Just purchased '98 LGT Wagon, coolant positive for hydrocarbons.

[camroncamera]

I replaced the oil pump. The old one looked okay but had a loose screw on the back :/ (enlarged to show texture):

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4391

 

Carefully removed old and installed new rear main seal with premium Subaru rear main seal installer special tool:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4392

 

New rear main seal. Seems straight enough and at proper depth:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4393

[camroncamera]

Shiny!

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4394

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4395

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4396

 

Curious that the United Federation of Planets emblem is present on the valves:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4397

 

New Oil Separator Plate about to be installed:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4398

[camroncamera]

New headgaskets...

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4400

 

...also made by Starfleet:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4401

 

Head installed, putting in the cams (BTW don't try to torque the cam sprockets before placing the rear timing cover in place):

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4402

 

Front cam bearing carefully sealed:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4403

 

Nice view of the intake valves:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4404

[camroncamera]

Timing belt installed:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4405

 

I've yet to pull the "grenade" pin, just in case I've forgotten something and have to backtrack:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4406

 

Torquing the cam sprockets was a hassle but I managed it using the old timing belt.

 

Installing the new timing belt was a cinch after studying the following video provided by http://allwheeldriveauto.com/subaru-repair-seattle-timing-belt-idlers-explained/

 

Thank you!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1PunROR3VU&feature=player_embedded]YouTube - Subaru timing belt installation[/ame]

[camroncamera]

Block with the tensioner pin pulled and the timing belt covers on. I should have ordered a new timing belt cover rubber seal. The old upper seal was stretched and the old lower seal had broken in two. I made do with the old seals and a little weatherstrip adhesive.

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4412

 

 

New plug wires (and new plugs as well):

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4413

 

My dad in town lending a hand stuffing the long block back in. A third person would have been helpful, as the hoist I rented would slowly lower out of position.

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4414

 

It took a couple hours to get everything lined up just so, with a lot of shake and shimmy. I had the transmission supported from underneath as well, but it took a lot to get engine and transmission to be a happy fit: http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4415

 

About two-thirds put back together. I hope to fire it up today:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4416

Edited January 18, 2011 by camroncamera
Layout fixed

[camroncamera]

Mystery solved. Now we know who contracts with Starfleet to build their starships:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4417

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_XNPD380IpBQ/SCZKXzK_dII/AAAAAAAAAwY/IxGObdaHqOE/s1600-h/P30_7.jpg

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4421

Image credit: Jim Pugliese http://www.collectivemodels.com/

Edited January 18, 2011 by camroncamera

[subikid90]

Dang looks lke you are making good progress.

[camroncamera]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DX7lixcjl4]YouTube - MVI_5355.MOV[/ame]

 

Started on the first crank.

[subikid90]

That right there is a very good feeling lol

[camroncamera]

Hellz yeah!

[subikid90]

Now time to go have a little fun at under 3k rpms lol

[camroncamera]

Everything has been buttoned up, coolant filled with this stuff:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4422

 

I've been using it for years in my Scirocco and my wife's 4Runner. Use at full strength, no water.

[camroncamera]

Drove the car around the block yesterday. Auto trans shifts good, glad I didn't F up the torque converter not that I was really worried about it but I have read horror stories of engine removal/replacement projects where the TC was pulled out of place during engine removal and then their auto doesn't shift gears after everything is back together. I definitely paid attention to those stories, lol.

 

The car's plates are out of date and are wrong state, so I am going to get it registered before it really goes on the road. WA is a smog state so that will be first up. Washington has run out of three-digit/space/three-alphanumeric-character license plates [123 ABC], and has moved on to issuing difficult-to-read three-alphanumeric-character/four-digit plates [ABC1234]. We are considering getting a vanity plate (up to 7 characters including spaces) but have yet to come up with anything really clever. I kinda like [2 LEGT], my wife says [R SUBY]. Anyone got any better ideas than these?

 

And speaking of smog, there is one last little issue that requires resolution before I check the ALL DONE box. When the engine has heated up, there is smoke coming out of the engine compartment - not from the engine, but from the catalytic converter area. I *think* it is old oil sludge burning off the exhaust pipe from cleaning up the mess that the leaky oil separator plate left behind. I used a lot of grease cutter on the mucky build-up back here around the tranny/passenger axle when the engine was out, and I think some of it has washed down into the exhaust heat shielding and is smoking from the heat. I will have to investigate further. I believe the exhaust manifold gaskets have already smoked out. I hope there is nothing serious going on :/

[camroncamera]

Today I pulled the LGT out of the garage and idled in the driveway for awhile to get the engine up to temp and "cook off" some of the oily sludge on the exhaust pipe mentioned in the last post. A neighbor down the street who helped me hoist the engine to the floor a couple weeks ago came up to see the finished project. We BS'd for half an hour or so while the car was running, I didn't really see any smoke like I did a day earlier in the garage. I revved the engine in N a few times, and noticed that when the engine RPMs would come back down, they would come WAY down to 200-300 RPMs for a moment (I kinda though it might stall out but it never did) then come back up to 700-800 steady idle (also seems a little low). Otherwise seemed to run and rev AWESOME. I checked for good functioning heater (yes) and A/C (yes). Temp gauge read normal.

 

The neighbor walked on home, and I left the car running in the driveway with the heater off while I picked up the project trash in the garage for several minutes. When I next checked on the car (about 5-10 mins later), it had been idling for maybe 45 mins altogether. I saw that the temp gauge was PEGGED ON HOT, even though the car was idling great, like nothing was wrong. I immediately turned off the engine, and with the key turned to ACC I blew the heater fan and watched for a minute as the needle slowly came down a little. The radiator fans worked properly, and I could feel that the upper radiator hose was hot. After a little while I restarted the engine, turned the heater on and the cabin fans on full blast and watched the temp gauge slowly lower. I again turned off the engine and waited a few more minutes. Thinking maybe there was a bubble in the cooling system, I was eventually able to open the (brand new) radiator cap (the Evans waterless coolant builds up very little pressure as it heats up) and slowly add a little bit more coolant to the radiator until it could take no more (maybe 6 oz.) with the new "burp vent" screw open at the other end of the radiator. I then closed the vent screw and radiator cap.

 

After a break of about 15 mins, I restarted the car. It idled for several more minutes with the heat on, the temp gauge HOLDING STEADY IN THE MIDDLE. I then brought the car back into the garage and turned it off again for the night (and saw a faint wisp of smoke coming from behind the engine again).

 

Tomorrow I'm going to see if I can replicate the high temp gauge (do I really want to do that?) and try to get the brakes sorted.

[subikid90]

The best way to fill coolant on a boxer engine is elevate the front of the car and open the bleeder screw and slowly fill until it will not accept anymore coolant. It should take 15-20 minutes, and keep the heat blasted while doing this. Then once you think it is good turn the heat off, crank the ac and drive it kinda hard, if the temp gauge even starts to increase do it again until it is fine. Every time I have done it the first time it works perfect.

[camroncamera]

Thanks, that sounds good. I filled up the dry cooling system via the upper hose into the top water pipe in an effort to purge air from the bottom up. I had prefilled the heater core before engine installation, so I knew there would be very little air in there. I'll put the car up on ramps today and try to purge more air out of the system.

[johnegg]

and keep the heat blasted while doing this.

 

 

having the heat on does not help. it doesn't hurt but it doesn't help either.

 

on subarus, the coolant always flows through the heater core, always. the fan just doesn't blow air across it unless you have the temp selector on hot. so it does not matter if you have the heat on or no.

 

the last time i did it i use a tube and siphoned the coolant out of the jug, which was sitting on the strut tower, into the radiator. this was a slow process and apparently effective.

[camroncamera]

Idled the car again with the front elevated on ramps for about 20 minutes, burp screw open, heater fan off, A/C off. Idled great for awhile, temp gauge centered in the middle. Didn't really seem to get any significant air out of the system (actually lost a few oz. of coolant out the burp screw). Then I gave it a little throttle ~2500RPMs for a minute or so. Radiator fan came on. The temp gauge rose slightly and the check engine lite came on, and the idle speed dropped down again, 200-300rpms. Shut off the engine. Hot upper radiator hose, COLD lower radiator hose, COLD radiator and radiator cap. This is on a brand new Japanese T-stat and waterpump. Head scratching... needs new radiator? It was flushed prior to removal. I can hear the T-stat pin wiggle whichever hose I squeeze.

[johnegg]

when you say a japanese t-stat, do you mean a sunaru t-stat?

 

you either have air in it or your t-stat is stuck or your rad is blocked.

 

you just got this car, right? so you don't know if it had block sealer in the coolant , right?

 

it could be clogged but that is not usually my first guess. burping / air is my first guess. i can't imagine that the open vent plug would be different than the open rad cap but .... maybe?

[camroncamera]

when you say a japanese t-stat, do you mean a sunaru t-stat?

 

you either have air in it or your t-stat is stuck or your rad is blocked.

 

you just got this car, right? so you don't know if it had block sealer in the coolant , right?

 

it could be clogged but that is not usually my first guess. burping / air is my first guess. i can't imagine that the open vent plug would be different than the open rad cap but .... maybe?

 

By 'Japanese' I mean it says 'Made In Japan' right on it, but it did not come from a Subaru dealership. It came from my local (quality) import parts and repair shop. I consulted with the parts shop manager today over the phone. He explained that he cannot remember one of these branded T-stats ever being DOA (I don't remember the manufacturer, but it resembles the Kuzeh unit on this page: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/Kuzeh-W0133-1635045-KUZ-Thermostat/dp/B001FRYO1S]Amazon.com: Kuzeh Thermostat: Automotive[/ame]). Might have to pull this T-stat out and check it in hot water to make sure it is opening.

 

Yes, yes, or yes I'm kind of dubious about the air bubbles in the system but who knows...

 

The *original* coolant prior to the project had a sort of black pasty residue:

http://legacygt.com/forums/picture.php?albumid=796&pictureid=4310 but that stuff was drained, flushed, and rinsed, and the coolant overflow bottle was also carefully cleaned of this gunk. I cannot tell you if this is the Subaru coolant additive, but I suspect it is. I did not add this or any other chemical, sealers, or additives when I filled the system fresh with coolant.

 

This reminds me of the same problem when I was first having the car looked at by the local shop... maybe the real issue is the radiator, but... It seems to not be clogged, so I don't know. :/

[camroncamera]

Which direction does the coolant flow... from the top water pipe, through the radiator to the bottom hose & T-stat and into the water pump... or the other way around?

[johnegg]

Which direction does the coolant flow... from the top water pipe, through the radiator to the bottom hose & T-stat and into the water pump...

 

 

YES!

 

the only test i know for the rad is to drain it and disconnect the lower hose. then run a hose in the top at the cap. the water should flow out as fast as it ''hoses'' in, no delay , no build up inside of the rad.

Edited January 21, 2011 by johnegg

[subikid90]

You have to have a OEM t-stat, there isnt any other that works.

[kaz98gt]

You have to have a OEM t-stat, there isnt any other that works.

 

Not true, the NAPA one I have hasn't given me any problems yet, but the general consensus is that OEM is the way to go. I'd definitely save yourself the trouble and just go that route, even if it is a little more pricey.

[camroncamera]

You have to have a OEM t-stat, there isnt any other that works.

 

Yeah, I've heard that brought up several times in the last couple months that I've been on this board, but I'm not entirely convinced just yet. But it is in the back of my mind. Thanks for the input!