New old Subaru '87

[MTSuby]

I know the first rule is usaully to search through previous threads before starting a new one but...

I'm buying an '87 wagon, 4clylinder, carburated, 4wd. 173,000 miles. Aside from typical wear, is looks like it's leaking antifreeze. The previous owner says he hasn't noticed smells or puddles under the car. What's most likely the case and how hard/expensive to fix myself?

 

We brought it to a mechanic and they saw no obvious leaking of the head gasket or water pump, but he said that without cleaning the engine it'd be hard to be sure.

 

Otherwise, what sorts of things are most common that I need to be aware of or look out for on this year car with this kind of mileage?

 

Thanks for any info!

[daeron]

well, the biggest thing other than rust to look out for is possible history of overheating. the EA-82 engine's weakest point is its cooling system, and how it relates to the heads and headgaskets. one overheat on an older engine is often enough to blow a headgasket, and sometimes warp or crack the head(s). when you say it looks like its leaking coolant, what do you mean?? it sounded at first like you saw a leak.. does coolant disappear from the radiator? if so then the oil should be checked, and if it looks like a milkshake-type slurry, then theres a blown headgasket (most likely). If the headgasket is blown, then you will either lose cylinder compression, leak oil into water or vice versa, or be blowing coolant or oil into the cylinder... which should produce smoke. the overflow doesnt bubble when the car reaches operating temperature does it? that can also be a common sign.

 

Im sure others whose knoledge is more thorough will come along and comment on anything i failed to mention, or may have led a tad astray on. this forum, if you get the car, will certainly help you in working on it :- )

[Syonyk]

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthread.php?t=32721

 

Some of that relates to SPFI stuff, but most of it should hold to the carb'd ones.

 

And the best way I've found to find coolant leaks is to get the engine up to temperature, and use a flashlight to look for steam.

 

If you're getting bubbles in the coolant, or you can't find a leak yet it's eating coolant, you're probably looking at either an intake manifold gasket or a head gasket (not too bad to change, but not trivial either).

 

-=Russ=-

[MTSuby]

Thanks for the help so far. The mechanic said that the antifreeze was too low to check. When I told the owner about that, he said the he remembers having to add some a few months back, but he hasn't noticed a leak, so I feel like if he's had to add some a few months ago and it's this low now, it's gotta be going somewhere. I'll check the oil.

I assume I'm right about the fact that a few months(how ever many that is) after filling it, it shouldn't be as low as it is now without some kind of leak..

 

That link is great! That list should come with every used Subaru when someone buys one.

[Sube dude]

Check the seal on the metal coolant pipe that's between the one rad hose (driver's side [LHD]) and the the front of the engine at the water pump. I've had a leak there in the past. HTH.

[Syonyk]

I would be a bit hesitant to buy a Subie where the owner implied that it had been burning coolant for a long time, unless I had a new motor to swap in, or a lot of time to find out what's wrong & fix it.

 

These engines really don't like running low on coolant. At best, you'll just have to do head gaskets. At worst, you could be looking at warped/cracked heads.

 

-=Russ=-