Fairtax4me Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 (edited) 95 Legacy LS wagon. 178k, 2.2, AT, good tires, good brakes (a little warped but not too bad), interior is in great shape, basically near perfect (as perfect as perfect can get for 16 years old) except for two things. Dead miss on number 1. P/Os mechanic said no compression, suspected burnt valves. Gonna look into it. Deer hit to the left front fender and hood. Dented and the paint is cracked. Headlight looks a bit out of whack, but it isn't too noticeable. $700 I'll get some pics up tomorrow. Edited February 17, 2011 by Fairtax4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted February 14, 2011 Share Posted February 14, 2011 glad you got it. looked like a good one. my money is on jumped timing belt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 14, 2011 Author Share Posted February 14, 2011 I was hoping that too until I started pulling fuel injector wires. Unplugging number one made no difference at all in the way it ran. Pulling any of the other 3 made it run much much worse. The story was the car was being driven by their son who was going back to school on the other side of the mountain. About the time he got to the top of the mountain, it lost power and started sputtering. He drove it back home, (1 hour +) and took another car instead. Dad drove it to the mechanic about 10 miles from the house for diagnosis, then back home after getting the news. With fuel dumping into that cylinder the whole time, if it was just a burnt valve, this could easily have washed down the rings and scored the cylinder walls by now. Worst case it needs an engine. I'll probably just put an engine in it anyway since I can get one for ~$150 from the local pickapart. Gonna do compression and leak down tests and see if I can figure out exactly what's going on with it. I will be sure to check the timing marks though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 15, 2011 Author Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) Dug into it some today. Cam timing is spot on on both sides at TDC. Pulled number one plug, soaked with oil/fuel. I did unplug the fuel injector when I took it on the "test drive" and for loading/unloading it from the trailer, so it was mostly oil. Did a compression check. Number one has 0 compression dry or wet. So guessing it's a burnt valve. There is a funny sound from that side of the engine, that seems to coincide with the "misfire" if you can call it that. So the big question is... spend $120 or so on a head gasket and used head, Spend $120ish on a head gasket and having the current head reworked, or spend $160 and just drop in a new engine? This engine seems fine, no knocking or ticking that I can hear so I kinda hate to toss it, but I'm worried about the chances the rings have been ground to pulp from being driven so far with it misfiring. I guess I could re-ring it. But the cost of a set of rings, plus the time it takes to do all that, just isn't too appealing right now. On the brighter side. I got under it today and had a closer look. One bad ball joint, one loose tie rod end. That's all I could find wrong with it. I mean, besides leaking oil like a sieve. It does have an after market axle on the front passenger side, so I'll probably grab a Subaru axle out of the junkyard just to have when the aftermarket one starts giving me trouble. But other than that, I was pretty amazed at how good it looked underneath. There is practically no rust on this thing. The bolts on the exhaust pipes aren't even rusty! Almost forgot, the exhaust whistles like a VW Beetle under moderate throttle. Not sure if that's a sign of something wrong with the muffler or if it has to do with the misfire but it sounds kinda cool. And I still didn't get pics. Edited February 15, 2011 by Fairtax4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 given what the engine needs, i would pull it and the head and then make the decision. let the condition of the inside make your decision for you. it's probably fine. it was getting more gas than it should but it was also still getting oil. dropping in an engine is easy but you already know you should: replace ALL the timing stuff and ALL the seals. so your $160 engine is going to be a little more than that. but the same is true of the one you have. i'd probably replace the engine and sell the old for parts. the driver side head and intake can bolt on to a 90- 94 engine and make it an ej25 swap motor. someone may want that. or save the parts if you plan on doing this again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzpile Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 (edited) Extreme pleasure in a way as i've been a 'ginia boy since 1967. Both of you have been a treasure by way of advise. Enough KU. Broken spring. my little pos .002 help. Funny woosh, valve held open. Super deal either way. Edited February 15, 2011 by Fuzpile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axgutt Posted February 15, 2011 Share Posted February 15, 2011 The story was the car was being driven by their son who was going back to school on the other side of the mountain. About the time he got to the top of the mountain, it lost power and started sputtering. He drove it back home, (1 --- I'll be crossing the top of the mountain in about 45 minutes. I hope this doesn't jinx me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 (edited) Broken spring. my little pos .002 help. Funny woosh, valve held open. Nope. But the innerds are way clean for 178k miles. The oil is surprisingly clean, very little gas smell if any. I did some price checking today. I can pull the head, check it out, replace a valve or two if needed, clean it up and slap a new head gasket on it for about $50. That's cheap enough I feel good about trying it just to see. If it works, I can pull the engine and reseal it the right way when it gets warmer. If it's not too cold tomorrow evening I think I'll start digging into it. replace ALL the timing stuff and ALL the seals. so your $160 engine is going to be a little more than that. but the same is true of the one you have.Well, either way it needs that. The timing belt has that alligator skin look. Cam seals don't appear to be leaking but I'm sure they're original. But something in the back is leaking like it's going out of style. Edited February 16, 2011 by Fairtax4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 should be warm enough the next few days. consider this the mid winter thaw. 50$ go for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 16, 2011 Author Share Posted February 16, 2011 should be warm enough the next few days. consider this the mid winter thaw. Seems to me last year we got one of these "mid winter thaws" and then immediately got ~20" of snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Finally got some pics of it today. The car And look what it came with! The car nage. A little JB should fix that right up eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) so, replace the valve and re-install? it looks good, even with the dents. given the overall condition of the car, and what i have heard of the seller. i'll bet the timing belt and idlers are good. but they are due at 180k. any oil leaks? the top looks surprisingly clean. how's the bottom? congrats. Edited February 17, 2011 by johnceggleston Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 oops! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 (edited) The top is clean because I cleaned it. The bottom is sorta kinda clean, because I cleaned it, :-p but you can still see the mess on the cross member. The separator plate must be what was leaking, because the PCV valve is plugged solid. Also think the power steering reservoir is leaking. Found some red fluid on top of the engine underneath it. The timing belt is pretty well worn. The PO did say he replaced the water pump a few years back, and he must have read all the warnings about the crank pulley coming loose because that bolt was TIGHT! I bent the 1/4" allen key that I had stuck through the hole in the bell housing, and had to put a larger one in there to hold the crank while I pulled on the breaker bar. Hopefully the valve seat isn't damaged, at least not more than what lapping the valve can take care of, but I'll find out tomorrow. The second valve looks a little funny on the one edge. Couldn't tell if it was crud or wear, but I'll pop that one out while I'm at it, clean it up and take a close look. Edited February 17, 2011 by Fairtax4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Envious of that sunroof and such a nice body that thing has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Envious of that sunroof Don't be. I already had to pull the headliner down and reconnect one of the drain hoses yesterday after I washed it. Not entirely convinced it's going to stay either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Durania Posted February 17, 2011 Share Posted February 17, 2011 Ouch. I was spoiled by the one on my RS coupe and wish the STi had a RA roof vent. I just can't bring myself to cut a hole in a perfect roof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Goobysoobs Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 Yeah I may just fix the damage to mine instead of getting a new one can't find a decent body out there none the less a LS body. And I'm spoiled by a non leaking fully functioning moon roof lol. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted February 18, 2011 Author Share Posted February 18, 2011 One concern. New parts on the way should be here tomorrow, so I cleaned up the mating surfaces on the head and the block this evening. Then I hunted down a spring compressor and took the old valve out. Here's where the concern part comes in. Just a little bit of the old valve splattered itself on the seat, and it won't budge. I planned to just lap the new valve in put it back together and go, but I don't want to do this again if I don't have to. Should I worry about cutting the seat to get the little bit of old valve off of it, or will lapping the new valve in take care of that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike104 Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 I would probably have the seat cut and then lap it, but that is just my opinion. I think it would take a long time to try and lap it alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted February 18, 2011 Share Posted February 18, 2011 it may just be the pic, but it looks like there is an inner rim that is boogered in addition to the spot on the outer edge. i've never done valves so i don't know. it may be that the part i see doesn't even come into contact with the valve. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzpile Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 Your pics came thru with remarkable clarity. That's a very fine Legacy with many(or all) the options. Those dents will pop out mostly. In a way I have good news about that head for it will be MUCH less work- It is screwed:( The coolant has blasted your seats, the guides. I mean if you were on an island somewhere, you could definitely get it working for awhile But the car doesn't deserve that going back into it. Another head would be cheaper and more dependable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzpile Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 You can keep it of course and try to rebuild it at your leizure. Probably new seats, guides.. B4 that, cleaning,gentle draw fileing of the surface. To See how freakin warped it... That is you can go all thru that stuff and somewhere before that, during scraping and cleaning, there is a line. A ridge. Except it isn't a ridge it is a crack. Then it was all a waste. The head is done. A used one that Can be cleaned and valve Can be lapped is a given. The alert is the real possiblity that piston comes out and rings replaced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdjdc Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 You aren't too far away from Richmond. There are 2 do it yourself JY's here and they have older 2.2 engines in some wrecked cars. That means that they were running at the time. Might be wort a trip here to get a new head. I think they charge 50 or less for a head. Heck, a long block with the intake is only 165. Check their website. www.chesterfieldauto.com It will tell you what cars are here, but not what parts are still one it. I am close, so if you wnat me to check out the cars I can do that for you. I can even pull some parts for you so they don't go bye bye. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuzpile Posted February 19, 2011 Share Posted February 19, 2011 man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now