Wanted to ask the pro's on this board for some advice before I decide to set my car on fire... I drive a 1991 Subaru Legacy wagon 2.2 n/a 4EAT, and I just pulled the engine, replaced the flexplate, and re-installed everything only to find that when I try to start it all it does is "click" audibly once and then nothing. I've put a breaker bar on the crank and tried to turn it manually and I can't get it to budge in the least. I pulled all 4 spark plugs and tried again to turn it over manually, and still...nothing. I'm not too sure where to go from here and I don't want to get frustrated and mess anything up anymore than I may have already. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated, thanks.

Edited August 19, 201114 yr by SoobrDad02

Hopefully the torque convertor didn't slide out with out you noticing when you pulled the engine. Sounds like the convertor might be "stuffed" incorrectly in to the front pump. Pull the flex plate to convertor bolts and see if it turns over by hand then. Might have to pull the engine forward enough for a look.

 

Good Luck

Search seating the torque converter. When I pull and engine with an auto trans, I always push the TC back from the flex plate.

 

I've found an easy way to see if it's seated all the way is if you push back and rotate it by hand it will just rub the starter teeth. When you install the engine the TC will pull forward about an 1/8".

 

PS it's easier to start the TC Bolts with the engine still raised from the bottom and then do the fine torque with the engine installed from the top access hole.

If TC is seated correctly the other possibility is one of the heads is 180 deg off and the valves are open and hitting the top of the cylinder, not allowing it to turn.

 

O.

I don't think valve-piston interference is the problem here, as a '91 is a non interference engine.

 

Improperly seated TC sounds likely, but as another possiblity, are you sure you used the correct flex plate? I read that there are two different depths (one for 2.2s and one for 2.5s.)

 

Nathan

Improperly seated TC sounds likely, but as another possiblity, are you sure you used the correct flex plate? I read that there are two different depths (one for 2.2s and one for 2.5s.) Nathan

 

that's not an issue, they are different diameters. if you used the wrong one you could not bolt it to the TC.

In order to re-pull the motor to check on the torque converter, I'll have to get out the bolts that link it to the flex-plate. Issue is though, I can't get it to turn clockwise by hand(or breaker-bar) to allow me to access the bolts! What the heck can I do?

Loosen the bellhousing bolts first to take the pressure off of the torque converter. Seperate the bellhousing a 1/4" and it should turn freely.

I'm curious as to how this happened in the first place... Did you bolt the engine and transmission together, then bolt the TQ to the flexplate? Because if you did that... It wasn't bound up. Which means it somehow bound after being all bolted together. Which is weird...

I did bolt the flex-plate to the torque-converter after bolting the bell-housing to the transmission, it did seem to be a difficult last 1/8th or so of a turn to get to the last bolt-hole.

I did bolt the flex-plate to the torque-converter after bolting the bell-housing to the transmission, it did seem to be a difficult last 1/8th or so of a turn to get to the last bolt-hole.

 

Hmm, well, being tight at all is bad. When the engine is bolted to the transmission. You should be able to reach through the starter hole and spin the TQ. It should spin perfectly freely with no resistance at all. And coast to a stop. Not just stick.

I did bolt the flex-plate to the torque-converter after bolting the bell-housing to the transmission, it did seem to be a difficult last 1/8th or so of a turn to get to the last bolt-hole.

 

Do you think you make have dropped any parts or tools into the bellhousing while you were working on it? They can jam between the flexplate and the block.

 

The other option is the engine being hydrolocked, so pulling out the spark plugs might let it crank over.

Which Richmond are you in? I am in Richmond Va and could possibly come over and take a look if that is where you are.

he is in your neck of the woods.

 

i have a 95 impreza trans (100k) if needed. but you know the parts yards in richmond well enough to know what's available.

 

from his profile.

 

About SoobrDad02

City Richmond

State Virginia

Name Thomas

Interests My kids, my wife, my car!

Occupation Student/Full-time dad

Biography First-time Soob owner

Vehicles 1991 Legacy L wagon

Edited August 16, 201114 yr by johnceggleston

Which Richmond are you in? I am in Richmond Va and could possibly come over and take a look if that is where you are.

 

Hey Doc!!! It's Thomas. This thing's killin' me. I'm looking at pulling the engine again and re-seating the torque converter, and if after that the engine still won't turn I'll DEFINITELY be taking you up on that!!!!!

Well, here's the latest... I pulled the first flexplate-to-torque converter bolt and managed to muscle the crank enough (with the help of a breaker-bar) to remove the remaining bolts. Now that it's un-bolted I can turn the crank easily (it seems to encounter one "tight spot" at the end of a rotation). So does this mean that it was an un-seated torque converter all along, and if it was, will I be able to pull the engine again, re-seat the torque converter and put it all back together without worry?

There are no gaurantee's that something wasn't damaged - typically when an engine is bolted up with a TC not fully seated the transmission oil pump is cracked, broken, or otherwise damaged in the proccess.... I would say that's especially true if the engine was then turned over or even ran when misassembled in that way...... but it also might be ok - and you stand a better chance being that it wouldn't actually start.....

 

There's just no way to tell. You need to completely pull the TC out and inspect the oil pump drive tabs on it and the pump drive-shaft (both ends) and go from there. It will either work fine or the transmission fluid pump will have been damaged and the car simply will not move at all till it's repaired.

 

GD

Could the starter be stuck?

Thomas: Hello again. If you are having problems reseating the TQ, let me know and I can take a look at it. The only way to be sure it isn't damaged is to put her back together and run it.

double check you got the correct flexplate. Did you buy it from Subaru dealer, if so what is the part number. someone can check the number to your application, lets start from there.

 

If you got if from other than dealer the likelihood of it being wrong is going to be higher chance.

Through the hole in the bell housing, jam a large flat head screwdriver between the flex plate and torque converter, and pry the converter back away from the flex plate. It should slide back something like 1/8" and stay there. If it stays, the TC is seated properly and there's something funny going on.

I've re-pulled the engine, re-seated the torque converter and put her all back together. Only thing is when I start her up and put her in gear, she goes nowhere. I give her gas and the engine just spins, no engagement of gears at all. I'm guessing that I toasted the transmission when I bolted the engine to the transmission the first time with the torque converter incorrectly seated. Grrrrr.....

new trans time.

 

get in touch with mdjdc if for no other reason than to learn where to look for a trans locally. send him an email or private message with your phone number.

 

http://www.ultimatesubaru.org/forum/member.php?u=2153

 

and if you need it , i have one that should fit. i'm in roanoke. but i would think there is one in richmond.

You don't need a new transmission - you just need to replace the broken oil pump. That will require removing the transmission and then taking off the front diff section to get at it though.

 

Definitely a bad day. This is something we see frequently with the AT's - people aren't aware of the proper procedure and they kill one every now and then through lack of properly seating the TC and then forcing the engine to bolt up when it doesn't really want to go together.

 

It is very important not to force stuff when assembling mechanical devices. If it's hard to put together then chances are something is not right. It should slide together like it was made to fit.... gaining that patience and the ability to stop and assess the situation before damage occurs is a BIG part of being a professional mechanic.

 

GD

Thomas, I have a tranny and a matching rear end that you should come over and look at.

 

Mike