boilerman

sounds like metal filings circulating around and jamming the shuttle valves inside the gearbox...there is a screen filter inside the gearbox..virtually useless! suggest you install a standard subaru gt FUEL filter on the return line for the trans oilcooler...thats the pipe that returns to the rear of the gear box on the right hand side of the box...also stick a magnet on the outside of the filter......more than likly this will clear your problem......if not sorry to say your gearbox is #@$!!.....good luck..it has worked for me..now i run a filter all the time

sounds like metal filings circulating around and jamming the shuttle valves inside the gearbox...there is a screen filter inside the gearbox..virtually useless! suggest you install a standard subaru gt FUEL filter on the return line for the trans oilcooler...thats the pipe that returns to the rear of the gear box on the right hand side of the box...also stick a magnet on the outside of the filter......more than likly this will clear your problem......if not sorry to say your gearbox is #@$!!.....good luck..it has worked for me..now i run a filter all the time

You Could try this! Worked for me Having read the tech advice heres one from the land of ingenius kiwi land! The single turbo on these engines is supplied with oil from the end of the right hand side head immediatly below where the turbo is fitted to the up pipe exhaust.As this oil supply has already fed 8 camshaft bearing along with 8 cam lifters(hydraulic) this supply is now further depleted by an oil greedy turbo! no wonder you get ticking going on!! Re routing the oil supply to the turbo from where it leaves the oil pump by installing a 1/8 tee under the oil pressure switch and then using an oil rated 100 psi flexible hose directly to the turbo has all but stopped the ticking on my two engines.By installing an up graded oil pump(more pressure) the ticking has ceased entirely,Power has returned and smooth running has also returned! This due to a more even oil distribution and also feeding that most oil hungry turbo as soon as possible with oil at (direct) pressure. I guess you could also cool this oil prior to re entry to the turbo to further enhance the lubrication of the turbo. EJ 20 Quad cam single Turbo'89 and '90 Auto 4 speed and 5 speed manual

heres a suggestion or two. 1/check for mechanical freedom of movement on accelerator pedal/cable/ and butterfly assembly on throttle body. 2/is the engine electronically controlled?i.e ECU? Hydraulic tappets? If it is and there is the slightest of a knock under engine load the knock sensor will pick this noise up and have the ECU alter the ignition timing....Very quickly! To check this .....maintain engine speed over 3000 rpm when you change gear....the ECU holds the required advance for ignition timing above this rpm and gear change/jerking will cease. A new HP oil pump may solve the knock under load that the knock sensor can hear. 3/ New clutch fitted?...Was the fly wheel machined flat again?....was it replaced? if the fly wheel is not dead flat there will be a shudder on take up...nearly every time especially if you upgraded the clutch clamping force ..unless you allow take up with rpm decreasing not increasing.

Before yoy have the gearbox removed to do the seal.......clean the suspect area well......go for a test drive to warm everything up.....get underneath the vehicle with eng running...have a good look around immediatly below the turbo..Sometimes the oil leak is from the oil line that goes to the top of the turbo from the rear of the right head....if so the oil drps onto the exhaust up pipe..giving smoke and smells etc....good luck

10 amp is advised in the manual...hope this sorts it for you

Hear what you saying about the drain back of oil...given that the return drops straight back to the sump through a 19mmID pipe you would need some serious pressure to overcome the drain through a 2.5mm hole..pressure cold= 35psi and hot =28 psi at idle. Have heard that you can get an electric water pump for these engines (EJ series) along with a cover cap and idler assembly to replace the standard water pump....From where i do not know....would be easy enough to wire it to run on after engine shut down on either time or temperature control

Trans fluid must be cherry red in colour...if not its ......******.....remove the drain plug with a mate present to stop the oil draining out completely..check it for metal particals......its magnetic so you will see immediatly if there is any 'bits' present.........if there is..........could be expensive.......However try this....Install a turbo car FUEL filter in the trans oil cooler return line to the gearbox...its a 10 micron filter and will filter debris from the oil......had a gearbox rebuilt myself thousands spent....the dawk that put it back together put 2 thrust washers in backwards.....the resulting grinding let small metallic particals circulate around and cause the valves to jam due to their clearances...did about 200 km before it lost third and fourth when cold!!.This cured my problem......25000 km ago......and i got another gearbox ohauled free due to their ***** up!......now i have one ready to go should this one fail again......so far GREAT......stands to reason really ...filter the debris out thats causing the hassle and it HAS to work A?

Heres another useful tip.....Cant get that 22mm bolt in the centre pulley un done? Also automatic so you cant put it in gear...also the screwdriver in the flexi plate or starter teeth doesnt work either? Try this! 1/2" power bar extended with piece of pipe to reach the cars left handside sub frame beside the battery tray..22mm socket attached....brief crank on starter motor=200 newton metre jolt on bolt...and hey presto.....bolt comes free..Simple really

Thanks for getting this thread back on track!! Factory fitted lubrication is provided to the turbo from the rear of the cylinder head on the right hand side of the vehicle.the connection to the turbo and head is made with a 1/8 steel pipe similar to brake line,secured at both ends with a "bango" connector,ie ahollow bolt and eye arrangement often used in hydraulic connectors 2 copper washers are also used in this setup. The oil restriction you refer to is provided by the 'hollow bolt" at the turbo end which has a 2.5mm hole in it. However i do not believe that you could "over feed" the turbo wth nice cool oil...it is doing upwards of 20,000 rpm at times..and its pretty hot despite the water cooling....i am sure that what i have done has in fact balanced the flow across both heads instead of asking for oil from one head at the end of an oil gallery...this is ok for assembly/reliability/cost reasons....given that the expected life is 100,000 km....this does just fine.....my cars have done twice that mileage.....and only now is this occurring..i guess its just wear and tear......alls i know is that by using a bit of thought/common sense..a new hi pressure oil pump and a few fittings on a 200km ticking engine it no longer ticks...thats 2 engines!!...Knowing a subbie it will prob do another 200 thou yet!!...cant speak for EAseries but my EJ20's are running like new!!!

Have you tried insalling a fuel filter in the return line from the trans oil cooler? I had an Auto gearbox that would not engage third/fourth.removing the drain plug showed metal particals!!! Installed a standard turbo fuel filter....Problem gone in two days!!..Have done 30,000km since...Try it a filter only costs $20..And Subaru autos usually do not have one fitted.

Having read the tech advice heres one from the land of ingenius kiwi land! The single turbo on these engines is supplied with oil from the end of the right hand side head immediatly below where the turbo is fitted to the up pipe exhaust.As this oil supply has already fed 8 camshaft bearing along with 8 cam lifters(hydraulic) this supply is now further depleted by a oil greedy turbo! Re routing the oil supply to the turbo from where it leaves the oil pump by installing a 1/8 tee under the oil pressure switch and then using an oil rated 100 psi flexible hose directly to the turbo has all but stopped the ticking on my two engines.By installing an up graded oil pump(more pressure) the ticking has ceased entirely,Power has returned and smooth running has also returned! This due to a more even oil distribution and also feeding that most oil hungry turbo as soon as possible with oil at (direct) pressure. I guess you could alsop cool this oil prior to re entry to the turbo to further enhance the lubrication of the turbo. New to this site,Great info,USA prices!! WOW,glad im a kiwi.Can get a 2nd hand eng/auto gearbox for$nz1400 here! Thats about 700 of your dollars!!