brycarp

It would be great if someone had a link to the service bulletin if there is one for retrofitting the steel oil sep. plate. As I said in the title this particlar engine is a '96 EJ22 in an Impreza Outback. I went ahead and invested in a Craftsman "micro-torque" torque wrench that goes down to 25 inch-pounds, so I'm ready to go, but I need to know what's the right number. Thanks! Bry

Hi All, I've seen threads here about seal replacement, but I don't think I've seen specifics on driving in the new seal. I'm using a full kit from "The Import Experts" on EBay that comes with all seals, so I'll be doing the front main and both cam seals. This is on a '96 Impreza OBW with EJ22. Do people just use a deep socket that's the closest to the O.D. of the seal they can come up with? (Of course when you're installing over a shaft that's in place, ya gotta leave room for it.) I'm willing to buy the specific deep sockets to get it done right, if that's the best way to go. Thanks! Bry

This thread helped me too, with my recently acquired '96 Impreza Outback. I'm used to mid-90s "Brand-H" cars, and I think they leave the compressor on all the time and regulate temp by the expansion valve at the evaporator. to call for more cool, the valve squeezes down harder and makes the compressor work harder - at least that's my understanding. On my '96 Impreza, the AC clutch is kinda loud when it cycles on, but I don't know whether to be concerned about that. (No slipping sound, just that the "click" is quite noticeable.) The AC seems to function pretty well. At least I was interested in knowing whether the clutch is designed to cycle on/off on this car rather than the cycling being an indicator of marginal refrig. level. Thanks to all of you knowledgeable Soobie people willing to help us n00bs! Bry

Wow! Thanks for the great pics! Guess I have a new "prime suspect" for the leak. While it's still a hassle to split the engine/tranny, replacing that plate/gasket would be lots easier than doing the rear main seal. Also, it fits with the fact that the torque conv. is dry. I'm assuming that the "bottom" of the engine is to the left in the engine pic? So that cover plate is on the pass. side relative to the crank? The leak definitely seems to be coming from the pass. side. Best regards, Bry

Hi Grossgary, I definitely intend to do more "process of elimination" before I'd dig in to actually separate the engine/tranny. I'm curious about the TC seating issue. I guess I'm used to having the TC be unboltable from a torque plate that's bolted to the crank. So the TC would stay with the tranny when the engine is separated. Is this not how Subaru's have it? Also, your comment about "Subaru rear mains rarely leak" is more info than I had, so I appreciate that. I already think it shouldnt be the rear main if the TC is dry, but I haven't yet figured out where the oil is coming from. I guess I need to unbolt the engine mounts and jack up the engine a little to get a better view. The crossmember with the steering rack in it kinda blocks the view. Thanks for your help! Bry

Hi Porcupine, I'm trying to figure out what you mean by "hand hole." I did notice the plate on the back end of the passenger-side head - looks like that's the place the cam shaft comes out when the head us used as a driver-side head, and just has a cover when used on pass. side. I don't think the leak is coming from there - I paid attention to that possibility. But maybe it's something else you're talking about. Any further info? Thanks! for your reply. Bry

Hi All, I picked up a used '96 Impreza Outback 2.2L and have already replaced the leaky steering rack + took care of several engine oil leaks around oil filler and valve covers, but I still have a pretty bad engine oil leak and I suspect it's the rear main seal. (But the torque converter is as dry as a bone, though.) I might just live with the leak for a while, but it gets oil on the exhaust pipe which smells bad and is probably somewhat of a hazard. I'm a newbie to Subaru's - been pretty much a "Brand-H" guy, but I decided I'd rather have AWD. Seems to me that the answer for separating the engine/tranny enough to replace the rear main would be to leave the trans/front diff in place and pull the engine. Can anyone point me to any online resources that would help with tips about how to support the trans/lift the engine, etc? Anything tricky about R&R the rear main seal once it's exposed? Sorry if this is an FAQ - I did try searching first to see whether I could find anything here. Thanks! Bry