Another overheating problem...

[johnegg]

http://www.car-part.com put in your zip and sort by dstance to see what is close.

 

you are in the NW, you should be tripping over subarus.

 

salvage yards sell used parts, good used parts, engines included. (junk yards on the other hand are shredding metal for scrap. some places do both.) they are not out the screw you by selling you a bad engine. it costs them money to replace it and their reputation suffers. and they have a lot of practice at identifying which ones are good and which ones are not. most yards have a 30 - 90 day warranty. but usually this equals a ''NO-DOA'' guarantee. which isn't bad. you buy, they guarantee a working engine. and with an ej22 you can be pretty sure you will get a running engine. used is a safe bet.

 

some will even warranty the labor to pull and install if the first one is bad, but you pay a higher price for those engines.

[snederhiser]

Hello Mailman;

If I were in your boat, get the old engine out and tear this down. Look at the hydralic timing tensioner first. Does it look like it has run out of adjustment? How does the timing belt and rollers look? Pull the water pump and inspect this. Then pull the heads and inspect. Look at the cylinder bores and inspect. You can take the heads to a machine shop and have a valve job done. Have them checked for flatness and cracks. What happened to me was the deck on the block had a low spot, causing the gasket failure. I made a flat sanding block and resurfaced the block. If you need help, just post. Will be keeping the eyeball open, Steven.

[mailman]

Thanks Steven, that's just what I'm going to do. I'm sure I'll have questions.

 

I am tripping over Subarus but I'm relatively isolated in SE Oregon. The nearest engine on car-part.com is a 2.5 and it's 70mi away. Nearest 2.2 is 170mi away. All my local yard had when I did the control arm was a baja. I don't know why there aren't more here since there are a ton of them driving around.

[snederhiser]

Hello Mailman;

My Dad was born in Medford, I lived in Portland, Mt. Hood, and the Salem area. I would think Salem would be the closest area to find a used engine. Personally think that your engine is not hurt. Having pulled a few of these down, really amazed how stout these are. The reason for buying my 1992 Legacy wagon! Steven.

[Kennyfvholla]

I wouldn't replace the motor either. Rebuilding is the way to go. You never know what you're going to get out of a used motor, and you'll end up replacing the timing components, water pump, and gaskets anyway. Rebuilding will cost less than a replacement engine alone would cost.

[mailman]

Monday I was delivering mail for twelve hours, so I didn't get started until Tuesday.

 

I was planning on taking the motor out, but my friend objected and as it turns out, doing the head gaskets with the engine in the car is not anywhere near as bad as my reading had suggested, lol.

 

As suspected the gasket had a blowout on the cylinder with the lowest compression. It also appears that a previous owner has used stop leak or something resulting in a nasty buildup. Pistons and cylinders look great.

 

One of the exhaust valves on the bad side needs knurled, and the lash adjusters (I think?- the little pins on the ends of the rockers) have a lot of play in them compared to the other side, where they almost don't move when you push down on them.

 

Head has no obvious cracks but I will have it checked out by a machine shop when I find out if they can do something about the valves. Would it be easier to replace the rocker assembly?

[snederhiser]

Hello Mailman;

Here in Denver, the Pull and Pay yards are full of the early Subies. The cheapest option would be (for me) find a complete head w/rockers. You will also need to take your radiator and have all the block sealer flushed out or find another clean one. Be sure to check the heads and block for flatness, Steven.

[mailman]

The only head close to me is the Left side of a 96 2.5... we only have a few yards here and their selection is limited. Nearest 2.2 heads are about 200mi away in Albany.

 

So, the machine shop said that they could check and machine both heads, check the valves and fix as needed, etc. for $360. Compared to used heads which would run me about $200 for a pair. I know people aren't keen on rebuilding these motors but for an extra $160 it sounds like a good deal.

 

The main issue is time. The machine shop will take 4-5 days, and I want to get up and running ASAP so I can get back to work. Maybe I will throw used heads in and learn how to do valves on the old one.

 

I also have the 2.2 in my 1994 which isn't running right now; would those heads work? They have 200k on them but when it ran it ran good. Then I could send the old heads off and replace them next week.

[snederhiser]

Hello Mailman;

The last one I did, the heads were in great shape. Just had to clean them up and noticed a cam going flat. Also lapped the valves in and put on new stem seals. The cam and rockers cost me $45.00. $100.00 for a used head complete sounds good to me. $360.00 for a valve grind, cleaning heads, and fixing one guide sounds a bit high. I do these routinely for $150.00 plus parts, and rarely need much. We live in a throw away world, the reason not many of these are rebuilt. Steven.

[mailman]

I decided to send the heads to a different machine shop with a good reputation that can get them done in one day (they aren't as busy as the few local guys) for $212. But the shipping is going to put it at about a week anyway. Shipping cost wasn't enough to make it worth going to the local guy.

 

In the meantime I'm going to install the water pump while I have everything apart and try to get my 1994 running.

 

1994 had been sitting for a year or two when I bought it, but with a jump start it fired right up and I drove it around for a bit just for fun. I had to jump it pretty much every time though. If I let it run long enough I could get three or four starts out of it.

 

It was absolutely filthy so I cleaned a bunch of stuff. In my haste I forgot to disconnect the battery when I took the alternator wires off and it made a pop... I also got a bunch of cleaner in the intake when I was cleaning (it was also filthy).

 

I have a battery light, check engine light, and power mode light on when I put the jumper cable on it. Tried changing batteries, no luck.

 

I tried attaching the diagnostic wires, but the CEL just flashed continuously and steadily forever. When I put a 20A fuse in the FWD slot, I was able to get a Throttle Position Sensor code from the CEL.

 

Any ideas? Did I fry something?

[Zues Marine]

did the 94s have a fuseable link?

[mailman]

Yeah, it's in the front fuse box. How do I check it? All normal fuses are good. All grounds are OK and I have spark and fuel past the filter (which I changed).

[snederhiser]

Hello Mailman;

Look in the fuse box just behind the battery. I believe there is a fuseable link plus the main fuses, and assorted relays. Get out of the habit of jump starting your rides. I always remove the ground strap and use my battery charger. You are dealing with a computer that does not like power surges and low voltage. I will only jump start when it is an absolute emergency. If your lucky, just might be the alternator fuse. Remember that haste makes waste, Steven.

[mailman]

I've wasted a lot of cars in my day

[mailman]

What is this thing screwed into the block? This is the 94 but on my 96 it snapped off (the connector was bent back and it didn't have far to go). The parts stores had no clue what it was...

[Zues Marine]

oil pressure sensor

[mailman]

I still haven't been able to get it off... is there a replacement that gives you a true oil press. reading or just the light?

[Zues Marine]

it screws into the block so if its sticking , use some pb blaster and let it sit for a bit.

 

install an oil pres./temp gauge from there, if thats what you mean

[mailman]

Here are things I have heard while waiting for the heads:

 

"You're better off just putting them back on, if you machine them without doing the block it will cause too much compression and you'll throw a rod"

 

"Shoulda just put liquid glass in it"

 

"You need a shim between the head and the block when you change the gasket or it will idle rough"

 

...anyone know about the last one? I haven't read anything about it in all my research.

[Bandit240]

So far my wife has put around 2500 miles on my Legacy L since installing head gaskets. No rough idle, no leaking, pretty much no issues. I didn't do any machine work. Just swapped the gaskets outs.

[snederhiser]

Hello Mailman;

If the machine shop milled the heads, they only took off enough to clean up the heads. The last one I did, no more than 0.010 was taken off the heads and the block. Do not worry yourself to death just make sure and follow the torque sequence in the manual. Steven.

[cavemanauto]

Hey guys, the low heat issue is likely low coolant / air in system. Even a half L low will cause it. Subaru came out with a cooling system "conditoner" that was susposed to cure the head gasket issue, however all it really did was plug up the heater core. Subsegently the manufacturer had the dealers "dispose" of the stuff.

 

The way the overflow bottel works is, as it gets hot the coolant expands and is forced to the bottle, as it cools it contratcs thus creating a vacuume in the Rad and that's what pulls the coolant back out of the bottle. If there is a leak in the system, no matter how small it can't achieve the vac needed to do this.

Also if the Rad cap is bad it wont do it.

 

Cracked blocks are very uncommon, faulty head gaskets are known to push coolant out and fill the bottle when hot. And not necessaraly leak external.

 

From the look of the white spark plug I'd say your burning coolant.

And to have one hole low on compression points to that as well.

 

If its constintly filling the bottle after a long use I would have a HC test done.

 

And yes the issue is still current . At the dealership I worked at the most common repair was HG.

 

Hope this helps

[johnegg]

Here are things I have heard while waiting for the heads:

 

"You're better off just putting them back on, if you machine them without doing the block it will cause too much compression and you'll throw a rod"

 

"Shoulda just put liquid glass in it"

 

"You need a shim between the head and the block when you change the gasket or it will idle rough"

 

...anyone know about the last one? I haven't read anything about it in all my research.

if re-surfacing the head increases the compression enough to cause problems they took off too much. just like there is a max allowable flatness limit there is also a max allowable head shaving limit. the machine shop knows this stuff. or they are a really crappy shop.

 

did they tell you they needed to be shaved?

usually the amount needed is so small it is a non-issue.

some shops do it in house with a flat surface, thick glass, and the correct sand paper. it does not take long.

 

some dealers do not even send the heads to the machine shop. they just clean them and reinstall them. i HOPE they at least check them for flat!!!!

[mailman]

kinda what i figured

[mailman]

Are aftermarket hydraulic lash adjusters/valve lifters okay to use, or is this a part that should be OEM only? Several of them on the bad side don't pump up.