FujiFan not happy Jan

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:13 pm

EA82 Carb demise....

Just got home from work, engine stalled trying to park the beast. Was real cranky to restart (a bit odd I thoughts), finally started again finished parking. Got out and hey presto a coolant flow from underneath. Popped the hood and found what appears to coolant flow through a busted inlet manifold gasket (#1/3 cyl side). On the #2/4 side head gasket appears to have coolant just starting to weap through.
The plus side if there is one is that at least I got all the way home before she decided to let go.
When engine does start it struggles to maintain idle (Compression me thinks). Checked fluids and a quick visual this morning before leaving for 100Km round trip, was ok.
I'm thinking yesterdays final day of heatwave in Sydney was the decider after a long, slow, extremely hot trip across Syds roads to meet a forum member. At one point the temp guage indicated 3/4 and over (Not right up top though) for a quiet a while as traffic was at walking pace for some time. Despite my efforts in vain to slide the heater cont to hot and blower fan to max with all windows down and exchange some heat that way.
I do believe my cooling system was fully functional and at that point not loosing any coolant.
Now what to do as this has come at a sh@# occasion as time and money are currently in short supply/ high demand and my other car a work in progress not yet ready to roll.

Ironically I just got my hands on EA82T manifolds and turbo, but dont have heads let alone a complete block, ECU etc.

Whats a Suby man to do in these dire times?

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:27 pm

Man that sucks - these things always happen when its the worse possible time.

A couple of things - I wouldn't trust the factory temp gauge, when its high the temp is very very high, as in dangerously high. I've been there before and a couple of head gaskets later all good again. Then the next year you can guess what happened again...
If you've lost enough coolant the temp sensor for the gauge won't read properly as there's not enough coolant to cover it while everything goes bad under the bonnet.

Are you sure the leak is from the inlet manifold gasket or one of the little hoses under the carbie/in the carbie area? A pin hole can be hard to detect but will leak fluid quickly once hot. I've had this happen once before on my MPFI, it took me ages to find the problem and rectify it. My mind goes to worst case scenario when I find something like this, I then try to look at the small things...

Do a leak down test to find out if you've got a head gasket gone. Also check that your thermo fan is working properly and when was the last time your water pump was checked/changed?

Cheers

Bennie

steptoe · Post by **steptoe** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 5:35 pm

These recent HOT days have pushed a few old subies I'd reckon. I have had to manually switch both fans on and run heater to keep things about halfway on temp gauge. - actually thought I was running colder T stat too.

Dunno if you are same as me but find I can spend more time thinking about things than what it actually takes to extract digit, tools and parts and get into it.

Inlet manifold can be a bigger can of worms - what with inlet man bolts that won't budge, or do budge and still twisty broken.

That is why old subie players have a third - subie of course

cardboard tube of Silver Seal for abot $6 is well worth a try to plug an inlet man gasket

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Sun Feb 06, 2011 6:04 pm

Thanks guys - Truthfully I knew this day would come as the folks I purchased this car from did change the block/Cyl heads themselves and naturally I was always abit concern about quality of gaskets and skills etc. The heat of this country is really underestimated especially where machinery and electronics is involved. I would be quite satisfied for this to happen if I was ready/prepared to do EA82T or EJ?? upgrade, but thems the breaks.

Bennie - I realise these factory gauges are guess work at best. I know the thermo fan/switch was doing its job properly. The water you have me thinking(not sure if they used a new one) Fan belt tension correct. No pin hole leakes from hoses BUT the Inlet Man gasket has definately blown out on the #1/3 cyl side, I took a photo to make it last longer:p. I cannot see evidence of coolant in exhuast at this stage.

Steptoe - Have not yet done comp test etc. or decided where im going to do the work. Not decided yet on if I just get whole thing rebuilt/overhauled.

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Tue Feb 08, 2011 7:58 pm

Started her up today, topped up radiator with tap water ran up to temp. still spewing out coolant where I first located. Would start stalling again when warm enough.
*No real evidence of coolant in exhuast system.
*No external leaks other than above and a very small one from W/P bypass hose, due to corrosion.
*Removed the plugs to check for coolant contamination in cylinders/on plugs. All good. Plugs look like usual sooty selves even though changed them 3500 kms ago. What can I say!
*Cyl bores look consistent for an engine with some blow by (a little oily).
*Removed cyl head and radiator drain plugs and flushed cooling system at operating temp with high press hose. Not much there to worry about.
*Removed inlet man to reveal some very sorry looking gaskets. The most likely cause. see attached.
-Have some gaskets etc on the way from FROG.
Now to calm down and see how it goes in a weeks time.....

Post by **Captain Obvious** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 1:01 pm

that has to be the cleanest EA82 i have ever seen!!!, replace gaskets reassemble and drive it!! it would have been running shit coz of the water getting into the bore!!!

bryan

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 10:48 pm

Captain Obvious wrote:that has to be the cleanest EA82 i have ever seen!!!

Agreed!

The other issue could have been that if the coolant was leaking into one of the spark plug wells the spark plug may have started missfiring due to the spark intensity going else where from the coolant earthing out the sparkplug before the spark gets to the end of the plug. Clear as mud?

Best of luck with the new gaskets!

Cheers

Bennie

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 5:18 am

Yeah that is plausible Bennie, I can visualise it but that was definately not happening. While waiting for the parts I have been a busy beaver cleaning things up. Such as the threads in the heads and those pesky manifold bolts thats like to corrode. Also chemically cleaned out the cooling passages in the heads and block. I will be testing a spare thermosensor and the temp gauge in dash for performance.
As simple as this task seems, I will be meticulous with it so dont have to revisit. Something else will surely give me probs after this:twisted:

Jay

Post by **TOONGA** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:40 am

Fuji when you put those pesky manifold bolts back in a nice coating of anti seize will help stop the corrosion from locking everything up. from the look of the heads it was damn lucky you didn't snap one on the way out. As well I would suggest extreme caution when you tighten those bolts back up. you may want to have some helicoils standing by just in case.

TOONGA

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:24 pm

Thank for the advice TOONGA, will do. Although the bolts came out easily! Upon reassembly I will be taking my Warren&Brown to task with all bolts. I have already put new spark plugs (@ $1 each, deal of the century) in to correct torque as per the bible. New thermostat going in as a matter of course and pending time and transport options, rad into shop for a clean and scale:)
Taking no short cuts with this

Some day I shall upgrade the whole cooling sys with the good fruit before engine upgrade.

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 4:32 pm

Well despite having to wait another 23hours for new manifold gaskets thanks to TNT's poor customer service:mad: I have finally got it all together. New hose good quality hose clamps to replace those small bypass and carb pre heat. New Thermostat and gasket, plugs. Cleaned everything thoroughly and checked what could be check without removing heads and all that entails while waiting for delivery. Still seems to give me that stalling/faultering problem occasionaly when upto temp. Only taken it round the block so far. No external leaks so far but still uses a little coolant.
If it was back together yesterday evening I could have taken it to a mechanic/radiator shop for a pressure test diagnosis. No more time off work for another 10 days, grrrr.
This is feeling alot like heads off job now!

H-top · Post by **H-top** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 6:51 pm

looks odd with only 1 port and no spider!

EA82T BOOOOOST!

FujiFan · Post by **FujiFan** » Tue Feb 15, 2011 7:04 pm

looks weak I know, patience is not a virtue of mine. But I simply must do the conversion properly the first time.
Took the mongrel for a strap to pickup pizzas before (tight arse tuesday). Went good. Time will tell...

SubaruGL · Post by **SubaruGL** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 8:55 pm

Glad it sounds like you got things sorted out Fuji! I'm fighting with my EA82 and just did the manifold gaskets. Having some hose routing problems but I fear mine is going to have to be rebuild (spun bearing)... and as always, beautifully clean engine! If you don't mind me asking, what chemical cleaning product to you use to clean it out? I swear if I take the time and money to rebuild mine, its going to look beautiful in the process

Good luck with the swap to turbo too!

guyph_01 · Post by **guyph_01** » Sat Apr 09, 2011 9:01 pm

Yeah that's a very clean engine and cross member.I'd be also keen to know the method and products used to clean it up:p. Looks like you started with your mods too:)

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FujiFan not happy Jan

FujiFan not happy Jan

Update

update on my woes.