85 mpfi head gasket - HELP?

[rdweninger]

Hello all,

my 85 1.8l mpfi has the chocolate milk oil syndrone. I'm assuming the head gaskets are shot... any help would be appreciated. The car is front wheel drive and automatic transmission.

What are the steps to replacing the head gaskets? Where is a good source to buy the gasket set? Do I need to pull the engine? Is the mpfi going to be impossible?

I would really like to fix the car. It only has 86k original miles. The body and interior are in great shape. The car was owned by the World Whale Foundation.

Or... should I sell it to the highest bidder?

[Loyale 2.7 Turbo]

If you are Sure it is a Head Gasket issue, I Kindly suggest you to fix it and you'll continue driving that Subie.

 

To replace the Head Gasket, first remove the intake manifold, next the exhausts, then the Timing Belts and Covers and finally the heads. Check each head to see if it is warped or cracked. The best way is to get a repair Manual (Click on my avatar) and follow their Directions.

 

The head bolt Tightening / Undo sequence, as far as I Remember:

 

Bottom Row = B, Top Row = T

 

1st B middle

2nd T and just to YOUR left looking at it as rocker view

3rd T and just to your right looking at it as rocker view

4th B and just to your right of 1st

5th B and just to your left

6th T most left

7th T most right

8th B most right

9th B most left

 

...as per gregory's manual, it says to remove just Loosen gradually on cold engine - no sequence... I Kindly suggest to review the manuals.

 

The Better Gaskets for that engine is the Subaru Originals (At the Dealer or Online but Genuine parts), because the original Subaru Gaskets are better than the aftermarket ones; but I've read that Fel-pro Permatorques are very Good head Gaskets too and those don't need to re-torque the Heads.

 

Here's a Website: http://www.ebay.com/itm/85-94-1-8-L-SUBARU-LOYALE-TURBO-HEAD-GASKET-SET-EA82-/190477104414

 

Some of us are able to change headgaskets without removing the engine from the car, however it is a lot easier with the engine Out... except for the added work of pulling / re-placing the engine.

 

Good Luck!

Kind Regards.

Edited January 5, 2012 by Loyale 2.7 Turbo

[GeneralDisorder]

Hello all,

my 85 1.8l mpfi has the chocolate milk oil syndrone. I'm assuming the head gaskets are shot... any help would be appreciated. The car is front wheel drive and automatic transmission.

 

Well - there is also the possibility that it's a freeze plug, or that an intake manifold gasket has gone out.... Non-turbo HG failures at that low of a mileage figure are extremely rare but depending on how it was driven.....

 

What are the steps to replacing the head gaskets? Where is a good source to buy the gasket set? Do I need to pull the engine? Is the mpfi going to be impossible?

 

There are two school's of thought and they largely are determined by the facilities that people have at their disposal. Those of us with shop's capable of easily pulling engines are almost exclusively of the opinion that the added time to pull and replace the engine is offset largely by the time and frustration saved in doing so for a lasting, quality repair. People working in the parking lot of their apartment complex have succesfully done HG jobs (without pulling the engine) as well - but chances are that it took them a lot longer than it takes me including pulling the engine - which frankly only adds about 3 hours to the job total. You get some of that back in the dissasembly and reassemble steps because they go faster... so I would say that all-in-all pulling the engine adds 2 hours to the job but that's not significant when you consider the much higher quality of the job and not having to bend over an engine bay.

 

I would really like to fix the car. It only has 86k original miles. The body and interior are in great shape. The car was owned by the World Whale Foundation.

Or... should I sell it to the highest bidder?

 

Sadly you can't get much for the car - maybe $500 in it's current broken state. If it didn't have such low mileage and wasn't in cosmetically superior condition I would say no more than $300 to $350..... if it were 4WD with that kind of mileage probably more like $800. Repaired it could be worth as much as $2000 if it's really nice.... to the right buyer of course.

 

That is a very rare engine - one year only - and hard to find parts for. The question is.... how much damage has been done by the milkshake? If it's just a reseal that it needs or a freeze plug, etc then it could be a pretty easy fix.

 

I would say - pull the heads and oil pan off and look for any signs of cylinder damage or bottom end damage. If the milkshake pours out clean and the inside of the oil pan isn't full of metal/sludge and the cylinders look good then fix it. Otherwise you'll be looking for a replacement short-block.

 

To answer your message to me - yes I could handle the reseal or installation of a short block, etc. A HG job with all the trimmings will be about $320 in labor. Parts will likely be about another $300 give or take. Figure on replacing the timing belt and water pump, and all seals from the HG's up. Probably some hoses and belts also. I'm sure it could easily get back on the road for about $600 or so. If it needs a short block it would be the same price but add in the cost of a good used short-block.

 

GD

[kayakertom]

RDwiniger and GD,

 

There is a mpfi non turbo wagon in the PnP on Columbia Blvd in N. Portland; isn't this the same engine as in the 85-91 non turbo XT?

 

"That is a very rare engine - one year only - and hard to find parts for."

[GeneralDisorder]

It might be similar to the 85/86 non-turbo XT but I really can't say since I've never even seen an XT that old. In '87 they went to the hot-wire type MAF's on all the MPFI and SPFI variants and those also definately have multi-rib style belts and other differences. So - if it's similar to any of the XT's it's only the '85 and maybe the '86. On the GL's it only came on high-end 2WD's in '85. In '86 they switched to the (new for '86) SPFI system and then in '87 they began phasing out the carbs completely.

 

GD

Edited January 6, 2012 by GeneralDisorder

[rpholz]

your engine would be the same as an 85-86 XT after that the intakes totaly changed however the block and heads should be the same to any MPFI non turbo.