SubaruGL Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) Hey everyone... Finally got my Subie some new tires and topped off the coolant and took her out today... logged about 4-5 miles and she died. I took two videos, if anyone has some time I would appreciate any feedback suggestions. Here are the symptoms, and videos: 1.) I think it was due to a faulty alternator and/or loose alternator belt because the voltmeter was running lower and lower and I was able to restart her after my neighbor came and jump started me after hooking up the battery for about 10 minutes... Also on other cars I've had of this year, when all the lights come on its generally a charging problem, not sure for soobs. 2.) I still noticed the crackling I noted in my other posts upon acceleration. At first she wanted to stall anytime I stopped and I had to shift to neutral and keep the RPM's up... after a lap around the neighborhood she ran surprisingly smooth, but acceleration did seem slower than it should be. 3.) The whole time basically all the indicator lights were on. The oil pressure seemed low (according to the gauge), but the temperature seemed to approach close to the red but never made it. 4.) After the jump start i kept the rpms's up and drove straight home. I had heard some squealing like slipping belts so I put on some dressing but the sound didn't go away. Engine is making some nasty noise now but i can turn the key and start it up. Looking for advice on the next steps to try, short of an engine swap. I've invested some money in this with the radiator, timing belt service, and new tires. Forgot to mention: 87 Subaru GL Wagon 4wd, about 79k miles, hitachi carb Edited March 29, 2011 by SubaruGL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted March 29, 2011 Share Posted March 29, 2011 Alternator falling apart? Not sure about all the noise,but,your alternator diodes are gone causing AC voltage to light up the dash. Try taking off the belt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 29, 2011 Author Share Posted March 29, 2011 (edited) alternator diodes gone? is that as in toast, or could you see something missing? Sorry haven't been working on subaru's in awhile and I know someone tried to work on this car and made a mess in more than one place. The alternator looks ok and the noise, if I had to guess, is coming from the front passenger side of the engine... from the gap between the timing belt and cooling fan. Edited March 29, 2011 by SubaruGL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 Toast. For the noise,I`d take the timing cover off for a look. Tensioner bearing fubared,perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Ok gotcha. Thanks a lot for the help and fast replies. Before changing the timing belt I took off the covers to run open belts. SO this shouldn't be too hard to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 (edited) Alright I'm still stumped, I could really use any advice anyone has to offer... Not sure if the engine is gone or what to do next. Following the suggestion above, I checked the tensioner pulleys which all seem fine (running no T-Belt covers).. I also charged the battery (which is new) overnight and ran the car without the alternator belt for a bit. I tightened the other belt though it still looked loose when i ran it (see vid 2) :/ Noise seemed better at idle but definitely still there when i rev slightly. Here are some videos of the results both inside the car and outside (noise is definitely louder than the video portrays).... I did note when I started it without the alternator connected, I only got the EGR light on the first couple times then later all of them. I don't mind going out and getting a Maxima alternator right now if I can solve the other issue. The coolant seemed low in the rad and in the reservoir, but when I opened the cap some is definitely in there. My fear is the head gasket or just outright cracked heads. I hate to invest more money into this engine if its just going to be dead. Video 1: Video 2: Edited March 30, 2011 by SubaruGL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted March 30, 2011 Share Posted March 30, 2011 That is some ugly noise alright. Quite strange the dash is still lit w/the alt.belt off. Must be a more serious wiring problem. I would concentrate on the noise for now. You should be able to pinpoint it using a piece of hose for a stethescope Pay attention to the water and PS pumps. Kinda sounds like it is at valve speed.See if a timing light flashes in unison when moved from cyl. to cyl.Consider a compression test and/or remove a valve cover for inspection.Might want to see if the noise changes any by pulling plug wires one by one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 30, 2011 Author Share Posted March 30, 2011 Thanks again naru.. Not the best news but along the lines I was thinking :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Guys I'm getting really aggravated and mad at this car. I don't think I have the means in my current location to swap the engine, or even really pull it. My guess is at least the head gaskets need changing. I read this can be done without removing the engine? If so I know I need to buy subaru gaskets. I'm trying to locate the part #'s to have a local dealer order me a set in case I find its just the gaskets and not cracked/warped heads.. My question is are there any online subaru places that actually list the 87 GL so i can look up the right part #'s for the stuff I'll need? All the sites I find only list the 1987 XT, Justy, and Brat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
naru Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://www.rockauto.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 http://www.rockauto.com/ Thanks again... I use them a lot for my other car and the subaru. But I need to find the OEM part #'s for things like head gaskets I don't want to use non-oem on them if I have to go that route. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazyeights Posted March 31, 2011 Share Posted March 31, 2011 Actually you might be better off with Felpro permatorque on the older EA series Subaru engines. I know on the newer EJ's OEM head gaskets are recommended. As a side note, that noise in your video sounds pretty ugly. My vote is either noisy HLA's (hopefully) or a rod getting ready to come through the case - hope not:eek: I would just hate to see anyone go to the trouble of doing head gaskets and a re-seal only to start it up and have the death knock still there. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Actually you might be better off with Felpro permatorque on the older EA series Subaru engines. I know on the newer EJ's OEM head gaskets are recommended. As a side note, that noise in your video sounds pretty ugly. My vote is either noisy HLA's (hopefully) or a rod getting ready to come through the case - hope not:eek: I would just hate to see anyone go to the trouble of doing head gaskets and a re-seal only to start it up and have the death knock still there. Good Luck I appreciate it Crazyeights... I guess my next question is what should I do to determine this? I do remember saying to myself the oil pressure gauge was reading lower than normal. The "At oil temp" light was on, but obviously they all were. If I start to systematically disassemble the engine, how far do I go and what should I look for? Damn I wish there was more of a Subaru gang here in Florida, I can buy beer and pizza! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SubaruGL Posted March 31, 2011 Author Share Posted March 31, 2011 Well went to pull the air cleaner and timing belts to check out the oil pump... I was presented with a mess of coolant / milkshake in the intake. (Pictures below) 1 Are new intake gaskets my next step? 2 Is there a chance the engine is salvageable? 3 Would this account for the terrible sound in any way and possible oil pressure loss? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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