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Legacy died while driving, now wont start


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Its impossible for the piston or valve to hit the spark plug but something definitely happened. Dear god, I hope a piece of something(shrapnel from old turbo, piston or valve) didn't break off and smack around your spark plug. If you look at the picture you can see scoring on the metal next to the ground arm/electrode along the rim. That doesn't seem like a detonation problem that seems like ball bearings were bouncing around in your cylinder problem. You better do a leakdown/compression test. 

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Spark plugs take explosions to the face for a living. You better start praying that it got so hot that the spark plug got malleable and bent that ground from the combustion forces or you got a janky spark plug. But from those marks it looks like something else was going on as well. 

A single incident of going around a turn wouldn't cause all that. 

Did you hear anything else when this happened? Like something going through your motor? 

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I'm thinking broken ring land. Sorry to say that. A borescope may also tell.

 

Just re-read the first post... how soon before you bought the car was the turbo replaced ?

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305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

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On 7/18/2022 at 11:31 AM, Tehnation said:

Very true! Almost forgot the basics. You can't take anyones word on the condition of the car. At 250k+ miles, I would have done a compression test at least to check if everything is still sealing like valves and piston rings. OP have you done a compression test or is everything based on the old sellers word? People usually don't sell these cars in perfect condition, its like an oxymoron, if it was in perfect condition they would probably keep it lol.  Never trust anyone selling a turbo subaru! 

I personally would have bought this car knowing I was going to get a short block, heads, turbo, and so on. This is why I miss my 08 2.5i N/A legacy. turbo problems are crazy lol. I think it's short block time for the OP.

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Hey guys - so continued pulling the remaining plugs last night as figured I would do the compression test. Cylinder 3 was giving me some issues, in trying to nudge the engine over slightly I manage to crack a hole in the passenger side timing cover. Part has been ordered, will not be here until Tuesday unfortunately. So think I'm kind of stuck at the moment, dont think it's a good idea to crank the engine with a hole in the cover. 

There was an odd sound I've now heard 4 different times. It sounds like a high speed flapping noise, I was thinking maybe something with the wastegate. It always happened around 3K RPMs and I do recall hearing that noise just before the flashing CEL when car broke down. When I would rev the car a day or two ago, around 3K again I would hear the noise. That was before pulling the plugs. Not sure if the two are related. 

Turbo was replaced "shortly" before sale. I thought that was a good thing in the beginning, I now know how stupid I was. I've put just under 5K miles on the car since purchase. 

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Did that plastic piece fall outside or inside the cover ?

 

You should be able to put a 23mm socket on the crank bolt and spin the engine in a clockwise direction. Do not go the backwards.  I think its a 23 could be a 22 or 24mm. It's been a long time since I did that.

 

305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

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Yes, factory service manual. Notice I added the page for timing belt.

I think you can remove the covers without much work.

 

Spray the bolts on the cover with PB Blaster

DSCN4767.JPG

305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

Engine Build - Click Here

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4 hours ago, Jeremie said:

Hey guys - so continued pulling the remaining plugs last night as figured I would do the compression test. Cylinder 3 was giving me some issues, in trying to nudge the engine over slightly I manage to crack a hole in the passenger side timing cover. Part has been ordered, will not be here until Tuesday unfortunately. So think I'm kind of stuck at the moment, dont think it's a good idea to crank the engine with a hole in the cover. 

There was an odd sound I've now heard 4 different times. It sounds like a high speed flapping noise, I was thinking maybe something with the wastegate. It always happened around 3K RPMs and I do recall hearing that noise just before the flashing CEL when car broke down. When I would rev the car a day or two ago, around 3K again I would hear the noise. That was before pulling the plugs. Not sure if the two are related. 

Turbo was replaced "shortly" before sale. I thought that was a good thing in the beginning, I now know how stupid I was. I've put just under 5K miles on the car since purchase. 

High speed flapping at 3k rpm!? I hope you have a rainy day fund, cause its starting to seem like #ynansb.

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Forget the cover, just take it off because that motor may have to come out regardless. Do a compression test immediately!! 

The outside/side covers can come off easily! Remove them find the broken piece and do a compression test! You can crank the motor without the cover. 

Remember to pull the fuel pump fuse in the fuse holder behind the battery. 

Your compression should be well above 120-125 psi, ideal is something like 140 or 150 I can't remember off the top of my head. 

But the ticking at 3k rpm sounds like a rod bearing! 

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Ok, so I CAN do the compression test with the cover damaged how it is - just need to remove the cover and take off any of the broken pieces first? 

Will a possible rod bearing show up on a compression test? 

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I think you're right to pull the broken piece out, if you can find it.

You'll need to pull all spark plugs to do the test.

Rod knock is something you hear. 

 

With your luck, it fell on the belt and will damage the gear...  Have you tried to turn the engine over by hand yet? 

305,600miles 5/2012 ej257 short block, 8/2011 installed VF52 turbo, @20.8psi, 280whp, 300ftlbs. (SOLD).  CHECK your oil, these cars use it.

 

Engine Build - Click Here

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Would be dumb and an unnecessary risk to do a compression test right now imo, I'd wait until after you replace the timing belt cover and get any broken bits out from behind the cover. I know it's plastic, and there are unlikely to be any broken pieces under the belt teeth, but still. With how important the belt is, why risk damaging it.

Edit: I'm dumb. Jeremie is ahead of me. If you remove the side cover and remove any broken pieces, I think you'd be fine.

"Ok, so I CAN do the compression test with the cover damaged how it is - just need to remove the cover and take off any of the broken pieces first?  "

Edited by apexi
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3 of the 4 plugs are already out. #3 plug gave me issues which is when I broke the cover, I just stopped at that point. I have not turned the engine, turned the key or turned anything really since I broke that cover - didnt want to take any chances. 

Looking online, it does look like autozone has a borescope that can be rented. Maybe take a look with that while waiting on the cover and compression test. 

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I was just saying rather than waste time waiting on a new cover, you can move forward regardless. That cover has to come off anyway, so why not just take it off, find the broken piece make sure it fits the hole to ensure you got all the pieces. Cover doesn't need to be on to crank the motor. 

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In all honesty I wouldn't be buying covers or anything else until you do that compression test and confirm if your block is healthy or not. I would be worried about the $4k+ problem thats looming over your head! You have tapping at a certain rpm range, a spark plug that got beaten to death and a constant misfire on cylinder 2?!?!?! Who cares about the 30 dollar cover lol! You need answers asap as to determine whether you got the chops to rebuild or are going to sell it. 

Something happened and it probably took your cylinder 2 rod bearing as well. Best case scenario the damage is only in the head. You hear tapping sounds that are pronounced at certain rpm ranges, that already means you gotta pull the motor. You need to start thinking major surgery and not a bandaid imo.  

If I heard some bad tapping noises I would track that down immediately! Hope its something cheap maybe tensioner or something not #ynansb! 

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Yeah forget the covers at this point. The car is going to be apart a while.

Figure out what the problem is. Renting a borescope probably a good start to figure out why tf your spark plug looks like that. Compression/leakdown would be a good following step.

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Hey - sorry there hasn't been any updates. The benefits of living in apartments has apparently caught me. Cry baby neighbor complained enough times of me working on the car that now its not as easy. I got stuck trying to get the compression test going and had to stop - so at this point car has 3 of the 4 spark plugs back in (replaced damaged one) and the timing cover has also been replaced. Once that 4th plug is in I'll have to see about getting the car moved to be worked on, fixed, sold or whatever. :( 

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