clutch and reseal.

[croak]

Getting ready for a clutch job, and a reseal while the motor is out. Was wondering if I'm gonna need any special tools or if any body has any tricks or tips. Never been in the motor that deep, but Ive read quite a bit about most of it on the board. oh ya '87 n/a GL waggon 131k.

 

thanks in advance for any help

croak

[Subaru_dude]

just don't forget the cam tower o-rings (about the size of a dime) like I did. I had to pull my cam-towers off after i had already gotten the motor in and everything back in place because I had forgotten them. And if you can, use anerobic sealant for the cam tower to head seal. And.... Fel-Pro headgaskets are just as good as OEM. Try to find some pvc fittings that are the same size as your front and rear main seals. it'll make installation alot easier and you'll be less likely to screw them up. Resurface heads, resurface flywheel, timing belts. That's all I can think about right now.

[idosubaru]

lots of information here. if you're doing the headgaskets, use the Fel Pro Permatorques (PT), they don't require retorquing.

 

the cam tower to head orings (two per engine) are available from subaru only or http://www.thepartsbin.com, that's it. it's a metal reinforced oring, not normal. take your time on the oil pan, they can be hard to seal good when reinstalling. don't overtighten. don't try and remove the oil pump sump either to replace the oring at the base. everything else should be covered in detail here, i know i've written loads about it.

 

good luck!

[daeron]

the only special tool for doing the headgaskets is a ratcheting box end wrench, and that is only if you plan on leaving the engine in the car. Obviously for the job you are doing, its coming out (right?) so that doesn't matter. As for the reseal, PVC is a good source of a seal installer; it is important to get something the right size to push them all in; and I like to lube the friction surfaces of the seal with some oil before installing.

 

No need to get nervous; just take pictures if you can, and label everything you can as you take it apart. When I did my headgaskets, I had some white printer labels (masking tape would work as well) and an eight color sharpie set.. anything I didnt have a name for got a color code and the word "thing," with a coded label on hose and on device it went to, and on electrical plug for device.

 

It is wise to find a cardboard box that you can use to do this with the lifters and rocker arms:

 

Here is a link to my photobucket headgasket album.. I was gonna do a super thorough writeup with scads of pics, but I forgot the camera on assembly day and the phrase "assembly is reverse of removal" has always bugged the hell outta me.

http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p249/tardaeron/Head%20Gasket/?start=0

[beataru]

If you dont want to be let down as far as RTV goes, get some Toyota bond, At a toyota dealer its a little pricey not rediculous though and it is some of the best stuff ever (Porsche techs use it over their loctite stuff on their own vehicles and Mercedes techs alike) and remember that you dont need huge globs if you use a quarter of a tube on this your using way too much.. make SURE YOU LABLE EVERYTHING some bolts, not many, are longer than the others and when your re assembling it, it will be very frustrating if you dont remember where the long ones vs the short ones go... take pics and post them so you can give us detailed info if you need help!

[croak]

If you dont want to be let down as far as RTV goes, get some Toyota bond

where exactly should I use the RTV, Ive read about the valve cover trick, but not sure where else I should need it.

 

 

croak

[daeron]

where exactly should I use the RTV, Ive read about the valve cover trick, but not sure where else I should need it.

 

 

croak

 

Some people like to coat cheap valve cover gaskets with a think layer of RTV and let them cure before using them; is this the "valve cover trick?" or were you talking about the ten mm ratcheting box wrench?

 

In any case, the RTV is needed mostly for the joint between the cam case and the cylinder head. Note that this is NOT a substitute for the metal re-inforced O ring; when you take them apart this O-ring will be apparent. The seam that you need to line with RTV is a kind of recessed channel that forms the perimeter surface of the cam case that contacts the cylinder head. Again, once you get it apart, if that doesn't make sense now, it will.

[idosubaru]

sealant is only necessary between the cam carrier and head, not the valve covers. it'll be very, very obvious where the sealant goes, it's a groove all the way around the perimeter of the cam carrier. the most annoying part is cleaning out the old stuff from the groove. if you're getting head work done the machine shop might be nice and just hot tank the cam carrier for you. save you the cleaning and it looks nice and shiney when you're done as well. technically speaking a small dab should also be placed at 12 oclock and 6 oclock on the oil pump housing. you'll notice that behind the oil pump housing the two halves of the block mate together and there's a zig-zag seam there. a very small amount of sealant should be placed at this seam but not on the oil pump to engine block o-ring, just the oil pump housing. it'll all make sense once you're looking at it.

 

and as for type of sealant, it is best to use anaerobic sealant, ask for it at the auto parts store. it's expensive, but it's what yo'ure supposed to use, what subaru uses and is less risky as it won't coagulate in the oil supply. but, many people do use RTV sealant. if you do, be cautious, don't use so much that gobs will get caught and stuck somewhere in your oil supply..most likely in the bottom corner of your cam carrier, it does happen.

 

best bet it to follow along in the FSM and ask questions to supplement. we had the FSM all uploaded to http://www.xt6.net in .pdf format, but seeing how our site is down at the moment you can't go there. if we're really lucky it'll be up and running next week. otherwise, it's more or less in the air...don't hold our breath. it's still accessible but i'm not sure where. we had the entire XT Factory Service Manual loaded for use and approved by subaru as well. the XT uses the EA82, so that's what you would want, the 4 cylinder XT info, not the 6 cylinder XT6.

[beataru]

Porsche only uses anerobic sealant on their aircooled models.. anyways i just felt like being a porsche nerd for a sec, If you get any paper gaskets for things like say the water pump, I wouldnt use them, some people might but paper gaskets can sometimes tear and I just used toyota bond on mine... in az temps its still pumpin strong!!! you dont need rtv on rubber gaskets like the valve covers, wherevery you see the factory grey, clean it off with a razor and some brake clean or whatever, just becarful not to scower (cant spell) the gasket mating surface, remember with cars you get what you pay for!

[azsubaru]

Here's a couple of tips from someone who has only done the clutch on an EA82 twice. If you learn from mistakes, I learned a lot, though:

 

1. It's easier to pull the engine before changing the clutch and other stuff. Looks like you're already planning to do it that way.

2. Here's a nice-to-have special tool you can use for free: Buy a used cherry picker, do the work, and then sell it to someone else for what you paid for it. (if you can part with it. I kept mine).

3. If you do pull the engine, loosen the crank pulley before you remove the engine.

4. Where to set the engine, if you don't have a stand? - set it in a 5 gallon bucket.

5. Last, but certainly not least, go here and follow the directions. He has pictures and everything.

http://www.economysuperstar.com/milesfox/subaru/service/service.htm