New 88 RX Turbo Owner, many questions. Please help.

[gotime242]

Hey guys, i have a 1988 Turbo RX 2dr 4wd subi that i recently picked up, and i have a few questions, and generally want to know more about it. Here they are, please answer all and any that you can, thanks!

 

1) I have an oil leak somewhere on the bottom of the engine, but havnt pinpointed where its origin is yet. It seems to come out and get all over the oil pan and around that area, and drip onto the front exhaust pipe (causing it to smoke). Are there any common oil leaks found on these EA82T engines? I would first think its the oil pan gasket, or the oil pump. It seems to make oil pressure well if that makes any diff. How much usually does a replacement of either cost? And what do you think it could be?

 

2) How stong is the entire tranny/axles/diff setup? I want to be very gentle with this car right now, but one day i might like to play in the dirt a little. How stong can everything stand up with a little beating on it in the dirt? Are there any weak points on the entire car?

 

3) Is there any huge online info source for this car? I really cant find out much info about it. Id like to know its weight/dimensions, and stuff like that.

 

4) How easy is it to upgrade the wheels? Or does it have a crazy lug pattern that i will never find a regular aftermarket wheel for. I would like to find a nice little set of gold racing rims or something for this that are like 15"'s or 16"'s.

 

5) Are there any online performace shops for this car? Or any source to get readily availible parts from.

 

6) How much boost can this engine take if i were to turn up the boost a smidge. I think the most i woudl EVER do to this car is add an extra air-to-air intercooler from one of my other turbo cars (mr2 turbo that makes 335 rwhp), open the exhaust up a bit, and maybe turn the boost up a little. But how much is the engine/stock ecu/fuel good for on the stock turbo? 10 psi maybe?

Im sure at that rate it would be all out of efficiency at like 4500 rpm, lol.

 

7) My rear right (pass side) suspension components are making a light clunking noise on bumps. The setup is not blown by any means, but i still hear a squeak/light clunk. What could this be? Again anything common maybe?

 

Alright i think thats it for now. Please help if you can. Thank you in advance.

 

Here are some pics of my RX:

 

And if anyone is interested, i would actually be willing to sell it for a good offer. As i mentioned before, i have an mr2 also, and i kinda bought this car as an impulse buy, haha.

 

 

[calebz]

NIce RX

 

 

Welcome to te USMB

 

1- Oil leak up front. Common leaks on the front of an EA82 are : oil pump, cam seals, crank seal. About in that order.

 

2- Drive train is strong enough to play in the dirt some.They can take a little abuse. Front axles are probably the most common failure, but good ones tend to last a long time and are easy to replace.

 

3- Look around this site a bit. This is one of the best, if not THE best site for info about your car.

 

4- Wheels are 4x140. Its a weird pattern shared only with the peugeot 505 and some 504s. There are options out there for mods. YOu can redrill to 6 lug (either wheels or hubs), There are a few people in Oz that have redrilled the hubs for 4x100. Most popular here is probably the 5 lug conversion. Search here for any of the above and you will get more detailed info.

 

5- This is about the the best online source for parts and info that you will find. There is little to no aftermarket for these cars. Modded old subarus are modded in the truest sense of the word. If you want something to fit on it, you have to MAKE it fit:D

 

6- 10 psi is a pretty safe thing on a healthy motor with a decent IC. People do run a bit higher, but the combination of performance and safety, 10 seems to do prwtty well. You can always get a bigger turbo;)

 

7- Light clunking noise in the rear. Check the rear struts for wear, check the rear diff hanger, and check therear sway bar bushings.

[critical_max]

Wow, that car is beautiful. I'm not sure I've ever seen a picture of one in such good shape. Congratulations! I'll try to answer a few of your questions, I'm sure others here can answer many more.... cheers!

 

1) Oil leak: check all your gaskets, it could be about anywhere. Mine has a tiny leak, it also gets on the oil pan, and I have no idea where it's coming from.

 

2) These cars are tanks. People beat on them in the dirt, yah. CV joints are said to be the weak point, make sure your CV boots stay in good shape to increase the lifespan of the joints.

 

3) Online info source: you've found one of the best .

 

4) Aftermarket wheels are indeed super rare. Look for a 4x140mm bolt pattern. Lots of folks swap on Peugot 14/15" wheels, as they have the same pattern. You have about 25" diameter of clearance with tires.

 

5) lots of threads on this board by people hunting for certain parts, search on the parts you're looking for

 

6) about 10psi without upgrades to exhaust/intake, I believe - others can speak to this better or search this board, there are lots of threads on this

 

7) no clue

[WoodsWagon]

Where do you reside? Your signiture says, International. As a possilble purchaser, International is kinda vauge?

 

Look for posts by WJM. He's got probably the limit of the stock engine management going on his RX. Your RX looks to be in really nice condition.

[Guest shadow]

Looks like the same hubcaps as the one that was listed in Florida on Autotrader, and judging by the background foliage, that looks like a strong possibility it's the same car.

 

Looks like your questions were covered well, congrats on the car she's a beaut... Best driver's seat I've seen on one so far! I own two, same year/style, and they are wonderful cars. Think about hanging onto it for awhile, not the fastest cars around but they sure are a blast to drive.

[gotime242]

Thank you all very much fot the help. I really appreciate it.

 

Yeah this car is located in fort myers Florida.

 

I guess i will just prop the front up, clean the underside of the engine, run it and see where the leak it. I really hope its nothing too hard to get to.

 

Thanks again!

[Caboobaroo]

For more info on parts for the 5-lug conversion, check out the USRM or clicky this link for a list of parts from donor cars in junkyards... http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/article.php?a=50 If you need any other info on 5-lug conversions like how hard it is, etc., etc., etc., PM either Calebz, Dr. RX, myself (Caboobaroo), Subaru_Styles, or SubaruTex since we've all done the swap, some more then others:D