jbdub444

grossgary- Thanks; I had the plug cables into the wrong cylinders. I changed those and had to crank it a few more rounds but it finally fired! HOWEVER, I still had a bad oil leak which is why I replaced the VC gasket in the first place. So, like most anyone else, I assume bad head gasket; UNTIL I notice major pooling of oil around the same sensors I thought I might have shorted out! It was oil in the oil pressure switch that I saw, not the gas I thought I spilled in it. I had a friend rev the engine and oil was seeping heavily from this switch. $20 part vs the $2000 head gasket replacement quote I was given. HA! Thanks fairtax4me & grossgary for the suggestions; definitely helped out.

Thanks for the reply. I did get the cam sensor plugged back in. I'm guessing I didn't get all of the liquid out of the connector beforehand. Thinking back to that 'buzzing' sound I heard; it sounded more like a relay opening & closing on rapid fire for about 12 rounds... Is there anyway I could have toasted the fuel pump relay? Intake tube & box assembly are assembled & clamped. MAF is plugged in. I'll research test procedure on the cam sensor and give that a try tonight.

First timer here. So I just finished replacing the valve cover gaskets, spark plug tube rings, spark plugs, and spark plug wires on my 2007 2.5i SOHC Outback. I get everything back together, including all of the circuit connections (triple checked), and it just cranks; no combustion. There is an intermittent hesitation while cranking. It sounds good for a few seconds, then slurs for a crank or two while the lights dim, then will crank normal again. I have very little mechanical experience (but not afraid to research and give it a try) so I probably overlooked something or did something stupid... hoping y'all can help me figure out what it was. I heard an odd buzzing when I first turned the key after the 'repair' so I'm wondering if I have a short somewhere? Before I started the repair, I pulled the fuel pump fuse and cranked the engine a few times to relieve some pressure in the fuel lines so i could move the fuel injector/rail assembly to access the valve covers. When I was doing this to the drive's side, I took the injectors off the rail and about 1/2oz of gas came out and spilled on the unconnected camshaft position sensor, the two other connectors right there, and inside the valve cover. I wiped it all up with a rag the best I could from the connectors and figured anything that got inside would drain out while the cover was off. Maybe the gas on these connectors or on the valves is causing a problem? The LH valve cover was a PITA to get out and reinstall with the new gasket. I was as gentle as I could be but there was some contact with the bottom right bolt hole of the cover and the bottom rear component (exhaust valve rocker assembly?). Maybe I was more rough that I thought and damaged/readjusted a valve or something? Lastly, the spark plug tubes were filled with oil. I soaked up as much oil as I could with rags before pulling and replacing the old plugs. Maybe some remaining oil ran inside when I pulled the old plugs and now its not allowing the new ones to spark? Any help, questions, or criticism is welcome and appreciated. -J