Len Dawg Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Compression Test/Spark Plug Inspection with New Plugs 30 miles of driving? Pa Cyl 1. (155) Clean Pa Cyl 3. (160) -looks wet and oily Dr Cyl 2. (170) Clean Dr Cyl 4. (170) Clean -Plugs do not show any signs of Green yet- - No smoke from Tail Pipe yet- So as we are Familiar with the lay out of orientation of Cylinders it seems odd to me that the Passenger side vs. Driver side are that far apart in PSI..? Meanwhile after getting my car back from somebody that ran straight water to compensate and overheating issue so they thought... over this last summer pretty much clogged all of everything so I am checking this and doing that flushing everything replacing the Radiator, putting on new Intake Manifold gaskets which passenger side did blow out....Burping system 3ft off ground, flat ground, giggling it around I am speculative that I am losing a Head Gasket because I keep getting air in the cooling system... NO Water to Oil yet..I did a Block Test after trying to Alleviate the Excessive Puking of the Radiator neck and finally got that under control yet the Block Test Fluid only turns Green and not a Bright Yellow and no I am not sucking coolant into the Test chamber!! LOL!! We already did that 6 times BEFORE getting a new/used Radiator.. I see a steady stream of bubbles in the Overflow Tank and with my wrecked sense of smell I cannot Be 100% sure those are Exhaust but it does smell like Rubbing Alcohol/Carburetor Cleaner/ Acetone... but it does seem odd that they are there now after replacing the Cheesy Walmart Red Tab Pressure release Rad Cap they put on there.. Got circulation.. -Heat- all hoses are -Hot- and -Tight-.. No External leaks Noticeable.. Sux I'm Losing.. Praying that Nothing got Cracked, and that those Bubbles would just gOoOoAwAaAaAyYyYyYy! Story of a Dawg's Life... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 headgasket, but i hope you find a simpler solution. it's not uncommon for those block tests to give a false negative. a gas analyzer would be more accurate in the hands of someone who knows how to use it. intake manifolds have coolant passages married to them and can leak into intake runners and cylinders as well, doubt that would cause bubbles like that though. those EA82 headgaskets aren't hard to do in the vehicle at all, easy actually. oil and water mixing is not a common failure mode, so I wouldnt' worry about that too much. sure check it and yes it happens, but they fail plenty of times without that happening too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 Steady stream of bubbles is the typical sign of failing head gasket. I have gotten away with driving for a while, but sooner or later it will get worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted September 17, 2015 Author Share Posted September 17, 2015 (edited) Thanks for the Support, I feel pretty Confident that I can do this job.. New Head Bolts or no P/N? I had the head Gaskets done about 3 yrs. ago when I was in a Jam looking for work, I didn't have time to be roadside mechanic.. I don't know about further in the past history... What kind of Head Gasket Replacement P/N? I already have the Intake Manifold because of a misunderstanding between me- website- and the other person at the store.. LOL! So there WAS a reason why I ended up ordering 2 Pair of Intake Gaskets! I got the Gist of checking for warpage on Cyl and Block .0020 I wouldn't know if the last guy even checked..and clean, clean, clean Other than that.. Thanks' Thanks' Thanks' I keep an eye on the Coolant level and Release the Hounds (Pressure) Edited September 17, 2015 by Len Dawg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted September 17, 2015 Share Posted September 17, 2015 look up the thread on here about resurfacing the heads yourself - it's super easy to do. it not only makes it flat, but provides the proper RA finish the gaskets are designed for. they almost always have high and low spots regardless of "warping" and testing. particularly if they've been run with issues for awhile - those IME have been the worst in terms of high and low spots. the one i drove with bad headgaskets for awhile got progressively worse and when i did the heads in it - the area of the heads/block where the breech occurred had been warn significantly - i posted picutres of it over a decade ago either on here or subaruxt.com. a significant portion of the metal was just warn away like rocks in a river - probably due to localized overheating/reactions? i can't recall if i just got another used head or risked it... but i did fix i and drove that car afterwards. anyway - i'd try and limit how long i drove it and default to "i'll just run this thing until i can't any more". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 Yep Head Gasket.. I got OEM replacements. I examined and compaired.. Felpro came apart in 2 places actually one by a water jacket.. I like OEM because there is actually metal that wraps around from the Fire Ring.. So keeping coolant down/ temp @ or below half.. I'm at 165 miles on a half tank of fuel as well compression increased it's now at 180 on all Cyl. 269,129 mi. And now driver side seat belt is ... Well yA know... Aaaaaahhrrrggu! Serenity Now! Serenity Now! LOL!! Thanks for the support.. I will upload pics Sunday.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted October 26, 2015 Author Share Posted October 26, 2015 So yeah mystery Ball bearing gouged Camshaft... And got as much of the Fire Ring out... No real Warpage... The other head was warped minimum 0.002 but got Fire Ring out sadley I lost that premium pic... all seems well... hardest part..CLEANING Parts!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted March 14, 2016 Author Share Posted March 14, 2016 (edited) Well after having put some miles on and finally more cool dropped in the resivor and stayed at the same full line for about 6 months it moved again in 3 days almost to the bottom. I am getting a bad feeling... i had this happen before the catakzmic catastrophe of a blown head gasket.. after i borrowed out my car to somebody... not telling me what was going on they added pure water and zero coolant making my problem much much worse.I chased all bolt holes and I used some rtv sealant as during assembly just because .... i gave it another twist and got a smige of a cReEk. Intake passenger side .. what ya suby nuts think about this episode? Edited March 14, 2016 by Len Dawg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firehawk618 Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 Pull the intake, make sure you clean the threads in the head really well and clean the threads on the both really well.Light coat of silicone on both sides of each gasket.Put her back together and you should be good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted March 15, 2016 Share Posted March 15, 2016 IF it has not been run hot with low coolant, it might be only a failing intake gasket.Get OEM intake gaskets, no sealant. They are made almost like headgaskets, reinforced so they don't fall apart. Are made to shift a little with expansion also. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted March 15, 2016 Author Share Posted March 15, 2016 Thanks for the replies.. I did all mentioned suggestions plus wire wheeled the bolts as well I sanded both intake and head real good and checked with flat edge and .002 blade.. good for now just weird same side same symptoms before.. I look for my other gaskets as I had ordered an extra set by miss communication between me computer and counter person LOL! then it's back to this pan again,, arrgh! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted May 10, 2016 Author Share Posted May 10, 2016 Soo... after shakedown of driving 269,000 to now 274,000mi I had a slight pinging while on freeway at speed 3,100 rpm 70mph going uphill made adjustments to correct... was running a little warm as with in right next to red zone.. a little better now... I get heat when driving but not so much at idle, I would speculate that is kinda normal due to it being a small motor? Then the other oddity... looong ago before the cataclizmic meltdown,the temp gauge never really moved beyond 1/4.. now it is a little above 1/4 to 1/2 when driving across town but 1/2 to 3/4 when on freeway both flat and hill.. so is it possible that because I cleaned both Rad sensor and Temp sensor that I would get such a variation from the norm that I had been used to before cataclysmic meltdown? ..And just to note the secondary fan turns on around 3/4 temp.. all hoses are hot and tight... I have no idea what normal looks like and I couldn't find a Normal Operating Temp post or any post that has normal operating temp in it... anybody? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Heater output varying dramatically with speed from idle to highway isn't normal. I've had several ea82s. Each had its own normal temp position on the guage. When everything is right, it barely moves from that position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted May 10, 2016 Author Share Posted May 10, 2016 Thanks Dave thats exactally what i experienced before ... it Barley moved from from less than 1/4 unless it was real warm like 90+ ambient temp.. even then it went to 3/4 ...I got a few things to check out... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jono Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 I get nervous anywhere above half on these old girls, just above half on EA81 my fan comes on, another EA81 about 3/4 before fan goes on. My first EA82T ran no more than 1/4 ever, until I swapped in another sender 9used and cleaned and polished ) then I got a more true reading that reflected my watchdog TM2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BEECHBM69 Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 (edited) Funny this should come up. I was chasing what I thought was a running warm situation in my wagon. Replaced the thermostat, thermoswitch, relay for the fans (aftermarket conversion)....... the usual suspects. I was standing in front with the hood up, as the gauge kept climbing towards the red, but the fans were kicking on......... and OFF. Hmmmmm....... enter trusty point and shoot thermometer, and 186* was the highest I could find anywhere coolant related. Used a different sending unit from my parts wagon and it rides right in the middle in all driving conditions, and only slightly above with the A/C on. Sometimes it IS the simple things. Dan Edited May 13, 2016 by BEECHBM69 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 (edited) Dude! I forgot to close my post! The junkyard Turdiator was the problem with heat no heat fluctuating temp so the purchase of a new SUBARU oem Thermostat and radiator... temp is normal again! Sits at constant 1/4 and barely above going up hill.. Thanks again to the predecessors for the help! Edited July 21, 2016 by Len Dawg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
superooo Posted July 21, 2016 Share Posted July 21, 2016 How much does a new radiator cost you from Subaru Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Len Dawg Posted July 21, 2016 Author Share Posted July 21, 2016 (edited) Not sure direct from Subaru... this is what I ended up with... 155.00 for the radiator 22.00 for oem subaru thermostat 2.00 for thermostat gasket... yA can probably find a better deal for the radiator tho... i bought mine via a subaru shop..i was not much impressed by the quality radiator I got.. sold to me as new but looks like a re-core.. some of the fins were bent and painted over rust.. CSF Radiator so far it has held up.. I let the manufacturer know through their face no book page so far i got no reply... https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1003055443105370&id=100002027723629&set=o.129092457127268&source=48 Edited July 21, 2016 by Len Dawg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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