Ceejus Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 okay, i'm a new guy here. my wife has a 2006 Outback that we dearly love. however, there's no way in hell she would ever let me lift it or anything like that. i currently have a sweet Jeep Cherokee with plenty of off road mods. i wouldn't mind having a subaru as well and have found a 93 Loyale 4x4 5sp wagon. it runs but doesn't want to idle or stay running. it has old bad gas in it and has been sitting for about a year according to the owner. new tires, radiator, alternator. supposedly a very clean and rust free car from NC. the one issue it has, is that it is leaking oil from the front engine seal. my question is this, is there anything on these cars that inherentley goes bad, or something i should look for that is a dead giveaway that i shouldn't get it? i can probably get the car for under $500. what i would want to do with the car is make it a daily driver with a small lift and some A/T's. maybe do some light wheeling with it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 15, 2009 Share Posted December 15, 2009 watch out for cooling system issues -- those can lead to blown head gaskets from overheating, eventually. And figure that the timing belt hasn't been changed forever unless they have proof otherwise. Oil leaks are pretty normal... as long as it's not losing too much, it's just rust prevention. The only other thing to really watch out for is old carburetors as they are more expensive than the car sometimes, but yours has SPFI, so that's not a concern. You'll want to put a dual range transmission in it -- direct bolt in. Z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik litchy Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 i would check the idle air valve for some debris. also the air filter if its been sitting, might find a rats nest, i did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 watch out for cooling system issues -- those can lead to blown head gaskets from overheating, eventually. And figure that the timing belt hasn't been changed forever unless they have proof otherwise. Oil leaks are pretty normal... as long as it's not losing too much, it's just rust prevention. The only other thing to really watch out for is old carburetors as they are more expensive than the car sometimes, but yours has SPFI, so that's not a concern. You'll want to put a dual range transmission in it -- direct bolt in. Z so is a head gasket job very difficult at all? is it really something that is a big deal to worry about, or should i just automatically do it if i get the car? i'm a total Subaru idiot. i only know the basics about these cars, but i have a pretty decent mechanical knowledge of cars in general. also, never having anything but 4x4 trucks and jeeps, how exactly does the 4 wheel drive work in these things? is there an actual transfer case like a regular 4x4? and yes, i WILL want a dual range transmission if i get this thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 i would check the idle air valve for some debris. also the air filter if its been sitting, might find a rats nest, i did. where the heck is the air idle valve? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 the idler air valve is the large solenoid piece that has 4 screws on the front of the throttle body, sideways parallel and a hose that runs vertical and alon the side of the intake boot and connects to that. there is also a small vac line that runs from the intake to the vac canister on the strut tower. if this is disconnected, tthe heater controls will only work from the dash and the 4wd will not work if you want dual range you will have to swap, or find some 85-88 gl. driveshaft, clutch, and axles fit the same. 4wd is a pto shaft to the rear. a dual range can be isolated to run fwd in lo usually the front engine seals leak and the timing belts can break. timing belts are easy if you leave the covers off, takes 2 hrs down to 20 min, do the engine seals beware the radiator as it is the single most important part on this car have fun off road as you can enyoy many ATV trails in the ol soob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 i'm trying not to get my hopes up to much for this thing. i don't want to be disappointed if i can't get it, or if it's a total pile of crap......but i must admit, i'm getting kind of giddy about the prospect of getting it! hope my wife doesn't kick me out of the house if i get it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 If you want something to lift and play with get an EA81 Hatchback. The Loyale is not what you want at all. You need to look for an EA81 Hatch - 1982 to 1989. EA82's are too heavy, poor departure angle, etc. Plus the engine's suck and the cooling system's suck even harder. And a loyale has no low range - you would have to swap out the tranny first thing. At the very least hold out for a late '80's GL with a dual-range transmission. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 If you want something to lift and play with get an EA81 Hatchback. The Loyale is not what you want at all. You need to look for an EA81 Hatch - 1982 to 1989. EA82's are too heavy, poor departure angle, etc. Plus the engine's suck and the cooling system's suck even harder. And a loyale has no low range - you would have to swap out the tranny first thing. At the very least hold out for a late '80's GL with a dual-range transmission. GD i would probably never find one of those around here that is in any kind of shape at all besides rotten. plus, i'm a fan of wagons. the thing honestly would probably see very little off road time. it would be more daily driver than anything. i will stil keep my eyes peeled though. thanks for the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyewdall Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 also, never having anything but 4x4 trucks and jeeps, how exactly does the 4 wheel drive work in these things? is there an actual transfer case like a regular 4x4? They are front wheel drive in 2wd mode. 4wd mode sends power to a rear driveshaft as well -- no center differential, so it's real 4wd, not all wheel drive like the newer ones. On the older GL's (the Loyale is a stripped down version, so didn't get this), the low range is accomplished by a planetary reduction gear (1.59:1 for the 5 speeds) on the transmission input shaft -- not on the transmission output like most 4x4 trucks and such. The stock shifters are set up so it's always in 4wd if it's in low range, but you have a choice of 4wd or 2wd in high range, but you can separate them to give indepenent control of 4wd/2wd, and hi/lo range if you want. Because of the design, you can shift in and out of hi lo and 4wd at pretty much any speed -- you don't have to stop. I put it in nuetral and put the clutch in to shift it so it's not under load from either direction, because that does cause grinding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 thanks for the info. would the Loayale REALLY be that bad of a car to lift and play a little with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 (edited) If you want something to lift and play with get an EA81 Hatchback. The Loyale is not what you want at all. You need to look for an EA81 Hatch - 1982 to 1989. EA82's are too heavy, poor departure angle, etc. Plus the engine's suck and the cooling system's suck even harder. And a loyale has no low range - you would have to swap out the tranny first thing. At the very least hold out for a late '80's GL with a dual-range transmission. GD you wouldnt expect to find much for hardcore of road in central indiana, maybe some quarry pit at best. i'll make my own opinion here and say that the loyale is tot horrible, it accomplishes the task of something you can just go into a field to and from work! the only pain in the rump roast factor with a loyale vs an ea81 is the timing belts. they are not the end of the world at all. its part of the charm of these vehicles but it is truly fun to drive a car around some 4wheeler trails that wou wont be able to fit a big truck and i'll say this because any ea81 or ea82 subaru is a rare treat in central indiana, you just dont find them there. go with the loyale for now. maybe a gl will pop up in the future, certainly a dual range transmission can turn up somewhere and be had for 150 bucks, completely bolt in. the best aspect of thee cars are they are very compatible and swappable with other variants and models Edited December 16, 2009 by MilesFox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 16, 2009 Author Share Posted December 16, 2009 you wouldnt expect to find much for hardcore of road in central indiana, maybe some quarry pit at best. i'll make my own opinion here and say that the loyale is tot horrible, it accomplishes the task of something you can just go into a field to and from work! the only pain in the rump roast factor with a loyale vs an ea81 is the timing belts. they are not the end of the world at all. its part of the charm of these vehicles but it is truly fun to drive a car around some 4wheeler trails that wou wont be able to fit a big truck and i'll say this because any ea81 or ea82 subaru is a rare treat in central indiana, you just dont find them there. go with the loyale for now. maybe a gl will pop up in the future, certainly a dual range transmission can turn up somewhere and be had for 150 bucks, completely bolt in. the best aspect of thee cars are they are very compatible and swappable with other variants and models cool, thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivantruckman Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 I abuse my loyale , i have 15 inch Chevy 6 bolt rims , and I'm running 205 60 15 , snow tires. about 24 inch over all diameter, we don't have huge mountains here in Michigan. so allot of torque isnt that necessary , you wont be spitting up 30 ft roosters in the mud . but loyales rock, and deserve to be punished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
akc Posted December 16, 2009 Share Posted December 16, 2009 Get the car you will love it. :banana::banana:Of course I am not a off roader but I can see that plenty of guys have fun with them here. (washington state) General Disorder has a Love for EA 81's you will find that in most of his posts but he is knowledgeable on most things. I have a EA82 and it is not that bad we have dealt with most of the germins that come with these things and it is not too bad I do agree with most that if you do a timing job just leave off the covers it has made it much easier. We have done head gaskets on my car and it was not too bad you can even do it with the engine in although it is tight. IF you read the boards you should have most info you need to get it running right. On a final note WATCH for overheating and make sure you have GOOD HOSES and radiator mine got a head gasket fix because it sprung a leak and overheated when my teenage son was driving it. ( we should have changed the hoses when we changed the radiator) The cooling system is not that expensive to change and it beats doing head gaskets. (hoses and radiator) OF COURSE mine is older then yours so the hoses were more worn etc... hindsight:horse: I am not a mechanic and we manage to keep mine running so it should not be too hard for you. Oh the other germilin I have dealt with it the fusable links in mine it is a little black box off the overflow for the radiator.. It sometimes makes mysterious symtoms.. that minic other things.. (my non mechanic turning on)If you are having weriod symtoms sometimes it does not hurt to make sure they are in all the way... LOL (we spent 4 days chasing a fuel problem only to find the link was making it so it was not getting enough gas. tore apart the carb. new fuel pump and filters. ....on a last ditch effort we took out all the links and reinstalled them and presto the car ran great.. GRRR)) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 17, 2009 Author Share Posted December 17, 2009 thanks for the replys folks! i'm gonna go check it out hopefully on friday or saturday sometime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelsomcgath Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 if its not too rough then i would get it, when will you ever find a loyale around there again??? lol. and you're right, you probably would never find an ea81 without driving out of state.. -kelsey Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 18, 2009 Author Share Posted December 18, 2009 well, i learned via this forum that someone else has looked at the Loyale and said it has a definite rod knock. i think that ruins it for me....back to searching! however, i have found an 87 GL wagon. i e-mailed about it and am awaiting a response. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelsomcgath Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 that's too bad on that loyale but good luck with the search! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 make sure the sound described is actually lifter tick. its common, but not devastating. the gl is mechanically the same and is a better choice if its not in worse condition than the loyale(miles and rust) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeneralDisorder Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Rod knock is uncommon and mis-diagnosed all the time. Especially with the EA82 as they often have a lifter tap that can sound like the end is nigh. Trust me - it's almost surely not a rod knock. Rod knock on an EA isn't even audible unless it's under load and even then it's just a light tapping that wouldn't arouse suspicions - right up till it's about to leave the crank - then they get real loud for about a mile. GD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWDfreak Posted December 18, 2009 Share Posted December 18, 2009 Rod knock is uncommon and mis-diagnosed all the time. Especially with the EA82 as they often have a lifter tap that can sound like the end is nigh. Trust me - it's almost surely not a rod knock. Rod knock on an EA isn't even audible unless it's under load and even then it's just a light tapping that wouldn't arouse suspicions - right up till it's about to leave the crank - then they get real loud for about a mile. GD What the hell??? I think that's exactly what happened to me!!! I brought my Outback to a nearby dealership and they said it had a bad rod. Took it to an independent shop and diagnosed it was a bad valve (or something of that nature, can't remember if it was a valve or the whole valvetrain). And the infamous EJ25D head gasket failure was fixed as well. I ALMOST got a Loyale as my first car. It had too many miles though, so I couldn't get it. Didn't know the Loyale was that bad of a car. And one time, I actually tried to get a GL hatch with a 5-speed and dual-range. Was too cheap for what had been done to it and too far away... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 18, 2009 Author Share Posted December 18, 2009 make sure the sound described is actually lifter tick. its common, but not devastating. the gl is mechanically the same and is a better choice if its not in worse condition than the loyale(miles and rust) yep. the guy said it had lifter tick AND a definite rod knock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ceejus Posted December 18, 2009 Author Share Posted December 18, 2009 Rod knock is uncommon and mis-diagnosed all the time. Especially with the EA82 as they often have a lifter tap that can sound like the end is nigh. Trust me - it's almost surely not a rod knock. Rod knock on an EA isn't even audible unless it's under load and even then it's just a light tapping that wouldn't arouse suspicions - right up till it's about to leave the crank - then they get real loud for about a mile. GD hmm.....makes me want to go ahead and look at it now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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