4WDFrenzy

This website offers 2 row radiators for older subarus. http://www.europartsdirect.com/ Patrick

Oh they are special alright........Special Ed.!!!! In all seriousness, they are okay little turbos, just not made for big power numbers. Heck, not even made for mild power numbers. But I think that the engine durability has a little to do with the low power numbers as well. Patrick

That's great! $200 for your XT? Not bad at all IMHO. Congratulations on the great find! Patrick

Sup everybody! Well, I just got a bad bit of news. For those of you who may remember my post from late last year about my car making not so nice noises, well I got some confirmation on what is wrong with it. It appears that the engine in the ol' Draggin' Wagon is, well, in nice terms, screwed. Seems that it decided to rebel when I left, and spun a bearing just to add insult to injury, which resulted in a nice "metal on metal" clunking while the engine is running. So for those who have rebuilt EA82Ts, how bad is it going to be? Am I basically looking at a new(new to me) engine? Any "positive" advice would be very helpful and much appreciated considering how far my morale dropped after getting the news. Patrick

4WD is sick, isn't it?! I remember my first 4WD experience in my wagon. I'll spare you guys the details, but all you need to know is that I came home with a huge smile on my face. As a matter of fact, I'm smiling right now just thinking about it. Ahhhhh....Memories! Good Job! Motor Safely!!! Patrick

I'm glad that you didn't damage your car(like catch it on fire along with the towel). If you think that is a hoot, try a can of B-12 Chemtool Carb Spray and a lighter at night. It makes a huge(and I do mean HUGE) plume of flame and burns very hot. It is also good to ward off bugs, bats, stray animals, and also nosey neighbors. It may even remove unsightly hairs if you aren't careful. But seriously, I'm glad that you and your car are okay. Patrick

+1 Heck, I guess put me down for a set too if they go into production. I have some gold 17" Subaru Legacy GT wheels that would look pretty sharp on the ol' wagon. Patrick

presslab, you are awesome! That is so cool that you are figuring this stuff out. This is a problem that has plagued most of us for awhile now. Definitely keep us updated. I am very interested in seeing how your build turns out(and no I'm not sitting back waiting for the whole thing to blow either). I really think that you might have the key to unlocking some secrets(on the electronic side) of these engines. Good Work & Congrats! You are truly an inspiration! Patrick

You're killing me here! Those look so nice on the wagon. I am going to have to save this pic on my computer. Patrick

Ummmm.....yep. My '02 Rex gets 19 city 24 highway and is still as stock as it was the day it rolled off of the showroom floor. The ol' Draggin' Wagon with all of its mods gets like 24-25 city and around 30mpg on the highway. Now I'm sure that the numbers will go down once I install my 280ZX injectors, a 255lph Walbro, and a 2-1/2" exhaust, along with a few other goodies that I've accumulated since being in Okinawa.

Rob, I know what you mean. Boost is veeeeeeery Addictive! The EA82T isn't known for being the "ultimate sleeper" motor with reliability or anything. But like Rob said, you have to know when enough is enough. Once you start making, what I would consider decent power(and I use this term loosely) on these motors, they make the cars that they come in that much more fun to drive. But you have to admit one thing though. Even after modding an EA82T, it will still get better gas mileage than a "showroom stock" WRX(mainly because of the lack of power). Crazy Squirrels, just remember, don't expect big power numbers from these motors. YES, you can mod them and YES, it does make a night and day difference. But without investing a decent amount of cash into it, I am pretty sure that any power numbers over 180chp(and I think this would seriously be pushing it in the luck and reliability department) is going to be a bit out of reach. Happy Motoring! Patrick

That is so, so sad.

Well first off, Welcome to the USMB. Now, the first bit of info that you should know is that you are beginning work on a motor that came from the factory with a measly 115 bhp(@ crank). Do the (IIRC) 16.5% drivetrain loss(AWD/4WD), and well, you get the picture. Anyway, you sound like you know what direction you are going. I have found that a slight bump in boost(from stock 7psi up to 10psi) makes a considerable improvement in power. The TD04 from a WRX seems quite well suited to the EA engine and spools up close to stock from what I have read. A TB exhaust is a great start as the exhaust systems on these cars a very restrictive. Up it to 2-1/2" ID and you will again notice an improvement. Building a header isn't too difficult, if you have the right tools. Just don't go crazy with the diameter of the piping as you will be doing more harm then good. Also, adding an IC is a must. One of the best ICs that I have found is the one from a Starion/Conquest. They are very efficient in removing heat. Alot of the people on the forum run WRX and STi TMICs as it is pretty much a direct fit(after making brackets, getting correct hoses, etc.) Something else to consider is '80s model 280zx fuel injectors and a Walbro or other brand of your choice fuel pump, along with a RRFPR. You may also want to add a high flow drop-in style filter or a cone filter to intake system, or you can do as I did and custom make your own(3" fenderwell intake with Blitz style[stainless steel mesh] cone filter). As for getting rid of Fuel Cut, you can go with Megasquirt, or something to that effect. Standalones seem to be the only way to rid these things of fuel cut and still have startup and idle reliability. Who knows, you may have gotten lucky and gotten one that doesn't suffer from fuel cut. There are a few of them out there(mine isn't one of them. ). Well there is more that you can do, and I could make the list go on and on. But ultimately, engine reliability seems to suffer on these engines as you start making more power. So I will now leave these ideas in your hands as you are the only one who can make the decision as to what goes on or gets taken off of you car. I hope this helps. Patrick

Hey, if I had the cash, I might actually consider getting them(believe it or not). But right now, I am more worried about getting my engine fixed and squared away. So that is where my money has to go. Patrick

Those are straight up HOT! Man, I wish I could find some that looked half that nice to throw on my wagon. Looks Tight Brother! Patrick

subaru_noob, that's not too bad. You should've seen the huge 5" X 6" or 7" hole that was rusted into the rear quarter panel on my '88 GL-10 when I got it. That wasn't fun to fix at all. Patrick

Oh, and to those who don't know, Sea Foam makes an aerosol called Deep Creep, that from what I have heard can be sprayed into the intake stream. I have not used it, so I cannot verify this. Patrick

Well, yeah I know. but this is the way I was instructed to do it. You could probably use a clear coke, pepsi, etc. bottle(clean) or even a clear Dixie cup if it really came down to it. Patrick

You have to take loose a vacuum hose on your intake manifold(better choice) or on the intake pipe itself. Start the engine, and believe it or not, stick the loose vacuum hose in the can and throttle up the engine(holding it at a higher rpm so the engine won't stall). Let the engine suck out about 1/4 to 1/3 of the can, then finally let the engine suck in enough to stall(take hand off of throttle). Let set for about 10-15 minutes. Reconnect the vac hose and restart engine. Take it for a drive and you're done!(Well, almost.) I would strongly suggest changing the oil after doing this as some of the particles and deposits will wind up in the engine oil and will contaminate it. I hope this helps. Patrick

What the heck? Nothing Special? Ummmm......yeah. Sea Foam has been around since my dad was a teenager(he is now in his 60's), if that tells you anything. He had a cousin who built and blueprinted engines and he swore by this stuff. As a matter of fact, that is what prompted me to use it for the first time, about 4 years ago. Sea Foam is some of the best stuff out there and as far as I know, they haven't changed their formula. So unless you're a chemist, and are going to invent something better, don't be "That Guy" and hate on a product that really works. Patrick

Well they aren't horrible, but they aren't the best either. I wouldn't mind them too much. Thank You for posting the link Phizinza. It is always nice to have options! Patrick

Well, I couldn't find him. He had a handful(about 5) posted last week when I was looking for HIDs for my Legacy. I just happened to see his items and clicked on one of them to see what was up. But I just looked and saw none of his auctions. I'll keep searching and keep you posted. Patrick

EVOthis,just firgured that I would let you know that there is a guy on eBay selling high output alternators for Subarus. The guy is located in Texas, IIRC. I'll see if I can find him again and post a link. Patrick

Hey, I'm truly sorry for being an A--. I was still kinda doped up from the stupid cold medicine that I had to take the night before to combat this sinus congestion that I got and it made me a bit testy(+ lack of sleep). Not to mention the fact that I had a 19 month old and a newborn crying for my attention at the same time that I was typing. So I apologize for my tone. But yeah, I understand what you mean. It would seem unless you are being backed by a sponsor, the average joe doesn't have $4500 just laying around to be spent on a racing tranny. The only way that I would purchese something like that would be if I were bracket racing, where consistancy counts. But I found the shift solenoid and valve body very interesting. I might actually end up spend the money for the shift solenoid for my Legacy GT since it seems to be difficult to find a manual transmission for a Subaru here on Okinawa.

Thanks Brother. That was what I was needing to know. You are the man! Patrick