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98 Legacy cam seals turns to head gasket project!


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AS it turns out, my cam seals are leaking very little. The tell tale sign of oil on my overflow tank walls, led me to shoot a question at my local Sube service manager. He insisted I was wasting my time doing a cam job, and not replacing my head gaskets. So I'm balls deep in head gasket project.:banana: Power steering pump isn't really leaking either. I think my oil pressure sensor IS leaking just a touch. Passenger side top of block where it meets the head is very wet. Must be the head gasket?.. We'll see.

None of the spinny thing felt suspect. There is a bit of powdery black beltish debris on the inside of the timing belt cover but the belt looked good and was dry. Passenger side cam sprckets came off a little tough. Tapped the center while wiggling work after two minutes. Figured out the 6 head bolts require a 12 point 14mm not a 6 point. Is there any reason I can't just prop up the intake manifold and not remove it? Do you put bearing grease on the threads and the heads of the head bolts? Is a really long 10mm rat************\(why not spell it like that?) \boxend the best tool for that bolt-[drivers side low right]

Note. I DID have to return my valve cover seal kit for my 98 ej25 and get the actual one for my 98 ej25. He asked if it was a Limited and said there was a different kit for that. Traded kits. Asked questions. You never know what you're going to get when you ask a pro mechanic for input. This guy may have saved me a blown engine... If I do it right...!

 

"See you guys in the emergency room".-Jon Bender

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You do not want to put anything on the head bolt threads. They're supposed to be installed only with oil. Also there is a crazy torque sequence you're supposed to follow. I don't have it, but maybe someone else can post it.

Edited by Legacy777
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DOHC 2.5 head installation and torque sequence from MY99 FSM. :banana:

1) Install cylinder head and gaskets on cylinder

block.

CAUTION:

Use new cylinder head gaskets.

2) Tighten cylinder head bolts.

(1) Apply a coat of engine oil to washers and

bolt threads.

(2) Tighten all bolts to 29 N·m (3.0 kg-m, 22

ft-lb) in alphabetical sequence.

Then tighten all bolts to 69 N·m (7.0 kg-m, 51

ft-lb) in alphabetical sequence.

(3) Back off all bolts by 180° first; back them off

by 180° again.

(4) Tighten bolts (A) and (B) to 34 N·m (3.5

kg-m, 25 ft-lb).

(5) Tighten bolts ©, (D), (E) and (F) to 15 N·m

(1.5 kg-m, 11 ft-lb).

B2M1397D

(6) Tighten all bolts by 80 to 90° in alphabetical

sequence.

CAUTION:

Do not tighten bolts more than 90°.

(7) Further tighten all bolts by 80 to 90° in

alphabetical sequence.

CAUTION:

Ensure that the total “re-tightening angle” [in

the two previous steps] do not exceed 180°.

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I used high temp bearing grease very lightly on the washer and threads.

Hayes manual has a torque sequence--get it.

Helpful to know the head bolts are spec'd in IN. IBS. I thought it was strange to tighten them to 132 ft ibs. Broke a head bolt in fact before waking up. Why don't they do the conversion to ft pounds in the Haynes.. ??? Multiply say 132 in ibs x .083 to get ft pounds. Heads bolts get tightened to 21 ft ibs then to 50 ft ibs then loosened .5 turn twice then torqued to 132 in ibs. which is like 11 ft ibs. then 90 degrees twice on all the bolts.

 

IIntake whistled on re assembly and them coolant system locked up and overheated. She's good now. Still got drips on my jack plate though!!! double F.

 

Overall feels like a different car.

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STOP with the cam caps!!!!

 

You gotta look around.

 

The front ones get less torque. Take it from a fella that thought when the first bolt on the first cam cap in the front broke - that is was a fluke. Actually if you look at them the shaft of the front bolts are thinner.

 

Don't remember the specs. But the ones closest the front get torqued less.

 

I get get me a spiffy new set of the left handed drill bits and extractors. But I would have been happier just skipping that whole experience.

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You do not want to put anything on the head bolt threads. They're supposed to be installed dry. Also there is a crazy torque sequence you're supposed to follow. I don't have it, but maybe someone else can post it.

 

Big no-no. the bolts should be lubed with clean motor oil on the theads, and btween the washer and the bolt head.

 

To the OP...

 

If the top of the block was wet, and even if it wasn't, make sure you replace the O-rings on the coolant crossover tube. These are often overlooked because you don't have to pull that crossover to get heads off....but you will want to repalce those o-rings.

 

You can get them from the dealer for 5 bucks a piece..........OR..............Go to a parts store, and find a pack 4 or 5 of 1-9/16" x 1/8" O-rings for a buck.

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You guys are right....I wasn't thinking about the oil. I've edited my original post. I do know that if you follow Subaru's torquing procedure that you only should use the oil. Grease or moly lube will change the torque applied to the bolts based on Subaru's torquing procedure.

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Grease or moly lube will change the torque applied to the bolts based on Subaru's torquing procedure.

 

CRAP! I used a really nice bearing grease I use on the wood chipper bearings. Very thin layer. It didn't occer to me they could be TOO lubed. Woops.

 

Found a Six Star oil pressure sensor for 22$. Mine was def. leaking.

 

It's a new car. My seeping head gaskets caused a giant loss of power and an erratic power curve. SOOOOO glad I pulled that off.

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