jimkup

I think this problem happens with many older Soobs. The temp on my '88 w/ A/C stays about 1/2 up the guage usually. In the summer, when the A/C is on, the needle will climb up to just below the red & hoover there when i am cruising down the interstate. When I get off on the surface streets, it will slowly start rising & may just touch the red. At this point, I am shutting down the A/C, rolling down the windows, & maybe sometimes firing up the heater, just like you. i have replaced the radiator & cap, thermostat, hoses, antifreeze, ect... & still have this problem. Gave up on trying to get it to stay down to a normal temp w/ A/C on. I just watch it closely & take action when it starts to get hot. Not much help, but not an unusual problem.

My '88 Wagon's F.P. hums pretty loud. Has been happening prolly for at least a year or two. When the turn signal is on or I tap the brakes (while stopped) the tone changes slightly too. Hasn't given me a prob yet though. Not saying this is the norm, but, if it aint' broke....

yea that's what he said, split the case. So, two to maybe three hours to do this job?

My mechanic is about to R&R the rear main on my EA82 & says it is easier for him to pull the Transaxle (I have a 2WD) to do this. In the process, he is gonna R&R the clutch & both half shafts too. I suspect that the transaxle has a small leak too because some of the oil under it smells awful & is thicker than the engine oil. Anyone know or have a general idea of the time and/or parts involved to re-seal the just the Transaxle & maybe how much $$. He gave me an hour estimate but it seemed kinda high cuz he already has the Transaxle outta the vehicle. Thanks!

That's Great info.! Thanks!

My '88 wagon (SPFI) had similar probs. Was sluggish w/ hesitation, especially on the low end & not a lot of power overall. I bought an Accel SuperStock coil (about $33) and 8mm SuperStock Ignition wires (about $30) along with new disty cap, rotor & NGK plugs. I was amazed at the increase in low end power & had a nice increase in gas mileage too.

Ok, thanks for the info! USMB is the GREATEST!

Are the EA82 Carb'ed & SPFI heads interchangeable.

No. I need non-turbo head(s) but was hoping that a turbo head may work.

sorry guys, just did a search & got my answer. NO. MPFI & Trubo have two intake ports & SPFI (& Carb I presume) only have one port. Thanks anyway!

Are the EA82 & EA82T heads interchangeable? Are there any differences between the two heads, ie.. valves,...? Would I have to modify a Turbo head if I could install it on my non-trubo EA82? Thanks!

Try the NGK website. They have a listing for all applications.

Did you try a compression check on the cylinders? My subie had similar issues & found that there was a prob w/ valves or something in head @ #3cylinder. Replaced with rebuilt & solved problem. I only had about 65 psi in the one cylinder that should have been about 155 psi.

My '88 DL Wagon did the same thing. I noticed one night that when I revved the engine, the lights got really bright. Then one morning, before daybreak while on my way to work, both of my headlights blew. I pulled over, collected my thoughts, cleaned out my pants & flipped on my bright lights & started back home & they blew too! Pulled the alternator & had it checked & was close to 20 volts. The alternator had a lifetime warranty (had only been on the car for about 1 year) so I got it replaced for free. I also took the blown sealed beams & other lamps with me, & the auto parts house replaced all for free!! Not sure what caused all this to happen, but all ok afterwards. Be careful with overvoltage on alternator!! I would replace entire alternator & keep reciept. Pro'lly get one for around $50 from auto parts house. Most come with at least 12 month warranty.

My '88 DL Wagon did the same thing, EA82 SPFI, w/220K miles. I checked the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) for a dead spot, but nothing major, just a small dropoff in resistance when just starting accealeration. Eventually did a compression check & found #3 cylinder with only about 65psi. All others around 150psi. Replaced both hydraulic lifters on that cylinder & much better now. Also, gas mileage was fluctuating & dropping radically before, but now getting 27 - 30 mpg consistently.

My '88 DL Wagon has the original engine, EA82 SPFI, & shows 220K on the odometer. Recently had to replace two lifters on #3 cylinder due to rough idiling & low compression, but no major probs otherwise. She gets around 27 mpg, hiway-city combined. Trying to get @ least 300K.:-p

Sounds a little like a prob I had a few months ago. I have an '88 Wagon, non turbo with about 220K. She started ideling rough but would smooth out with increase RPM. Even had the "hesitation" you talk about. Suspected a misfire & pulled plug wires with her running & found #3 made no difference. Pulled plug, disconnected fuel injector, (mine is SPFI) & put wire on plug & turned her over. Spark was ok too. Put a compression tester on & was way low, only about 60 psi. Wound up replacing both lifters on that cylinder & still ok after about 2 months. May not solve your problem but worked for me. Good Luck!

I had a fan blower that would do almost the same thing. Would start ok & then would not start sometimes. My vehicle had about 200K miles on it at the time. Pulled the blower motor & was full of carbon dust from commutator brushes. Got a new one for around $30 - $40 & problem solved.

Bump Looking for any additional info or tips about this. Nice article about crack in the heads. Planning on pulling the head this pm. Thanks!

ok, that may well be the problem. But, after I disassembled the adjusters & reinstalled them yesterday & did a compression test, I had 150+psi. Also, the engine ran without the rough idle for a short time but then it returned. Would the crack in the head, if there is one, be visible you think. Additionally, I would have to pull the head to verify this wouldn't I. Just trying to get as much info as possible before I tear into it. Anything else to consider or be aware of as I am very much a rookie & would be up the creek without my FSM. Thanks Again! jimkup

ok, I dumped a small amount of 3 in 1 down the plug hole & ditto, only 60psi. Once again can these things (the valve adjusters) fail so that they would cause either or both valves to stay open? They are spring loaded shut aren't they. What else could cause symptoms like this. If an adjuster is replaced, should the adjacent one be replaced as well? Any other info or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!! jimkup

I have an '88 DL Wagon with about 220K miles. It has an EA82, SPFI. I have noticed a loud ticking from the left rear side of the engine for quite some time. Other than a little rough on the idle, it has been running fine up until lately. I noticed that I did not hear the ticking and the idle was very rough, almost to a stall at times. It seems that when I have the RPM over say maybe 1000 (no tach) it runs smooth. I replaced all vacuum hoses, didn't help. I did a compression test on the cylinders and they all were at about 150psi except for the left rear which was around 60psi. I pulled the valve lash adjusters & checked for gunk ect... I disassembleled them to clean them but they were spotless & felt like they were working normally. I am just a shade tree mechanic so I am not really sure how an adjuster can fail other than the oil holes getting clogged. My Factory SRM says there should be only .02" travel in the plunger. Mine seemed to have much more than that, maybe up to 3/4". I presume that could have been that they were not completely filled with oil at the time. Upon reassembly & installation, I did a compression test prior to starting the car. The cylinder in question showed 150+psi. When I started the car, it idled perfectly, but was ticking really bad. I took it for a test drive & ran great for a short time. Then upon coming to an idle again, the ticking was gone and the very rough idle was back. The compression check on the left rear shows only around 30psi. Can these thing fail so that they would cause either or both valves to stay open? They are spring loaded shut aren't they. What else could cause symptoms like this. If an adjuster is replaced, should the adjacent one be replaced as well? Any other info or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for the help!!! jimkup