slow be

I think the slow core flush worked! Well, i won't be cooking gas station burritos, but it's waaaay better. Hot air blowing out driver side and passenger side on the floor. I set up the system and let it run for about 4 hours today while I was making money for the cause. Tomorrow's a short day at the coal mine, so I'll probably mix up some fresh solution and let it flow while i'm putting everything back together in the cab, maybe squeeze out a few more degrees. The water in the catch basin started as clear water and finished as whitish-green murk. I could barely see the pump in the bottom of the basin when I opened the hood (maybe 4-5" under the surface). i hear snow's on the way, so it's going up to the local ski hill for the first time next week! 4wd and heat---plush!

ran out of light yesterday and had to work today, but i had some time to think about what's going on in the dark recesses of the under-dash world, aka the heater core. methinks the little channels that run the length of the core are plugged an inch or so back and the coolant is following the path of least resistance and heading back through a clear space between the metal tubing that goes into, and out of, the core, rather than circulating throughout the core and dispersing heat. that's why there's a little heat on the driver's side, where the exchange tubes attach to the core, and almost none on the passanger side (the deepest part of the core). it's a theory... i75eya, the heater hoses go from the engine toward the firewall, and then connect to metal exchange tubing that goes through the firewall, under the dash, and to the heat valve and core. it looks like the valve controls how much flow of heated coolant can get to the core, just like a valve on a garden hose. when i turn the hot/cold dial on the consol, the valve opens and closes. in my case, both tubes were hot on the core side, so i think the valve's flowing well. since the core that i'd ordered is a bad fit, i have some time to fiddle with the old one that's still holding tight in a jungle of wires, brackets, and a million more little screws. the new plan is to use a little submersible garden pump in a tub of radiator flush solution and continually flush the core for a couple of hours. im hoping the continual exchange of solution directly through the core will help aggitate and dissolve the gunk causing the blockage. i can set up the system, head to work for a couple of hours, and come home to see what happened. if that doesn't work, i'm going to borrow an air compressor from a friend and turn it up to 11. dj, i forgot to mention i'd already flushed the cooling system this fall in an attempt to get heat in the cab and as general maintainence. the kit was really easy to use, but didn't do much for the heat. oh yeah, i looked on the back of the CLR bottle and it mentions not to use on brass or copper. subaru's are a learning process...

82 gl, pac nw tubes between heat valve and core are hot, but only slight heat coming out of blower chamber. it seems hotter on driver side than passanger side. plugged up core seems logical to me. stumped on how to get the thing out. haynes manual doesn't show plethora of crap in the way or the heat valve. got a new core in the garage, but tubing doesn't look right. any additive that I can add to an isolated core to help flush out crud? Thinking of trying CLR (calcium, lime, and rust) and letting it soak. any tips or just put on the big boy pants and start ripping stuff out?

both of the heater hoses are hot and the upper and lower rad hoses are hot, so i think the thermostat is working. Like the replacement heater core, I think it's oem spec, but not an original subie part. if they're next to impossible to get, i'll have to make due with what i can get. i spent a little time searching "heater core" on the board, but didn't find anything very interesting. can you add some links to the threads that raise your concern. either way, i'll be extra careful no to damage the original when i'm taking it out. there's a shop down the street that still fixes radiator. maybe they can get the original core back in service.

The heater core hose flush helped, and some really funky stuff came out, but the heat's still not hot. My wife's looking for something a little closer to I think the flush would work for a little clog, but a new core might be the way to go for 30 years of service. Thanks for all the advice.

i'm going to try the lazy, smart (maybe?) way first and hope to get lucky. if that doesn't work it looks like i'll get to explore a new area of my subie and do it the right way. any thought on why the antifreeze is no longer milky?

good thought, tomrhere. i never considered over pressuring the system.

are you getting power back there? maybe check fuses? maybe some damaged wires at the transition between the body and hatch? maybe a session with a voltmeter to see what has power and what doesn't? if you hear the "whrr" when you try the rear washer, maybe a clogged washer fluid line?

82 GL. I flushed my coolant this fall trying to get the heat working for winter and found the replacement antifreeze was cloudy and oily. Leaky head gasket, right? I put on my big-boy pants and was ramping up to do the deed and was really surprised when I opened the radiator cap. No more cloudy, oily antifreeze! I've got my fingers crossed that the subie fairies brought an early present, but am weary to get too excited. Any thoughts? Also, I still want to backflush the heater core to get that sweet heat that started this whole process. I think I can flush it in the dash with a garden hose/hose clamp rig. Anybody know what I'm talking about or tried this? Merry Christmas!!!!

So it seems I've got a project brewing and I humbly request advice from the you great folks on USMB. '82 GL with milky coolant=head gasket/head problems. Any brand of HG to use or not use? I read to torque bolts correctly ("like my life depended on it"), get to oper temp, cool and retorque. Any other tips on how to do it right the first time (and hopefully only time)? Thanks

Thanks for the advice and input, everybody. I'm pretty handy, but my eyes start to glaze over when I hear things like "replacing the heads". I would really like to fix it up right and have the killer little car that I thought I was buying, but my wife's not to keen on me putting a whole lot more money into it. Do freeze plugs exist or is my buddy getting a cheap laugh at a subie-newbie's expense? Can anybody point me in the direction of the super-duper $5 donation repair manual that gives a knuckle-head like me a chance?

I bought a sweet 82 GL a few months ago with an EA81 engine that just had it's engine rebuilt at a semi-local shop. I flushed the coolant the other day and found the dreaded milk in the radiator. Cracked head from what I gather off the forum, but a subie-buff friend said it could be a "freeze-plug" too. Sound plausible? I don't want to spend a ton of cash on a head job, so how about the head-job in a can stuff at the auto parts shop? Subie blasphamy or is anybody interested in a new project? Thanks

I used the 3M lens cleaner kit with really great results, too.

I haven't had a chance to consult the haynes manual after seeing everybody's great feedback, so please excuse any silly questions. How deeply do I have to dig into the motor to get to those bolts ("removing rockers" doesn't sound like a pleasent experience to me)? Let's say I get a wild hair and give this a try on my own, do you think I could just get the engine hot and tighten them down, or could there be some gasket/coolant corruption issue that might require a new head gasket? If I did get to those bolts, would I have to readjust valves, or timing, or etc, after putting everything back together? Sounds like you guys know more about this stuff than the subaru "expert" that did the rebuild. Thanks for you help.

Hey Dirk, Thanks for the tip. I'll check the specs in the manual and make sure the bolts are proper. Ernst82, Gracias. I'll try to find those guys and see what they think. GD, I've been needing to get down there, anyway. I'm swamped with work during the week this summer; do you think you could be around on a saturday? Thanks everybody! slowbe

Can anyone suggest a reliable subie mechanic in/around the Olympia, WA area? I'm going to pursue getting the mechanic that "rebuilt" this engine to make it right, but would like have someone in mind for repairs that are more involved.

I bought an '82 wagon this winter that had a "complete rebuild" from a subaru specialist on an 1.8L engine in December. It's been leaking oil (about 1 qt for every 300 miles) and I was assured that it's just "settling in". After about 2000 miles, it's still leaking and I found the anti-freeze is milky with some brownish film when I flushed the coolant system today. I'm thinking the head gasket seal might be shotty. Also, it looks like there's oil residue above the oil pump. Maybe a front seal leak? I'm leary to take the car back to the mechanic again without getting an idea what's going on. Any thoughts or advice?

You were right about the spatter being carbon and not oil, skishop69. I pulled the pcv valve off this morning and it rattled, so I guess that's out. There was a lot of oil build-up in the pcv hose, especially at the top. I also noticed an oily area on the under carriage behind teh oil pan. I'm going to get it up on stands and try to pinpoint the origin. Thanks for the input!

Hey there, I'm a newbie to having an old subie and really want to take care of the jewel that I found. I just bought an '82 GL with a newly rebuilt engine (about 2K mi ago). I've put about 1000 of those miles on it and have noticed some changes that are making me nervous. It's started burning oil very rapidly (about 1 qt for every 200-300 mi) and I found an oil spatter on my garage door after warming it up in the morning. I put a piece of cardboard under the engine and couldn't find any big drips after 10 mins of idling. It also seems to be idling more roughly than when I bought it, especially after I'd been driving it for a few minutes. I'd really like to get some thoughts on what could cause the garage door "Jackson Pollock" and, other than gettng the valves adjusted asap( I just found that out yesterday), what I need to do in the care and feeding of this rebuilt engine. I'm going to cross my fingers and change the PCV valve to try to remedy the oil leak. Cheap and easy. After that, any ideas? Thanks for any and all help!