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well my scoob is approaching 200k mi, and it finally happened. a blown head gasket, which couldnt have come at a better time as i am broke. i wont ask how hard this is to do as i am sure a lot of people have asked, but if anyone can share some tips that might make it easier i would appreciate that. i am planning on pulling the engine out to do it. it is a 87 gl10 ea82t 4wd. just thought i would share, the great news.

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i searched around and i couldnt find what i was looking for as i have not really worked on the old ea82t s much. but my question is, is do i have to take the valves and cams and such off in order to take the heads off? i was thinking i just had to take the timing belt off then just pull the heads off. can someone please give me some insight. if the heads arent warped, this should just take about a day right? my engine is a 87 and i didnt think it had pushrods.

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well all EA82T engines had hydraulic lifters... in order to remove the head you'll need to take the timing belts off, the cam will have to come out since its an overhead cam engine, then the head should come off..

 

i've never replaced a head on one of these yet..

 

there were also 3 generations of heads.. the 1st gen heads cracked for sure when a head gasket was blown or it was over heated.. 2nd gen heads were a little better, and 3rd gen heads still cracked but it was never as bad..

 

in my RX i'm not going to mess with the head gasket as it has a gen1 head on it, and i'm sure thats the side that blew.. so i'd have to replace a head and a gasket, timing belts as well.. on top of that all my vacuum lines are hard as rocks and need replaced..

i'm just waitin until taxes come back and i'm stickin a complete new engine in there, to be done with it.. the new one will have gen 3 heads as well..

 

in my opinion, since your pulling the engine to do it, i would go ahead and change both gaskets.. as well as change the timing belts, water pump, oil pump, and reseal the engine.. cam seals, crank seals, etc.. theres nothing worse than doin all that work and 2 weeks down the road you get a rear mainseal leakin or somethin and have to pull it out again.. with that many miles it wouldn't hurt anyways..

 

my turbo wagon has 290k original on it, started using water, then failed inspection.. so its now a parts car, but if ya do al teh above, you should get many many more miles out of it..

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well the engine just had the front end done about 7k ago(timing belt, water pump, etc), so i just have to do the heads. so i do have to take the cams off, but i can leave the valves in the head right. also where at do they crack so i can be sure to check, is it around the valve seats or cooling jackets? honestly would i be better off just getting a new rebuilt engine? i can pick one up for about 6-800 i think. and thats for a long block.

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MM is right about doing a thorough job, but I understand that sometimes you've gotta cut corners to get your wheels back fast.

 

I would advise you to do both HG's while you've got the motor out, and lay a straight edge on the heads to be ABSOLUTELY certain they didn't warp. Use your best judgement on the other items you'll encounter getting to the heads. I would probably do the "timing belt" maintenance items if it's been 20k or more since you've done them.

 

You'll probably be ok without doing anything more to the engine for a while. Don't forget to address the cooling system (or whatever caused the blown HG) or else you may be replacing those gaskets a 2nd time. I would probably replace all the hoses, t-stat, backflush etc. Getting the rad checked out at a shop would be a good investment too.

 

good luck, John

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theres an ea82T on ebay for like 595 or 650 can't remember which.. i was thinkin about that, but the guy doesn't know what gen heads are on it.. and i won't go with anything other then gen 3 personally.. but its a complete jap pullout motor.. so you'd have to pull yours and put that one in, thats about it since its complete.. even has the fan on the front lol

 

just a suggestion..

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well ive decided to go ahead and try to fix it. i can get the parts pretty cheap, and i know more than capable of doing it, i just havent done any old school engines, just ej's, but i think they should be similar. now asuming my heads are not craked, but are warped(evebthough i didnt over heat it), what is acceptable for shaving? i think i read .010" is this correct? i was planning to do both heads since i was pulling the engine and replacing most seals eventhough most were already done in the summer(about7k ago) so ill just use judgement on the rest. what should i look for in the cooling system, just debris, and the like. i have already installed new hoses, pressure checked the radiator and block my last oil change, but i will be sure to look it over. has anyone done a writeup on this i could check into? if not i will. thanks for the replies. oh one more thing, how do i tell which generation head i have? thanks.

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ok well i took the engine out and tore off the heads. they were gen 2 heads and yes they were cracked inbetween the valves. so instead of paying for new heads i bought a newer one off ebay with about 35k on it. it is a jdm import and should be a direct bolt in. it comes with everything except the turbo, which i have. if anyone cares to look at it it can be found here-http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2448743392#ebayphotohosting

 

thanks .

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well, ill be sure to let everyone know the quality of the engine as soon as i get t in about a week. i am guessing it has at least gen 2 heads as that is what mine has and its an 87. no biggie, i got 180k out of that one. i will be sure to let everyone know.

 

1 question though, doesnt the jdm version have less hp than the usa version. i thought the jdm had 129hp and the us had 139hp? i dont know, it is an engine and it should work most importantly before the snow starts to fall.:D

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Originally posted by 86subaru

napa has a complete gasket set, around 200 bucks ,

 

yes i originally bought the set from advanced for 148. its a good complete set with all felpro gaskets, but my heads were cracked, so i got the new engine. ill just change the valvecover gaskets and maybe the rear main.

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About the heads and cracks, I was tlking to a Subaru tech and he told me that the crack between the valves is a known issue with the aluminium heads and is not a cause of water leakage or head gasket failure. He said it is just an artifact and you only need to straight edge the heads and fluid test them for coolant leaks. The bad cracks are not visible upon visual inspection. If you turn the head on it's side and fill the intake with gas you should not see and leaks if there are no cracks. Also you can take the head and lay it on it's back and fill the compression area with gas and see if any leaks down. It shouldn't.

 

Just some info from a friend of mine who is considered the subaru guru at the dealership here.

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well that is good to know ill keep that in mind for next time.however, my heads were cracked all the way through. my pistons skirts were tore to hell, and it had 180k on it so i might as well just replace it. that is good to know about the small crack though. i guess the amount of material used in between the valves just isnt enough and so it cracks.

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yeah thats the main difference between the 3 gens of heads, the 3rd having the most material between the valves.. which still cracks anyways.. just a bad design imo..

 

i got a turbo engine in my wagon thats got 290k original.. it still runs fine, but was usin a little water last time i drove it on a trip.. i'd like to see how well its done on the inside tho.. i'll post about it when we get it apart, hehe.. might be awhile tho..

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What's so bad about the design? I head someone say the cracks between the valves can be closed up with a punch.... besides that they don't even matter unless they are VERY large..... so says subaru anyway. I know I've heard several people on the board use heads with cracks between the valves with no ill effect. I think that it's as stated above that the cracks that really matter cannot be seen. That or is the gasket that blows.

 

GD

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