New Subaru Owner with Issues

[clarkcou]

HI all, I'm new here and new to Subaru's.

(Experience has been with Chevy V8, BMW, and Porsche air cooled).

 

Just revived a 1990 Subaru Legacy L sedan. 2.2L engine

About the third day of driving my daughter stated it was running hot, she drove it about 40 miles and it overheated, steam out the hood, etc.Radiator had been full when she left.

 

I found it low on fluid, but overflow tank was full. Topped it off and found it pressurized the hoses and radiator nearly immediately upon restart, running with radiator cap off showed tons of bubbles produced. Car had been run hot enough in 40 miles to melt plastic label on oil filter and produce burned smell to new oil.

 

My theory - blown head gasket or cracked head. Tested compression, 180# on cylinders 1,2,3, 130# on 4.

 

Questions:

How robust are the heads - crack easy or warp easy?

Where does one find the socket to remove the heads?

Can the timing belt idler pulleys be repacked with grease?

Where does one find a good deal on an exhaust system?

 

TIA,

Randy

[DerFahrer]

Most likely a blown headgasket. EJ heads don't crack as often as the EA ones, but take them to a machine shop anyway to be sure they aren't warped. If they are, the shop should be able to mill them.

 

The head bolts take a 12-point 14mm socket. I would think a place like Sears or something like that would have one.

 

Why do you think you need timing idler pullies?

 

You can have a muffler shop make you a new exhaust system. Does yours have a hole, and if so, where?

[clarkcou]

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

I am concerned on one of the idlers, they all spin freely and smoothly, but one sounds somewhat dry.

 

btw, I found a completely loose bolt, one on the water pump housing.

Car has 148,000 miles. Timing belt looks in great shape, all hoses have the original style clamps, so I am not sure the pump was ever replaced.

 

I broke the exhaust during disassembly, when I pulled the front pipes down to clear the studs it snapped somewhere around the connection to the cat.

[clarkcou]

Another question - is it okay to reuse head bolts?

 

Randy

[nipper]

Another question - is it okay to reuse head bolts?

 

Randy

 

yes yes yes yes Steel bolts and aluminum engine, they see no stress.

This has been covered many times to the afirmative

 

nipper

[idosubaru]

My theory - blown head gasket or cracked head. Tested compression, 180# on cylinders 1,2,3, 130# on 4.

i'd do one more compression test just to be sure you get the same numbers. you probably will but for a headgasket diagnosis it's nice to be sure.

 

How robust are the heads - crack easy or warp easy?

they should be fine. if a machine shop is doing a valve job and milling them they will test them and see how far out they are first.

 

Can the timing belt idler pulleys be repacked with grease?

Where does one find a good deal on an exhaust system?

yes i've got a write up here and at http://www.xt6.net on how to repack timing pulley bearings. it involves a grease gun and a 3 dollar needle type fitting for the grease gun. you can also buy new or source bearings and have new ones pressed in (but this is really annoying finding the bearings and pressing them in and ends up being expensive anyway).

 

exhaust - i'd look for a used exhaust myself. depending how bad it is an honest exhaust shop will typically weld in some new pipe or flanges for not much $. problem is finding a shop that doesn't want to try to get you for a couple hundred bucks. pipe, flanges and gaskets are super cheap, so exhaust work doeesn't have to cost much.

[idosubaru]

and welcome from another maryland board member!