misledxcracker

18 MPG, you're right there with my El Camino. I'd say SPFI it, IMO. Then you get the best of both worlds, a pretty reliable fuel system, and a VERY reliable motor. Plus, it can be smogged anywhere!

All depends on how bad the scoring is.

Used cars are a gamble in the first place :-p One head should be OK as there's high compression numbers on that side. (drivers side) The other head? I don't know, I can get another head for cheap on here, or other sources... it's just hard getting an engine out here. PLUS... my sedan is a 3AT... the donor wagon in question has a 5 speed and a good clutch! That right there is a selling point itself, IMO. There's another wagon ('87 GL 4WD) for $650 that "needs a timing belt" which isnt for sure if thats what it is, and another one for $1200 that runs, but an '88 DL (actually my FIRST subaru I owned, that someone else bought) but c'mon now... $1200 for a DL 3AT sedan... ....then again, if he'd take payments on it... it WAS my first subaru... hmmm... i may have to check into it.

Because the motor may just have a stuck valve? Or maybe just a blown headgasket? Or maybe the timing is off? Or... just not in need of a complete rebuild like the sedan's motor was?

The sedan motor had worse compression, had bad valves, bad rings, bad everything. Milkshake, oil raised the compression on it, it was just horrible. I knew the heads were toast, so I scrapped them, and later the block after I found out IT was scrap. This one just has low compression on one cylinder. Putting oil in the cylinder does not raise the compression, either. Oil looks fine, but it has no water, because it has no radiator. How is that the same?

Huh? I did run a compression test on the sedan motor.

Bump... I'm real tempted to buy this donor wagon... but that 50PSI reading on the one cylinder (with the other being higher) is still scaring me. If it's just a timing belt or head gasket, maybe even a stuck valve, I can deal with that, but ahhh... Bore rust... the car hasnt had a radiator on it for a long while, and seeing how hot it gets out here, I'm betting the water evaporated. Doubt the bore rust theory. I've been reading about carbon deposits (the car has sat for years) and maybe it's just carbon in there?

ARGH! I want a cheap, running Subaru for like... $200 Heck, I can't even find an engine for mine... Good score!

Shifting normal you say? What's this "normal shifting" you speak of? :lol:

Some tips on modulator installation: (what I did anyway) Make sure the modulator o-ring isnt warped, or nasty looking. Replace it, if so. The o-ring was like 79 cents IIRC. Also, don't lose the rod that "pokes" into the transmission and the modulator. Without that... well, just make sure you reinstall it. Seafoam the intake after replacing the modulator, if you can afford to. Now's also a good time to check and clean the governor, change the transmission filter and pan gasket, and put a tiny bit of Trans-X in with the new ATF. Last but not least, change the gear oil. I used Royal Purple myself. After that, transmission will be the best... it can be.

It's called a vacuum modulator. It screws off, grab it with vice grips and twist it off. Go OEM on this, they're about $40.

In Cali they use dyno rollers and a computer everywhere...

A truck. A dangerous weapon too!

Bosco, I know what you mean about the EA's having problems (having owned three of them and sinking major money into them ) but if I buy this wagon, I have a manual swap that I've always wanted, plus a motor that supposedly ran well upon arrival, said the dealer guy. He's not one to swindle either, he's well known in this small town for being a good guy, but just having too high of prices Could there really be any other real reason as to why this motor has as low of compression on that one cylinder like it does? If it's a valve dropped and at worst smacked the piston, I have spare good valves, good piston, good ring, and anything else. I already tore the sedan's donor block and heads apart, because they were both trash. So I have the parts to fix it. Some people told me that ATF in the oil could free up a stuck valve if thats what it is... it DID sit with Arizona water in it, which has a large amount of calcium in it and it has sat with a full tank of bad gas for three years. I really need suggestions... but if its honestly what has been said before, tell me how I can fix it.

Bump... Anyone else ever encountered low compression on one cylinder from a motor that sat for a few years? Would Seafoam down the intake maybe do the trick? Or should I be looking at other engine work...

I didnt think a timing belt could cause those compression readings... I don't know whether I should get it or not.

i'd actually just like an EA82 to drop in... i dont have that much $$ to spend on an EJ swap of any sort. hoping that the compression problem is something silly, but i dont know...

I'm from Torrance, lived in Irvine for awhile, now I'm stuck out here in Bullhead City. Sure looks like the Kingman junkyard to me... but there's like three in the area, so I'm not sure

Reusing my old thread. I saw a wagon nearby for sale ($300 with no title, SPFI 5-spd) and asked if I could do a compression check on it, to see if the motor is any good. #1 was 125psi, #2 was 50psi #3 was 130psi, and #4 was 125psi. The wagon has supposedly sat for three years, without running. Is this motor usable? If not, I'm going to part out and eventually junk the sedan, and get another vehicle... there's no Subarus around here otherwise. And the original block in the sedan has blown rings Oil seeping all over the cylinder walls... Argh.

That junkyard looks REALLY familiar... Is that in Kingman?

On my El Camino, I used to have Cragar SS mags, with spinner knock-offs. Man, when those knock-offs are loose....

Isn't it funny when the problem is so simple? Glad you got the car running.

Looks great.

You sure about the radius rod plates? Thought that only applied for EA81's... Though yes, the crossmembers are different... I'm going to be doing the same swap myself, on my sedan soon here. And I've never even ran the automatic it has in it now! Not worth the time or money.

Bring 'er on out to Mohave County...