Crazyeights

I have 3 pictures of "Jerry's Kit" that I took right after getting it directly from Jerry years ago. The "Kit" is still holding the trans in my lifted '83! What is the easiest way to make 3 .jpg files available? I don't have any space here. I have lots of old notes and some other misc pictures relating to the swap if you are interested.

Have you read the EA to EJ swap guide? It has all of the diagrams, directions, and pictures that you need. EA to EJ swap guide

Rust? ^^^

An EJ swap in an EA body makes a fun ride, it's like a whole new car. I have 2 EJ swapped Subarus right now - both with stock EJ22s in them. One is a AWD '92 Loyale and the other is an '83 GL 4wd wagon. @Subiedude.12 do you have any pictures or a thread up somewhere? @GeneralDisorderI am glad no one was hurt! "Ended up in someone's lawn narrowly missing a mailbox" - I did that in my friends moms Datsun B210 Honey Bee

Damn it's nice to hear from you Rob! I'm glad you are ok. Very nice work on your EJ - RX!

I must be missing something really obvious, if it is a battery charger then why not connect it right at the battery?

Some basic organized diagnostic procedures starting with compression AND leak-down tests should have the problem sorted out in short order. Do NOT assume that any part or system is "good, tested, or trusted" until you verify it for yourself. Especially a new or reman part. A smoke (vapor) machine can be useful in locating hard to find vacuum or boost leaks. It can be difficult to offer this type of help in an internet forum when you don't know anything about the person working on the vehicle and their skill level, not to mention the history and condition of the vehicle. The EA82T is probably one of if not THE most universally disliked engines that Subaru ever produced. That being said my 89 GL10 Turbo wagon is the only EA body vehicle I own that hasn't been swapped to an EJ and it's still one of my favorite cars. To me an EA82T with 1 and 3 (same bank) is screaming "my headgasket has been leaking for 20k and my cylinder head is cracked."

Yes it should be. I have done that swap and I don't recall anything unusual coming up.

Congratulations on your New (to you) Subaru! In my opinion it is a very good choice for starting out. My story is very much like yours. I was young and didn't have a car or a lot of money. I figured out early on that the only way I was going to own a car at that point in my life was to start with something that didn't run. I started doing simple things in my driveway. I got a phone call one day from the owner of a Service Station where I had dropped off a job application, I had totally forgotten about it. I went in to interview for the job and the station owner asked me what I wanted to do going forward with my career. I told him that I was looking for a part time job so that I could afford to buy some tools and go to school to learn how to work on my own car. His response changed the rest of my life. He said "just give me 2 years and I'll turn you in to a certified tech"! I was so stoked! 40 years later and I have the knowledge and all of the tools I'll ever need to repair and build my own cars. I am still in the industry today, and I am currently employed as the Senior Advanced Level Master Technician in a busy 9 bay shop. I mainly do general repair and drive-ability diagnosis. The need to learn new things and acquire new and different tools never ends lol. Apologies for the long winded post, I have been stuck inside for a week fighting Covid.

I was not talking about the gear on the distributor. Check the distributor drive gear on the crankshaft as it may be damaged. You can get to it by removing the oil pump. Again, does the distributor turn when you crank over the engine?

I have had the distributor drive gear strip on the crank causing the distributor to stop rotating when you stuff it in all the way. Pull the cap and crank it over. Does it turn?

As far as I remember, it only installs one way due to the bolt pattern.

I am a career Master Tech in the Seattle area. I have a lot of Subaru EA series experience (been doing this for 40+ years) but I have very little free time. I will try and help when and if I can. Awesome house and property BTW if that is yours

Welcome! You're in the right place. There are lots of helpful people here, and an unbelievable bank of knowledge relating to earlier Subarus. Can you share any pictures of your car?

The EA series cars in my opinion are not safe enough to drive as a daily anymore with the type of traffic on the road these days. I never used to think about it until I got rear ended recently in my 88 DL Wagon at a stop by a guy doing about 40 mph. It shoved the rear storage area up to the back tires and bent the shape of the whole car, none of the doors opened afterword. The drivers seat broke and I flew up and passed out when my head slammed in to the roof. I woke up 2 lanes over and down a side street. Driving a 4WD Chevrolet Blazer until I figure out what to build next.

I would suggest buying or renting a cooling system pressure tester if you don't already have one. Pull out all of the spark plugs and fill up the radiator with water. Pressurize the cooling system to about 15 lbs and try to find the leak. I would suggest leaving the car together until you know what's wrong. Once you locate the coolant leak you will know how to fix it.

If your '84 hatch has a 1.8L EA81 with power steering and a 4" SJR lift then there is a bolt in solution. Find a steering shaft/coupler from a 1998 Forester non-turbo 2.5L. It is the perfect length. Any other configuration just go to a pick-n-pull and look for something that fits. Failing that have someone weld one up for you.

One bank of your 1.8L is about 900cc. Maybe you could use a matched pair of VW carbs or a pair from a motorcycle. You are also going to have to find or make some good quality throttle linkage. It needs to be adjustable too so that you can sync the carbs. As far as the heads go my thoughts are to stick with the single port version. Your exhaust port on the output side of the head is only a single port. The MPFI heads aren't worth the added trouble and expense. Do it right and you'll make good power for what it is. It'll look cool too if you are detail oriented. Please keep thread updated and post pictures.

I used Impreza or early Legacy, I can't remember which, brakes on the rear my 1992 Loyale. It only takes minor modifications to make the backing plate fit. The pictures and directions are on this board.

Welcome! That's nice wagon, have you had it long?

Very nice! I don't see many 4wd sedans especially with a turbo! I would really like to see some more pictures. Do you have any of the interior and the engine bay? Thank you for sharing

What is the compression in all 4 cylinders? Is the valve timing correct? As I recall once you install the inside timing belt you have to turn the engine one full revolution before installing the second belt. A cylinder leakdown test would also give us some useful information.

Welcome to the USMB! In my opinion this is one of the best resources online for older Subarus. Your projects sound interesting. Perhaps you might be interested in starting a thread or two about your cars? Hint - we all like lots of pictures

I have 40+ years of experience as a certified advanced level Master Tech and I am still employed in the field full time. I own a 1989 GL10 Turbo wagon (EA82T / 4EAT) in good shape along with a pretty good stash of extra parts. I own 2 other EA wagons as well. One is a lifted 1983 GL wagon with an EJ22, custom built 3.9 full time dual range trans, and a clutch style LSD rear diff. The second one is an AWD 1992 Loyale with an EJ22, EJ 5MT transmission, and a 5 lug conversion. Both cars have 4 wheel disc brakes. According to some people I must be an idiot too. Do I care what other people think about me, my cars, or what I do? Don't think so. I do what makes ME happy. I still hang out here and enjoy the USMB a lot. In my opinion this is one of the best resources online for older Subarus. I still check in here almost every day but I rarely post here anymore. Some people that post here seem to have moved on from EA Subarus and are down on our old cars for some reason. People world wide are restoring cars every day that are way harder to get parts for than an old Subaru. I say do what YOU want and what makes YOU happy. Will you make mistakes? Yes. Will you learn from them? Yes, without a doubt. I know I have. I am following your thread and enjoying it. Please keep it updated