EA82 Exhaust port crack?

[RMVR53]

I have had an overheating problem for some time that continued to get worse. I finally pulled the heads last weekend and tonight finally got around to looking them over as the HG's didn't "look" bad at teardown. On one head I noticed about an inch long light grey "line" (yeah I have that feeling it ain't a line) in one of the exhaust ports. I had not noticed the smell of antifreeze nor white exhaust prior to the teardown, but it couldn't go 10 miles without topping the rad either (with 1-2 gallons of water/antifreeze). So guys, think its a crack and the head is toast?

 

On a related subject, I have a "spare" head that was given to me by a guy gettin rid of a bunch of Subi parts that I'll use if the concencus is the current head is bad. This head looks like its been flycut but other than that looks pretty good.

Is there a way to tell if its been cut?...is there a way to tell how much its been cut if it has been? On an OHC motor, is the tensioner able to take up the slack from a flycut? Any problem (other than too much compression) if its been cut too far?

 

thanks

 

Bill

[idosubaru]

cracks between the valve seats are common on EA82 and ER27 engines. i don't recall ever pulling a set of heads that didn't have at least one, i see more with than i see without by a long shot. now...every one i've ever had were benign, they didn't go all the way through or cause any problems. yours may. ideally the head should be properly pressure tested and milled at a machine shop, i have all of mine done that way. that's a ton of work and not worth any risk or guess work for me. that's not an opportunity cost i'm willing to take. if you're certain it was internal coolant losses then the cracks may be that bad. was the car ever extensively overheated? usually takes a trip into the red to make things real bad.

 

i'd even have the used one tested and milled. that being said...they'll check the thickness and surface spec's and see if it's out of specifications or not. with the proper tools i suppose you could do it yourself.

 

that it was loosing coolant is definitely critical, but a thorough diagnosis should have been made before tearing it down, or at least that makes your work now much easier. intake manifold leaks are not all that rare on EA82's, yours could have been something that simple. that's a common internal leak. loosing a gallon it should have been obvious if it was internal or external, so i'm assuming you're fairly certain it was internal losses? do you have your old intake manifold gaskets to look at or do the heads/manifold show any signs of seapage at the water jacket?

[daeron]

On one head I noticed about an inch long light grey "line" (yeah I have that feeling it ain't a line) in one of the exhaust ports.

 

 

Please forgive grossgary; he must be slipping his clutch tonight. The BTV cracks, which are acceptable, are NOT what you are describing; you are descibing the exhaust port crack which is, indeed, cause for scrapping the head.

 

+1 on resurfacing the other head though... the shop should be able to measure the spare cylinder head going on just as grossgary said.

[idosubaru]

no joke, exhaust port cracks definitely = scrap metal. he read correctly and got it straight - that head is trash, resort to your used one. a machinist should be able to check the spec's on it.

[Gloyale]

no joke, exhaust port cracks definitely = scrap metal. he read correctly and got it straight - that head is trash, resort to your used one. a machinist should be able to check the spec's on it.

 

I've had several Exhaust port cracked heads repaired. Cost was $60 bucks per head. If we're talking about a single port intake head, then perhaps just scrap.

 

But if it's a Turbo, Dual port head, don't scrap it. There are fewer and fewer of these heads left. And most of them are cracked or ready to crack. New ones are almost non existant and terribly expensive. Contact a machine shop that does racing motors. Have them refer you to whoever welds there aluminum heads.

[RMVR53]

will the timing be ok or do I need think head gaskets to make up what was milled off?

 

Bill

[Gloyale]

will the timing be ok or do I need think head gaskets to make up what was milled off?

 

Bill

 

Unless they milled off LOTS of material the tining wil be fine. Bigger issue is with milled heads on a subie is the intake manifold bolt holes. .020-.030 of an inch per side is about max before you have to hog out the intkae holes. But resurfacing only requires removal of .004-.005 ussually.

[idosubaru]

a machine shop will check those spec's, like he just mentioned, unless it's been specifically worked to increase compression it shouldn't be anywhere near causing any alignment issues.

[RMVR53]

ok next question...

 

differences between the turbo and "standard" EA82 head

 

since it was a turbo head with the exhaust crack...beats me how it got on a non-turbo MPFI engine since I've had the car since 1995 and it had 52k miles on it...but it has an extra oil pipe...is anything salvageable (such as valves, springs, etc) for use as backup on a standard head before I pitch the thing?

 

Bill

[Gloyale]

ok next question...

 

differences between the turbo and "standard" EA82 head

 

since it was a turbo head with the exhaust crack...beats me how it got on a non-turbo MPFI engine since I've had the car since 1995 and it had 52k miles on it...but it has an extra oil pipe...is anything salvageable (such as valves, springs, etc) for use as backup on a standard head before I pitch the thing?

 

Bill

 

The valves and springs are the same for all MPFI heads.(IIRC, All EA82 heads)

It has an extra oil pipe? passenger side rear of head near bottom? elbowing up? That would be the turbo oil return/drain pipe. Was it just capped off? I wonder If Fuji would have done that from the factory to use up old stock? What year/model car is it?

 

Please don't pitch it. You've got a PM from me