GeneralDisorder

If you really want to go with a large lift - it would be better to use the rear end from a 2nd gen as they have a single torsion bar tube assembly vs. the twin seperate torsion bars at compound angles to the body that the 1st gen like your's have. EJ22 is the standard EJ swap - using an adaptor plate, redrilled flywheel, etc you can mate one to an EA82 5 speed D/R transmission. The problems: 1. Speedometer has no VSS output for the EJ22 computer. 2. Fuel lines are problematic for the high-pressure injection pump and stock pump is mounted in the engine bay which is not and acceptable location for the FI pump. 3. Externally regulated alternator - wireing will have to be changed. 4. VERY tight fitting the EJ22 into the engine bay. It will fit, but there is very little room on either side making maintenance a hassle. 5. Radiator and fans are also really tight. Can't use the stock fans at all and as with EA81's the solution usually involves a pusher fan in front of the radiator. Kiss the AC goodbye if you have it. There are other problems but that's a start. It's no picnic getting an EJ into even an EA81 body. The EA71 Gen 1 body is even smaller. Maintenance of any kind other than oil changes pretty much demands you pull the engine to have room to work. GD

EGR light comes on via a mileage trip switch at every 60k interval. Under the dash there are three connectors - two blue and a green or two green and a blue - can't remember. Whichever two are plugged in you unplug them and plug in the other matching pair. This resets the EGR indicator for another 60k. It's just set as a reminder to check the EGR valve and passages - but at 60k I wouldn't even concern myself with checking it. At 240k it might need addressed but not at 60k . ECS light means you have a feedback carbureted model - which is a tedious chore of a thing to own unfortunately. They are notoriously difficult and expensive systems to repair. It might be something simple though - if you pull the lower kick-panel under the steering column you will see a gold box with a flashing LED (if the ECS light is on) on the side of it. Leave the panel off and drive the car till the ECS light comes on. The codes will then be flashed at you via the LED on the gold box - it will be long and short flashes in morse code. The long flashes are the first digit and the short flashes are the second. Tell us what codes you get and we can tell you what the code indicates - it's probably a faulty coolant sensor or O2 sensor but it could be other things as well. GD

The best years are '82 to '84 for the 2nd gen (EA81 body style) - more rounded than the '85+ wagons. They would be carbed but can be swapped out to a Weber or the later Single Point Fuel Injection (SPFI). They come with the 4 speed Hi/Low transmissions (known as a Dual Range, or D/R around here). Those can be swapped with the 5 speed from the later models. They are a bit lighter and simpler in a lot of ways. Mostly people love them because the EA81 engine is just plain bullet-proof. The best years for EA82's (Gen-III) is '88 and '89. In those years you will find the GL models that have the 5 speed D/R as well as the bullet-proof SPFI injection system. The engine itself is not highly regarded however - the EA82 has troublesome timing belts, a weak cooling system, and tends to develop more head gasket issues than the EA81's while only netting a mere 16 more HP. Lots of folks take the '88/'89 models and swap in either an EA81 with a few mods or an EJ22 for a ton more power and reliability. Basically for '80's wagons - you want '82,'83,'84,'88, or '89. Depending on your preference for body style and what changes you are comfortable making in order to swap out the bits that are troublesome in each. Unfortunately the "ultimate" model of wagon doesn't exist - you have to build it. There are problems with all of them and you have to pick/choose the right parts from different years to get the "perfect" combo. GD

By Gen-II I take it you mean EA81 bodies from '80 to '84? If that's the case then you want: '82 to '84 wagon (earlier were handicapped in a variety of ways). SPFI conversion or Weber swap. 5 speed D/R swap. 6-lug conversion or Pug wheels..... Maybe a mild lift for some light truck tires to help your traction - the lift helps to accomidate the tires without needing as much cutting and bashing. 80/81 were mostly EA71's and '80's are single range 4 speed's. The wireing has it's disadvantages for swapping in FI, the fuel pump is in the engine bay, and the alternator's are externally regulated - very primitive so it's best to stick with '82 through '84 models. You might consider a hatchback instead - similar body style - a little less cargo room but a shorter wheel-base so they take to lifting and wheeling better than the wagons. Otherwise - what do you want to know? They are basically indestrutible unless you completely abuse them from a maintenance standpoint. The EA81 is quite possibly THE best Subaru engine ever made from a reliability and off-road perspective. No timing belts, and dead reliable. EJ22's have the reliability but also have the timing belts and many exposed tensioner and idler bearings that go with them. Personally not my choice in a Gen-II unless you are going to t-case lift it and put the engine out of harms way. GD

http://forums.randi.org/showthread.php?t=66002 Sounds bogus to me. GD

It's not at all over your head to clean some grounds - just unbolt them, sand either side of the ring terminal, and sand a little around where it mounts - then put them back on. GD

It's not - but being you had 5 posts from months ago - all in this thread...... it was a good guess that you were not a regular member around here. Only a guess of course, and this time a wrong one! As to your problem - I would check voltage supplies to the MAF and IAC, as well as clean all the grounds on the manifold and engine bay harnesses. You might just be having a grounding issue causing high resistance readings from the ECU's point of view. With that many codes and the engine still running it's a good bet. GD

I agree. But posting your own thread would give superior results. GD

DUDE! Start a NEW THREAD. GD

Just go check the resistance of yout CTS. It takes 5 minutes or less. This thread is 4 months old and likely the guy isn't even around unless he has a problem. A lot of members are like that - he probably won't reply. But bumping his thread means that a bunch of other members are now going to try and help this dude (who isn't even reading most likely) and waste their time and mine because they fail to read the date on the last important post by the OP. . He joined in Jan - has 5 posts in only this thread ALSO in Jan..... he's long gone dude. If you have a question for a specific member like the OP in this thread - send them a PM. Don't gravedig - it's a waste 99% of the time. GD

With a bit of ingenuity any wastegate can be altered to open earlier. A friend of mine put a VF11 on his Suzuki Samuria and he modified the wastegate with an adjustment spring. Got it to open at 1 psi. Then added a manual controller to increase it as he saw fit. GD

Autozone is notorious for crappy alternators. Go to the dealer. They have a reman program and the reman units for some of the mid to late 90's stuff are cheap - like $65 because there was a recall on them at one point. There's some posts around here with part numbers, etc. At least that will rule out the alternator being the problem. The only two brands I trust are OEM and Bosch. I've had good results with both. There needs to be ignition switched voltage on the yellow wire to the alt - have you checked all the fuses? GD

I dropped a red shop rag into the open belts on one of my engines once - snapped them both instantly. I still run without cover's though - on the one EA82 I still own. I don't run coverless on the EJ's - the belts and components are much more expensive and the covers aren't really a big deal on those. The EA82 covers suck. Replace the tensioners too. The kit on ebay is like $65 shipped with the belts, both tensioners, and the idler. Replace the water pump. Discount Import Parts in Gladstone or Beaverton have the OEM brand (Paraut) pumps for about $40. Reseal the oil pump - DIP has the seals for that as well. Change the cam and crank seals also. GD

Best bet is to buy something else to start with - either a second gen Brat or Hatchback, etc. The Gen I's like your's aren't well suited to lifting or engine swapping. There are lots of reasons why - wiring/sensor compatibility, fuel lines, fitment issues with lifts and newer transmissions, etc, etc. On the whole the Gen 1 is not a good platform to start with. Find an '82 to '89 GL Hatchback or an '82 to '87 Brat if you must have one. The Hatchback has a shorter wheelbase though and is better for wheeling. GD

Agreed - you are throwing money away on Seafoam - save it for the replacement used engine . Even then - it's not the miracle product people seem to think it is. The Techron stuff is ok for cleaning injectors - pricey too. There just aren't many products that make any kind of sense from a "repair in a bottle" perspective. Techron can help over time though just pulling the injectors and having them cleaned is probably about the same price after you run enough bottles of Techron through to do a really good job. ATF or Rislone make excelent oil additives for *very specific* types of symtoms.... Under normal circumstance it's best to just run what the owners manual calls for with regard to fluids and leave the repairs to folks with wrenches. GD

That last one is clearly a fake - take a look at the comments. GD

I can't recall exactly - there are a number of dealers that carry them. Here's one: http://www.shoptoolsshoptools.com/shopexd.asp?id=1156 GD

I can't recall exactly - there are a number of dealers that carry them. Here's one: http://www.shoptoolsshoptools.com/shopexd.asp?id=1156 GD

If you plan to do more of them it's worth buying the pin socket for the ring nut. I think it was like $37 for mine. GD

If you plan to do more of them it's worth buying the pin socket for the ring nut. I think it was like $37 for mine. GD

Yep - vacuum gauge time. GD

It has to be an EA81 tank. EA82 tanks will not fit. GD

Thread is nearly a year old - he's likely not listening. Some noob bumped it for no good reason. GD

The throttle wheel off the Hitachi works well on the Weber. That's all I ever use. GD

You should start a new thread. But before you do - have a look at the search function as replacing externally regulated alternators with the newer internally regulated units has been covered many times. I think it's in the USRM even. GD