jdgmbi1 Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Hi, so my dad was the one who was asking how much his 1984 Subaru GL hardtop 2 door 1.8L would be to sell. Well im the one who was driving it, his 17 year old son. I love the memories i have had with it so far with my friends and i told my dad that i just couldn't let it go especially knowing that this was his first car he ever bought and that now im driving it, so there's some sentimental value with this too. Anyways he gave it to me and so the deal was that i paid for gas and maintenance...heres the catch. It sat in a garage for 8 years without being started up. there was a main wire that was broken but other than that it was fine, so we fixed that and it started up with 8 year old gas!! (mind blown!!!). Anyways me being a teenage boy who loooooooooove cars and bikes i might have broke it not sure though. i thing it is either a head gasket that is blown or O-rings broken. here are the thing that happen ever time i drive it... -the oil pressure after about 15 min on a cold start will go down form 65 psi to 25 max!! while driving at any launch or speed. when i am standing still after that 15 or 20 min it will idle with 0 psi on oil. - it will bog after not being started for a couple hours and/or when i have one or two people in it and i used to be able to fit 5 i my fat rump roast friends!! - oil is also being used fairly quick. its not leaking out of the engine except maybe the pcv valve. with that please please please tell me what it could be. and dont be afraid to ask for anymore details!!! thanks in advance! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveT Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Nothing you list suggests head gaskets. Coolant problems are the typical sign for head gaskets. 10w 40 oil. Idle when hot, the built in gauge typically shows what looks like zero. 45psi running down the highway at 4000rpm when hot is normal for my EA82 engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Numbchux Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 Nothing you list suggests head gaskets. Coolant problems are the typical sign for head gaskets. 10w 40 oil. Idle when hot, the built in gauge typically shows what looks like zero. 45psi running down the highway at 4000rpm when hot is normal for my EA82 engines. Still accurate, but this being an '84 would be an EA81. The stock oil pressure gauge is not very accurate. I'd want a better reading before condemning it to failure. It's possible you have an oil pump issue, but might not. Typical rule of thumb for warm oil pressure, is 10psi per 1k rpms. So you're pretty close.... The running issue could just be a tuneup. Plugs, wires, Distributor cap/rotor, fuel filter, just as a start. The carb sitting with the same fuel in the bowl for 8 years is not a good thing, probably should get rebuilt. Hard to say about the oil usage. There are several things that could cause that, I'd probably want to do a compression (wet isn't as accurate on a horizontal cylinder...but still might tell you something) and leakdown test to try identify if there are issues with the major mechanical components. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchsub Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 I saw the mileage that your dads car had (120k or so i think). Id be suspecting the oil pump might need replacing. 25psi at idle is normal. Any lower is not. A new oil pump is cheap insurance for such a nice car and its easy to change out on those motors. Just take your time and make sure not to over tighten bolts. Also be careful pulling the pump out. Many a person on here have broken the end of the pump off in the motor. Its not the end of the world if that happens but its a bit of a pain. I believe the pumps come with a new gasket but ask when you order it. Oh...and get a real subaru pump not aftermarket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgmbi1 Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 Well there is also air coming out of where you poor the oil in and its like a frekin air compressor. The engine has alot of pressure in it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgmbi1 Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 Lol thanks alot you guys!!!I'm going to actully do the opiste of what most gl owners would do and just get wider street tires and maybe lower it a tad...I think it will be the new look instead of raising it and big wheels blah blah blah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchsub Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Well there is also air coming out of where you poor the oil in and its like a frekin air compressor. The engine has alot of pressure in it Clean out your PCV system and valve. Its a bolt in valve at the back of the intake. I bet the valve is stuck closed and/or the hoses are filled with crud. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ccrinc Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 ^^^This!^^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgmbi1 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 okay i will look in into that, thanks. also i wanted new rims...is there a web site where i can find my 4x140 rims for really cheap...even if they have rust on them. i can fix them up i just want some wider deep dish steelies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgmbi1 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 oh and or some suspension for front and back to lower it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hatchsub Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 (edited) okay i will look in into that, thanks. also i wanted new rims...is there a web site where i can find my 4x140 rims for really cheap...even if they have rust on them. i can fix them up i just want some wider deep dish steelies. There is a page somewhere on here showing all the 4x140 wheels that will fit. With that in mind however i would hop over to the classifieds. Carfreak85 has a set of gold Enkei's for sale for a reasonable price that would look PERFECT on your car. As far as suspension there is nothing aftermarket for these cars. You will have to make your own stuff if you want it to perform better. I took a EA81 coupe pretty far but if i did it again i would want more. Basically my recipe was this: EA81 Turbo front sway bar (its solid instead of hollow) EA81 turbo front springs cut down one full coil KYB GR2 struts and shocks XT6 rear sway bar welded onto the lower control arms and shortened. All that stiffened it up considerably I'm sure i could have done more. How low are you looking to go? You really don't want the tucked look because the suspension is not designed for that and it will handle and ride like poo. Edited October 25, 2015 by hatchsub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgmbi1 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 Well I want 15x7 rims and I don't think I would have to lower it at all then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgmbi1 Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 But if I were to maybe 3in 4in max Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadsubiedog Posted October 28, 2015 Share Posted October 28, 2015 before going in for good looks i would be thinking about getting the motor running right. maybe i would do an oil flush. definately a radiator / coolant flush. tune-up. clean out the EGR valve and check/ replace the pvc valve. not too hard. new air cleaner goes without saying. having been sitting for 8 years is a real concern for all the seals. probably dried out and cracked and you will be leaking oil like an old Harley. get a book called " How to keep Your Subaru Alive " from ebay or amazon for about 12 bucks. even i, an amateur can understand it to do a lot of minor repairs and tune ups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.