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Self help advice. The motor is bleeding.


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I have a few leaks(oil pan,oil filter unit thing, maybe main) Debating on trying changing them myself. I'm inclined enough, I've just never changed a gasket. Clean the metal, keep out the junk, obvious. RTV or not? Torque settings for Main and oil pan online? Possible valve adjust while i'm in it? I heard the pressure gauge is cheap and info seemed simple. I suppose EA71 specific info/advice would be the most helpful, and/or I need a little nudge to pick up a wrench.

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first step is to clean the bottom of the engine off and see where the leaks are originating from.

 

oil leaks usually get everything else wet underneath, making it look like all sorts of stuff is leaking.

 

you can even clean it off and then take pictures of the underneath when it starts leaking again and post the pictures here so we can help to find out the source.

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First step actually is to either pick up a Chiltons manual or an old service manual for the car :grin:

 

Second step is to clean everything off as best as you can before getting started (power wash?)

 

These motors are rather easy. The only difficult thing are the vacume lines IMO.

 

The oil filter "unit" is the oil pump, thats easy to remove (4 small bolts) unless the bolts are seized (not usually). Gaskets are readily available for it, as are new oil pumps if you need one.

 

Oil pan gaskets are also available and the torque specs for those small bolts are rather low.

 

By main, do you mean the front or rear seal? (rear seal is behind the flywheel, front is behind the front pulley).

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Second step is to clean everything off as best as you can before getting started (power wash?)
my pressure washer didn't touch an engine i tried to power wash last summer. GD said using hotwater (he built his own hot water tank/pressure wash supplier set up) is the key.

 

how do you buy gaskets without knowing what's leaking? i would diagnose and then proceed. beyond the waste of cash and time there are certain gaskets/seals that are much better to use subaru on and in some rare cases there are better aftermarket alternatives.

 

for instance, i'm not sure if the EA71 is the same way but i'd entertain using the permatorque headgaskets over the subaru headgaskets - that's what many of us do for the later EA variants.

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Quality is a good point. I had it looked at when i got tires, at least 3 leaks, its pretty messy. If the average gasket is 20 bucks, it's not much more to get a whole kit. I think valve covers are ok but wanna get compression check/valve adjustment sometime soon as it seems to have a lack of power,(aside from its obvious small engine).

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my pressure washer didn't touch an engine i tried to power wash last summer. GD said using hotwater (he built his own hot water tank/pressure wash supplier set up) is the key.

 

how do you buy gaskets without knowing what's leaking? i would diagnose and then proceed. beyond the waste of cash and time there are certain gaskets/seals that are much better to use subaru on and in some rare cases there are better aftermarket alternatives.

 

for instance, i'm not sure if the EA71 is the same way but i'd entertain using the permatorque headgaskets over the subaru headgaskets - that's what many of us do for the later EA variants.

You can get the entire EA71 gasket kit from Subaru still. The factory headgaskets are really good IMO for the EA71.

 

But its pretty cheap getting an entire engine gasket kit, even if you go with the Ebay options. Might as well get everything instead of just picking and choosing which gaskets to get (and actually, some gaskets can't be purchased separately anyway)

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That's what i thought, at 94 bucks after shipping. Trying to keep this thing runnin till next year when it will become a project instead of a driver. Where is the best place to find a chiltons book? Even if i screw it up i'm only out gasket cost. I'm millatent about doing what i can, and determand to learn, in spite of my lack of drunkin spelling capabillities. I LOVE WEEKENDS! Don't worry, most of the secondary fundage is devoted to the Groundhog.

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gasket kit will be here along with a '70 to '79 haynes book this week. Gonna go at it Satuday. Any non basic tools I might need?

 

 

 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaagggggggggghhhhhhh! Not the Haynes !!! :-\ You can find factory service manuals - infact if you'd like the one specific to your vehicle I have at least one to sell for $20 plus shipping - so probably less that $30 total ad you'll have what the dealer trained knucklebusters have to use.

 

I agree with buying the whole gasket / seal kit as they're all over and cheap enough. Consider the age of the car. You're better off replacing as many seals and gaskets as you can now.

 

Likely causes of leaks - front main seal , oil pump seals , oil pan. Headgaskets after those.

 

Several of us here have some NOS parts and tons of good used. I'm trying to keep you from overspending and at the same time you can help some of us by buying the extras we've acquired. Right now under my bed awaiting sales are Factory Service Manuals from the 70's ...example # 1 :)

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Sounds good. So, check by phone? ha ha, send me a message or let me know how to buy for the manual, never done this bit,or much else on a computer before the USMB. Do many Gen 1 owners find much from vendors or wheel and deal on the historic page? I am seriously hard up for a drivers door window regulator, the metal stripped away on the back of the gear.

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Aw man , I could have taken the driver's side regulator out of a car that just went to the crusher last Saturday .... :-\ I did take the passenger side but somehow neglected to get the D/S ..... but I'd bet my home that I have one in storage though.

 

moosens at yahoo dot com - works wonders! You can pay by check or money order or if you really want to get hip - and charged for it - join Paypal. Actually avoiding Paypal is preferred. Contact me and we'll get a list going and work things out.

 

Generally hard to find anything through dealers or vendors other than brake and tune-up parts. Talk to you soon,

 

Paul

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  • 2 weeks later...

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