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85-GL ES82 Wagon Dropped Valve?


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Recently picked up an 85 gl wagon with the 1.8 carbed engine. I've never owned a Subaru but it ran and was $100.00. After driving it to work I noticed it overheated when I slowed down at traffic lights. Temp was fine on the highway at 60 and it cooled down again when I picked up speed. I tried everything.....Radiator cap, thermostat, checked radiator flow, hot wired the fan and verified it had a new water pump in it from the previous owner. Finally it blew a hose and I decided if it had'nt blown a head gasket it was close. Therfore I tore it apart and replaced the gaskets cleaned all the carbon lapped the valves and checked for warpage. Put it back together set the timing and nothing. Could hear it fire but it was off. Messed with the timing for 2 days and finally got it to run long enough to set the timing correctly. Then it was like there was a misfire and it ran rough. Pulled plug wires and determined something was amiss on the number 2 cylinder. Figured I had knocked a rocker arm off getting the cam on so I tear the valve cover off and sure enough.....the rocker arm on the exhaust valve is on the lifter but cocked on the spring. Loosened the cam popped it over with a screw driver, turned it over by hand a couple times and called it good. Started it up...still alittle knock but not as bad...readjusted the timing a nudge and it sounded better. I then foolishly revved the engine to about 6000 and it sounded like a baseball card in bicycle spokes. I figured that the rocker had popped out and tore it all apart again. Wedged it back triple checked and tried to turn it over by hand. Engine stopped as #1 came to top dead center. Reversed directions same thing. Fished a piece of rubber out of the cam covers....still can't turn by hand. Kicked it over with the starter and it turned fine no noise. Tried by hand again still no luck. My bet is a dropped valve but I welcome any possibilites you might come up with. Thanks for reading this incredibly long post.

 

Kevin

 

and yes I realize it should be ea82....bad typing.

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If you were able to turn it over with the starter, I dont think it dropped a valve. You might want to check all the bolts holding the cam in. Sounds like something keeps coming loose. Also sounds like you might still have a timing issue.

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The EA81 has a two-step initial valve adjusting procedure which shouldn't really vary from the EA82 much, at least as far as Hydrailic lifters are concerned.

 

When initially setting valve clearance upon re-assembly put #1 cylinder at TDC and adjust both vaves for #1, and also the exhaust valve on #3 cylinder, and the intake valve for #4 cylinder.

 

Rotate engine now so that #2 cylinder is on TDC, adjust both those valves as well as the intake valve on #3 and the exhaust valve on #4.

 

Keep in mind that with hydraulic lifters there is a 15-minute bleed-down requirement that is done by having each valve positioned wide open and let the pressure of the valve spring take out the pressure in the lifter by the 15-minute wait under pressure. The zero-point is then determined by opening the adjuster screw until the valve closes and pressure is no longer present on the screw. Then, I think 1 and 1 half turns will set it. Not sure exactly about this but initial adjustment is with each valve seated and the lifter fully collapsed by the 15-minute bleed-down first. Check the FSM for your engine, it is outlined better there as a two sequence procedure with each step outlined more thoroughly.

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this should help, with an excellent light source and after removing the spark plugs you can actually see the valves opening/closing through the spark plug holes. being the up front cylinder, #2 should be easy to see.

 

i'd like to see a compression test as well.

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The EA81 has a two-step initial valve adjusting procedure which shouldn't really vary from the EA82 much, at least as far as Hydrailic lifters are concerned.

 

 

There is no adjustment for the valvetrain of the EA82. You either have good HLAs and Rockers or it's bad. I'd try getting some new HLAs, rockers and a new cam. If it was run with a lifter cockeyed then it surely mared the cam lobe.

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Thanks to everyone that threw in their nickels worth. Took it back apart checked the cam , looked at the rocker arm and decided it was marginally ok. Swapped some rocker arm positions and put it back together. Still sounds like a loud whirring noise leading me to believe the rocker jumped again. The good news is I can turn it over by hand again. At this point I'm just gonna save some money and buy a whole new head and cam for that side. The cheapest I've seen is $544.00 for the head and cam. If any one knows of a cheaper garunteed source I'd love to hear about it.

 

Thanks,

 

Kevin

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It's actually the rythmic clicking of the rocker arm knocking against the cam housing. The belts and tensioners are all in good working order.

 

Kevin

 

Hitting the Cam housing? That isn't right. The rocker shoudn't copme anywhere close to the housing.

 

At anyrate, I think youd be fine to just replace the Cam and rockers. You're head is probably fine.

 

If you need a set of Cams and rockers I have some. You have to be careful cause the Carbed cams are different than the SPFI and later years. PM me if you are interested. You're car is an 85, and you didn't mention a turbo, so I'm assuming Carbed. Is this correct?

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You are correct sir...it is a carbed engine. The reason the rocker is hitting the cam housing is that it keeps slipping off the tip of the valve stem. The head was marginal to begin with. The cracks between the valves were noticible but not too too bad. If I really wanted to just get by I could probably just replace the rocker arm and valve. How ever I just want to do it once and be finished and the new head and cam seem to be the way to go. I really appreciate your kind offer on the cam.

 

Thanks,

Kevin

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