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EA81 bent pushrods


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Hello Everyone, I just picked up this car with an EA81 with bent pushrods. I have the engine out, on a makeshift bench and ready to fix the issue. This is my first time working on an engine, so I will need your help and guidance. Really looking forward to ripping this thing apart and finally seeing what happens inside this thing. 

 

Preliminary questions:

 

  1. What are some good must-have resource for the job I am undertaking
  2. What special tools will i need
  3. What are big DON'TS while ripping this apart
  4. I am doing this for the first time and really want to understand the inns and outs, language, terms so any resources I should check out, let me know

The Issue, my current situation, what should I do?

 

Picked the engine up, creatively moved it by myself to my new homemade bench

Q9mrLW0.jpg

 

Here is how she sits now, all the bolts are out, but this flywheel casing will not come off from the engine. I didn't want to force anything, so thought it would be a great time to stop and actually find out what to do next. I was trying to take it apart to get to the Cam to see if there is any damage to the cam. 

 

upgb0RP.jpg

bolts out 

GgGaNHJ.jpg

 

The push rod that was bent is the 3rd one from the left. So if we count 1, 2, 3, 4 stating with the one furthest to the left. Number 3 is the one that was bent.  (drivers side of engine)

 

7ktpVIB.jpg

 

On this side If we count 1,2,3,4 number 2, was not bent but it was stuck. Number 2 and number 3 are right across from each other, I imagine both are activated by the same cam. (if thats the right way to say that) this is the passenger side of the engine.

 

YmNcIl0.jpg

 

Looking for any tips or advice, thanks a ton!

 

 

 

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This is great, I have been just kind of taking the engine apart with the idea, "if I see how it comes apart, I can see how it goes together. This FSM is a gold mine! I now know how to tackle it, and specifications for Torque etc. Going to hack into it more today. I really want to see what the extent of the damage. If it's just replacing a pushrod, I am cool with that, it sounds like the engine has a lot more power than it did stock due to some customization, so I could see how a push rod could bend. 

 

I will update with pics as to what I find. 

Edited by MDW
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I was thinking you had same problem I did, but mine was the inlets at the back of each head, valve stems gummed up with a still sticky, shiny, stale fuel smelling gunk - from trying to start and run an engine not run in nine years on its old fuel, old oil. The job was done with engine still in EA81 ute :)

 

Good luck

 

oh, in those pics, if the engine mounts are still holding engine block to bell housing - be a little tricky :)

 

and sump bolts ....

Edited by jono
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Alright, I think I have figured it out. I don't have the block apart yet, have to drive out the piston pins. But a fe things are lining up in my head as to what might have happened:

 

  1. When pulling engine and things in engine bay, everything is COVERED in black soot. The engine was rebuilt 5K miles ago, I feel like this is a bit much, even though it was driven from CO partway to michigan. 
  2. When taking apart Manifold EGR valve was PACKED with black soot.
  3. The pistons and cylinders have an incredible amount of carbon buildup, but the engine was rebuilt 5K ago.

IN SUMMARY:

 

I think the Emission spoob was never overhauled, or it was faulty sending bad exhaust into the engine clogging everything up with carbon, making the valves stick and eventually bending an aluminum push rod. 

 

sCtCPZ2.jpg

R4pwUIH.jpg

 

(spark plug is from different car, just plugging the hole)

p2lD4FC.jpg

oNim3kb.jpg

 

 

Thoughts?

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I was so happy unbolting all that junk, I threw it in a box marked trash with a big grin on my face. 

 

I already mentioned this in my other thread, but I am repeating here for everyones consideration.

 

The valves are different valves than all the others in the cylinder that had a bent pushrod. Coincidence...who knows. All the others had the Subaru markings, these are plain, seams like another weak point to me. 

 

Check out Rupert (named after the coolest dog in the world) the car this engine is going in and catch up on side chatter. Posting two threads, in hopes that this one will be easy for people to find in google, who may be in same situation in the future. 

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/155248-83-gl10-rupert/

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EGR valve is not the problem,burning oil IS.

Could be piston/rings/cylinder/valve guides.

The darkened head gasket fire rings look suspicous too.

 

Deleting the EGR is a dumb idea.

That will throw off the ignition timing(it will ping at cruise).

It will also decrease MPGs slightly because of increased engine  pumping losses.

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just what is a rebuild ? My mates eyes is a rough rering and whatever it needs to get out of shop and warranty period. In my eyes is rebore and new everything. New head gaskets as far as I can see with this one.

 

What sort of rings has it got may assist in autopsy - no one fits chrome to rebuilds - too hard to break in, so rings likley cast if has been 'rebuild'.

The way I have seen EGRs carbon up I would have thought they'd be stuck shut and not pass any zaust back into circulation ??

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I would check and recheck the dimensions of the odd valves with the bent push rods. The carbon is only looks unusual in the even ness of the coating. If a valve / guide were to get sticky, wouldn't it more likely get stuck open? The strength of the springs has to be considerably less than the strength of the push rods.

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This has had a rebore, new everything. I will be taking the pistons out to inspect rings, maybe they were incorrect causing oil to get sucked up into cylinder? Causing oil to burn?

 

I will also remove the valves and inspect these odd ones a little further to rule out further possibilities.

 

For oil burning, right now it sounds like my main culprits are:

 

Incorrect Valve

Stuck valve 

Bad head gasket

Incorrect rings on pistons

 

anything else you can think to check?

 

Thanks!

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also, additional caveat, this is my first time tearing into an engine so I don't know if this is abnormal, but some oil poured out of the cylinder when I tilted it on its side. should oil be able to pass the piston that easy when set on its side? 

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Oil in a cylinder sounds odd. There are no pressurized oil passages that go through the headgaskets. Really bad valve seals or really bad oil rings are the only ways I can imagine it getting there, assuming you ran it before disassembly. Even those wouldn't let in enough to pool though. Wet maybe....

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We pulled it from the vehical after it stopped running so it was not prepped for storage, the oil came out, after I pulled the heads and turned the crank to advance the pistons. while the pistons where advancing oil was being pushed out of pistons. 

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EGR valve is not the problem,burning oil IS.

Could be piston/rings/cylinder/valve guides.

The darkened head gasket fire rings look suspicous too.

 

Deleting the EGR is a dumb idea.

That will throw off the ignition timing(it will ping at cruise).

It will also decrease MPGs slightly because of increased engine  pumping losses.

 

I will have to disagree with the last statement :)

 

I have removed the EGR off both my EA81 and my Landcruiser, and have not had any issues with Timing, or pinging. In-fact, I have seen a gain in MPG. I have also seen a decrease with Carbon build up.

 

That is just my observation on that topic.

 

Cheers,

-Tom

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EGR valve is not the problem,burning oil IS.

Could be piston/rings/cylinder/valve guides.

The darkened head gasket fire rings look suspicous too.

 

Deleting the EGR is a dumb idea.

That will throw off the ignition timing(it will ping at cruise).

It will also decrease MPGs slightly because of increased engine  pumping losses.

yes, ganging up against some of your words naru

 

once tried to work out a claim that to remove EGR from EA82T adds 10 kW so, I plumbed in a T piece to EGR vac line, added another EGR to my spare hand while driving and observing EGR operation.

 

The ECU was supposed to limit its operation by the solenoid to work only at operating temperature - above 75 C for starters

and with turbo EA82 cut out above 28 mph . Different NA EA82 engines got differing shut off conditions.

 

Switzerland and Sweden got what looked like an open circuit - no solenoid control at all

 

another got EGR off at 50 mph and off below 35C water temp

 

mpfi NA if engine running at high speeds and high loads EGR is shut off to improve fuel economy.

 

Mine operated like the Swiss model even though had working solenoid, worked at all temps and speeds, so long as vac condition was correct.

 

When an EA82T is making most power is under boost so to block off to gain 10kW is a trick on some people :)

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