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My First Subaru


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Hello everyone, I just recently aquired an 86 Subaru GL10 1.8 Turbo 2WD. Its not running yet! It was given to me by my sister-in-laws friend. It started running rough and then they just parked it. As they drove it it was getting rougher and rougher. They finally pulled over and killed it. Well here I am, and I plan on gettting it going again. I've always wanted a subaru, now I've got one! Any advice, at least where to start? Thanks in advance!

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Kinda sounds like it might be trying to throw a rod.. :banghead: Try doing a compression check and see what #'s you get there... You might need to do a rebuild... Maybe with a little luck it's something easy like the turbo unit going south or something.. good luck and enjoy!!

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Hey Charles---Read the Electronic Control Unit's trouble codes to see what problems it's recorded. Check here:http://www.importautoparts.com/a_subaru.html

for help with this.:)

p.s. Please post updates concerning this car on this thread to make it easy to follow. Thanks

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The board's Repair manual is listed and linked to

in the header on this page. "USMB Repair & Mod"

 

It contains pertinent information ( including. ECU trouble code reading) that you may find helpful.

 

It would be conductive to follow the advise

about checking/replacing the main tune up parts

(plus the air and fuel filter)

 

A compression test may prove benificial in this quest.

 

If the engine does not respond to these,

you may have a timing belt that jumped a tooth or two.

You have two t- belts in this non interference engine.

 

For future reference the engine you have is a "vane" or flapper door style

MAF (Mass Air Flow) sensor.

 

Good luck, we are here to help those who help themselves

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I would definately recomend taking the three front timing covers off and inspecting the timing belts. Take the spare wheel off, there will be a little plastic cover where the engine meets the gearbox, take this off (flywheel cover). Turn the engine until you find 3 marks with 1/4" of each other. Get the marker to point to the middle one. At the front of the engine one of your cam pulleys marks should be pointing directly up. With 1 full rotation the other pulley should point directly up. No variation is acceptable, these have to be spot on for the engine to run smooth.

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Ok here we go, I did a compression test on it today. On the passenger side 110 on front cyl. 100 on the rear cyl. Hears the crapper. 0 on the other side! Nothing Notta at all! Any suggestions? Im kinda thinking either rebuild or Hopefully timing belt....Thanks for everything guys!

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I am a Rank Noob, but it sure sounds like a rebuild would be in order.

 

Blown head gasket/cracked head? How's your temp gauge/oil pressure reading?

 

Also, maybe check the compression again? 0 sounds awfully low even for an engine with big trouble. LOL.GIF

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Well I took out the radiator, very easy,praise the Lord. And took off the drivers side timing cover and uncovered a very broken timing belt! Should I replace both? Remember I havent heard it run yet. And is this better than a head gasket blown? I hope so... By the way the anti-freeze looked good! I havent been able to figure out the ecu code stuff yet...

 

 

Thanks

Charles

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So does this sound like the belts Im needing? "SET OF TIMING BELTS LEFT & RIGHT fit on SUBARU 1800 W/Carb. 1985-1987, 1800/LOYALE/XT TURBO 1985-1994 Part# 4115/4116." Its on ebay for a total of $18.95 Ill try to post some pics as soon as I get my Dig-Camera back from my dad. My Car is kinda faded dark grey, W Sunroof, All digital, I wish it wasnt. The dash still seems to work, all the bells ding ect.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Latest Update!

 

I put the timing belts on, and now still no start, the thing sounds cool turning over, but no fire. The coil is very oily, and is there a way to screw up if I lined up the 3 dots on #1 cyl power stroke? #1 is the pass front cyl right? Any Ideas? Man its HOT in Arkansas right now! I bet I have sweat 5 gallons of water. Hey I love twistin wrenches, and a challenge! Thanks in advance!

 

Oh is it ok to take the fuel filter off without getting sprayed?

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make sure the belts are installed properly. you cant line them up with o deg and both dots up, this is not the way to do it!

 

line up the 3 individual marks on the flywheel to the center mark. install the driver side belt with the dot up

 

once the driver side belt is installed, rotate the crank a full 360 degrees so the mark on the flywheel re-alighns and the cam pulley dot is facing down. now install the passenger side belt with the dot up.

 

rotate the crank and check your aignments

 

now you can line up the odeg mark for the distributor, the dot on the passenger cam pulleyy will be pointing toward the corner of the cam cover, just below the word SUBARU

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Well I am pretty sure I instaled the belts correctly, I aligned everything as told. How do I know if the Distributor is installed properly? Any suggestions on an oily coil? Mine is leaking nastily.

 

I do know Im getting fuel, kinda questionable about Ignition though..

 

Thanks!

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As long as you haven't removed the distributor yet, any timing problems would still be found with the timing belts. no offense but you may want to re-double check that you followed the procedure, as quoted by Miles, correctly.

 

The car could have been running rough due to a gradual failure of the old driver's side timing belt, or it could also have electical issues (the coil also reflects this concern) ... I would suggest that you check and supplement the groundwires in the engine bay of your car as these cars can suffer from poor grounding that develops with age. good luck.

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The car could have been running rough due to a gradual failure of the old driver's side timing belt, [\QUOTE]

 

i have seen timing belts strip away at the teeth, so the gradual failure means thet a tooth may have shorn off causing the timing to jump bit by bit until the belt itslef finally let go

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Any suggestions on an oily coil? Mine is leaking nastily.

 

I do know Im getting fuel, kinda questionable about Ignition though..

 

Thanks!

The coil looks like it's failing but if your getting a half inch spark jump from the end of the coil wire to the engine metal while cranking, then it's working adequate to fire good plugs.;)

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One quick question. The three marks you were talking about guys are they the three on the front crank pulley? Thats what Ive been using. I havent been able to work on the car since Monday. Should I be looking on the flywheel instead? Im all ears, not literally :D

Thanks!!

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We Have Ignition! She started! And then died last night. At around 12:00 outside I was re-installing the belts correctly then I fired her up, w-out the covers radiator-(not very long though) Im not stupid! But just long enough to hear her run. I know she lives again! Ill update monday or so after I install the fan radiator alt, ect.

Thank You guys so much!

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Well Ive been driving it some in the evenings, and it does smoke a little. Its funny though... sometimes it does then sometimes it doesnt. But it pulls hard, for a 4cyl turbo of course. I was impressed since it sat for a year. I put some fresh gas in it and that has helped. I have a stud missing on one of the exhaust ports, anybody have a clue as to what size it is? Also I have a nut missing, Just notied it today, where the turbo meets the e-manifold. I removed the sheild to see that. Yippie! But Hey Roy its true what you say, "BOXER - takes a lickin, keeps on clickin! "

 

Thanks Charles

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