Noname 08 OBXT Rebuild Thread

[Nonamedude]

So I bought a cool car and then halfway through the country getting it home I did what so many others have done and blew the turbo and motor. So I'm going to spend the next while rebuilding it. I have never done anything more than basic part swapping before so this should be fun.

 

To start with I'm going to pull the turbo and send pics to JMP to see if it can be rebuilt and start checking my options. I'm looking at the vacation pics and it seems like you have to pull the exhaust to pull the turbo? That doesn't sound right but I couldn't find a walk through. I'm sure there is one. I'm going to go pull the TMIC and check back.

 

Well it's like 6pm here but my lady wanted to go out last night so I spent the morning recovering. Let's see how far I get.

[Infosecdad]

You need to pull the downpipe off to pull the turbo. Highly recommend JMP turbos, I have his custom VF52. He has a custom VF46 that he just finished recently.

[Nonamedude]

Yea as I started getting things apart I realized that's what was needed. Bolts are soaking in pb blaster right now and gotta find the hammer and breaker bar. Only got one out with ease.

 

Side note. Is there anything I shouldn't use pb blaster on? I was basically taught to go willy nilly with it.

[Nonamedude]

Well I got it mostly there. There is one nut on the down pipe that rounded a bit. I can't get it with my socket or box wrench. It's been soaked in pb blaster and heated with a heat gun since I don't have a torch. Not sure what to do about it. Maybe go get some vice grips and try heating it up again.

 

Also had one of the nuts that's on a headless bolt (not sure how else to describe it) pull the whole bolt out? Don't know if that's an issue or not.

 

Other than that I have the two bolts on the up pipe and uhhh 4 bolts on the down pipe, the coolant bolt, and what I think is the oil bolt off. TMIC is off. Got dark so I'll see if I can do anything during the week on it.

[Max Capacity]

Leave the turbo where it is, finish removing it when the engine is out of the car.

 

The time you waste getting that bottom nut off the stud can be better used pulling the engine.

 

There are three nuts that hold the turbo to the up pipe.

 

I bolt the turbo on.

 

[Nonamedude]

Ah that last nut looks difficult to get to with the downpipe still on. Picture helps a lot though. So you're saying get it off the up pipe and pull the engine. I was thinking it made me sense to wait to pull the engine until I actually had a short block or at least the money set aside for it.

 

Anything I can do in the meantime? Oil pan and stuff like that? I guess basically pull everything attached to the engine itself. So coolant and oil lines and the like.

 

 

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[Outblack]

Leave the exhaust manifold/up-pipe/turbo on the motor. You might have to use a hack saw or air chisel if you have it to remove the stripped/rounded bolt on the down pipe. I’ve had to cut a bolt off the downpipe before.....get oem bolts from Subaru, don’t replace with whatever fits you’ll regret it later.

[GEE-OTTO]

If you dont have a good solution for tight space nut and bolt turning, pick up one of these. You will quickly find that you only need a handful of tools to practically tear the whole engine down.

 

I have the above tool in my box, I use it more than most my geared boxend wrenches. For example I blew a turbo when I bought my 08 LGT pretty much same scenario as you. I picked up a used turbo and set out to swap it, the pivot head and low engagement angle and overall length help a lot for stubborn fasteners.

 

I would say pull the engine and tear it down to inspect what you actually need to buy new/replace so that you can nail your budget down! And you can send out the heads to have them gone over/rebuilt. From a motivation perspective it can get you down as you wait on parts or money for parts so having little task to complete helps.

 

 

 

Are you going to assemble the longblock once you have everything or have a shop assemble and time it and all youll have to do is mount the accessories?

[Nonamedude]

Oh that ratchet looks like a good idea. I was going to pick up an actual breaker bar too. I just have a 3/8 kobalt ratchet that happens to fit inside a pvc pipe I have.

 

I was thinking I'd pull the heads myself? Unless that requires more special tools. Then maybe not. But seems like something I could do. I've also never done timing but was planning to unless all of that really is just a pain. It's the value of time issue. That and needed tools issue.

 

Yea I was wondering about the bolts. I realize it's an exhaust bolt so the heat gets them all shoddy but thought maybe there was a good way to clean them up. Or just replace them? I've got a small dremel so maybe that or a hack saw.

 

Good to know not the pull the whole turbo yet though! Since I'm pulling the engine anyway.

 

 

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[Nonamedude]

So I'm looking at what is needed to pull the engine, and apparently I need to drain the fuel by pulling the pump fuse and running the car. Is that going to be an issue considering that the turbo oil and coolant lines have been pulled and there is metal in the small block? Or is there a better way to do this?

[Nonamedude]

So I got to do some more work today. Started by putting on the hitch, partly to feel like I made progress, partly to get it out of the way.

 

 

After that started going through the steps for the engine removal. Realized I was following the non-turbo ones when I couldn't find the air intake chamber that was shown. Was able to get through removing the radiator but need to figure out what to do about the a/c as I haven't drained the lines yet. Here's where it will probably sit for a little while.

 

 

Also I noticed this wire? thread? Based on the one on the other side I'm guessing that it is some sort of ground wire. Can someone confirm what it is/where it goes?

 

Edited July 1, 2019 by Nonamedude

[Max Capacity]

Do not drain the AC or PS just unbolt and lay them to the side.

 

Review my click here link in my sig.

 

Make up new ground wires to go from the valve cover or exhaust manifold to the chassis. Most of us have done that.

 

There are threads here about it.

 

Leave the intake and turbo on the engine until its out of the car.

Slowly Remove the fuel lines from the shock tower. Catch any fuel in a rag.

[Nonamedude]

July has been busy. Two vacations and trying to keep the civic running so finally getting to the outback again. I got the belts off and accessories out of the way and think I'm getting pretty far along but ran into questions as usual.

 

When I was taking off the PS pump to set aside (just unbolting from the engine) I had a bracket drop off and I'm not sure where it goes. It's like a wish bone. It may have been under the torx screws I didn't need to remove.

 

I also noticed there was a few drops that came out from this bolt on the back. Is that just from tilting it or is that an issue? I don't see much grime build up but the PS reservoir is over filled. It's the one my finger is on. Maybe two drops came out while I was moving it. Never touched that bolt.

 

Still trying to get that rounded bolt off the turbo dp. Unfortunately I don't have any air or power tools really and can't use them in my situation. So I got a nut splitter which made easy work of everything but the flange which I'm just slowly eating at with a chisel.

 

Only other issue is the crank pulley. I can't turn over the car with the bar on the ground and with it in fifth gear the thing just spins. Is this going to be easy to get off out of the car or is there a different trick?

 

Here's where I left it tonight. Should be able to work on it the next few weekends and I'm hoping to be ready to pull it either next session or time after.

 

 

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[Nonamedude]

Getting into it some and then going back and looking at your rebuild helped a lot max. It makes more sense the further I get into it.

 

 

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[Nonamedude]

So I've got a few hundred dollars and I'm putting together a list of things that I need to finish pulling the engine and disassembly of it. Figure I could go ahead and order some things that are less common.

 

Torx plus 50 for flywheel

Harbor freight engine stand

Engine leveler for hoist

 

I don't have power tools or an impact driver so I'm hoping I can do the flywheel and clutch with just a breaker bar. I'm hoping to pull the engine this weekend. Is there anything else I'm missing that wouldn't be in a normal tool set or I'll have trouble finding in town?

 

Also everything says to support the transmission with a jack. I'm guessing I can use a jack stand correct? I only have one jack and I'm guessing I'll need it in the days or weeks it's all apart.

 

Just kidding on the crank pulley. Just reading around and I don't think I had the front wheels on the ground when I tried. I'll give it another go before pulling everything.

 

 

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Edited July 30, 2019 by Nonamedude

[Nonamedude]

Well I'm at the part where I'm under the car trying to get the last few bolts out before pulling the engine, but everything is gnarly difficult. I can't seem to get the bottom bolts on the sub frame and lower engine mounts to budge. I'm tired of trying to chisel bolts off by hand. Any tips?

 

I've already soaked them in pb blaster and have a long breaker bar but nothing. Would a battery powered impact driver help? Torch? Should I just go buy a battery dremel and cut everything off. The hand chisel is extremely tedious.

 

 

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[blue wrench]

You should only have to remove the nuts/washers holding the engine mount studs to the engine crossmember. The mounts will come out still bolted to the engine.

[Nonamedude]

Yea those are the two that are stuck with one of them acting like it wants to round. Two nuts under the crossmember. And I haven't put much try hard into the trans bolts yet.

 

 

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[Nonamedude]

Well I finally got everything unbolted under the vehicle.

 

Got a six sided socket for one of the stubborn bolts but the other was still wanting to round so I managed to hammer a nut extractor onto it and get it off.

 

Took the downpipe off behind the further back cat after getting frustrated, couldn't get the o2 sensor off though even using a torch so I just unplugged it.

 

Since I didn't have time today to actually pull the engine, I went ahead and pulled off the turbo. It seems OK to me. There is an extremely small amount of play but I don't really know what I'm looking at.

I'll send off to jmp likely for a rebuild either way.

 

I also pulled the banjo bolt which was almost completely clean. I destroyed the filter pulling it out. I'm not sure how you guys get such in tact ones.

 

If the turbo is fine, and the banjo bolt isn't clogged. I'm now wondering what my problem is since I was pretty sure the turbo was blown.

 

 

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[Max Capacity]

Go back over all the connections and make sure you haven't missed anything.

 

 

The crank pulley can be removed later.

Edited August 26, 2019 by Max Capacity

[Nonamedude]

Yea I'll give it a good running over before I actually attach the hoist. Vacation pics say to remove the pitch stop and support the trans but I swear I've seen photos of an engine removed with it still on.

 

Right now I'm trying to gather everything and order parts.

 

So far I have:

Short block, oil pump, gasket kit on the way

Excedy oem clutch and flywheel

Lightly used oil cooler from a not blown engine

ARP head studs

Grimmspeed lwcp

Gates stretch ac belt

 

Still need to source:

Spark plugs (easy)

Timing belt and tensioner (I think consensus is to use aisin over gates?)

Water pump

Alternator/accessory belt or whatever it's called

Group n engine, trans, pitch stop mounts (having a hard time with this one)

Pcv valve (will check when engine is out)

Shifter bushings

Fuel lines (mine are now messed up)

Turbo inlet (mine is torn)

 

A lot of vendors don't list the obxt as being compatible with parts that work for the lgt or don't list either. Rallispec wanted crazy shipping for the mounts. Rallysportdirect doesn't seem to have the transmission mount?

 

With shifter bushings it just seems like everyone and their brother makes them. I'll likely order a sts and just get whichever the corresponding company is.

 

Waiting to hear from jmp about the turbo. Is there any benefit to changing out any of the hoses, oil or coolant, with new and or braided lines? Seems like something people do on bigger turbos but I'm guessing that's for increasing volume of flow.

 

 

 

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[Max Capacity]

Yes, only Aisin timing belt kit.

 

I have good luck with any brand drive belts from the auto parts store.

 

I have a OEM inlet

 

My OEM STI rear tranny mount was only $70.00 from the dealer.

 

The one in the wagon was the first MOD I did, bought the mount from the Wicked Big Meet when it was at a ski area in MA back in 2004. The Spec's mount came from the dealership.

[Nonamedude]

Short block arrived last night! Pretty excited. Is there anything I need to check for on it?

 

 

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[rhino6303]

Check for any damage to head mating surface and oil pan surface.

[schwab]

I know this is a little late, but what makes you think the engine is toast? Was it knocking before it died? Did it lock up?