BooHoo!! 298,583 miles and she's started to Smoke!

[skibaru]

No not Marlboro's!! My '89 GL wagon has finally reached the end of it's road:(. I had hoped to make it to 300,000 mi. but she started to smoke on me on the interstate, kind of a " James Bond Smoke Screen". It doesn't smoke all the time just during sustained 75mph- 3500rpm driving. Oh well, she dont owe me nuthin! I actually have the original clutch in the car on the original engine. The transaxle was replaced at 256,000mi with a lower mile used one and of course I've had to change the usual timing belts, axleshafts, batteries, etc. Luckily I spotted a '92 Legacy w/ 114,000mi in the newspaper last week for $1500.00 so yeah, I bought it! (that makes it my fourth subie) Anybody want to make a deal on a '89 GL for parts? It has a newly rebuilt alternator(2 weeks ago), 3 week old CV axle and ball joints but basically the car is tired. Guess I'll be spending more time in the "Newer Generation Subarus" message board now but I'll still check in from time to time:)

 

-----skibaru

'92 Legacy, '89 GL (dyin'), '78 Volks ASI/Riviera camper, '76 Volks Westy

[baccaruda]

maybe it's just the 300k mile clutch smoking?

[northguy]

Damn, just as it was getting broken in. Some thing just aren't built to last any more.

[Qman]

You might want to try replacing the PCV valve with an OEM one and see if that helps. It may not do a thing but you never know unless you try.

[WoodsWagon]

don't give up on it yet. Try to eak the last 2k miles out of it just so it has a nice round number on the odometer when you send it to its final resting place.

[Hondasucks]

rings dont' just "go" overnight, it's probably either your PCV valve or possibly valve seals, although those don't "go" overnight they CAN go faster than rings do lol, and aren't THAT hard to change. Involves taking the cam tower off and taking the valve springs off, using compressed air to hold the valve shut while you change the seal. If I remember correctly, only the intake valves have a stem seal, although that is on an EA81, EA82 COULD have stem seals on teh exhaust valves, but I don't remember cuz I didn't have my heads that far apart.

[DerFahrer]

don't give up on it yet. Try to eak the last 2k miles out of it just so it has a nice round number on the odometer when you send it to its final resting place.

Agreed. As long as it's still going, run it till it dies which will hopefully be 300k...

 

Go on a long trip somewhere with a friend driving another car with you

[thealleyboy]

Skib:

You gotta make a run at 300K on principle alone...

At this point, you may want to try some unconventional methods to squeeze the last bit of life. Like for example a motor flush - followed by an engine treatment product - followed by heavier weight oil.

That is, assuming that the smoke is oil blue. As mentioned above, it may not be rings, but rather something totally unrelated. No need to break out the Kleenex box just quite yet.

Do a compression test, and watch the oil level for a few days. Come back with your results.

good luck, John

[NorthWet]

My first thought was PCV, also.

 

Valve seals are unlikely, as they tend to suck oil under idle/high-vacuum and puff smoke for a couple seconds when you next step on the gas. The rings would do that if an oil-ring let go, but you would see that whenever you got on the throttle, not just near WOT.

 

Don't give up on it yet.