Welcome to the semi-modern era

[q240z]

Hey.

I've had my share of GL-10s, but just yesterday bought a '97 OBW. It's in need of engine work (the dealer told the previous owner that it had a "blown cylinder") and I'm wondering about my options. This thing's got the 2.5 in it, as I understand it. If I end up swapping out the engine, is it best to stick with stock or are there problems with this particular engine? I saw an earlier post where somebody recommended going from the 2.5 to a 2.2, which is the opposite direction most car guys go in (at least the ones that I am familiar with).

 

Apparently, the dealer said that this is not a common problem with these engines, but not especially rare, either.

 

It starts and drives down the road fairly well, though it's gutless (even more than usual). The engine also shakes around quite a bit at idle, which sounds about right for a car with a blown cylinder.

 

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

Oh! btw, the car was only $1200.

 

[Tom63050]

Hey.

I've had my share of GL-10s, but just yesterday bought a '97 OBW. It's in need of engine work (the dealer told the previous owner that it had a "blown cylinder") and I'm wondering about my options. This thing's got the 2.5 in it, as I understand it. If I end up swapping out the engine, is it best to stick with stock or are there problems with this particular engine? I saw an earlier post where somebody recommended going from the 2.5 to a 2.2, which is the opposite direction most car guys go in (at least the ones that I am familiar with).

 

Apparently, the dealer said that this is not a common problem with these engines, but not especially rare, either.

 

It starts and drives down the road fairly well, though it's gutless (even more than usual). The engine also shakes around quite a bit at idle, which sounds about right for a car with a blown cylinder.

 

Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

 

Oh! btw, the car was only $1200.

 

As I understand it, the 97s had the DOHC motor, which was prone to headgasket failure. Great price by the way.

[q240z]

Hmmm, now wouldn't that just be grand if all it needed was a head gasket?

[gbhrps]

q240z,

 

I'd pull the heads and see if just the gaskets needed replacing, and if so, just replace them. If it really is a blow piston, I'd be tempted to track down a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) used engine and pop it in. They're always low mileage, very well priced, and depending on where you buy it, they are warranteed as well. Good Luck!

[q240z]

Thanks!

 

Here's the latest scoop:

This Subi...it's supposed to have a "blown cylinder." The Internet is full of head gasket horror stories. But I got the rig here now and I'm tellin' ya, there's no water in the oil. I haven't seen any bubbles in the coolant. I stood on the gas and the bastard got on it pretty well. But the idle sucks donkey balls--the engine bucks all over hell at idle. If I manage a smooth launch on the flat or downhill, it accelerates away pretty good. If it needs power right from the get-go, fugetaboutit.

 

You remember how it was when you first drove a car with a manual tranny? You may have dumped the clutch just a bit too fast. The car bucked and heaved off the line, wumpawumpawumpawumpa-style. This ringin' any bells?

 

Well, that's what this freakin' Subi does if there's any power needed right from the start. And it will keep that wumpawumpawumpawumpa thing going until hell freezes over or I shift into second, at which point it does what any good Subi is supposed to do. It also performs very well when it doesn't need much power right from the start.

 

In a word, I would hate to head-to-head with a Yugo in a 0-20 drag race, but I would kick his rump roast from 10-??? if I don't lug the engine in the least off the start. It's wierd.

 

This does not sound like head gaskets. It does not sound like holed pistons or broken valve heads or any other kind of "blown cylinder." There's no smoke of any kind and it actually sounds pretty good under full throttle.

 

Any thoughts, aside from "just stand on the gas all the time?"

 

Cheers.

[nipper]

Well it sounds like its time for a compression test, both wet and dry. Only way to find out since it does sound like the head gasket is ok.

 

 

nipper

[q240z]

Cool. Will do. I'm also going on a hunt for vacuum leaks, but it would have to be one massive leak to cause the engine shake this thing's got going on.

 

Just wondering--how do you apply oil to the entire circumference of the rings on an H4 engine for the wet test?

[nipper]

Same way you do on any engine ...with an oil can, though in this case i think you may neeed a gooseneck oil can. That should work. THere is a nother way, its a bit rube goldberg thing .. . take a wire clothes hanger, shape it so it goes inside the cylinder and clears the plug holes, and let the oil run down it frip by drip into the cylinder.

 

In all honesty, if there is a hole in the cylinder, you should get a 0-10 psi, maybe 20, as a reading, I'ld do a dry test. If it comes up zero there is no need to go any further.

 

A wet test would be to see if it is rings vs valves.

 

good luck

 

nipper

[subyrally]

i have a compression test kit here. i am in frederick, i might could help you diagnose the problem.. then again, you could always get an engine swap, get a jdm sti swap and drop that in, no one would see it coming till it was too late.

[q240z]

i have a compression test kit here. i am in frederick, i might could help you diagnose the problem.. then again, you could always get an engine swap, get a jdm sti swap and drop that in, no one would see it coming till it was too late.

HA! Yeah, I tried walking that idea past the wife yesterday. She just doesn't understand how much utility there would be in an OBW with 300hp of oomph. I saw an sti on ebay that sold for something like $4k. That's just a bit out of my price range.

 

btw, where do you source Subi used parts around the beltway? The girl who owned this thing wasn't in the habit of hosing off winter salt and quite a few trinket parts have rust started on them. I've never been in a place that had such a sparse selection of wrecking yards.

[subyrally]

depending on what you need, there is alway the market place on the forum here, then there is stokes in brunswick md, and then there is octagon auto spares in york pa. every now and then i see newer subies at elwood's auto exchange in smithsburg md.

 

 

 

HA! Yeah, I tried walking that idea past the wife yesterday. She just doesn't understand how much utility there would be in an OBW with 300hp of oomph. I saw an sti on ebay that sold for something like $4k. That's just a bit out of my price range.

 

btw, where do you source Subi used parts around the beltway? The girl who owned this thing wasn't in the habit of hosing off winter salt and quite a few trinket parts have rust started on them. I've never been in a place that had such a sparse selection of wrecking yards.

[subyrally]

by the way, what parts are you looking for?