cap86

EA82 1987 engine swap, I'm putting in new belts, pumps gaskets etc. Here's the question when I pulled off the old oil pump it looks like somebody tried to seal the lower part of the Pig on a Bicycle gasket with some kind of goop. Just above the lowest point of the gasket there is a tiny square hole in the engine block. (Looks to me like a weep hole to let oil drain back or something) Well when I got the old gasket off and cleaned everything up that hole is completely plugged. I think it's plugged with the gasket sealant that was used which filled the hole & hardened, but it looks so perfect that it looks like it could be there on purpose. Should this hole be open? or is that plug supposed to be there (which dosen't make sense to me)? I don't want to pick it out if it's needed. Thanks in advance.

P.S. I broke it getting a hole thru... maybe I'll continue with it just for the practice. Sydfloyd44 - (Rats! I missed your reply.) I'm north of Scranton is that too far? I have several more cars I'm stripping - hope I can get one or more out for a spare.

Are you guys talking about sooby windshields?... I've done other cars, but on this one, the gap is only about a sixteenth of an inch in places to a quarter inch at most, and it's not a straight shot like you could push an ice-pick or something thru, it would have to go around the glass. I have one of those wire - tools that also has a 90 degree knife to get you started, but there is no way you could get that blade in there. I don't know if all Soobs are this tight but has anyone sucessfully cut a windshield out of 85-93 Loyale?

Is it possible to get a windshield ('87-DL) out without breaking it? I've stripped just about everything else off the car and I'd like to get the windshield out for a spare. It dosen't look like much room there to get a hole started to be able to cut around it.

On mine, for cold startup, I have to wait till the fuel pump stops, give it one squirt from the gas pedal then it'll start right up.

One time I hauled a fully dressed 455 C.I. Pontiac V8 600 miles in the back of my wagon.

Mine is similar to Mudduck's. (87GL) The Tick has been coming and going every couple of minutes for the last seven years and over ninety thousand miles.... (203k/mi Total) I finally pulled the motor last week for a different reason and plan on taking care of it now.

What exactly does the oxygen sensor do besides telling you that it needs to be replaced?

I'm stripping an 87 DL down to the bone and would like to keep the keys/locks together as a set. Is the ignition switch/steering-column lock removeable? It seems to be on there pretty good.

That happens when you drive it in 4wd on hard/dry pavement, and/or make a sharp turn on dry road. Get a couple of wheels off the road on a sand/gravel shoulder or slippery grass or leaves and back up a bit and it should be ok. It also helps to have matched wheels i.e. similar size/tread-pattern/air pressure on each axle.

I'm replacing my cars (87GL 4wd/stick) engine with a unmolested 72k/mi motor (also 87, DL 2wd/Auto) and have some questions while the motor is sitting on the stand. 1) Timing belts look new to me, if they were 72k/mi original belts would they show signs of wear? (cracks worn etc?) (they don't have any markings (i.e. "Subaru") on them.) So I think they were recently replaced. (All the covers were in place and all the nuts were perfectly torqued and came out - 'like butta') 2) I suppose I should replace the Oil Pump & Water Pump 'just because' are AutoZone (or whatever) replacement pumps as good as Subaru? or should I stick with Soob (big price difference?) Do all the necessary O-rings, gaskets, and or seals come with the pumps or do I need to buy them separately? 3) The motor runs great but it's a leaker; which O-rings, gaskets, and or seals should I be replacing? 4) The clutch (from my old motor) is pretty good (I think!) Wifey drove it mostly and she's tough on clutches. It's got about 2 years on it... Can I measure it to tell how much is left? Or should I bite the bullet & just replace!? 5) The exhaust studs (all 4) stayed in the motor. The threads that were under (and protected by) the nuts are ok but the rest of the threads that were exposed to the elements are rusted away. I'm inclined to 'let sleeping dogs lay' EXCEPT that I live in PA (i.e. Rust-Belt) and I know that if I don't replace them now they will be a bigger problem a couple years down the line. What's the best course of action? (I've been soaking them in Blaster) Should I heat around them? Heat the studs themselves? I'd love to get them out & a nice new set with anti-seize put in. 6) Anything I am forgetting?

As it turns out that motor that I thought was a '90-'91 is actually a '93 (2wd automatic). Does that change any of the previous advice? Are there any significant improvements between my '87 and this '93 in terms of gas mileage fuel injection system or anything that would make it worthwhile to keep the 93's plumbing over the '87? Also, what's the deal with the EGR? where is it, what does it look like? does it have to come off?

The clutch pedal free-play (1/2" - 3/4" at the pedal) should be correct first before adjusting the cable, also make sure the cable is routed correctly and all the little washers, bushings & clips that go on at the pedal are there. I don't think the cable gets any lubrication, just the pedal pivot. You disconnected and removed the hillholder cable right? (not just disconnected at the hillholder end.)

Disconnecting the hillholder should be a non-issue. There isn't any connection that would change the feel of the clutch. Sounds like cable adjustment issue to me, assuming all new (or good) clutch parts!?

Ok well, here's the 'Real' story... I have a bunch of Soob wagons I have a 'sweet-spot' for '86 4wd/5spd wagons but a few '85s & '87s. I got into a problem with stripped tensioner bolt holes on this one and since the motor has 201k/mi, and a persistant (100k/mi) "Tick" I thought I'd pull it out & give it a good going over. I have 2 engines to choose from to put in there temporarily the '90/'91 which is a good runner that I yanked from a rusted car last winter, and a really sweet 87 that I'm saving for a nice '86 that I will be bringing back east from Portland OR soon. So I was hoping to just drop the newer engine in and not go trading too much stuff from the original motor because I'd like to keep it all together and freshen it up. "Edit added: Maybe it would make more sense to use that nice '87 as it would be a closer match... but that one is still in the car (which I will be getting rid of because it's rusted to death and it's a 4dr sedan. the newer engine (90/91) is already out and ready to go...

I might be able to make it to Harry's in Hazleton when/if that happens. It'd be nice to join in the fun.

Yeah it's a Loyale, How simple is "simple" do I need new gaskets or anything?

Is there much difference between a 1987 EA82 and a later one, like a 90 or 91 (Not sure which year it is.) in terms of emissions and/or computer wiring and junk? I've decided to replace the motor in my 87 SPFI with one from a later car an I'm wondering if the wiring harnesses/computers will match up or are there gonna be issues? Both motors are 4wd/wagons.

I was thinking of eliminating the A/C it hasn't worked in years. I don't know what it needs I just assumed that it would be expensive to fix and probably wouldn't last long. Am I right in thinking this - or are these A/C systems worth trying to fix and how much does that usually cost? Replacing the bearings sounds like a good way to go.

More bad news... there already was a longer bolt in there. I pulled one off a parts engine and it was about 5 threads shorter. I'm really bummed out... I didn't notice any difference in the two idler bolts on that side when I took em out to replace the idler, so I'm guessing that the other one is longer too and probably hanging on by a thread. There's no way that the pivot bolt alone is going to hold it. If it were the other way around and the pivot bolt was the bad one, I might take a chance on the adjustable one holding. The car has (non-working) air conditioning so it'd be a big headache to get at it with a straight drill. Also I don't have a right angle drill and I've never done a helicoil to begin with so I don't have a lot of confidence trying it. I recently picked up a low miles running motor and since this motor has 201k miles on it and has had that intermittent ticking for the past hundred thousand miles maybe it would be a better idea to just replace the motor. Is it possible to yank out the A/C system while (If) I'm doing it?

Also a good idea, thanks... I'll see how many threads are in there.

Comes in handy for positioning the cam-sprocket and when applying 18 ft/lbs Torque to the belt for the tensioner adjustments.

Thanks for the responses guys. grossgary - Great Idea! you made my day. I've never done a heli-coil and the thought of doing it first time in cramped quarters like that is not a happy prospect. (the tensioners and idler are new, came with that PCI kit.) I have a bucket full of sooby bolts shouldn't be too hard to find something.

I just discovered that a 36mm socket (we all have one of those right!?) fits nicely over the three bolts in the center of the cam sprocket.

I'm soooo Screwed... The PCI belts LOOK OK but theyre made in China so they'll probably snap in about a week. (The Idler and Tensioners look good.) Anyway, I get them on and then I found it... one of the drivers side tensioner pulley bolts has been stripped by some dolt (It wasn't me... honest! I was even using a torque wrench) what are the chances that the other bolt will hold it? The one in the slot is the one that's stripped.