Hello,

I just purchased a used Subaru Loyal wagon 1991 with AWD. I'm seeking information in two ways or options:

 

1) How can I get this vehicle running to use today?

 

I just bought her, no real history available other than: she was being driven, the motor shuttered (while at highway speeds), caughed, poped & acted strangely. It was towed & has been parked since. I bought it & towed it to my house. She cranks well, with much poping, sputtering. That makes me think timing issues. I have not checked anything just yet but suspect a timing belt is the issue. I so appreciate all the info on changing a timing belt & will dig further. ie: see if I have spark first. She has 225,000 miles was owned by a college student for 2-years whom knows nothing about cars. Not much otherwise in terms of viabable information from him. She ran really well prior to this inscident. So something significant failed to cause this end.

 

2) I purchased this vehicle, with all her existing motor issues, with the intent to remove the motor & convert it to all electric. I'm hearing from some folks that 4-wheel drive vehicles like this, are too heavy & thus not a viabable canidate for electric conversion. Does anyone have any experience in this realm?

 

I'm a scuba diver in Eugene OR, I need a car that can haul dive gear & perhaps my light Zodiac to the coast (125 miles one way, over hills @ night with rain). With the existing hitch, the 4-doors & storage space, she seems like an awesome & viable dive vehicle - with or without the gas motor. I have been told there is some reason for concern on the EV conversion as to the weight of the AWD system. Is there any other conversation on this issue out there?

 

Thanks for looking,

 

DebE

Timing belt sound likely, probably the non-distributor side of the engine. (Two belts are used, one going to each side of the engine.) If the distributor-side (your driver's-side) is still intact, you will still have spark and fuel, but will be hard to start, and run very poorly.

 

The hardest part of doing the t-belts is usually removing the belt covers, as the steel bolts jam in the brass inserts that are cast into the plastic cover. Instead of the bolts breaking free, the insert tends to spin in the plastic cover.

 

The engine is a non-interference design, so damage will result from any t-belt issues. There are quirks to doing the t-belts right, so if you do them please search for the info or inquire if you can't find it.

 

BTW, the Loyale uses a part-time 4WD system (as opposed to the common usage of "AWD"). Somewhat lighter than a true AWD, but not much so. The car is not particularly light (2600-2700 lbs, IIRC).

To ammend Northwet's comment, being Non-interference, there will NOT be any internal damage to the engine if the belt(s) break or slip. If the problem is the timing belt, slap a new one on and it should run like new

-Bill

I think it would make a great vehicle for your purposes.

If you feel it lacks the power you desire, an EJ engine, or a good strong

electric motor should do.

It'd have to be a pretty big one for hauling all the equipment you're speaking

of, but very doable.

Hope it helps!

 

Twitch

ok well I guess I'll be the jerk on this one.. can we get this moved over to the other forum? 91 loyale is hardly historic

Thank you so much for confirming my thoughts. This is my first time posting anywhere, so I'm not sure how all this works. The dark format is a bit difficult but the information is well worth it.

 

Non-interferance generally means the valves do not interfear with the pistons. So hopefully there is no damages. Your info on timing belt quirks is well appreciated. I'm going to dig towards that.

 

Your info here is awesome. Deb

 

Timing belt sound likely, probably the non-distributor side of the engine. (Two belts are used, one going to each side of the engine.) If the distributor-side (your driver's-side) is still intact, you will still have spark and fuel, but will be hard to start, and run very poorly.

 

The hardest part of doing the t-belts is usually removing the belt covers, as the steel bolts jam in the brass inserts that are cast into the plastic cover. Instead of the bolts breaking free, the insert tends to spin in the plastic cover.

 

The engine is a non-interference design, so damage will result from any t-belt issues. There are quirks to doing the t-belts right, so if you do them please search for the info or inquire if you can't find it.

 

BTW, the Loyale uses a part-time 4WD system (as opposed to the common usage of "AWD"). Somewhat lighter than a true AWD, but not much so. The car is not particularly light (2600-2700 lbs, IIRC).

To ammend Northwet's comment, being Non-interference, there will NOT be any internal damage to the engine if the belt(s) break or slip. If the problem is the timing belt, slap a new one on and it should run like new

-Bill

 

right on Bill, thanks for the clarification. Deb