Alaskan Loyale Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 I picked up a 1993 Loyale wagon for 400$, expecting the best from it as i always have... well it just so happens i bought the only subaru that has ever given me problems! Mainly due to the fact that the previous owner had no idea what they were doing and messed alot of things up. looking for some advice and guidance for sure! Ive done head gasket jobs on plenty of my buddies chevys but never on a boxer. ive got a chiltons on the way and wanted to ask if theres anything i should know before ordering parts and diving in? any info would be greatly appreciated. My ultimate goal is to lift it 2' and turn it into an offroad rig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted January 11, 2015 Share Posted January 11, 2015 The one thing you should know is there are 2 timing belts and the crankshaft requires a. 360 deg rotation between installing the 2nd belt and tdc is not used for belt alignment, but however the cams are timed when all 4 cylinders are in the center of their stroke. You will want to find tdc first, tho, before finding the crankshaft mark do that your distributor is. It 180 out. You may have the best luck pulling the engine as it affords you the most access to the cam towed and engine seals. Be careful not to twist off the intake bolts as they pass thru a water jacket. It is not necessary to replace the head bolts as they are not tty unless they are excessively corroded where they pass thru the water jacket. Pay attention to the length as the middle bolts are shorter. Pay attention to the orientation of the washer as they are similar to spring washer how they are cut Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted January 12, 2015 Share Posted January 12, 2015 (edited) Make sure it's the headgasket before you dive into the job. The intake manifold gaskets are a common failure and they will let coolant leak into the intake from the coolant crossover passage. It leads to coolant loss and steam out the exhaust, but not overheating until you run the coolant low. One caution on the intake manifold bolts is that they like to corrode and snap off when you go to remove them. So turn them gently and try and work them back and forth to walk them out instead of forcing them. Oh, and for future posts, your car is considered an "Old Gen" subaru so use that subforum for questions rather than the New Gen one. Edited January 12, 2015 by WoodsWagon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaskan Loyale Posted January 14, 2015 Author Share Posted January 14, 2015 Thanks guys!really appreciate the advice! I don't have an engine stand or a shop, going to be setting up a tarp shed over the car though. I realize how difficult leaving the engine in might be but aside from pulling it out and setting it on a table that's my only option. I will defiantly check my intake manifold gasket first! I didn't even think about that!!! It doesn't overheat but there is the very obvious white smoke, loss of power, and external coolant leakage. I figured (keep in mind no master mech) that because there was coolant leaking out and puddling up on top of the engine,right near the head gasket, that that meant for sure it was a head gasket. They do show similar symptoms, hopefully I just jumped the gun with the head gasket. sorry about that dude, new to the site, ill make sure I post in the right spot from now on though. Tomorrow moring I'm going to hit that intake manifold gasket. Hopefully I wont be tapping any bolts out! Thanks again guys! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ford'ssubaru's Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Subaru gaskets are a lot better quality than aftermarket. Just my opinion. Cheers, Eric 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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