LuvScooby

Thanks again for the input. I'm gonna try some 10-30, and another can of seafoam. Which stands to make more sense to you all....running a thinner oil to prime the HLAs, or a thicker oil to prime them? I guess I was of the mindset that a thicker oil would be better...less apt to drain out as quickly.

Thanks for all of the input! When I did the gaskets, I put non metal orings in the cam cases, but later put metal reinforced orings in, but there was no change in lifter clatter. I have driven several thousand miles since I put the new orings in place. I have tried seafoam, but I will try it again. I also used Lucas treatment, and that made it a little better a couple of times, but didn't last, nor did it make it go completely away at any point. I heard there was a bypass spring in th oil pump that needs to be cleaned from time to time. Can I access this without removing the pump? Anyone know where I could find a pic of it? Cam cases have been thoroughly cleaned as well as oil tubes, etc...Lifters just arent priming up properly on either side. I recently pulled into a local garage to check on a muffler, and there was a mechanic who came flying around the corner and he said "Man, that don't sound good...". I explained the whole ordeal and in the end, he was clueless.

Hello to the board...I am asking for your help. I need advice partaining to my 88xt, and the ea82 in it. I bought the car with bad head gaskets. I replaced the gaskets, and resealed the oil pump. I had bad lifter rattle. I bought Mizpah lifters, and put them in...still have bad lifter rattle. I installed a manual oil gauge. I have 25psi at warm idle, and 55psi while driving. If it matters, the oil pressure will climb over 80psi when I first cold start the engine. I have put several thousand miles on the car since the work was done, and it seems to be running ok, but the lifter rattle is so loud...its not going away. I have used all diff grades of oil, but nothing solves the problem. I seem to have plenty of oil in the valve covers, so I dont think there is a blockage, but I cannot verify this for sure...if there is a blockage, it is causing issues on both sides of the engine due to the sound of the lifters. If the oil pump was shot, would I still get these types of reading on my pressure gauge? Im about to buy an oil pump, but wanted advice from all of you before I spent the money. What do you think? I don't know anything about the cars history...if it matters. Thanks in advance for any insight.

I replaced all three of the seals you mentioned Gary. I personally have never pulled the oil pan on this car. I have no clue if it has ever been off or not. I honestly didn't look at it very closely when I was under there. I kinda wondered about the screen on the pickup. Im kinda wondering about all of the sludgy additive crap I found when I opened the engine. I guess I need to pull the pan and check the screen and look for any other debri in there. I bought the car with the head gasket issue, and was actually afraid to run it for fear of doing damage. I started it and drove it onto a tow dolly to tow it home, and drove it off of the dolly once home, and then backed it into position to work on it. I remember it didn't idle well, kinda low...had to pat the gas to keep it running. I also remember it had 'some' lifter tick, but not like now. I wish I could remember better. It definately had some issues, but at that time I just assumed it was all headgasket related. So it has run 'sickly' since I've had it. The thing that just kills me is that at one point, with the origional lifters, after the new headgaskets, I had this car in time, and had no misses, and took it for several pretty good drives, and it was very smoothe....aside from the extremely loud lifter rattle, it seemed to be doing pretty well. I know that there was still something not right, but I just cant seem to get it back to where I had it even...just a little irritating.

In reguards to the spring and the return valve...Is that the spring in the oil tube assembly? If so, I did at least remove the spring and clean the whole tube assy with contact fluid. I made sure that the tube was clear and fluid would pass thru. Is that what the relief valve assy is? I guess I can go up and pull the heads off the 'unicorn' since it doesn't look like I'll ever get it running. I can have them totally rebuilt, since theyre not turbo heads. Then I can just buy a new oil pump. Grrrrr...

Thepartsbin is where I ordered the first set of orings that I 'lost'. I ordered from them again, and they were the ones who said that they didn't have any, and didn't know when they would have them again. I placed the second order, and just never heard from them...kinda made me ill. The closest subie dealer is, I think, 30 miles or so from me, so I just took a stab with the basic orings...although I didn't want to. If I go back in again, which it looks like I'm going to, I'll put the metal ones back in for sure. I did use felpro head gaskets, because luckily I had seen a post somewhere about having to retorque other types. I knew I didnt' want any part of that. I think I'm in good shape there. I 'think'. The debri in the cam cases doesn't make me happy, but shouldn't it have to pass thru the filter before it can be pushed into the engine again? I thought it went from pan to pump to filter to engine...or something like that. Does any oil bypass the filter? I hope any oil in the cam cases has to pass thru the filter before recirculating...but like many, many other times, I might be on the wrong track again. I dont mind trying to drive it a little more, but as of now it runs poorly because I can't dial the timing in properly because of the poor valve actuation due to the lifters being down. Kinda endless circle. I fear that I am going to have to purchase new oil pump, and pull the heads again, and have them completely rebuilt, and do the whole thing again...in the gravel no doubt. Haha...maybe thats what I get for taking the chance. Any other advice? How about hand priming lifters? Whats the right way to do it?

I did let the lifters stand upright and submerged in a container full of clean oil for nearly 48 hrs. before the install. I tried to 'prime' them by pressing down on the tops while they were submerged. I could move them very little, but I dont' know if finger pressure is enough to prime them...can anyone tell me? Keep the ideas coming!

I have probably put 20 to 30 miles on it. It just isnt getting any better. I ran it upwards to 4500rpm for a little bit. I'm just perplexed at this point. I didn't use the metal inforced orings between the cam case and the head because my parts supplier said they were unavaiable. I just put regular orings in their place. Thats what they used at the Subaru dealer according to my friend. Neither set of lifters would pump up correctly, so it has to be something other than lifters, huh. The previous owner had used that 'head gasket repair junk' that you pour into your radiator, and there was a good deal of that crap in the engine...I just wonder if I have a blockage in the galleys...but on both side??? I just don't know.

Hello room. I haven't posted in quite a while, but have been ever-lurking. I wanted to update my xt woes and get the opinions of all of you. I have an 88 xt dl that I put head gaskets on last year....bought the car that way. After putting her back together, the lifters would not pump up...even with 60+psi of oil pressure. Got remanned lifters from Mizpah, and put them in. Lifters still not pumping up. Ran the engine at around 2800 for 10 minutes, and still not pumping up. Bad/loud lifter rattle...on both sides of engine. Unable to properly adjust timing because of poor lifter pressure. SO.....suspecting that I had botched something up, I towed the car to a guy who was the lead mechanic at the 'used-to-be' local Subaru dealer. He now works from home, and has a pretty nice garage at his house. He's had the car for 2 months due to some family/health issues on his end. He called me today and said that he looked at the work I have done and t'belts and dizzy seem to be dead on. He said it looks like I did everything right. He pulled the valve covers off to make sure all of the rockers were still in place, and they were, but he said he could push the lifters in by hand easily, and he said that this, of course, is not right. He said that there appeared to be plenty of oil in the valve cover and on the compenents inside to lead him to believe that there was adequate oil flow. He said there were bits of rtv type sealant in the valve cover...left over from my cam case install I'm sure...and he wondered if there were blockage issues due to that. But...these are the mizpah lifters that I bought because the other lifters would not pump up. So...clogged lifters both times??? I just don't know...I kinda doubt it. What, fellow roomies, do I do now?? My subie mechanic says he really doesn't know whats wrong either. He mentioned ''NEW'' lifters. I have faith in this fellows abilities...I told him I didn't want extensive work done on it because of my available funds. After talking with him, he genuinely seems like a great guy, and I just don't think he's giving me any BS. Whats going on here? There has to be something I've missed. What now?

I'm gonna try to get the codes tomorrow!! I'm gonna go so far as to say that, yes, someone did a full swap on this one. The drivetrain now looks just like the one in my 88DL. There is no mechanical turbo stuff left in the engine compartment...at least nothing major. There is a relay or solenoid that ticks like crazy sometimes...its on the passenger side inner fender.

I'm pretty positive this is a post 87 engine. It does have the spider intake, and of course the multiport heads. There are no provisions for a turbo on the current engine, and the exhaust has been properly swapped to a N/A y-pipe. My fuel pump comes on when I turn the key, and I have removed the post filter fuel line and pumped gas from it when the turning the key, so I think I'm good there. Is there a way to siphon the gas from the filler neck, or is there some sort of baffle that would prevent me from doing so? I was unable to get a hose in far enough to get any gas out. I have verified that I have spark...for sure. I'm fairly positive I have compression, but would not swear to it...had a little trouble getting my compression gauge fittings to seat properly. I have no clue if the injectors are the right ones or not. I cannot remember the codes...I will try to check this weekend. The engine turns over really well...if that means anything. I've learned a great deal from the 88 that I have, and I will try to double check all of the basics on the 87 now. Maybe I made a mistake somewhere. I suspect ecu/injector issues. Stay tuned!!!!

Hey Gary. Yep, the pump cycles. It builds lots of pressure, but never seems to pass thru the injectors. I never smell gas. There is definately bad gas in the tank, but I have no idea how much...it smells very old, but I can't even get it to hit on starting fluid. I just don't know if the ecu was ever swapped or not, or if the harnesses are correct. I have spark, and fuel at the injectors. I read the codes, but its been several months back, and I will have to recheck them. I remember that there were a few.

Hey everyone! I'm getting ready to start back on an older project that had me stumped a while back. I bought an 87 1/2 XT turbo gl10.(Not running) The turbo engine and turbo extras have been removed and replaced with a N/A ea82. I don't have any idea who did this, or how many years ago it was done. I have done all of the tune-up items on the car, and set the timing by the marks, and replaced the fuel pump. The car still will not even try to run. I have spark, and I have fuel at the injectors, but I do not thing the injectors are being told to pulse. I do not know if the car has ever run since the swap was done. I just wondered if there was anyway I could tell if the ecu was the origional turbo ecu. Does anyone know how to identify this? This car has a near perfect body, nice interior, and is loaded with options, and I would love to be able to put it back on the road. It barely has 100k on the body...its a shame for it just to sit there as it has for at least 5 years now. Any other ideas would be greatly appreciated. I'd like to put a 2.2 in it, but surely that would be a huge undertaking.

Thanks Mike. It's a fwd. It just kinda 'wierds me out' to know that I'm running those kinds of rpms just trying to cruise to work on the interstate. I guess it's kinda normal huh?

Hey to all! I took the xt out on the interstate today just for a few miles. At 70mph, I'm turning about 4100rpms. It's a 5speed manual. I was just wondering if anyone could tell me what the ratio is on these cars? It's an 88xt...ea82 non-turbo...5 speed. If I ever get the car running properly, what type of mileage could I expect to get from it? It has 144,000 miles on it. I would imagine that the high rpms at interstate speeds hurts the mpg. Thanks in advance for any insight!!