Hi- I have an '86 GL-10 wagon. It has been sitting for a while. I am
taking it to a mechanic, but i m not sure how familiar he is with
subarus. I am giving him a manual for just timing belts, and he is
talented. If they are put on wrong and they try to start the engine,
will it damage it? Or just not work? Since it has been siting for a
while, what do you recommend i replace? i am going the gas and oil
already. Thanks in advance!
The EA-82 is a non-interference motor. If he gets it wrong the engine
will run very rough if it starts at all but won't do any damage.
Is this the turbo model? If so make sure you have plenty of clean oil
flowing before the engine starts up. The impeller in the turbocharger
can spin 20,000+ RPM and doesn't take kindly to dry starts.
When I bring an engine back into service that has been sitting for an
extended time I start with an oil and filter change. After draining add
four quarts of cheap 10W-30 and a new filter. Remove the spark plugs and
squirt a little Dexron ATF in the cylinders. Crank the engine over
without the plugs until the new filter fills up and you have oil presure.
Bring the oil level back up to the full mark using ATF. Automatic
transmission fluid is a highly detergent light oil and much cheaper than
most of those additives that claim to clean up your engine.
When it first starts up you'll probably hear loud valve clatter. This is
normal. The hydraulic lifters tend to bleed down with time and it may
take a while for them to fill back up with oil. Avoid revving the engine
before this clatter subsides. Replace this blend with regular oil and do
another filter change at 300-500 miles. If you just got the car and
don't know it's history assume it hasn't received any regular
maintenance. Find the list of 30,000 mile items in the owners manual and
start working your way through it.
Later,
Joe
