Stumble @ around 4000, EA81 kept me from the desert this weekend...

[kodiak1232003]

I was pretty bummed.

 

Here's the deal.

 

Fired up, gassed up and ready, we left @ 9am in 72 degree weather. I hopped on the 8 freeway out of san diego, and started the climb up into Alpine. Get up to speed and with a full load of supplies and family, I started to get a miss/stumble in 4th gear around 3800-4000 rpm. I down shifted to 3rd as the car eventually slowed down and still couldn't keep it at speed. Coupled with this was an aweful, metallic, throaty sound coming from the exhaust pipe.So i pulled off at the next exit, with nary a problem, and checked everything out.Nothing seemed out of place, so we tried another bit of freeway. NO-GO.

 

We ended up turning around, and darn it if the war-wagon didn't drive perfectly fine down the hill and across the flats to our house. It also drove fine to work this morning, though if i mashed the throttle in 4th, I could get it to stumble a bit, and could also get it to go away if I eased it up to 65 on the shallow hill (8west to 805north interchange) I was on.

 

Here's some speculation:

 

-Its not bad gas, as I realized I've had this problem for a while (at least 5 tankfuls). I've also had it similarly fully-loaded before without any stumbliing/missing, just not the sized hill I did yesterday.

 

-Seems to me like a fuel or spark supply issue.

 

-I'm not going to start throwing obscure parts @ it, but I will change out some major ones.

 

-I'll start with the fuel filters. Could be that they're plugged and just not getting enough fuel to the carb for the load of going up the hill. (I.E. bowls are emptying too quickly, not enough supply) and they came with the rig as extra parts, so I'm not out any money.

 

-Next I'll change out the coil. When a coil is getting old, sometimes is simply doesn't provide enough spark under load, and misses a plug ever few cycles. (This is a $20.00 part locally.)

 

-If those two don't fix it, I may just let it ride. I don't need this rig to take me other than from work to home, and at this it's a great rig.

 

 

Feel free to post up your thoughts...remember this is a NON-computerized, carbed motor, so think before you post about checking engine codes, as this car doesn't have a computer...lol!

-

Edited March 9, 2009 by kodiak1232003

[backinbrat]

well, u need 3 things obviously, fuel/air, compression, spark

 

do what you say you are gonna do and

 

-check earths

-check your plug leads

-check feed to the carb

-clean the carb out if it keeps occuring (jets and stuff)

-check plugs

-check fuel pressure

-take off air filter to make sure your getting enough

 

if not any of that, then i need to think abit more, im supposed to be doing college work really

[kodiak1232003]

well, u need 3 things obviously, fuel/air, compression, spark

 

do what you say you are gonna do and

 

-check earths CHECKED

-check your plug leadsCHECKED

-check feed to the carbGREAT IDEA

-clean the carb out if it keeps occuring (jets and stuff)DREADING THIS, BUT GREAT IDEA, STILL!

-check plugsCHECKED

-check fuel pressureGREAT IDEA

-take off air filter to make sure your getting enoughCHECKED

 

if not any of that, then i need to think abit more, im supposed to be doing college work really

 

Thanks for the great idea's. I'll get on some of those.

 

A mechanically minded gent here @ work also suggested I think about the fuel pump. Anyone have any info on a good replacement?

 

Cost?

Location on the vehicle? (i assume near the gas tank)

supplier?

Preferred brand?

 

Thanks,

Brian

[backinbrat]

oh yeah, i remember now, i had problems with fuel pump on 2 of mine, i dont know if its the wiring that does it or its the actual pump, but i replaced the wiring and pump, the only thing is they both just went, no warning

 

what i went for is a Facet fuel solid state pump, just get the one rated mid range sorta thing, cause im not entirely sure what the pressure is, (dont matter to me, cause im running twin mikunis now, and have a seperate pressure regger)

 

avaliable worldwide, im not sure where you could get them where you are, im in another country and not that expensive

 

the pump on the trucks are located near the tank kinda up at the front of the bed, underneath, it shouldnt be that hard to find, but the solid state ones like to be near the tank, and pre filtered

 

cleaning out the carb aint that bad, 4 bolts and a couple of hoses to get it off, otherwise whack a load of carb cleaner through the fuel feed after taking the hose off, (basically dont run it off it, not good ) and just blow down it

Edited March 9, 2009 by backinbrat

[monstaru]

try some seafoam first.

just follow the directions on the bottle.cheers, brian

[kodiak1232003]

hmmm. here's my fuel pump (silver square-background) and fuel filter (whitish-foreground). For the life of me, I'd say this is my only fuel filter. you can tell its not a vapor seperator cuz in only has an inlet/outlet just like a normal filter.

 

 

My engine has ea81 cast into the block. and my rig is an '81.

 

 

So, my question is, can I just swap out this filter which I can't seem to find for a regular in/out tube type filter? purolator 20011 was what they gave me.

 

I don't think there would be a problem updating the filter, i just wanted to check.

[kodiak1232003]

well I don't know if it fixed my fully loaded, road to alpine problem, but swapping out that filter did breathe new life into my rig, nonetheless.

 

 

feels like a different car.

 

 

I'm going to try to replicate the drive as best I can up to where It was

having trouble on sunday, but at this point I'd say that the old, clogged filter was the problem, as I did have a chance to run it up a BIG hill near me up to Crest. Its about a 3 mile ascent with about the same grade, and though it was just me, I felt like I had power in reserve and NO SPUTTERING at all!

[backinbrat]

oh, thought u checked the filter before, lol, o well, as long as its all good, i have never seen in reality the pump being on the strut, only in the haynes manual! lol

[kodiak1232003]

oh, thought u checked the filter before, lol, o well, as long as its all good, i have never seen in reality the pump being on the strut, only in the haynes manual! lol

 

No way, man, Thanks for the all hands on deck response. Got me thinkin' about what I'd try after I swapped the filter, if it didn't make a difference.

 

I took the car on the same hill on the way out of san diego with my two girls in the back and as much gear as i could muster. that darn car was running up the hill @ 75 in 4th gear @ about 3900 rpm.

 

No stuttering, no loss of power, no stalling, no hesitating.

 

subaru's: they defy logic @ every turn. Love it.