Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

Loyale dead in a snow drift, engine packed with snow


Recommended Posts

A little help and advice. We were cruising along today when we hit a deep drift all across the road. Long too. Anyway, we got pulled out by some hillbilly kids drinkin beers, but the car still wont start. At first, the engine compartment was PACKED with snow. All around the crank and t belts and all. I cleared that out pretty good. The engine spins fine, but won't even try to fire. I checked the air cleaner to see if it was packed, it looked fine. We tried a little ether, still no fire. That leads me to belive I have no spark. I have never seen ether NOT fire. It is a 92 loyale 4x4 5mt.

Any help or advice, I will go back out there in a day or two to try and get it runnin. The storm is crazy now. We were kinda worried until those kids showed up :drunk:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

step one is to totally dry out any water that may be in the engine bay. the fuel injection system has many many places with plugs and wires that do NOT want to be wet. Take it all apart with a blow dryer and a roll of paper towels if you have to, then spritz a little WD-40 on them all.

 

THEN verify whether or not you have spark, by pulling a wire and checking for spark.....

 

Then you can start panicking. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like you may have jumped the timing belts -- were they running without covers? I've rammed mine into snowbanks deep enough it had to be towed out, and I'm lacking a skid plate right now. Caused the alternator belt to squeal pretty bad, but still ran fine. Also, just a little water in the distributor can kill it -- I've never had this happen on a subaru even when power washing the engine, but I've killed other engines by powerwashing the disty. If you pop the cap and see water droplets, that might be it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cool guys. I'm thinking that the timing belts slipping a couple teeth sounds good, they are runnung no covers. Also water in the disty. I'm going out there in the desil w/ a trailer, so if I can't fix it right there, I'll just have to tow it home. What about all this snow entering the engine bay? That sucks. I want to come up with a set of skid/ deflector plates to prevent this. I have the basic skid plate now, but obviously it doesn't do much here. These plates I want may have to come off for summer driving, but heat shouldn't be an issue in winter, probably help some! I'm leavin now, but keep the ideas comming- I'll need 'em when I get back! :banana:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that with a little welding and metal forming you could make a full belly pan that went wide enough to protect the outer CV joints, tie rods, steering linkages, and full engine compartment. I was considering doing that for a friend who tore the skid plate and the CV boots off her '90 legacy bashing through icy drifts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Illinois finally gets snow!!! I have been havin a blast the last few snow falls but this has been the first time that we had drifting.

 

Twice last night I had my belts jump out of time because of drifts, first time I needed to be towed and the second I was within walking distance of my shop.

 

Funny, everyone was telling me that I didnt need to use my covers when I was looking around for new ones.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey All!

Got the Loyale runnin! It was the T- belts. The snow musta jammed in there to cause the Driver side tensioner to push back. I re timmed the belts best I could out there, and she fired right up!!! I was amazed! It is totally lacking power, but I did it all half rump roast in the cold. Drove it on to the trailer. I also seen some other hoses ect that need attention. Bluto, I agree. Everyone said we didn't need em. Well, I still think it better w/ them gone. Much faster! But I still want to look at a belly pan for the engine bay!

 

Hey bluto- Where ya at?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, Finally the crazy week is over. I got the loyale into the garage, got the belts where they are supposed to be and then she wouldn't start at all!! I pulled the cap and Hey! The center electrode pin was melted right off! Wonder if that had to do with the lack of power :lol: So, new cap= new power! Rotor was fine. I drove to work today so I can park it inside and melt out some snow and ice :Flame::slobber:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Illinois finally gets snow!!! I have been havin a blast the last few snow falls but this has been the first time that we had drifting.

 

Twice last night I had my belts jump out of time because of drifts, first time I needed to be towed and the second I was within walking distance of my shop.

 

Funny, everyone was telling me that I didnt need to use my covers when I was looking around for new ones.

 

I think I remember that thread. And I think I voted for running the covers just for this reason. I'm up in Kenosha, WI. Just right up the I from you and Milemaker. Give me a PM if you ever need random GL/loyale parts. I've got 2 parted out in boxes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I remember that thread. And I think I voted for running the covers just for this reason. I'm up in Kenosha, WI. Just right up the I from you and Milemaker. Give me a PM if you ever need random GL/loyale parts. I've got 2 parted out in boxes.

Hey Gloyale! Nice to know there is a few of us around here! Also McBrat in Iowa. If I end up needing parts, I'll let you know. I still like the covers off, even though it obviously did me in this time. I bet I could have gotten out of the drift if the car ran. I am thinking about a set of deflectors or a belly pan to prevent the snow from entering. We'll see- I'll probably just leave it be :headbang:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think I remember that thread. And I think I voted for running the covers just for this reason. I'm up in Kenosha, WI. Just right up the I from you and Milemaker. Give me a PM if you ever need random GL/loyale parts. I've got 2 parted out in boxes.

 

Hey, I do alot of posting on the timing belt cover threads to disclaim possible damage done to the vehicle...

 

Everyone always says that theres the distinct possibility of physical intrusion into the timing belts, but the process of diagnosis and repair is made much much simpler without the covers. Yes, you are more likey to damage your timing belts.. but it will take less time to discover, and at least two hours less time to repair, than it would had you left your covers on.

 

I wish we had chains, or better yet, gears....

 

although I suppose pushrods are always an options, :rolleyes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Everyone always says that theres the distinct possibility of physical intrusion into the timing belts, but the process of diagnosis and repair is made much much simpler without the covers. Yes, you are more likey to damage your timing belts.. but it will take less time to discover, and at least two hours less time to repair, than it would had you left your covers on.

 

It is not just a possibility, it happens. And even with the cover I can do the whole job in a hour. Why would it take you 2 hours to undo the covers? Why does everone hate these covers so much? The only time they are a problem is the first time if the nut spins in the plastic. I use a chisel to cut away the top of the tab that the nut is in. Then they just pop on and off. It is only the end covers that are tricky and once you've popped em it's a breeze.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It is not just a possibility, it happens. And even with the cover I can do the whole job in a hour. Why would it take you 2 hours to undo the covers? Why does everone hate these covers so much? The only time they are a problem is the first time if the nut spins in the plastic. I use a chisel to cut away the top of the tab that the nut is in. Then they just pop on and off. It is only the end covers that are tricky and once you've popped em it's a breeze.

 

It's not so much the covers, as the A/C, alternator, belts, idler pulleys, crank pulley, electric fan, and everything else you have to do to get access to the covers to take them off and get access to the belts. Maybe I just have fat hands, but I can't get in there without removing a bunch of stuff.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 years later...

I did the same thing with an EJ22 running without covers. I was hammering over a mountain of snow that had been plowed into an unmaintained road entrance by a lazy plow operator.

 

I had a friend tow me down the road a ways so I could put the belt back on in peace because I had a drunken housewife screaming at me about how she was going to call the cops and how her husband was going to kick my rump roast when he got home because I was working on my car on the road in front of their house.

 

My vote is for covers in winter.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Happened last year to a buddy of mine. 6" lift, EJ22-no covers, in very deep snow belt just jumped a few teeth and he was stuck.. Had to fix it where it sat.

 

Fortunately the warm radiator kept our our hands warm while the wind and snow whipped around. This was on top of Mary's peak with 2-3 feet of snow and still falling, and the sun going down.

 

Covers in the snow for sho!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...