I'll take MilesFox's word on these matters any day of the week. I'm assuming then that the clutch kit I have for the front wheel drive EA82 (I got it for a 91, just mine is 4wd, not fwd...) won't fit? I think mine is second gen EA82, but I get confused on these details as this is currently the only one I own and have never had an older one.

I nearly had myself a similar problem a week or two ago. I was all ready to put the engine/tranny back together when I realized the release fork was sloppy looking. There are a pair of stiff wires on the back side of the fork that hold it to a little pin/ball/protrusion that it rotates around. In my case it had popped off this mount at some point. Not being on that mount could feasibly produce the symptoms you describe. Could be the case for you, too? You may be able to remove the clutch cable and return spring from the fork and do it (or at least check it) without removing the whole motor . The starter hole is your friend, as well.

No problem. It's in my car someplace, I'll dig it out after work and let you know. If I find a measurement I'll post that, too, but I'm not sure I have that part. They are sweet cars...not sure how they'll do at fifty but it's worth trying to find out

What happened, then? If it wasn't the distributor... I put in a 'new' disty just a few weeks ago, btw. August, maybe? Or July? One I had from another Loyale I got rid of some time ago (but kept some parts). The disty that was in the car was having trouble and causing stalling and stuff. Now a new rotor and cap, 'good' disty, and more importantly--no error codes...

Wasn't trying to imply that, sorry--just that I'm getting spark to the plugs. Whether it's communicating with the FI or not I don't know. I'm going to laugh at myself (after a huge palm-print leaving facepalm) if it's the fuel filter. I don't think it is--gas comes out of it--albeit not as much as sometimes does. Still enough I should at least get a cough or two and a few seconds of running, though...it's not quite two years old, but I guess anything is possible.

The rotor moves (I checked this way back) and I get spark/a hell of a shock when I pull a plug. I snagged a passerby for a jump tonight and the injector started firing when we cranked it, but still not enough to get the motor running. Maybe: 1--my battery has cranked enough times to be just low enough to not let things work quite right? Injector wasn't firing earlier, or not too much anyway. May have been given too little voltage? 2--injector is going out? 3--need more time for the water to come out of the fuel? I went back out after I walked the dog tonight and undid the fuel lines at the filter, both lines (in and out) at the injector, and loosened the gas cap. I dumped some of that alcohol/water remover stuff in earlier and a couple gallons of gas on top of it. It's been almost 48 hours since I parked it, though... Everything I've tested so far is in spec. How does one test a fuel injector besides doing a mickey mouse hotwire job to see if it turns on?