HELP subie is having some issues

[akc]

my car had been overheating. (86 sub) we flushed the old radiatior and started having a mirad of problems it started leaking under the carb. and was not holding water even after we installed the new radiator. car was just plain running rough and horrible. today was driving home and it kept dying everytime I took my foot off the gas. replaced the gasket under the carb (where it was leaking water) and then it would not start. so we checked the oil and it is kind of bubbly looking (looked fine this mornig before I left) Does that sound like a blown head gasket?? is it worth fixing??? engine sounded good when I parked it a little rough but good) I do not have the money to put more into it then it is worth. it has 200,000 miles and was running good body is in great shape (it is a washington car no salt) and interior is in good shape it even has AC that works and a nice Cd player)

[GeneralDisorder]

Check the manifold-to-head gaskets - they often leak coolant into the intake ports in the head. Replace with OEM only if they are leaking.

 

Otherwise - good chance you need head gaskets - that's pretty common at around 200k. Replace them yourself for about $100 or around $250 if you do the timing belts/water pump/main seals also. They can be done in the car and it's really not a difficult operation. Invest in a 10mm wratcheting wrench for the valve covers if you don't already have one. If the engine is otherwise sound it's easily got another 100k in it.

 

GD

[akc]

Well we just put in a new timing belt and just about all the other belts and pumps (within 1,000 miles). and we get discounted parts so that might bring it down some more. I guess 100-200 is not that bad . (especially since we already put in a $200 oil pump a $100, fuel pump, a $50 timing belt, new belts for some of the other pumps or things. a $150 radiator and a thermostat and ect ect.....) . will check one other thing first was reading a post about having a weber carb and it leaking under the conversian kit. that might be my issue as I am having a severe leak there already. I think the heads were done last year before we bought the car. that is the only bummer part if it is the heads.

[GeneralDisorder]

Yeah - water in the oil could be manifold gaskets just as easily as head gaskets. That in conjunction with an improperly routed PCV system (common with Weber conversions) will result in milkshake looking substances in the valve covers and the PCV breather lines.

 

You have already done a lot it sounds like. Head gaskets are really not a big deal on these - if you have had it stripped to the heads for a timing belt job then going the extra distance to pull the manifold and the heads for a HG replacement isn't much more work. It's a bummer to have to go back in after doing all that stuff but it's worth it. These engines are pretty reliable if you take care of them and give them some new gaskets once in a while. I have seen many with well over 300k. And a lot of them don't make it to 300k only because of those Hitachi carbs or because people that don't do their own automotive work balk at the cost of timing belt jobs etc on cars that are often worth less than the labor to do the maintenance.

 

GD

[idosubaru]

I can't tell if this is an EA82 or EA81, but if it's an EA82 then be sure to use Fel-Pro permatorque gaskets. Not sure if they make them for EA81 but I woudl assume they do. Saves you the hassle of retorque and just about everyone on here uses those exclusively with excellent results.

 

It'll stink doing it but with all new timing belt stuff and what you're talking about you could easily get a lot more miles out of it with only minor repairs from here on out.

 

If oil/water did mix I'd be sure to flush the coolant system (radiator) and change the oil as soon as possible.

[akc]

Thanks for the info we are assuming the worst but I think we will fix it. sounds cheaper then buying a new car. I think it is a EA82. The raditator is empty and I do not it has any oil in it. when you fill it up there is not any oil scum. The oil is another issue however. as we were having so many issues with overheating it only had water in no antifreeze. Most of the water is leaking out under the carb I drive 20 miles and the radiator is empty. it is coming out visiably in a small stream. right under the gaskets for the conversion kit.

 

thanks for the info on the gaskets. that helps.

[pwjm]

I just did the Headgaskets on my EA81, not sure what brand I used. Will I have to retorque it??

[GeneralDisorder]

Will I have to retorque it??

 

If the gaskets don't explicitly state that you don't have to then you do (should). I generally don't - what I do is add 5 lbs to the torque value. I go to 65 Ft/lbs (IIRC) rather than (I think) 57 that the book states. Never had an issue but I've mostly used the Fel-Pro's that don't require it.

 

GD

[akc]

Well we replaced the gaskets under the carb and plugged the hole that was leaking water into the engine. Not sure if we fixed it yet but will try her out tommorrow. IF it does not work then onto the heads. we kind of made our own gaskets (hope they work) they seem to be though so far no water is leaking out but I have not been able to test drive her yet though. we actually do not have that much water in the oil and none seems to be in the radiator or overflow tank. I think that is a good sign compression is good in all the cylinders. Both heads look like they were redone recently (although that might not mean much. )

[akc]

changed the oil and added seafoam to car runs great NO water leak No overheating and I could run the AC. YEAH I do not think I have to change the heads YET. Ran it for about 30 minutes. Also when we actually changed the oil there was very little water in it. No seperating that you noticed.Put on a new oil filter too. Really noticed a difference with the seafoam. alot more quiet. Ran the seafoam through the carb and boy did it smoke there was a big black carbon line on the ground out the exhaust. along with alot of moisture.

[Ricearu]

Glad to hear she is good to go again. I am fighting my car, trying to avoid headgasket doom. I consume water at a rate of about a quart every 100 miles. I want to buy all the new seals, oil pump, belts ect before I put the old girl down for a tearapart

[akc]

yeah we still need to replace the gasket to the exhaust it is leaking pretty bad when we did the seafoam thing it really smoked out the nice thing was I could tell where the exhaust leak was. I want to get the a headgasket kit just to have on hand because I think i will still need it soon running it so hot all summer probably was not good for the engine.

 

The engine DID get hot today ONCE for about 1 minute then it dropped down to normal the weriod thing was it was really not idling today. everytime I took my foot off the gas it would die then later it came near to overheating for 1 minute then it went down to normal and idled fine and everything. Does that sound like maybe something was stuck and then got unstuck??? any ideas it was a little bizaire. I drove it all day and it was not until I was almost home that it got hot still under the red and the radiator never bubbled. or lowered. a 1/2 a tank of gas later driving. Engine sounds good though execpt for the exhaust leak. I also need to put a new CV boot on and fix the bearings on the right side in the front. ??

 

IF you have the weber conversion make sure that it is NOt leaking under the carb that was where my water leak was. I was loosing about a gallon of water in 20 miles. Some was going into the engine most was leaking down the side it never hit the ground though so there was no puddle. You almost had to have it on and look really close to see it.