john in KY

Found the critical links. My 3 helpers aid in keeping the stress level low. Still unsure about the crankshaft sprocket. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day.

Engine is out and front cover removed. Can't find the gold links and how to remove the cam sprockets have us stumped. I'll post a photo of the sprockets tomorrow. For anyone in the future undertaking pulling this engine, there is a small inspection plate bottom of the bell housing. Forgetting to remove it and you will have a world of problems. The cover has a small lip that will snag the convertor and pull it for the transmission.

No trips to Ohio this year or even in the bear future. The county I go to has been a virus hotspot from the get go. Several nieces and nephews have contracted the virus but all have recovered. Getting the virus at my age would probably do me in. Should finish having the engine out tomorrow.

Just about to remove the front cover and stopped and backed off. Thought about what i was doing and the problem and concluded removing the front cover would accomplish nothing. The oil leak is behind the back cover and opening up that can of worms I decided above my pay grade. Decision was made to just replace the engine. Started on that this afternoon and stopped when I thought about that security system in newer cars. Can the engine be swapped without having the security system/ignition/whatever reprogrammed? Would really hate to go through the expense/labor installing another engine only to have it not be able to start.

All I know is that set of special sockets is/was a Craftsman. I'll do a photo tomorrow. As for the Vicegrips, I guess I still have a strong grip. Last week I found the torque setting for the cover bolts and the sequence. Did I print them out? Nah, I'll come back and get them when needed. Well now I can't find either on the internet. Need help. I need sort of segregate the different bolt lengths. The more I think about this leak the more I think it is the back cover with the problem. Going to take a chance and just do the front and keep my fingers crossed.

Got all the bolts out today. Discovered a special socket set given to me years ago designed to grip rounded off nuts/bolts also worked on the stripped bolts, except for 3. Got them out with Vicegrips. Can't work on it tomorrow. Will sleep well tonight. Those stripped bolts had me stressed out.

Got the radiator out this morning and started on the cover bolts. Stopped when I only got 10 out of 13 loose. 3 stripped heads. I hope it, the leak, is not something to do with the back cover because I have no plans to remove it. Back is sore and calling it a day.

The photo is the backside of the cover. More or less found the leak. Just to the right of the water pump is an idler. Fairly positive it has an O ring and that has failed. The leak is definitely leaking what we believe is the part of the casting [back half of the cover] that directs the oil back to the oil pan. Whatever, feeling confident an O ring has failed and went and ordered all the parts and will start taking down the timing cover tomorrow. Will post a few photos during the teardown. Sorry about the confusing photo.

If my friend isn't using his lift tomorrow, will get under it and take a better look.

"That looks (and sounds) a lot like a front crank seal leak. Maybe remove the crank bolt cover (10mm bolts) and the crank pulley bolt (22mm) and crank pulley and see if it's wet behind there?" I'm willing to do this after watching several videos but can't stop wondering how a failed seal can produce a leak on the back side of the covers.

"What a mess, with the crap on the front of the cover, I'd say it's coming from higher up. Front main seal, probably." The front cover is fairly clean. The photo is from under the car and shows the backside of the timing chain cover. Have yet to decide on a course of action. Does this engine have 2 crankshaft seals, an inner and outer?

Weep hole is left of the leak and dry.

Swapped it out when I replaced the cooler gasket. Located just above the cooler. Some photos: Leak just above the oil pan indentation. Friend has a lift. Eventually will get better photos. Does accessing that oil pump "back plate" means removing the front timing chain cover?

I'll work on a better photo. Leak between timing chain cover and oil pan, Thank both of you for replying. Not concerned about maybe having to pull the engine but very concerned if that chain cover has to removed. Those 50 plus bolts just too many to face.

???? Guessing the oil pump is behind the timing chain cover but my knowledge of this engine is very limited. I'll crawl under the car again but have no idea what these covers look like.

Photo just taken after engine idled for 2-3 minutes. I just looked all over the engine and swear the leak source is somewhere behind the timing chain cover.

08 Outback with the 3.0. Over the summer been noticing a slight oil stain on the carport. Two days ago noticed no longer a slight stain. This morning had to use the car for a 25 mile trip. Added a quart before leaving, checked at the destination and had leaked a quart. This afternoon replaced the oil cooler gasket and the oil pressure sensor and no change. Leak is a large drop ever other second at idle. Leak is dripping between the front of the oil pan and backside of the timing chain cover. Just eyeballed the front of the engine to see if maybe from the crank pulley but looks dry to me. I am at a lose where the source of the leak is.

Been 25 years since I had an 85 XT turbo. For some reason thinking the part of the pump where the fan bolts can be moved downward with a press. The turbo engine I believe required the shorter pump because of the thicker radiator.

Camshafts use 2 seals. Front one obvious but the one that always leaks is that O ring on the back side. I know the newer engine has 2 seals backside of the cylinder heads. Not sure about this engine but if there, both are leaking.

Find and remove the roll pin. When reinstalling, the roll pin only goes in one way. Very important: use the correct size punch to punch out the roll pin. Axles attached to the differential, not the transmission.

I know from experience that the coil bracket must be well grounded. Very remote possibility that small whatever it is called that is riveted to the bracket has failed.

Try using a C clamp or large vice grips to close the gap.

Just start disconnecting them one at the time.

The 87 will have the 3-speed. But if the car is the 87.5 model it will have the 4 EAT. An easy way the tell the difference is the intake manifold. The spider intake will make it the 87.5 model.

Just throwing this out there. Could be an airflow meter problem. After all these years that "flexible" air intake hose isn't. Check for cracks and insure ALL the smaller hoses are still attached. Many years ago my 85 XT turbo would just quit running. Eventually discovered a ground wire attached to the intake manifold, right side , was corroded. Whenever the ground was lost, the injectors stopped firing.