garthpro Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 '00 OBW, manual, 230k miles I replaced my rear main and oil separator plate about a year ago. It is now leaking again up there, can't see without pulling something. Last time we dropped the tranny and everything else back. I hear it is MUCH easier to pull radiator and move engine forward!?? ANY ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcspeer Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 I think with a manual trans. it would be better to take the trans. out. The auto trans. is very heavy that seems to be the reason for moving the motor forward on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 20, 2009 Share Posted January 20, 2009 this depends on personal preference, tools, equipment and shop space (or not!). search will give lots of posts about this. if you're not sure i'd think pulling the engine is the way to do this job. particularly considering it sounds like it wasn't done right the first time. you'll want good access to get things lined up perfect. the rear main is a hoot. it seems the rear main seal is the hardest one to get right. i've heard of a number of folks (i can name some of them) that have had a replaced rear main start leaking. i dont' touch them if they're dry, even if i already have the motor out. i usually replace any seal i can get to easily, but not this one. the quickest way possible is to pull the trans out. but that requires good tools, equipment and a willingness to work on your back without getting annoying. that's hard to come by! transmission has fewer lines, wires, hoses, and connections. but getting to it and moving it around effectively is not easy. having an extra hand or two helps a LOT but i've done it by myself before (even with an auto trans). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthpro Posted January 20, 2009 Author Share Posted January 20, 2009 I have a hoist and fork lift, so we pulled the engine out! very easy this way so far. Now to find the leak>? I can't. the plate isnt leaking, I pulled it, the perma-tex was great and you could see it wasn't compromised. ANy ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svxpert Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 <<Now to find the leak>? I can't. the plate isnt leaking, I pulled it, the perma-tex was great and you could see it wasn't compromised. ANy ideas? >> well, you can post pics of the oil areas or we can guess where its coming from. if its not the separator plate, or the rear main, it could be the following: valve cover gaskets, cam seals, front oil seal, or the oil pump. what was the reason you replaced the rear mail seal last time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 I bet it is the oil pan gasket. So often I pull an engine and find out that there is NO gasket, just some permatex. What a lame way to seal the pan. I put in a new rubber one and they work great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msmithmmx Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 When I am in there I replace all 3 seals back there. Main seal, Replace oil seperator plate for upgraded model and the o-ring on access port for the rods. I went to Home depot with my new main seal and built the tool to drive it in with PVC pipe. The tool cost we under 10 bucks to make. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svxpert Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 <<I bet it is the oil pan gasket. So often I pull an engine and find out that there is NO gasket, just some permatex. What a lame way to seal the pan. I put in a new rubber one and they work great.>> i think subaru stopped using an oil seal gasket back when the EJ series engines came out. i havent seen one since the ol' loyale days. you use the high temp RTV sealant now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthpro Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 I replaced teh rear main the first time as Most mechanics will say replace everything while it is open, NOT KNOWING that it is pretty tight and was probably not the case. THe first leak was definitely the separator! Drove it 20k and it started to show engine oil under there again. I think it was the access port, but I had already purchased a new rear main, so we put it in. I would love to see some pictures of the Tool that you made. what is the proper depth of seating that rear main anyway? We replaced the O-ring onthe access port with permatex around it. Couldn't get an O-ring anywhere in town. 3 day wait at either dealer. so!!!! It wasn't so bad with fork lift and hoist to get the engine completely out. Definitely the way to go if you can. since last time we pulled the tranny back. inthe hoist of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthpro Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 PS. I re-did the oil PAN with permatex already, I couldn't find a leak on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 was this on an H6 or EJ25? what did this oil leak end up being this time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthpro Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 EJ 25 Pretty sure it was the access port for the rods. that plate had some oil behind it! The seal on the separator was not compromised. the rear main?? couldn't tell, but for $11, we popped the new one in anyway. No drive time to tell if we got it tho! I am wondering if I can snake a flexible camera (aka colonoscope etc.) thru the clutch inspection port and look? anyone ever done that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svxpert Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 <<I am wondering if I can snake a flexible camera (aka colonoscope etc.) thru the clutch inspection port and look? anyone ever done that?>> not going to see much as the flywheel is bolted to the crankshaft. rear main goes in/ just slightly clears the metal face. too far and it will leak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthpro Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 what is the clearance between the flywheel and the engine blok? I have some 2 mm flex scopes. same as the ones they stick up your bumm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloyale Posted January 22, 2009 Share Posted January 22, 2009 Did you consider the trans input shaft seal? They do leak sometimes? Was the inside of the transmission bell oily? any oil around the input shaft? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garthpro Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 there was a LITTLE oil in the bell. It was definitely engine oil. And there was a a fair amount BEHIND the inspection port for the rods. Gotta figure the engine overheat (see my thread on head rebuild) caused the O-ring in there to go bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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