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The only guy with a DL Wagon (oil leak)


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First off my dl rocks. dont need all that glam gl sh*t lol

 

Anyways new to subys took a look under my wagon today. Holy sh$t weird looking (usually works on small block chevys) anyways it looks like it drove a oil spill. It apears to be leaking from the valve cover gaskets and the oil pan gasket. Now again im new to subarus so i have no idea how hard it is to change these out. I was tempeted to use that seafoam stuff on the crankcase but after seeing that im afraid of turning a small leak into a huge one. Not that this is my biggest concern but i like keeping matienced vehicles.

 

Also if i were to get some aftermarked gauges so i can monitor engine temps what would be a good one and are they relatively simple to hook up on a fuel injected vehicle.

 

And finally this is not a high performance vehicle but what the hell is up with the 2 catalytic converters. Can i get rid of one, can i run a modified dual exhaust setup or will that kill the backrpressure on my vehicle. again i just like messin with cars not lookin to be ultra cool just maybe try to squeeze more then 88 ponys out of this thing

 

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Maddog you are goinna take the shortcut to the interstate right. Were here to win aint we. If ya wana be a bear Be a grizzly

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Yep, when you compare the suby to a small block it does look weird.....

 

The valve cover gaskets are not all that difficult to replace, I've done them(and head gaskets) with the motor in the car, it makes life easier if you jack up one side of the motor(I forget which), just make sure you change the cam seals at the same time, or you will be back in there shortly doing them too.........

 

If I remember right, you can do the oil pan gasket without jacking on the motor, when these motors get major leaks, I usually pull them and change all of the gasket/seals, it is the simplest way to change the rear crank seal and/or clutch too.

 

Gauges......., take your pick, none are any more difficult to hook up on an ea82 than on a small block chev.

 

2 cats???????????????

All of the subies I have here have one cat(there are 5 wagons here), sounds like you have something weird.....

 

Don

Pictzie

 

 

First off my dl rocks. dont need all that glam gl sh*t lol

 

Anyways new to subys took a look under my wagon today. Holy sh$t weird looking (usually works on small block chevys) anyways it looks like it drove a oil spill. It apears to be leaking from the valve cover gaskets and the oil pan gasket. Now again im new to subarus so i have no idea how hard it is to change these out. I was tempeted to use that seafoam stuff on the crankcase but after seeing that im afraid of turning a small leak into a huge one. Not that this is my biggest concern but i like keeping matienced vehicles.

 

Also if i were to get some aftermarked gauges so i can monitor engine temps what would be a good one and are they relatively simple to hook up on a fuel injected vehicle.

 

And finally this is not a high performance vehicle but what the hell is up with the 2 catalytic converters. Can i get rid of one, can i run a modified dual exhaust setup or will that kill the backrpressure on my vehicle. again i just like messin with cars not lookin to be ultra cool just maybe try to squeeze more then 88 ponys out of this thing

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2 Cats?? yes and no..you should have one on the stock Y pipe...the other on the straight pipe is a resonator ( bad spelling...and its kinda like a Cat) Many have replaced the res with just straight. I may be wrong but I believe if you were to go dual it will mess with back pressure

 

You own an EA82..they leak..they leak usually from the valve covers ..the oil pan..the cam seals..anything that can leak usually does:) BUT! it helps keep the underside of the car from rotting;) . I usually say..a happy subaru is a leaking subaru...

what alot of us do is just pull the motor quick..( its EASY!) put new timing belts on new tensioners and pulleys too...reseal the oil pump..( the mickey mouse gasket likes to suck in an ear causing the HLAs to tick) and reseal the motor...new valve cover,oil pan,rear main .and dont forget the cam seals ..they are big culprits of oil leaks..also replace the water pump.

 

Unlike your chevs..you are not going to get much if any more performance from an EA82..but I still love mine..And you will find that even though it looks weird ( I used to work on old Ford ..289s 429cjs.mmm) It is cake compaired to those.

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There are some models with two cats. Some have a resonator. Some have nothing at all. Depends on the model and what emissions standard its made for (CA or no). My 89 coupe has two cats, my 88 wagon had two cats, my 84 turbo wagon has one.

 

The front is a three way, the rear cat is a two way. Keep the front (the y-pipe), lose the rear.

 

FYI: In 88 all models (except maybe justy) had two cats.

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although this engine lookes like cake to remove im not going to do that unless ts absoulutely necessary. its my daily work driver. good and bad is the clutch and timeing belts hve been changed within the past 1000 miles so i have no reason to pull the engine unless it grenades on me.

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Valve cover gaskets are easy, straight forward. 4 10mm bolts passenger side and 5 drivers. the one in the rear of the drivers side is a pain, but 10mm gearwrench is you're friend for that one. It does not however have anything to do with the Cam seals, they are behind the timing belt covers.

 

Alot of the oil on the pan may actually be coming from the front main and/or oil pump seals. The front main, Cam seals and oil pump seals require removing the timing belts, so better to wait until you have the money and time to replace all of it at once, belts included.

 

Ussually a little snugging of the oil pan bolts will ussually stop any seapage from the pan. The back bolts are hard to get to, but it can be done with a swivel and a long extension for you're ratchet. If you want to actually replace the pan gasket, you do have to jack the motor up about 2-3 inches. No need to remove the engine, but you will have to unbolt the 2, 14mm nuts from the underside of the crossmember that secure the mounts. And also the *pitch stopper*, the dog bone looking thing that is under the spare tire, going from the firewall to the top of the motor(also 14mm bolt/nut)

 

one more note, sometimes the Power steering resevior leaks and drips down the front, looking like a leaky front main. But the Power steering uses ATF, so look at the color to see if you're leak is red (ATF)or black(oil)

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they put automatic transmission fluit for power steering fluid

 

Yup, there should be a sticky ron the cap that say's it, but it may be gone on you're car. But for sure, put the red stuff in there. Lot's of imports are this way, more and more now. (once again, Subaru was ahead of it's time) I think it is because in remote areas, ATF is more readily available than Power steering fluid.

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so lets say when bought it it had a power stearing whine and since im so mechanically inclined (after all one car is the same as the next right) i just happened to have some power steering fluid lying arund and i threw it in there. Whining stoped and stears fine. Been fine for 200 miles. :rolleyes:

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so lets say when bought it it had a power stearing whine and since im so mechanically inclined (after all one car is the same as the next right) i just happened to have some power steering fluid lying arund and i threw it in there. Whining stoped and stears fine. Been fine for 200 miles. :rolleyes:

You're probably fine. Most power steering fluid is very close to ATF anyways.

 

If you're real paranoid about it, flush it out with ATF. Pull off the return line, and shove it into a jar. Plug the whole in the reservoir, then start the car. Keep filling the reservoir until nothing but cherry red comes out of the return line.

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after all one car is the same as the next right

 

Not at all. Every machine is different, and you shouldn't assume anything, get info about it before you mess with it. Even with other cars, there are different types of Power steering fluid, don't you bother to find out which type you should use?

 

Adding the wrong fluid is not good. You're pump will not be properly lubricated. Will probably work for quite a while, but sooner or later, it'll either leak or the pump will get worn out. I'd drain the system, and refill. Although if the fittings are rusty, maybe it's not worth it.

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Just on a note.. I have a DL wagon as well ;)

I have a bud who owns a wrx and when he got the car he flushed the PS system and put in fancy expensive PS fluid after a bit he'd complain that after spirited driving he'd lose Power assistance to different degrees..when he mentioned this to me he hadn't mentioned that he'd filled up on ps fluid.. He finally did, so I told him you know FSM specs atf dexron III as correct Power steering fluid for our cars so he has his mechanic (why is it that most new gen owners don't work on their own cars? lol) flush the system and install ATF. The problem dissappeared..

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