[Camshaft pulley holding tool]

Dude, I got it! I was also wondering how to snag an answer to holding the camshaft. But then I remembered how I got my camshaft bolts off!

While you have the covers off put a visegrip or large crescent wrench on the hex shaped part of the camshft! Lock it up and rock! 60 ft/pounds for my 2.5 DOHC as I recall!

[rear main seal install]

Out flush-It took me three tries to figure this out or it GUARANTEED to leak!

[rear main seal install]

I can see this thread is a few months old but I am hoping to get a reply from this post. My current project is a 97 Outback 2.5 dohc I have had since 98. 230K miles, finally have to replace the ORIGINAL head gaskets. After getting the engine out I discovered the cheap plastic plate was leaking AND the rear main seal was leaking also. Well I removed the old main seal and drove in a new one. There was a groove in the crankshaft, so I elected to drive it slightly deeper. Unfortunately it was slightly un-even looking and I tried to even it up as I drove it in, it kept getting deeper, but I was not satisfied with how even it looked until it was all the way in. It is at an even depth all the way around now, but I am concerned it may be in too deep and may leak now. It looks like there is enough room to install another seal in there. Do I need to pull this seal back out and try again? I don't want to get the engine in to find out I drove it in too far and have a leak. If anyone has any experience with driving the seal in that far successfully without leak, please let me know. I know I'll have to ruin that new seal to pull it.

 

Put it out flush! I've had that motor of mine out Three times to figure out what the real problem was! The first time I started it it leaked, so I thought maybe I had cracked that cheesy little black plastic cover. I took it out and replaced the plastic with an aluminum cover and it still leaked! The third time I had it out I finally figured out it wasn't the cover but the depth at which I installed the main. I know your frustration, seems like it should be set back in to the stop> I won't have to do that again,I hope. gave the chance to hone my installation/removal skills though!

[Engine won't start after reinstallation]

I had the article printed out from before, there was a great write up with great color pics. Yeah the more I have been thinking about it the more I believe it to be the timing.

 

Currently trying to remove the front cover this time without having to pull the engine the 3rd time (yikes!). Got the rad. fans out but only have a 22mm long socket only a short socket will work without removing the radiator. I am resigned to the socket wrench with extension jammed to the ground while cranking the starter. If there is a better way let me know as that seems to barbaric of a method for removing the crank bolt but on the other hand a better option than removing the engine again.

Get a chain vise grip! I bought a cheap one at Princess Auto while I was in Canada for $8 and it has paid for itself twenty times over.

[What's your wrenching experience?]

What I'm under now is by far one of the most daunting tasks I have ever assembled. Pretty straight-forward, a longstory, but here's how it goes; I bought a 99 Impreza RS in Canada as a repairable. I was told all I needed to do was replace the blown motor in it and head off into the sunset. The motor I pulled out was a phase two 2.2 and the first thing I did was find a 2.2 at the local PICK-N-PULL. A 2.2 is a 2.2, aright? Wrong 2.2, fact is, that first motor I pulled was a 1.8. I still have it. Fast forward thru a crank regrind and several months looking for a 99-02 2.2. I ended up putting in a SOHC 2.5 and it runs, but not so good, not good idle, throttle lags, etc, but it runs! All the while that first 2.2 is getting a short block and ready to be installled in the right chassis. One appears in the not too far sdistance and I haul it back to my buudies house ehere I do the swap. 2000 shortblock w/99 heads under a 2001 intake. Should work? Wrong! $400 worth of analysising later the ecu is the culprit. Why should shattering of the #2 piston be a cause for the ecu to rendered inoperable? Nevermind, I find an 99 Legacy 5-speed ecu at a local yard and the mechanics install it and i runs barely (8 malfunction codes). I'm thinkin' the ecu in the RS might be a better fit. Incidently, I ran the VIN of the RS and it turns out to be an Impreza L with RS stickers, oh well. At least I know. It runs the 2.2 about as well as it ran the 2.5, but it ran. The ecu in the RS is a B1 and ecu in the 2001 impreza L is a B3. I picked up a B3 at alocal yard to replace the one we thought was bad but it just did the same no-start bull************ as the original. What I'm wondering is are the 99 injectors sending a no-start signal to the B3 but not to the B1? I feel like I'm under the MAF/MAP switch that made the pre-99 and post -99 2.2s so incompatable. Help is what I need and sympathy, because I sworn off alcohol. What should I do next. That B3 has to go back, because it's no better than the original. Ask them for a B1, so both my Impreza run like ************ instead of stink?

 

Anyway, that's whyI'm here in the first place, to sort this thread out and I'll be fanged if I will have any pece until I do!