I need some advice - FAST!

[redinstead]

Hi guys/gals............I am going to look at a 1986 xt gl-10 today for $200.00. Heres the deal - It is a complete car but the engine "needs work". It does not run and from the pictures it is otherwise in almost mint condition. Ok, I briefly spoke to the roommate of the car's owner and he said that the car was never overheated(no blown head gasket, I'm assuming) so I said what about broken timing belt? He said that could be it but that would mean that it bent the valves and the top end would have to be replaced. My question............If it is the timing belt does that necessarily mean bent valves?? I had a 1987 gl xt for to years and had my timing belt break but it never bent the valves. this car is a gl-10 and I'm wondering if that makes a difference in this valve bending business or if this guy is assuming that the valves are bent. Any input on how I can check this when I go look at it?? I have always been on the lookout for another xt for years but they are always too pricy for me - except this one. I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much.................but this little red xt is just beautiful and screaming my name.....I swear I can hear it!! ! Any input would be much appreciated. ASAP PLEASE!! Thanks!!! I'll let you know how it goes.

[mikeshoup]

EA82s are non-interference. If you break a timing belt, you don't bend any valves. So, you're golden if it just broke a timing belt.

 

I even helped a lady on craigslist who had a timing belt break on a nice wagon I wanted to buy and she said the mechanic said it had bent valves. The mechanic thought that because he didn't know how to put the timing belts on. I told her she had no bent valves, and gave her a link to one of miles fox's guides. She e-mails me back a week later saying thanks, and it was running nice and fine.

 

Long story short, Subarus don't bend valves (well, maybe not all, is there any engine that does? I think like one of the EJ series I heard does...)

[DerFahrer]

Well, no EA Subarus bend valves...

 

For the most part, all DOHC Subaru engines are valve-valve interference, and as best I know (unless someone can prove otherwise), ALL Subaru nonturbo engines from 97-up are piston-valve interference.

[idosubaru]

ALL Subaru nonturbo engines from 97-up are piston-valve interference.

yes and no...the SVX is not real-world interference since even if the belt breaks the cams still have gears to keep them from hitting the pistons. so eventhough it technically is interference, it won't happen with just a broken timing belt and really wouldn't happen without some unlikely series of events.

 

but yes on that EA82 - it's definitely not interference motor. if it's turbo i'd look for any and all possible signs of head gasket issues. at 20 years old there aren't too many EA82 turbo's still running with the original head gaskets.

 

compression test it and look in the cylinders with a good flash light when you pull the plugs. any sign of coolant is a bad thing. compression test is easy and quick on these cars.

 

ask if any recent work was done to it, mechanics install the belt backwards all the time on these cars. install it properly and drive away.

[DerFahrer]

WelL, the EG33 is not piston-valve interference to begin with As best I know, it was the only engine available in 97 that was not piston-valve interference.

 

The valves COULD hit each other on the EG33 if for some strange reason, the cams were to get out of sync with each other, which is pretty much impossible.

 

So, realistically, the EG33 is, yes, a non-interference motor.

[Mark Humble]

EA82 engines are non interference. Just broke a belt on my way home from work today. Just slapped another one in and off I went. Bad thing was, it was a well used belt I put in. And just yesterday I was driving by the parts store and thought about getting a set of new belts and decided not to. Just goes to show you, if you think about it , then do it.