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pginter96

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Everything posted by pginter96

  1. Well today I was able to diagnose the speed sensor, turns out the cluster is to blame. Someone swapped it from the wrong year, so the signal wasn't going where it should. Also found out as a result the low mileage of 91k is wrong, according to carfax it actually has 213k
  2. Thanks for the reply! You hit the nail on the head, I figured out a few of the issues a couple days ago when I looked at it after walking away for a while. Whoever ham-fisted the new transmission in broke all the lock tabs off the connectors and used the air intake plenum bracket instead of the actual transmission case to ground the transmission. I zip-tied the connectors together and moved the ground to a more suitable location, starts runs and drives but still no speedo and will stall after driving and coming to an idle. I'll have to keep chasing the speed sensor issue to see if it's related to the idling.
  3. Hi all, I've got a 98 forester that's got me scratching my head. tl;dr speedometer inop, DTC P1507, P1540, trans code 22 and 33. First time on the road drove fine just no speedometer/odometer and flashing ATF TEMP light. Now wont idle at all. Could loss of speed/trans signal be related and do any of these share powers/grounds? Full story below, lots of electrical gremlins leading up to where I am now. Worried previous owner smoked a controller while chasing their tails. Long story: 1998 Forester S automatic. Bought it from someone who put a trans in it, said it ran for 20 minutes then stalled and wouldnt re-start. He chased his tail for over an hour, poking wires (yikes) and replaced ignition coil, igniter, and removed and installed the intake manifold a few times to check stuff. Couldn't get it started and pushed it into a field where it sat for 2 years, then I bought it. Found the obscure fuse by the drivers knee for ignition system blown, owner told me the ignition coil "started growing a thing that looked like one of those firework snake things you light on the sidewalk on 4th of july" when it stalled so I suspect that was the initial problem. Also found folded over intake gasket. The passenger carpet is pulled up and the ECU is exposed, the ground wire has its insulation burnt off, and theres a spare ECU next to it on the floor. Replaced fuse and gaskets (and timing belt because I thought it jumped a tooth) and it would run and drive, but stall more often than not on idle. ATF TEMP light flashing, get code for loss of engine speed (24? Cant remember) which is hopelessly vague. Found car would stall/run when playing around with MAF sensor connector. Replaced wiring connector, pigtail, and MAF. Now runs and drives. Drove up and down the driveway, speedometer inop. Checked to make sure connector on trans was plugged in, ok. Replaced the ECU with the spare since it was there, no change. Swapped back to what I believe is the original. Drove it for the first time on the road today (due to blower motor inop, unrelated electrical problem) and apart from the speedo not working it drove fine. After the first few stops, it stalled or would barely run and threw a code for P1507. I had this before on my old legacy when the IACV went. But it also had a code for P1540 Speed sensor 1, and I checked trans codes as well and it had code 22 no pressure signal and code 33 speed sensor 2 signal. Seems kind of strange to have so many trans codes, and loss of trans signal can cause idle issues. Do any of these trans outputs share a power or ground? I have no history on the condition of the trans previous owner put in, but it drives/shifts fine and I doubt theres a mechanical issue. It even still grabs 4th gear with all of the codes. I'm working with very limited wiring diagrams, and being the one year '98 phase I dummy transmission doesn't help. I have the remnants from when the front diff gernaded in my 01, complete center and rear section with all the sensors if I need to swap, but the speed sensors appear different between phase I and phase II 4EATs. Apart from load testing wires what's the best way to go about testing these sensors with basic stuff? EDIT: THE CAR KNOWS IM SEARCHING FOR HELP. NOW ITS ANGRY AND WONT START. (Seriously though no crank, no start. Checked connections, all ok.)
  4. Hey all, My old piston slapping JDM EJ25D has finally started making "you should probably get something on the back burner" noises. Between 4 legacies and 5 engine swaps amongst them, I've decided EJ22 is the way to go since EJ25Ds seem to blow up if you look at them funny. As a result of that, I have 6 good EJ25D heads in my basement (and two in my car). There's a clean, low miles EJ221 in my local junkyard, I want to slap the ej25d heads on that for a bit more power since I'm running 5" of lift and trying to turn 29" KO2s through a 5 speed. I'm hoping someone here with a lot more experience than me can help out, and sorry for dumping all the questions now, I'd rather be safe than sorry. EDIT: Here is the post I'm using as a reference: https://sl-i.net/FORUM/showthread.php?16437-General-Hybrid-Info-on-EJ25D-EJ22E-T My questions are: -what compression would I be around with what head gaskets with USDM EJ25D heads on a 221 block? -the only post I found says that two different EJ221s exist with different size pistons, how do I identify which is which? -since the JDM EJ25D is higher compression, does anyone know the if head volume is different on the JDM engines for higher compression or just the pistons, and if so by how much? -if I end up around 10.3/1 comp as the post says, will that be safe on 91-93 octane? -I shouldn't have any issues running the phase 2 block since all the electronics are on the intake manifold and heads that will be from the EJ25D, right? Or are the crank/knock sensors different? -is the crank trigger the same on the phase 2, and will the EJ25D timing belt be the thing to run? Thanks for any input.
  5. Awesome, thanks! First time soldering a circuit board, but it fixed it! Funny thing, somebody's been there before, there was a wad of paper jammed in the side of the one wire connector. Apparently the band-aid just expired for me.
  6. Warped heads/block? Didn't resurface them properly? That's all I can guess. That's pretty bad...
  7. Hi all, Recently picked up a 99 outback automatic with 101K that needed head gaskets for $400. Decent shape for around here, overall a good deal, especially since this is my 4th second gen and 4th Subaru motor job. Removed and re-sealed the engine and legally put it on the road today. It was un-registered when I got it so I had to dolly tow it 25 miles home. Runs and drives great. I drove it 18 miles from home to the shop I work at in FWD mode, with the driveshaft disconnected and bungied up and the FWD fuse in, no issues. Got to the shop and re-connected the driveshaft on the lift cause I'm lazy-ish. Also changed wheels from the correct P205/70R15 to some free snows I got, slightly undersized at P205/65R15. Passed the car for safety/emissions inspection. Driving home, the speedometer and odometer intermittently dropped out and then came back several times, then eventually dropped out and didn't come back. Didn't happen over bumps and no CEL. I pulled over and popped the FWD fuse back in to see if that'd make a difference, still no speedo. I don't have wiring diagrams and have no clue where the speed sensor is on automatics. Any advice on where to look/common problems? Would anything I do have cause a problem? Also my internet is out for who knows how long so my research is limited
  8. I found an old thread about a 95 with the same issue. I'll throw a spring in there and see what happens! http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/topic/119792-help-with-shifter-return-spring/
  9. Hi everyone, I just finished replacing the shifter bushings and knuckle in my 98 5MT outback. Kartboy poly's made a nice difference. The rear bushing moved my shifter up about an inch, causing the boot to pull on the console and now I'm driving with that all apart until my short throw arrives. My question is, now that all the shifter slop is taken care of, I've noticed I have spring action (back to center neutral) in the right (5-R) direction, but nothing on the left direction (1-2). It just slops around in the neutral position between 1-2 and 3-4 when its in neutral. Is this an easy fix? I've only been able to find one parts diagram showing a spring, but it was very unclear where it was. Seeing how Subaru likes to keep things in the transmission, is the spring in the shifter base plate at the body, or is it internal? I've tried looking in other forums, but with mixed results. Thanks! -P.
  10. Thanks!Unfortunately I don't. Leave the sway bar links connected until you're sure you need to remove them. I really had to fight the knuckle to get it to go into the strut, so any more room I could gain, the better. When I finally got it in, the control arm was at such an angle where the actual sway bar link would have to bend sideways about an inch. The bushings in mine were already shot, so this would just destroy whatever was left of them, so I decided to go without it. If you really want a sway bar, you could try using one from a non-outback. I'm not sure about the mounting, as I haven't done one before, but IF it bolts up it is a smaller diameter and might provide the flex you need for the ends to bend enough to attach. I'm not sure though. My advice, leave the links connected until you're certain you need to take them out to get more movement. Once they're out, they're out. There's not too much more noticeable body roll. There will be some obviously as the cars center of gravity is much higher, but it's not a dangerous amount. Besides, if you're lifting to gain ground clearance for off-roading, removing the sway bars would provide more suspension travel and allow the wheels to move more independently of each other, giving better crawling ability. Let me know what happens. Good luck!
  11. Hi everyone, I'm sure there are plenty of threads out there discussing suspension lifts on the BG body Legacies. I don't want to add to a stale, broad topic, but simply to document my process in the hopes of helping anyone in the future do what I did and help anyone that has questions. Feel free to ask. I just finished this project tonight, 3/4/2016 at roughly 243,7xx miles. With the spacers and struts, it resulted in roughly a 2" additional ride height over the saggy stockers. Will update with any finds or problems. -I lifted my 1998 Legacy Outback Wagon with 2003 Forester struts and 1" spacers. Here is my story.- BEFORE YOU BEGIN- Make sure you know what you have. This may seem arbitrary, but these instructions only apply to the Outback model Legacy wagon. I cannot guarantee the same process or any advice for the SUS. IMPORTANT: again, Outback only. The Outback comes from the factory with a inch/inch and a half lift over the standard Legacy. Thus, it has spacers between the front and rear subframes, trans mount, and differential mount. These are important and change suspension geometry, most importantly the angle at which the lower control arms will flex and stress the ball joints. The more angle, the more stress. IMPORTANT: know your rig. Lifts will stress ball joints, bushings, and axle shafts more than they were designed to accommodate. Mod away, but mod at your own risk. IMPORTANT: This applies to vehicles keeping the stock tire size. This will work with the original 205/70R15 tires, or 215/65/16 (such as Forester steelies.) Increasing tire size is possible, but more on that later. [here is the "I am not responsible for any issues caused by what you did to your vehicle or their side-effects, improperly aligned headlights, injuries, failed inspections, missing sway bars, unrelated concerns, oil leaks, or other 'ever since...' concerns. This is a modification, not a repair. Nothing is guaranteed. Things may not go as planned and I am in no way responsible for that" disclaimer thing. Happy modding!] WAHT 'SPECIAL EQUIPMENT' YOU WILL NEED ACCESS TO -Spring compressor (rear strut dissassembly) -Alignment equipment -Air tools or high powered battery/electric tools (such as Milwaukee M18 tools) recommended TOOLS -1/2" ratchet or impact -3/8" ratchet or impact -19mm or 3/4" Socket -19mm or 3/4" wrench -12mm socket -14mm socket -14mm wrench -multiple prybars -hammer -flat-head screwdriver and/or punch and/or chisel -cut-off wheel -tricking someone to help you before they realize what you're doing is recommended WHAT I USED: Forester struts -Forester struts from 1999 to 2008 will bolt up no problem. However, 99-02 struts are actually shorter than Outback struts, so using them to gain ride height would be counter-intuitive. I know for a fact 03-04 struts will work, that's what I used. 1" strut spacers -available from many distributors online, such as Gorilla Offroad Company, Subtle Solutions, or nameless eBay sellers. I got mine from Gorilla Offroad. They sent me the wrong rear spacers which I noticed well before installation, but they were very good about correcting my order. No matter who you order from, make sure they fit before you get your rig all apart. Another bonus of getting Forester struts, you can test fit them out of the vehicle. BEFORE INSTALLATION You will need to replace the mounting studs on the struts. You should have gotten hardware with your spacers, which include 12 (at least 2" long) bolts and lock nuts, or longer studs. If you are using the struts currently in your car instead of forester struts, you can skip ahead and come back to this once dissassembly is complete. The front struts are easy, since the mounts spin. You can simply pound these studs out with a hammer, or use a press. The mount can spin to allow you to remove the old stud and install the new stud or bolt. My spacers from Gorilla Offroad came with hardware, as in 12 bolts and lock nuts. The spacers had provisions in them for the nuts to sit in once the spacers were in place. I re-used the top mount nuts. The rear struts are where it gets tricky, since the top mount doesn't spin conveniently out of the way. Therefor, you need to separate the strut mount from the strut assembly, and the rubber insulator from the metal mount. Use a spring compressor for dissassembly. Spring compressors are very dangerous, as they use thousands of pounds to compress the spring. If the spring is not secured properly, it could come loose and cause serious/fatal injury, not to mention property damage. If you do not feel comfortable using a spring compressor, it's better to find a friend who is or bring it to a shop for disassembly/reassembly. If you are comfortable using a spring compressor, compress the spring until you can grab the bottom of the shock absorber and shake it gently so it moves free of the spring. Remove the 17mm nut at the top of the strut, in the middle. If the nut does not break free of the shock absorber, use a pass through socket and a hex socket in the provision in the middle of the stud, or gently grip the shock absorber shaft with pliers to prevent it from spinning (NOT recommended, as it could damage the shock. Only for desperate or brave individuals.) The shock will fall out, so remove the top mount from the spring, pull back on the rubber insulator (it grips around the center, spray with silicone lubricant to break free) and replace the studs. Re-assemble strut. Repeat for other side. THE DIRTY WORK -hoist vehicle off wheels -remove front wheels -remove the 12mm bolt holding on the ABS wheel speed sensor wire. Be careful not to let the mount twist and break the wire. (ask me how I know) -use a flat head screwdriver and a hammer to remove clip holding on the break hose to the bracket. -you may find that the brake hose passes through the bracket, which cannot be removed, and must be opened to be removed. I recommend against this as it could lead to more problems, such as bleeding the brakes, bleeder screws breaking hose fittings being too damaged/corroded to reuse, etc. In that case, I used a cutoff wheel to notch the bracket, being careful not to damage the brake hose, until I could use a screwdriver/chisel/punch to break the mount and bend it out of the way. -Remove the 19mm (3/4") nuts and bolts holding the strut to the knuckle. The top bolt is the camber adjustment bolt, so it is cammed. Be careful not to spin it with an impact to avoid damaging it. -remove the three 12mm nuts holding the top of the strut to the vehicle. The strut will fall out the bottom, so be ready to catch. -install the new lift strut, reversing the removal procedure. NOTE: resecure the brake hose to the bracket. Zip-ties will most likely fail a safety inspection, just as a side note. -getting the knuckle bolts in is where a helper comes in handy. You will need to pry and push and jiggle the strut and knuckle around until you can line up one of the holes and put the bolt in. One one is in, it goes easier. Remember, the TOP bolt is the cammed, camber adjustment bolt. Since camber goes positive during suspension decompression on a macpherson strut system, install this so the camber is most negative, as in the top of the knuckle moves away from you as much as it can be adjusted. -tighten all of your mounting bolts and double check your work. Move to the rear. -remove rear wheels and repeat removal process. You should not have an ABS speed sensor to worry about in the strut this time, though. -disconnect the rear sway bar by removing the 14mm nut and bolt. Remove the mounts, and the sway bar if you wish. You will not be able to reconnect it after the lift using the original end links. It's not that much more body roll, I promise. -to gain access to the rear mount studs from the interior, fold the backseats forward and locate the access trim panel over the strut tower. Remove the Christmas tree style fastener closer to the seat, on the side, then pull up to remove the trim. Remove the insulation set on top of the mount. -to remove the strut, you will need to wrestle the lower part away from you, down between the trailing arm and front-most control arm, so the strut can be moved down enough to pull the top out first. -once the strut is removed, it is a good idea too inspect your shock towers for rust. Here in the salt belt, every Subaru I see in they junkyard that doesn't have a hole in the block has a rear strut tower blown through from rusting out, unusually the left side. Look carefully both on the inside and outside of the vehicle. Pull back the carpeting and insulation in the cargo area a bit to check for rust. A coating of rustproofing while you're there isn't a terrible idea. -before installing the new strut, clean, buff, and slightly spread the lower mount bracket for ease of installation. Use a cut off wheel or a sawzall to remove the brake hose bracket. If left in place and used, it will pull the hose too far down and stress the upper section of the hose. If left on and not used, it will rub against the hose and cause risk of hose failure. The lift will cause the hose to be pulled down more, so there is less slack and actually ensures the hose won't go anywhere it shouldn't. -reverse removal procedure to install. -there is no easy way to get the rear knuckle into the strut. There just isn't. I used a 54" prybar against the trailing arm and the center of the rear subframe, and jostled the knuckle around until the holes lined up. This is the hardest part. Again, where a helper comes in handy. -complete the reassembly, double check everything, and put the wheels on. -alignment time! ALIGNMENT -I actually found the alignment is not affected as much as I thought it would be for a lift. When I put my car on the machine, the rear camber was out of spec, positive by only one tenth of a degree on the left, and less than a tenth on the right. Rear toe was still in spec. Front camber was also surprisingly in spec for a blind adjustment. -due to differences in setups and vehicle condition, your alignment may be different. If it is out of spec, have it fixed. Camber causes excessive wear on the inner (negative) and outer (positive) shoulders of the tire. Rear toe could cause dog-tracking or diagonal wipe (which destroys tires something fierce). I hope this helps anyone considering the project and wondering how involved it is. Having the studs installed in the struts beforehand, it took me between 3 and 4 hours with shop air and a vehicle lift. Any questions, I will answer to the best of my ability. Happy modding!
  12. That's probably what I'll end up doing. Especially since I already have a roof rack...This is the side effects of working at a Jeep dealer and being horrible with impulse decisions! After going through the parts and time needed to figure out that (and how) I have to custom make something to swing the tire out of the way to open the hatch... Sounds like $350 of inconvenience. Maybe I'll recall this sometime in the future if/when money isn't such a deciding factor, or if I just need a hitch. Thanks for the advice, guys. If it can't help me, hopefully someone else!
  13. And MAKE SURE the EJ22 has EGR before you buy it, if it doesn't you'll have a permanent CEL.
  14. I did the exact same swap, same cars, same years, everything a while back. 18 years old with basic tools and a Haynes manual. Easy swap. As you will find out if you haven't already, Subarus love to share their fluids. Oil with coolant, coolant with combustion chambers, and everything with the ground. I'd recommend getting a junkyard power steering pump if you can find one without a leak, although it's very common. There's a small bushing in the bottom made of rubber that dries and pukes the fluid everywhere. I don't have experience rebuilding them to offer advice, unfortunately. You mentioned it was a manual, I'd do the clutch while you're in there. Also, these EJ engines have a small oil centrifuge cover/plate in the back that leaks, usually mistaken for a rear main. Old ones are plastic and all leak, so I'd go to your local dealer and pick one up. The new ones are steel. They're like $25. Get some grey structural RTV to seal it, and good to go. Like everyone else said, timing belt, water pump, idlers and tensioner. I like to re-seal the oil pump while I'm in there, but if it's not seeping don't worry about it. Valve cover gaskets, and I'd recommend checking lash adjustment. Mine ticks like a son-of-a... Seal the oil pan with grey RTV. They suck to do in the car and usually leak, so do it with the engine out. If you're interested in the "boxer rumble," check out un-equal length headers. You can find them on eBay for around $200. You'll need single port for a 98. I got mine from Inferno Fabrications, they have a page on this website somewhere (my apologies for not providing a link.) Those instead of a Y-pipe and a Magnaflow will give you the greatest sounding naturally aspirated Subaru around. Also, and most importantly/annoyingly, Imprezas have their charcoal canisters in the rear of the car. Legacies are up front, in the engine bay. You have to re-route the vacuum lines to the purge solenoid directly to the canister and rail, and T-off a line to go to the Pressure Sources Switching Solenoid. If/when you get to that point, I can offer some more help. You can drive with the lines like they come just fine, though your cruise control won't work and you'll get a CEL code for high idle/vacuum leak and improper purge flow. Good luck! It's a good swap. I wish I could have found another EJ22E for my 5 speed, I ended up with a JDM EJ25D instead.
  15. Hey all, Recently I've been considering getting a hitch for my car, a 98 legacy outback. It may sound stupid, but I want one for the sole purpose of having a spare tire carrier on the back of the car (cause off-road, brah) so it doesn't need to be wired or haul anything more than a forester steelie. My only worry is, and I'm hoping someone has experience with this, are there hitches out there that don't require drilling, but does anyone know if those claims are true? I've only seen one or two of these cars with a hitch. Also, mine is a late build 98, so the charcoal canister is right on the rear frame like a 99. Would this interfere? Thanks! EDIT: and how trustworthy is UHAUL? I work in a shop and have seen more than one horrific, scary, poor quality, and downright dangerous trailer wiring job done by them, but can they just put a hitch on for me if it requires drilling or something?
  16. Have to bring a 99 Legacy Outback automatic to the junkyard, can only get a dolly. Car has no engine. I know these have the duty C (or something like that) solenoid that makes it FWD only. Do I have to do anything to tow it with the dolly? Anything easier than disconnecting rusty driveshafts? Thanks!
  17. Thanks for the info. I just added some pics of the pistons, makes sense. It does have the bucket lifters, I wondered about that too.
  18. Don't mind the electrolysis Unfortunately I can't read the VIN, as usual, the print wipes away with the built up grime and subsequent grease from a torn CV boot.
  19. Hi all, Hoping if someone with experience could help me with identification. Up to this point, it's me, my limited knowledge, and pictures from eBay. I recently purchased a 1999 Legacy Outback Limited as a parts car, engine donor. running and driving for $300 out of someone's front yard. I pulled the engine and replaced head gaskets, upper engine seals and timing components as usual. I noticed a few differences between this engine, and the two others I have experience with, a 97 EJ25D and a 98 EJ25D. Up until late reassembly, I just thought, "oh it's just a weird '99 thing," assuming they updated the EJ25 along with the phase I/phase II split in the EJ22 of the same year. I can't find any source saying significant changes were made for 99 only. Instead, it seems to match that of a JDM long block with USDM manifolds and waste spark. I've listed some strange qualities about it below, let me know what you think. -"4 CAM 24 VALVE" embossed on valve covers - wire clip bracket on timing belt cover (for front mounted/uel cats?) -threaded holes near spark plug holes, as if for coil-over-plugs -flat top pistons with machined provisions for valves, as opposed to the dished pistons I've seen in the other two engines -different style water pump with a forward facing thermostat and aluminum thermostat housing. Had the Fuji Heavy Industries logo embossed on both the pump and housing. The water pump is what made me wonder, as another (long-dead) thread stated that the JDM engines used the turbo style water pump, whatever that may be. The car sat for two years so the coolant was basically mud, and the pump would have been trash if I were to run it anyways. Unfortunately because of that, I threw it away before I noticed the difference. I got a Gates component kit, (third one I've installed, never had an issue with fitment before,) and the housing bolts on differently so it would either be facing straight forward or back, as opposed to out the side like I need it to. Also, the Gates pump has a curve and a raised provision for the thermostat, making the center timing cover not fit properly. If I were to just use the center timing cover from my known USDM engine, would the pump still be compatible? Thanks for any help!
  20. But my 99 Legacy parts car was a 4 bolt bell housing... It did not have the original engine though
  21. Hi all, I've been working on an engine for my car recently, decided to go for a simple 2.5 swap, same motor, instead of the EJ22 swap this time. my car is a 98 Legacy Outback wagon 5 speed. 240K on original engine. I lost compression on cyl. 2 and get a miss on idle, 25% leakage through the crank case. I bought a running and driving 99 Legacy Outback auto out of someones front yard for $300, and have put over $800 in head gaskets, engine seals, timing belt component kit, clutch, the usual before an engine swap. a thought just occurred to me though... Is there a difference with the end of the crank for an engine from an automatic that would make it incompatible with the manual? I have zero experience with manual transmissions other than removing one or two and daily driving one. I cant tell on the engine stand with the flexplate on how a pilot bearing would sit in, but the crank appears to have a provision for an input shaft. my teacher works at a subaru dealer and likes to sound like he knows more than he does, and he says the new FB motors are transmission specific. He has no experience with the beloved EJ25D. It would be a real bummer after putting so much money into it...
  22. Gertie's getting a motor! (amongst other things) dropped compression on cyl 2, misfires on idle and low RPM. Found an EJ25D that runs and drives. Intend to pull, do head gaskets and timing components since I already have everything I'd need for them, new clutch and swap in within the next month or so. current milage: 239,560
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