ea82t faq

[pheonix165]

so hears the deal, there have been a lot of questions regarding this engine/chasis and i have a few questions myself as i am looking to perchase a gl turbo sedan and the search to get the information that i and other new members need would take days of drudging through threads.

 

what i would like is if everyone could volunteer information any usefull information in regards to this topic and then perhaps stickey the thread...

 

to start off i was wondering if someone could answer the claim that the most common problem with this engine is not a blown hg but cracked heads?

[mrroot]

to start off i was wondering if someone could answer the claim that the most common problem with this engine is not a blown hg but cracked heads?

 

My '86 XT had cracked heads. Have since replaced with remans and been happy ever since. They do crack pretty easily between the valves b/c there ain't much metal there, and a little overheatin' is enough to strain a crack. I have heard of plenty of people that drive with cracked heads without issue, though, so keep that in mind..

[mikeshoup]

You're gonna start a debate here.

 

The cracked heads things is nothing. They blow more head gaskets than they crack heads. As was stated, they get cracks between the valves. Subaru published a TSB saying that unless the crack is too deep, its nothing to worry about. One of the heads I put on Dorothy had a small crack between the valves, and its not causing a problems.

 

I even have a head gasket on my wall to prove that I blew the head gaskets, not cracked the heads.

[pheonix165]

okay, rather then start a debate lets move on...power out put is said by chiltons to be about 110hp atfw true?

[calebz]

okay, rather then start a debate lets move on...power out put is said by chiltons to be about 110hp atfw true?

85-86 111 crank

87+ 115 crank

 

PS.. I have blown up nearly every part of an EA82T except the heads and head gaskets.

[pheonix165]

I have blown up nearly every part of an EA82T except the heads and head gaskets.

 

thats actually quite good to here.

 

how bout...whats the max boost on factory internals and controls (ie factory ecm)? and whats factory compression?

[Caboobaroo]

thats actually quite good to here.

 

how bout...whats the max boost on factory internals and controls (ie factory ecm)? and whats factory compression?

 

Max boost I'd run on a stock EA82T would be 10psi so it doesn't run too lean and cause detonation (bye bye pistons, hello holes!). Factory spec compression ratio is 7.7:1

 

Now my '89 RX (now a parts car) had a real bad case when I got it. Waterpump went out due to bearings in it, thus overheating the car to the point of blowing the headgaskets, then overheated more to the point of cracking BOTH generation 2 heads into the exhaust port. Basically, if you blow a headgasket or its overheating, pull over! Let it cool off, check the coolant level and fill it up if low. If its eating water like crazy, then best bet would be to tow it instead of trying to limp it anywhere except to a safe location (off a road into a parking lot).

[subyrally]

lets see, the most common problem ive seen in these engines would be oil leaks. then head gasket/cooling issues.

 

ive had a bit of everything, blown piston rings (engine sat without being preped), blown headgaskets twice. (first time, there was a few leaks and i made the mistake of having meineke do work on my car, they sabotaged it by cutting a small hole in the radiator hose. the second time, i blew a coolant hose for the turbo on the highway, ripped in half it was, thus i lost all of my coolant on that and had to go about another mile to get somewhere i could stop.)

 

then there are oil leaks, sofar, mine only leaks from the pan, cant stop it for some reason, even with the good gasket makers.i usually see cam and crank seals leaking and periodically the rear main seal leaks.

 

all in all, these engines arent bad, mine only failed due to outside help, or my own screwups.

 

the next engine that goes into my rx will be built up for reliability at power. basically, im goingto go with a touch of overkill on the build up.

[GeneralDisorder]

As to the between-valve cracks - that's not just a turbo thing. Every single EA82 I've pulled apart (SPFI, Carb, Turbo) has those cracks to one degree or another. Some I've had people insist on repairing, and others I've done nothing. Didn't make a bit of difference either way. My sedan has them - still gets 28 - 30 Mpg, and runs like a champ with the Weber.

 

Too much heat *could* expand those cracks, but usually the HG's go first.

 

Also - you are aware there are 3 different generations of turbo heads right? Gen 1's and 2's are more likely to crack. Gen 3's were only availible as service parts, never installed from the factory.... from the few reports I've heard on here they are pretty much impossible to crack, but you still have the same head gasket problems. O-ring the block, replace the bolts with studs, use quality head gaskets, and it should hold at least 15 psi with proper management - probably more with some forged pistons from RAM. NOT stock electronics and injectors - would be far to lean and you'll destroy the pistons.

 

Thing is - all that work is a huge waste of money when there's EJ22T's out there to be found that don't need any of the special work to be good to 300+ HP - something you will NEVER make reliably with an EA82T. 200 HP is possible, but 175 is more likely the highest you really want to go for reliability. The race spec EA82T's were 170.

 

GD

[Prospeeder]

If anyone asks me about an EA82T ill tell them. Its NOT a reliable engine, and not for some1 looking for good reliable transportation, especially cheap and efficent. It gets poor mileage, well for a 4 banger it does. Iv had many many coolant hoses blow, gaskets fail, main seal pouring our oil, timing belts broke (before i got it) water pump failed, turbo hose (coolant), MANY MANY vacuum hoses break and crystalized, air intake hose broke (nice ripoff of 40$ for that) to have it just crack again. PCV hoses all break, parts hard to find, turbo blowing oil smoke on start, heads probably cracked and leaking coolant, radiator go bad thermostat housing wont seal, sensor after sensor failing, oh man im having soooo much fun with this car i can hardly stand it, and it only has 35k on the engine. Its getting a big for sale sign in it in a few months when the winter snow breaks.

[mikeshoup]

Prospeeder: Sounds like you got a lemon. They really aren't terribly unreliable, if properly upkept. You probably got one where the previous owner never took care of. 35,000 miles doesn't make up for the fact that the rubber is 20 years old, cooling system is 20 years old, etc.

 

I believe that if properly taken care of, an EA82T can be just as reliable as an EA82. Problem is, majority of the EA82Ts were neglected at one point in their lives.

 

IMO, the only time they'll start getting unreliable is when upping the boost.

[Prospeeder]

Well its fun as hell to drive, i love it, i dont love fixing somthing every single day. Its getting really old.

[GeneralDisorder]

If anyone asks me about an EA82T ill tell them. Its NOT a reliable engine, and not for some1 looking for good reliable transportation, especially cheap and efficent. It gets poor mileage, well for a 4 banger it does. Iv had many many coolant hoses blow, gaskets fail, main seal pouring our oil, timing belts broke (before i got it) water pump failed, turbo hose (coolant), MANY MANY vacuum hoses break and crystalized, air intake hose broke (nice ripoff of 40$ for that) to have it just crack again. PCV hoses all break, parts hard to find, turbo blowing oil smoke on start, heads probably cracked and leaking coolant, radiator go bad thermostat housing wont seal, sensor after sensor failing, oh man im having soooo much fun with this car i can hardly stand it, and it only has 35k on the engine. Its getting a big for sale sign in it in a few months when the winter snow breaks.

 

Hello? 20 year old car here.....DUH!

 

35K doesn't mean squat. If anything that *can* mean worse problems because some damn fool had his sticky fingers all over it and BLEW UP the first engine. Rebuilt you say? What was replaced and what wasn't? Were quality parts used? We established that your intake gaskets weren't proper OEM.....Etc, etc.

 

You have no room to judge the EA82T line based on your limited experience with an EARLY model that's had who-knows how many devieant hands all over it before you got it.

 

The EA82's have certain problems - fact. But if you know what they are, each and every one can be overcome and the car can live a long, reliable life. Judging an entire model line that ran for 6 years based on a single 20 year old car from the 2nd year production (and a performance [such as it was] model of the T to boot) is silly. Besides that - virtually all the problems you have listed resulted directly from your lack of skill, or from 20 year old rubber - which isn't going to change no matter what car we talk about.

 

Having said all that - I wouldn't own one . Fact is, my Weber'd sedan is plenty fast for everyday driving. Ask anyone that's rode in it

 

GD

[Prospeeder]

bah my pontiac Grand Prix is 17 and all of its rubber parts are original and are all still soft and pliable, none of the sensors have failed yet, i have had one coolant hose blow, and it was actually a hardline that rusted, right next to the passenger side wheel well. doesnt leak a drop of coolant, or oil, doesnt make any funy noises, Air hoses are all still perfectly felixable and dont break and crack. and also it was its 2nd production year model, and a turbo, and a limited run car. Trust me, im going GM only after this expericence. (also my mazda was 18 going on 19 and all the rubber parts were original as far as i knew and they were all perfectly soft, and none of the sensor failed for its FI, and it ran great with minimal problems, just oil leaks.) I would say this shows a pretty good lineup of EA82T problems, especially the leaks, cracked heads, cooling system problems, ect, because if you search, theres a bazillion posts on stuff just like im talking about, mostley turbo models. (can you tell im not having a super happy Subaru Experience.) My Grandma had a 1988 Subaru GL-10 Turbo, she Left the peice of ************ at the Mechanics shop in 1998 and told them to keep it after the Waterpump blew, heatercore blew, timing belts broke 3 times, drive belts wouldnt stop breaking, a/c line blew, coolant line after coolant line blew, main started leaking, ECS light on constantly from sensor malfunctioning. she finally said screw it and left it at the mechanics and left him the title. She forgot to mention those details to me untill i bought mine. She had it maintained perfectly, and never drove it hard, prolly barley had 120k on it then

[mikeshoup]

Your Pontiac Grand Prix must be an exception. A friend of mine has a 92 (?) Grand Prix and has had numerous things fail. ECU, Transmission, cracked intake manifold (that one blew me away when I saw it!), shredded factory alloy (the alloy split in two!), and coolant hoses blowing on a trip to go skiing with her (that wasn't a fun trip!).

 

If you're running the original rubber hoses on your Grand Prix, you're lucky they haven't blown. I had an 88 Chevy Celebrity with rubber lines and coolant hoses that were falling to pieces.

 

I would say its really hard for one person to judge the reliability of a platform based on ownership and personal experiences with one vehicle. You'll also notice the problems people have had with the EA82 Turbos is due to neglect on the cooling system. People consistently driving them when they overheat. The only weak point in these engines I would say is the cooling system. If well maintained though, it will not have any problems.

[GeneralDisorder]

bah my pontiac Grand Prix is 17 and all of its rubber parts are original and are all still soft and pliable, none of the sensors have failed yet, i have had one coolant hose blow, and it was actually a hardline that rusted, right next to the passenger side wheel well. doesnt leak a drop of coolant, or oil, doesnt make any funy noises, Air hoses are all still perfectly felixable and dont break and crack.

 

Mileage and previous ownership have a lot to do with it.

 

and also it was its 2nd production year model, and a turbo, and a limited run car.

 

But not the second year for the ENGINE, so not really applicable

 

Trust me, im going GM only after this expericence.

 

Your loss. Mechanic in the army here. Tons of experience with GM garbage. I wouldn't own one - not a stock "consumer" one anyway.

 

I would say this shows a pretty good lineup of EA82T problems, especially the leaks, cracked heads, cooling system problems, ect, because if you search, theres a bazillion posts on stuff just like im talking about, mostley turbo models.

 

Try searching a GM forum. You'll find the same things, but the problems aren't "minor", and are generally fixed with a new engine or transmission, or the car is scrapped cause they are cheap to replace.

 

(can you tell im not having a super happy Subaru Experience.) My Grandma had a 1988 Subaru GL-10 Turbo, she Left the peice of ************ at the Mechanics shop in 1998 and told them to keep it after the Waterpump blew, heatercore blew, timing belts broke, drive belts wouldnt stop breaking, a/c line blew, coolant line after coolant line blew, main started leaking, ECS light on constantly from sensor malfunctioning. she finally said screw it and left it at the mechanics and left him the title. She forgot to mention those details to me untill i bought mine. She had it maintained perfectly, and never drove it hard, prolly barley had 120k on it then

 

So what's the point of this? Your grandma knows more about subaru's than you?? Well that should have been aparent by now to anyone reading this.

 

By all means please try out some other brands. When you find one that has the ability to take the punishment of a subaru and last 20 years with extremely poor maintenance, and owners such as yourself - hit us up.

 

You aren't going to get many "touchy feely" responses from pissing all over your subaru in a subaru forum.... sorry

 

GD

[Prospeeder]

Didnt expect it, just the "omg subarus are so reliable omg", and hearing of every one blowing a headgasket under 100k and roasting cylinder heads like its going out of style is a little rediculous. Oh and the point of my Grandmothers experience would be the extreme problems the EA82T problems you say are just my car or somthing. Giving another example, but im sure it doesnt matter cause its just a Lemon right....right....

 

I Like subarus for what they are, Good looking, 4WD, versatile, solid bottom end from what i hear, but i wouldnt buy a turbo one again, i woudl consider an SPFI one or somthing tho not saying ALL subarus are peices of garbage, but the turbo ones have the most problems, and he wanted to know what problems the Turbos had. and you all have basicly said, leaks,and leaks, and headgaskets, and cracked heads, sooo with all that, how can you say its NOT reliable? i can admit some things age, like the vacuum lines, but some things could just be made better quality

[mikeshoup]

Find me one instance of a person blowing a head gasket on a car that didn't have its a 20 year old radiator in it anymore. I think you'll trace the majority of the head gasket problems right down to that radiator.

 

100,000 miles or not, these old radiators get clogged, corroded, etc. I've also noticed a trend where people look at the radiator as the last thing on their overheating checklist. More than half of the people with overheating problems can solve it with a new radiator. These head gaskets will not blow if its not overheated.

[Prospeeder]

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=46734&highlight=Headgasket+blown

 

heres one, He said it was never overheated. But theres no conclusion, so for sure we dont 100% know it was a headgasket, but it sure sounded like it. Sorry to argue so much, but iv searched alot on headgasket symptoms because i suspected it, and have seen some that didnt have overheating as a headgasket cause, but im sure overheating is a major cause of blowing headgaskets, but the cooling systems in these cars seem very unstable and inefficient,

[mikeshoup]

That one doesn't count. Only symptoms they provided was that it spewed white smoke out of the exhaust periodically and steam from underhood. Could very well be intake mani gaskets. Plus, it was his sister's, he can't say for sure the car has never been overheated. All's he said was it wasn't currently overheating (which you can easily have with a blown head gasket). It only take one overheat to blow one. Plus, there's no knowledge of how many miles are on the vehicle. AND its not even an EA82T.

[GeneralDisorder]

These head gaskets will not blow if its not overheated.

 

Yep - and it usually takes SEVERAL severe overheats to blow them too. It's very often a cumulative thing.

 

There's no question the turbo's are *less* reliable than a non-turbo. But that goes for virtually every gasoline turbo car built.... ever. There are a few exceptions (EJ22G for example), but for the most part they are problem children no matter what company built them.

 

But there's also no reason to think that a properly rebuilt turbo can't be run for many, many years with the right owner standing behind (and often under the hood) of it.

 

GD

[calebz]

If anyone asks me about an EA82T ill tell them. Its NOT a reliable engine, and not for some1 looking for good reliable transportation, especially cheap and efficent. It gets poor mileage, well for a 4 banger it does. Iv had many many coolant hoses blow, gaskets fail, main seal pouring our oil, timing belts broke (before i got it) water pump failed, turbo hose (coolant), MANY MANY vacuum hoses break and crystalized, air intake hose broke (nice ripoff of 40$ for that) to have it just crack again. PCV hoses all break, parts hard to find, turbo blowing oil smoke on start, heads probably cracked and leaking coolant, radiator go bad thermostat housing wont seal, sensor after sensor failing, oh man im having soooo much fun with this car i can hardly stand it, and it only has 35k on the engine. Its getting a big for sale sign in it in a few months when the winter snow breaks.

 

Sounds like you got a 20 year old car.. acting like a 20 year old car

[daeron]

The point made loud and clear is that the turbo is less reliable, and that anyone who needs that spelled out for them should be riding the short bus. thats a given with any turbo model.

 

however, its nice to have it so well illustrated (as has been the case in this forum) that there are critical maintenance items, which need to be maintained according to a "mantra" common to many on this forum, to keep the vehicle running and running well.

 

I spoke in the past about trying to get a comprehensive list of tips, write-ups, and how-tos on these cars.. since there is so much content that just bubbles through these threads that would simply need to be collected. The USMB is a great thing, but it needs a Coach or an Editor to line up the comprehensive side, and make it all-inclusive. A poor man's substitute for a FSM. Unfortunately, I haven't made the time to collect anything like that myself. Maybe some of us should start bookmarking some of these threads

[mikeshoup]

How about a Wiki to hold the information? That way, users can add and edit information to their liking, and then a few people with knowledge can double check to make sure edits to the wiki are correct.

 

I could make the wiki, just dunno if I could find enough knowledgeable people to help maintain it.

[pheonix165]

Prospeeder -- it looks like your forgetting one very important detail. turbo's, and i mean all, produce heat...this heat shortens the life of all components, especially the rubber ones. sometimes meaning the life expectancy of cirtain hoses ie turbo intake (hot-side) and coolant (hot-side) is often less then a third of that of there n/a counterparts.

 

i've been doing some research and on this thread i will post gear ratios. to try and keep with my original theme of my thread.