overheating leone

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 6:17 am

Can anyone help?
I have a 1986 Subaru Leone 1600cc. It is overheating and I have already replaced radiator and removed the thermostat. The waterpump doesnt make any noises or leak fluid so I dont think that is the problem. Motor is also gutless and strugles to get over 90 km/hr.

Suby Roo · Post by **Suby Roo** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:19 am

Try flushing your heater core out, sometimes they get blocked and can cause this to happen

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Tue Oct 14, 2008 7:20 am

G'day subi leone,

This can be a tricky one, especially if you've replaced the radiator, I'm presuming with a brand spaning new one... Some questions:

If you ran the engine without the radiator cap on does it blow bubbles constantly?

Any water in the oil? Is it using any water?

The uderly on the passenger side - is it wet?

How old is the water pump? Is it the original unit as far as you know?

The reason I ask these is because it could be: blown head gasket, hole in the heater core loosing coolant or the water pump - the rotating fins corrode off.

If your radiator is second hand I'd suggest you take it to a radiator specialist and ask them to rod the core - this will remove any gunk that's restricting water flow - pretty common in an old L. If the radiator place tells you that the second hand radiator is cactus bite the bullet and get a new one - check to see if its worth getting a custom one made. I had a 3 core made for my car - $450 last feburary, a standard single core was $333. I have had to remove my mechanical fan and replace it with another thermo which I did last week, it's been fantastic when 4wding.

Anyway, let us know about the answer to the questions. To check the oil one run the engine for a bit first - if its milky its a headgasket...

Also check to see if the radiator core if physically too hot to touch when the motor is really hot (but not cooking the motor of course!).

Cheers

Bennie

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 10:08 am

If you ran the engine without the radiator cap on does it blow bubbles constantly?
Nope

Any water in the oil? Is it using any water?
Nope and Nope

The uderly on the passenger side - is it wet?
Nope

How old is the water pump? Is it the original unit as far as you know?
Original as far as I know

Anyway, let us know about the answer to the questions. To check the oil one run the engine for a bit first - if its milky its a headgasket...
Oil Not milky

Thankyou very much for your help

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 11:10 am

I'd be sus about the water pump then - It may not be flowing water like it once did.

Cheers

Bennie

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:42 pm

Hey subyleone, does the beast have points in the distributor or is it an electronic one? Just wondering because it sounds like your timing might be retarded (sorry to be politically incorrect-Nah im not) as this will cause overheating in drastic examples and will also knock your performance i.e 'wont go over 90 k" and if it had points fitted poorly, this might be possible, so maybe chuck a timing light over it and see what it is running at?
Let us know, because keeping these beasts cool seems to be an ongoing thing.

Matatak · Post by **Matatak** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:50 pm

yeah get someone in the know to check your timing.

CPOCSM · Post by **CPOCSM** » Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:30 pm

DO NOT leave the car running too long without a thermostat otherwise your block will develop hotspots and cause all kinds of grief. Doing so will also mask more than it fixes. With cars I own that dont have thermostats I have had to put blankng sleeves in to stop the hotspot issues(Ford EL's, Nissan Patrol and soon the Mini will be thermo - less as well!!) as they restrict the flow of water through the engine and prevents these hotspots.

Bite the bullet and take it to a rad place - they will let you know exactly what it is - bush mechanics will only mask the issues and are a temporary fix at best.

My money is on the radiator/heater core being blocked and in need of a rod clean followed by the water pump(if this is the case - try and avoid the aluminium alloy ones - they act like a sacrificial anode on a boat and corrodes away).

Good luck though - let us know what it is when you do find out

Hooroo

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 10:46 am

Sorry to be ignorant, but can someone tell me what an uderly is? Dont wish to hijack this thread, but I have never heard of an uderly unless talking about cows

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 2:34 pm

Busdriver wrote:Sorry to be ignorant, but can someone tell me what an uderly is? Dont wish to hijack this thread, but I have never heard of an uderly unless talking about cows

Sorry, that way my "quick typing" typo - its meant to be underlay, meaning the sound dampening stuff under your carpet/lino floor

Also, ALL L series have electronic distributors - if yours doesn't, someone's been playing funny buggers on your L at some point...

Cheers

Bennie

Busdriver · Post by **Busdriver** » Fri Oct 17, 2008 3:56 pm

No worries El Freddo, I can usually work out what someone was trying to say when they have a typo, but that one had me beat. Never thought of underlay, only words that i could imagine were things like carpet, vinyl or floor,and I couldnt see how to get uderly from them, guess im just a boob sometimes.

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 9:57 am

the thermostat must have been taken out before I had the car wich was a good 8 months ago. Going to garage to get one soon. Also it doesn't seem to be overheating quite so bad now but still isnt right. It has been doing nothing for a month and a half would that affect it at all?

discopotato03 · Post by **discopotato03** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 12:41 pm

MUST MUST MUST CHECK the ignition timing . EA82's react very badly to retarded ignition timing . When I got my RX Turbo the timing was set to 12 degrees instead of 20 , made a hell of a difference setting it right .
The coolant temps were immediately lower and the part throttle torque became much better . That engine was 250K old when I bought my car and has just today clicked over 290 .

Any mechanic can quickly check and set the timing and idle speed , really easy to do - at least on an injected EA82 anyway .
Make sure you know the correct setting for your model (should be on a sticker on the underside of the bonnet) and insist on setting it to foctory spec to start with .

Cheers A

And did I mention to check the ignition timing ....

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:23 am

This motor is an EA71 but i will check timing once I get a timing light

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 6:08 am

Now i am confused. Car has been running sweet and gauge hasnt been moving as much but a cuple of min after a 20 km run i removed the radiator cap because it felt really hot. it was as it just emptied the radiator water rebounding off the bonet everywhere. burnt my hand too. anyway I'll be getting a timing light soon so ill have a look round with that and see what I find

chriSTIan · Post by **chriSTIan** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 7:39 am

Is your fan belt loose??
Its happened 2 me on a car(not subie) years ago,had overheating problems and all it was was a loose belt that slipped.

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:42 am

nah its got an electrical fan. but if it got hot without the gauge moving much then would i be right in saying that the fan wont come on either?

Post by **Alex** » Tue Nov 04, 2008 11:53 am

the radiator cap should get hot dude. The car will run at a constant 80-90degress. NEVER EVER EVER remove the cap when the car is hot. As youve found out. Its sooooooooo dangerous!

If it is runnning sweet again, it may just have had a air pocket in the system which has since bled out.

just dont take the cap off when the cars hot mate! unless you want serious damage to yourself and anyone standing around you.

alex

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:10 am

haha i ask you y do i always end up learning things the hard way?

subyleone · Post by **subyleone** » Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:14 am

oh and when i said it felt hot i was talken bout the engine and radiator