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nsane']Thing is' date=' it shows signs of an engine thats around 200k... its already bleeding antifreeze everywhere like ive blown a head gasket..

 

Not sure how this motor was treated previous to me owning it ya know?[/quote']

 

you sure its not something minor like an intake manifold gasket of something?

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I would get in there and get my hands dirty first, your motor problems dont sound serious at all, and theres nothing to be scared of down in that engine bay. The important bits are most likely in perfect shape. Gaskets, oil seals etc are the first to go. I just pulled apart a turbo motor with 130k miles and it barely looked broken in on the inside. And thats a turbo motor which sees higher intake, coolant and oil temperatures, in addition to the extra hp/torque. You would save some serious cash by doing some engine work yourself, instead of getting overwhelmed (it kinda sounds like you are to me) and starting from scratch. Even with a new motor you have to pull your old one and put your new one in, which is a fair amount of work anyways.

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My 82 wagon has 256K and the left head gasket was shot, I've never did a head gasket before, but it was really easy now it runs fine.

 

If you have a spare 2K laying around you can buy somemore soobs...

Or buy a used motor or a parts car with a good engine and just swap them, sell the other car with the bad motor and get your money back.

 

Brad

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In my case, hanging around this board has definitely changed my perception and given me confidence in the older subarus. I have owned EA81s for years, but only stumbled across this board a few months ago. I found it when I was looking for a replacement engine for my '83 wagon. Well, after a few weeks of posting and searching, I went from looking for another engine to figuring out that there wasn't really anything wrong with mine. I got it going again and have been driving it ever since. Subsequently, I picked up an '84 turbo wagon in near cherry condition but with a toasted motor. I am now trying to bone up on information and all the parts I will need to rebuild or replace the engine and swap the AT for a five speed.

 

 

There is no way I ever would have considered any of that without this board.

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nsane']Thing is' date=' it shows signs of an engine thats around 200k... its already bleeding antifreeze everywhere like ive blown a head gasket..

 

Not sure how this motor was treated previous to me owning it ya know?[/quote']

 

 

yea the engine in my turbo EA82 has 54k on it and leaks antifreeze, and oil .

But this very moment i got it in the shop running dye tests seeing where its coming from. I wonder how bad it is?

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I would replace the engine as a last resort - a bad thermostat gasket or coolant tubing can shoot antifreeze everywhere in much the same way as a blown head gasket - had it happen to me - dad was driving and freaked at first, after I popped the hood and had him rev the engine, I found the leak very quickly - $5 for the replacement hose

 

unless it has been overheated in a VERY severe way, or unless there is coolant in the oil/oil in the coolant I would not think about an engine replacement

 

1) you are spending 2k needlessly - JDM or low-mileage engines in good shape

2) most of the same components on an engine are reused with an engine swap - you might spend 2k and still have all the probs you did before

3) oil leaks are common on these engines - and easy to repair - just do an engine re-seal, and you should be fine (probably half the cost of a replacement engine) - these engines are good for over 200k if treated decently - and I have seen them over 300k if treated well

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you can spend less anfix your seals on the existing motor. they will last as long as as a new motor would until its seals will go out.

 

a new motor will need work down the road anyway. for 2000 dollars you can have your existing motor all fixed up and more

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