belizeanbus

Okay... I had a CEL telling me by code to check my EGR solenoid, which I did. I replaced it, and when I did, the brittle hose cracked. i drove it maybe 20 miles as necessary, with the CEL coming on only toward the end of this. Since then it has sat. I figured I'd need to fix up the plumbing, so I cruised by the shop today. they didn't have an exact match for the hose I needed, so I took the next closest thing, assuming it would work. Looks like it was about 3/32" too big. Fit a little loose, but I sinched it down. Then, after I cleared the computer (using those fancy green connectors by the hood hinge (it's a 92 Loyale by the way), the CEL came right back up when started. Now I am concerned,... Is it the loose-ness of fit, that is disturbing the vacuum and making this thing light up, or did I fry another EGR by running it with a bleeding hose? I hope it ain't the latter, as that would make me feel more than a little bit dumb. I haven't gotten round to rechecking the code that the EGR is sending out. I'm working with not a lot of daylight once I get home from work, so I thought you all might be able to enlighten me a bit as to the source. Will a more appropriate size hose fix me up, or am I looking at another EGR replacement? As always, Thanks belizeanbus

OK, all... here's one that should be easy for you. I'm almost sure I need a CV joint on my 92 Loyale. It makes a clicking sound, you can kind of feel it when you drive, and the boot closest to the tranny is torn. I don't know much about axles, as you can see, so my question is... what do I need? I saw at 1stSubaruParts that they sell inner CV's, outer CV's and rebuilt axles. So, does a rebuilt axle include the CV's, or are these seperate? If the boot's torn on the tranny side, I'm guessing that's the inside CV... Once I get some feedback here and I'm ready to do the job, anyone have any other source for the parts, in order to compare prices...? Thanks. belizeanbus

Funny thing... I was just looking for one last week. Checked JY's and no dice. However... I did post what I was looking for in the marketplace and a board member had a good one in his garage. I'm well on my way to being saved. So, you might try that approach. Also: there is a guy in Puerto Rico who is junking a few old soobs. He lists a car for scrap on ebay for like 10 bucks... (just search Subaru Loyale and scroll down) his gimmick is to email him the part you need and he'll let you know if he has it and you can work out the price. I don't know much about him, but having lived in Pto Rico, I know there are "junkers" everywhere out in the country, and not many people seem to appreciate an old soob... I gues that's why they're sitting in his yard... At any rate, in my search for an EGR Solenoid I contacted him and he claims to have one and offered it to me for $15. Since someone else helped me out with the part, I didn't follow up to make sure it was the solenoid and not the valve that he had for sale... also, it didn't seem as though it had been tested, though he did say the engine ran (but it will run with a bad solenoid). So, you might also check his eBay listing, or PM me and I can send you the contact info for him. I'm not endorsing this guy by any means...I haven't done any business with him, though I am keeping him in mind for future parts needs. Just make sure he has a good idea of what you're after... Good luck. belizeanbus

Hi all... Anyone know a good source for a EGR Solenoid for a 92 Loyale (new or used/tested)? Or is anyone parting out an old Scoob and have one available...? I found it at 1stSubaruParts for about $120. I'd like to spend less if possible. Thanks. belizeanbus

Welcome. There have been a few threads on the board recently focusing on the best/favorite soobs of the members. You can try the search feature and see if you can come up with them for an in depth discussion of the pros and cons of each individual love affair. Everyone is partial to a particular style/model/year. The Loyale gets a lot of points and it would get my vote. A 1990 served as grad school car for my wife and I (Ph.D, Biology, lots of field time, mountain and backroad driving, with loads of equipment in the back). Being in Washington would seem to be an advantage in terms of finding a lot of nice, oldish soobies. One of mine came from up that way. Keep your eyes open,...there are deals to be had. I now have a 1992, high mileage, but a strong runner that was picked up for six hundred and some change. And that was down here in Cali, where older Soobs are often scarce. Loyales are a good bet for getting around (excellent gas mileage, 4wd, etc). Also great for road trips (lots of room, stylish in a funky sort of way...you're bound to fall in love with it). Be prepared to get a little bit dirty... you are looking for an old car and you are looking for it cheap. Some folks say these Loyales are indestructible and will run over 300,000 miles on one engine with a little lovin'. But still they are old...and quirky...and sometimes won't run just right. With that in mind, you are in the right place. I've always been a bit more of an academic than a mechanic, but I'm not afraid to try, and the folks on this board are GOOD. Ask when you don't know, and they will help...and don't forget the search feature to retrieve old threads. Things to look for...and this is not exhaustive...just some notes from experience... first of all... oil leaks. these engines are notorious for dripping a bit. But they can also blow out cam seals with age. A bit of 'weeping" is okay. A lot will lead to expensive or time consuming repairs. Make sure the clutch is solid, and 4wd engages easily, seemlessly, noiselessly. Check that oil pressure guage...I've heard a lot of problems with oil pumps, pressure and guages. Can't think of anything else just now... But rest assured... there's a reason for the cult following. They are great cars. belizeanbus

Well it hasn't been my best day by any means. I figured I'd go with the thermostat explanation. I couldn't get her more than a few miles down th road without the temp shooting to redline. So she stayed behind for the night and we got home in a friend's car. On the way I got a Duralast thermostat. I have an OEM on its way via mail, but for now this will have to work. At any rate, this is going to be a side of the road job, and I'm not sure what I'm after. The Chilton's manual doesn't have much for illustrations on this point. I'm thinking the thermostat is toward the passanger side, top of motor, behind the oil dipstick, with the large hose running from the radiator into it's housing...? Correct me if I'm wrong please. Next... do I need to drain fluids from the radiator to get at it? And finally...I was under the impression that the fan not coming on was a related issue... It's the first time I notice it not doing it's job. What else could be the culprit? As always, thanks for the tech support. belizeanbus

...in my 90 loyale...about 50 miles to be exact. My wife and I just left work and went to lunch, and in the three miles we drove, the temp guage went all the way to red line. I pulled over and she cooled enough to get there and back. I looked under the hood and everything seems normal, but the fan won't come on, even when it's approaching high temps. This morning, on the hour long drive down the mountains, we had no such symptoms. In the past, intermittantly, and without explanation except that it seems it was always a hot day, the temp guage has gone up, though never this high. Do I have a failing thermostat? This evening when it's cold, I have modest hopes of making it up the mountain and back home, even if it's just one small step at a time. Anything else I should check? Coolant in the reservoir is full. Oh, yeah...and all the tools are back home... belizeanbus

Greetings all... I've been searching around the site for some info on a clutch replacement... I'm surprised that I haven't found it yet... Nothing in USRM,...but if you can direct me to the info that'd be great. Here's the gig: it's a 92 Loyale 4wd, non turbo. My second Loyale, so I guess I'm hooked. I just picked it up for 600 bucks, it's immaculate, had been a tow vehicle behind an RV for a lot of it's 200K. Runs strong, but has some issues. One is what I think is a bearing in the clutch. Sometimes after disengaging a gear, this spinning-whirring noise comes from the front end. I can stop it by gently letting the clutch out so it's just at the point of engaging, just starting to grab. It's not a nice noise...kind of loud and a little disturbing. Without knowing better, I'm assuming that a new clutch kit is in order:-\ , so I'm on my way to doing that. (Stop me if I'm wrong). Another thought was maybe there's a way to lubricate through the bell-housing without tearing it apart...someone told me some cars have this feature... I looked in Chilton's and they say to pull the tranny and do this thing from underneath. How do you all do it? Pull the engine or the tranny? My main concern is not having to do one or the other, but I live on a slope. All of my repairs happen on that slope, I can get the engine out and have done so on my other loyale, but I don't know about being under the car dropping the tranny even with wheels chocked and jackstands... So if it's as easy to go the engine route, I'd prefer that... So, if anyone is thinking of posting a how-to on the USRM, I'd encourage them... and if not, perhaps I could generate a draft from this experience. Last question...where to get the clutch... I've heard Napa and 1stsubaruparts.com... any other suggestions... Thanks all, belizeanbus

Thanks for posting this... The cable on my 90 Loyale is at the point where I feel like it's going to break everytime I pull it. It's tight, and pulling the lever inside the car requires a lot of force. Anyone know a trick to loosen this up and prolong it's life? Thanks

I recently picked up a 90 Loyale...well, about six months back it's been now, i guess. I think they are great cars. Everybody says they'll run forever... The problem with mine was the oil leaks it came with. I've gotten them pretty much ironed out with a little persistence. So, based upon experience, that's what I would check for. if your friend wants to travel, she's not going to want to deal with leaks right away. Other than that, engage the 4-wheel drive and see how she feels/sounds. Also, be aware of the miles on it. You are in Washington where there are a lot of these old soobs. Unless it's got very reasonable mileage, 1500 might be a little high. Not that it's not worth it, but you just might be able to get one a bit cheaper. I got my 90 with 160K up in washington for $1250, which is really not much difference. Then again, I've seen the same thing selling down here for $3000. It's a sooby. If it runs well and feels right, pay the price. It'll probably run forever.

Ahhh, it's never too late,... I can always re-do the work once winter's over. The gasket was only 8 bucks. What do you recommend instead of using rtv on the cork gasket...?

You're right. I just put the rtv on the gasket. I minor detail I overlooked. I guess there is not much I can do now aside from doing the gasket again... . Meantime, she's back on the road and we'll be watching the oil usage. It's an old motor, and we really don't know it's history from the previous owners... but in my utopian mind, I'd like to have an oil-tight engine. Any other suggestions to stop the oil from getting out without doing the gasket again would be oh so welcome .

Update: It seems that the oil pan gasket was the problem. The new problem: It still leaks. Same spot. Not bad,...just a few drops here and there. I cleaned the old cork off. I put rtv silicon a on both sides of the new cork, and put it back. Even gave it a day to dry. When I started it up, it started leaking a lot. Then I tightened the bolts even further. That virtually stopped the leak, but it still seeps out a bit. I can see it start to seep along the gasket from the front and back corners of the oil pan, driver's side. Now, it's about as tight as I can get it, but still I get a bit of oil leaking...any suggestions? Do new cork gaskets leak a bit until they are worn in? Should I apply some more rtv around the outer edge of the gasket? Do those stop-leak engine oil additives work...? Thanks to those who have helped... jason

Okay, all... Maybe you could assist with a little more troubleshooting. I'm on a marathon to get this thing roadworthy because next week I turn thirty and my wife and friends are taking me on a caravan tour of west coast breweries... Either the subaru runs, or we must take our friends' taurus. We prefer the style of the Subaru. Okay. The PCV made sense, but I think I (who did the work) and the mechanic who advised me of the problem were wrong. I switched out the PCV and the leaks continue in the same place. In the front to the right of the oil pump and in the back of the engine to the right of the oil pan. I cleaned it up pretty good down there, and found something I maybe should have found before... the oil pan gasket (cork) is badly worn, is stretched beyond the perimeter of the oil pan, and on the side where it leaks, I can grab both the outer and inner edges with my finger. Either it's split, or it's completely out of the area where the pan joins to the engine... Now...it's hard to know for sure, because I can't seem to see the flow of oil, but I suspect that it flows forward and drips down from the timing belt shrouds to the right of the oil pump. In the back, it is dripping onto the crossmember and to the ground. But,...it doesn't leak a drop when not running/just turned off, so if it's the oil pan, wouldn't it leak continuously? If any of you masters can shed some light, I would really appreciate it. Oh, and another thing...the oil pan bolts were really loose. My inclination is to go for the oil pan next. Question: When lifting the engine to get at the rear bolts, where is it best to place the jack? About the only place I can see is the oil pump...but I don't think that's the best idea... Thanks, Jason

That makes a lot of sense. The guage usually shows pretty low oil pressure. After I redid the seals up front, I started it up and the guage shot up higher than ever before. It wasn't more than a couple of minutes before it came down to the normal level. Then the leaks began. No idea if the guage showed the pressure going up when all this initially happened...my wife drives the car and she didn't notice. Anyone have any recommendations for checking the crank case vents?...I've never done it,...but I just picked up a PCV valve during my lunch break to see if that would solve the problem. Hope this solves it...!

Hi all... First thing, just want to let you all know that you've been a great help to a guy new to subarus. Been searching the archives for more advice, and I have some ideas,... but perhaps some advice from those who have been there might help. So it's an EA82. 170,000 miles. REcently started leaking oil badly. Seemed to be coming from the front, under the oil pump and around the oil pan. I took it to a mechanic for some advice and he said, cam seals. I replaced those, and the seals in the oil pump. Now it leaks a lot less, but still too much. Once I warm her up, she leaks from the drivers side of the engine, making two puddles, one from the front and one from the back of the engine, just to right (from the front) of the oilpan. So, from reading the archives, I thought...valve cover gaskets...? Or my original guess,...the oil pan seal. Or, worse case scenario... head gasket...? Strange thing is, the oil pump job helped a lot, so it seems like everything started leaking at once. Any ideas from anyone...?

In other words, could two average sized guys, standing on either side and lifting by the heads, remove the engine from a loyale without damaging anything important (internally, I mean)? Has anyone done this, or do you normally use a hoist? Thanks all. belizeanbus

Hi all. Has anyone ever changed the crankshaft seal on their EA82? Once I have the timing belts off, how do I get the crankshaft gears off and get the seal out? Also: My oil leak might be coming from the oil pump. I changed the o-ring and mickey mouse gasket. Should I torque this thing onto the block? Should I apply some sort of liquid gasket material during install? Thanks.

Thanks for the advice. I think tomorrow I will get it apart again and check the crankshaft seal. Is this hard to get at...? My manual doesn't say anything about it. Is it just a matter of pulling off the front crankshaft pulley and then popping out the seal? Thanks.

Hi all... some advice, please! My 90 Loyale sprung an oil leak recently. I took it by a local mechanic and he said, cam seals. After changing the cam seals myself, I'm convinced that they were not the problem. Here's why: I changed them. I also took down the oil pump and changed the mickey mouse gasket as well as the large o-ring that goes around the shaft that connects into the engine. The one thing I did not change is the seal that is on the outside, because I could not get the bolt in the shaft loose. I guess that's my next guess as to what the problem is. Anyway, I put the whole thing back together and started her up. The leak came back. I took off the side timing covers and didn't find any evidence of the cam seals leaking. But I haven't yet dismantled the rest of it to see if I can tell what's leaking. Any advice? If not the outer seal on the oil pump, what could it be...? If you all think it's the outer seal, how do you get the bolt in the shaft loose so that you can change it? Thanks.

Hello again. I recently submitted a thread regarding a cam seal on a 90 Loyale. I got some good advice, but haven't followed through because of some bad weather in the california mountains. Now that's over, so I'm going to get on with it. The heads seem to be stripped where the cam seal seats should bolt on. One reader recommended helicoil. I have never used these. Is there any advice anyone could give? The engine is still in the car, so I don't have much room to work with. I've been advised that I don't need to drill into the aluminum and can just insert the helicoil and go from there. What I'm concerned about is doing more damage than good...inserting them at an angle or something. Also, if anyone has ever done this, how tight should I torque the seal seats down if this works? This proceedure is new to me, so any advice would help. Thanks!

Hello all... I just discovered this site and at a very good time. I'm stumped, you might say. My wife drives a 1990 subaru loyale, 1.8, you know the drill. So, last weekend I was underneath it and I noticed A LOT of oil. Everywhere. A month or so ago, at the last oil change, it wasn't there. So... I initially thought it was an oil pan gasket because of where the oil seemed to be accumulating. I took it to my local shop for another look and he told me that the drivers side cam seal is leaking and it's coming down through the shrouds over the timing belts and under the oil pump... again, if you could help me with this, I guess you know what's going on here. So, I decide to get dirty since i have some time off for the holidays... I got new seals, and I pulled the old seals out,...then when I went to put them in, well those bolts were just grabbing at nothing. You know, the bolts that hold in the aluminum, I guess, seal seat, that is the next thing back from the cam pully that the timing belt goes on. So, when I popped them off, the bolts seemed well seated. And when I put them on, the least bit of force seems to have stripped them. So, my questions are....did that little bit of tightening force strip these out, or were they stripped and that's why it's leaking? I guess I'm just looking for guess-work here...the real question is... And...What now? Is there a way to fix this problem that is marginally simple? Or do I need to pull the engine, drill these out and then put some helicoil or thread repair thing on it...? I appreciate any responses.