Jump to content
Ultimate Subaru Message Board

Turbo XT


Recommended Posts

Im hopefully going to pick up a 87ish Subaru XT Turbo AWD 5 speed. It has a new motor and rebuilt turbo, air adjustable suspension wich works and every option and sunroof. BUT it has one thing wrong, well a couple, but one thing stopping it from running, he says it starts, but if you try to accelerate it just stalls. Now the guys a Mechanic and has his own shop but he injured himself and wants the car gone, no time. He says the Upper intake manifold gaskets are bad, the little paper ones, he tried replacing them with some make it yourself ones, but he didnt do it well and he says thiers a massive vacuum leak and thats why. Hes already checked and replaced the fuel pump. Sound like this could be the problem?

 

Some details is its silver, the body is decent, paints oxidized and has a couple dents and peel, and they want 350$ for it, and it has new tires and good glass.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Shoot - that's pocket change. I'd pick it up in a heartbeat. =)

 

As far as what's wrong with it - sounds like it might be a massive vacuum leak - makes sense, at least. Idles well enough b/c you can get a vacuum with such a low air volume requirement. But then when you open the butterfly you lose all your vacuum and the engine chokes. At least, that's how I'm thinking about it.. Could be wrong.. ;) Grab yourself a vacuum guage and check, if you're worried about it.

 

If I were you, I'd just check compression on the cylinders, and if all looks well, buy it. If you can't fix it and get tired of it, drag it to Texas and I'll buy it from you. :brow:

 

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like a vacuum leak (however the reason it dies is because it sucks in air that's not past the MAF and causes a temporary lean condition...)

 

Check the PCV system (oil cap, pcv hoses, etc), check for any leaks in the intake tubing, check the vacuum hoses, replace those intake mani gaskets (get Subaru OEM ones).

 

For $350, definitely grab it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well he said he and his friend who own thier own mechanic shop put a brand new motor into it, but the turbo was blown and so he replaced it with a rebuilt one, he still has the old blown one in the trunk, lol. the motor looks REALLY clean like no oil stains or nothing, its definatly new or rebuilt at least.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im pretty sure im going to, But does anyone have any XT Parts cars here? Im gonna need some interor parts, the dash trim is busted or somthing, the glove box is all gimped out, and theres more, the front seats ripped abit, but the new motor and turbo is what makes me want it, i checked the oil, iv never seen such clean oil except in brand new cars.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Im pretty sure im going to, But does anyone have any XT Parts cars here? Im gonna need some interor parts, the dash trim is busted or somthing, the glove box is all gimped out, and theres more, the front seats ripped abit, but the new motor and turbo is what makes me want it, i checked the oil, iv never seen such clean oil except in brand new cars.

 

I see 'em every now and then in Pull a Part yards. There's also and XT6 for sale on CL right now that would yield the interior parts you need (and other vultures here would want other parts off of it)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I see 'em every now and then in Pull a Part yards. There's also and XT6 for sale on CL right now that would yield the interior parts you need (and other vultures here would want other parts off of it)

 

Hey Lemmie know any Pul yards you see them in, Im here in Omak and cant seem to find any, well, i havent looked futher than my 2 local yards, lol, but i doubt any other subaru has the same dash peices.

 

Oh and a couple questions, have a picture of the button controls on them, the one im getting has 2 of the buttons like, broken off, so i dunno what they are, its next to the cruise fogs and rear defroster i belive, the buttons that move with the wheel. And also, how do you operate the Ride hight control?? Like wheres the switch? And it has the big steel sunroof, is that removable? like if i go on a trip i can take it off and put it in the trunk?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

there are a couple guys here who are absolute regulars at the PaP yards. You might see if one of them can get the parts you need and send them to you for a modest fee, since you're kinda far away from those yards (I go maybe once every 6 months, but I happen to have impeccable timing and a tendancy to enter the yard within an hour of an XT showing up)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

manditory plug:

http://www.xt6.net

 

Thank you.

Also, thhe sunroof is removable and does fit in the trunk, as far as the pods go, mike or someone on xt6.net will know, but the turbos are slightly different from the 6.... also odds are that you dont have a height control switch(87.5s are strange tho) and the heigh is self controlling.

good luck

Link to comment
Share on other sites

called the local places, 2 of them dont have any, the good cheap U Pull yards, but the rip off freaking place that makes you wait while they get the stuff has an 85, 87 and 2 88s in thier yard! Damnit thats how it is with my Mazda 323, they have like 6 sedans and 4 hatches and my U pull yards i go to have like 1 and the other has 3 wich are to new.

 

 

Good news, im going back, hes charging the battery to show me the Air suspension, windows, locks, instrument cluster works and that it starts and doenst blow smoke or anything, but the wierd part was, it had no coolant from what i could tell. And do these things have like 2 coolant filler necks??? Theres on on the raidator then theres one thta looks like another near the turbo but it has no cap like he lost it

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow heres a pic of it, Im so happy, I talked to the guy and just was friendly and we talked for a couple hours and he knocked off 100$, its only 250$ now! Im defintly getting it, its an 88, and one problem that i dont like is that The motorized shoulder belt for the drivers side wont move now, the passenger one moves, does it have a fuse? Cause he said ti worked great but he was messing with some fuses and what not and now it doesnt work.

 

Also, we figured out the real problem, the distributor was missing a bolt and the other was loose, and the timing was retarded fully and we set it higher and it fired and ran poorly, but we still need to get the timeing right and i can drive it off.

 

Some recipts he gave me, 450$ turbo, 2600$ motor in it, and a new clutch! Wowzers what a deal!!

 

SUbaruXT.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like a pretty darn tootin find!

 

Regarding the fuse... I wouldn't think that just one belt motor is attached to a fuse by itself. turn on all the accessories individually and check their function. If you have one that doesn't work, check its fuse. It might be related.

 

If everything else works 100%, it might just be a dead belt motor. If the belt is stuck in the closed/locked position, you can simply use it by detaching the "emergency" buckle every time you get in/out of the car. My friend did this for years with his Peugeot after a belt motor failed and locked the belt in its normal use position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah, well mabye it was the gaskets, we set the timing and it starts but runs poorly up to 750-800 rpms then chugs and dies. so we decided to take off the TB and Intake plenum and low and behold the gaskets are TOTALLY wasted, theres like 3 stacked up, cut wrong, ripped, and one didnt even have a bolt tightend down. Sheesh no wonder, Im hoping it will run tomarrow so i can buy the freaking thing

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...