MR_Loyale

Ok. Got the engine out and the timing covers off so. Note in the image below that the right HG seam is all oily and dirty. Contrast this with the HG seam on the left. I think on the passenger side (left in pic) most of the oil was due to the stupid oil filler neck gasket. Cam tower seam definitely leaking too. I will be doing some UV shots tonight when it is dark and post them.

Actually that makes perfect sense. I will try that method. Probably going to do this tomorrow morning. I want to get at the HLA's and get em off to Mizpah. The motor is already out and currently hanging like a side of beef off the engine crane.

Sold. IPA? Got any good tension pulleys ?

More teardown on the engine. First to go those stupid timing belt covers. Leaves me with some bits for the rubbish: I actually had fun removing those because I got a new toy just for removing them quickly: The good news is I see that the cam seals I installed in 2006 are still good and tight.

I was going to title it "That Damn Pipe", but figured the thread would be deleted. I need to find the metal pipe that comes out of the water pump- I think we all know which one I am taking about. I cannot find it listed anywhere. Other than one from the junkyard (which will probably be as bad as mine), where can one get this pipe?

I pulled my EA282 yesterday. I took the opportunity to inspect the clutch, throwout bearing and pilot bearing I installed in 2006. The pilot bearing felt rough. Not sure how that happened. It was the one included in the clutch kit I bought at the time. I am wondering if I did something wrong in installing it. If so, now is the time to find out what I messed up and do it correctly. The only problem I can recall is that the new clutch would occasionally "chatter" when accelerating from a stop. I just figured it was seating. I did have the flywheel surfaced last time. So now I get to take off the pressure plate and dig the pilot bearing out. May just put another new clutch in. Is this a case of getting an original Subaru pilot bearing is the best option? Or should I see if they have a clutch kit?

Yes yes yes yes!!!! Please post a pic!

Good advice. Yeah I will be getting the assembly lube. I also like to put it back the way it came so not having the fall out when I take it apart is a big step to insuring they don't get mixed up. Thanks.

I knew I heard somewhere there was a neutral position on the cam towers. It was in the Miles Fox vid at 1:04 Is "Dot Up" the neutral point on the passenger side as well?

OK, what engine stand? Last time I had this out, my brother had the one from harbor freight and it would not fit. Did you make your engine stand yourself? I sooooo want to be doing this on an engine stand. Yeah I am a wimp.

Even if it goes along the HG seam on top of the block? The cam tower O-ring will definitely be replaced, and with the metal reinforced one. Subaru is the only place to get those metal reinforced ones?

I haven't removed the cam towers yet. Just got the engine out of the car. It is hanging like a piece of meat off the engine hoist right now. I was hoping to avoid the rocker arms plinking on the floor when I did this. Sound like it is pretty much unavoidable. I will just lower the engine so it doesn't have far to bounce. Mile - any particular brand of the ultra grey sealant I should use?

I seem to recall there was a special positioning one could set the camshaft to in order to ensure that no lobes were depressing any valves such that removing and installing the cam tower would be easier. Mainly I want to avoid the rocker arms falling to the floor and my cuss words that will follow. Hey I have been traumatized by Jesus Christ clips.

Well I will have the definitive answer tonight. My engine is pulled but Tuesday night during the last 50 miles before I parked it I put in two bottles of UV dye. Just got the engine out today and will e examining it tonight when it is dark and the bye will glow nicely under the UV light. I can take close up pics of any part of the engine if need be.

Yesterday I prepped the patient for surgery with an exterior wash. Then i assembled the engine hoist I had sitting in two boxes for almost a year. It was lat by the time I got started on this, but this afternoon it concluded with this: I am on the hunt for the elusive oil leak. It has been hitting my exhaust and making a cloud of smoke and leaving the engine bay looking filthy:

For Subaru are you talking a complete gasket set or just the HG?

If it is a white cloud like steam, check the plastic tank to see if the coolant level is low. There is a small bypass hose that comes out of the thermostat housing into the block, about a 1/4" dia hose. That is notorious for leaking coolant. The thing is if you run the engine and look under the hood you may not see if leaking. I had to grab the throttle and goose it before the the slit opened up and I could find the leak. When idling, the slit was closed and no leak. However as soon as power was applied, ir sprayed like a hose. If it smells like oil, the you have oil leaking and hitting the exhaust. Check your oil level to see if it is going down.

For me it hasn't really been an issue. I accept the car for what it is, a small economical, reliable, easy to repair bit of transportation. That was exactly how it was engineered and since from new that is exactly the service it has provided me. Subaru did offer a turbo for the EA engine, it made all of 10 extra horsepower and a virtual guarantee of premature HG failure. Do folks think the engineers at Subaru are stupid and left some "extra" in the EA series that hasn't been exploited? There have been numerous threads and discussions as to why the EA is pretty much at its max. You argued that Ej'ing a Brat requires chassis mods and an engineers report. Modifying an EA with non-stock turbos and such would not require an engineering report? Personally, I don't want an EJ in my Loyale, I am perfectly happy with the stock EA82. If I want to haul and tow, I got my Ram for that. If I want to win races, I will get a WRX. God bless the folks that go to all the trouble of putting in an EJ though. So if you come here asking how to increase the power on an EA series engine, please don't get disappointed if those that have treaded down that very same path, asked the same questions and concluded EJ is the way to go, offer you their wisdom. It may not be what you wish to hear, but if there was a magical way to increase the EA doesn't it stand to reason that after 25 years someone would have found out about it?

I am in the exact same boat. Those that have experience in this please chime in. Are you doing your HG too? HLA's?

That is a clever fix. I think i got that rattling too.

In 2006 at 117K, I pulled the motor and did the timing belt, camshaft seals, cover gaskets, rear main seal, new oil pump, new water pump. I did not do the cam tower. This time I will be at 160k and I will be removing the engine again because I want the timing covers gone. Also I want to redo the HLA's so that means the cam tower comes off. I have no problem doing all the top end gaskets and seals. I am thinking if I am at the end of this project in a few weeks, the engine is in and after a week of running it I find out i did need to do the HG, I won't be a happy camper. The puzzling thing to me is how the oil ends up on the passenger side cross member and puddles right over the exhaust.

What is the code you are getting under the taped over CEL?

Yes I am wondering if it would be best to get the FR-S over the BRZ. Consumer Reports, in their annual auto issue lists both the BRZ and FR-S as used cars to avoid.

This week I am pulling the engine to do a timing belt. While I have it out I am planning on going through and fixing all the oil leaks. Most annoying of the oil drips is when it hits the hot exhaust and a cloud of smoke billows out. There is a puddle on the passenger side cross-member that drips onto the exhaust below. I clean the puddle, a new one forms and so on. The thing is that the car drives fine, so that was why I didn't immediately park it and fix the leaks. They aren't at easy to get to places like the covers or I would have already fixed them by now. Of course I wish to have a better idea of just where the leaks are happening so I am darn sure to fix it right. I have done several UV leak tests. Bought the UV kit with the UV light, the glasses and the bottle of dye. I quickly found out that without even any dye, oil fluoresces green under UV light. This makes it extremely difficult to determine what is glowing green because it was from the dye mixed oil and not the regular oil from before the dye. So again I did the UV test this time degreasing prior to dumping the dye and still I was not able to definitively identify the leak(s). Still it wasn't so obvious to me exactly where every leak was coming from. Even tried it with three bottles of dye. Made it a brighter green but I still could not say with certainty where every leak was happening. I noticed that the seam where the head gasket is seemed "wet" horizontally. it possible that the head gasket leaks oil without leaking coolant? I always thought you had to be getting the milkshake oil before you could declare the head gasket bad. That is really my biggest question - do I have to do the head gaskets? Will I screw it up? The fact is all the rubber in this car is over 20 years old. To my knowledge they haven't made a rubber that lasts forever, so I am content with just replacing every seal and gasket on the top end. It isn't super expensive and will be easy once I pull the engine. What gnaws at me most is that without knowing for sure where the passenger side oil puddle comes from, I may miss it on the engine work, put the engine back in and get a puddle again. Any suggestions?

I would give them a try if i could find them anywhere. I had Bosch plugs in my Subaru before and it ran fine. NGK appear to be the best in my experience though. I would never put a Champion plug in anything I have.