El Presidente

Theres a bunch of threads about this. The toe is adjustable...kinda, but the camber is not. The instructions say there is a way to do it, but look carefully at them. I've always found this part amusing: "Use a piece of wood as a lever", basicly, you shove a 2x4 in the trailing arm and bend it till you have 0* camber. Tightening the bolts doesn't do much, but you can shim them with washers if it really out. If your bearings are good, your bushings are good, and all the bolts are tight, than you have a bent trailing arm. At that point you have three options, live with it, replace it, or bend it back. Whether at rest, or jacked up, the tire should always be at 0* camber. Shops don't touch the rear because of how getto the adjustment procedure is and its a liability, but Schwab will still charge for telling you that. Josh

We're getting off-topic, but I want to add that HHO generators work just fine on fuel injected systems, since they basicly work along side of any fuel system, I've seen it personally. They don't throw off fuel maps or make it run leaner or richer, they just create a condition where the motor needs less fuel period. Theres a really good write-up I saw over at the Cherokee Forum a few years ago. A guy over there had really well documented and build write-ups along with a working homemade HHO generator. He explained a lot of the common problems people run into and how to make the system run at its best efficiency. Sorry, I don't have a link. About a year after I read the thread, the shop I was working at got an order for some parts for an HHO generator and I got a chance to talk to the guy who was building it. Apparently he started out making a small scale one for his lawn tractor and then scaled it up for his car. I never heard back from him as to how the larger scale ones haven worked, but I've seen them work else where. Josh

What offroad world are you talking about?!? Its not in the world of offroad Subaru's, Jeep's, Toyota's, Suzuki's or custom Crawlers/Buggy's. The only world I can think of where using steel over a hockey puck would be considered redneck or ghetto, is hockey...please explain...Is this a new sport? Offroad Hockey?! OP: Just make or buy a 2" lift, there's a million threads about this. Josh

8* advanced will make it pretty gutless with a Weber. 15-20* sounds about right to me... As long as it isn't pinging, your not hurting anything. When I'm setting up custom timing on a carbed motor, I always go heavy on the advance and then dial it back as needed. Best case, sounds like you may just have a stubborn air pocket in your heater core. If your getting combustion gases in the coolant system, your gonna be losing coolant(not always consistently). I had an EA81 that would only push combustion gases in the coolant system when on the freeway or pulling up a hill and it started really really slow, then it got really really bad. Josh

No, the discharge nozzle looks like it was machined correctly to me. The double discharge nozzles are mostly seen on syncro 38/38's or application specific(custom) 32/36's. I say leave it alone I'd try bumping that timing up to 15* or maybe more, you can get aggressive with the timing when your running a Weber. Go as far advanced as you can, as long as it doesn't ping. Advancing the timing will help with the motor run more efficiently, which helps MPG's, and will also help bump the low end torque, which will help turn those bigger tires. Considering the size of tires your running and if your a little heavy on the skinny, that would account for the lower MPG's. If you want more out of that EA81, run an EA82 SPFI on it. If you don't want to do that, you could also drop some EA82 pistons in it, you don't even have to split the block for that. Josh

Hey Skylar, Your mains shouldn't be rusty because they are brass. The rust on the bottom of the bowl is from the rest of the system..rusty fuel lines, rust in the tank etc.. I've only seen numbers on a few Weber accelerator jets and your options aren't big, so unless you have serious accelerating issues, its probably fine. The part you pictured isn't a jet, just a discharge nozzle for the acceleration circuit. Its also normal for one side to not be machined out, like yours. 23-26 mpg's is a little low. Have you checked the #' on your mains, idles and air corrector's and compared it to whats recommended? you may just need to lean it out a little. Some accelerator linkages are adjustable too, so make sure its set to the shortest throw. Little ea82's don't need big shots of fuel. Josh

Wheel size has nothing to so with tire size. You can get 15's that are almost the exact same size as the 185/70/r13's on most gl's, or you can get 15's that are twice the size of stock GL tires. I recommend 15" wheels because tires are easier to get and cheaper, plus you have more variety. OP, I've never driven a 4", but I've DD my 6" lifted rig with 31's and had a couple 2" lifted rigs that I DD'd, both running 27's. Unless you pull the sway bar, they all pretty much handle the same. None of my cars had sway bars and its squirrelly at first, but you get used to it fast. Since these cars have independant suspension, body roll isn't as much of a problem like with a solid axle rig like a toyota or Jeep. The 2" option is a safe one, but 27's will require cutting to not rub on your fenders. A 2" is cheap to get into and can be sold for about what you have into it pretty safetly. On a 2" lift you don't need to drop anything, but it does help take stress off axles. I always just lifted at the struts and rear shocks and called it a day. On road ability of a 2" is great and offroad is still really amazing, but your gonna bend more sheet metal. When I made my lift blocks on my 6" rig I set the camber to be slightly negative to help on-road manners in the corners and its helped a lot. You can do the same with a 2", just cut your blocks to 18 or 19 degrees instead of 17. Josh

You highly highly disagree, but have you ever wheeled a subaru?? I bottom out all the time on 6" of lift with 31's, but its not on my oil pan. In my post I was stating a fact...most of us over here in nw washington don't use a skid pan on the front and none of us run rear diff skids because you don't need one. Just like any other rig(Jeep, Yota, etc) the only real weak point on a rear diff that needs armor is the input yoke. Yes the rear diff housing could break, but if you had some experience, you'd realize its really low on the weakpoint list. I'm not saying any skid pan is useless, but all I'm saying is that if you build some, all you need is a front skid. It is a given that a stock subaru will scrape...Are you planning on wheeling a stock height subaru? Like Gloyale said, they all came with a stock front skid(I've never seen one that didn't come with one) and unless your going over 2" in lift, it can stay there, they help a lot at that height. Having wheeled 2" lifted subarus I would run a front skid, but I'd never attempt any serious wheeling in a stock height rig. It would do it, but you'd just be killing it. On the issue of plastic skid pans, they work on atv's because they don't weigh anything, but on a car they'll just break, or flex to the point of distributing weight on the things they are trying to protect,. Unless you use a steel frame, which makes using plastic fairly pointless. You shouldn't be afraid of criticism, its all constructive here on the board Josh

I install axles with the knuckle in the car and I use two framing hammers and block of wood to get the axle through, takes about 15-20 mins a side. Theres a write up on here that describes how to do it, but all you do is get the axle in as far as you can and thread the spindle nut on, then put a hammer claw on each side of the nut and pry both out evenly...the nut will pull through like butter. Then do it again with blocks of wood under the hammers and move the spindle nut another inch or two. By now you can get the hub on and start torquing it through without the cone washer to pulll it through enough to eventuly get the cone washer and and lock washer on..torque it to 145ft lbs and your done. If your having a hard time visulizing the hammer positioning, put both framing hammers(with straigh"rip" claws, not curved finish hammers) back to back witht he claws touching....now cross the handles and imagine they pivot there...hook the claws on the spindle nut and pry off the knuckle on each side...hopefully that helps Josh

I'd just get a new one from the Junkyard if you can't find the gasket. You could also make a gasket with some bulk gasket material(you can get it at the autoparts store, it comes in a sheet) or just take it back apart, clean it really well, and reasemble it with anaerobic sealant. Josh

Check the offroad section, that where this should be. Most of us don't use skid plate, just pay attention to where your going and its not an issue. iI your gonna build one, the front skid is the only one you really need, the tranny and rear diff are strong enough to take some blows. Josh

X2, Redrill your hubs(what I recommend) or some wheels. If you want more options move to a 15 or 16" wheel. You can still get tires that will be the same size as the 185/70/13's that you have now, they'll just have a smaller sidewall. A buddy of mine ran 195/60/15's on his GL and they are almost the exact same size as a stock 13" and really common too. You can even go with some 6 lug 17" yukon/escalade wheels and run some 235/40/17's..they're only an inch taller than stock. With redrilled hubs the sky is the limit, any wheel, any style, any size and any tire. Use a tire calculator like this to help: http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/infoTireMath.dos Put in what you have now and what you are thinking of and it will tell you all the differences side by side. Josh

Webers are fine on as little as 1.5psi, offroad guys run them that low to prevent flooding out when off-camber. At 7psi, it will just blast past the needle and pour gas all over the motor. As far as the fuel coming out of the carb, I'd check the cam timing again. When it comes to ignition timing, you might want to check that as well and make sure the vacuum advance is going to ported vacuum on the carb and not a intake port. When you get it running, it going to want a lot more timing than stock and it can take it. I think I had mine at 14 advanced and it wanted more, but I didn't want it to ping when lugging it(wheeler). If you have your old heads, you can keep them as back ups. Probably 90% of ea82 heads on the road are cracked and they only become a problem when they leak(not very often). HG failures are a design problem between the heads being a little flimsy and the HG's themselves, so you probably could have used your old heads if you got them milled. It sounds like your close! When you pull a spark plug and turn it over does it spark? If you do I'd suspect the cam timing or the ignition timing, in that order.. Josh

Washers work great for getting more life out of bushings, but if you want to move your tire forward for clearance, I'd lengthen the radius rods. Mine are 1 1/4" longer than stock and I clear 31's with no rubbing. It also makes the castor positive, which makes the steering more firm and stay on center. Search the offroad section for details on how to do it, just know it does involve welding. Another option is radius rods from a toyota crown and they are adjustable, unlike the ea82 radius rods. They are hard to come in the states, but its another option. Josh

Don't go to Schwab, they're way over priced and will charge for work they don't do. Seriously, don't go there for anything, even tires. Their tires are rebranded tires from manufactures and Schwab jacks up the price for their name. Other places sell the same tire for a lot cheaper and will give you equal or better service. Don't even get me started on their brake jobs with loose brakelines or their forgetfulness on torquing down lugnuts. The only alignment you can do on the front of your loyale is the toe and most shops won't, or don't know how, to adjust the rear. Call around, explain you just want the toe adjusted and get the best reasonable price with a guarantee. You can also learn how to do it yourself. I do all my own alignments and I have zero issues. Theres a couple threads on how to do this. Josh

IMHO Homemade is the way to go. It will cost you about a third of a shelf bought kit and you can have the pride of knowing its built, not bought. Plus if you ever go to sell it, you can probably get your money back if you put some quality into it. If your 2 inch is positive cambered, you just might need new blocks, they should sit at almost zero camber. Josh

EA82 5sp d/r years are found between 85'-89' in GL/DL wagons and one year of the GL sedans...86 I think. Thats in the USDM As for the EA81, The hydraulic lifter ones are the best in almost every regard. IIRC, they can be found in ea81 automatic cars(83'ish?-85ish) and any EA81 86 and later. Theres tons of threads on how to ID them and where to look, but the dead giveaway is the stickers on the valve covers that say "do not adjust valve lash". I know I'm missing some info there, but the hydraulic lifter EA81's is what I'd go with. I'm not sure what years to look for a EA81 4sp d/r..sorry Josh

The XT6 and the standard 4wd pressure plates are now the same listing, so theres no reason to go for a XT6 pressure plate. If you do find one, its just not needed anyway. Just have your ea82 flywheel ground to XT6 specifications at a machine shop and you'll get the extra clamping force on a normal presure plate. It cost me $40 to have done and that way, you start with a clean flywheel. Its what I did and I've had zero issues of clutch slippage turning 31's and I also used my old clutch disc. Josh

Ok, heres the deal. You can take this project as far as you want to go couple hundred to a couple thousand, but heres what you can get away with. You can take up to .020" off the heads and use the stock cam and stock pushrods. You'll have issues of valve ticking, so you'll need to tighten up the valve clearance to stop this. It will not backfire, you'll have more compression which equates to more low end torque. You'll have the same lift, but the valve train geometry will be off. Running custom pushrods anytime you adjust head thickness, or deck height will hep things run better, but its not critical at .020". First thing decide what you want to do with this motor. If you run ea82/ea71 pistons and take .020" off the heads, you may be stuck with running premium fuel to stop detonation, but it will sound like a chainsaw and tear up the road. If you want something a little more than stock for the road, just put ea82/ea71 pistons in and run a stock ea82 efi setup on it. If you want an animal(a little one), take .060 off the heads, run a custom intake, custom pushrods be stuck with aviation fuel and only get 100-130hp. Add up how much your preferred option costs and compare it to an ej swap. An EJ18 puts out 110hp stock is the easiest EJ to install. Search around and decide what you want. Theres tons of EA81 build threads and tons of EJ18 swap threads. Josh

You could grind the cam to fit milled heads using the stock size pushrods, but you'll lose valve lift, which negates the point of what your doing. If you put in ea71 or ea82 pistons and take .015 off the heads, you can get away with using stock pushrods. You'll just need to run a tighter valve lash. Last ea81 I had, I took .020 off the heads on stock pushrods and I ran my valves at .006" intake and .008" exhaust. It ran great! Josh

Yes, just push/pull it to where it needs to go. It helps to loosely bolt up the hanger under the tranny, then loosely bolt up one side of the exhaust, force it to where it needs to go on the other side and tighten everything down when its on. I think bolts are better than studs because the threads aren't exposed to elements and don't corrode as easily. I use bolts on all the EA82's I've dealt with and I've never had issues with them backing out and I also use copper anti seize so they don't lock up. I use copper anti seize on EVERY bolt that goes in the block(except head bolts). Josh -Just don't use soft bolts, go with hardened ones.

You can shave the heads on an EA81, not an EA82 The most you want to take off, running a stock intake, is usually .015-.020(from stock height/head thickness), but the OP is running a custom carbon fiber intake(s). If hes going that far, shortened pushrods isn't a far stretch if he wants to go over .020". You can also correct valve geometry a couple ways including grinding the rocker arms, and shimming the rocker towers. When your not limited by stock intakes, cam and pushrods, the most you usually want to take is .060", but you can take more if you want to push it. Josh

I agree I love Subaru's, and sure, the independent suspension is neat and cool, but its just not that strong. I'm not saying that it isn't strong for what it is..a Japanese grocery-getter you can put 31's on..but its not strong enough effectively for 33's, or going up a lot of the trails we go down. The axles are always the weak point in our suspension, they have a fairly limited range they can operate at before they explode and they are prone to breaking when you are running bigger tires and all bound up. Doing what works saves time, money and you have a lot more fun, especially when you aren't confined by CV axles that can only offer a fraction of the travel a solid axle can, and only handle the torque of 31's at best. Given enough time, if a rig survives long enough, it will hardly resemble it original self. The weak points are upgraded and the fluffy, cushy spoob is bashed in or cut off, this includes suspension and power train parts. Its true for any make that sees trail time. Josh

Most failures I see are selectable hubs(If they're being run at all, they are the weakest point in a select 4wd axle), broken axles and broken u-joints. I've never seen an automatic give up the ghost, and I've seen alot of them, but I've seen them have issues a handful of times. Josh

Not a transmission. Automatics are just fine offroad, crawling for hours on end. I've known lots of guys that have run them with lots of success, including myself. They are absolute magic in rocks and areas you need to use a gentle touch to get over. A ton of Jeep XJ's came with AW4's and they are really tough trannys just in stock form. I've never had or heard of any issues running them off-camber and they can turn 36's all day over f'd terrain.The key is keeping it cool...Its real simple, if it gets hot, get a better cooling system. If it breaks and its not overheating, get a better tranny or lower gears...and just because its built up, doesn't mean its strong enough for the rest of the drivetrain/rig. If you build it right, it won't break and will be trouble free. Manuals have their place in my heart too, so dont think I'm saying one is better than the other, they both have their place on the trail. Josh