okamikai

the block cylinder wall has a pretty bad scoring mark due to the wrist pin coming off and it has already been bored to .020 (100mm) I was told that something could be done with it, but I'm not sure about it, I would like to weight my options...

i was using 5w30, but I used 10w30 on the last 8 oil changes, that may have been it, also I used an oil treatment and let it run for too long in the engine, that may have been the problem, but i was told at the dealer to stick to 5w30

Here's a pic of the score markings on the mating surface of the camhead, I was told in the dealer the this damage was caused by mixing oil types, turns out I was using the wrong oil from the beginning, and there was some dirt particles in the engine that worked their magic as well.

If you saw the picture the score mark is pretty bad, I was doing some research and it happens that the ej251 block can be used to replace the 25d's block, and still use the 25d camheads, my question to you is, how true is this, and do you have either 251 or 25d cores, and for how much will you sell them? I mainly need the cylinder halves of the 25d, but I'm interested in making the 251 with the 25d camheads. Let me know what you think...

the crankshaft bearings looked pretty bad although its been over 6 years since I did the engine work, I used ACL Race Series Bearings and I must say they have endured hell under my driving conditions, but besides the bearings everything else looks pretty good.

And it scored! ... I was really lucky that the wrist pin did not reach the access hole, but I'm pretty sure it tried.

and it opens

getting ready for opening

It did, I will post the picture as soon as possible

More pics coming soon

Good news I went to the local Subaru dealer and spoke to a technician there, he instructed me to machine the mating surface of the cams and cylinder head to remove the groove marks. I hope this works, he also advice in changing the crankshaft bearings to be sure.

I may be needing the camshafts, one of them is scored pretty badly, or if you can advice me into a head swap or something else I would really appreciate it. The core seems to be ok, as I said no metal particles in oil, but I ran into a stubborn cam retainer screw and the damn thing just won't come off, its already damaged so I guess I'll just grind it out. Once I can open it up I'll be able to tell if the cylinder wall is damaged, hopefully it can be honed out. Please any help will do, my baby girl will be born soon and I need this car running. Thanks in advance...

And its out, a little bit of cleaning and then to open it up.

Hi everyone, my Forester decided to let loose a piston pin retainer; found it in oil pan. So, I have to open the engine for inspection cuz it was knocking pretty bad. Didn't see any metal shavings or particles in oil so that's a good sign, but still I want to make sure nothing broke. Anyways, I'm posting pictures of the job, so if anyone needs an specific image of anything let me know.

The Throttle Position Sensor could be bad, it sends a signal to the ECU that the throttle is open/closed so it can send the proper amount of fuel to the injectors. Its inexpensive to replace; around $50. You should try that before anything else...

You can do the fuel pressure test yourself or you can take it to a dealer or shop, its around $45 for a fuel pressure tester, and about $60 - $70 for the dealer or mechanic to do it.

if idle is fine but if feels lacking power you should check the following: - Air Filter - Fuel Filter - Fuel Pressure - Check Brake Pads for uneven wear, this may be a sign of calipers sticking - Loose or Cracked vacuum hoses - If the Cat is burned up its definitely clogged and it will affect performance noticiable

Pulling the engine out is not a difficult task as long as you have the right equipment. I just bought an engine hoist for $150 at Pep Boys with 1 Ton capacity, way more lifting power than what is needed for the job and for a very good price. Detailing the engine and doing repairs has never been easier. You should get one if you plan on doing this sort of jobs yourself and save some serious dollars on labor.

My 98 Forester had the dead spot issue, I replaced the TPS, and with the car on, I calibrated the position of the throttle until it was purring like kitty, hasn't failed since. I will take the advice of cleaning the MAF and IAC for better performance, but where is the IAC located at?

Glad to help, I hope that all Legacy MT 09+ owners can benefit from this info

Check pulleys for grinding noise also, you can use an stethoscope to hear into the pulley; please don't do this with the engine running

take the tires out and check the pads; they should be wearing out evenly against the surface of the rotor, if not you should repair/replace the calipers.

Hi, did you recently fell on a hole? if yes, the tie rods may have gone bad as well as the control arm bushings; and just as nipper said, if the ball joints and tie rods have never been change it may be a good idea to do so; Salt on the roads can speed up corrosion on these parts and it can also cause the rubber to crack it they are original-old.

And this might be important too http://www.cars101.com/recalls.html

I don't know much about the issue, but this seems like a pretty genuine article http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/23/subaru-recalls-outback-and-legacy-for-transmission-problem/?_r=0