Trying to understand..

Hi Forum

 

I've posted a few times on here regarding my 05 Legacy GT Limited, but haven't had much of a chance to dig in or have some fun. It's been in and out of the shop over the past half year with engine issues. Cylinder 4 originally gave way last October and I took the car to a shop to have the engine replaced. At this point it is now back in the shop for a 4th time. The past 2 times different cylinders ended up having ringland failure. This go around it seems to be the same thing. Another cylinder ended up with a misfire and compression was down to 90 PSI. The shop is currently doing the work, but I'm trying to dig here on this forum to understand why this might be happening consistently. I appreciate any thoughts or response.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Josh

Do you have an accessport are you on the stock tune? Any upgrades to the car?

 

Need a little more info before anyone can suggest anything.

"... to have the engine replaced" -> what all was done the first time it was in the shop? If it was a new shortblock you shouldn't have any of these follow up issues that you mention.

 

When someone comes along with a story like this, many times it seems to be the shop that is the issue more than the engine itself.

No modifications. The shop did state that they gutted the up pipe in the process. I have an accessport, but I have not been using it as the car has been in and out so frequently.

 

The car did get a new short block and the heads were machined.

 

Thanks again for the quick responses.

So in the past six months you had:

1. Original engine lost cyl 4

2. New shortblock

3. Lost another cyl

4. Lost yet another cyl

5. Misfire/lost compression

 

That's not normal, something is really wrong.

New SB shouldn't have any of those issues.

Have you logged anything related to usage?

What about injectors and plugs?

What was done between each of the lost cylinders?

I smell a scam and agree with infosecdad.

Why do you have a Cobb AP ? is/was the car at stage 2 tune or stage1 tune or some other custom tune ?

 

I would much rather have the car on the correct Cobb AP tune, we all know the engine is safer on Cobb AP.

I hope this shop is covering all of this under warranty considering they replaced the shortblock and are now having issues with that same shortblock.

If the work was done correctly, which it should have been because its not like most auto machine shops don't see a ton of these heads.

 

It's just a matter of bolting the heads onto the new OEM ej257 or ej255 short block with the engine gasket set for your year car.

 

Load the Cobb AP stage 1 tune, the car should run for a long time.

 

This is not rocket science, this has been done a 1000's of times.

 

Are you using new NGK spark plugs ? NGK 2309 or NGK 5245 gapped @ .028-.030" for your near stock set up.

 

We need to figure what that shop is not doing right.

 

 

I use NGK 2309, one step colder because they are cheaper and work well for me over the past 240,000 miles or so.

 

If you ever check back in here, look at the "click here" link in my sig, that's become the "how to do it right the first time" thread.

Edited May 20, 2021 by Max Capacity

Did they use a new oem shortblock or did they assemble a shortblock themselves?

Sorry guy it's been a bit since I last posted. I work wayyy too much.

 

I have not logged anything in terms of usage and have mostly been relying on the shop to convey information. Each of the last times it's been in they stated Subaru recommended putting a new piston in each cylinder that failed.

 

I'm still waiting to hear back this go around on the diagnosis.

 

 

They have warrantied the work each time, but it's really been nothing, but a hassle. I've probably put 5k miles on it since October of last year.

 

Looking at the receipt and confirming what was stated. A new turbo and shortblock were installed with a year warranty. There's also a line item for NGK plugs. I could copy the parts list if there was any interest there.

 

At this point that's all the information I have. I realize I should probably be more in tune with details, but I really expected the shop to handle most of this and return a factory running car.

 

Appreciate any additional insight or thoughts.

I highly doubt Subaru recommended replacing pistons with a shortblock being as cheap as it is and them giving a warranty on their shortblocks. Only 5k miles and a dead motor? Originally I was wondering how you were driving the thing but unless you are just balls out with it every time you drive it, 5k isn’t anything. I’d like to blame assembly error but if it is in fact ringlands then it’s a grossly overlooked gap error Edited May 20, 2021 by blackobxt

Shop sounds completely incompetent to me.

That's kind of where I have just lost faith and trust. I'm not really sure what to think or believe at this point. Or what to do for that matter. I would hate to dump the car after putting as much money into it as I have.

Make them cover it. Ringland failure is mostly caused by the rings not being gapped correctly. The rings expand with heat and there’s not enough of a gap to compensate and the extra mass has to go somewhere. Either way, the car made it through an oil change or twos worth of miles depending on how anal you are and it failed. I’d make that pretty clear to them.