DupermanDave

I cant even find the pin the way it is now. Where is it at? I was under the car for about 20 minutes feeling around and looking for it. Never saw the pin.

Trying to remove the transmission from the engine to get to the oil separator plate. I have all of the exhaust removed and the drive shaft out, but I read online I have to remove the CV joints from the wheels to get the transmission backed up away from the engine.

So I'm in the process of pulling back the transmission and need to get the cv joints apart. What swize bolt is that on the wheel? 36mm? Also, once that one bolt is removed, what else needs removed? I've been following this guide here: http://offroadingsubarus.com/driveshaft_axle_removal.html but it lacks pics.

Do I have to remove the front axles to be able to remove the transmission? This is where I'm stuck.

does anyone know if a good writeup for accessing the transmission and oil separator plate? I've been flipping through service manuals and I started tearing the thing apart today. Got the exhaust off, but now i'm lost.

About to tackle the project Sunday. Got all my days off lined up 4 days in a row (you think it'll take that long?) Got all the parts ($76 total. woweee). New parts look sturdy. The server guy mentioned a special bolt, which I ordered, that had special threadlock on it. He said it goes in a different spot than the rest. I can't remember where he pointed, but is the spot the odball screw goes into the spot with the big giant arrow pointing to it? -edit BeerGarage dude says "The odd bolt with thread lock already installed went into the top left hole with the arrow. Bolts use 4mm allen. Had to scramble to find one as the threadlock was drying. "

So basically I need to find the root cause of the error code. Find what's causing the sensor or converter to fail. Where should I start? Spark plugs and wires is where I was thinking (keep it simple for now) and try and torubleshoot any misfires (if any). What else should I keep in mind? What else should I look into replacing? By the way, the smoking hasn't happened again. It went away after that first day it happened. Could not find the cause of that problem, but I'm still keeping an eye on it.

replaced the PCV valve and no change. What usually causes this? It's a California model with 2 cats and 2 O2 sensors. Is this generally a sensor issue or a catalytic converter issue? I was also told it could be an ignition system failure with sparkplugs and bad wires. I thought the catalytic converter material was supposed to break down over time, not clog up?

Yeah, pics are good. I'd take some pics and HD video, but I won't have a partner to video the removal and I'll also be pressed for time. I also have no idea what I'm doing with this new engine, so I don't want to seem too ignorant.

How do you mean it "went" ? Will a bad wheel bearing cause the wheel to rub against the inside fender? We're having that issue, and It looks like the tires are too big (yet they look like the right size and are the same as my friend's subaru)

So the dealer should know what screws I need for this oil plate? What exactly does this oil separator plate do? My dad was thinking it was just a dust cover (so why does it leak?) But I tried to explain the situation to him and I couldnt reasonably figure out what this plate does.

gotcha. so order new screws from the dealer as well?

I've heard that too. I'm also a fan of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." I'll buy one just in case so I don't have to make 2 trips to the dealer, and if it isn't the culprit...at least I have a backup. I forgot about coolant. And RTV. I would have been in trouble. I think I'm also going to replace plugs and wires and PCV while I'm at it. Wife will be happy :-) -edit- Search seems to be down. I can't find the endwrench articles (or do any search for that matter). I'll try again tonight when I'm at home.

-bump- I'm not going to do an engine overhaul while the engine is out, but what else should I order while at the dealership? I have (1) oil separator plate, (1) rear main seal....anything else? People keep saying timing belt, so I'll consider that (even though that might add a day to this project) got my parent's garage reserved and I'm going to take 2 days off to tackl this (so I can have 4 days total to work on it)

If I yank the engine I'll replace seals. But if it's easier to go from the bottom and do it from the transmission, then I'll replace only what seals there are down there. I can't take too much time off work to fix it, which is why I'm in a time crunch. --edit-- screw it. I'm going to yank the engine from the top. I don't feel like spending days on my back under the car. Beside, I don't have any ramps or jacks to put the car on a lift. Anyone know of any step by step guides for pulling an ej22 engine?

Would it be easier and faster to do it by lifting the engine? I'm just looking for the fastest and less dirty/easiest route.

Aside from a swivel socket, what other tools will I need? I'm planning on going in from the bottom by dropping the transmission. Aside from a transmission jack, what else will be handy? I'm going to tackle this myself very soon. It's leaking way too much oil too quickly. Our parking space looks like we just dumped 2 quarts of oil on it.

I think so. There's a japanese specialist a few blocks down (can push the car if needed, lol) I'll see how much he will charge. I'm doing a facepalm right now because I didn't even consider an independent shop at all. I'd really like to do it myself, but I can't take too much time off work and I don't know how long it will take. I'll also have to do it at my parent's house, as I don't have a garage (live in an apartment building with parking garage) Is it easier to do it by lifting the engine out, or would it be easier to jack up the car and lower the transmission? I have access to an engine hoist, as well as transmission jacks. Which one would be quicker?

I sprayed the engine down and found the leak. Looking like it is the oil separator. Does anyone know what the dealer charges for this fix? I've never been to a dealer to have anything fixed. I'm mostly DIY, but this might take a while to fix and I don't have the spare time. Plus, we can pay for the fix after we sell the other car. So any ideas on dealer charges? What else can I do to slow the leak, other than adding thicker oil? (the leak has gotten worse since the first post.)

It's definitely burning oil. I recognize the smell. It's also leaking oil a lot more (I have another oil leak thread. May be the oils separator plate). I'm going to clean the PCV valve until I can buy a replacement and see if that helps. Maybe the valve is clogged up and causing more pressure to push the oil out causing it to leak more? (just a guess)

We had the check engine light come on. We had it scanned and the code was "Catalyst system below threshold bank 1" Possible causes are a rich A/F mixture, catalytic converter failure, or ignition system failure. The engine has also started smoking out the exhaust. Not a lot, just under high revving of the engine. Still drives fine. It's a 1996 subaru outback legacy. Body has 219k miles (im guessing original cat and O2 sensor) and engine has about 90k miles. Anyone know what could be causing the smoke and engine light? Im thinking O2 sensor, seeing as how it started smoking and suddenly started throwing the code.

Timing belt looks brand new. Actually, all the belts and hoses look brand new (barcode tag isnt even faded on any of them) This engine only has 90k miles on it. But while the engine is pulled, I'm definitely going to take a look at everything that I can replace and replace it. But for starters, I want to take care of the leak. Im going to take it to the pressure wash and steam blast the underside to narrow down where the leak is coming from. Can you see the oil separator plate from underneath the car? After I wash it, i need to know where to start looking for the drips

Eeek. Sounds worse than i thought. The mechanic wasnt a subaru mechanic, but he was a japanese auto specialist. Whats required to replace that gasket on the oil separator? Just separate the engine from the transmission and lift the engine out? -edit- http://beergarage.com/SubyClutch.aspx found that. It's for a manual though and we have an automatic. So the engine has to be completely removed and separated from the tranny?

The mechanic we bought it from said it was the oil pan, so I was just going to take his word for it. I also know you cant find a gasket for this and need to use RTV, which is what the mechanic did and it's what I was going to use. ANy brands you guys recommend? I saw some stuff meant for oil and high temperature uses at carquest. If it's the baffle plate, how hard is that gasket to replace? This leak is a pretty fast one. Small puddles form in minutes. It's barely driveable. So you guys dont suspect oil pan?

Hey guys! First post and new subaru owner. We (fiance and I) just bought a 1996 subaru outback legacy with the 2.2 L motor (whats the official name of this engine?) Very nice car! Only thing wrong with it is it has a leaky oil pan gasket. So I'm looking to replace that by lifting out the engine. I have a few questions: First off, I won't have any help unless I wait a month or two. Can this be tackled in a weekend (3 day weekend?) by one person? Second, I'll have access to an engine crane, so I'll be unmounting the engine. Other than the engine mounts, what else has to be unbolted/removed before I can lift the engine enough to remove the oil pan? Do I have to separate the transmission? If so, how do I do this? I did a search here (and on google) looking for some guide and tips. Couldn't find much. I'm mostly a Toyota guy (1989 pickup with the 22re,) but I'm really anxious to dive in and learn more about this new subaru.