Well, sorry for the title. We bought the 2001 LL Bean OBW for our 17 yr old. It needed a head gasket job, so I did that. Plus, it needed other work, like control arm bushings, a front hub, fluids, etc. After doing all this, and after driving it for maybe 6 weeks, the boy rear-ends a Murano. Everyone was fine, except the Subie and the exhaust on the Murano. 

 

 So. Most of the damage is, of course to the core support for, and the radiator and AC radiator, the front bumper and the lights. Those kind of things. I also noticed the top cover for the air box for the air cleaner was askew. I assumed this was due to the intake being smashed rearwards. While removing the radiators, I also noticed that the covers for the front part of the exhaust were damaged. Then, I checked the dogbone, and it's busted, too. 

 

  The engine seems to be shoved back about an inch or so. Now, here's my question - What are the un-obvious things I need to check, to make sure to fix. I'll look at the cross members, motor mounts, the stuff around the tranny, like the linkages and cooling tubes, etc. What I don't know, and I'm asking for input on, is there something else that might be a gotcha if I don't correct it.

I'd rather not right it off as wrecked beyond repair. I'm retired, and I can do most of the work. I can get some, if not most, of the parts from my local wrecking yards.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

Phermenter,

When the engine has been moved back in the subframe ... check engine and tranny cases for cracks/leaks, prop shaft flanges/universals and rear end case for cracks. And before I spent any money on repairs after that, I'd get the car in the air and start and run it (regardless of coolant loss) for a short time while steering right and left, and shifting gears and speeds to see if the drive train really is alright. Obviously don't run the engine long enough to do an overheating. That should give you a feeling as to whether going ahead with repairs is warranted.

As for the heat shields on the exhaust, if they are mashed there is a good chance that the exhaust manifold is damaged as well, or the head studs are possibly snapped off.

I'm sure others here will jump in with any other items I might have missed. Good Luck!

Might be better off buying one that has not been crashed and needs an engine.  

It may be less work and costs effective.

If the engine moved rearward there maybe internal damage to the rear output shaft in the gearbox/transmission. This will be hard to work out without either driving it (and finding a problem) or removing the tailshaft and physically inspecting the outputshaft for any significant play. 

Bummer about all that work and then the prang. I too like Imdew’s suggestion of finding another vehicle that needs an engine, then make one good one from the two. 

Cheers 

Bennie

Thanks all. After further inspection, the front crumple zone has several crumples. There's a busted motor mount, the tranny was shoved back quite a bit, into the sheet metal. It's all messed up. I am, kinda, looking for a replacement body with a blown motor. And I'll go that way if after I pull the engine and all's OK there.

Thanks again,

Mike

I’ve rebuilt a few totaled Subaru’s, many front impacts, and have one right now I’m working on. Swapping mechanicals to a better car seems much simpler.  They’re much simpler when the engine/trans doesn’t get pushed back  

What pushed the engine back?  lower motor mount or the radiator/fan getting smashed into it?

Check the motor mounts and rear of the transmission. something had to give when that entire many hundred pound assembly slid back.  

I’d be mostly concerned about the transmission. If it slid back then the rear driveshaft got slammed into the rear extension housing unless something else gave way to absorb that movement. 

ditto, swap the good engine into a nice car with a bad engine.