New Heads?

[kibs45]

So I was getting ready to do a tune up on my 87 gl non turbo, and I replaced the cap and rotor and the car wouldn't start. So I troubleshooted everything else and it all seemed good. I went to replace the spark plugs and found that both the front cylinders holes have no threads, the last person who did it put them back in with heli coil. Anyway long story short, anyone think this might be part of the problem? If I get the heads replaced any ideas on how much it will cost me? Or are there any other options, this wouldn't be such a big deal but I just was in an accident that totaled my wifes car and well we need something.

[idosubaru]

if the car ran fine before with the helicoils then they shouldn't be the problem. you didn't remove the distributor did you?

 

is there anything wrong with the helicoils? they have always worked great as far as i know.

 

the cheapest solution if you did need other heads would be to buy a set of used heads from someone. you can pick those up relatively inexpensively. you should have a valve job done ($150-$200). but on a good set of heads that wasn't overheated you could get by just installing them straight up. i'd at least try to have them milled ($40) and new valve stem seals installed ($50), the valve stem seals will come with the head gasket set. if you can remove valve springs yourself you could do the valve stem seals yourself.

 

replacing the heads due to spark plug threads seems overboard to me, but i can't see the problem.

 

might want to get the car to a shop (or machine shop) and see if they can fix it if yo'ure not sure what to do.

[wintersubaru]

First make sure you have the correct cap and rotor because there are a few threads here that deal with all the different caps and rotors that go on these cars.

[idosubaru]

what he said. that's a good call, seen some other confusion in the past. i'm not EA82 expert so i can't help you out. a search will turn up more info as i've seen what he's talking about before.

[Indrid cold]

So I was getting ready to do a tune up on my 87 gl non turbo, and I replaced the cap and rotor and the car wouldn't start. So I troubleshooted everything else and it all seemed good.

.................

 

There is your answer... it sucks but been there many times before. It ran before you touched it.... now it doesn't... as posted above... it was something that has been changed and that would be rotor or cap... also.. sometimes just touching a wire that was ready to break (Main distributer wire, battery wire, etc.) may have caused it to sever..., pulling on old main distributer wire can cause damage-pull rubber caps back and check to assure wire is still atached to metal end lips or find /grab a spare and take old out and try again, sounds like main spark problem,

 

I have had a main wire check good with a wire test (continuety test) but be broke enough not to carry voltage required to start vehicle. Tug, clean, put old parts back on, snoop.... I call it "Bonding with the Subee.";) when I go through this process as it is a great learning opportunity.

 

Go and bond... be one with the Subee and do us a favor and post your results when fixed as I have about the same year.

[kibs45]

Sorry I should have been more explicit. The distributor in the car is the Crank Angle type so only one cap and one rotor fit it. The wires replaced with Subaru wires. There is spark on the other end of the wires the car just won't start.

[Subarian]

Did you change the timing? If the plugs worked with the helicoils before you changed the cap and rotor, they should still work.

 

If the thread inserts have come out, you can replace them or have a machine shop do it. It's a lot cheaper than replacing the heads.