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EDIT: Crap I just noticed I put this in Subaru Chat rather than troubleshooting. My bad!

Hi all,

So the Brumby is playing up again. 1991, EA81. She's overheating, and is lacking power in low revs. For example at 60km/h in fourth the whole ute shudders, and if I try to accelerate away from 60 it takes a fair amount of time. Dump it into 3rd and its alright, but at highway speed, or going uphill it is presenting a real problem. I have noticed it's taking more cranks to get started in the mornings aswell. Also shudders during corners, say slow 90degree turns around the 'burbs.

So here's what I've done:

Cooling issue: well I think I've nipped that in the bud now anyways, had the thermostat in a pot of boiling water and it wouldn't open, already bought replacement with gasket and have installed but not yet tested.

Power issue:
-New fuel filters, back and front.
-New spark plugs, Champion N9YC 0.8mm gap
-Checked timing, 8 deg BTDC bang on (running reg ULP)
-All HT leads appear in good condition, wasn't too long ago they were brand new.
-Dizzy cap appears in good nick, same as the leads, reasonably new.
-Air filter doesn't appear to be in bad shape, but not horrified by the idea of replacing it.

Thoughts:
-Ignition coil: Poor spark perhaps? Does anyone have resistance values from the FSM? I had it out today and measured the resistance of the primary and secondary windings and found 1.4ohms and 11.78kohms respectively. To me, and some internet research, these seem high and may warrant replacing. If so what do people recommend and what have others bought?

-Vacuum leak(s): this is a can of worms I have not yet dived into, and would like to avoid at this stage if possible. But thoughts were general leaks, PCV valve, EGR valve, maybe something obscure like a blocked charcoal canister? How are people diagnosing leaks these days? Due to the oil around the engine it has already been set alight by careless spraying and so was wondering if there's a non-volatile test.

-Check compression? I don't have a gauge, but I could fork out for one. Fingers crossed its not this.

-Fuel lines/Fuel pump: I guess the easiest way to check this is to pop a fuel line and see how it flows?

-Carb issue: don't really know where to start here, I am uneducated and unexperienced in this realm. But damn it if I won't pull shit apart for the hell of it.

I have noticed there's a hell of a lot in this post, but any ideas experiences and thoughts you have, aswell as answers to any of my questions will not go unappreciated.

Cheers Guys!

Pootcrum wrote:EDIT:

Cooling issue: well I think I've nipped that in the bud now anyways, had the thermostat in a pot of boiling water and it wouldn't open, already bought replacement with gasket and have installed but not yet tested.

how long was there a "cooling problem" and how hot did you engine get?

Power issue:
-New fuel filters, back and front.
-New spark plugs, Champion N9YC 0.8mm gap
-Checked timing, 8 deg BTDC bang on (running reg ULP) have you done the valve timing? thats always fun
-All HT leads appear in good condition, wasn't too long ago they were brand new.
-Dizzy cap appears in good nick, same as the leads, reasonably new.
-Air filter doesn't appear to be in bad shape, but not horrified by the idea of replacing it.
good start with all the things you have done but change the air filter anyway

Thoughts:
-Ignition coil: Poor spark perhaps? Does anyone have resistance values from the FSM? I had it out today and measured the resistance of the primary and secondary windings and found 1.4ohms and 11.78kohms respectively. To me, and some internet research, these seem high and may warrant replacing. If so what do people recommend and what have others bought?

go to a wrecker and try to find a coil or borrow one to check if it makes a difference

-Vacuum leak(s): this is a can of worms I have not yet dived into, and would like to avoid at this stage if possible. But thoughts were general leaks, PCV valve, EGR valve, maybe something obscure like a blocked charcoal canister? How are people diagnosing leaks these days? Due to the oil around the engine it has already been set alight by careless spraying and so was wondering if there's a non-volatile test.

what were you spraying the motor with to start a fire?
soapy water (dish detergent) in a plastic sprayer bottle won't catch on fire

-Check compression? I don't have a gauge, but I could fork out for one. Fingers crossed its not this.

check you compression as sadly depending on how hot the engine got you may have a head gasket leak thats going to the exhaust

-Fuel lines/Fuel pump: I guess the easiest way to check this is to pop a fuel line and see how it flows?

remove the dizzy top and coil lead then remove the main fuel line and get someone to crank the engine

-Carb issue: don't really know where to start here, I am uneducated and unexperienced in this realm. But damn it if I won't pull shit apart for the hell of it.

hitachi carbys are easy enough to rebuild normally the fuel plunger deteriorates and fuel goes everywhere but where it should

I have noticed there's a hell of a lot in this post, but any ideas experiences and thoughts you have, aswell as answers to any of my questions will not go unappreciated.

Cheers Guys!

my responses are in red

hope this helps

you could do what I did and put a carbied EJ into you engine bay

TOONGA

Well.. where to start.. I would recommend to do the basics first

1. Compression test.. this will tell you straight away whether or not to go any further.

2. Set your timing to factory as marked on your bonnet. Also check that the Vacuum advance diaphragm is working whilst you're playing with the dizzy.

3. Check the resistance on all HT leads ( don't forget the coil I've done that too many times )

4. Make sure you have some free play in your clutch cable ( to make sure release bearing is not touching pressure plate ).

5. Make sure all wheels turn fairly free ( not stiff but also not too loose )

That should be a good start.. we can go from there

also check the fuel filters, there may be two, one at the tank one under the bonnet.
mine was behaving the same and new filters fixed it.

Cheers for all the tips guys.

Toonga, I dont think the cooling issue will have had any massive effect, it was minor but still needed to be taken care of. Thanks for the coil tip, hadn't thought of that yet. And I feel the same about the compression test, its something I would like to know about even if it doesn't hint to my issues. And the fire, haha the fire, that was actually caused by Kmart Tyre and Auto. They were spraying something around testing for leaks, and there was a stray spark somewhere. Apparently the whole bay went up in flames, I am finding evidence of it the more I play around. Cheers for the fuel and carb advice aswell, I don't feel so wary of ripping into it now.

RSR, timing is set to factory, and all leads are in good shape. Clutch cable and clutch are not old, and feel good, but I might check it out anyway, its probably one of the easiest things for me to check out at present. About the wheels turning freely though... mine never have. Like never, they turn but stop the moment I stop turning them. Doesn't require huge force to turn them but a child couldn't.

Tony, fuel filters were the very first thing I did. Been down that path many a time.

No worries Pootcrum but I wouldn't trust HT leads even if they were looking brand new.. they tend to burn out inside out Also would like to know if the vacuum advance unit is work? as for the wheels not turning then make sure your gearbox is not locking into 4WD. Jack up one side of the car so both front and rear wheels are off the ground (opposite side still on the ground) and then try turning the front wheel. You should be able to do this freely.. if the rear turns then you'll need to investigate the 4WD system.

There is certainly no harm in re checking the leads, I did just buy a new multimeter after all. Vacuum advance has also crossed my mind, should be easy enough to check I assume. Don't know what total timing I should be looking for though?

Will be checking the 4wd tomorrow now, really don't want to be seeing that rear wheel turn.

Yeah.. I'm not at the workshop so I'm not in arms reach of the workshop manual (might be one on this site somewhere?) that will let you know what the maximum resistance those leads should get to. As for the vacuum advance, it's pretty easy to check, just pull the vacuum line off the vacuum advance unit and with a nice clean tube, put it on the unit and suck to create a vacuum, then put your tongue on the tube and hold for 10sec. If vacuum holds then all is good I have seen it done with a syringe but this way you'll need to remove the dizzy cap to see the mechanism move and hold (this is a good way if you're unsure of the vacuum)

Pootcrum wrote:fuel filters were the very first thing I did. Been down that path many a time.

Good!

Excellent advice from RSR as usual.

Remember these motors are basic (which is good) - need electricity, fuel and air. The carbies are not expensive to overhaul (or to have overhauled).

I'm guessing K-Mart were spraying WD-40 over the lines, which will seal up a leak from a moment, thus identifying it. Works sometimes, and sometimes it goes boom!

As you are in Adelaide, if you have the funds, a good service by the good people at Rising Sun is an easy fix.

Sven

Thanks S'ven..

and yes good idea about going and seeing Rising Sun you used to see Steve a lot on here :S wonder if he's still into the Subie scene?

Yes, still into his Subies but also likes motorbikes (road, motto and trails), Unimogs (I soooo want), boats - just about anything with a motor.

Still very much around!

Sven

Post whoring now...

You could try the ghetto fix - buy a carb from U-Pull-It and fit that - may work, may bring you a world of pain. (odds are in the latter)

I did this with my first L years back as could not get the carby working properly, and didn't have time or inclination to strip it myself - worked a treat for me, but I was lucky

Sven

Alrighty update.

Well when I went to test the replaced thermostat for leaks etc and I found it dribbling a little out of the gasket, so I nipped it up and CRACK! Damn housing cracked, so I spent the day today hunting for a new housing. Managed to get one brand new for $22 which is a damn sight cheaper than Repco and SuperCheap were quoting (~$66 and a 1 week wait). Thats in now and no leaks, turns out it was my fault, I went gasket->thermostat-> housing, instead of thermostat->gasket->housing. Not TOO expensive a mistake.

So that means I haven't had much of a chance to test other stuff today. But my 4wd is not locked, RSR you really worried me for a bit there. The HT leads are reading ~1.6-1.9kohms for the short pair (cyl 1 and 3) and ~3kohms for the longer pair (cyl 2 and 4) and about 1.9kohms for the coil lead.

As for the vacuum advance, haven't tested that yet, my vacuum lines are really plasticised now and a real mongrel to get off, so I didn't work at it as I have no tubing to replace it with currently. I am thinking it might be worthwhile me getting a length of hose that is not black and going through hose by hose and replacing ones that are too hard for my liking.

Still not convinced this ignition coil is ok, and haven't been to UPullIt for replacement. Might make a post over in Troubleshooting dedicated to hopefully discovering what the resistance of a new OEM coil should be and if the values I have warrant a replacement.

Thanks for all the tips guys, will keep this updated hopefully until I solve this problem. There is never enough weekend to fix a car in.

Sven, I actually like the idea of getting a second carb and rebuilding it, because even if it doesn't get me anywhere, it would be a good little project for me, and I will learn how they work much better, without any threat to the ute.

Another question though, when the engine is idling, my front fuel filter is full, no air bubbles, but the rear is only about half full, is this normal under idle? If I gave it a boot would it fill up under the extra flow?

Sorry to scare you.. it was just a thought to check. I have seen it many a time

Yeh it is good to check everything. A while ago (years) I was towing a trailer and suddenly lost drive. Turns out a spline in the drive line somewhere had worn down flat and detached. They said it was likely caused by someone either driving it on asphalt in 4wd or the 4wd locking on. I had to limp it to a local 4wd workshop in essentially RWD, interesting drive... so when you said it I had fears of $$$. But its all good!

I no recal if rear filter is before or after the elec petrol pump. Would not worry the rear is not full. Think of how long it would take to suck a fuel bowl full of fuel through the jets in these things, if your bowl is correct height see the dot etched on the midle of the glas window you should have no fuel delivery probs on acceleration. Do not waste time or money on used coil for flips sake! I have as a spare an oil filled coil from spares ten years ago, ended up using transformer style Bosch coil just for reliabilty sake more than anything - or was it that someone here claimed more power so i went out and bought one ??

Cool, I just don't want to make any assumptions when I am troubleshooting like this.

If I can't figure out if this coil is any good by the end of the day I reckon I will just fork out and get one, either a Tridon TIC033 or Accel 8140 SS. Unless there is no reason why I should not be going for a transformer coil instead?

I remember years ago there was a product out there that measured the spark power. You could check if they are still around.

Alrighty update time.

I have had bugger all time to work on the ute over the last few weeks, which grinds my gears but oh well.

Since last post I have replaced the air filter, dizzy cap and rotor. Cap and rotor showed signs of corrosion, but no carbon tracks anywhere.

A new symptom has developed however, about 3 times over the last week I have heard a small "pop", like a backfire, coming from the front end, not sure if it is from exhaust, or further up the line. I think I have read somewhere that a symptom like this could suggest a head gasket that is done? I bought a compression gauge this morning to test tonight. So far no oil/bubbles in water, and no water in oil (that I can see, havent had sump off or anything like that). No steam out exhaust either.

FINALLY got around to doing the compression test. PROBLEMS FOUND!

cyl #1 160 psi
cyl #3 160 psi
cyl #4 175-180 psi
cyl #2 <50 psi!!!!

So I am heading down to Motormate to get me an oil can with long nozzle to do the piston ring test, but if anyone is watching the forums at present any advice/experiences greatly appreciated.

Clearly #2 cylinder is bad for some reason, stuck open valve, bad ring, bad gasket I don't know. I would have thought that if the gasket was bad, both cylinders 4 and 2 would show low compression, but is there any significance to the high compression in cyl 4? Could that be a cause rather than a symptom?

Will be back in about an hour with oil can and hopefully a narrowed down list of possible candidates.

Regardless, this is now a mechanics job, I have not the means to fix this at home. Trustworthy Adelaide mechanics anyone? Preferably south?