el_freddo

1. Does it do the vibration when stationary and you rev the engine, or only when under engine braking conditions? 2. time for new plugs and leads? Only use NKG or genuine Subaru items for both of these. Cheers Bennie

Throttle cable should be fine since the carbs are basically in the same place. Having replied on your wagon’s thread I failed to note that you’ll need to modify your top radiator hose setup to accommodate the EA81 intake manifold on the EA82 block. I’m sure you could just use the EA81 upper radiator hose to get the job done though. Best to work out what’s needed before the install to avoid disappointment when it doesn’t all just marry up like you thought it would Cheers Bennie

Read up on fitting the EJ to these older Subaru models. I’ve heard it’s not a straight forward exercise like it is for the MY/MV and L series models. This could be for the DOHC, but I’d hate for you to get all excited for an EJ conversion only to find out it won’t fit without chassis rail mods. This info is from reading about a guy that shoved a WRX drivetrain into an L88 ute if I remember correctly. It was an metallic emerald green ute in Oz. Cheers Bennie

Hey mate nice score! We have an ‘84/85 L series sedan with manual choke on it at M&D’s I can remove next time I’m there. Drop us a PM. I think the dash button is a dark blue colour. Cheers Bennie

No worries mate, I love mine too. Only downer (sometimes) is not being able to fit more than one of my kids in it. It’s good and bad in that way... Cheers Bennie

Well spotted Numbchux. I saw the link but didn’t think much of it as it seems relatively “normal”, just in a weird place. It’s the same for all of their posts on the forum, a whole three now. Cheers Bennie

Also remember the brakes are like they’re from the Stone Age! Cheers Bennie

That little cast number at the 11 o’clock position is something I learned about last year and is great for identifying the oil pump size without removing the pump and measuring. I was going to ask what oil you’re running but GD kind of beat me to it with the thicker oil suggestion. Is the history of this engine known or is it a replacement engine or a new to you vehicle? Cheers Bennie

Disconnect the crank angle sensor. No spark, no injector pulse. Done. Cheers Bennie

Correct. Cheers Bennie

Never heard that one @moosens. I’ve always just left the battery disconnected for a half hour or more. The overnight battery dance usually does the trick Cheers Bennie

The problem is 40 year old technology trying to appease the needs of a seasoned WRX driver. The old EA81 isn’t a power house by any means. But it shouldn’t take a calendar year to get up to speed either. I drive mine with the foot in a bit, let it build the revs then go for the next gear. There’s no need to rush it with these! Sit back and enjoy the 80’a charm and the scenery going by between gear changes I’m not sure that really helps you, but going from a WRX to the brat certainly isn’t helping you’re expectations of the little NA carb fed 1.8L donk with the tractor 4 speed gearbox... Cheers Bennie

No starter relay. Your ignition switch could have a dead starter circuit. If you have a spare one available you could diagnose the issue quite easily. Cheers Bennie

Sounds like a missed or dodgy earth somewhere near the transmission, it could be on the intake to as the ECU pulls many of its earth points from this area. The front O2 sensor would be one to look into. Cheers Bennie

I can never remember which plugs they are - black or green. I think it’s green for EA and black for EJ, like I said, I can never remember. Remove the kick panel above the driver’s feet and have a pole around in the wiring. The plug colours are all that matter, from memory the wire colours in the plugs are different for the same plug colour Then ignition ON, engine not running, count the flashes as moosens said. Look up a chart in a gregroies manual or fsm, whatever you have available and go from there. Cheers Bennie

3:1 is insane! Hill climbs in 5th at that ratio Good to hear it’s holding up well and that your planning slight tweaks to it as well. Hopefully these items take off for you and the greater subaru community! Tshirt designs look mint. Only car to finish?? I must’ve missed that detail in your previous posts about the race. That’s an awesome title to hold! Front struts look mint. Cheers Bennie

Hopefully it didn’t stop because it was too hot. I’ve seen an EA81 that ran so hot it melted the bottom edge of the dizzy cap that contacted the metal of the dizzy body! Needless to say it was retired after that. It could be a dead coil or ignition module in the dizzy. I had a coil suddenly die on me and it also killed my ignition coil. Replace both and see if this is the issue. DO NOT just replace the ignition module, if the coil is dead it will kill the ignition module in the blink of an eye. Ask me how I know. $75 down the drain Not much else really stops these engines other than a lack of oil or coolant. Actually there’s a fuel cut module under the dashboard. Six pin plug into a black box that cuts the fuel pump in the event of a crash, no engine revolutions = no pump operation. You should be able to hear your fuel pump prime with the ignition on and run when cranking. Not the easiest thing to work out! What have you tried so far? Fuel down the carb? Investigated the spark situation? Does it crank over or is it seized? Cheers Bennie

If you’ve done several cruises I’d doubt it’s an air pocket in the coolant. Fans not coming on is an issue. Is this an auto? I’m guessing there’s an issue with load and heat generated. The heat exchanger for the auto is on the cold side of the radiator, so if it’s dumping loads of heat into the coolant there’s no way to cool it before the engine gets this coolant. Work out what the issue is and you might find your issue is fixed. Or worst case scenario is your HG job wasn’t performed correctly and you have issues there. Actually, it’s winter over there atm right? The engine isn’t being over cooked is it? When it runs hot what’s the feel of the temp difference at the top rad hose/end/top tank compared to the lower rad hose/end/bottom tank? Is there a significant difference or does it feel the same? Feel the auto fluid hoses too, if they’re piping hot that would point to the auto heating up. I hope this helps. A bit more investigating for more info could sort this one out. Cheers Bennie

It could be a blocked PVC system or engine blow by (expected for an older engine) being pushed into the air filter box. Nothing to stress about unless you’re seeing more oil in your filter than in the sump. Don’t fill up with oil because of low pressure. Always check the oil level when the vehicle is on level ground and the engine off for at least five mins. Low oil could indicate a worn oil pump or a stuck open pressure relief valve. Cheers Bennie

Money pit, yes - unless you ditch the EA82t and drop a wrx conversion into it, then it starts to become somewhat reliable if you don’t go overboard on anything. Slap a 5 stud and brake conversion on it and you’ll be set for that retro look/vibe with some modern day power and reliability while retaining the turbo performance aspect of it. If you keep the EA82t you’ll be forever working on it to make it reliable for a drive let along a trip away. Parts are hard to find and the heads usually have a crack in them between the valves, no a deal breaker unless they extend all the way down the exhaust port where it can crack into the coolant jacket. Don’t expect the 1.8L turbo setup to do anything spectacular other than make some good noises. An EJ turbo can do the same noises but with the Amalie that comes from the rush of turbo performance. If you’re going to do it up as a classic resto, go for it, if you’re not really passionate about the vehicle and (especially the) drive train, either make plans to convert it or walk away. My 20c on that one. Cheers Bennie

I’ve never compared the timing marks to the cam timing before. On the LHS cam wheel is an arrow on one of the arms. When pointing in certain directions it tells you which piston is at TDC for the ignition spark phase of the cycle. You could try using that to see if anything is out, but it’s still a shot in the dark as to whether things have moved or not. You really need to view the crank timing mark alignment. The crank pulley is a 22mm socket Cheers Bennie

Only three weeks, pretty much on time going by some of the decade old thread digs going on at the moment! Cheers Bennie

That certainly helps! If you don’t want to drop the coolant (I avoid it if possible!), you can remove the fans an put a piece of cardboard or a solid board across the radiator to help protect it from damage. Cheers Bennie

This issue points to cam belt timing being misaligned to me. It’s best to check all three marks lining up as you can have botch cams timed correctly together but the crank mark out a tooth or two. Sort this out and the stumbling will go away. If cam timing is out it could possibly affect the manifold vacuum on engine braking too. Cheers Bennie

^ I second these! Typically due to a loose castlated nut. Cheers Bennie