I think I've got a blown head gasket on my '86 EA82 wagon. Frothy, bubbling coolant with brown gunk in it plus white smoke from the exhaust. Power seems fine, but it does idle pretty rough. Now for the questions:

 

-Could it be anything other than the HG's?

 

-Should I stop driving it right away, or would it be OK to keep using it for a while? It's my daily driver unfortunately.

 

-Is there a good chance my head(s) are already done for, or can I just swap out the gaskets and be OK?

I put a good 10,000 mi on my 88 gl sedan with q blown headgasket. I drove an ea81 back and forth 150 miles each way with a blown headgasket. I drove the same ea81 with NO coolant for 45 miles, sop hot that the oil was cooking.

 

I put on new HG's with no machining

 

as long as yopu do nopt have coolant in the oil, you might get by with a can of block sealer.

 

otherwise, rin with the rad cap loose, heat on, adn add water/coolant when the heat goes cold.

 

The NAPA on state has ea82 gaskets in stock, because of my purchases, they keep them as a stock item.

 

as long as you have nopt cooked your motor so bad, we can fix it.

 

try the block seal first to buy some time, using clean water to apply the k&w products.

 

Otherwise, get the parts, and we can do the HG's within 6 hours withour hands tied behind our backs and blindfolded.

 

Scott has a spare ea82 laying arounhd from a parted 88 wagon, maybe he can loan you the lump or core echange it. The 88 was spfi, so you will be going up with compression.

 

some folks will tell you to ditch the ea82, as the general consensus seems to be with the advent of plentiful ej22's

 

Replace the gaskets with fresh coolant, and you will be good for a long time.

 

How hot did she get:? coolant loss? lose heat? hot all at once, or gradually?

 

maybe your water pump is bad. i have used spares, iuf i can find them, but may as well get a new one at the same time

 

maybe the radiator is corroded and old, inefficient. feel for cold spots when she is warmed up

 

get the long shaft 110 mm water pump for your car.

 

good luck, and i will lend my help if you want to repair it.

Edited March 1, 201115 yr by MilesFox

It hasn't overheated recently. Had a couple episodes of it a month and a half back, but replacing the thermostat (it was sticking) fixed it. It doesn't overheat at all now (at least not on the gauge). Just smoking and frothy/gunky coolant.

 

I wouldn't mind doing an EJ swap, but would have to find an engine.

 

If I can make it for two weeks I'd be up for swapping gaskets weekend after next, if you're down.

yeah, if you have the parts, whip. snap. bang. and we're done.

 

Give me a day or 2's heads up, and search the napaonline for the state store. you might get accoutn #10 price(tech price) if you mention about the 'subaru guys'