garthpro

I replaced teh rear main the first time as Most mechanics will say replace everything while it is open, NOT KNOWING that it is pretty tight and was probably not the case. THe first leak was definitely the separator! Drove it 20k and it started to show engine oil under there again. I think it was the access port, but I had already purchased a new rear main, so we put it in. I would love to see some pictures of the Tool that you made. what is the proper depth of seating that rear main anyway? We replaced the O-ring onthe access port with permatex around it. Couldn't get an O-ring anywhere in town. 3 day wait at either dealer. so!!!! It wasn't so bad with fork lift and hoist to get the engine completely out. Definitely the way to go if you can. since last time we pulled the tranny back. inthe hoist of course

I have a hoist and fork lift, so we pulled the engine out! very easy this way so far. Now to find the leak>? I can't. the plate isnt leaking, I pulled it, the perma-tex was great and you could see it wasn't compromised. ANy ideas?

'00 OBW, manual, 230k miles I replaced my rear main and oil separator plate about a year ago. It is now leaking again up there, can't see without pulling something. Last time we dropped the tranny and everything else back. I hear it is MUCH easier to pull radiator and move engine forward!?? ANY ideas?

I thought I finalized this one, but turned out I had a leak up in the clutch housing area. Changed out rear main and Oil separator plate. cleaned it all up. ran great until a few weeks ago, great mileage, 27ish. then started losing oil. Now I am seeing oil down under that clutch area again. and mileage is dropping. I think the clutch is covered with motor oil again. time to hit the books again.

It has only been about 8 or 9 months since the OSP replace. but almost 20k. I don't think we replaced the pvc valve. is that an easy fix? and could it have gone bad when I overheated due to bad HG?

Gotcha. when I get in I will reply

Had I done PROPER research, I would've known NOT to disturb it. Guess it's back to the tear apart. thanks guys. perhaps a stupid question, will I need to replace the clutch again? it has about 18k on it, but all that oil on it????

We did change the rear main seal, a *************** to get in, but after ruining two, we got a system and third went straight in. altho I was assured by the guys in the dealer parts that those were never the culprit (they asked why I kept buying them!) since the oil was low by about 2 quarts, I gotta figure it is the usual suspect, Oil Separator Plate! I did see now that it is much easier to move the engine forward than pull all the tranny etc back! live and learn. but if I find an 08 at the dealer, then I am using my IMBA discount and buying new. too many headaches for me. 0.0% for two years is the easy way out. 3 years of a constant problem with this one is long enuff, I give up.

'00 Subey Outback, 2.5 non-turbo I had a leak back there about 215,000 miles, noticed oil loss and mpg drop. replaced everything; clutch, new alloy plate, ~mar '08 now at 233k oil is leaking again and my guess is clutch is going as mileage is starting to drop. also some studdering in start from standstill once engine in Hot. Any reason why this frikin thing is leaking again? other than user error? Anyone else had this? garth

The shiite storm keeps coming, and I keep dodging the logs! I thought there was some sort of tranny leak, turns out the oil separater pan was leaking onto the clutch! = slippage at high speed or hi revs, = lower gas mileage on Highway, like 15-16mpg! I can only guess that this was due to the overheat of the blown HG?! new clutch, since the old one was soiled, new pan, and oh yeah, new rear main just cause I F'd up and yanked it before I knew any better. so 700$ for parts and labor, (I gave my buddy a few hungie for his help and shop, cost on parts!) and here we go again. first road trip was yesterday, 90 mph all the way to the trail head ~100 miles, and 26.7mpg, not bad. let's see if this will get me form 220k to 330k! thanks to anyone who helped out on this project. oh yeah, ps, got a light at the end of the trip, but F it. I will get on that when I get time. gas mileage is the only check I really go by, they call them IDIOT lights for a reason!

Not that it would help you much, but I used to have a "can" that had a heater hose attachment in/out and a fuel line that passed thru the can in a coil. When the engine heated up, the fuel going into the engine was warmer and expanded. Since the injectors (old carb system in this case) work on volume, the amount of "energy content" going in was "less" so the mileage went "up" as well. The prime problem was "vapor lock" (usually at idle). Injector systems with a fuel return line might take care of that issue by keeping the fuel "liquid" at all times. This is an interesting note, as I have seen the mileage in my '00 OBW skyrocket in the South on summer trips when the ambient temp is in the 90s. I have recorded tanks at 30-32 mpg(all Interstate, no stops) some of that with AC on! when earlier in the day up north I was around 28 (same all interstate NO AC!). I do a lot of driving and long xc trips for mtb'ing. I thought it might have something to do with fuel temps, but was unsure. Does anyone else have similar results?

hallelu-jah, amen, praise him. It was the valves! ETC over on the other boards gave me the steps and I finally got into a heated garage with a rack. took about 45 minutes. drrove in start stop for over an hour today and no codes. but #4,3,2 were all tight on the exhaust side. and the degree of tightness corresponded to the percentage of codes for that #. ie 4 was totally tight, ,1 was least tight. I didn't measure them, just pushed the .010 in reset it. if you recall, I last got codes in 4,3,1 so that's it I hope./ I will report again if something else comes up. There is a mysterious oil leak, seemed to be a blown pan gasket, so I cleaned it all up and re siliconed the pan. I'll have to wait a fdew weeks as there was no way to get all the leaked oil out of the tailpipe heat shild

they say it never rains in southern california, But it pours, man it pours!

have not tried it but will I saved the old one, but put a new oEM on 2 weeks back. I might try them both.

cool So I get home from the roadtrip, reset after reading the 0304, and do some city driving. It came back on of course, but today when I read the codes, I got misfires in 2,3,& 4 ! P0302,-3,-4 I will do compression test when I get back out to the heated garage and report back

coil pack was OEM new I will get the valves done. next maybe injectors too? that seems to be more likely due to the gas mileage drop that is a new thing. in the last month. and the HG was done in apriil 07. no problem showed for some time after that

Sorry I didn't note that I checked when I got home. same "S" P0304 misfire #4

ok, swapped plugs and wires to OEM and NGK platinum drove ~325 miles. no light, left the station after gasin up, less than a mile light back on. THIS HAPPENED while accelerating from a dead stop. also the gas mileage has dropped to 23ish highway, from ~26.5 preach away

my front sensor has at least 80k on it, that's the amount since I got it. but I guess, since they last up up to 180, purchased at 140k, it could be original.? what is the test?

Does that throw an independant code? or just the misfire code? P0301,2,3,4

I did this and it didn't change things. But I have since replaced the ignition coil. Gonna try it all, if it ever gets above 10 here! I lost access to my heated garage when my buddy flew south for the winter.

Read the codes yesterday at advance auto. same "S" P0304 so the wires are on the way. if that doesn't work, ? well, maybe that front O2 sensor then Valve adjust if all else fails... If that fails, leave the keys and drop the car in the hood I guess!

yup. I appreciate all the help.

ok, I will get a read, reset, and then make both swaps. thanks

Wouldn't I be able to check by swapping #2 to #4 wire? then re-read the code after it shows up again? Or is it possible that a carbon build up presented due to a poor firing due to the faulty Coil? Therefore the initial problem is fixed (new coil), but before the fix, it caused a secondary problem? am I thinking down the wrong path here? I am trying to learn how a professional thinks, that is why I ask so many questions.