July 22, 200619 yr I am currently trying to pull the engine on a 95 legacy all wheel drive automatic transmission. In the past when removing a automatic transmission I have had to remave the torque converter from the flex plate before removing the engine. is this the case with the ej22 and if so how do you get at the bolts. the access in the bottom of the bell housing is blocked by teh power steering rack
July 22, 200619 yr I hope you know the transmission input shaft will almost certainly pull free when the transmission is pulled. This is to be expected. The problem is reinstalling it. Get it wrong and it's "where do i find another transmission time?".
July 22, 200619 yr Depends. If you have the intake manifold off (or you have very small hands) you can go through the top access hole. Or, you can do as someone recently suggested and undo the motor mounts and lift the engine until you have access through the bottom of the bell housing (lift out of the way of rack interference). This worked well for me, except having to snake my way through the legs of my engine hoist to get at the bolts. The 4EAT has a very long pump-drive (IIRC) shaft that wil probably stay with the torque converter if you try to leave the TC attached, and there is unlikely to be enough room to pull it free of the tranny. BTW, the front tranny seal is very accessible while the engine is out, costs about $9, and might be worth replacing while your doing the engine rear main seal.
July 22, 200619 yr the motor and transmission will come out of the engine bay as an assembly too if you want to do that. yank them together. normally there's a rubber plug underneath the throttle body on top the engine. remove this access plug and you can unbolt the TC (torque converter) from the flexplate. remove one bolt...rotate crank and remove the next bolt...keep going all the way around until they are all out. listen to john on reinstalling the torque converter/input shaft. the shaft is very tricky to get to seat the last 1/4". there are a number of posts and i've posted at length on suggestions how to seat that remaining bit. you must make sure it's seated that last little bit or you'll crack the oil pump housing inside the transmission and that is no fun to deal with. usually requires transmission replacement unless you want to tear into it. do not torque any bolts to seat it that last 1/4", it will break. the FSM actually gives measurements you can use to help determine if it's properly seated before installing the engine. when yo'ure installing it you'll generally wiggle it back and forth as you gradually pull in and out and rotate it...eventually you'll feel it drop that last little bit and you know it's in right. seen a couple people not pay attention or know about that last 1/4" and break things like john mentioned.
July 22, 200619 yr Depends. If you have the intake manifold off (or you have very small hands) you can go through the top access hole. Or, you can do as someone recently suggested and undo the motor mounts and lift the engine until you have access through the bottom of the bell housing (lift out of the way of rack interference). This worked well for me, except having to snake my way through the legs of my engine hoist to get at the bolts. The 4EAT has a very long pump-drive (IIRC) shaft that wil probably stay with the torque converter if you try to leave the TC attached, and there is unlikely to be enough room to pull it free of the tranny. BTW, the front tranny seal is very accessible while the engine is out, costs about $9, and might be worth replacing while your doing the engine rear main seal. Top side is possible for the TC bolts, but it is super easy to round the head with the crappy angle to work with - and you have to remove the throttle position sensor connector , some breather hoses and some other stuff to get through the top access hole. You have to pull the engine anway, so just jack it up a little off the mounts and get to the bolts from below - better socket angle than from above. Once past those frustrating torque converter nuts and the engine cleared, you still need to get to the drive plate/crankshaft bolts. Once the plate is off, this is what it the rear seal will look like.
July 22, 200619 yr << I am currently trying to pull the engine on a 95 legacy all wheel drive automatic transmission. In the past when removing a automatic transmission I have had to remave the torque converter from the flex plate before removing the engine. is this the case with the ej22 and if so how do you get at the bolts. the access in the bottom of the bell housing is blocked by teh power steering rack>> what makes you think the rear main seal is bad? i've never seen a rear main seal go on a subaru engine unless its been sitting for years.
July 22, 200619 yr what makes you think the rear main seal is bad? i've never seen a rear main seal go on a subaru engine unless its been sitting for years. I agree. I rarely see rear mains leak on Subarus.
July 22, 200619 yr I agree. I rarely see rear mains leak on Subarus. my money is on the separator plate.
July 23, 200619 yr I am currently trying to pull the engine on a 95 legacy all wheel drive automatic transmission. In the past when removing a automatic transmission I have had to remave the torque converter from the flex plate before removing the engine. is this the case with the ej22 and if so how do you get at the bolts. the access in the bottom of the bell housing is blocked by teh power steering rack You get at them from an access at the top of the bell housing, to the right of the Throttle Body. there, you will find a hard black rubber plug that can be pulled off to access the flexplate to torque Converter bolts. They are 12mm bolts, and there are 4 of them. As for the rear main seal not being bad, how many miles do you have on the car? if over 100K, then go ahead and replace it (keep in mind that it will be a PITA to do). I would also replace the plastic oil seperator with the more reliable metal one. This will reduce future problems.
July 23, 200619 yr good points...verify that leak! i've yet to pull a subaru motor with any rear main seal issues...even 200,000 miles. crank, cam, oil pump, valve covers...everything else goes like crazy but i never see leaky rear mains.
July 23, 200619 yr Probably that big rotating mass right next to it tends to stabilize things and limit wear and tear. RE: Separator plate... is that the big sheet metal (on my 90) cover next to the crank and its seal? I have not seen a plastic one... yet...
July 23, 200619 yr on a similar note, the mechanic inwhich the previous owners of my 95 legacy ls took the car to said that hte rear main was bad.........would this leak oil? cuz it's been the same level for over 2 months now (just over full from when they refilled it after the last checkup) also, if it IS indeed bad, how much would a mechanically disinclined newb like myself be expected to pay (labor and parts of course) for somebody to do this for me? the previous owner was quoted 2100, which tells me that the mechanic did NOT want to do it, thus overcharged the estimate herego, give me a GREAT deal on this car (100bux)
July 23, 200619 yr <<on a similar note, the mechanic inwhich the previous owners of my 95 legacy ls took the car to said that hte rear main was bad.........would this leak oil? cuz it's been the same level for over 2 months now (just over full from when they refilled it after the last checkup) >> like i said earlier, <<what makes you think the rear main seal is bad? i've never seen a rear main seal go on a subaru engine unless its been sitting for years.>> i would take it to a different mechanic, being the old one "overfilled" the oil last time!
July 24, 200619 yr Author Thanks for the good advice and suggestions I have decided to leave the engine in and concentrate on the front of the motor as what I can see of the flex plate it is dry and clean. Replacing the rear main seal was a suggestion of a mechanic who may have just been trying to drum up business
July 25, 200619 yr i meant the level read at JUST over the full line, sorry. he didn't blatently dump in an extra quart or nothing <<on a similar note, the mechanic inwhich the previous owners of my 95 legacy ls took the car to said that hte rear main was bad.........would this leak oil? cuz it's been the same level for over 2 months now (just over full from when they refilled it after the last checkup) >> like i said earlier, <<what makes you think the rear main seal is bad? i've never seen a rear main seal go on a subaru engine unless its been sitting for years.>> i would take it to a different mechanic, being the old one "overfilled" the oil last time!
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