Trying to undo my mistake...

[92_rugby_subie]

I made the worst decision in January and sold my 92 Loyale to buy a 1998 Mitsubishi..

 

Due to mechanical issues, I wrecked the Mitsubishi... and with the money from the accident, Im going to buy another subaru.

 

1988 Subaru GL Wagon.

The guy says it has headgasket issues, but runs (and drives?) and will let it go for $300

 

Im super excited, and Ive worked on my 92 a lot, but Im unsure about headgaskets...

 

Is this something I can repair myself, or would I be better off finding a different subaru

I really dont wanna take it to a mechanic though...

[Subruise]

usually when a EA82 motor has "headgasket issues" it means its been overheated and the heads are warped. when this happens new headgaskets dont always compensate for the defects. I had a ea81 wagon that drove for 7 years with that problem..............you just had to put water in it every 20 mins and leave the heat on full blast:lol:

[mdjdc]

Often times, when the engine overheats, it cracks the head at the exhaust port. You won't notice the problem until you have the car back up and running and then you will see smoke and the repair was all for naught.

 

If you want to fix the motor, I would suggest a thorough inspection of the heads when you disassemble the engine. If you need heads, I have a good set and a set of head gaskets that I can let you have for cheap.

 

 

Good luck and don't run away from this car. It can be a good restorer if it is in good shape.

[Yo'J]

You can do it, but, I would see how easily you can find a good set of heads first. The gaskets are relatively cheap but heads can be a bit of cash. You might think of trying to find a low mile motor for the same or less than the heads. Almost all ea82 heads crack, but really its about how bad. Thats why they are expensive, who wants cracked heads to freshly install and how many motors do you have to JY out to find a good set?

 

It should drive with bad HGs too. If it doesn't your motor most likely is shot and forget it. If it does you might be able to tell how bad the damage is by the compression, coolant or leakdown tests, oil or bubbles in the rad, white smoke in the exhaust, and by how fast it overheats. Lots of white smoke and the heads are toast most likely for example. They can be welded, but, inside is the waterjacket that was insufficient in the first place and will be worse after welding. This is the BIG weak spot in the motor.

[mdjdc]

As I said, I have a set of good heads. The crack between the valves is normal and does not effect the engine function at all. A crack in the exhaust port goes into the water jacket and you will not be able to go far without carrying extra coolant with you and the smell from the exhaust is sickening.

 

Been there and done that, so I speak from a position of experience.