GeneralDisorder

Same thing that happened to the whole car's in '95. Everything went through a cost-cutting stage around the early to mid 90's. The EA 5 speed D/R was just lasting too long. They typically outlast the engine's. No one that's actually worked on both would argue - the '90 to '94 cars are better built than the '95+ stuff. And other than gear width and *strength* (not to be confused with longevity), the EA 5 speed's are hands down a better built transmission than the EJ's. GD

Definitely not! I love the VLSD in mine. It gives the back end just enough push to counter some of the car's under steer. Weird about the sticker but I'm sure it was just a door replace. The title won't be branded if the insurance doesn't total it out - it will be repaired and unless you car-fax it (maybe not even then) it won't show on anything. If there was no insurance claim then there is no paper trail at all really. Still a wonderful car - IMO the only year of the EJ22T to own - built in japan - lots of goodies - and a front end that looks decent. The '92 and up post-facelift models look ugly in the front to me. GD

Heater is completely seperate from the AC system. You can remove the AC condensor core - it's between the blower motor and the heater core container - behind the glove-box. You will need to replace the removed condensor with the corrugated tube that connects the blower motor to the heater core so you can still have heat and defrost. It would be stupid to remove the heater. Don't be stupid. Besides that you would have to remove the dash to get at it - it's behind the radio. GD

I would guess that your carb is jetted wrong. I have no guideance to give you on which way it needs to go or what sizes to use as that is not a typical carb and you obviously have an atypical engine as well. The best thing I can tell you is that you will feel a lean condition more than a rich one and black smoke means rich. From the sounds of it I would say it's lean on the primaries but that is only a guess. Best way to tune it - especially if you aren't experienced with carb tuning - is with a wide-band O2 sensor. Best $300 tuning tool I've ever bought (ok - so it's the *only* $300 tuning tool I've ever bought..... but it's still way neato ). GD

You probably broke the $6 plastic tensioner nut didn't you? Get a new one from the dealer for the low price of $6 and some change. Those always break. GD

In light of the information you added regarding only overheating while idleing I also concur that your radiator fan is not comming on. GD

I have several y-pipe's in my shed. If you find someone headed to portland they can stop by and grab one. I part out enough cars that they just tend to collect here. I think I probably have 4 or 5 of them now. GD

It might not even be leaking coolant - remember that EA81's have no overflow bottle so tend to run with some air in the system to allow for expansion. If the leak is small it could just be leaking *steam* basically. Or such a small amount that it's flashing off to steam on the hot block. In any case if the system won't hold pressure then the airspace in the system won't fill up with expanding coolant..... no flow through the system. It's got to be a closed system but having a pressure leak doesn't neccesarily mean you will have a puddle of coolant somewhere either. Radiator cap is a good start. As are all the little hoses around the manifold. It may have low mileage but the age gets to the rubber parts all the same. GD

If the system isn't building pressure, then you have a leak somewhere. No pressure = boiling coolant = overheat..... every time. Even on Sundays. GD

You are making it a bigger deal than it is - if you shave the heads that's 1/3 of the distance you need. The rest is split in half between two ports - that's not much at all. The ports don't even need to line up that well - the stock manifold's don't. If this were an indy car engine then maybe we would be concerned. It's not a swiss watch. There's going to be things in the intake tract that disrupt laminar flow - that's just the way it is. One more little blip on the side of the intake port isn't going to matter. GD

Probably input shaft bearing wear. It's relatively easy to tear it down and replace the bearings. GD

You are probably right with regard to a decent quality 110v machine - especially some of the "super" 110's. Sadly there's a lot more cheapies out there than we would like to see. I agree that it's doable - I just don't agree that it's something I would tell a newbie to do with a cheap 110 machine. I don't think Gary would get the penetration with it that he wants. But as he says - he can redo it . The more power you have, the easier it will be for someone with little experience to produce a strong weld (it might still be ugly as sin - but the extra amps will make sure it's ugly and strong too). I do have an HF 110v machine - it was my first welder. Since then I've outgrown it and have used other, better 110's. I've learned a lot and studied under a master welder for several years. But I'm no expert - just relating my experience. Actually the little HF machine is decent - there are ways to upgrade it since it is so simplistic internally. It wins no awards for power, but it does the job - it sticks metal together and does it for a lot less $ than my big $$$$ model. It just tends to take more skill to run a smaller machine - especially a cheap smaller machine. It's a level of frustration that an inexperienced welder should avoid IMO. I'm sure you are right. I've just found that I hit the duty cycle limit on a lot of the cheap 110's I've used fairly often. I've hit it on my big Thermal-Arc too - but it takes a bunch of welding to do that. I like to setup my welding jobs so I don't have much in the way of breaks - I want to get it done and put the thing away. That tendancy probably leads to me hitting the limit more often. Right again - I merely mentioned stick because it is often the case that stick welders in much higher output can be had for almost nothing used. The old Lincoln tombstone's are usually in the $50 to $75 range and can easily handle more than any 110 MIG machine ever built. I still subscribe to the notion that people should learn stick first. I didn't, but I had to go back and learn it and I'm glad I did. I don't use it very often because it's not convienent for me but it's there and the skills learned are helpful in all types of welding. GD

Someone that knows the internals of a Subaru door could probably pop it open with a slim jim. Otherwise you are going to have to probably destroy the inner door panel to get at the outer handle mechanism and work it from the back. Sounds like one of the actuating rods has come loose or broken away from the outside door handle. The noise could be a variety of things really - u-joints, heat sheilds, transmission input shaft bearings, wheel bearings..... the list is almost endless. You'll have to get under it and start shaking stuff, inspecting stuff, and maybe hanging out the window while driving to see if you can isolate where it's comming from. I could make guesses all day as to what some strange noise might be and when it's found I would probably still be wrong . GD

Jump it more than a few feet in the air and the first thing that breaks is the struts - they bend like a bananna right where they enter the knuckle - get enough air and they will compress but bend so severely they will never extend again..... Without extra dampening you can't jump an EA Subaru. DAMHIK. GD

So - in an effort to save the climate I propose a tax credit for all catalytic converter replacements/upgrades. That's about the only chance of stopping me and my pet screwdriver as I systematically extend the growing season and increase my property values here in the (soon-to-be) sunnier NW. Hollywood will have to pickup and move somewhere when so-cal is in Arizona Bay. Of course - all my personal rigs are OBD-I or older so it doesn't even matter for me. GD

RE: replacing the head..... I understand your fear. The mileage is borderline I would say. I would probably base my final decision on the compression numbers and how much they are affected by wetting the rings down with oil. If they aren't affected to any great degree I would probably chance putting on a rebuilt head - though I wouldn't try to port/polish or do anything performance wise that would put undo stress on the bottom end. If it's questionable - I would install new stem seals on the existing head and hope for the best. At the end of the day you have your insurance policy in that 10k engine so.... you have more room to take chances like a rebuilt head on a high mileage (for that era) motor. BTW - that's a neat little car. I'm not much for Mitsu's but my experience has always been with the (terrible) DSM stuff and not with the older (and probably much better) japanese stuff. I still see a fair number of those older colts around here in the NW - they must last a long time. If I see any in the yards I'll be sure to let you know. GD

I agree - it could be "wavy" and the smooth surface will not seat in a new disc very well. In the same way that roughing up a rotor when you replace brake pads it's always a good idea to mill a flywheel so you know for a fact it's completely flat and will seat the disc in properly. The $35 cost is definitely worth it considering what's at stake (pulling the engine or tranny back out ). GD

Give the yellow wire from the alt a new 12v ignition switched source. GD

If it's the Nippon system (ABS-2E) then they started using that back in '95.... so anything from '95 to '99 I would bet. '00 stuff might be different - they changed a lot that year. GD

Remove cat. Punch at contents with hammer/screwdriver. Shake vigorously. Put spark plug non-fouler between 2nd O2 sensor and exhaust bung. Drink favorite beverage. Bask in the glory of your end-run around *the man*. GD

All the bushings are availible through the dealer. That would be the best (and probably only) source. GD

The offset will be very small - only slightly more than 1mm. Easily port matched with a die grinder and a carbide burr. Not a problem at all. GD

Looks like it might have been done durring manufacture. I'm guessing that those start out as flat plate that is laser cut and then bent to the C shape to create the block. Looks like it flexed at the top of the S when it was being bent...... looks structurally sound to me. If it was bending due to the load of the car on it - you would expect it to bend the other way. I suppose we should wait for Scott to answer, but I don't see a problem with it - smack the "J" with a hammer and bend it back in place if it bother's you. GD

Burning oil could just be the breather lines - check the breather lines and the PCV valve and it's small filter element in the air filter box. If it's not that then it's probably valve stem seals - nothing to worry about really - just annoying. Jumping tach could be an alternator on it's way out, or could be play in the distributor shaft. Both can cause tach jumping to varying degree's depending on how bad they are. GD

I don't know if the auto was rated the same as the manual or not - but I'm lucky to get 16.5 or 17 out of mine. But then I drive it like I stole it everywhere I go. I just begs for it . I don't know how many '91 SS's were made with manual transmission but they seem comparitively rare. The majority of the one's I've seen have been auto's. GD