KZJonny

Most likely is. North America was behind by a year from most of the rest of the world for model releases. Does it specify BP/BL chassis code? If so, your should be golden. The 3rd Gen turbo Liberty/Legacies had EJ 201s? 204s?

Great news dude! Very happy to hear you got a good engine. Sometimes it's the little details that make all the difference. Also, maybe those rings were just sticking from having sat around for who knows how long.... Well, hopefully accurate, but if I were you, I'd settle for precise!

The car is practically brand new, it's an '05! Newest thing in my fleet by..... 27 years or so?? Next newest car is the '71 Datsun, so I'm hoping to get around 50 years out of the GT as well. Seriously tho. Unless some non North American manufacturer comes along that is making a manual trans, ICE, medium size wagon that has: -no cameras -no nav -NO TOUCHSCREEN!!! -a turbo -an actual key to start the car (no press to start) I think I am permanently out of the market for a "new" car. I'm going to keep the GT for good and a pick up whatever junk will get me through the winter for cheap reliably on top of that. When the OB gets too high kms, I'm thinking something really good on fuel like a Toyota Echo/Yaris or the like, I don't do any towing in the winter and seldom need tons of space when I'm not camping etc, so I really don't need 3 wagons around. Hence asking and planning now to have another engine waiting in the garage for whenever the current one eats it, or just needs a refresh. As long as parts are still available, I can keep on swapping out engines until you can't get them anymore. Sounds, on the whole, like a short block is probably going to be the simplest move and they are easily had (at the moment). I'll will use those contacts you guys sent me, but I always feel bad asking questions (even from the guys who know this stuff the best) and not practically being able to pay for their services. California is across the continent and the drive to New England and back would eliminate any saved money that might be had by rebuiling instead of just buying a new SB. I know there are some machine shops around here that do a lot of work on Subarus as well, so I will maybe take a drive one day and go ask some questions. I know sleeves isn't a job you can do at home, and I know my limits of what I am capable of doing/learning. Machine work is out, clearly, but I can assemble an engine. I've done a few air cooled 4-cylinders for my motorcycles, and while I realize it's not the same level of complexity, the principals are the same. I'll need some better measuring tools, but that's a permanent investment in myself, so whatever. I'll total the prices on parts and see where that gets me, as you said @Max Capacity. I'm going to say that if cost of parts exceeds 50% of the cost of a new EJ SB, then working in all the time +driving around + busted knuckles and labour it's probably smarter to just save up for an OEM EJ255/7 and build an engine from what I've got lying around + rebuilt heads from the donor.

Hmm. The exact opposite, really. If a cam lobe is touching a bucket, it is opening the valve, not holding it closed. It is 100% the valve springs that hold the valves closed.... In theory you can do this test without the cams in at all.... In the world of pure theory, it doesn't matter where the piston is for the test. That is based on the (generally unrealistic) supposition that all the wear in the cylinder is even, and the cylinder was perfect to begin with. Putting the piston to TDC at least levels the playing feild and puts all the pistons at the top of the bore, hopefully where there is less wear on the cylinder walls = best chance at getting decent sealing and repeatable results. Not to mention, that's where the maximum amount of pressure has to be contained during the combustion cycle... I would try to give yourself every chance of success and get some of the heaviest oil you have lying around into each cylinder and turn the engine over a couple of times. before doing each test. Might not hurt to turn the engine so each cylinder is verticle while being tested as well, just so the oil can more evenly run around the piston. Compressed air into the intakes to clean of debris, and then more compressed air at whatever part of the cycle has both sets of valves open might dislodge anything that was theoretically stuck between the valve and seat? I've got a flywheer somewhere for a 5EAT I'd give you for the compression test, but I suspect you could get something locally for less than the cost of me shipping you something. Hope something here helps, or you find some better way of doing all of this we don't know about yet! Fingers Crossed!

Is the (now-unavailable) home pro-tuning software *that* much different from the normal Accessport manager? I turned off the auto-update on mine as soon as I head whispers of the coming changes to Cobb AP, so I am still able to connect to the internet while using the software, but it is all still pre Green Power updates. Genuinely curious, since if I ever needed, I would drive to NY for a tune, it's not that far. And there would be no tracing work like that back across the border in a no-emissions testing province!

This is just to have a spare engine/short block in my garage ready and waiting. No hurry, and I would also rather not go the EJ20x route. They’re not cheaper in Canada at any rate… probably still $3-4K for a JDM import here. I can’t find a part number for just plain OEM piston sleeves, but I will keep looking. It’s possible you can’t buy them separately from the case halves? Reusing the pistons would be based on visual inspection and measurement to determine wear. *If* new OEM sleeves can be found, what do you see is the problem with reusing them? Worn pistons into new sleeves is wasting money? So it seems like the most reasonable, cost effective options would be looking for a used shortblock or case halves. Or a 0.020” (is that first size up on these engines?) over bore + new OEM pistons and rings, maybe main bearings if the current ones show much wear/done measure up to spec…?

This is at the moment just a thought experiment, my engine is fine and healthy, so I don’t need to do anything in a hurry. I pulled an engine from a parts car along with a pile of other stuff that ended up being pretty useful to me. (The VF40 out of it is now rebuilt and in my car, leaving me with a known good spare, etc…) With space restriction and building a garage in mu back yard, the engine was tarped up on it’s engine stand. I think during one of the more violent summer storms we got, some water found it’s way into the cylinders one one side. Not the end of the world, since I don’t know the history of the engine aside from the fact that it was installed into the parts car at 90K km, and the car had 230xxx when I picked it up (running) for $500 CAD. So, the engine was never a great candidate as a ‘spare’ without a refresh. The damage in the bore isn’t too bad, and I am pretty sure I just need to give the valves that saw some water a lapping. I’ll test all this in future. My question then, is given that sleeves +new rings would mean I can reuse pistons etc…. Is this the most reasonable way to rebuild an engine to keep as a spare short block. Doing a bore +pistons is a pile more money with no meaningful increase in displacement. Machine shop costs would be similar, or maybe more for the over bore, I would think… I would consider doing main bearings as well, because ‘while I’m in there’. Either of these options should net a refreshed short block I can build on if I have to, for like 1/3 the cost of buying an assembled RA shortblock or OE EJ257 shortblock. (I think?!) To be very clear, the car was not, I think well loved, or meticulously maintained, but there isn’t too much grot in the valve covers or coolant passages. I can clean pretty much everything and re-use it. The engine did not detonate or have a glittery oil situation. Just leaked everything from everywhere.

Ditto. I've only done the DOHC job once, but that's pretty much how it looked. No amount of messing with teeth and counts made it better. You probably already know this, but one of the cams (or more for a 20x?), most likely drivers side intake is going to on the valve buckets in this configuration. You can confirm easily enough by pulling the valve covers. Especially if you were planning on putting fresh ones in while the engine is out anyway. (Maybe you're not? But given the age of the engine, if not the miles, it seems like cheap insurance.) I mention this because forever ago when I did my first EJ SOHC timing belt change, I didn't realize the intake cam was "loaded" when in timed position, and it slipped off the bucket, spun, and nearly severed a tendon in my hand. That was a bad morning, and wouldn't have happened if I had known that one little thing.

It's funny, coz since I invested in good cordless tools and impacts, I seldom fire up my compressor anymore... Even tho I know how powerful the tools can be. It still just feels like a waste of time to wait for however long while it fills up, the running the hoses out the window, oiling the tools, etc...... You're right tho in that the cheap air impact that came in my set is probably like 800+ ft/lbs at 90 psi.... Project creep. Budget creep. "While I'm in there" I feel ya man. I think somewhere I started a thread about how I wanted to fix the minor exhaust leak my otherways stock(ish) LGT had to make it less annoying to drive. Fast forward to now and a "Stage 2.5" car with a JMPVF40, fully rebuilt suspension, complete exhaust system replacment etc.. etc... I am my own worst enemy. This! For the money, super awesome to have. This plus a 24-30" inch breaker bar, and you can get a lot done. I'm with you, in that I'm not too cheap to buy stuff, but I do need to have a think about how often it will get used. @Tehnation is totally right about the air tools and such. But if you don't have a compressor already, then add a few hundo to the parts list (+potentially a new 240V receptacle/circuit if you get a decent sized one, etc.....) I'll spend someone else money all day!!

Hey dude. Totally fair enough. But not all of us DO have one of those! Just offering up other ways of doing it that get the job done with what you got, or can pick up for not too much money. I've been using my Bosch 1/2" Impact (official rating 500ft/lbs, tho I suspect it is better than that on a fresh, large battery) for a few years now, and there is *very* little it hasn't been able to do. For a hobby mechanic on a budget, spending another $5-600 for the 1000+ ft lb tool that is only needed once in a while doesn't make a lot of sense. Sounds like Rumbly is willing to spend where needed, but this is also a bit of a budget build. That is a lot of coin for a tool that would be needed for 4 bolts on this project?!

My 500+lb electric impact wasn't able to do it… full charge on the biggest 8ah battery I had. 24” breaker bar was bending under the strain, and it took me basically doing a squat and press to crack them loose! I agree with you in general, but sometimes that just isn’t always going to work. Granted, mine had been sitting under a tarp corroding for quite a while….

Hopefully you have an easy time with all those tools, but I was able to get three with the old timing belt trick and a breaker bar. Drilled out the last one which really wasn’t so bad at all. It would be a horror show in car, but since you’ve got the engine on a stand, piece of cake. Almost forgot. I don’t know the spec for acceptable leakdown loss, but less than 7% is a good place to start. Engine will be cold etc…. So it might be a higher number than you want, but not as relevant as it would be under precisely correct testing conditions. Having consistency between cylinders is still more important (like compression testing). If one of those things is not like the others…. That’ll be you indicator that something isn’t right.

Short of finding the correct informtion about where timing marks are that indicate TDC, you can always use the engine stand to turn the engine on it’s side and use something non-marring (chopstick, plastic rod, etc….) inserted down the spark plug hole and watch it rise as you slowly turn the engine over. When it reaches the top of it’s motion, stop and do the leakdown test. Yeah, it’s totally shadetree, but if you turn the engine a few degrees past TDC, the valves will still be fully seated as long as that cylinder was on compression stroke. You can also pull the valve covers to observe that cam lobes are not touching the buckets. Leakdown test just needs the valves to be fully seated. Piston position isn’t critical since it is pressure *loss* you’re looking for, not absolute pressure generated. (Per compression test.) Fingers crossed for ya dude!

I suspect I would like it in the Winter! I don't care for weather much above the high 20s C. If I could do it all over I would probably have tried harder to find work in the PNW when I was done my contract there... Or maybe have gone underground in New Zealand and never left. Probably NZ. Every corner you turn there is some kind of crazy JDM Subaru of some flavour burbling around.

Man. So clean!! I pulled the heads off the parts donor engine I've had lying around for a while this weekend. so much oil and dirt everywhere... Yuck. Jealous of that nice looking engine, and also the warmth of Florida right now. I generally do love cold weather, but it's annoying when you want to spend a day wrenching on something...

Checked on Nasioc and if you can believe the interweb, they suggest valve lash should be 0.08" intake and 0.10" exhaust. Still a good bet to find the JDM FSM.... there may be enough difference in valve/cam/bucket configuration on the 20X engines that the setup is different?

I wish….. nope. We have the same things you have available, but more years with manual transmissions than the US. Valve clearances should be pretty much the same. They didn’t re-invent the castings and valvetrain entirely…. Setting it up to Ej255/7 standards should net good results. Others who’ve actually done this may chime in, for sure. But interestingly, for a fairly different OHC bucket over shim style engine, my ‘78 Kawasaki uses very similar cam spacing…. All aluminum construction with steel valves etc…

Repping Canada here, Metric system for the win. Maybe it's a cold weather thing, but I've always found multiplying or dividing by 10 to be a whole lot easier than 8 or 32 or whatever. Could be I'm just not too bright as well....

Not exaclty personal expertise, but I think I can save you a couple (dozen?) hours of poring over threads here and on Bob is the Oil guy etc... Use an appropriate oil to your climate/temperature and use scenario. The owners manual has some good stuff in it on that. If you go hard on your car at all, ever, follow the severe service intervals. Hell, do it anyway. If you're willing to up the ante on designer oils and long life filters, which isn't a bad idea. The only realy place you're going to get information on your OCI is by sending off samples for analysis. Pick an oil and filter combo, run it, and send some off to Blackstone or whoever. No amount of internet chatter will ever give you solid, scientifically backed results that what you are doing is working well or not, in your car, the way you use it. Good oil is one that is suited to the task and changed regularly. REALLY don't mean that to be condescending, so hopefully don't take it that way. There is just a literal infinitum of talk about oils and plenty of unfounded personal theory. There is also good scientifically backed information as well. Probably no harm in using the oiling habits of someone who has a car with the same mods as you, in the same climate, who drives it the exact same way, but even then, no guarantees. A couple of UOA's are cheap compared to a YNANSB scenario. I personally use the best quality oil I can get my hands on regularly at my local store, use a high quality OE type filter and change it every 5K kilometers or so, if that matters. But, I also only drive mine in the summer, seldom take short drives in it, and always let it warm up thoroughly before getting aggro with the throttle. My use case may not be the same as yours....

Correct on the second half. Each cam journal has an oiling port fed by the internal supply where it rides in the head. You'll see them when/if you take the cams out to do the tap and plug. If not, I'd be happy to send a pic of the heads I've got torn apart right now, just to see, if you're interested. The oil pressure in the AVCS cam end port is just to operate the cam phasing, it's not lubrication oil for the cam. A failing OCV, while it may cause other problems in your engine (separate issue) will not starve the cam of lubrication causing destruction. P0021/2, which are OCV related will probably result in damage if ignored, but that's not a concern for you now. It would be akin to the non-avcs exhaust cams in our 255/7s. It is perfectly fine without any oil passing into the end of the cam.

The more the merrier. Hell, if I were him, I'd probably elect to take the 3.6R wagon. Nice ride for a long drive, and it would probably do well to keep up with most of the crowd who aren't heavily modified. Only been in a 3.6 Legacy once and while I think the GT would overall outpace it on boost... that torque!! Not a bad ride.

No idea how far away it is, but had anyone shouted this out to@Max Capacity? I do not know him personally, but his contributions here have been very educational for me, and I think he is somewhere in New England?

Not a bad idea to keep track of codes you have then delete in future. May help with further diagnosis here or elsewhere. There are also a couple of codes for our engines in particular which seem harmless enough, but can be indicators of serious problems. Just and FYI.

Yeah. I follow all of that. I get that nobody is making or selling a thing, and the reasons for trying to design this op-amp etc... As much as it might be a "replace engine" light, the CEL light is useful to me anyway, and has pointed me in the right direction a couple of times well before I had a problem. I wouldn't want to have it on all the time and lose the idiot light functionality. Where I live I don't need cats, can have a CEL, and I unless I am selling the car, don't need to pass any kind of emissions testing. I am actually pretty sure even if I AM selling the car, it still doesn't need to pass an emissions test. That said, I bought a catted DP when catless were still available (and much cheaper!) And I spend time and money on all my vehicles to make sure they run clean and have functional emisssions systems. Climate change is real, vehicles are a contributor to it and I personally wouldn't be able to enjoy motorsports knowing I was running catless etc..... (Not a political statement, or trying to ruffle feathers this is just how I feel about my cars.) As the change from side to top feed has no impact on emissions, just that I can get a better selection of parts at lower prices, I do think it's a little silly that accomodations for that aren't being made by whoever.... But, I suppose it's a slippery slope, and if you guys have the EPA putting small shops under a magifying glass, I can see why you wouldn't want to tread there. Since for me this is entirely permissible within the law (Ontario, Canada) I grateful for the discussion at hand.

The diagram doesn’t involve a length of steel pipe and a bag of nails. I think we should be okay?! Really tho. I think lots of people aren’t looking to this to delete TGV’s, but just have the freedom to use too feeds. Maybe I’m biased here, but that’s all I wanted to do. I know a guy with a blown ‘07 engine, and I could get all the bits for cheap. The DIY op-amp would make it all work??!! In theory, a $100-$200 total cost for an OE top feed swap would be pretty good….