My sister's Forester = enormous headache

[Nug]

My sister has an '01 Forester. She's had a lot of problems with it. I'm not sure of the reasons, but both the engine and transmission have been replaced in the past, with used ones. No idea if she had actual failures, but who knows.

 

The head gaskets started leaking externally. She noticed the coolant level in the reservoir kept dropping. She took it in, the shop confirmed head gasket leaks, and her steering rack was leaking out of one of the boots on the end. Gave her a quote for $4500. Ouch.

 

I volunteered. Pulled the engine, but not without drama. The converter was hopelessly seized to the engine; in particular , the nub on the end of the converter was absolutely stuck in the end of the crank. Lots of prying finally freed it.

 

Then I lost a week to Hurricane Irene.

 

Rack got replaced, no big deal. Needs an alignment at this point.

 

Ordered genuine parts off the internet. They take almost two weeks to arrive.

 

Started to put engine together. Less than 0.001 warpage in heads, decide to not get them milled. Then I noticed that all of the exhaust guides started moving; in some cases so much the guide seals didn't have a guide to attach to. Heads go to machine shop. Machine shop is backed up a week due to hurricane.

 

Get heads back, install on engine. Everything looking good. Attempt to reinstall torque converter, No Go. Clip that holds oil pump shaft to converter hopelessly mangled; replacement ordered. Wait another week.

 

Receive clip, reinstall torque converter. Install engine, add fluids, fire it up, it runs great. Cooling system burps itself, no smoke or wierd noises, no leaks. But the AT Temp light is flashing; the transmission is in limp mode.

 

Retrieve code: Duty solenoid A, the one that controls line pressure. Diagnostic tool for my laptop confirms it. Find FSM online, download transmission section. Do a bunch of wire chasing, no continuity through solenoid. Remove transmission pan. Remove solenoid. The electrical connector on the solenoid is cracked, giving intermittent connection. Strange that it shows up now. I'll have to wait until the morning to see if the (not really) local dealer has one in stock. If not, wait another week.

 

This is really, really testing my patience at this point.

Edited September 26, 2011 by Nug
External, not internal head gasket leaks.

[WoodsWagon]

Did you use a floor jack to lift the transmission by the pan when you were getting it and the engine aligned to come apart or go together? The pan can deflect and crush connectors/solenoids inside. Always use a solid block of wood that spans the pan or lift from the front diff.

[Nug]

It already had a (seemingly) minor dent in it. I had put a floor jack on it, but used a piece of 3/4" shelving board between the jack and pan; a piece larger than the pan. That dent did not appear to be in the same place as the Duty Solenoid A. However, it looks like the pan had been off before, someone was a bit overzealous with the use of RTV to seal it. Luckily none escaped and went for a ride inside the trans.

 

So yeah, I didn't crease it any further, to my knowledge. I'll be sure to reinspect before installing it. It's just a mystery why it's happening now.

[Fairtax4me]

No mystery. It just doesn't like you giving all the attention to the engine and had to make itself known. Kinda like a child after a new baby brother or sister is born.

 

I just lower the Y pipe and put the head of the jack under the differential, because I've heard so many stories about deformed transmission pans on these cars. They must just be really thin metal. I've lifted plenty of transmissions by the pan on other cars I've worked on, some even without a block of wood and never had an issue. But the reports of damage on these are numerous everything from pinched wires to broken solenoids to crushed filters not allowing the pump to pull enough fluid.

 

Anyway. Hope you slimed the TC pilot stub with plenty of grease before you put all that back together. Hopefully you won't have to pull the engine again anytime soon, but it will save you some headache if/when you do.

[Nug]

No mystery. It just doesn't like you giving all the attention to the engine and had to make itself known. Kinda like a child after a new baby brother or sister is born.

 

Yeah, seriously.

 

The reports of damage on these are numerous everything from pinched wires to broken solenoids to crushed filters not allowing the pump to pull enough fluid.

 

 

Hmm, was not aware of this being a frequent issue. I didn't want to drop the y-pipe because I was sure all the bolts would have broken. I will certainly check the pan for interference issues. I'm positive I didn't make it worse, but who knows. I'll be banging that existing dent out, to be sure.

 

I live at least an hour from any dealer, and they close before I get there during the week. Hopefully they have it in stock, but I'm not holding my breath.

[Fairtax4me]

There is one bolt on the mounting bracket that holds the secondary cat pipe to the transmission, that's all I remove. Then the pipe will drop down plenty far enough to fit the head of a jack between the pipes and differential. You don't want it to hang all the way down on the ground and put stress on the joints of the pipe, so tie it up with a ratchet strap or heavy wire looped over the transmission mount bracket.

[jarl]

"Every good action has it's well deserved punishment"

 

Where do you order your parts from? I got a quick turnaround (2 days!) ordering from SubaruOnlineParts out of NY. I'm near Detroit, so shipping to your place can't be much worse than that.

[nipper]

I am afraid to ask, but are you using subaru head gaskets?

[idosubaru]

wow, what a mess. the electrical connector is not a stand alone piece is it? so the dealer won't have it? i'm sure you'll figure it all out, at this point it's just an electrical connector compared to everything else you've done.

 

she better not sell this darn thing! 100,000 more miles here you come!

 

I am afraid to ask, but are you using subaru head gaskets?

i was under the impression they were Subaru:

Ordered genuine parts off the internet. They take almost two weeks to arrive.

Edited September 26, 2011 by grossgary

[Nug]

I am afraid to ask, but are you using subaru head gaskets?

 

Yes.

 

I couldn't decide between Cometic, updated 2.5, or STI. Eventually went with the latest update.

[Nug]

The connector is part of the solenoid. Goodbye $100!

[Nug]

"Every good action has it's well deserved punishment"

 

Where do you order your parts from? I got a quick turnaround (2 days!) ordering from SubaruOnlineParts out of NY. I'm near Detroit, so shipping to your place can't be much worse than that.

 

Subarugenuineparts.com or something like that out of WA. I expected a few more days for shipping, but it was over a week before I got notification that they had been shipped at all.

[jarl]

I had a similar problem when I needed the seals for my EJ22. I actually ordered from 1stSubaruParts, and although the prices were the best and shipping wasn't that slow it still took more than a week to get the parts. When I needed a filler neck for my OBW I looked at a few online dealers and the cheaper-closer one was SubaruOnlineParts

[johnceggleston]

i just went to the local dealer today and bought parts. the counter man was not the head guy i have bought from in the past and he quoted me retail prices. i told him that if he couldn't sell me the parts at wholesale pricing i was going to order them on line.

 

he then asked me if i was with a shop?

 

i replied '' i buy them, i fix them and i sell them.'' this apparently made the difference.

 

i got 20% of retail.

 

head gaskets = 34.36 each

plug wires set = 44.76

 

 

the bottom line is i paid the same cost at the local dealer as the online price plus shipping. then i had to pay 5% sales tax.

 

but i didn't have to wait for my parts. they were all in stock and i took them home with me.

 

anyway, try it, be confident, see what happens.

Edited September 27, 2011 by johnceggleston

[jarl]

I have had the same experience with a local Honda dealer -twice- this week. Both times I took the quote from the online dealer and asked the parts manager to offer something similar... and surprisingly he did A bit higher, but it's worth to deal with a real person. They know no one can force you to buy from them

 

Unfortunately every time I talk with my local Subaru dealer all I get is "we don't have the part and it would be a week before we get it".

[Nug]

I said "I can get it online cheaper."

 

He didn't bite.

 

$136.

 

He did offer to attach it to another overnight order, if there was one, so I didn't have to wait till friday. Not holding my breath.

[Fairtax4me]

I said "I can get it online cheaper."

 

He didn't bite.

 

$136.

 

He did offer to attach it to another overnight order, if there was one, so I didn't have to wait till friday. Not holding my breath.

 

They'll have more than a VOR or two between now and then, the real question is, will they remember to put the orders in together?

 

Honestly though, this is something I'd try to grab from a junkyard. Maybe 10 bucks at most?

[jarl]

I said "I can get it online cheaper."

 

He didn't bite.

 

$136.

 

He did offer to attach it to another overnight order, if there was one, so I didn't have to wait till friday. Not holding my breath.

 

You are not training this dealer correctly Next time bring with you a quote from one of these online dealers. If he wants your deal he'll have to budge.

 

If he doesn't, turn around and buy it cheaper online

[Nug]

They'll have more than a VOR or two between now and then, the real question is, will they remember to put the orders in together?

I talked to the same guy twice now. He remembers me from ordering something that had never been ordered before.

Honestly though, this is something I'd try to grab from a junkyard. Maybe 10 bucks at most?

Late model Subaru in a junkyard in eastern VA? No. I called some places. They laughed (or wanted to sell me the whole thing for $650.)

 

You are not training this dealer correctly Next time bring with you a quote from one of these online dealers. If he wants your deal he'll have to budge.

 

If he doesn't, turn around and buy it cheaper online

 

I'm 80 miles away. They don't give a rat's rump roast. They don't have any reason to be flexible.

[Fairtax4me]

Check out Chesterfield Auto Parts in Richmond. It's down on Midlothian Tpk near Belt Blvd.

If they even know what it is when they ring you up, it won't be more than 5 or 10 bucks.

 

There is also a place up in Stafford called Pick-a-part or something like that.

 

http://www.chesterfieldauto.com/

[johnceggleston]

another solution is to post a wanted ad here. some one has a dead trans sitting around. were still talking about the solenoid / connector , right?

[Gloyale]

Just solder on a new set of connectors

 

And you shouldn't have needed to remove the TQ at all.

 

And if you didn't install the TQ correctly, the pump may be damaged, making no pressure, and throwing a line pressure solenoid code. Hopefully not but you should maybe test the line pressure.

[Nug]

Check out Chesterfield Auto Parts in Richmond. It's down on Midlothian Tpk near Belt Blvd.

If they even know what it is when they ring you up, it won't be more than 5 or 10 bucks.

 

There is also a place up in Stafford called Pick-a-part or something like that.

 

http://www.chesterfieldauto.com/

 

Stafford is like a foreign country. It's around 100 miles away.

 

And while I LOVE Chesterfield auto (it's where I got the EJ22 for my VW beetle project a few years back), it's rare for a newer Subaru to show up. I waited for months.

Edited October 1, 2011 by Nug

[Nug]

another solution is to post a wanted ad here. some one has a dead trans sitting around. were still talking about the solenoid / connector , right?

I need this out of my hair, the sooner the better.

 

Just solder on a new set of connectors

The wire is broken going into the solenoid's windings. Nothing left to solder to.

 

And you shouldn't have needed to remove the TQ at all.

 

The torque converter's snout was very securely jammed into the crankshaft. Like welded tight. Yeah, there would have been no reason for me to pull the converter, except for the fact that the two had become one. It was like I had left a bolt in it (which I had not).

 

I don't know why that was, either. Nothing in the crankshaft to snag on; maybe the converter was dropped square on its snout and mushroomed? Remember, neither the engine or trans are original, and they were replaced at different times, AND I don't know the details why, other than some sort of failure for each.

 

It was probably simple stuff that any tech with half a brain could have figured out, but that's just conjecture.

 

 

 

And if you didn't install the TQ correctly, the pump may be damaged, making no pressure, and throwing a line pressure solenoid code. Hopefully not but you should maybe test the line pressure.

 

Like I said, no continuity through the connector. Solenoid was dead.

 

I fished the pump shaft out of the case. Installed a new seal in the front of the trans (the converter scraped against it on the way out and roughed it up a bit). Installed a new wire clip inside the pump shaft, and clipped it onto the torque converter. Installed a new slash-cut teflon seal ring to the rear end of the pump shaft (while it was out, you know). Lubed with vaseline. Slid the input shaft in, with a new o-ring on the end. Installed converter/pump shaft combo, gave it a twist, click click click click, done. Converter protrusion from edge of bellhousing within spec (right in the middle of spec, actually).

 

It's installed correctly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picked up new solenoid from Subaru. $14X.xx Whatever.

 

Installing it tonight after making sure the transmission pan dimensions are correct. Alignment in the morning, then calling her and telling her to come get it. Also, bring me $2500 (est.). Seriously. My credit card has about $1000 worth of Subaru paraphernalia on it, despite the fact that I haven't owned one in seven years.

[Fairtax4me]

Stafford is like a foreign country. It's around 100 miles away.

 

And while I LOVE Chesterfield auto (it's where I got the EJ22 for my VW beetle project a few years back), it's rare for a newer Subaru to show up. I waited for months.

 

Yeah actually the Pickapart place I was thinking of is just a little south of Fredericksburg, not Stafford. http://www.pickapartva.com/

Currently they have 33 Subarus in their inventory. Several Foresters including an 01.

 

I guess there could be some differences between years but I always figured a 4EAT is a 4EAT. They did have an 00 or 01 Forester in CAP not too long ago though. I almost took the struts off of it.