YES, I FINALLY HAVE A GARAGE WARM, COZY, WARM, COZY

1985 GL Hatchback 4WD 150,000 miles

does overheat only if at idle for a while

coolant is slowly going somewhere

white smoke upon start up only

 

1) where can i get the correct headgaskets for this EA81 OHV???

i saw a thread where GD had sandpaper on a level surface and resurfaced his own heads. and i feel up to the task. especially since i dont have to remove engine.

2) BUT how can i be sure these Heads will go another 150,000 miles, what should i look for. or should i get re-build heads????

3) what kind of prep and methods of surfacing to the short block are required to preform this head gasket job???

4)what other gaskets will i need

Edited April 3, 201213 yr by blindrummer

You probably just need intake manifold gaskets and a working radiator fan.

 

GD

O.K.

so the intake manifold gaskets can cause the white smoke upon start up???

radiator fan works, but runs for a certain amount of time then shuts off even its its not cooled off, then turns back on again???

1) never overheats if driving, just only when idling for a LONG time (which is rare)

2) upon start up idles high and will not step down on its own, i have to rev and help it idle down. sometimes this is when she climbs past the normal temp.

3) the other thing is when she's cold there is a lag in the accelerator, push the pedal and she pauses then engages with the rpm dropping then climbing, its been getting worse??? when warm there is hardly any lag but still a little???

4) i have not been driving this beast lately due to these problems but have been fixing random issues. Currently i am doing the cooling system with a new t-stat and water pump installed i would like to finish this job correctly and hopefully this information will help you help me

I test the head gasket by putting shop air into cly one at time with cly at tdc i use a blow gun with hose to cly and put 120 psi in to cly and c if any bubbles in rad if bubbles head gasket on that cly if no bubbles then rad or fan switch. Ea 81 s were bad for heads coming loose mabee a retourque of heads may help or just change gaskets anyway good time to inspect rest of moter anyway

O.K.

so the intake manifold gaskets can cause the white smoke upon start up???

 

Yes - because coolant flows through the intake manifold and the gaskets between it and the head seperate the coolant from the intake ports. When these gaskets fail it is almost always on the coolant side and usually the engine ingests some amount of coolant into the intake port. That coolant will pool in the cylinders or behind the intake valve and has to be burned off when the engine is first started - thus the white smoke.

 

radiator fan works, but runs for a certain amount of time then shuts off even its its not cooled off, then turns back on again???

1) never overheats if driving, just only when idling for a LONG time (which is rare)

 

I would say your radiator is partially clogged or the thermoswitch is bad... The thermoswitch in the radiator that turns on the fan may not be seeing the same temps as the rest of the radiator. Driving the car runs air across the radiator at all times and thus it doesn't overheat. If the thermoswitch isn't working properly the fan will shut off even though the engine is not cooling properly.

 

2) upon start up idles high and will not step down on its own, i have to rev and help it idle down. sometimes this is when she climbs past the normal temp.

 

This is normal behavior for a carb. You have to operate the throttle - the fast idle cam will not disengage on it's own. The choke has to pull off AND you have to snap the throttle occasionally to let the fast idle cam drop out.

 

3) the other thing is when she's cold there is a lag in the accelerator, push the pedal and she pauses then engages with the rpm dropping then climbing, its been getting worse??? when warm there is hardly any lag but still a little???

 

Typical Hitachi carb problems. Replace it with a Weber or rebuild the Hitachi. This has nothing to do with the cooling system though.

 

4) i have not been driving this beast lately due to these problems but have been fixing random issues. Currently i am doing the cooling system with a new t-stat and water pump installed i would like to finish this job correctly and hopefully this information will help you help me

 

Pull the intake manifold and inspect the gaskets. Be prepared to break off bolts that hold the manifold to the heads. It happens and sometimes it's unavoidable.

 

GD

thanks GD i will get at those manifold gaskets this weekend and order some new ones right now.

if i start breaking bolts i will just have to tap-screw them out??? Right???

If you break off manifold bolts you will almost certainly have to drill them out and heli-coil the holes. They can be a real pain.

 

Get your manifold gaskets from the dealer only. Aftermarket suck.

 

GD

finally got to the intake manifold today and after a couple hours of hose removing i found the culprit to my white smoke upon start-up

Yesir that will do it every time. Aren't you glad you asked before doing HG's needlessly?

 

GD

definitely glad i did not step into headgasket land right now

OH the "Elite Master of the Subaru" has taught you well my son:lol:

all back together now after waiting for the intake manifold gaskets from the dealership

i filled the radiator with coolant

1)how can i get coolant into the upper part of the engine or should i just start it up and wait for the t-stat to open???

Why is there no overflow bottle???

Will there will always be an air pocket in the radiator???

EA81's didn't have them. And yes there must be room for expansion so there will always be an air pocket at the top of the radiator. That's how all older cars without overflows work.

 

GD

Thank you GD

 

new water pump, thermostat, intake manifold gaskets, upper/lower Rad hoses and new PCV, subaru brand coolant

 

All is cool

 

now to find a weber