mentis Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 It's been a while since I've posted, but my good old subie is having some issues that nobody's been able to identify. And they're getting worse. First... The first problem started last year. It began as a somewhat quiet and low rumbling noise, coming from the front somewhere. It would start very slow, and as I would speed up the rumbling would also speed up and become more of a vibration. This was most noticeable at about 35mph, and was noticeable through the steering wheel. The mechanics ruled out CV joints as the issue, and two mechanics said it was the ball joints. Replaced one, didn't help, so got the other replaced as well. Still no go. Then I also got one CV joint replaced, as the other had already been replaced just a few years back. After a short road trip, the problem persists and is getting worse. The rumbling is starting to turn into a knocking noise on occasion even at low speeds. I asked if this could be u-joint related, since there was an issue with that a few years ago, but they said no. What do you guys think? I'll be going to a mechanic today to see if they can re-diagnose the issue. I need to be driving on a 3 hour trip again in a few days and will need this fixed asap . Second... Another problem that has come up now is overheating. Yes, this car has had heat related issues for a long time, but not like this for many years. There are no leaks and the gauge starts climbing after 30 - 60 min driving on the highway. Most recent work on this was to replace the intake gasket which was definitely leaking. While doing this, the mechanic told me that the thermostat was old and should be replaced as well, so I agreed. At first the car seemed to run better and just a little cooler which made me really happy. But now when I go above 60 mph for say 5 - 15 min the heat gauge starts climbing until I go down to 60 or below. My suspicion is that he didn't put a very good thermostat in, and I do recall that the construction quality of an oem is much better than others. Worse yet if he put a used thermostat in as a replacement!!! I'm beginning to doubt the trustworthiness of this mechanic... . --------- Anyways, any insight and help would be greatly appreciated from you guys. Thank you in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msteel Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 The grumbling turning into a vibration sounds like it could be a wheel bearing. They usually start out as a bit of a rumble and get louder from there. Ask your mechanic if he checked the bearings when he replaced the CV joint. The cooling could be a number of things, but a common cooling problem with these old subarus is the radiator. It may be getting clogged. Even though nothing's leaking, here could just not be enough coolant flow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentis Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Thank you very much for the reply, msteel. And I made the mistake of calling it a "ball joint" when what I meant was the ball bearings. So yes, bearings on both sides have been replaced already. Is there a center bearing on these subarus? I went to new mechanic today who came highly recommended and seems to at least know something about subarus. I figured I should get a third opinion. He was leaning towards the rumbling being caused in part by break/rotor issues, and the overheating he says is almost certainly radiator caused. A month ago one of the radiator side tanks ruptured and I had it fixed. The radiator itself is fairly young (about 5 years maybe?). But now it's possible that when they welded it something got clogged maybe. So that would make sense. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greenley Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 I had similar overheating issues. Flushing the heater core and replacing the radiator with a new one worked like a charm. my $.02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentis Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Looks like we're getting it narrowed down. I had it checked out, and as it turns out one of the bearings is loose. That seems to be causing the rumbling vibration. The overheating issue has been determined to be most certainly due to the radiator, just not exactly sure why. Now I am in need of another bit of information. I desperately need to know what type of radiator goes into an 87 GL-10 Turbo Wagon. Apparently there are three thicknesses of radiators, and we need to figure out which one is the right one. In addition, this may be hard to find. Any suggestions where I can get one of these ordered in a pinch would be appreciated. I hope I can get this things done in time without breaking the bank... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentis Posted May 19, 2008 Author Share Posted May 19, 2008 Okay, so I'm a little confused. I did some searching about radiators here on the forums, and some folks say there's a 2 core, while others say there isn't a 2 core just a thicker core. In either case, I found one http://www.radiatorbarn.com here: http://www.radiatorbarn.com/search.php?product=radiator And some more at http://www.usaradiator.com here: http://www.usaradiator.com/SUBARU--COUPE-SEDAN-WAGON--1987.html (I'm assuming the "W/ Turbo" is the one I want?) The first one says it's a 1 row, while the other says it's a 2 row. I'm getting confused as to whether rows and cores are the same thing here. If I can get some input as to which one would be the right one to get, I could get that ordered tonight, which would mean that I can get it installed in time... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted May 19, 2008 Share Posted May 19, 2008 The vibration definitely could be the u-joints if it's 4WD. I just replaced one a few weeks ago on my hatch due to vibration. If you notice a slight lessening of the vibration when you put it into 4WD at whatever speed the vibration is worst at you'll know for sure. Vibration can also be the inner Double Offset Joint on the front driveshafts. It's similar to a CV, but allows for axial movement of the joint for suspension flex. They usually cause more vibration than worn outer CV joints - which often just click and pop when they are worn. I've seen plenty of bad joints right out of the box so even one that is "a couple years old" is suspect. The boot does not need to be torn for them to fail. I would replace it on general principle. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentis Posted May 20, 2008 Author Share Posted May 20, 2008 Thank you very much for your help. There is some wear on the rubber piece that holds the u-joint, but that doesn't seem to be the biggest issue yet. The bigger issue is a bearing on the front driver-side wheel, which has some play when you tug on it while jacked up. That is likely to be the culprit. I'm also stressed out about the radiator issue. I really need it to be done soon, and I'm worried that I won't be able to get a rad that fast. Clarification as to which rad I should get (from the above post) would help a ton. Thanks again! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomRhere Posted May 20, 2008 Share Posted May 20, 2008 Get the one in the 2nd link you posted. It's a 2 core vs a Single core in the 1st link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentis Posted May 30, 2008 Author Share Posted May 30, 2008 Okay, so I've been back from my little road trip, and been pretty busy. But here's the status so far. I've finally found a good mechanic in this town (after about three years!). He seems to be decent with subes. They took a long hard look under the car and found a few issues that hadn't been discovered before. But most importantly, they figured out what's causing the rumbling/vibration. It appears that the outer bearing on the front driverside wheel was going bad. They replaced that, and found that because the bearing was loose, it hollowed out the knuckle that the bearing sits in just a little. So this means I have to find a replacement knuckle, which they said might be tough. I figured that with this great forum I should be able to do it ! So what do you guys think? Is it really going to be that hard to find this part? I'll do some searching, but if anybody's got a lead on this thing, I'd be grateful... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joostvdw Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 If you have a junkyards near you it won't be too hard to find that part at all. All EA82 equipped subarus from that era have the same front hubs, so there should be loads of them around. Someone more knowledgeable then me should be able to give you a list of models/years to look for Also, if you ask nicely in the wanted area someone might have one for you laying around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy FitzGibbon Posted May 30, 2008 Share Posted May 30, 2008 Radiator Barn was out of stock on the two-row radiators when I tried to order one recently. I ended up getting one from europartsdirect.com. Price was OK, shipping was free. I haven't put it in yet but it looks like a good quality unit. There are only two core thicknesses for EA82 radiators. Standard radiator for the non-turbo cars is one row and two row for turbos- the two row has a thicker core because of the two rows. Some cheap aftermarket radiators are only one row, but with a core the same thickness as a two row. Make sure when you buy one you get one that is specified "Two row". Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mentis Posted May 30, 2008 Author Share Posted May 30, 2008 Thanks guys . Andy, I've actually got the rad already... now I'm looking for a knuckle... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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