theDirtyRue Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 Okay, I bought a new-to-me 1986 GL wagon yesterday. It's got dual range manual 5 spd, and 220k something miles. I bought it at auction for $250 before taxes ($341 after). It's gonna be for my step dad. He wants something to go to the snow with (his ford f-150 can't handle the snow that well, it being 2WD). Anyway, the reason it went so low is b/c it had a caution:overheats marking on it. I know this is a general question, but any ideas? I got a t-stat for it last night, gonna go instal that later today. If that doesn't do it, the Radiator will be next. I'm crossing my fingers that it isn't the heads, but I do realize that with that many miles it could very well be. Anyway, we drove it home, and it jumped up into the red shortly after getting on the highway. the oil pressure dropped significantly shortly after that. Figured that it was getting so hot that it was thining the oil... So what else could it be if the t-stat and radiator don't fix my problem? Water pump? Besides the overheating issue, there is a noise coming from the engine bay when accelerating in gear. It sound like a heat shield to me, but it might be the exhaust. What other things would make that rattling noise? any ideas? Okay, one more question, buts it's kinda a dumb one. How do I tell if my engine is a OHC or OHV? Other than those two problems, there doesn't seem to be much wrong with it and I think it was a pretty good deal. The CV axles don't click, and niether do the lifters. The Inside if pretty clean for a car with more than 200k on it. AND, its got a CD player!!!!! okay, thats not that big of a deal, but it less work forr me later.... Thanks in advance, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edrach Posted November 21, 2004 Share Posted November 21, 2004 Start from the beginning. Change the oil; check the coolant and flush it if you like--then change the coolant or top it up; unless the thermostat won't open, it isn't the cause of your over heating. With one that old I'd bet on the radiator, but do the basics first before you spend too much. You got it for a good price and you can afford to spend a little more to make a reliable daily driver out of it. Okay, I bought a new-to-me 1986 GL wagon yesterday. It's got dual range manual 5 spd, and 220k something miles. I bought it at auction for $250 before taxes ($341 after). It's gonna be for my step dad. He wants something to go to the snow with (his ford f-150 can't handle the snow that well, it being 2WD). Anyway, the reason it went so low is b/c it had a caution:overheats marking on it. I know this is a general question, but any ideas? I got a t-stat for it last night, gonna go instal that later today. If that doesn't do it, the Radiator will be next. I'm crossing my fingers that it isn't the heads, but I do realize that with that many miles it could very well be. Anyway, we drove it home, and it jumped up into the red shortly after getting on the highway. the oil pressure dropped significantly shortly after that. Figured that it was getting so hot that it was thining the oil... So what else could it be if the t-stat and radiator don't fix my problem? Water pump? Besides the overheating issue, there is a noise coming from the engine bay when accelerating in gear. It sound like a heat shield to me, but it might be the exhaust. What other things would make that rattling noise? any ideas? Okay, one more question, buts it's kinda a dumb one. How do I tell if my engine is a OHC or OHV? Other than those two problems, there doesn't seem to be much wrong with it and I think it was a pretty good deal. The CV axles don't click, and niether do the lifters. The Inside if pretty clean for a car with more than 200k on it. AND, its got a CD player!!!!! okay, thats not that big of a deal, but it less work forr me later.... Thanks in advance, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDirtyRue Posted November 22, 2004 Author Share Posted November 22, 2004 Well, I replaced the T-stat today, and wasn't the first to do so. After that and a test drive it leads me to believe that it is the water pump. The hose from the pump to the radiator isn't warm to the touch at all after the engine has warmed up. I'll do some more tests tommorow, and hopefully that will narrow it down. I do think that I will end up replaceing the radiator, just b/c it's in REAL bad shape and it may be clogged, causing that hose to not warm up... Another thing, the heater doesnt blow warm air at all. I was wondering what would cause that, something related to my other problem? Thanks again, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Regarding the rattle: try accelerating while in 4wd: It sounds very much like a rattle my 81 wagon used to have. It was caused by worn driveshaft universals, that let the shaft rattle around when under no load (ie in 2wd). If this is the case, the rattle will dissapear when in 4wd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 SHould be ea82 (ohc) in that model. if so, it will have black plastic covers over the cam belt at the front of the engine. The ea81 does not have this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 replace the raid, and flush the heater core... seems like 86's havea problem with the cooling system. I've worked on 6 at work that all had the same problems.. changing the raid and flushing the heater core fixed the problems. grab the pulley on the water pump. if it moves up and down at all, the bearings are going bad (or already are). It could also just be a bad air bubble in the cooling system. park it on a steep uphill, let it heat up with the raid cap off and watch for bubbles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flowmastered87GL Posted November 22, 2004 Share Posted November 22, 2004 Since you said it got hot on the freeway I suspect the radiator and coolant. This is why: When my 87 GL blew a head gasket it got hot while idling or going very slow around town. When my 87 GL-10 turbo needed a new radiator it was fine around town, but on the highway it got hot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDirtyRue Posted November 22, 2004 Author Share Posted November 22, 2004 Yeah, that was/is the problem with my 87. It's not the case here though, Once it gets hot, it stays hot no matter what it's doing. I think that I am just going to replace the water pump and the radiator at the same time. Even if it's only one of those thats bad, they both need replacement. I just really hope its not a cracked head. The hose not warming up is leading me to belive that its either the radiator or the pump... I firgured out the rattle; it was a missing clamp on theflexible pipe down to the evhaust. I'm hoping that I can get everything done by weeks end... I'll let you all know if it works... Wish me massive amounts of luck and cross your fingers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbianchi Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 best way to check for cracked heads is run the engine with the rad cap off if there cracked you will get instant pressure in the cooling system, even if its cold. thats what mine did and they were cracked, both, ouch! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sregor13 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Some one may have already suggested this, but I would check the Compression. Sounds like you have a warped engine. I could be wrong but I recognize those symptoms from the Various Blown Head Gaskets I have had on different Subies. Good Luck, hope you write to tell me I am wrong. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum3433 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 i had the same problem with my 84 wagon. i replaced the head gaskets and it was fine. and i had all of the symptoms as you. so i say definetley do the head gaskets, and a new radiator couldnt hurt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDirtyRue Posted December 7, 2004 Author Share Posted December 7, 2004 Alright, just spent all weekend working on it... I replaced the water pump, and even though it may not have been the problem, it needed it. The bearing sounds like a meat grinder chewing on some bolts... Anyway, that didn't fix my problem. I then noticed that the fan wasn't running. at all. So I checked the fan motor, it was fine. Checked the wiring, and got some problems there. Replaced the thermoswitch, that didn't help. A waste of $30. Right now the fan is hard-wired to turn on when the ignition is in the on position. I really don't think it's the head gaskets or a cracked head. The compression doesn't seem bad (haven't checked yet), theres no water in the oil, and even though it runs bit rough (cold natured, needs a tune up!), it doesn't leak a drop. Next up will most likely be the radiator. How does one flush the heater core. Someone above said to do this, and I'm thinking that it might help get some actual warm air blowing thru those vents!! thanks, I'll repost after the radiator upgrade... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
torxxx Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 to flush your heater core, use a low pressure water hose. like a garden hose. One thing to try before you replace the raid is park on a steep hill, let your car heat up with the raid cap off. Let it run until it heats up to about 3/4 to the H. watch for air bubbles coming out the top of the raidator. it could just have a big air bubble in the heater core Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chongo Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 Good luck, it's probably the radiator imop, replaced mine with a generic one and now it runs real cool, If you want my '86 GL wagon 4WD 5 Spd GL EA82 1.8 (177K) you can drive out here and use it for parts, I can't even seem to give it to charity and no one is interested in it here at USMB...stilll runs great but needs an engine re-seal and a few other things..........East Coasters????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 if it has a blown headgasket or has a cracked head, here's an easy way to check. Start the car and take a radiator cap off. If you see it bubble out of the radiator in a constant pulse, chances are its either one of those. If it doesn't do that, smell the radiator cap. If a head is cracked into the exhaust port like they sometimes do especially on the turbo cars, the radiator will smell like exhaust fumes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pwoens Posted December 7, 2004 Share Posted December 7, 2004 How does one flush the heater core. Someone above said to do this, and I'm thinking that it might help get some actual warm air blowing thru those vents!! I just did this on a honda before I sold it. May be different on soobs?? But here is what I did and it worked awesome!! 1. remove all radiator fluid 2. Take the thermostat out 3. remove bottom rad hose 4. place garden hose where bottom rad hose met engine 5. turn on the water and flush the engine you want a closed circuit except where the rad hose was removed and garden hose was placed. You will get antifreeze on the ground so cover your steps there. Just run water through it until its purely water. This should remove all air bubbles and when you fill it properly and burp it, should be no problems. best of luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDirtyRue Posted December 16, 2004 Author Share Posted December 16, 2004 Welp, went to the yard today and picked up a newer radiator and threw it in. The car no longer overheats, the heater works great, and my problems seem to be solved. This made my day!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theDirtyRue Posted July 25, 2005 Author Share Posted July 25, 2005 Well, My solution was short-lived... (BTW, this is now my daily driver) The radiator that I threw in the car wasn't good. It only seemed good b/c of the colder temperature outside. Now that summer has rolled around, it started getting hot again. So, since I had to get over to Idaho for a weekend a while ago, I replaced the radiator and thermostat again. Well, this now instead of getting hot on the highways, it gets hot sitting still and around town. Kinda frustrating. I'm pretty much positive that its either the head gaskets or a cracked head. I'm currently running no thermostat and just straight water, cause it leaking somewhere and its pointless to put coolant in it. Filled with straight water it still runs below normal operating temp, but as it leaks, obviously it gets hotter. Oh, and now the Passenger side CV is clicking and in dire need of replacement, and its leaking oil. I can't determine where from though. Basically I've got a lot of work to do on this in the next month or so... So, after all that, my question is, how hard/expensive is it to replace the head gaskets. That seems to be the next logical repair to me (am I wrong?) and it needs to be done pretty soon I should think. Also, how can I tell if its a cracked head or blown gasket? Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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