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Southy's first Subie


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Hey all, i just got my first Subaru and wouldn't you know it, already having issues. This thread will mostly be for record keeping, but I'm sure I'll be asking questions and paint pictures along the way.

2006 Subaru Legacy Sedan, 2.5i 4at

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Day 1- brake fun. Replaced the pads, they were worn down to the backing plate on all 4 wheels. Put 25 miles in New pads and blew it arear hard brake line. New brake lines installed at Gabriel's.

 

5/29/19.. got the car back. Drives great.

 

5/30/19.. first commute to work and home, 90miles round trip. Car did great until I was headed home. I was 75 miles in for the day and my CEL comes on steady and Cruise light is flashing. Pull over, check code, returns p0026 and p0028. Drove the car home. Got home and did some googling, tested resistance of solenoids pin-pin, and switches pin to ground. Both switches read 0ohms, and both solenoids read less than 15ohms. Oil level was .5 quarts below max fill line, topped off.

Edited by Southygarage
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This morning I'll be cleaning the engine bay before work so I can try to locate my oil leak when I change the oil tonight. Also going to clean up the electrical connections for the solenoids and switches in an attempt to remedy my codes.

 

Sent from my Z999 using Tapatalk

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  • 5 weeks later...

So far I have put 3k miles on it. I have to add about 1qt oil to the engine Everytime I fill the gas tank. Really need to track down this leak.

 

I'm scrapping my project car tomorrow so I'll have space in my shop to get some stuff done. Near future I'll be doing second oil change, pads and rotors, and get it inspected.

 

Sent from my Z999 using Tapatalk

Edited by Southygarage
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So the car started running rough at lower RPMs, 2500 or less. I decided to do spark plugs cause it's an easy fix and they haven't been replaced in about 25k according to the maintenance history the PO provided.

 

The clip inside the spark plug boot came off on the plug, so I believe that's my problem. Removed it, went to remove the plug and it's covered in oil, guess I found my oil leak.

 

I'm going to order the plug wires, valve cover and spark plug tube gaskets today and I'll do it all when parts come in.

 

Sent from my Z999 using Tapatalk

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Tube seals leaking on the EJ253 are common but not 1qt btwn gas tank fillups common.

 

 

 

If you are burning that much oil check the oil pan and head gasket area, if dry drop the manifold. If the manifold is wet that's the problem (Bad HG). Also check the PC Valve and intake tract, you may be suffering from excessive blow-by. If the intake box is wet with caked oil clean it up along with the PC Valve and inspect when you fill up again.

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Tube seals leaking on the EJ253 are common but not 1qt btwn gas tank fillups common.

 

 

 

If you are burning that much oil check the oil pan and head gasket area, if dry drop the manifold. If the manifold is wet that's the problem (Bad HG). Also check the PC Valve and intake tract, you may be suffering from excessive blow-by. If the intake box is wet with caked oil clean it up along with the PC Valve and inspect when you fill up again.

So I don't believe I'm burning any oil at all, except what drips onto my exhaust. When I check my oil level it still looks clean, no smoke out the tailpipe under any conditions. I'll pull my manifold tomorrow and swab inside near the head to see if it's oily.

 

here's where I've found oil, I'll get pics tomorrow if I remember.

 

Inside spark plug tubes

Entire oil pan is covered

Drips onto exhaust manifold

Crossmember/subframe is covered

Bottom side of engine between timing cover and oil pan

Oil filter

 

Does not appear to be directly coming from head gaskets or valve cover gaskets, based on what I can see from under the car with a pen light. My best guesses are spark plug tube gaskets, and oil pan gasket.

Edit. Oil pan has been removed at some point before I purchased, and red rtv was used as the gasket.

 

Edit. Also checked the intake box, filter, and resonator when I pulled them to do spark plugs today. No signs of oil or sludge.

 

Sent from my Z999 using Tapatalk

Edited by Southygarage
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My car has always consumed 1-2 quarts of oil over a 4-5k oil change interval, more in hot weather, with highway driving, and after the oil has about 2-3k on it.

 

I've got a mystery leak that doesn't sound as bad as yours, but some of the same symptoms.

-The leak comes backwards towards the transmission drain plug, it's 100% engine oil. A little bit also comes down the rear of the oil pan.

 

The problem is, you have the rear main seal, oil pan gasket, head gaskets that commonly leak oil, and this plate next to the rear main seal, but I don't think that's a common leak spot on our cars.

 

I'm not sure if your problem is the oil pan gasket, but it couldn't hurt to try, I've looked into that recently. For both the spark plug tube seals, valve cover gasket, and oil pan gasket people recommend very slightly jacking up the engine after unbolting the pitch stop mount above the transmission. I don't want you to damage your engine doing that, it's just what I've read in some other threads here. Doing my spark plug tube seals with the engine as-is was a huge pain in the butt.

 

*Edit, it's super hard to see the rear corners of the head gasket, and that's exactly where the main oil drain passages are, at the corners. Subaru recommends a threebond product for sealing the oil pan gasket, and they list 3m ultrapro 08672 as an acceptable alternative. Oil passages picture below

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/attachments/problems-maintenance/26890d1358252067-oil-filter-head-gasket-head.jpg

Edited by apexi
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I was planning to do the oil pan gasket after I do the valve covers up. But if I end up needing to raise the engine some to get to all the bolts for valve covers I may as well just do the oil pan too. I've watched some videos on both, we will see how it goes I guess.

 

Would The Right Stuff in black be suitable for the oil pan in place of Hondabond or a fiber gasket?

 

Sent from my Z999 using Tapatalk

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*Edit, it's super hard to see the rear corners of the head gasket, and that's exactly where the main oil drain passages are, at the corners. Subaru recommends a threebond product for sealing the oil pan gasket, and they list 3m ultrapro 08672 as an acceptable alternative. Oil passages picture below

https://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/attachments/problems-maintenance/26890d1358252067-oil-filter-head-gasket-head.jpg

 

Thank you for this. I'll see if I can get a better view around the back side of the engine.

 

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I have a strange oil leak like that, after cleaning and inspecting, it appears to be the Oil cooler gasket. Check to see if it is dry near the base where the oil filter is. The air blows the oil all the way along the oil pan and back to the trans. I thought the valve covers were leaking, just the cooler gasket!
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Ah dang, got my hopes up. I did just take another look, doesn't appear to be coming from the seam where the Valve covers meet the head, or where the head meets the block. Filter is soaked, oil pan is soaked, crossmember is soaked. Had to add .5 qt since my oil change the other day.

 

Edit. Seems to leak much much slower when the engine is running. over 5 mins I see maybe 10-15 drips when it's off, and only 3-4 when it's idling. Not sure what that indicates if anything.

Edited by Southygarage
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  • 3 weeks later...

So here was my problem.

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Saw it and pulled the pan. Tried to patch it and put it back on with a new gasket and well....

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So I replaced the pan with a new one, also used a felpro cork gasket instead of rtv. Now it's leaking from the dipstick tube o-ring. There was only one when I removed it before. Looks like it takes 2. Hope that fixes it.

 

Sent from my Z999 using Tapatalk

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  • 7 months later...

So my local junkyard has a sick deal on engines coming this weekend, and I was thinking of finding an ej253 w/ avls to rebuild, seems to be a lot of them in the yard right now.

 

Anyone know how the hell I can transport it? Would it fit in the trunk of my leggy sedan? Back seat maybe? What if I pull the heads at the yard?

 

Thanks for any input.

 

Also, took care of my seized front caliper slide pins. What a PITA. filmed it though, and I'll be putting a video up on the YouTube in the next couple days.

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If you tear it down to the shortblock, it should all fit in the trunk of your sedan. No way an assembled longblock is going in there, and I wouldn't put it in your back seat unless you want to wreck the interior.
Yeah I figured that'd be the case. Im not sure how I'd even get the long block into the car, imagine trying to swing it in there with an engine crane hah.

 

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