notnowles

John, thanks for the follow up with the o ring information/links. The car seems fine at the moment, but it would make sense for the o ring to be a cause of the no start condition we had yesterday. I will post again if the symptoms return. Thanks again!

Thanks for the suggestions! I'm still not quite sure what to think... A whiff of starting fluid into the intake with the air cleaner open, and we were off to the races. Seems to run fine, still no codes stored. The car was tuned up at a local shop a few weeks back. One of my theories is that, perhaps, they installed too cold a plug, which fouled. That's just a theory, of course. I could pull a plug later when it cools down to see if they appear to be the correct ones. Haven't road tested it yet because it's rush hour here, but will do later. Hard for me to believe that it won't run fine though as I have had it running for quite a while, engine revved up, etc. Not sure just yet that the final chapter is in but at least it's not a broken timing chain as I first feared! Thanks again!

Hello again, So today I got to thinking about this no start problem and I asked the neighbor owner if the car had made any noise when it first refused to start. The answer was no. So, I decided that my initial fear diagnosis of a broken chain was wrong with a capital W. No way a chain could have snapped on a start attempt w/o some sort of clunk or bang. The engine does have an unusual sound when it is cranking, but maybe that's my imagination. I'm used to a G1 EJ22. I checked this 03 H6 for codes (have a scan tool) and none were stored. This seems odd to me. I tried cranking it for a bit and it actually fired once or twice rather lamely, but wouldn't start. So, sorry for saying that an H6 had suffered a major failure at 70K. Soobies are better than that! Now, to figure out what is wrong with it... I'll have to figure out how to check those coils and to get into the fuel line to see what's there. Thanks to all.

No, have not done a compression test. Not yet anyway. When I say it freewheels, I mean it sounds like it has a broken timing belt. Starter spins the engine w/o resistance. I can see the crank pulley spinning so I know the starter is working and the crank is turning. If you have ever heard an engine crank with a broken timing belt, you know what I mean. Engine turns much faster than normal with the starter due to compression loss. It's the way an engine sounds if you remove the plugs and crank the starter. Thanks for your input.

I am looking at this car for a neighbor friend. She went to start it this morning and it didn't. When I got there, we tried it again and it's obvious that the timing chain (I believe it's a chain?) must have broken because the engine just free wheels w/o any signs of compression. Car has just turned 70K. I am experienced with my old EJ22 engines with belts and no interference. Just wondering if anyone has had experience with this and can guide as to how bad it's likely to be. I am guessing that it probably has bent valves (?) Thanks for any help/guidance!

I have a 91 wagon. Found a later (94?) in a local yard with good front fenders. I realize there is an extra hole at the belt line for an amber light which my car doesn't have, but wondering if the fender is the same, otherwise. (Thinking maybe my belt line moulding would cover the hole). I can see the 95 fender is very different with a different shape cut out for the parking lamp. I find new fenders on line for 92 to 94, but nothing for 90 to 91. Any wisdom/experience here appreciated. Thanks!

Thank you, Nipper. I have read about the leaking plates but so far have been lucky with the 90 sedan. The only leaks it has at the moment are vc gaskets, which I will do soon. (I did all the front seals on it when I did the timing belt some years ago) The wagon is still an unknown commodity but I couldn't resist it because it's a desert southwest car so it has a really nice body. I have decided I like the G1 cars quite a bit and had been watching for a solid one, so coming across the wagon seemed like a stroke of fortune. The 90 sedan has seen lots of winter salt, and looks it... But it goes great!

Thank you very much, Grossgary. Great information to have! One of the reasons I'm interested in the spare tranny is that I noticed what I believe was a bit of torque bind in the newly acquired wagon. I have only just gotten the car, so haven't driven it much, but when I pulled into my driveway, I felt a bit of shudder... So, first thing I am in process of doing is a fluid drain and refill. I figure I will do maybe 3. The tranny actually felt good on the road, with smooth, firm shifts, etc. but the fluid was old and smelly... The wagon has 150K on it, and I will be planning to do front seals, timing belt, water pump, etc. Is there anything else I should be doing as part of that timing belt job at the same time? Engine seems to run well the little that I have driven it. Any suggestions as to what else I should be doing initially? Would be interested in your experience as to how long things like ball joints, and such last. I just did a rear wheel bearing in my sedan at 120K because it had gotten very noisy. Thanks again.

I have a couple of G1 Legacys, a 90 sedan and a 91 wagon, the latter which I just bought. I am in the process of going through it to see what it needs, ordering parts, etc. I'm ordering things I need to buy new (timing belt kit) and looking in the U Pull It yard for a few other things. I lucked into a 90 wagon from which I bought a few things, and noticed it's a FWD, as opposed to AWD, which both of my cars are. I'm wondering if it's worth my trouble to try to get the tranny (4EAT) even though it's a FWD rather than AWD. Would there be any way to make the FWD unit work in my car, if needed at some point? Also ran across a 95 with a brand new looking radiator, not even dirty, though it's an aftermarket part, not OE. I see that the 90 through 94 is listed as taking a different part. Wondering if anyone knows what the differences might be, would that 95 part work in my early car? Not an expert on these cars myself... The reason for my interest in the FWD tranny is that the car shows just over 100K, which is pretty low for these cars in yards, in my experience. Often they seem to have a lot of miles, often more than 200K. Thanks in advance for any help with what may sound like dumb questions...

So now I am replying to my own reply! After posting, I realized the questions had probably been asked and answered previously, so I used the search, and voila, I think I have some answers to my questions. Happy February! Here in the Washington, D.C. area, winter has been better thus far than Spring usually is!

I have a 90 Legacy sedan with EJ22 and 4EAT. The body is lousy, but the engine runs great at 115K. I do oil changes at 3K intervals and keep an eye on things, as I should with a 22 year old automobile! I am keeping my eyes open for a newer car, preferably a wagon, with a blown engine for which mine could be the donor vehicle. How much later can I go in model years and still have something into which I can drop my EJ22? I am in Maryland, where lots of salt goes down in the typical winter (which this winter has not been so far!) so cars do rust around here. Also came across a clean used EJ22 engine with 109 on the clock, which I was thinking to buy to have a spare. Would be interested to know what others think that engine would be worth if I try to get it. Thanks in advance for any input, thoughts, suggestions, etc. This board makes for great reading, lotsa fun!

I appreciate the positives, and looking outside the rust belt for another example is a good idea. Funny you should mention the t'stat... I don't think the heater in this car is wonderful. I need to check to see how warm the engine is running. The gauge looks normal (a little bit below half). I checked a local auto parts store for a t'stat, and they have in stock a 170 which they say is the standard temp for that car. I used to use that temp stat in other cars as a "summer" t'stat, but most cars I have dealt with since about the 80s had a t'stat setting of around 190. If anyone else has experience with this question, I would be interested in your input. I should follow up by saying that this car looks pretty bad, but it drives very well, feels solid, has a comfortable ride, and cruises nicely on the road, especially given its 20 year old status. I need to track down a front exhaust pipe, that goes between the engine down pipe and the converter. Someone told me it's the same pipe that was used on a newer Forester, which is kind of hard to believe. Parts store says it's the same on all 90 -94 Legos. Thanks again for the helpful suggestions and words of encouragement!

Just a child, eh? That's funny! I have heard that they last a long time, but I guess I figure it's 20 years old... If it continues to run well, my idea is to look for a better body, maybe a wagon, that might need donor parts from my car. Thing is... This car is so old, that I don't see many around with good bodies of this vintage. I live in an area with lotsa salt on the roads in winter, and it takes its toll. I can be patient, though, and perhaps something will come along one of these days. As I recall, the engine in this car (1990) will fit a few years later (?), and the tranny (4EAT) maybe a couple of years later (?) Of course, were I going to put this 4EAT in another body, I would certainly dismantle it enough to replace that speedo gear. Meanwhile, the body doesn't look so bad sitting outside under a fresh blanket of snow!

Hey, I am glad to hear the fuel economy figures, which lead me to believe my old car is not doing too badly in that department. The CEL is kind of weird. It hasn't been coming on much the last couple of days, which I believe is due to the fact that the speedometer is likely to kick in at low speeds, and my driving has not been all that fast the last day or 2. I can induce it by letting the car idle in neutral for a few minutes, which is the AIC, if the code is to be believed. I still need to get my used one cleaned up, get a new gasket from the dealer, install it, and see what happens. At least I have been able to narrow my CEL to 2 different things: the VSS and the AIC. I am very happy to hear that the "converter dance" (I like that term!) happens to others. You know how these things are: You have a couple of known "issues" and then you're paranoid with every little thing that happens that seems the least bit different. With 115K, I am wondering how long the drivetrain in this car will live. I changed the ATF a couple of times in succession, and it is staying a nice pink color, and the engine certainly sounds good. Again, I'm a little paranoid, because I went through a dark period with bad injectors and they flooded the crankcase with gasoline... That said, with the most recent change and 10W40 oil, the oil has remained clean and unpolluted, and the engine purrs...